God Speaks
Jesus Feeds Four Thousand Plus, Explains the Yeast of the Pharisees, Asks the Twelve Who They Think He Is and Prophesies His Own Death
Verse of the Day: From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.(Matthew 16:21 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 293
We Respond
Matthew 16
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 16:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. The miracles that Jesus did were evidence that He is the Son of God.
2. People must come to the point of acknowledging along with Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Matthew 16?
Thank You, Jesus, that You always passed the test–the questions of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Please help me to look to You to correctly interpret the signs of the times. Also, help me to be careful and alert to teachings or ideologies in my day that would draw me away from You. I declare along with Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Help me to trust and obey You, Holy Spirit, even when You are talking to me about hard things like suffering and death (Jesus’, mine, or others). May my mind be set on the things (commands, promises, and purposes) of God. Then I’ll develop a truly biblical worldview and not be focused on the things (activities and ideologies) of human beings, developing a humanistic worldview. Help me to deny myself and take up my cross (suffering on behalf of others) and follow Jesus. When You return, You, the Son of Man will reward me. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 16?
- The next time I am tested or tempted, I will ask Jesus what I should do; I will listen for His response [Isn’t that what it means to wait on the LORD?], and I will act accordingly.
- I will examine the ideologies currently being discussed to see whether they tend to draw me to God or away from Him. This could be a kind of personal report that I can refer to later to inform myself or others.
- I will publicly declare that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
- At the end of the day, I will ask myself, “How have I denied myself or suffered for the sake of Christ or others today?”
Mark 8
Reflection: This chapter begins with Jesus again feeding a crowd after He had preached to them. This time it was at least 4,000 people with seven loaves of bread and several small fish, but the disciples didn’t get the point. Jesus was disappointed that they were so dense. He had to straighten out their thinking. He reminded them of the two times the Father had blessed them with what they needed to feed the crowds with more than enough left over (12 and 7 baskets full, respectively). His point was, “The Father will provide more than enough if we will bring our needs to Him and actively trust Him;” however, we need to be aware of the thinking or viewpoint of Herod and the Pharisees. They thought only of the physical realm and securing power. They had even wanted Jesus to perform miracles on demand, which He refused to do. Jesus went on to progressively heal a blind man. After that, Jesus asked the disciples the most important question everyone must answer: “Who do you say that I am?” He went on to tell them how the rest of His life would play out. He laid out both the costs and the rewards for himself and them.
Prayer: Father God, You are the ultimate source of all I need. May I remember how You have supplied in the past, and I thank You in advance for doing it again. Help me to see and understand that Your purposes will always be fulfilled no matter how bad things may get. Even suffering and death can’t stop it. On purpose, You used Christ’s suffering and death to accomplish Your plan of redemption. Along with Peter, I declare that Jesus of Nazareth is Your promised Messiah. I realize that You are calling me to yield the control of my life totally to You, just as Jesus did, even though He knew that it would mean his suffering and death, but He also knew that You would raise Him from the dead and that He would, in Your perfect timing, return in Your glory with the holy angels to rule over all the kingdoms of the world. Father, I no longer want to live just for myself, for my own thoughts and plans. I don’t want to see things merely from a human point of view, but from Yours, Lord. Holy Spirit, help me to suffer rightly and well that I might experience the Father’s pleasure and glory. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will turn at least one of my problems or needs over to the Lord and wait expectantly to see how He answers.
- I will declare to at least one person, who does not yet know Christ as Savior and/or Lord, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ (Messiah).
- I will research the lives of at least three people who have suffered rightly and well for Christ that I might emulate them.
- I will yield my life to God, considering both the costs and the rewards.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.Matthew 16
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 16:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. The miracles that Jesus did were evidence that He is the Son of God.
2. People must come to the point of acknowledging along with Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Matthew 16?
Thank You, Jesus, that You always passed the test–the questions of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Please help me to look to You to correctly interpret the signs of the times. Also, help me to be careful and alert to teachings or ideologies in my day that would draw me away from You. I declare along with Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Help me to trust and obey You, Holy Spirit, even when You are talking to me about hard things like suffering and death (Jesus’, mine, or others). May my mind be set on the things (commands, promises, and purposes) of God. Then I’ll develop a truly biblical worldview and not be focused on the things (activities and ideologies) of human beings, developing a humanistic worldview. Help me to deny myself and take up my cross (suffering on behalf of others) and follow Jesus. When You return, You, the Son of Man will reward me. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 16?
- The next time I am tested or tempted, I will ask Jesus what I should do; I will listen for His response [Isn’t that what it means to wait on the LORD?], and I will act accordingly.
- I will examine the ideologies currently being discussed to see whether they tend to draw me to God or away from Him. This could be a kind of personal report that I can refer to later to inform myself or others.
- I will publicly declare that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
- At the end of the day, I will ask myself, “How have I denied myself or suffered for the sake of Christ or others today?”
Mark 8
Reflection: This chapter begins with Jesus again feeding a crowd after He had preached to them. This time it was at least 4,000 people with seven loaves of bread and several small fish, but the disciples didn’t get the point. Jesus was disappointed that they were so dense. He had to straighten out their thinking. He reminded them of the two times the Father had blessed them with what they needed to feed the crowds with more than enough left over (12 and 7 baskets full, respectively). His point was, “The Father will provide more than enough if we will bring our needs to Him and actively trust Him;” however, we need to be aware of the thinking or viewpoint of Herod and the Pharisees. They thought only of the physical realm and securing power. They had even wanted Jesus to perform miracles on demand, which He refused to do. Jesus went on to progressively heal a blind man. After that, Jesus asked the disciples the most important question everyone must answer: “Who do you say that I am?” He went on to tell them how the rest of His life would play out. He laid out both the costs and the rewards for himself and them.
Prayer: Father God, You are the ultimate source of all I need. May I remember how You have supplied in the past, and I thank You in advance for doing it again. Help me to see and understand that Your purposes will always be fulfilled no matter how bad things may get. Even suffering and death can’t stop it. On purpose, You used Christ’s suffering and death to accomplish Your plan of redemption. Along with Peter, I declare that Jesus of Nazareth is Your promised Messiah. I realize that You are calling me to yield the control of my life totally to You, just as Jesus did, even though He knew that it would mean his suffering and death, but He also knew that You would raise Him from the dead and that He would, in Your perfect timing, return in Your glory with the holy angels to rule over all the kingdoms of the world. Father, I no longer want to live just for myself, for my own thoughts and plans. I don’t want to see things merely from a human point of view, but from Yours, Lord. Holy Spirit, help me to suffer rightly and well that I might experience the Father’s pleasure and glory. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will turn at least one of my problems or needs over to the Lord and wait expectantly to see how He answers.
- I will declare to at least one person, who does not yet know Christ as Savior and/or Lord, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ (Messiah).
- I will research the lives of at least three people who have suffered rightly and well for Christ that I might emulate them.
- I will yield my life to God, considering both the costs and the rewards.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.