Category: Insights from Mathew

Insights From Matthew: Overcoming Temptation Part 4

On By joshnnomiIn christian living, Insights from Mathew, UncategorizedLeave a comment

We have been on a trek through Matthew 4 discovering principles to help us overcome our temptations. In part one we looked at being filled with the Spirit and practicing the spiritual disciplines. In part two we learned the importance of being filled with the Word and awareness. In part three the importance of being wise and knowing God was highlighted. Today we focus on knowing our identity.

If You Are…

Have you ever heard those questions? Those questions which cast doubt. Are you really a Christian? Are you really a child of God? You know those questions that question your identity. Continue reading “Insights From Matthew: Overcoming Temptation Part 4” →

Insights From Mathew : Overcoming Temptation Part 2

On By joshnnomiIn Insights from Mathew1 Comment

In Matthew 4 we read a vivid account of Satan tempting Jesus. Matthew records Christ victory over Satan and temptation and provides for us this great historical account. We are to rest in Christ victory over Satan and sin, if you are in Christ, His victory is our victory.

The apostle John tells us,

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. – 1 John 3:8-9

Do you see what John is saying? Continue reading “Insights From Mathew : Overcoming Temptation Part 2” →

Insights From Matthew: Baptism With The Holy Spirit and Fire

On By joshnnomiIn Insights from MathewLeave a comment

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. – Matthew 3:11

Growing up in Pentecostal circles, I remember this passage in Mathew was used as a text to point out that Christ will send his Spirit to baptize the believer by the Holy Spirit and fire. Jesus will fill you with his Spirit and as a result, you will be on fire for God. Is that what John the Baptist meant?

Let’s look at the context of the passage, in Matthew 3 we are introduced to John the Baptist and his ministry to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus Christ, we find him preaching repentance and baptizing those who repent. In his preaching he turned his sights to the Pharisees and Sadducees (Jewish religious leaders) and says,

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. – Matthew 3:7-10

John the Baptist calls them out, he shines a spot light on them. John the Baptist was pointing out a very important truth, repentance of sin brings forth fruit of change. When true repentance comes to a heart, the desire to turn from sin accompanies it. The Pharisees and Sadducees were good at putting on a show to be applauded by men and John the Baptist calls them out for it.

John the Baptist continues and points out the forestry department is coming. The forestry department is coming to clear out every tree which is not bearing fruit, trees that are useless. These trees are not only getting cut, notice where these useless trees are headed, to the fire. Fire is a place of judgement and punishment, a place, I assure you, we do not want to be.

This is the lead into our passage. Is being baptized with fire something we want? Let’s continue to analyze the context,

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” – Matthew 3:11-12

John the Baptist points out to one who is coming after him who will baptize with the Spirit and fire, the one that is coming is Jesus. When we continue reading, it is Jesus who will come with a winnowing fork in hand, sifting through the harvest and He will separate the wheat from the chaff. The wheat is gathered into the barn, but the chaff is thrown into unquenchable fire.

How will the wheat and chaff be separated? How will the fruit bearing trees and useless trees be identified?

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. – Ephesians 1:13-14

Those who have received the gospel of salvation have been sealed with the Holy Spirit  and the Holy Spirit is deposited in us guaranteeing our inheritance in heaven. Through this baptism of the Spirit which Christ offers to all who repent and believe in Him, this baptism guarantees that we are fruit bearing trees, wheat in God’s barn. For those who reject Christ? Those are the ones who are met by the forestry department, they meet the winnowing fork of Christ, they are baptized with judgement, baptized with fire.

A sobering reality, the world is filled with fruitless trees and chaff. Here is the the good news, those of us who are baptized with His Spirit must preach the Gospel to a lost world and our miracle working God is able to transform fruitless trees to fruit bearing trees. He is able to make chaff into wheat.

Until Next Time

Solo Deo Gloria

Insights from Mathew: Behold Immanuel

On By joshnnomiIn Insights from MathewLeave a comment

scandalous-grace-1-saving-grace-1-638

” Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us).

Christmas came and went but the miracle of Christmas, God with us, leaves an eternal impact. God, who is transcendent, the creator of time and space, invades time and space and he comes through a miraculous act of the Holy Spirit on a young lady named Mary, in the form of a baby named Jesus. WOW! Down through the centuries, we have attempted to make this look cute with our porcelain nativity scenes, children’s Christmas musicals and traditions, not that I don’t enjoy those things. But that first Christmas was scandalous. A young woman who was almost married, but not quite, pregnant without having sex, having to explain to her husband to be, she is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Imagine being in Joseph’s shoes. To say Joseph is confused and hurt is an understatement. Joseph was planning to break it off quietly until we have divine intervention, grace. God sends an angel to tell Joseph it’s all true, get married and name Him Jesus. What does Joseph do? Exactly what God tells him to do. It could be said of Joseph what was said of Abraham, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3).

The scene of the first Christmas certainly appeared scandalous, but so was Jesus family tree. We see the good the bad and the ugly in Jesus’ lineage.  There were some heroes of the faith like Abraham, David, and Boaz. There were evil kings like Abijah, Jehoram, and Ahaz. We have the heroes, the zeroes, but we also have 4 women mentioned, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Mary and 1 woman alluded to Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. The women mentioned are all involved in scandalous situations and 4 of the five are Gentiles. Gentiles in the line of the Messiah? A Gospel to the Gentiles? Scandalous indeed.

After Jesus is born, in Matthew 2, we don’t find the Jewish nation flood the town of Bethlehem searching for the Messiah, even though they know the situation and explain to Herod where the Messiah is to be born,

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, ” In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘ And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel. (Matt. 2:3-6)

We don’t see the Jewish leaders searching for the King. We find wise men from the East, Gentiles, searching for the King so they can worship Him. Scandalous!

Could this be? A Gospel that includes the Gentiles? There are certainly missional trails throughout the Old Testament,

“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. (Isa. 49:6)

And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. (Zech. 2:11)

There are numerous more, but not only do we find a Gospel for the world in the Old Testament. We also find clues, God is doing something among the Gentiles in Matthew chapters 1 and 2. Four Gentile women in the lineage of Christ, wise men from the East, full blown Gentiles, worshipping a Jewish Messiah. A salvation which reaches the ends of the earth, for all peoples, nations, tribes and tongues. God’s plan from the beginning was to send Jesus to save the nations, to save you. Scandalous Grace indeed.

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you (I Peter 1:20)

Until Next Time

Soli Deo Gloria