He Is In Control – Day 11

· Chris Thompson

You can choose to watch the video here or read the reflection below:

Day 11- Matthew 8:18-9:8
 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” 28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” 30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region. 9:1 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7 Then the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

Here we see two events that filled people with awe of Jesus. The calming of the storm and healing of the paralytic both serve to point us again to Jesus’ authority. I have a hard time imagining sleeping through a storm on a boat but in so many ways I imagine that to be a more comfortable feeling than how the disciples felt after Jesus calmed the waves. How would it feel to be sitting in a boat next to the one who can do something like that? We see this authority brought up again in the story of the two demon possessed men. The demons knew exactly who they were facing and they were terrified. Contrast this then to the teachers of the law who questioned Jesus for forgiving the paralytic man’s sins. Jesus indeed has the authority to do anything he wants, and how do we see him use it? To heal and restore people. To cast out demons, to save those who are drowning, restore health and forgive sins. So I want to invite you to take a minute and bask in the awe of who Jesus is. The calmer of storms, the healer, the lord over all. Take some time to pray. Thank and acknowledge him and praise his powerful and awesome name!

You are invited to pray or to be prayed for. As we learn more about who Jesus is let us then enter into prayer and be shaped by him.

He is Willing and He Has Authority – Day 10

· Chris Thompson

You can choose to watch the video here or read the reflection below:

Day 10 – Matt 8:1-17
When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” 7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

There are two awesome things I love in this passage; that Jesus was willing to heal, and that he has the authority to carry what he wants to do. I can only hope to bring together in my life what we see in the hearts of both these men in the story. In both men we see humility, in one physically throwing themselves before Jesus and the other in acknowledging his authority over sickness. I pray that I can bring this same knowledge and willingness together. Too often I come to Jesus with one or the other and not both. I want to be a person who recognizes the power and authority of Jesus and supremacy of who he is, and couple it with the knowledge that he loves me and cares for me and is willing to give me what I need in order to carry on. A final note, again in this passage we see the reference to “fulfil”. Jesus is at work to demonstrate who he is and that he is doing the work of the Father. These miracles are signposts that are intended to point us to Jesus’ lordship and his heart to care for his people.

You are invited to pray or to be prayed for. As we learn more about who Jesus is let us then enter into prayer and be shaped by him.

Don’t Settle for Easy – Day 9

· Chris Thompson

You can choose to watch the video here or read the reflection below:

Day 9- Matt 7:13-29
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.  15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

We typically think of the small gate and narrow road as exclusive, but I want us to view it in light of everything Jesus has just said before this passage. To travel on a narrow road or go through a small gate requires more focus and more intent, and I believe that is what Jesus is referring to. It is not about a life lived saying the right things or even doing the right things. It is about living a life that is centred around and focused on God. We have seen Jesus give instruction to “ask, seek and knock”, we have heard about turning the other cheek, and about how we cannot serve two masters. This whole section of Matthew from chapter 5-7 are not instructions on what to do, they are directions on who to focus on. Jesus is again the example of all this. We see him through his life live out every single teaching he has given, and how was he able to do this? He was focused on the Father. It is about choosing a path that is not easy, it will require a lot of sacrifices. But it is greater and better than anything else we could hope for. So, let us not take the easy and broad path, but let us fix our eyes on Jesus and walk through the small gate on the narrow path that gives life.

You are invited to pray or to be prayed for. As we learn more about who Jesus is let us then enter into prayer and be shaped by him.

You’ve Got Something in Your Eye – Day 8

· Chris Thompson

You can choose to watch the video here or read the reflection below:


Day 8- Matt 7:1-12
7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

I think it safe to see how Jesus lived this out with one notable exception, he never had anything in his eye. He would have been fully justified in judging and condemning anyone but what do we see in his life? Mercy and grace. Jesus would point out things that were holding people back when they needed it (Peter, Rich young man, and others). It is also important too for us to speak into each other’s lives as we become blind to our specks and planks. The key is that we cannot ignore our own planks to worry about someone’s speck. Just as we talked about “seek first his kingdom” in the last reflection so too we see here to ask, seek and knock. It is worth pointing out that ask, seek and knock is pretty much the opposite of what this passage starts out with of judging. For us to ask, seek and knock is to pursue and maintain relationship with Jesus and then live it out in our relationships with each other. We are to be a people defined by grace and mercy because that is who Jesus is.

Who Is Jesus Day 7 – What Are You Looking At?

· Chris Thompson

You have a choice.

You can either read the reflection below or listen to me talk in the video here:

Day 7- Matthew 6:19-34
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We have all heard the expression “you are what you eat”, but this is true for much more than our diets. It is our daily choice to trust that God knows what we need and will provide, but we are often consumed with filling our lives with things or with worry and anxiety about things. We have so much and yet we worry about not having enough. The key focus of this passage is verse 33, “seek first his kingdom”. It is when we can have our eyes fixed on the author and perfector of our faith, that we can actually let go of the worries and striving that so often plague our lives. Jesus had a firm grasp on this. Why do you think that he would be able to sleep on a boat during a storm? Jesus knew his father would watch over him and provide what he needed, so the question we have is, can do the same?

You are invited to pray or to be prayed for. As we learn more about who Jesus is let us then enter into prayer and be shaped by him.

Who Is Jesus Day 6 – Keeping Up Appearances

· Chris Thompson

You have a choice.

You can either read the reflection below or listen to me talk in the video here:

Day 6- Matthew 6:1-18

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,10 your kingdom come,your will be done,    on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us today our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts,    as we also have forgiven our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation,    but deliver us from the evil one.’
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

We often speak about walking the talk, but we can all think of examples where the walk is a bit too flashy. We do a lot in our culture to keep up appearances and not show weakness, but there are times where we like to receive recognition and acknowledgment for the good things we do. All too often our focus is on ourselves, even when we are being generous. The thing we need to see in this passage is that Jesus lived out exactly what he is talking about here. He did not do things to put on a display, and even when he was being mocked and beaten, he did not defend himself. That is why I think Jesus chose to put the Lord’s prayer right here. In the midst of talking about turning the other cheek in the previous chapter, not putting on selfish displays here as well as focusing on forgiveness. This prayer covers pretty much all the bases, Acknowledging God and his holiness, seeking his will, recognizing his provision for our daily needs, asking for forgiveness, and asking for his help to forgive others. This prayer is focused solely on the Father and what he is doing. We need take hold of it more deeply and seek to align our hearts with his, our will with his, and then we can see his kingdom come here on earth.

You are invited to pray or to be prayed for. As we learn more about who Jesus is let us then enter into prayer and be shaped by him.

Who Is Jesus Day 5 – Take It Seriously

· Chris Thompson

You have a choice.

You can either read the reflection below or listen to me talk in the video here:

Day 5- Matthew 5:13-48

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgement. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Ok, there is a lot here but I want us to focus on something underlying all of this. In these words Jesus is calling us to go beyond what is required. In every example and command in this section, we see Jesus take a commonly understood command and make it even harder. To hold anger in your heart is as bad as murder, to even hold lust in your heart is as bad as adultery. These are strong statements and if we look at them solely as commands to obey, we can get weighed down with a burden that Jesus doesn’t intend for us to have. Jesus is not trying to create a higher standard in behaviour, he is trying to call us to a higher understanding of how we see God. Throughout the bible we see examples of where God acts in ways that overcome people’s sin and disobedience. We see him work and act in ways that demonstrate his love and mercy to people, and in Jesus we see this lived out even more fully. The one who is calling us to turn the other cheek is the same one who selflessly gave his life on the cross in order that we can have a relationship with the Father. So when you read these statements that Jesus makes he is inviting you to do 2 things: 

1) Take sin seriously. Don’t overlook or disregard your sin and failures, but bring them to Jesus

2) Reflect who he is. Let his spirit work in you and shape your heart and mind to reflect who he is, so that your lamp can shine.

You are invited to pray or to be prayed for. As we learn more about who Jesus is let us then enter into prayer and be shaped by him.

Who Is Jesus Day 4 – Blessed

· Chris Thompson

You have a choice.

You can either read the reflection below or listen to me talk in the video here:

Day 4- Matthew 5:1-11

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: 
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers,  for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

First things first. When we usually read this part of Matthew we often get into checklist mode. We begin to think of ways to carry out these acts and be more like this. The thing we need to remember is that all these things Jesus will say over the next few chapters are not a guide to better living, but rather a picture of what life looks like when it is centred around him. Ok let us continue on.

God is a God of blessing. This blessing is different than what we usually think of though. We usually think of wealth, luck, and health. The blessing we see here is not that though. It is a blessing that resides in a way of living, a state of being. The way of Jesus. We are not blessed because we do merciful things, but because we are merciful. They are lived out examples of what our lives in Jesus should be. We are blessed not because we do these things or these happen to us. We are blessed because we dwell in Jesus and as a result he gives us these things. We see Jesus living out these very words and as a result he is a blessing to everyone. Jesus wants us to keep eyes on him, and as we do that we will then be able to live out these words of Jesus, not because we hear them and agree, but because we will be shaped to be more like him.

You are invited to pray or to be prayed for. As we learn more about who Jesus is let us then enter into prayer and be shaped by him.

Who Is Jesus Day 3 – Immediately

· Chris Thompson

You have a choice.

You can either read the reflection below or listen to me talk in the video here:

Day 3- Matthew 4:12-25

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,    Galilee of the Gentiles—16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light;on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Here we see the start of Jesus’ ministry in Matthew. We see him start to declare “the kingdom of God has come near”. People begin to flock to Jesus and bring the sick and hurting to him for healing. What stands out to me though is this; the calling of the disciples.  We see Jesus invent them to follow him. WHat is interesting about this is that traditionally a Rabbi (Teacher) would be approached by the followers and be asked if they could follow him. Here we see Jesus inviting people to follow him. The other thing that stands out is that both Simon and Andrew and James and John drop everything and immediately begin to follow.  It is no small thing that they left everything behind in order to follow Jesus, and I think this is something we need to take a better hold of in our culture today. Jesus needs to be the focus and lord over all aspects of our lives. We get too used to giving only the parts we want to to him and holding back something for ourselves. But, Jesus gives us an invitation to follow him. To walk with him and learn more about who he is and what he’s doing. He invites us along to be a part of the work he is doing to restore and renew everything. The question we have to ask ourselves is this: can we lay everything down and Jesus’ feet and follow him? 

You are invited to pray or to be prayed for. As we learn more about who Jesus is let us then enter into prayer and be shaped by him.

Who Is Jesus Day 2 – Temptation

· Chris Thompson

You have a choice.

You can either read the reflection below or listen to me talk in the video here:

Day 2

Today we are focusing on Matthew 4:1-11, the temptation of Jesus:
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,    and they will lift you up in their hands,    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ 

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

First thing: Again remember our focus, who is Jesus? What does this story reveal about him?

Jesus battles if’s and maybe’s, with a trust in God’s faithfulness. The biggest thing we see Satan do is introduce doubt and uncertainty to our lives. And we see him trying to do this with Jesus here. Every statement he makes includes an “if”. Every challenge he brings about seeks only to bring God’s faithfulness into question. If you are the son of God turn these stones to bread, if you are the son of God throw yourself down, if you worship me all this I will give you. Each of these temptations are rendered useless in light of Jesus’ trust in the Father. He understood who the Father is and what he is like and because of this he could not settle for anything less. No temptation could overwhelm his security in his identity because his identity rested on who his Father is. The challenge for us is to have this same trust. To lean wholly on God and trust in him. 

You are invited to pray or to be prayed for. As we learn more about who Jesus is let us then enter into prayer and be shaped by him.