Friend, throughout verses one through 40, we read how the Pharisees were hating on Jesus (lol). Jesus continued to heal the sick and perform miracles even on the Sabbath Day. The Pharisees did not agree with this or like it. They began to challenge Jesus with questions, and in verse 14, it is revealed that they began to plot to kill Him due to not being able to accept and explain His authority and power. In verses 22 through 29, Jesus healed a demon possessed man, and the Pharisees had the nerve to say that He was able to do so because He was empowered by Satan. We know Jesus clapped back, right? He asked them if He was empowered by Satan, Satan would be fighting against himself and dividing his own kingdom. Jesus brought clarity to them by saying whoever isn’t with Him opposes Him and anyone who isnt working with Him is working against Him. The Pharisees were obviously working against Jesus and He knew it. Friend, are you working with Jesus or are you opposing Him? 👀

In verse 38, the teachers of the religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus asking for a miraculous sign to prove His authority. In verses 39 and 40, Jesus told them the only sign they would receive was the sign of the prophet Jonah. He elaborated by referencing Jonah being in the belly of the great fish for 3 days and 3 nights; and said He would be in the heart of the earth for 3 days and 3 nights. (This is the first prophecy we see in this book which references Jesus’ future death and resurrection.)

I love verses 46 through 50 as they reference family outside of the bloodline. While Jesus was speaking, His mother and brothers stood outside of the synagogue requesting to speak to Him. His response was, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then He pointed to His disciples and said, “These are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of My Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Now, Jesus wasn’t dissing His earthly family. He was teaching us that we are brothers and sisters in Christ which makes us family. A lot of us get caught up on being rejected as the “black sheep” of our families. These verses are great to reference during those times. I have people in my life that are not my blood relatives, but I love dearly and treat them as if they are my blood relatives. When you are neglected by your earthly family, know that you still have a family within the body of Christ. It is my prayer that you accept your place within your earthly family as well as your God-given family!

So John the Baptist is in prison when He hears about the miracles of Jesus. We know that John heard about it because verse two tells us; so he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask if He was the Messiah or if they should be looking for someone else. Jesus instructed John’s followers to tell him everything they had witnessed including the blind seeing, the lame walking, leprosy cured, deaf people hearing, dead being raised to life, and the Good News being preached to the poor. My thought was, “In verse two, it says that John had heard about all the things Jesus was doing so why did he send his disciples to verify that it was him?”. But to be honest friend, we have done similar when asking God for another confirmation. We know what He said. We know His nature. We know what He has performed in the past. But yet we ask for another sign. So maybe John just needed some reassurance and another “sign”. I am sure that Jesus provided just that by telling John’s disciples to tell him what they had witnessed.

Verse 20 switches gears with the judgment for unbelievers being announced. Jesus denounced the towns where He had performed many of His miracles; He did so due to the people not repenting and turning to God after hearing His teaching and witnessing His miracles. Friend, He will do the same for you and I. When God shows Himself to us, it is not for us to continue to live as we once lived. It is for us to turn from our wickedness and back to Him. He issues warnings before the destruction comes so I encourage you not to take His warnings lightly, my friend.

Verses 25 through 27 mention a standard for the revelations of God. That standard includes us being childlike instead of portraying to be wise and clever. It also includes being chosen by Jesus for He chooses those who will know the revelations of God. So go before Him in a childlike manner, full of faith, lowly, and with an open heart. Lastly, Jesus bids for those who are weary and carrying heavy burdens to come to Him so that He can give them rest. When we connect with Jesus (take on His yoke) we will realize that the burdens are not for us to carry but for us to lay them at His feet. Then we are charged to exercise faith that He will take care of us completely. There is something about the peace of God that exudes from within when you allow Him to be Him. Take your hands out of it and give it to Him.

Friend, I love chapter ten. When I have discussions with believers who think that they do not know what their purpose is, I point them to this chapter. Although our methods of completing our purpose varies, we are all on one mission! So as you grow in your relationship with God, He will reveal your specific method. Also, I encourage you to have conversations with your pastor regarding your method as he/she is your shepherd and has God’s insight regarding you.

In verse one, Jesus gathers His disciples and gives them authority; the same authority that He possesses to cast out evil spirits and heal every kind of sickness and illness. After He gave them authority, He gave them a territory, target population, and instructions. In verses six through eight, He commanded them to go to the people of Israel (God’s lost sheep) and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near; He commanded them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those of leprosy, cast out demons and give as freely as they had received from Him. What I love about Jesus is that He also gave warning of consequences for following Him. In verse 16, He told them that He was sending them out as sheep amongst wolves. In verses 17 and 18, He told them that they would be handed over to the courts, flogged with whips, stand trial, and be persecuted. But even during those times, He instructed them to see these circumstances as opportunities to tell the rulers and unbelievers about Him. But Jesus didn’t stop there. Next, He told that they would be protected. In verses 28 through 31, Jesus provided encouragement to the disciples by telling them not to be afraid of people who desired to kill their bodies as those people could not touch their souls; but to fear God who could destroy both the soul and body in hell. Jesus spoke of their value as well when He mentioned that the hairs on their heads were numbered; this brought further encouragement.

Friend, we are tasked with the same instructions Jesus gave the disciples. Our purpose is to announce the Good News and lead lost souls to Jesus. We have the same authority that He gave to the disciples. Although we will not suffer the consequences of that time, we will suffer consequences for following Him. Just think of the things that have occurred or the people you have lost since making the decision to live for Jesus. But even through the consequences, Jesus continues to show us His love, grace, and mercy. It is better to go through with Jesus!

In verses 37 through 39, Jesus reiterates leaving everything and everyone behind and following Him. He even told them if they did not give up their lives for Him, they would lose them. God is number one, even above yourself.

To open up this chapter, verse one tells us that Jesus returned to His own town, and a group of people brought a paralyzed man to Him to be healed. Initially, He told the man His sins were forgiven, but the religious teachers of that time claimed He was committing blasphemy. They questioned within their minds did Jesus think that He was God, and of course, Jesus heard their thoughts. He called their thoughts out and told them He would prove that He had the authority on earth to forgive sin. He turned to the man and commanded him to stand up, pick up His mat, and go home. And the man got up and went home.

Friend, I cannot express this enough; you NEED friends that are on the same spiritual journey as you. You need friends that have made a decision to live for God. You need friends that are able to see that you have become paralyzed within yourself and carry you before the King! You need friends that are able to see your vulnerabilities and areas of need. You need friends that are able to pray over you, speak life to you, and hold you accountable.

I want to encourage you not to doubt Jesus and His authority like the religious teachers did. God in the flesh was standing right before them, and they did not even realize it. Open your eyes, friend. See Jesus standing in the midst of those circumstances that feel as if they are overtaking you. See Jesus utilizing some of those circumstances to cause a shift within you, to increase your faith, to kill your flesh, to being you into submission to Him, to bring you to a place of complete surrender to Him. Friend, the same power that Jesus possesses to heal the sick, make the lame walk, make the blind to see, and cause the storms to calm rests within you. You were created with that same dominion and authority within you. Exercise your authority against the plots of the enemy, and see Jesus in the midst of the valley!

In verses nine through 13, Jesus calls Matthew as His disciple. Matthew was a tax collector, and He left His business to follow Jesus. We read that Matthew hosted a dinner party and invited Jesus and the disciples to join him. When the Pharisees saw Jesus there, they questioned the disciples as to why He was eating with those types of people. And you know Jesus clapped back. He told them that healthy people do not need a doctor, sick people do. Jesus told them He came to call the sinners, not the people who think that they are righteous. Jesus had a valid point. Why would He be dining those who thought that they had already arrived? I reflected on these points in relation to my personal life. I used to be the life of the party, but since turning back to God, I avoid those types of environments. I don’t avoid them due to believing that I would partake in the festivities because I know I have been delivered from that lifestyle. I avoid them because I felt out of place; I also felt as if I would be judged for being “out of place” as a leader within my church. But I realized that I had a similar mindset as the Pharisees did by thinking that I did not belong in such an environment. The same people that witnessed me being the life of the party have witnessed me be transformed. And just as Jesus dined with sinners, I have the duty to as well in an attempt to show them Christ! Because it is in these verses that Jesus revealed that He desires for the lost to be found. He desires to save the sinners. No matter how far we think we’ve come, we still have work to do within ourselves. No matter how righteous we think we are, we are not perfect and never will be perfect. So friend, everywhere you go, allow God’s glory to shine through you and render your vessel to His Spirit when He reveals a need for you to go into the uncommon places.

In verses 18 through 34, Jesus heals a synagogue leader’s daughter, the woman with the issue of blood, two blind men, and a mute man possessed by a demon. He did so in response to their faith. Friend, it takes faith! You have to believe wholeheartedly. And when those thoughts of unbelief attempt to plague your mind, you must cast them down by not thinking on them or entertaining them. This is why it is important to know and live the Bible. So when thoughts like, “You know you don’t have enough money to do that so you may as well sit down”, come into your mind, you can call on Jehovah Jireh! The woman suffered 12 years with her issue, but she did not give up. She had went everywhere and to everyone attempting to be healed. BUT she heard of a Man named Jesus! So she PRESSED through that crowd with healing on her mind. She thought “if I can just touch the fringe of His garment, I can be healed”. And that’s exactly what happened! After 12 years the woman got her healing. She believed, but she also acted!

To wrap this up, I want to reference verses 36 and 37. Jesus looked upon the crowd and had compassion towards them because they looked confused and helpless; they looked like “sheep without a shepherd”. Jesus told the disciples that the harvest for the Kingdom is great, but the workers are few; He instructed them to pray to God for more workers. Friend, you and I are the workers that Jesus was referencing. There are souls out there that are lost, confused, helpless, and they need Jesus. But we must show them Jesus, lead them to Him, and assist them in developing their relationship with Him. We have work to do so let’s get to it!

Jesus comes down from the mountainside after concluding The Sermon on the Mount, and the large crowds continue to follow Him. A man with leprosy comes to Jesus desiring to be healed. {Side note: Leprosy is a contagious, skin infection that still exists mainly in underdeveloped countries. Back then, people with leprosy were considered unclean, and they were isolated from their communities. They were made to follow very strict laws as well.} The man told Jesus, “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean”. So Jesus touched him and said, “I am willing. Be healed”. And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Friend, do you have “leprosy” within your soul? Are there parts of the inner you that you or society have deemed unclean? Have you isolated yourself due to your “uncleanliness”? Just as Jesus reached out, touched the man, and healed him, He can reach out, touch you, and heal you! In addition to the things that we have deemed unclean, I also want you to think of the sin that we choose to live in as unclean. Jesus was sinless, but He took on our sins and redeemed us when He laid His life down. How dare we pick and choose which sins we allow Him to heal us from? He wants your total person healed just as He wanted the man with leprosy to be clean!

In verses five through 13, we read that a Roman officer came to Jesus reporting his child was sick. Jesus told the man that He would come and heal him. But the officer told Jesus that he was not worthy for Him to come to his house. He told Jesus that all He needed to do was send a word. Jesus was amazed at the officer’s faith, and because of his faith, Jesus healed his child. Check your faith friend! If the officer knew that Jesus only needed to send His word, why are you acting as if the words that God sent to you are untrue or invalid? Whatever He has spoken will be performed according to His will and in His timing!

Just as He did in verses 24 through 26, Jesus is able to calm any storm, whether natural or spiritual. The disciples responded inappropriately to the storm. Instead of speaking to it, they became afraid and panicked. They did not exercise any faith. Does this sound familiar to you? Have you ever faced a storm in your life and instead of looking at the One who is able to calm it you panicked? Have you ever allowed your feelings and lack of trust to override your faith? I definitely have! We must remember that the same power that resides in Him, resides in us. Use your faith! Use your power! Speak to those storms and tell them who your God is and what He is able to do!

We remain on the mountainside as Jesus teaches His disciples and the crowd. Teachings within this chapter include not judging others, prayer, the golden rule, the narrow gate, the tree and its fruit, true disciples and building on a solid foundation. Let’s get into these.

Verse one instructs us not to judge others. It informs us that if we choose to judge others, God will judge us in the same way that we judge them. I know you’ve heard the old song, “Sweep around your own front door before you try to come and sweep around mine”. That’s basically what verses three through five are saying. How can you judge someone when you yourself have your own faults and issues that need your attention?

Verses seven and eight encourages believers to keep pursing God. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Keep on because those who keep on eventually receive, find, and encounter open doors. We all know the golden rule as we were taught it as children. Jesus did not instruct us to treat people how they treat us. He did not instruct us to treat people how we feel they deserve to be treated. He instructed us to treat others how we desire to be treated (verse 12). And that, my friend, takes the Holy Spirit and His transformative power working within us.

The “road to Heaven” is narrow and difficult; So much so that few people ever find it (verses 13 and 14). These verses are referring to our journey of faith with God. It is not one of popularity or selfishness. Instead, it can is uncommon, lonely, and selfless. We forsake ourselves to be transformed into His image so that we are effective in serving the people within His Kingdom. This journey calls for people that are truly dedicated to God not for the gifts and blessings, but for the betterment of others as well as oneself. It takes us surrendering our wills to God and taking up His will. True disciples do the will of God and are the only ones who will enter into Heaven as declared in verse 21. We must not only know the Word of God; we must also obey the Word of God. This ensures that when the rain comes and the winds blow, we will remain steadfast and unmovable because our foundations will be on solid rock, God.

I went out of order to a certain extent in this reflection, but some of these teaching tied into each other. The last reflective point in this chapter is the tree and its fruit. In verse 15, Jesus teaches us to beware of false prophets that are wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing. He tells us that we will be able to distinguish them by the way they act. If someone has a relationship with and serves God, they should manifest it via their lifestyles not just their words. I can’t say that I have a relationship with and serve God, but I live any kind of way, do not display His love, cannot be unified, etc. Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

I am currently attending Dr. William Knox’s “The Gathering of the Remnant” in Wrens, GA. This is a kingdom movement for those who are still remaining in God, seeking God, desiring more of God, standing for God despite circumstances, etc. Lastnight, the program was titled, “The Altar Experience”. Friend, I will be honest. When I was told this program was from 9pm to 3am, I was feeling some type of way. I remembered attending “shut ins” with my mother as a child/teen, but of course, I would go to sleep during the service. So I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect or if I would be able to stay awake. Friendddddd, I stayed awake! God poured His glory out on us in that place all night long! There were powerhouses on the program that poured into us, prayed over us, spoke life into us, corrected us, delivered words from God, etc. The experience was definitely life-changing for me. I prayed, worshipped, cried, praised, released the old, spent some time on the floor, ascended to new dimensions. I will never be the same!!

Can I be transparent with you? I hadn’t completely released all of me to God. I was afraid to; I was treating Him how I treat people. You know how we do. Our trust issues from past experiences make us evaluate people for a length of time before we become vulnerable, and we seldomly reach the point of being completely vulnerable. Or is that just me? I was afraid that if I gave all of myself to Him, He would leave me hanging like such and such did. I was afraid that if I gave all of myself to Him, I wouldn’t have anything left for myself. But do you know that God requires all of us? Do you know that God can’t be God until we allow Him to be? He was not going to force me to give all of myself to Him. It had to be my decision. So I made the decision during The Altar Experience to give Him all of me.

In my past, I attempted to use people, substances, and material possessions to fill a void that I felt within my heart. Prior to recommitting my life back to God, I realized that and decided to allow the only One that can fill that void to fill it. But until lastnight, I had only given up what I desired to give up. There have been times when God striped things and people from my hands leaving me no choice but to give them up. But lastnight, that shifted. I released everyone and everything at that altar. I am His! Totally and completely His. When I say that I mean I will no longer hold back parts of myself knowing that only God can heal me, transform me, empower me, love me, care for me, see me! I will no longer allow my thought processes or feelings to impact my submission and surrender to Him. Whatever He desires to do, I am here for it without complaints, overthinking, or a lack of faith/trust.

Friend, only God can do what you are desiring. People cannot. Substances cannot. Material possessions cannot. He is a healer, way maker, provider, redeemer, savior, shelter, hiding place. He is joy, peace, love, wisdom, knowledge. He has your best interest at heart. He knows you better than you know yourself. This is a call to you to submit to God and surrender to His will completely, withholding nothing!

In chapter six, Jesus continues to teach the disciples as well as the crowd that has gathered around them. The teachings within this chapter include giving to the needy, prayer, fasting, and money/possessions. Jesus teaches us to do our good deeds in private instead of in public as a means of showing off. Unfortunately, we are a part of a social media crazed generation that loves attention, accolades, acknowledgments, platforms, and credit for their deeds. You see people daily with their phone up to a homeless person’s face while giving them money or food. What is the reward in that? Is a few likes and a pat on the back worth displaying someone’s most vulnerable condition? God is not pleased with those types of antics although they portray the purpose of “helping someone”. God is also not please with the people who desire those same praises for the work that they do “for Him”. Jesus clearly tells us in verse four to give our gifts in private as God sees everything, and He will give the reward for our good deeds. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take God’s reward over man’s reward every single time.

Jesus continues to teach telling the people to pray and fast privately as well. Do you get the picture yet? Performances for men are not pleasing to God. Now this does not mean that you are not supposed to pray in public. If you are asked to pray for someone, during a service, etc., please do so. This verse is referring to praying in public with the wrong heart posture and impure motives (i.e. to sound intelligent, gain attention, as a showcase). The same applies to fasting. Unless you have asked someone to join you in fasting, it should be a private moment. If you are fasting, it would not be wise to go sit in the break room with everyone else knowing that they are going to ask you why you aren’t eating. Making social media posts about your fast is not wise either. Commit to being more private.

In verses 14 and 15, Jesus teaches regarding forgiveness. We must forgive to be forgiven; and if we refuse to forgive someone, God will refuse to forgive us. That is self explanatory so allow it to sink in. Those verses also tie into chapter five where Jesus tells us to leave our sacrifice at the altar and go settle our oughts. Forgiveness is essential when walking with God.

The last teachings of this chapter addresses money and possessions. We all want more money and more materialistic possessions. But why don’t we want the One who is able to give us anything we can think of or ask for? Why don’t we want more of God? The One who knows our needs before we even ask. The One who cares for us. All of the materialistic things are temporal. When you die, someone else will enjoy your money and possessions. Why would someone desire to gain wealth and possessions but die and go to hell? Friend, store your treasures up in heaven to ensure when you take your last breath, you will receive the greatest reward… eternal life. Instead of our thoughts being consumed by our needs and desires, God desires for us to have faith in Him that He will provide for us. As believers, we should not worry about things. Verse 33 is one of my favorite verses. If we seek God and His Kingdom above everything and everyone else and live righteously, God will give us everything we need. So I encourage you to focus on Him, my friend. He will take care of you.

This chapter opens up revealing that Jesus had went up the mountainside. His disciples were gathered around Him as well as the crowds of people. Jesus began to teach what we know as The Sermon on the Mount. This is one sermon with multiple points; it extends throughout chapters five through seven. To open this sermon, Jesus taught about the supreme blessings of man (beatitudes). In short, God blesses those: who are poor in spirit and realize their need for Him, who mourn, who are humble, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who are merciful, whose hearts are pure, who work for peace, and who are persecuted for doing right. Out of all of those, how many can you identify as characteristics within you?

In verses 13 through 16, Jesus emphasized that we are the salt and light: salt of the earth and light of the world. We are “preservers” just as the salt that sits on your shelf. We prevent decay. We are seasoned to enhance lives within our goodness through Christ. We are to exhibit good deeds that shine so bright that everyone comes to our Heavenly Father.

The next verses go into teachings regarding the law, anger, adultery, divorce, vows, revenge and love for enemies. I desire to extract just a few points from those verses. If you have an issue with someone or you know someone has an issue with you, you are to lay your sacrifice to God on the altar and go make amends with the person. After you make amends, you come back and present your sacrifice to God (verses 23 and 24). A lot of us do not desire to reconcile with others for various reasons. Personally, God has instructed me to go and ask for forgiveness from people that wronged me. Yes, you read that right. Doing so actually brought freedom for me. Reconciliation is for YOUR freedom. Be the more mature person every time you get a chance to. It is not easy, but it is worth it. Do not allow pettiness and drama to prevent God from accepting your sacrifices until Him. You may ask me, what sacrifices? Our sacrifices are not animals on an altar. They include anything that you will give to God: your time, your money, your service to others, your praise, your worship, your prayers. Verse 39 instructs us not to seek revenge. Friend, let God avenge you instead of setting out to “get your get back”. In conclusion, verses 44 and 45 Jesus instructed us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. You cannot achieve this type of maturity and love via living by your flesh. Love is a portion of the fruit of the Spirit. You must have the Holy Spirit within you to love someone you know is against you. Imagine seeing your enemy and God tells you to give a hug. Will you be disobedient because of your feelings? Or will you be obedient and exhibit God’s love?

This chapter is so full of reflective points so let’s get into it. We ended chapter three with Jesus being baptized and the Spirit of God descending upon Him. Chapter four verse one tells us that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights while in the wilderness. {Sidenote: Fasting is a Biblical practice. So just as Jesus fasted, we should fast as well. One of the main reasons for fasting is to bring your flesh into submission to the Spirit of God that dwells within you. Think of it this way, whatever you feed the most will live the most.} At some point during that 40 days and 40 nights time frame, the devil came to Jesus to fulfill his assignment…to tempt Jesus.

I want you to imagine how Jesus felt physically and mentally after fasting for that length of time while living in the harsh conditions of the wilderness. Then here comes the tempter. The devil knew Jesus’s environment as well as the fact that Jesus had been fasting. He attempted to use the Word of God against Jesus during the tempting, but Jesus fought back with the Word of God. Eventually, the devil was defeated and fled from Jesus. Friend, at your weakest moment, the tempter is going to seek you out with the assignment to kill, steal, or destroy. He knows details about you, your past, your conditions, your shortcomings, your family history, etc. He knows your weaknesses as well. This is why it is important for you to study your Bible and know the Word of God. You must be able to use His words against the devil. And since you know the devil used the Word of God while tempting Jesus, you also know that reciting the Word of God does not equate to possessing the Spirit of God or having a relationship with God. So do not be deceived by those who quote the Bible but do not live it.

After the devil fled, Jesus began to preach and heal the sick publicly. His message was simple, “Repent of your sins and turn to God”. His message remains simple even in today’s times. We should shrive to live a life that is turned away from the world and to God. This takes you making a decision every single day and even multiple times a day. This takes a true relationship with God not just a Sunday service type of relationship. This takes a loving your neighbor after they’ve wronged you type of decision. Yeah, this takes not only knowing Him but possessing His Spirit.

As this chapter unfolds, Jesus began to select His disciples. Two fishermen and brothers, Simon (also known as Peter) and Andrew, were the first two disciples. James and John were the next two. Verses 21 and 22 refer to James and John; they stood out to me so let’s talk about them. These two were sitting in a boat with their father repairing their nets as they were fishermen as well. When Jesus called them to come, they immediately followed Him, leaving the boat and their father behind. These men did not ask Jesus where they were going, what they needed in order to follow Him, could they bring anyone with them, how long they would be gone, etc. The scriptures do not even mention that they knew who Jesus was. They blindly left everything and everyone behind to follow Him. That is the example of how we should be as well: immediately obedient without any questions asked and willing to forsake it all for Him. What are you willing to leave behind for the sake of following Jesus?

To wrap this chapter up, we read that Jesus continues to preach and heal the sick while traveling from place to place. By this time, large crowds of people are following Him everywhere He goes. Questions, is the Light of Jesus shining so bright through you that people desire to follow you to Him?