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January 20

Scripture for today: Genesis 41:17-42:17; Matthew 13:24-46; Psalm 18:1-15; Proverbs 4:1-6
14 results found

LIVING LIKE LEAVEN

From: January 20, 2024

‘He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened”‘ (Matthew 13:33 ESV).

Jesus often spoke in parables when describing the kingdom of heaven. In this parable, He compared it to leaven. Leaven is an ingredient, typically yeast, added to dough to make it rise. It only takes a small amount to permeate and change the whole loaf. As the apostle Paul noted, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Gal. 5:9).

It was this quality of leaven, which elsewhere in the Bible is usually used in the bad sense, that Jesus used in the good sense to describe the kingdom of heaven. It may be small and hidden as it begins in the heart of a man or in a nation, but over time it affects the whole.

The gospel of Jesus has this effect. When accepted, it begins to permeate the soul with its grace, eventually sanctifying the whole person. From small beginnings, the kingdom of heaven will pervade individuals and eventually the nations of the world until they are all affected.

Has the leaven of the kingdom affected you? Now you are called to be the leaven in your family, your neighborhood, your workplace, and your world.

PRAYER: Dear Father, help us to spread the leaven of the gospel to the whole world. Strengthen us to obey the Great Commission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations. In Jesus’ name, amen.

THOSE HIDDEN WILL ONE DAY SHINE

From: January 20, 2023

“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” (Matthew 13:43 NLT).

Christ’s parable of the wheat and tares concluded with this: “The righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom.” In other words, those who denied their own righteousness and received that of Christ’s, though hidden now, will one Day be revealed in glory. The Lord planted them like wheat in the field of the world, where their faith grew through scorching heat and storms. Their glory, which is from the Lord, is hidden until the Day when it is revealed. Until then, there will be trouble and tears and the world will not recognize them. But in that Day, the Lord will wipe away every tear and the righteous will shine like the sun!

As the apostle Paul wrote, “For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory” (Col.3:3-4).

Do you have ears to hear this?

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for this word today. For there are many dreary days for our souls, days when we are burdened with care. Days when we are overcome by the world’s darkness. Yet, one Day, we will shine. You have planted the gospel within us and one Day it will ripen in glory. Therefore, strengthen us to set our hearts and minds on You, until that Day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field” (Matthew 13:44 NLT).

From: January 20, 2022

GIVING ALL, GAINING EVERYTHING!

One of Christ’s many kingdom parables, this one emphasizes the willingness of one to give up everything in this world in order to have the kingdom of heaven. The value of the kingdom is “hidden” to most, yet revealed to those who discover its treasure. Others probably thought the man foolish for giving all that he had, but he treasured the kingdom of heaven over the world’s kingdom.
 
There are still those today to whom the treasure is hidden. And strangely, there are those not mentioned in the parable, to whom it is revealed, yet they continue to haggle over its price. Are you willing to give all or are you holding back? When we give all we have to Jesus, we gain everything.
 
PRAYER: Lord, help us to see the true treasure of investing in Your kingdom. Give us faith to put our trust in You instead of worldly things. We want to grow in generosity. We want to let Your blessings flow to and through us. In Jesus name, Amen.

“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Anyone who has ears should listen!” (Matthew 13:43 HCSB).

From: January 20, 2021

THOSE HIDDEN WILL ONE DAY SHINE

 
 
 

“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” (Matthew 13:33 NKJV).

From: January 20, 2020

HAVE YOU BECOME LIKE LEAVEN?

Jesus often spoke in parables when describing the kingdom of heaven. In this parable, He compared it to leaven. Leaven is an ingredient added to dough to make it rise. It only takes a small amount to permeate and change the whole loaf. As the apostle Paul noted, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Gal. 5:9). It was this quality of leaven that Jesus compared to the kingdom of heaven. It may be hidden as it begins in the heart of a man or in a nation, but over time it affects the whole.
 
The gospel of Jesus has this effect. When accepted, it begins to permeate the soul with its grace, eventually sanctifying the whole person. From small beginnings, the kingdom of heaven will pervade individuals and eventually the nations of the world until they are all affected.
 
Has the leaven of the kingdom affected you? Now you are called to be the leaven in your family, your neighborhood, your workplace, and your world.
 
PRAYER: Dear Father, help us to spread the leaven of the gospel to the whole world. Strengthen us to obey the Great Commission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44).

From: January 20, 2019

GIVING ALL, LOSING NOTHING, GAINING EVERYTHING!

One of Christ’s many kingdom parables, this one emphasizes the willingness of one to give up everything in this world in order to have the kingdom of heaven. The value of the kingdom is “hidden” to most, yet revealed to those who discover its treasure. Others probably thought the man foolish for giving all that he had, but he treasured the kingdom of heaven over the world’s kingdom. There are still those today to whom the treasure is hidden. And strangely, there are those not mentioned in the parable, to whom it is revealed, yet they continue to haggle over its price. Are you willing to give all or are you holding back? When we give all we have to Jesus, we lose nothing and gain everything.
 
PRAYER: Lord, help us to see the true treasure of investing in Your kingdom. Give us faith to put our trust in You instead of worldly wealth. We want to grow in generosity. We want to let Your blessings flow to and through us. In Jesus name, Amen.

“Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zaphenath-paneah. He also gave him a wife, whose name was Asenath. She was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:45 NLT).

From: January 20, 2018

DID JOSEPH SIN BY TAKING A FOREIGN WIFE?
When Pharaoh promoted Joseph to be his second-in-command, he also gave him a new name, “Zaphenath-paneah” (“God speaks and lives”), and a new wife, “Asenath” (“Gift of the Sun-god”). The Egyptian king wanted Joseph to have an Egyptian name and an Egyptian wife from an influential Egyptian family, the priestly family of Potiphera, “priest of On” (“On,” also known as Heliopolis, “The City of the Sun,” was the center of worship of the sun-god, Ra, located 10 miles northeast of modern Cairo.). This new title, name, wife, and family were given to him by Pharaoh. But really… weren’t they actually given to him by God?
 
For it was God’s purpose to put Joseph in power in Egypt to preserve Israel and to show His great power and glory 400 years later when He brought them out with a strong hand. Two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, were born to Joseph and Asenath. They became equal with the 12 sons of Israel when Jacob blessed them as his own sons (Gen. 48:5). Therefore, when God chose the tribe of Levi to be His own possession, the addition of Manasseh and Ephraim maintained the number of Israel’s tribes at twelve.
 
No, Joseph didn’t sin. He lived before the Mosaic law and the New Testament warning (2 Cor. 6:14). Joseph was obedient to God’s purpose for his life, of which he had dreamed when he was a boy.

“Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck” (Genesis 41:42 NKJV).

From: January 20, 2017

Joseph’s brothers stripped him of his coat of many colors that his father, Jacob, had given him. They threw him naked into a pit and sold him into slavery. But God raised him up. The Lord gave Joseph favor with Pharaoh, who put his own signet ring on his finger (A “signet” ring is like a “signature,” giving Joseph power to “sign” with Pharaoh’s authority). He put fine linen robes on his back and a gold chain around his neck. Joseph’s coat of many colors was now replaced. God exalted Joseph to an even higher place of favor than he had held before.
 
Again, we see Joseph as a Christological type. His life foreshadows the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Jesus was stripped naked and crucified, but the Lord raised Him up and clothed Him with glory and power, giving Him “all authority in heaven and earth” (Matt. 28:18).

“Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Genesis 41:46 ESV)

From: January 20, 2016

Joseph is a christological type. His story foreshadows the story of Christ. Just as Christ began his public ministry at the age of 30, so did Joseph’s public work. God’s plan for Joseph to be in a position to save his brethren, as the dreams of his youth predicted, were now being fulfilled. His brothers do bow before him. I wonder if Joseph felt that all the years of enslavement and imprisonment were now worth it. For it was his suffering that God used to elevate him to this place of ministry, not only to save his brothers, but the whole hungry world. Are you going through a time of suffering? Don’t waste the pain. God has promised to cause all things to work together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). Persevere and believe. God has a plan.

“Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:46 NKJV)

From: January 20, 2015

Joseph is a christological type. In this verse we see that he began his public ministry at the age of 30, just as Jesus did. We also see that it was always God’s plan for Joseph to be in a position to save his brethren, as the dreams of his youth were now being fulfilled. His brothers do bow before him. I wonder if Joseph felt that all the years of enslavement and imprisonment were now worth it. For, it seems that his suffering was what God used to elevate him to this place of ministry, not only to save his brothers, but the whole hungry world. Are you going through a time of suffering? Don’t waste the pain. God has promised to cause all things to work together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). Persevere and believe, for God has a plan.