Mock
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. 28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. 31 After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. Matthew 27:27-31
The first question I have is how did you feel after reading this passage? If you are a very visual person and need to see something to feel, then you might not have felt anything or felt very little. However, if words can paint a picture for you, then you might be able to feel the pain and suffering that He felt during this period. I know that as we walk throughout our day, we see and hear things all day long whether it be on the news, the internet or in person. The question is, how do we feel when we see or hear these things. Our society has become very numb to the world around us, and many times if we encounter a situation where someone is being mocked, it just doesn't impact us like it did in the past because it really isn't happening to us. I challenge you to look at things differently, to view mocking in a different manner and see how you can make a difference. I know that we can easily fall into the mocking of someone else, if another person is doing that. It is just human nature to follow along, or really it is the enemy telling us we should. I wonder if some Roman guards felt differently then what they were directed to do, and they just piled on with the insults and beatings because they didn't want to show weakness or had something to prove. We need to remember that God commanded us to love one another, he didn't command us to mock one another. I hope we all can make a difference in someone else's life like Jesus has made in so many.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, March 30, 2018
Friday, March 23, 2018
Fantastic Friday #620 - Blessed
Blessed
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9
I learned an interesting lesson this week and it came from two of my friends. When dealing with people, you wonder what good customer service looks like, and boy did I have some interesting customer service moments that I would like to forget. How these circumstances were handled ended up being very different, while one was very apologetic and concerned about my business the other was full of silence, and if I can refer to one of my friend's famous words, crickets. We can tend to walk through our lives not so concerned about how our personal actions can have a wave of effect on a number of people. For example, one person's negative comment can impact numerous people and have ongoing impact for days to come. My friends have a term they use when dealing with something and that is drip a little honey on it. Honey is full of natural sweetness and can go a long way in solving issues. We need more honey in this world and be able to bless people rather than spewing vinegar everywhere. Make a difference, be blessed and bless others with the kindness of honey.
Have a great weekend.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9
I learned an interesting lesson this week and it came from two of my friends. When dealing with people, you wonder what good customer service looks like, and boy did I have some interesting customer service moments that I would like to forget. How these circumstances were handled ended up being very different, while one was very apologetic and concerned about my business the other was full of silence, and if I can refer to one of my friend's famous words, crickets. We can tend to walk through our lives not so concerned about how our personal actions can have a wave of effect on a number of people. For example, one person's negative comment can impact numerous people and have ongoing impact for days to come. My friends have a term they use when dealing with something and that is drip a little honey on it. Honey is full of natural sweetness and can go a long way in solving issues. We need more honey in this world and be able to bless people rather than spewing vinegar everywhere. Make a difference, be blessed and bless others with the kindness of honey.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, March 16, 2018
Fantastic Friday #619 - Beauty
Beauty
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Psalm 96: 5-7
What do you find to be beautiful? Maybe it is a sunrise or sunset, maybe it is the snow peaked mountains, or the splashing waves along a pristine beach. People place a lot of emphasis on beauty in our culture, and they can spend hours upon hours getting themselves dolled up for their daily tasks and chores. But is the exterior individual truly a view of what beauty is all about? I tend to think that since God created the world that has beauty that we should honor Him daily for His creation. In addition, he also created us in the manner that which we are presented daily as well. He also created what is in our heart and what travels from the outflow of our heart is where we can find true beauty. We need to look deeper than the physical features that God has created, because we are all beautiful in His eyes. We need to see the deeper beauty of what people can offer and not so much focus on the beauty that can fade away as quickly as the sun going down. Find that beauty in others, and your true beauty will shine forth.
Have a great weekend.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Psalm 96: 5-7
What do you find to be beautiful? Maybe it is a sunrise or sunset, maybe it is the snow peaked mountains, or the splashing waves along a pristine beach. People place a lot of emphasis on beauty in our culture, and they can spend hours upon hours getting themselves dolled up for their daily tasks and chores. But is the exterior individual truly a view of what beauty is all about? I tend to think that since God created the world that has beauty that we should honor Him daily for His creation. In addition, he also created us in the manner that which we are presented daily as well. He also created what is in our heart and what travels from the outflow of our heart is where we can find true beauty. We need to look deeper than the physical features that God has created, because we are all beautiful in His eyes. We need to see the deeper beauty of what people can offer and not so much focus on the beauty that can fade away as quickly as the sun going down. Find that beauty in others, and your true beauty will shine forth.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, March 9, 2018
Fantastic Friday #618 - Taste
Taste
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Romans 12: 1-3
Do you ever eat that lunch out of your lunchbox and something about it just doesn't taste right? This typically happens when one food conforms and takes on the smell and taste of another food. This is not always so good, and in fact it can be somewhat disappointing and leave a nasty taste in your mouth. The same can be said for our lives and how we live daily. Do we conform to the world's beliefs or do we rely on our faith and the beliefs born out of God's Word. I think at times if we are conforming to the world, our taste and smell changes. Not a true smell, but a scent of the gospel is changed within us and not for the better. However, if we live our lives with a faith in Christ and all His teachings, I honestly can say that the fragrant aroma of our lives can be sensed by others, and our transformation can have an influence on others. Don't conform, but transform into all that God wants you to be, and then maybe your potato chips won't taste like something from last week.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Romans 12: 1-3
Do you ever eat that lunch out of your lunchbox and something about it just doesn't taste right? This typically happens when one food conforms and takes on the smell and taste of another food. This is not always so good, and in fact it can be somewhat disappointing and leave a nasty taste in your mouth. The same can be said for our lives and how we live daily. Do we conform to the world's beliefs or do we rely on our faith and the beliefs born out of God's Word. I think at times if we are conforming to the world, our taste and smell changes. Not a true smell, but a scent of the gospel is changed within us and not for the better. However, if we live our lives with a faith in Christ and all His teachings, I honestly can say that the fragrant aroma of our lives can be sensed by others, and our transformation can have an influence on others. Don't conform, but transform into all that God wants you to be, and then maybe your potato chips won't taste like something from last week.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, March 2, 2018
Fantastic Friday #617 - Plans
Plans
The mind of man plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
Do you make plans in your head? How often do the plans you make in your head actually match up with what you have accomplished? I know there are many of us who plan and plan and plan, and it can be very frustrating when the plans don't go our way. A simple example is the game of baseball, it is a pastime played outside. What one thing do you need for baseball not to happen, that's right rain, lightning and sometimes fog. Yes, I know that is three things, but it is typically one uncontrollable weather event, and sometimes we let this one thing disappoint us. What about a chosen path we take that we have planned for, do we turn to God to guide us, or do we look too much at the end goal. By looking too far ahead, we can take our perceived steps to accomplish our task and get disappointed when the plan doesn't work out. God will get us there, for all our plans, we just need to rely on Him. So, quit making plans and expecting to follow your own ideas and follow his guidance for our plan.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
The mind of man plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
Do you make plans in your head? How often do the plans you make in your head actually match up with what you have accomplished? I know there are many of us who plan and plan and plan, and it can be very frustrating when the plans don't go our way. A simple example is the game of baseball, it is a pastime played outside. What one thing do you need for baseball not to happen, that's right rain, lightning and sometimes fog. Yes, I know that is three things, but it is typically one uncontrollable weather event, and sometimes we let this one thing disappoint us. What about a chosen path we take that we have planned for, do we turn to God to guide us, or do we look too much at the end goal. By looking too far ahead, we can take our perceived steps to accomplish our task and get disappointed when the plan doesn't work out. God will get us there, for all our plans, we just need to rely on Him. So, quit making plans and expecting to follow your own ideas and follow his guidance for our plan.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
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