2. JESUS: GOD'S SON AND SERVANT: NOT BEEZLEBUB
Read Matthew 12:15-37
The Pharisees see Jesus as the "devil's agent" - Beezlebub. What do we need to do? We Need to BELIEVE and COMMIT OURSELVES to JESUS. We need to LISTEN TO HIS PROMISES - spending time each day in HIS WORD. We need to FOLLOW GOD'S WILL and CHANGE OUR THOUGHT PATTERNS.
"Jesus knew their thoughts and replied: "Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. And I am empowered by Satan, and what about your own exorcist? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you." Matthew 12:26-28 (NLT)
* The Teachers of the Law believed that Jesus was possessed by Beezlebub, the Prince of Demons, with an "evil spirit". The people believed he was "out of His mind". We believe, like Jesus' followers that Jesus is the SON OF GOD and OUR SAVIOUR.
"Lord, help us to spend time with you each day and to apply Your teaching in the Bible to our life." Nicky Gumbel
* Store up GOD'S WORD in your heart - listen to it, and apply it to your life. Set aside a REGULAR time each day - make it a TOP prioriry - to read and study the Bible.
* God promises to give you WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING. He wall watch over you each day.
"Whoever wants to be a disciple must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever wants to lose his life will save it." Luke 9:23 & 24 (NIV)
* Who is Jesus? The SON OF GOD? What does it mean to "TAKE UP THE CROSS DAILY?" This means me need to totally commit our lives to FOLLOW JESUS. We need to SERVE OTHERS as Jesus does!
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will be established. In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."
Proverbs 16:3
* Let those who FOLLOW JESUS and God's will, will TRUST IN HIM. They have been filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, and they will bear FRUIT.
"Whatever is stored up in your heart will sooner or later be expressed by your WORDS. Be careful with what you LOOK AT, READ and THINK ABOUT. Fill your heart with GOOD THINGS and you will THINK GOOD THOUGHTS, SPEAK GOOD WORDS and BEAR GOOD FRUIT..... Jesus says: "Out of the overflow of your heart the mouth speaks. GOOD PEOPLE bring good things out of the GOOD stored up in them, and evil people bring out evil things out of the evil stroed up in them " Matthew 12:33-35(MSG)
"You cannot change the thought patterns on your own. You need help from the HOLY SPIRIT, filling your heart with LOVE AND GOOD FRUIT." Nick Gumbel
*Jesus says every sin will be forgiven, except "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit". If you "refuse to repent" you can resist the Holy Spirit in your life. This is what the Pharisee and the Teachers of the Law did. They were "cross examining Jesus" as they compared him with Jonah.
*Jesus gives two examples of how lives can be changed:
1. Jonah was preaching to the Ninevites.
2. Queen of Sheba recognized the wisdom of Solomon.
He helps us fight and resist the temptation of evil, and fills us with the HOLY SPIRIT.
"You need to be filled with the HOLY SPIRIT. Help me to be filled with the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. Good things will guard us against evil." Nicky Gumbel
"THE HOLY BIBLE - NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION", 2011, Biblica
"THE HOLY BIBLE - NEW LIVING TRANSLATION", 2015, Tyndale House Publishers
"THE MESSAGE - THE BIBLE IN CONTEMPORARY LANGUAGE." , 2018, Eugene H Peterson, NavPress, Tyndale House Publishers
GUMBEL, Nicky & Pippa, "The Overflow of the Heart - The Bible in One Year", 2026/2009, Alpha/You Tube
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