Monthly Archives: December 2016

Gospel of Matthew, Grace & Truth

Not A Word – How Rude!

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21 Now Yeshua left from there and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that district came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, O Master, Ben-David! My daughter is severely tormented by a demon.” 23 But He did not answer her a word.  . . . source

A Canaanite woman! If you are familiar with Biblical history, you know something of what that means!
For insight click HERE.

But He did not answer her a word.

How rude is that! Even if she thought it, she did not back away; what she desired was much too important.

How many of us know JESUS was and is never rude?
How many of us have conducted our thoughts down avenues that would defy that?  Shall we read on?

. . . And when His disciples came, they were urging Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.”

It would appear the Disciples thought she was rude. Send her away they said, she’s persistent and loud.
How many of us know some things are so important and so dear to us that persistent and loud are necessary?

Let’s read on.

24 But He responded, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Hmm. Interesting response. 

25 So she came and got down on her knees before Him, saying, “Master, help me!”

Wow! Moved right into that conversation, didn’t she?
She’s one bold woman! Desperation can do that.
I think JESUS likes bold. So what does He say to her?

26 And answering, He said, “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

 Oh my, she could have been really offended by that. Or perhaps not.
When we want GOD’s attention we just might need to acknowledge where we are and who we are even if it smarts a bit in the beginning.
You see, I figure being a Canaanite she was well familiar with that dog label.

Let’s read on.

27 But she said, “Yes, Master, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

And here it is. The key to it all! Yes, LORD, I am outside the commonwealth of Israel, yes I am a sinner, undone and unclean BUT You are GOD and You are good and I trust You.

And then He said!

28 Then answering, Yeshua said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed in that very hour.

What if this woman had been offended at JESUS for His not a word?
What if she had just walked away?
What if she had not pursued Him?
What if she had fallen prey to thinking He was just another rude man?

It was a test. A test she passed.
He knew she would.
But she didn’t. She needed to walk out her fresh faith in the GOD MAN, she needed to know in practice that her faith was well placed.

Next time we do get not a word, I hope we will remember this humble yet bold woman and the GOD-MAN who loves her and us.

Love, Kathie 

Revisited 12.30.2022

Christian Living, Christmas

Whatcha Need

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Needs? The question was asked of me what are my needs?
What is it that I just imperatively have to have?
And so I thought about it.
I came up with one imperative need.
I am not negating other needs, I mean the kind of needs that without I will not be long for this world. Like.

Water. Now I like some water! for drinking, for showering, for cleaning – – – Yep! water is really important to me.
Food. I like food. And there are not many days I have gone without it and even when I did – well, honestly that was by choice.
Clothing. Yeah. That’s pretty much a necessity! :)
Shelter from the elements. We won’t die quickly, normally, without some shelter from wind, rain, snow, cold, and heat but death will come in a while. So I’d say this is high on the need list.

My beloved hubby says LOVE is the one thing we need.
And I said it is pretty important but we won’t die right away without it and he said well, we won’t live well. I smiled because he was right.

So what is it? What is this all-important need?

In my humble opinion: Air/oxygen!
Without it that heart is gonna stop pumping, right?

Interesting, isn’t it that we were created with that one imperative, ultimate, got to have it need?

Air/breath

Genesis 1 (KJV) 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

See that word Spirit?  Spirit of God – Holy Spirit of God.

Do you know what that word in Hebrew is and what it means?

Rauch
Breath – air

How smart is GOD!

With these natural lives we have been given we must have breath – air or we die. Air, breath. It is an ultimate need!

And in the supernatural; well, in the spiritual realm without AIR – the Holy Spirit of GOD, we are dead already! And I do mean graveyard dead!

5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  Ephesians 2

Romans 8:11 Tree of Life Version (TLV) 11 And if the Ruach of the One who raised Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised Messiah Yeshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Ruach who dwells in you.

Got AIR?

Philippians 4:19 New King James Version (NKJV) 19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

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Christmas, Repentance, Salvation, What does GOD Want to do for me?

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GOD had said to Abraham take your only son, the son you love to the place I will show you and sacrifice him there. Genesis 22

Sacrificing is hard. Laying it down. Placing the knife to the throat of our desires is a hard, hard thing. Sometimes I do it better than others; perhaps you do too.  Perhaps the deciding factor is how much do we love what we are sacrificing, and for Whom and to Whom are we offering the sacrifice.

3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split wood for the burnt offering, and got up and went to the place about which God had told him.  source

That’s what obedience looks like. The hardest thing Abraham had ever done in all his over 100 years, he did!

This passage, Genesis 22, is rich with allegory. May I share with you a few of those I see?

A Father – Abraham picturing GOD
A Son – Issac picturing JESUS
Wood – Issac carried the wood; JESUS carried the Cross.
Fire – picturing judgment (our judgment fell on JESUS) and Who controls that fire? The Father.
Knife – the shedding of blood (without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin)
Three days – And on the third day JESUS arose from death

There is more but I did say a few, didn’t I?

One more and I appreciate it so much: Substitution. On that fateful day in the life of Abraham and Issac, a SUBSTITUTION was made. A ram for Issac.

And for you and me a substitution was made: JESUS!

Romans 6:23 Tree of Life Version (TLV) 23 For sin’s payment is death, but God’s gracious gift is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.

Isaiah 53:6 New King James Version (NKJV)  6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Ephesians 2:8 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) 8 For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift.

Have you trusted JESUS? Have you trusted this Substitution is enough to save you?

HOLY SPIRIT, I ask that the heart of every soul who comes to this page who has not trusted JESUS will know Your Voice and will say Yes today. 

Revelation 3:20 New International Version (NIV) 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

In response, Abraham said: Here I am.

In response to our need for a Savior, JESUS said and still says to us: Here I am!

And we say?