Category Archives: Jesus

How to take a Cheap shot at Satan Matthew 11:25-30

Posted on by shannonrainwater

My family and I love going to local events. Every year here in Saginaw, TX we have what is called “Taste of Northwest”. It is a vendor fair that hosts the local restaurants and businesses and is similar to a carnival. This year was a little less exciting but it is still good to eat dinner from all of the samples.

One particular booth was from a local church. I usually pay particular attention to the church ones to see how they evangelize or recruit for members. This one had a punching buddy (a punching bag that looks like a person) with a red cape around it and horns on his head. When a person would pass by they would say “Hey, take a shot at Satan!” “Punch him out!” Then they would give out some pamphlets about their church. I didn’t have any contact with them so I do not know if there was any evangelizing going on.

In today’s passage Jesus prayed to the Father and thanked Him for revealing who He was to the people. Then he says something like; “Come to me all who are tired and weary and I will give you rest.” Does this mean that after a hard days work that we go to Jesus and He will restore us? Well, He could but in this context Jesus is referring to those that have been battling the BONDAGE of Satan. You see many people think that they have to CLEAN UP THEIR life BEFORE making the decision to follow Jesus. But Jesus says in this passage that it is HE that can and will free us of the bondage and we can REST.

I do not believe that we have to battle Satan at all. Yes the Bible says that we have power over scorpions and snakes but the source of this power does not come from us. It comes from Jesus but I do not think it is actually us but rather Him working through us. Remember when the disciples came to Him and said that they had a hard time getting rid of a demon? What was Jesus’ reply? “This type can only be done with prayer and fasting.” Prayer and Fasting are the two acts that we can do to refocus our source of strength, God. So is teaching people to hit or battle Satan biblical? I do not think so. I believe that our job is to “GO” and “TELL” people about Jesus. The fight between Satan and God is handled by God. Although we can be used by God to do this it is not our mandate.

Kind of freeing huh?

Know Jesus or No Jesus: Matthew 8:28-34

Posted on by shannonrainwater

Today’s Reading: Matthew 8:28-34

If Jesus were to pass you by in your normal life would you recognize Him? I mean if you were at work and Jesus is walking around in the background, you catch eyes with Him and He waves, would you know that it was Jesus at all? Chances are probably not. You couldn’t know that it was He if you never met in person. Our passage today accounts of two demon possessed men that recognized Jesus for exactly who He is. “What do You have to do with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” They called Him “Son of God”! They know exactly WHO He is! and they tremble at the thought of the coming Judgement.
If the demons know and tremble so much how much more should we? What if we were given a choice to follow Him or face the same Judgement? That’s right! We do have a choice. But it is much more than recognizing who Jesus is. It is following Him and making Him our Savoir by accepting His sacrifice for our sins. The demons do not have this offer of grace, hence they reason they tremble. They know Him just like we know Him but do not follow.
Have you you made this decision? You can know all there is to know about Jesus and be like the demons OR you can intimately KNOW Him! If you have not please do not hesitate to make this commitment now.
If you have made this commitment then who have told?

Dentistry, Boxing, Lawyers, Physical Trainers, and Bankers- Matthew 5:38-42

Posted on by shannonrainwater

Jesus again uses the formula “You have heard x, but I tell you x.” Starting to see a pattern? You think that Jesus is trying to debunk everything that they have learned about the Law? Sort of a “Lawbusters” episode where He picks one of the Mosaic Laws and puts it to the test like Adam and Jamie do?
No not at all. Remember He started this sermon by saying that He didn’t “come to destroy but to fulfill” the law. (5:17)
This section of the sermon Jesus is pointing out that we should go the “second mile”. In other words, we are not only to meet the needs of those that are in need but go one step further.
First, Jesus pulls the Law that is the subject that deals with victims that have been wronged. The “eye for an eye” has been in ancient law for ages. Hammurabi included it and many other countries have used this as part of their “court system” of governing justice. Jesus takes this Law that they know very well and practice, and he tells them to “turn the other cheek”. This is one of the more familiar saying in Christianity. This has been interpreted many times and in many different ways. I have heard that it is in place so that the Christian can hold a peace for a minute to prevent an instant outburst. Some would even add that you only have two cheeks, if it happened again then the Christian is verified in retaliation. But in the “Rule of Hermeneutic” we know that in order to properly interpret this for meaning we have to look at the context.
Second Jesus tells us that if someone sue us for our shirt then we are to give him our coat as well. Why would someone sue for our shirt. Hopefully no one during this day and age but back then it was understood that one could sue for shirts and coats. This was also the maximum you could sue for. People in those days didn’t have many pieces of clothing as we do. If one was sued for both the shirt AND coat it was everything. Plus if the person sued for the coat and it was cold that night. The person could freeze (it gets real cold in desert terrain at night) and die. If this were to happen the person who sued for the coat was considered liable for that person’s death.
Third, Jesus refers to the Roman rule that if a Roman soldier asked a civilian to carry his equipment He only could require one mile of him. This was so that the Roman soldier could be at fighting strength after traveling long distances. However, he could not require that civilian to go no more than one mile. It could be out of the way for the civilian but the trade off was the security in knowing the soldier was in a sense protecting the civilian from invaders. At least that was the idea. Jesus here points out that we are to go an extra mile. Even if it is out of our way.
Lastly, Jesus says that we are not to turn away anyone who wants to borrow and even tells us to give to those who ask. Historically, banking has always charged an interest on borrowed money. It is done for the time the money is away. That borrowed money could be used for investing for a gain. If it is loaned out that gain no longer is a potential unless interest is applied to the borrower. See how that works. So, Jesus addresses that we are to be generous by giving to those who ask for help and loan to those who want to borrow. There is a difference. If someone is asking for money, they aren’t planning on repayment necessarily. But the one who asks for a loan is intending to pay back with interest.
What does all this mean? The law was not given to exact revenge, but to legislate justice. Breaking the law has consequences, but personal vengeance has no place. These passages have often been wrongly taken as a minimum guideline for retaliation. What Jesus clarifies is that they were always intended as a maximum or a ceiling for retaliation, and that mercy was always an acceptable intention underlying these laws.

For us, legalistically “letting the punishment fit the crime” and insisting upon a “eye for an eye” falls short. We must actually consider blessing the those that wrong us. Mercy (withholding deserved punishment) and grace (giving undeserved gifts) are legitimate forms of conduct.

Legalistic Lawyers and Purposeful Propitiation Matthew 5:17-20

Posted on by shannonrainwater

“Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
For I assure you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all things are accomplished.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches these commandments will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:17-20)

You have heard that people say that we are no longer under the Law BUT under grace. What exactly does this mean? Do we ignore the Law? Do we follow the Law?
I’m here to tell you- neither and both. 
HUH? Well think of it this way. Why do we need laws? Easy answer… so the people would not live in Chaos. If there were “rules” to society then people would be in a constant state of fear.
But instead, God gave the Laws (10 Commandments) to Moses so that he could start the government for the nation of Israel. 
“But I’m not Jewish!” says you? Ha, neither am I but God is still going to hold people accountable for all of the Laws, not just the 10 commandments, but all 600 plus commands.
“But wait, following the law to the “t” is impossible!” I know, that’s the point! When Jesus said that He didn’t come to destroy the law but to fulfill it, the Pharisees were in His presence. He briefly sides with them in that the Pharisees lived by these laws and thought that this was the key to heaven. But, instead Jesus ends this thought by saying that “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Those hearing this knew it was impossible to surpass them and much less able to keep the law. But that wasn’t the purpose of the Law. Jesus started by saying He was the fulfillment of the Law. It was never intended to draw man closer to God but rather to show man how far apart from God he really is. Jesus fulfilled the Law by being the propitiation for sin. It is impossible to keep the law even a small bit of it. Hence the need for a Savoir.
The next verses Jesus goes into detail in why it’s impossible to keep the Law. We will look at each of them individually.
Today as you go about. Think of the ways we break the law of today’s society. Speeding? Running stop-signs? Tax Laws? 

The Pre-existent Savior

Posted on by shannonrainwater

The book of John is perhaps the most read book in the New Testament. It is often referred to when a person is a new convert or to someone who is seeking to find out who this Jesus really is. The book of John is unique from the other Gospels by acting like a supplemental gospel a sort of extra information. Not extra information as you would get from outside sources but rather from an eyewitness to Jesus’ life and work. John’s account contains about 92 percent of information that is not in the others. It provides not only Jesus’ existence before He became flesh but contains some of the acts and teachings of Jesus’ life and ministry starting with his baptism.
The first chapter is so chocked full of truths that one must take the time to fully understand them in order to fully appreciate the rest of the book. Although you may take a lengthy time to absorb all of what the Holy Spirit has for you, you may wish to read the book within a weeks time to gain insight on what to look for in the passage that is being examined.


Today we are looking at John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word ,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2. He was with God in the beginning.
3. All things were created through Him,
and apart from Him not one thing was created
that has been created.
4. Life was in Him,
and that life was the light of men.
5.That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

 In the first verse John established that the Word is connected to the Word that God spoke in Genesis 1:1 in creation. The Greek work used here is logos which literally means “word”. By using logos in this context, John establishes that the Word had an existence before creation. The name Jesus is not used here because He had not become flesh yet but existed before creation.


Also extracted form this passage is the glimpse of two parts of the Trinity. If “the Word was with God” and “was God”. The conclusion has to be that the Word is another person in the presence and existence of God. The doctrine of the Trinity is not the point of this study although a necessary one. It will be explained later in detail here.


Next John gives the role of the Word in creation. He explains that there is nothing created that the Word did not create. In other words, the pre-existent Jesus (the Word) created everything. Go through the creation story in Genesis and picture Jesus doing the “work” of creation. This is not to say the God the Father delegated the work of creation to the Son. Only it means that God is the creator.


In verse 4, John connects the Word to the person of Jesus in that the Word created all things then gave life to them namely to man. It is interesting to note that while John just established that the Word created all things, including man, gave life to them and then became the light for them He makes the reader think about the purpose of Jesus’ ministry. It is understood that darkness exists in the world through sin. The very One who created man despite the sin of man establishes a restoration process. In other words, the pre-existent Jesus created man knowing that man would turn to sin. Even though this happened, Jesus loves us so much that He became one of us to restore the fellowship we once had before sin entered the world.


Like I say, there is much Theology in this short passage and so many rabbit trails that could be taken. This is not one of my best writing pieces but I think it starts some conversations and thinking.

Experiencing God Day 1

Posted on by shannonrainwater

Military pilots and civilian alike are trained to know what the gauges are saying. They know to trust them. When I was going through Naval Aircrewman school, we went through what was known as the “Spin and Puke”. It was a pod in which you sat in that was allowed to spin left and right as well as around in a big circle with other pods. There was a joystick on a display pad so that when asked you had to determine what angle you thought your wings were at. The instructors spun the machine so that we were disoriented, hence the “Spin” part and then they spun the individual pods, hence the “Puke” part. No I didn’t puke or hear of anyone in my class puke but I can see why they would call it that. The objective of this was simply to let you experience that your body is not meant to fly. After spinning around we were asked to indicate where do we “feel” the wings should be at. Then they would reveal that the tilting that we felt was totally opposite and sometimes we were stopped. In an aircraft, the forces being felt by your body tricks your brain into thinking that the wings are in a left turn when in fact the wings are actually in a right turn. This obviously could lead to a very dangerous situation. So to counter this “feeling”, the pilots are trained to rely on the flight gauges. The gauges never lie and can be trusted. (I do realize that there can be some mechanical and electrical failures that could lead the gauges wrong but in most situations they worked.)

When we as Christians go through our daily lives, we tend to live by our “feelings”. Then we wonder “What is God’s will for me today?” Often we get no reply. Do we hear God’s voice? Do we trust it when we do? How do we hear it? Audibly? This series on Experiencing God we are going to explore what it means to really get closer to Him. Just as the helicopter pilots that I flew with learned to trust their instruments and distinguish their feelings versus what the helicopter is doing, we will distinguish God’s voice and will for our lives. So without further adieu lets look at the book. If you do not have the book then just follow along with my lead. I’ll post a link later for you to order the book. It would be advisable to keep a journal while doing this Bible study. You will need to answer questions as we go along. Don’t worry I will never them and neither will anyone else, unless you share them. Also, writing your answers in a journal will help you review if you happen to miss a day or two. You will notice progress in your walk with Christ as you look back in your answers.

1. When you come to the Lord Jesus to seek His will for your life, which of the following requests is most like what you ask? Check your response.

  •       Lord, What do you want me to do? When you do you want me to do it? How shall I do it? Where shall I do it? Who do you want me to involve along the way? And please tell me what the outcome will be.
  •       Lord, just tell me what to do one step at a time, and I will do it.

You know many of us just wants to know the place where God wants us to go and we will find the way there. Instead we should let our response correspond to the second one. It’s almost like we were taken to the amusement park by our parents and then told to meet back up at a certain time. We rode every ride that we saw first and stood in long lines just to ride to best ones. However, our parents saw the big picture and wanted us to experience the whole park by following a certain path. You see, when we follow our own path we miss the blessings of the whole. Who is it that really knows the way for you to go to fulfill God’s purpose in your life? God is. Jesus said, “I am the Way.”

If you were to do everything that Jesus tells you one day at a time, do you suppose that you always would be right in the center of where God wants you to be?

The book tells of how Abram (later to be renamed Abraham) followed GOd one day at a time. God told him to go to a land that I will show you.

Gen 12:1-5  The LORD said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.  (2)  I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  (3)  I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.  (4)  So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.  (5)  He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people he had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

How specific was God? He just told Abram to go. Where? “To a land where I will show you.” Are you ready to follow God in that way? (This is a good time for journal reflection)

God is more likely to call you one day at a time rather than giving you the whole details.

Please comment on this material. I take each comment serious. It only makes it better.

Experiencing God Day 1

Posted on by shannonrainwater

Military pilots and civilian alike are trained to know what the gauges are saying. They know to trust them. When I was going through Naval Aircrewman school, we went through what was known as the “Spin and Puke”. It was a pod in which you sat in that was allowed to spin left and right as well as around in a big circle with other pods. There was a joystick on a display pad so that when asked you had to determine what angle you thought your wings were at. The instructors spun the machine so that we were disoriented, hence the “Spin” part and then they spun the individual pods, hence the “Puke” part. No I didn’t puke or hear of anyone in my class puke but I can see why they would call it that. The objective of this was simply to let you experience that your body is not meant to fly. After spinning around we were asked to indicate where do we “feel” the wings should be at. Then they would reveal that the tilting that we felt was totally opposite and sometimes we were stopped. In an aircraft, the forces being felt by your body tricks your brain into thinking that the wings are in a left turn when in fact the wings are actually in a right turn. This obviously could lead to a very dangerous situation. So to counter this “feeling”, the pilots are trained to rely on the flight gauges. The gauges never lie and can be trusted. (I do realize that there can be some mechanical and electrical failures that could lead the gauges wrong but in most situations they worked.)

When we as Christians go through our daily lives, we tend to live by our “feelings”. Then we wonder “What is God’s will for me today?” Often we get no reply. Do we hear God’s voice? Do we trust it when we do? How do we hear it? Audibly? This series on Experiencing God we are going to explore what it means to really get closer to Him. Just as the helicopter pilots that I flew with learned to trust their instruments and distinguish their feelings versus what the helicopter is doing, we will distinguish God’s voice and will for our lives. So without further adieu lets look at the book. If you do not have the book then just follow along with my lead. I’ll post a link later for you to order the book. It would be advisable to keep a journal while doing this Bible study. You will need to answer questions as we go along. Don’t worry I will never them and neither will anyone else, unless you share them. Also, writing your answers in a journal will help you review if you happen to miss a day or two. You will notice progress in your walk with Christ as you look back in your answers.

1. When you come to the Lord Jesus to seek His will for your life, which of the following requests is most like what you ask? Check your response.

  •       Lord, What do you want me to do? When you do you want me to do it? How shall I do it? Where shall I do it? Who do you want me to involve along the way? And please tell me what the outcome will be.

  •       Lord, just tell me what to do one step at a time, and I will do it.

You know many of us just wants to know the place where God wants us to go and we will find the way there. Instead we should let our response correspond to the second one. It’s almost like we were taken to the amusement park by our parents and then told to meet back up at a certain time. We rode every ride that we saw first and stood in long lines just to ride to best ones. However, our parents saw the big picture and wanted us to experience the whole park by following a certain path. You see, when we follow our own path we miss the blessings of the whole. Who is it that really knows the way for you to go to fulfill God’s purpose in your life? God is. Jesus said, “I am the Way.”

If you were to do everything that Jesus tells you one day at a time, do you suppose that you always would be right in the center of where God wants you to be?

The book tells of how Abram (later to be renamed Abraham) followed GOd one day at a time. God told him to go to a land that I will show you.

Gen 12:1-5  The LORD said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.  (2)  I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  (3)  I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.  (4)  So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.  (5)  He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people he had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

How specific was God? He just told Abram to go. Where? “To a land where I will show you.” Are you ready to follow God in that way? (This is a good time for journal reflection)

God is more likely to call you one day at a time rather than giving you the whole details.

Please comment on this material. I take each comment serious. It only makes it better.

Experiencing God Day 1

Posted on by shannonrainwater

Military pilots and civilian alike are trained to know what the gauges are saying. They know to trust them. When I was going through Naval Aircrewman school, we went through what was known as the “Spin and Puke”. It was a pod in which you sat in that was allowed to spin left and right as well as around in a big circle with other pods. There was a joystick on a display pad so that when asked you had to determine what angle you thought your wings were at. The instructors spun the machine so that we were disoriented, hence the “Spin” part and then they spun the individual pods, hence the “Puke” part. No I didn’t puke or hear of anyone in my class puke but I can see why they would call it that. The objective of this was simply to let you experience that your body is not meant to fly. After spinning around we were asked to indicate where do we “feel” the wings should be at. Then they would reveal that the tilting that we felt was totally opposite and sometimes we were stopped. In an aircraft, the forces being felt by your body tricks your brain into thinking that the wings are in a left turn when in fact the wings are actually in a right turn. This obviously could lead to a very dangerous situation. So to counter this “feeling”, the pilots are trained to rely on the flight gauges. The gauges never lie and can be trusted. (I do realize that there can be some mechanical and electrical failures that could lead the gauges wrong but in most situations they worked.)

When we as Christians go through our daily lives, we tend to live by our “feelings”. Then we wonder “What is God’s will for me today?” Often we get no reply. Do we hear God’s voice? Do we trust it when we do? How do we hear it? Audibly? This series on Experiencing God we are going to explore what it means to really get closer to Him. Just as the helicopter pilots that I flew with learned to trust their instruments and distinguish their feelings versus what the helicopter is doing, we will distinguish God’s voice and will for our lives. So without further adieu lets look at the book. If you do not have the book then just follow along with my lead. I’ll post a link later for you to order the book. It would be advisable to keep a journal while doing this Bible study. You will need to answer questions as we go along. Don’t worry I will never them and neither will anyone else, unless you share them. Also, writing your answers in a journal will help you review if you happen to miss a day or two. You will notice progress in your walk with Christ as you look back in your answers.

1. When you come to the Lord Jesus to seek His will for your life, which of the following requests is most like what you ask? Check your response.

  •       Lord, What do you want me to do? When you do you want me to do it? How shall I do it? Where shall I do it? Who do you want me to involve along the way? And please tell me what the outcome will be.

  •       Lord, just tell me what to do one step at a time, and I will do it.

You know many of us just wants to know the place where God wants us to go and we will find the way there. Instead we should let our response correspond to the second one. It’s almost like we were taken to the amusement park by our parents and then told to meet back up at a certain time. We rode every ride that we saw first and stood in long lines just to ride to best ones. However, our parents saw the big picture and wanted us to experience the whole park by following a certain path. You see, when we follow our own path we miss the blessings of the whole. Who is it that really knows the way for you to go to fulfill God’s purpose in your life? God is. Jesus said, “I am the Way.”

If you were to do everything that Jesus tells you one day at a time, do you suppose that you always would be right in the center of where God wants you to be?

The book tells of how Abram (later to be renamed Abraham) followed GOd one day at a time. God told him to go to a land that I will show you.

Gen 12:1-5  The LORD said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.  (2)  I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  (3)  I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.  (4)  So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.  (5)  He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people he had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

How specific was God? He just told Abram to go. Where? “To a land where I will show you.” Are you ready to follow God in that way? (This is a good time for journal reflection)

God is more likely to call you one day at a time rather than giving you the whole details.

Please comment on this material. I take each comment serious. It only makes it better.

Options for Daily Study

Posted on by shannonrainwater

Updated 7/23/2011

So far Experiencing God is in the lead for the most votes. Keep it coming! Voting ends tomorrow at 8pm! Monday will be the big announcement and then the first devotional post.

 

I would like to hear from my readers. Since this Blog is going under construction in the days and maybe weeks to come, I am still working things out.

I have a few ideas on Daily Devotionals:

1. The Mind of Christ by T W Hunt and Claude N. King

2. Spending Time Alone with God, from the moving toward maturity series, by Barry St. Clair

3. Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby

Comment on which of these you would like to see every morning. My understanding is that you could sign up for email updates and get the post sent directly to your email.

Also I can get permission to recreate any worksheet items so you too can follow along.

What do you think??

Options for Daily Study

Posted on by shannonrainwater

Updated 7/23/2011

So far Experiencing God is in the lead for the most votes. Keep it coming! Voting ends tomorrow at 8pm! Monday will be the big announcement and then the first devotional post.

 

I would like to hear from my readers. Since this Blog is going under construction in the days and maybe weeks to come, I am still working things out.

I have a few ideas on Daily Devotionals:

1. The Mind of Christ by T W Hunt and Claude N. King

2. Spending Time Alone with God, from the moving toward maturity series, by Barry St. Clair

3. Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby

Comment on which of these you would like to see every morning. My understanding is that you could sign up for email updates and get the post sent directly to your email.

Also I can get permission to recreate any worksheet items so you too can follow along.

What do you think??