Witness

15. April 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Today we close the book of Matthew.  Congratulations and thanks to everyone who has been on this one year journey with us.  It took us one year to go through the book of Matthew.  The scriptures are so amazing to me because I could literally start over and do this book again because I have learned so much more about Old Testament history since I began that relates to the gospels.   

My next subject though will be the monarchy.  I will be studying the life of King Saul, David and Solomon and their reigns.  We will begin in the book of Samuel because Samuel gives us the background for why people even wanted a king in the first place and how

Israel moved from a theocracy to a monarchy. 

Today’s text is as follows.  This is Matthew’s account of the resurrection story.  Yesterday, I shared with you the Luke account which is my personal favorite because it just gives us so many details.   Remember when you study at home; if you want to get a full picture of what really happened study all the accounts of a story.  The technical name for that is to study the story in its remote context.  Not all biblical stories are repeated in another source or have a remote account.   When you study all the accounts together, it gives you a full picture of what happened and a lot of times answers questions that you may have had just from studying the one source alone. 

Here is our text:

 Matthew 28:1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into

Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to

Galilee; there they will see me.” 11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. 16 Then the eleven disciples went to

Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  

As you can see in our text, we have the story that was made of by the chief priests to explain the resurrection of Jesus.  The soldiers were given large sums of money to say that during the night the disciples stole the body of Jesus. 

According to Matthew’s account, the eleven disciples go to a mountain in Galilee where they were instructed by Jesus to meet him and he charged them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature and that Jesus would always be with them to the very end of the age.     

Ohhhhhhh…………….    That’s just what I’m about to do.  On tomorrow I’m headed to

Australia to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.  What a privilege to preach this gospel.  It really is.  

If we are Disciples of Christ, we all have a responsibility to share this gospel.   You don’t have to be on a certain educational level to share.  I have run across so many people who say they don’t feel secure enough in the word to share.  Tell what God has done for your.  Tell your story.   Share the simplicity of the gospel, his death, burial, and resurrection.   Everything else is left up to God.  It really is.  Our job is to tell the story and one will plant a seed, another waters and it is God that will give the increase to the body.   So you may be the one planting or watering and just because you may not sometimes see the fruit of your labor, it does not mean that your labor is in vain, it is in the hands of God.  You don’t know how many people’s life will be changed because of you.  Sometimes, they will come back and thank you and tell you that they were converted because of your witness and other times you will never know.   I know that there are people along my journey who were witnesses to me both verbally and by the life they lead and some of them I would not even begin to know how to contact them to tell them how their story and their witness of the gospel changed my life. 

So today’s lesson is all about encouraging us to witness.  The work was done on the cross now let us except and live this abundant life that Jesus died that we may have and share it with others.    I don’t know about you but I am free since Jesus.  Truly free………….    And the more I study, the more liberty I embrace.   Christianity is liberty not bondage.   Some of us stress way too much…..      Just focus on the relationship with God and everything else flows out of that.    Okay……. Enough, I’m starting to tear up…..   

 

For those of you that log in from Australia, I will give you the church link and info about where I will be on tomorrow incase you’re in the area and would like to come. 

 

Well, I’ll talk to you on tomorrow as we begin our new study.  I’m so excited……… 

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!

 Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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Arisen

14. April 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

I hope everyone had a wonderful “resurrection weekend.”  I did.  But I always enjoy my weekends.   I love being in church and around the people and things of God.  It’s just the best. 

Our text for today is found in the book of Luke.  I know we are not finish with Matthew yet, but of all the gospels this is my absolute favorite account of the resurrection story.  I want to share it with you.  

 Luke 24: 1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in

Galilee: 7 ’The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” 8 Then they remembered his words. 9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from

Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to

Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 ”What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem

Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

 Our story opens up with the women going to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus.  If you remember on last week, we studied the story of the women with the alabaster box of oil that came to Jesus and anointed him and Jesus defended her inspite of the indignation of the disciples indicating that she had done this for his burial and I went on and on about how awesome it was that Jesus knew when the women came to anoint his body that he would have been risen so he was anointed while he was still alive.    I just think that is so powerful …..  It’s amazing how the scriptures harmonize.   

My favorite part of this account is when the two disciples are walking on the road to Emmaus and Jesus comes up behind them and asked them what are they talking about and why are they so sad.  The men immediately think that Jesus is a stranger to the city and must not know what just happened which all

Jerusalem was aware of. 

Jesus then calls them fools and said did you not believe the words of the prophets and that what happened to Christ was fulfillment of prophecy and the bible says that he opens up the scriptures at Moses and begins to preach to them through Moses and the prophets the things concerning him.  When it refers to the scriptures of Moses it is talking about the first five books of the bible from Genesis-Deuteronomy.   Ahhh!!!!!!!!  Another power piece.   He opened up the Old Testament and starting at Genesis, he preached to them what the old testament scriptures had to say concerning him and what just transpired. 

Another one of my favorite texts in this piece of scripture is when they finally realized that it was Jesus, the bible said when Jesus disappeared they said among themselves:  Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked with us and opened the scriptures up to us.   Oh!!!!!!!!!!  The power of the “word of God.” 

Sorry for the extremely late post today, but our power has been down all day and we just got it back. 

I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

 

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!

 Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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Power Outage

13. April 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 Atlanta had a crazy storm this morning and we lost power all day.  I just got my power back on at my home so I’ll post again in the morning.

Bernice

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HIS DEATH

10. April 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

I am so sorry I did not post on yesterday.  I was filming.  Yes….. Can you believe it?  I am in Tyler Perry’s next movie “I can do bad all by myself.”     I play the associate minister in the church scenes.   It stars Pastor Marvin Winans, Glady’s Knight, Taraji Henson, Adam Rodrizque, Mary J. Blidge,  and Tyler Perry as Madea and Joe, etc.     The church scene was so good.  I just played me.   I worshipped….. that was my character..    It took way longer than I thought.     I really have such an appreciation now for film-makers.   Wow…….  So much has to take place before the movie comes to the big screen.   Well, it will hit theaters on September 11.  I can’t wait to see it.  I had a lot of fun.  

 

This is our text for today.  Today’s text needs no commentary.  It’s just the story of the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.      Let’s just read it together. 

  Matthew 26: 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. 19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21 ”Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. 22 ”What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 ”Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” 25 All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”  

26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. 27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 32 As they were going out, they met a man from

Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called

Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: ~this is jesus, the king of the jews. 38 Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 ”He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of

Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. 45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” 55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from

Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. 62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 ”Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 ”Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

 

Have a wonderful Good Friday and a great Easter.

 

See you on Monday.

 

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!

 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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Anointed for Burial

8. April 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 

Today we will begin with Chapter 26.   Our text for today is as follows:

 

Matthew 26: 1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 ”As you know, the Passover is two days away–and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” 3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. 5 ”But not during the Feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

6 While Jesus was in

Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 ”This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

 

The text gives us our timeline.  We are two days away from the Passover which means that we are two days away from the death of Christ in our text.   Jesus would be the Passover lamb.  While Jesus was instructing his disciples that in two days he would be handed over to be crucified, the chief priests and the elders were already planning on how they could plot to get Jesus arrested.

The next part of the text talks about the famous story of the woman with the alabaster box of oil that came to anoint Jesus.  What I love about this passage is that it is so strategic in the plan of God.    The bible says that when the woman pours the ointment on Jesus’ head that the disciples are indignant and want to know why the waste.   We know in another gospel, the disciple that is really identified as indignant is Judas and the scriptures say that he was a thief and was in control of the treasury that the disciples carried around.      The disciples screamed that the expensive ointment could have been sold at a high price and given to the poor but we know from the other gospel account that this was not really the reason; Judas had other motives in his protest.   

 

Jesus clearly rebukes them and says why do you trouble this woman for she has done a good thing to me?  He goes on to say that the poor will be with them always but he will not always be with them and then he says something that is so strategic.  Jesus says that this woman has anointed me for my burial.

 

Okay, let me show you how powerful this really is.  Look at this text below:

 

Luke 23:50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the

kingdom of

God. 52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 55 The women who had come with Jesus from

Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. Luke 24:1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

 

Okay, the context of this text is right after Jesus has died on the cross.  In ancient Jewish burial customs, After a Jew died(Jesus was a Jew) , they would prepare the body for burial.  The body was to be washed and anointed with various oils and spices and then wrapped in a unique linen cloth that contained spices and then placed in a tomb.

 

Our text above teaches that Joseph requested the body of Jesus and they wrapped it in linen and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock but because the Sabbath was about to begin and the law required no work on the Sabbath, the women could not anoint the body of Jesus for burial so they went home that night and observed the Sabbath.   On the first day of the week, they went to the tomb to anoint the body according to the custom but Jesus had already risen.

 

Okay, I don’t know if you are going crazy at your computer right about now because you have put all the pieces together but I just can’t breathe……..   The scriptures are just so amazing to me.

 

Now back to our text for today, Jesus knew that they would not be able to anoint him properly according to the custom because he would have arisen by the time they came back to the tomb so in our text he says:  “This woman has anointed me for my burial.”  

Ohhhhhhhhhhh………….   You get it……….  How powerful………. 

 

Okay………….     How Great is our God…….  FOR REAL YALL…..

 

Jesus concludes our story with saying that where ever this gospel is preached, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.

 

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!

 Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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Virgins & Talents

7. April 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 

Today we will cover Chapter 25 in summary.  Yesterday, our discussion came out of the disciples coming to Jesus and asking him what would be a sign to know that the end of the world was near and for the punishment of the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, blasphemy, and false teachings. 

 

Today, Jesus gives us several parables that describe what it will be like when the “Son of Man” will return to earth. 

 

The first parable talks about how the kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were wise and five of them were foolish.  The foolish ones took their lamps but had no oil for them but the wise had both their lamps and vessels of oil for the lamps.  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept and at midnight, there was a cry made that the bridegroom was coming and everyone was to go out to meet him. 

 

All the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps and the foolish said unto the wise; “give us some of your oil for our lamps have gone out.”  The wise refused because then they would not have enough oil for their journey and they instructed them to go and buy oil.  While the foolish virgins went to buy oil, the bridegroom came and those that were ready went in with him unto the wedding and the door was shut.  The foolish came banging on the door asking the Lord to open but he answered; “I know you not.” 

 

The lesson of this parable is to: Watch therefore for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.    We must always be ready to meet our Lord.  There will be no time to get it together when he comes, we must live in a state of readiness with an anticipation of return and with that mindset, and we will always be prepared.

 

The second parable that Jesus gives talks about how the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling into a far country and he called his servants to him before he left to give them talents so that they could make good use of their time while he was away.  To one he gave five talents, to another two and to another one.  He gave each man talents according to their ability. 

 

While the man was away on his journey, the one with the five talents went and traded and made five more talents which mean he doubled his money.  The one who he gave two talents did the same but the one with the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid it.  When the Lord returned, he called his servants to him to give an account of their productivity while he was away.  The ones that were given the five and two talents reported that they had doubled their money and the Master says; “well done thy good and faithful servant, thou have been faithful over a few things and I will make you ruler over many, enter thou into the joy of the Lord.” 

 

Now it came time for the one that was given one talent to report and he tells his Lord that he hid it in the earth and here is the same talent that you gave me.  The Lord’s response to this servant was: “thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sow not and gather where I have not strawed thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers and then at my coming I should have received own with usury.”   Take therefore the talent from him and give it unto him which now hath ten talents. 

 

The point of this parable is found in verse # 29;  “ For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

God wants us to be productive with the gifts and abilities that He has given us.   It is not enough to say what God gave you it is still with you, God expects to see a return on his investment of gifts that he has placed on the inside of us and our life in general.   We are stewards over our money, time, talents, gifts, etc.  There should be an increase in our lives of our talents and we should not compare ourselves to what others are doing.   Remember in the parable, the Lord administered the gifts according to the ability of the person so God knows each one of us and he has distributed to us what we need and what we can handle and He expects us to show signs of increase. 

While we are waiting on the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God expects us to live a profitable and productive life with the talents and abilities that he has given us.    We have what we need.  Focus on the gifts and talents that are inside of you and be you and don’t try to be like anybody else.  We learn from others and others can be our mentors but be you and it will be the most freeing and liberating experience that you can ever live out.

 

When I was being trained up as a minister, I had people that I admired and respected and I tried to mimic what they do and be just like them.  It always failed and I felt uncomfortable doing it because I wasn’t comfortable with myself.  When I learned that I can learned from them and be mentored by them but God has given me my own uniqueness and I should be true to that it took me to another level spiritually and for the first time, I was comfortable in addressing and ministering to people because I was doing it my way with my style and with the gifts that God had given me.  IT WAS SO LIBERATING and I have not looked back since.    Just be you.   Nobody can be you like you.  JUST BE YOURSELF.    You got to be amazing being you because God did it………….    

 

Okay, we’ll finish with the other parables on tomorrow. 

 

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!

 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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Signs of the End

6. April 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 

Today we will cover Chapter 24 in summary.  I hope you all have a wonderful Palm Sunday.  I had a wonderful day on yesterday from the time I got up until the time I went to sleep.  It was such a great day with family and friends.

Chapter 24 opens up with Jesus talking to his disciples.  In verse #3, it teaches that the disciples came unto him privately and asked him to tell them when shall these things be and what shall be the sign of the end of the world?   These statement flows out of our context on last week when Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees and informing them of the doom that they would face because of their hypocrisy and their false teachings. 

 

Jesus goes on to tell them what some of the signs will be:  Here is an abbreviated list.

 

1.  Many shall come in his name saying that They are the Christ and shall deceive many.

 

2.  You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars and be not troubled for these things must come to pass but the end is not yet.

 

3. Nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diver places

 

4.  They shall deliver you to be afflicted and killed and you shall be hated of all nations and many shall be offended and will betray and hate one another.

 

5.  Many false prophets will arise.

 6.  Sin shall abound and the love of many shall wax cold.

Jesus goes on to say that all these things will simply be the “beginning of sorrows” but he that endures to the end the same shall be saved.

 

Jesus also states that this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the entire world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come.

 

Jesus then goes on to give us a description of what it will be like.

 

1.  Let him that is on the housetop do not come down to take anything out of their house.

 

2.  He who is in

Judea should flee to the mountains.

 

3.  He who is in the field let him not return to get his clothes.

 

4.  Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days.

 Jesus says that there will be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be.  He goes on to say that except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.And then Jesus closes out with this final description.Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with ^F46 a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut ^F47 him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (NIV)

Tomorrow, we will cover Chapter 25 and then we will get into the details of his betrayal, death, and resurrection.   SO EXCITED.  I love this season of the church.

 

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!

 Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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Which Reality?

3. April 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 

I think I will wait until Monday, before I began our next Chapter.   We’re always finished with the book of Matthew.  I can’t wait to begin our next study though I’m gonna miss being in Matthew.  I have been studying it personally for years now  but I guess it’s time to move on.  (lol)

 

I was at a service last night at

Morehouse College where one of my spiritual fathers, Bishop Paul S. Morton ( ohhhh…….. I love him… he is so anointed.) preached and his message was entitled:  “Who will control your reality.”  What is really real to you?  I was so blessed by the message that I thought I would just share some highlights of it with you today. 

Bishop talked about how God is real but so is Satan and how healing is real and so is sickness, and how money is real and so is poverty, and the list went on and on but the point of the sermon is which reality you will embrace.   Depending on what you embrace will determine your outcome.  He talked about how the enemy gets into our minds and creates illusions and magnifies things bigger than they really are but we are still in control of what reality we will affirm or accept.

 

That message was so plain and simple yet so profound.  I had all these emotions going at the same time.   WOW!!!!!!!  The simplicity of the gospel.   Sometimes we just make things so hard and get stressed out over things that we don’t even know will happen or not.  It’s call worry.

 

As I was sitting in that auditorium last night, I decided afresh to make the promises of God and his word my reality no matter what is going on around me and in my life.  It was so refreshing and I just felt plain good when I left. 

 

So today, I just want to bless our God with a couple of verses of this  famous psalm of praise and I wish you all a wonderful weekend. 

We’ll pick up on Monday with our study of the last week of Jesus leading up to Easter Sunday.

 

Here is the Psalm

 

Psalm 34: 1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. (KJV)

 

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!

 Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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Life

2. April 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Today we are discussing Psalm 90.  I hope you got a change to study it in light of the context information I gave you. 

Here it is again for your review. 

Psalm 90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3 You turn men back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. 5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning– 6 though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. 7 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. 10 The length of our days is seventy years– or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 11 Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 13 Relent, O Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. 16 May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. 17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us– yes, establish the work of our hands. This Psalm fascinated me for several reasons.   First, it is all about time and how our life is short and how we should value the days that God gives us and not waste them or spend them in worry or unproductiveness.    

Verses 1-6 compare our life with the eternity of God.  It reminds us that God is everlasting and we are temporarily and will return to dust.   Remember, our context.  Moses penned this Psalm after watching millions of people die off in the wilderness over a 40 year period.  He has death on a daily basis in record numbers and this psalm is about living. 

He goes on to say how God measures time differently than we do.  He states that a thousand years in God’s sight is like a day that has just for us or a watch in the night.  A watch referred to a 4 hour time period.  He is specific though about saying a watch in the night.  This is the time that we are sleep when we have no consciousness of time.   When we are sleep and you wake up, you really don’t know how much time has passed away. 

Moses then goes on to give us a minimum and maximum for life.  He tells us that seventy is our minimum though we know some people live less than seventy and eighty is our maximum yet we know that some people live longer than eighty.  In those years, Moses says that they are full of trouble and sorrow and unproductively.  In verse #12, Moses asks God to teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.  The Hebrew word for wisdom means to get skill for living.   Moses is saying that if we are aware that we do not have forever and that life could end for us any day, then we should be living our lives out skillfully.   

This part of the psalm really blessed me.  It actually helped me to get refocused.   It made me start getting things in order, to stop procrastinating, thinking I’ll put it off for another day.   I just really laid before the Lord and thank HIM for my life and asked him to help me apply wisdom to my heart so that I could live out my days skillfully or purposefully.   IT REALLY MADE ME THINK. 

Moses concludes with asking the Lord to satisfy us with HIS unfailing love so that we can live our days out in gladness and bless us according to the years we have seen affliction and trouble and he then asks God to establish or direct the work of our hands. 

I don’t know if this is touching you as it did me, but in it’s context of what Moses went through and now how he views life, it just really made me think.   Let’s just live ………..  Let’s just enjoy life.  Let’s live to the best of our abilities.   Let’s do the best we can.  Let’s be productive.  Let’s be skillful in how we live our lives.   Let’s not worry.  Worry can’t solve anything, it only makes things worst.   Let’s just trust God and live…. 

Be encouraged! 

God Bless!!!!!!!  Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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Psalm 90

1. April 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

 You know that whenever I am touched by something that I stop and share it with you.  I have been studying Psalm 90 and have come across some fascinating things.

 The heading of the Psalm reads written by Moses the man of God.    There are 150 Psalms and of all the Psalms, this is the only one that is attributed to as having been written by Moses.    Because it is written by Moses that makes it the oldest Psalm. 

Scholars agree that it was written in about the 38th year of the 40 year death sentence that the children of Israel were to endure because of what happened at Kadesh Barnea with the spies.   If you remember Moses sent 12 men to spy out the land and 10 came back with a negative report saying that they could not take the land and Joshua and Caleb came back with a positive report saying that if God be with them the land could easily be taken.  The others murmured that they were as grasshoppers to the giants that lived in the land.  The spies were there for 40 days.

The children of Israel would then be sentenced to 40 years in the wilderness which was the time it would take the generation of unbelievers to die off.  

Scholars predict that according to the exodus numbers, that there were approximately 1.3 million people that would die off in the wilderness.   To make it make sense, it means that 87 people per day over a 40 year period would die.  That means Moses witnessed 87 funerals per day. 

At the end of this journey, when he had seen all this death along with his family members dieing off, he would pen thisPsalm to the Lord.

 Now that you know the context,  Read the psalm and tomorrow, we will discuss it..  It touched me so. 

1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. 4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. 5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. 6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. 8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. 9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. 10 The days  of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply  our hearts unto wisdom. 13 Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. 14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. 16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. 17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

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