In Matthew 10:34 Jesus says, "....I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."
Christ was and is the great divider of men.
You either believe in Him and are a part of His kingdom or you don't and are not.
Everyone can go along in their lives doing their thing but the minute "Jesus" is brought into the mix everything changes - they now have to make a choice.
God sought to bring peace on earth, so He sent His Son to earth to pave the way for peace.
Here's the catch - only certain people will experience this peace, although it's meant for everyone.
Jesus is ike a gift - everyone has the choice to open it and accept it or not.
The same boiling water hardens the egg and softens the carrot.
How people react to Jesus reveals what's in their hearts.
This means when people recognize the Jesus in us they'll either resist us or find us irresistable.
Luke 2:34-35 (3/26/15)
Divider
March 26, 2015 • Benham Brothers
Luke 1:18 (3/23/17)
March 23, 2017 • Benham Brothers
* Faith is a matter of focus. * If we keep our focus on God we gravitate toward faith. * If we keep our focus on man we gravitate toward fear & doubt. * Zechariah fell for the same thing Moses fell for - when God’s word came he focused on himself and not the God Who was giving the message. * His punishment? * He lost the ability to do what he was created to do. * He was a priest and had to communicate as a part of his job - but now that was gone. * Other people could no longer be nourished by Zech, the priest. * God wants to be a nourishment for others through us, but it requires our faith in God for that to happen. * We have to keep our eyes on Him and not on ourselves.
Luke 1:24-25 (3/22/18)
March 22, 2018 • Benham Brothers
Luke 1:24-25 - Motive * How do you know if you’ve done something with the right motive? * By how you respond when the thing either comes to pass or doesn’t. * If it doesn’t, do you say, “not my will but Yours be done?” * This means you had the right motive. * If it does come to pass, do you have a meek and humble response (like Peter & Elizabeth)? * Notice Elizabeth got alone and simply wanted to thank God for blessing her. * She didn’t go out and announce to everyone. * A pure motive is always humble before the Lord and grateful for His role in your life.