Immanuel Lutheran Blog

Reading through the New Testament: Mark 9-15

This week we will discover God's glory as revealed through the gospel writer Mark.  God displayed His glory to the disciples on a mountain, and God later revealed His glory through the cross and empty tomb on Mt. Calvary to the rest of the world for all time.

When the glory of God is revealed to Peter, James, and John, they respond by honoring God and trying to do what the believe He would want.  The Father instead says to them "This is my Son, whom I love, Listen to Him." 

Mark then makes a switch in the gospel of explaining some of the teaching of Jesus (prior to this he had focused on the miracles and work of the Lord).  Jesus says that we are to love God above all and then love our neighbors.  What is it to listen to the Lord.  Listening is doing.  If we are not doing the work of the Lord, then we have to ask ourselves if we are truly listening to Him.  We are told to Listen to the Lord by the Father.

As we listen we do in preparation for the final glory of the Lord to be revealed.  It will come at His second coming which will be anytime now.  I get a little dismayed when I see Christian pastors or churches predict when Christ will come!  The scriptures tell us that no one knows when He will come, not the angel, not even Jesus himself!  If the very Son of God doesn't know, what makes us think that any one of us will be able to know.  Instead of trying to predict a date, the Lord tells us to live each moment as if that were the time.  Live Listening and doing the Word of God.

God Bless your Listening to the Word of God this week.

Matthew 14-25 A Tumultuous Week

Jesus had a rough week in the readings that we hear as we continue to hear the New Testament together as a congregation.  In the sections we hear Jesus is confronted with the news that His cousin has been killed to satisfy the whims of the wife of Herod the tetrach...Jesus later will have those demand a sign to them that He is the Son of God, the Christ...He later will calm the storm and prove who He is to His disciples. 

Jesus also knows that His death is near...He predicts it to His disciples and begins to prepare them for the upcoming "passion" week. 

This week as you read or hear the Word of God and some of the tumultuous events that Jesus went through be reminded of His faithfulness to you and His strength that when things got tough, He got prayer.  Be people of prayer, people of the Word and people of Worship and rely on the strength of Christ who conquered all things including death for us.

God Bless your reading and hearing of His Word.

Reading the NT together

Here at Immanuel we are embarking on the journey of reading through the New Testament together.  This week our community will read Matthew chapters 1-13.  We invite you to join us and read along as well.

This week you will see what Matthew's message about Jesus the Christ was.  Matthew was a Jewish tax collector for the Roman army.  Matthew was hated by his peers.  Matthew would also have been seen as one who would be on the line of not making it into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew though is called to follow Jesus and is accepted into His kingdom (chapter 9).  Matthew also is key to note that with the baptism of Jesus (the beginning of His three year ministry), that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (ch. 4...best translation of this is the English Standard Version). 

This week as you read the Bible hear the teachings of Jesus (Matthew emphasizes the teachings over miracles) and apply them to your life (Let the light shine through your good works so that others might praise your Father in heaven. Ch. 5)

Enjoy the Word of God, and watch it make a difference in your life!

Can you imagine if we shared the gospel with four people!

Can you imagine if you shared the gospel with four people who currently would be standing outside the kingdom of heaven if Christ were to return today.

Can you imagine their reaction to your great witness...can you imagine their gratitude as they would realize how blessed they are by you and your witness.

The gospel is to be shared, and it is already written for us, it is already given to us, we don't need to jazz it up, we don't need to figure out how to make it eloquent or poetic...we just need to proclaim it.  "Jesus Christ the son of God came and lived a perfect life, died and three days later rose, appeared to His disciples and to 500 others and to Paul, and ascended into heaven and is coming again!"

That's it, it is done, now proclaim.  Share the gospel!

Glory be to God!