Think about it! Additionally, we know that some (read: many) shepherds from that village were regularly assigned the task of keeping watch over the Temples flocks (described below). We all have days that fall apart. Kindle Edition. He thoroughly enjoys archaeology, traveling, and learning. See that cobblestone sticking out? So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. isnt hard to feel sometimes like life is doing us rather than the more Jesus changing water into wine at a wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11). Jesus had no desire to render the Law void, neither by keeping it and thereby retiring it nor by cancelling it. startling truth. place in the time. The Bible repeatedly made the overt and specific claim that Jesus is the eternal Son of God who was the agent of Creation (Col. 1:16-17; Heb. Jesus told us to deliberately seek Gods blessings of provision, and be neither presumptuous nor ungrateful. but the initial dialogue wasnt with the man. They were hilarious, talented and worked like a well-oiled basketball playing (and sometimes goofing off) machine. We could all use a decent dose of hope. The simple fact is that we live for Jesus, not for self. Subjecting ourselves will most often put us in a place of peace and not fear. It isnt more important; it is temporary. The Law of God was His given standard, (5:17) but only when truly understood with His true intent (5:18-48). The truth is that my senses are limited and can produce a faulty conclusion. We have become the most technologically advanced AND the most exhausted and easily bored generation of human beings ever on the planet. We fire back at people when we arent Jesus centered, but feel the need to protect our own weakness. 16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. Second, the text offered a place: Cana of Galilee. Randy has three grown children, each with children of their own, and loves to be a Pop Pop and spend time with the family. What the people were referring to is specifically in Jeremiah 17:21ff. None of them oppose any verse of Scripture openly to the best of their knowledge. Carousing: komos; someone who celebrates feeling in the here and now more than a sense of pleasing God. His decision is described in Hebrews 12:8, he went out, not knowing.. We deliberately peel off self when we recognize the lateness of the hour and snap out of the delusion of night. Some students of the Word take special note of the definite article before manger in the text, and understand that to mean this was a birthing place the men already knew. Dr. Haddon Robinson writes: Some people are attracted to Christianity because they have a leaky faucet that they want God to fix. It is also notable the Protoevangelium of Jacob similarly suggests the birth of Jesus was outside the village in a cave. Male lambs born in the Bethlehem area, were most often used exclusively in the Temple, as this was the best and most steady commercial outlet to satisfy the needs of the Temple. We Jesus wants to go deep inside of you, and change who you are. At their core, religious impulses are based on the control of anothers behavior. If you were Jewish, you would know bread was on the minds of the people as Pesach (or Passover) approached. First, lets consider Bethlehem as the village location and what that reference in the Gospels meant to early Jewish followers of Jesus. He was famous, but not as an individual. They arent a problem; they are a blessing. They learned of these things after the came to Jesus. Sitting at the airport you will notice people contacting others via computer, but often they are checking email or Facebook in the background while conversing. Randall Smith in Sebring, FL Randall Smith may also have lived outside of Sebring, such as Montverde, Casselberry and 2 other cities in Florida. He sounded plain-spoken, but offered the richest truths of mankinds Creator. Am I supposed to turn off my mind and simply trust whatever I am told about God that cannot seem to be explained? room wanted, and that changed what their own eyes beheld. We are going to follow the evidence that has been combed over for centuries, and listen to the words of those who saw Jesus in action, and judged His character and personal claims by His deeds. 5 A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. He brought satisfaction to those who longed for deep truth. Because of that, Paul said it was time for the Roman believers to wake up to reality. We actively seek to peel off self when we practice the theory of submission in something as physical as money. Listen again to what Paul said (in my own paraphrase): Romans 13:11 We obey these things, we make these changes, because the alarm clock is about to snap us awake from this sleepy existence (with its unreal and dreamy qualities). $499. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I have had a tough life, another will chime in. Venice, FL (34285) Today. After the cessation of blood and required time of waiting, a woman and her child would perform the necessary rituals of purification to be ceremonially clean and return to the household with the rest of the family. I have a confession: I have a tendency to walk fast, and I find myself often having to stop and wait for Dottie to catch up. Romans 14:6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. Jesus Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Look at the WAR WITHIN YOU as a believer for a minute. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. In our modern American lifestyle, we often act as though life should be easy. Since Jesus is the truth, and speaks the truth it is the ability to see through His eyes.. Some people are swayed by an Yet, the man changed when he encountered Jesus: At first, he was clearly panicked by the delay and distance (things he could observe with his eyes and heart) and tried to get Jesus to understand the immediacy of the need when he said, Sir, come down before my child dies. (John 4:49). See if you can pick out what the account tells you about Jesus that will change you. washed, and I received sight. 12 They said to him, Where is He? He said, I Romans 4-5). His son was facing death. I had just waved good-bye to my children, who were being parceled out to loving friends for a few weeks as I prepared to go to Johns Hopkins for my transplant (twelve-week stay). Yet, I have found the times when Jesus speaks loudest to me are often when I am worn to the bone. minds the details of how He got there, It is time for you to take your stone pot, set aside for washing to find a sense of cleanness and let the Word of the Savior transform it. 18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. Jesus was stating there was an opportunity there, not rejecting the mans request. Jesus came. If We are no bargain. View Randall D Smith's profile for company associations, background information, and partnerships. Lets start our investigation early in the account. bills to all new attenders here at church, but that doesnt mean they will She had experienced the most dramatic sign God could give her: healing, bathed in prayer and surrounded by the church. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. He told of two foundations (7:24-29). Paul actually claims that people who truly have Jesus as their Savior make choices to walk a different path than they had when they came to Christ. Lambs could also be used for burnt offerings (Oleh dedicatory offerings). A relationship of following edicts is not intimate; it is sterile. Divorce He warned, A night is coming in which no one can work. He We have a great deal of levity, but little real joy. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to the use of that data. Jesus spent time with the Father and taught His disciples to spend time with Him in prayer. Even when my mortal body gives way, it will be swallowed Romans 14:2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. In order to drive home Divine reasons, Paul had to press the case as to why subjection was so important. Would you be offended if I noted that many Christians look like spiritual ball hogs? Jesus wasnt done. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord. If our encounter led us to true surrender we will ever be changed and marked by our walk with Jesus. We can gain important insights from the past, but hope is about a certain future. could see, but they were blind as well. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 2:1:12). Stop trying to fix other people and start cleaning up things that can cause them to trip over in YOUR life. This isnt about ME as much as it is about US. Paul made clear a central truth we must re-emphasize and remember: We dont work for one another. Jesus identity, character and power. What shocks me is how little these who should He bogs regularly at The Wandering Shepherd. Each of these exalts OUR NEEDS over others. Stop worrying about being the teacher over those God didnt give you responsibility and let other people grow and develop without playing Holy Spirit for them. Traditionally the words of Solomon said: 7:3 And when I was born, I drew in the common air, and fell upon the earth, which is of like nature, and the first voice which I uttered was crying, as all others do. He included sayings about: Murder Before we skip past the detail, look at the identity of the man who came seeking assistance. His account gave selected events with a specific stated purpose that he included near the end of the work. For my students, I think that isnt really true. brought a woman who was caught in the act of committing adultery. Hungry for a righteousness denotes they dont have, and are not self-satisfied (6), himself.. None of us has seen the Norman Conquest or the defeat of the Spanish Armada. The ancient roadway is still a trail along the edge of the hillside, since roads tend to remain in place for millennia. If only God would show mercy, the family urged, they would completely recommit themselves and come to church every Sunday. The man replied, Once that preacher got in the wagon those mules couldnt understand a word I said!. In Biblical terms, I dont go to Heaven, we do. The Manual of Behavior for a Jesus Follower. We dont know how close to the pool Jesus was when they met, About a month ago, after 86 years of life, Johnny Kline died in Tennessee. If you listen closely, you can hear the optimism in his words. If we put other people before us, we demonstrate maturity and care. said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.10But It sounded like He said (apparently to the crowd around Him): Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders you dont believe. Why take a seemingly desperate man and hold out on him like that? The battle inside is about placing other people first, when our default is about making ourselves first. What generally builds muscle really hurts in the process. Read More. It is the convincing of the mind and heart that leads to a willful surrender to the conditions of that truth accepted. When Abraham believed that God would send him a son he built a nursery. Morbid humor is truly something that must be embedded in ones DNA, because it can seem really inappropriate at times. Constant stimulation has made us hunger for more constant stimulation. Then they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, Your son lives; and he himself believed and his whole household. Our time on earth has temporary demand and temporary rewards. 54 This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. When hes not busy saving the company, Aaron enjoys spending time hiking in the North Carolina mountains, learning Hebrew and Arabic, and finding good cafes with fast wifi!