JESUS SPEAKING

                When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?”  He said, “Yes.”  And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”  Peter said to him, “From strangers.”  Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.  Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first.  And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for me and you” (Mathew 17: 24-27.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                All Jewish men were raised to believe that their lives belonged to God.  In turn, every male over the age of twenty was required to pay an annual duty; the fee would redeem them from God; for one year they belonged to themselves.  The season had arrived for the religious leaders to collect the yearly fees.  Simon (Peter) thought it proper to pay the tax, but Jesus questioned it.  He asked Peter to ponder the manner in which the surrounding nations levied taxes.  During this time, the Roman Empire had conquered the majority of the known world.  The nations they conquered were taxed heavily, while their own citizens (or sons) were free from nearly all forms of taxation.  If the Godless and evil leaders of the earth refused to tax their own people, why would a gracious God impose such duties upon his own subjects?  Peter immediately understood that the temple tax was man-made and not God-made.  Jesus however, agreed to pay the tax so that he would not offend those who did not understand this truth.  Miraculously, God provided the funds for Jesus and Peter.  The Lord revealed to Peter, that He was, and is, far more interested in giving to His children, than He is in taking from them.

                When I was in College, my dad would frequently visit me.  He really enjoyed talking with me over a nice meal.  In turn, we would meet at various restaurants in the area.  My Dad was well aware of my financial situation; I was a ‘broke college student’ who couldn’t afford to eat out.  He was never under the mistaken impression that (when the meal concluded) I would head up to the register to take care of the bill.  On the contrary, my Dad, who had great resources, was always aware that he would need to ‘pay-the-check.’  I am older now; I have graduated from college, but I still travel home for the holidays; and my dad still enjoys taking me out to eat; and yes he still enjoys paying for the meal (despite my abilities and sometimes fervent requests to pay.)  My dad has always given to me; he has always been a provider, because I am his Son, and he loves me.

                If you call Jesus your Lord, you also call God your ‘Father.’  If you are a Son or a Daughter of God, He desperately desires to give you good things.  The world is always asking for something from you, and those who are corrupted continually seek to take and to never give in return.  God however is in need of nothing; He gives liberally and lovingly to all those who ask Him.  Seek the Lord; make your requests known to Him, and He will provide for your needs; because He is not just the Almighty God, but He is also, a Loving Father.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, we honor You and we praise Your name.  You are an awesome and mighty God, full of mercy and truth.  We also believe that You are a loving Father, and that we are Your children.  We know that You desire to give us good things; may You continue to provide for all of our needs, that we may better serve You, and worthily magnify Your Holy Name.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.”  God bless all of you!

JESUS SPEAKING

            “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14: 25-26.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                The Lord informed his disciples that he would soon be taken away from them.  In his absence, he promised to send them a replacement; a helper; someone to guide and direct them; a spiritual entity that would remind them of all of his teachings.  After the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus ascended in to heaven; having reached his eternal position, he sent the Holy Spirit in to the hearts and minds of every believer (on the day of Pentecost.)  The disciples began to speak in foreign languages; they were given the power and authority to forgive sins; to cast out demons; to raise the dead; and to heal the sick.  The indwelling of the Holy Spirit was, and is, proof that Jesus Christ did reach his destination; the work of the Spirit today confirms that he is still seated at the right hand of God; a place of honor from which he continues to guide and direct his church.

                In the early 20^th century a bold and daring explorer named Roald Amundsen set out to reach the remote poles of the earth.  He succeeded in reaching the South Pole in 1911, and the North Pole in 1926.  As the story goes, during his northern journey, he took along a homing pigeon (homing pigeons mate for life; in turn, when separated from their mates they have a unique ability to return to their nests from anywhere in the world.  Before leaving for the North Pole, Amundsen, not wanting his wife to worry, promised to release the pigeon when he reached his destination; when the bird arrived at its nest in Norway, his wife was elated.  The pigeon was a symbol; a message proclaiming that although the explorer had arrived in a distant land, he was very much alive.

                The Holy Spirit is also a symbol; it is a message and a reminder that Jesus Christ still lives.  Many have received the message, many have not.  Those who have opened their hearts to God’s messenger have acknowledged that Jesus is their Lord and master.  That he is a living God; that He currently guides and directs His church through the power of the Holy Spirit.  If you have never received His gift, go somewhere quiet, and ask God to provide you with the Spirit of truth.  The Lord never withholds this good thing from those who genuinely ask Him.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, we believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son, and that he is seated at Your right hand.  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit; guide and direct us; teach us, and remind us of Your ways.  May we be faithful believers; may we never waiver; may we never grow weary, and may we never turn away from Your truth.  May You continue to use us to fulfill Your will in this place, until the time when we will see You, face to face.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.

JESUS SPEAKING

                And the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”  He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they don’t hear, nor do they understand.  And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

                ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not               perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull.  Their hearts are hard of     hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear        with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Mathew 13: 10-17.)

 

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                The word parable means ‘alongside.’  The earth is a reflection of what exists in heaven; so earthly things and heavenly things run parallel, or ‘alongside’ one another.  It has been said that “a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.”  The ears are capable of understanding the earthly significance of a parable; yet only the heart can comprehend the deeper (heavenly) spiritual truth.  Although many people can see with their eyes and hear with their ears, their hearts are hardened; in turn, they will never realize the full power of the Lord’s teachings.

                Many years ago I fought a battle against drug addiction.  After becoming a Christian, I decided to return and visit those who had helped me through that dark time in my life.  During my visit, a man approached me; a patient, whose horrible addiction to cocaine had left his life in ruins.  He came to me because he had heard that I was a believer; he immediately professed a strong faith in Jesus Christ; then he began quoting scripture; amazingly he knew the bible inside and out; yet despite his knowledge of God’s word, he had still chosen to live a life of sin and depravity.  I treated the man with love and respect, but it was obvious that, although he had heard God’s word, his heart had never truly understood it.

                Today, there are many whose hearts are hardened.  They hear but fail to truly understand; they see but cannot perceive the truth of God’s eternal revelation.  May our hearts never be hardened; may we continue to receive the word of God willingly, and with great passion.  The Holy scriptures have the power to reconcile God and man; the power to bring light where there is only darkness; and the power to transform the hearts and minds of all those who are willing to listen.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, open our hearts and minds, that we may comprehend Your truth and understand Your words.  Make Your home within us; may Your Holy Spirit lead us, teach us, and guide us in the ways of righteousness, that we might love others as You have loved us. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.”  God bless all of you.