Tag Archives: judgement

Bible open to Matthew

Mindfully Meditating on Matthew chapter 7 or MMM7

Mindfully Meditating in Matthew, the collection of these studies
(First 100 days of 2023, day 38, Feb 7)

Passage
Matthew Chapter Seven

It doesn’t matter which version you choose. It can be digital or paper. You can use one of those fancy coloring bibles and do a page or coloring along with the passage.

I will mostly do Holman Christian Standard Bible because of their copyright freedoms.

  • Matthew 7
    • Mt 7:1 don’t judge
      •  “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For with the judgment you use,[a] you will be judged, and with the measure you use,[b] it will be measured to you. 
        • John 7:24
          • 24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
      • We have to make judgements. Proverbs is full of judgements. This is talking about judging without checking out your own heart first. Harsh judging just to put someone down. Judging to lift yourself up. Judging that doesn’t need to be done.
        • Luke 6:37, Luke 6:41, Romans 2:1, Romans 14:10, Romans 14:13,
        • Determine the difference between God’s hand and the enemy’s hand –
          • Ephesians 6:12
            • 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
        • Matthew 10:16 Christ did give a warning to watch for those without good intentions.
          • “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.
      • When in doubt, don’t. Because we can trust God to take care of us.
        • Romans 12:18- 20 Our response to perceived evil:
          • 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
            In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]
    • Mt 7:2-6 Hypocrites and Pigs
    • Mt 7:7-12 Ask, Seek, Knock, give as you would be given
      • 9 What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
      • 12 Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them—this is the Law and the Prophets.[h]
    • Mt 7:13-14 Where to Enter
      • 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.
    • Mt 7:15-20
      • 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
    • Mt 7:21-23 To be known
      • 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.
      • 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’[i][j]
    • Mt 7:24-27 Build your house on THE Rock
      • 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.
    • Mt 7:28-29
    • 28 When Jesus had finished this sermon,[k] the crowds were astonished at His teaching, 29 because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

Mindful Meditating

  1. choose a verse,
  2.  set a timer for 5 minutes, or whatever works for you.
  3.  example: Matt 7:13
  4. repeat to yourself, and at each word, enunciate the next word in the sentence starting with the first word…

example:

  • 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.
  • ENTER through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction
  • Enter THROUGH the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction.
  • Enter through THE narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction.

…and so on.  This will cause you to look at the verse more intently, and may have you memorize it before your five minutes are done.

A Matthew 7 color page by Mary Jo:

by Mary Jo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life on the rock thoughts and Coloring page by Mary Dean

Quick Questions – if  you have time, or to think about over the course of the day, and jot down thoughts later.

  1. Do you find yourself judging in a critical way? What do you do then?
    1. your answer
  2. Does the log scripture go along with the judge scripture?
    1. Why or why not? if no, what does it say to us?
  3. Is there anything that you need to Ask, Seek, and Knock about?  What does this mean?
    1. GotQuestions handles this very well, though I believe that we can apply this to any need.
  4. Do you understand the narrow path and wide path?
    1. GotQuestions does well in explaining this as well.

 

 

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links:

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Older woman with shades of coral in jewelry and sweater, glasses, silver and brown hair.

M. Christine Wildman

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Ephesians 2:1-10 The situation

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

For review – here are the chapter 1 sections:

In the IBBS Ephesians Introduction, I shared my thoughts on Ephesians 1:1-2.
And here are the others up to this point:
IBBS Ephesians 1:3-6
IBBS Ephesians 1:7-14
IBBS Ephesians 1:7-14

Ephesians 2

Ephesians 1 is all about God’s love for us. At least, that is what Ephesians 1 speaks to me.
Ephesians 2 speaks to me of Grace. First, though, we need to see WHY we need Grace!

Ephesians 2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins
2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient.

  • Dead
  • trespasses
  • sins
  • ways of the world
  • according to…well, the devil

Who did we begin as dead in our sins??? In order to understand the greatness of God’s grace, we have to understand the WHY about the need.

We have to begin at the beginning, which is Genesis.
I wrote about this in Advent #6

For good measure, let’s start with Genesis chapter 2

  • God created a garden and it was good
  • God created man and he was good, except that it was not good that he was alone…
  • so God created woman, and she was good.
  • God created tress in the garden, and they were good…because the garden was good, creation was good, etc., etc.

There were two special trees…knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life.
One they were not to eat of…the knowledge of good and evil, because in that day they would die. Only ONE rule.

Genesis 2:10-17
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat[g] from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

They knew no shame or guilt:

25 Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.

Then came the enemy:
Genesis Chapter 3

There was ONLY one rule, ONLY one requirement, and everything else was paradise. Yet, their flesh got in the way!
Ephesians tells us that this applies to us as well.

Ephesians 2:3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.

So does the rest of the Bible. The bible agrees with itself.

Romans 3:23 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the[a] glory of God.

Isaiah 64:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 All of us have become like something unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like a polluted[a] garment;
all of us wither like a leaf,
and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Genesis is the Old Testament. In the New Testament in Romans 5, we have at the example of how this applies to us today. read verse 1-11 for hope, then, here’s how God planned it.

Romans 5:12 through one man came sin through one man came salvation

Romans 5:12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.

This is the problem – this is how genesis 3 applies to us!

Romans 5:14 through one man death reigned and through the other we have life
Adam was the protype of Christ

Romans 5:14 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a prototype[a] of the Coming One.

Romans 5:15 in the transgression of the one, many died but the free gift from the One is Grace to many
Romans 5:16 out of the transgression of one came condemnation and judgement, but because of the transgression of many, through Christ and his obedience we have the resulting justification – the gift.
Romans 5:17 from the transgression of one, death reigned. From the gift of Grace of One, Jesus Christ, we reign in life
Romans 5:18 through transgression of one came condemnation for many, but through the righteousness of the One came justification for everyone.
Romans 5:19 through Disobedience of one many were made sinners but through the obedience of the ONE many were made righteous

There will be an account made, and paid.

2 Corinthians 5:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.

Romans 3:4-5 let God be true and every man a liar. God has a right to pronounce judgement!

The Gift of God

Ephesians 2:4-10

Ephesians 2:4-5 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,[a] 5 made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!

Ephesians 2:8-10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—
9 not from works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

The judgement is real.
The effect is real.
The gift is real.
Simply put, there are “buts” to this situation!

Romans 5:8 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!

Romans 6:23 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:13 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13 for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

How do we obtain this gift of God?

Some thoughts on choice from Lent day eight
Thoughts on Repentance from Jonah chapter 3
and, here’s one of my confessions as an example!

Now, I want to worship!
Grace by the Martins
Grace that is Greater than all our sins by Don Moen
Your grace still amazes me Phillip, Craig and Dean
and my favorite:

Ephesians 2:11-22 will touch on our two natures, and why we cannot do it, and why the gift of god is infinite in it’s worth

Josh Groban sings this…and many faith’s have put their own spin on this, but for me…this is my song of thanks to God, through Jesus Christ…because without Him, I am nothing!

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.