Tag: Disciple

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Who Reigns on Your Throne?

MARCH 13

MATTHEW 5:20_you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

If the kingdom of heaven is within you, it is in your heart. What is in your heart calls you to discipleship. You become disciples to whomever or whatever reigns on the heart’s throne. If Christ does not reign on the throne, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, and this time that works whether the kingdom is part of this earthly life, or it is eternal life.

The hearts of the Scribes and Pharisees were full of religion. They would have had to make room for Jesus to reign there. If Jesus reigned in their hearts, they would have known who He was. 

The Scribes and Pharisees’ righteousness was self-righteousness, thriving on self-glory and power. The righteousness in the kingdom of heaven thrives on doing good by serving others, which glorifies God. The heart, being the center of your thoughts, makes the decision as to who you want your life to glorify—self or God?

You have only one chance to live this life. If your goal is to use your life to make a difference in the world for good—you’ve got Jesus’ righteousness.

The world will recognize Jesus when it sees your righteousness.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, Thank You that You can be seen in me. Thank You that through Your power I can do Your works. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ reigns in hearts—I want Him in mine!

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BFFs

MARCH 7

MATTHEW 5:19_the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Can you think of a more beautiful reward than to be called great in the kingdom of heaven? It surpasses any honor the world can offer.

To receive this reward means you believe in and teach (by word or influence) Biblical commands. If this were impossible, Jesus never would have taught the principle. The road to the reward begins with some understanding of the life of Jesus. The understanding can’t be gained without Bible reading and meditating (dwelling on until you have it in your heart) on what you read. Bible study needs to be filled with prayer. This is what is known as a daily quiet time.

Dedication to a quiet time leads you to become a salty-lit-up disciple. You won’t have one without the other. The Bible, prayer, discipleship, salt, and light are BFFs.

Jesus clears up some of His teachings in the rest of this chapter. His balance of judgment and mercy equaling the fulfillment of the Law gives some understanding. 

Learning to distinguish the spirit of the Law from the letter of the Law brings everything together.

PRAYER

Savior of the World, I want to be great in the kingdom of heaven. I want to believe that if You said it then it is possible. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ is the Spirit of the Law—He wants to teach me!

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The Whosoevers

MARCH 5

MATTHEW 5:19_but whosoever shall do…

The all-inclusive whosoever takes a turn for the better: the universal laws of right and wrong ring true for everyone—i.e., the whosoevers.

Wrong ultimately ends in some type of punishment. It may be punishment by our earthly law system, or it may be punishment by life itself. Life is governed by God and subject to His principles included in creation. Let’s look a little further.

There are wrong-doers who get by with their crime—never caught by law enforcement. But no one can run or hide from their conscience. God’s creativeness overrules anything the world creates.

We cannot escape ourselves.

Punishment by life itself—living with the agony of guilt.

The turn for the better is: doing what is right ultimately ends up with rewards. They may not always be public rewards, but God rewards life in ways no plaque, medal, or money can.

Simply to find your way to love, joy, and peace is to own more than anything money can buy.

PRAYER

Lord of Lords, I want to do what is right. I want to live out the truths You teach so I can be a salty-lit-up disciple. Thank You that You teach me how to live life through Your Word. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ is love, joy, and peace—He gives those to me!

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The Great Balancer

FEBRUARY 20

MATTHEW 5:17_Think not that I am come to destroy the law…

Jesus is many things and all are perfection. Jesus balances the scales better than anyone. Jesus is balance—the crux of His being

Jesus’ ministry was not meant to destroy the Law. He makes that clear. That does not mean He did not make changes. Jesus’ death made obsolete the necessity of animal sacrifices. His death also did away with the Holy of Holies. Jesus is the door for all to come into His Father’s presence. 

Jesus fulfills all the laws by who He is.

A salty disciple never dismisses the Old Testament. To be a Jesus follower is not a New Testament practice. It is a Bible practice. Because you do not find the name Jesus in the Old Testament does not mean He is not there.  As the Creator, Jesus was present from the beginning. As a New Testament Rabbi, Jesus taught the Law. He did not come to destroy it.

Jesus came to balance the Law because Jesus is the balance of judgment and mercy.

PRAYER

Creator God, Please open my eyes to see, my ears to hear, and my heart to receive the truths of the Bible. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen. 

Christ is the Creator—He created me!

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Light That Gives Out

FEBRUARY 14

MATTHEW 5:15_Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel…

What is the point of lighting a candle, or lamp, or even a match, just to hide it? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? Remember the purpose of light? It was mentioned twice in the previous devotion – to dispel and overcome darkness!

If you lit a candle and covered it with a solid bushel container, what would be the result? Once air could no longer feed the flame, the light would be snuffed out. If the container were some kind of basket which allowed air to seep through, the flame could continue to grow, possibly catching the basket on fire. Neither the snuffing nor the fire has a positive result.

In both scenarios there is potential for the light to stray from its purpose. In the case of the basket the good light can turn into a destructive fire. If you are a charismatic person, but not a salty disciple of Jesus, you can use the charm and persuasiveness of your light to lead others into various forms of bondage.

In the case of the solid container the light which was intended to do good, gives out of air and does nothing at all. If you are a politically correct Christian, who fears the love of people more than the love of God, your light gives out.

  PRAYER

Holy Jesus, Help me to keep my light shining for Your glory. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.               

Christ does not hide His light—He uses it for my good!