Grace Community Church Ramona Podcast

And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:34-40)

The invitation will be extended to Gentiles, but for Jews and Gentiles alike, acceptance into the Kingdom is conditioned upon one requirement (22:8-14).

Easter Sunday: The Resurrection

The consequences will be two-fold: the religious leaders will suffer divine judgment (v.41, 44) and the mediation of God's Kingdom will be taken away from these religious leaders and given to a people who will produce the fruit of righteous living before God (v. 41, 43).

By His authority, Jesus executed instant judgment upon the fig tree. Jesus assured the disciples that, when they were absolutely confident it was God's will, they, too, will be able to execute instant judgment.

Jesus' anger was about the location rather than the activity itself.

Honor and recognition will come to believers who follow Jesus' example of sacrificial service.

Jesus has made it clear He is going to reward His followers who faithfully serve Him in this life because it is His right and it pleases Him to do so. Jesus is generous. Amazingly, He will be generous in the rewards with which He will reward His faithful in the Messianic Kingdom (i.e. hundredfold).

The disciples assume wealth is a sign of God's blessing - divine affirmation a person is living in the kingdom now. Jesus warns it is impossible for a rich person to enter kingdom life. The disciples ask, "Who then can be saved?"

Jesus responds that God's will is that the man and woman whom He joins in the "one flesh" union of marriage be not separated by man. Jesus' answer makes clear that God's original design for marriage did not include divorce.

Freely Reflecting Forgiveness

The two or more gathered are agreeing on the sin of the brother and bringing a request to God in relation to that. They can be confident that the very presence and authority of Jesus is with them as they "bind and loose" the various issues, attitudes and actions that would arise in the early church.

The Apostle Paul explicitly forbids his readers from paying attention to any Pseudepigraphal myths. Therefore neither Jesus nor the Apostles, even if they were aware of them, would ever use the Valley of Hinnom as a metaphor for hell even if there was an example of that equivalence in these fantasies.

Though Jesus, as the Son of the God of the Temple is "free" (exempt), He pays the Temple tax anyway for Himself and Peter to avoid giving offense.  Some things are just not worth hassling over.

The Transfiguration makes clear that the rejection, murder and resurrection of Jesus does not mark the cancelation of the promised earthly Messianic Kingdom (vss.10-11). The Transfiguration was a glimpse of the coming Kingdom.

Blessed Is The Word Filled Life

God's Desire All Along

It is far better to follow me to Jerusalem even if it costs you your life and wealth because the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

Who do the crowds think Jesus Is? Who do the disciples think Jesus is?

Jesus warns His disciples to not fall prey to the false teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees. You need to watch and beware of those who twist the scriptures!