Who Was Mathew? The Taxcollector

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The bible is full of the teachings of Christ to help guide us through life. However, there are only 4 accounts that give us a look into his life and death. 

These books-Mathew, Mark, Luke and John are known as the gospels. And from them, we can glean more about Jesus, and themselves as well. 

Mathew was not a popular man. He was a tax collector. Not trusted by fellow Jews because they paid their taxes to the Roman Empire. And Mathew was the agent of that empire.

However, upon hearing the words of Jesus, "Come, follow me." That did it for Mathew. He dropped everything and did just that after paying back everyone that he had cheated and renouncing all his worldly ways of living. Mathew 9:12

We do not know a lot about his own personal life. But what we do know is this: He had a unique writing style because he as a tax collector had to have a sort of shorthand in recording a person's words as they spoke. And so in recording, for instance, the Sermon on the Mount, this is to actually realize that it was totally Holy Spirit inspired. As Jesus spoke, and Mathew recorded his words in his shorthand, it is realized that Jesus really spoke under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Not we ever doubt that. However, here we find proof of it in studying about Mathew because it is something perhaps we have never thought of or even heard about in sermons. And I found that quite interesting.

After Jesus was crucified and resurrected, Mathew was chosen to go out to spread the gospel. He helped plant new churches in Palestine where he spent most of his time. 

As with Bartholomew, it is not know how he died. Old reports say he was not martyred, but others say he was stabbed to death in Ethiopia. 

No matter his death, it was in life that he ultimately mattered. Going from cheating people to following Christ and then taking the gospel to other people, it just again makes us realize that God can and will call people from all walks of life to follow him. And it is up to us to decide whether or not we want to or not. 

Martyred or not, Mathew made the choice. He gave up everything he had been working for. Can we do the same?

(Sources from today) Scripture,  Matthew the Apostle: History, Facts & Death | Study.com,
Gospel of Matthew - Bible Survey and  Whatever Happend to the 12 Apostles? How Did They Die?


Coming tomorrow? Mark



Thanks for coming by today. Please come back tomorrow and stay blessed today!

Who Was Bartholomew:He Had No Doubt Jesus Was God's Son!

The Bible does not say a lot about Bartholomew. What it does say is this. The Apostle Phillip had told him that they had found the "one that Moses had written about in the law, and about whom the prophets wrote about-Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  His answer to Phillip was: "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Phillip said, "Come and see." John 1:46

It is possible that both Bartholomew and Phillip were Law and Prophet students and that Phillip recognized Jesus as being the Messiah they had been waiting for.

In my own observations (and I am not a theologian etc) that upon learning for the first time studying this, that Nazareth was not held as a town of high regard but of low regard and a wicked place, and therefore it might have come to Bartholomew as a surprise that Jesus, the Messiah had come from there. After all, they were expecting a real king. One from royalty. Not one from the humble beginnings that Jesus actually did come from.

 However, when he first saw Jesus coming, he knew right away that Jesus was who he said he was. He knew that Jesus was no fake but was a true Israelite. John 1:47  

In verse 48, Bartholemew asked Jesus how he knew him. Jesus answered that he saw him under the fig tree before Phillip had called to him. Jesus had not been present there, but yet had seen them and heard their conversation. He already knew their hearts proving his omniscience. 

Bartholomew then declared; "Rabbi, you are the Son of God, the King of Israel." John 1:49

As an apostle, Bartholomew was there to see that Jesus had risen. John 21:2 He was present during his ascension.Acts 1:1-11. It is said that he was a minister of the gospel in Persia and India. 

However, the bible does not say anything more about him. Not even about his death. Was he martyred as were the rest of the disciples? (excluding John) 

A couple of traditions of the day held that some were tied up in a sack and dropped into the sea. Another one was that he too may have been crucified. We will never know on this side of heaven but here was another disciple that probably did live, suffer and die for the cause of Jesus Christ.

(sources today:) Scripture and Who was Bartholomew in the Bible?

      Blessings to all of you that come to visit me! Have a great day!

Who Were James and John? Sons of Thunder

James & John

James and John had left their father's fishing business to follow Jesus. Mark 1:20 Their business was pretty prosperous because both of these men left the hired help to continue on while they left their comfortable lifestyles to follow Christ.

John was with Jesus throughout his ministry. Through the thick and thin of it, as it were. In the garden with Jesus and right down to when Jesus ascended into heaven that fateful day when he would no longer be on earth with them to teach them. 

John had been there to care for Mary, Jesus's mother. He had watched as literally thousands of people became a part of the newly formed early church. 

He knew who Jesus was.

The bible does not tell us why John was arrested and held at a Roman prison island called Patmos. Or if he served time there and was released. Or how he died. 

However, there are theories and a plausible one is this:

At the time, he had been held captive on a Roman prison island called Patmos. (Revelation 1:5) He was banished there to stop his preaching of the gospel at an old age. They thought it would shut him up......

It is not known what happened to him. But, was he the last disciple to die? Again, speculation. However, although it would have been interesting to know that, it is much more important that we know that John was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Luke 9:26. And he was willing to die for the cause of it.

(sources used in addition to scripture:)   The Apostles, Part 16: Son of Thunder, Apostle of Love  and   How did the apostle John die?

Indeed. If the Roman Government was trying to shut his preaching down, it did not work. God did not in all his sovereignty let that happen. He gave John, even more, to preach about. Because he knew all of humanity was going to need it. He knew that we were going to need it.

He wrote the book of Revelation as the mandated reporter of that time period to tell of future events that are still in our own future and yet getting closer and closer with each passing day. His visions are coming through to speak to our own futures. Warnings of where we need to be if we want to go home to be with the Lord when he comes back again. 

Where will you be at that time Friend? Have you taken John's visions to heart or think it was all  hogwash? A fairy tale of his time.

Me? I choose to believe. Because in the end, it is a choice we will have to make one way or another.

Coming tomorrow: Who Was Bartholomew?


May God's richest blessings rain down on you today Friends. Thanks for stopping by!

Who Were.James and John? Son's of Thunder

James and John were sons of Zebedee. At the time Jesus called them to be his disciples, they were with their father on their fishing boat getting ready to cast out their net. 

Both brothers received the nickname  "The Son's of Thunder" by Jesus. Mark 3:17. While there is no explanation of why Jesus called them this, he always has a reason for everything he does (did) or says. (said) Past and present. And he does not always give us a reason because he does not have to.

It is possible that they could be easily angered in situations as the time when they were traveling with Jesus through Samaria on their way to Jerusalem and met with some opposition there. Luke 9:51-56.

Or could it have been they had a fiery zeal for the cause of Christ?  They wanted to know when the end of time would come and what would be the signs. They were passionate to know, not just being passive in that it will come someday and not something "I need to worry about now." They wanted to know when and how they would know.

 Perhaps it was for situations like these were why Jesus gave them this nickname.

Both James and John were two of Jesus's closest friends. Mathew 17:1.

James was witness to the raising of Jairus's daughter in Mark 5:37, the agony that Jesus went through in the Garden of Gethseneme Mark 14:33 and his transfiguration in Mark 9:2.

He was the first disciple to be martyred and was ordered by King Herod Agrippa of Judea to be beheaded. 

(sources used in today's devotion: Scriptures mentioned above, Saint James | apostle, son of Zebedee,  Why did Jesus refer to James and John as the sons of thunder?, and James - All the Men of the Bible - Bible Gateway


Were all of Christ's disciples martyred? So far, the ones we have looked at have been. To follow him in their day meant it was a huge possibility they could be. What about John? He is next on our list to learn a little more about so coming tomorrow: More on the Lives of these two disciples of Jesus Christ. And what about John?


Thanks for coming by today. Many blessings as always to you and yours! 

Who was Andrew? Called by Jesus to be "A Fisher of Men"

Andrew like his younger brother was the son of Jonas. And just as his brother, his trade was as a fisherman. Hence the reason why when Jesus called them to be his disciples, he told them he would make them "fishers of men."

He was not the dominant brother but he was passionate about the cause of Christ in his preaching and he shared the gospel with boldness.

It is recorded in John 1:35-43 that Andrew first was a disciple of John the Baptist as he preached in the wilderness. And that he had introduced Peter to both John and then later Jesus. When Peter met Jesus, they both left John and followed Jesus. Andrew had immediately become aware that Jesus was the Messiah.

In John 8:8 it was Andrew that told Jesus about the boy that had the lunch of fishes and bread, which Jesus then multiplied to feed the people that were listening to Jesus preaching one day.

Andrew was, of course, one of the twelve that was present at "The Last Supper."

And he like his brother Peter died a martyr's death by crucifixion in the city of Patras, in Archaea
.
(sources include the above biblical scriptures along with Andrew the Apostle - Wikipedia  and
Who Were the 12 Disciples (Apostles) & What We Know about Th

Andrews life was much like his brothers. He was one of the first that Jesus called to be a disciple. And he when he was put to death, it is said that he went boldly to it. He knew that he was going home to see his beloved Jesus, no doubt. What would that say about me, should I ever get to that point at death?

It reminds me of those stories we have heard in the past about that when asked if someone believes in God, and upon answering that they do, were then murdered. How would I answer that question if were ever faced with it? (I hope I never am) Would I deny him to save my life? I hope not. Better to die and go to be with him then live and regret it. How would you answer it?

Up tomorrow: James

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me today Friends. Have a blessed day!

Who Was Peter? Known as the Rock that the Church Was Found On

When Jesus went up into the mountains to pray one day, he called the men there to be his apostles. Twelve of them responded. They were uneducated Jews but they gave up everything to follow Christ as he trained him for the next three years to carry on his ministry when he was no longer going to be on earth with them.

These 12 were actually the foundation of the Christian Church. The beginning building stones as it may be called. In Revelation 21:12 it is said that the walls of the New Jerusalem will bear the names of the twelve apostles in its foundation. Obviously, they were of great importance to Christ.

Peter

Peter was the son of Jonas. He lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum and was the only married disciple. His wife was known to travel with him on his missions. (1 Corthianians 9:5) He made his living as a fisherman. He was known as a typical Galileian. They loved innovation but were also known for inciting people to rebel against authority. Of the twelve apostles, he was known as the leader and the spokesman for all.

He was an earlier follower of John the Baptist. And actually, it was his older brother Andrew that introduced him to Jesus. (John 1:40-42) Once he met Jesus, the two left John and followed Christ.

Not only was he known as Peter but also Simeon Peter, and Cephas meaning Rock.

Peter was the disciple that was in the boat with the other disciples during a storm and they had become afraid. They saw Jesus walking along the seashore when they saw him thinking he was a ghost. Peter said if it was him to let him come to him on the water. Jesus told him, "Come." Peter climbed out of the boat and started to walk on the water but when he noticed the wind he began to get afraid again and sink. And so he yelled for Jesus to save him. Jesus then reached out his hand and caught him saying, "You of little faith. Why do you doubt?." Mathew 14:22-33

He was of course, well known for denying Jesus three times after Jesus was interested. He died a martyrs death in Rome under the reign of Nero many years later, asking to be crucified with his head down as he did not feel worthy of the same way that his Lord had been.

(sources other than the scriptures mentioned  Who Were the 12 Disciples (Apostles) & What We Know about Them      and       Who were the 12 disciples? | Bibleinfo.com

What can be said of Peter from these biblical observations? He was from a typical Galilean town.

Indeed. However, he was all for the cause of Christ at some point and especially when he met John the Baptist and even more so when he met Jesus himself. He was strong, a natural leader and yet at one of the most important times of his life had denied he even knew Jesus. He went on to be known as the rock that the church would be built that the gates of hell would not prevail against as Jesus said in Mathew 16:17-19. The man that was human but died a martyrs death in the end.

What a privilege to have served Christ as he had. Even to his death. Can we even come close to that in our own lives? It is a most sobering question.

Coming Tomorrow: A look into Peter's brother Andrew's life.

Have a wonderful Lord's Day today Friends. Thanks for coming by that I can share with you! Many happy blessings today as you share it with your family and those that you are around!

Jesus of Nazarus and His Disciples (part one)

                   Jesus:           Who was he? A teacher? A prophet? A Liar? A lunatic? Someone we would call being mentally challenged today? A religious fanatic?  Was he homeless and used his ministry to go around preaching to make a living.

Or was he who he claimed to be. The Son of God?

Jesus. Born of a virgin who had been impregnated by the Holy Spirit. Born to be the King of the Jews. God's Son?

I can imagine what some people must have thought when they first met him. "Really?:  "Oh come on Jesus. Tell us who you really are." "Whatever." I would bet that there were some that even may have laughed at the craziness of this man who made such claims.

And yet some of them met him and believed that he was God's Son. How do we #1 wrap our minds around it. And #2 Does God expect us to believe that he really is God's Son? 

Of course, the answers to those two questions are #1 We can't wrap our minds around it because we are human. And #2 Yes, he does. It is called "faith."

Faith makes all the difference in whether we believe in God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit. The Bible. From beginning to end.

For in the gospel of righteousness God is a revealed-a righteousness that is by faith from first to last as it is written,"The righteous shall live by faith." Romans 1:17

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

God is big on our faith. Or lack of it, if we have none. Oh yes. From the beginning to the end. Our faith pleases him. It is in what we hope for but do not see.

To believe that Jesus IS who he says he is, we have to have it. And so long as we have a small bit of it, it pleases God. And it is through him that it will grow so that we can live by it in our daily walk with him.

Jesus is the Son of God. Born of a virgin that was impregnated by the Holy Spirit. He is God's Son and sits at the right hand of his Father. He walked the earth and preached and taught the gospel for 3 years until his enemies pretty much butchered him before nailing him to the cross. And he did it for you and I.

Does it take faith to believe it? Absolutely And if that is all you can believe in right now, that is the most important of all things to believe and have faith in. And there is more from where that came from as we open up to God and believe. Faith will take root in our hearts and not only that but when it does I also believe that love abounds. Because God is love and he loves us for putting our faith in what we can not see with our physical eyes.

Jesus came to teach a sinful and dying world his message of love, hope, and forgiveness and he appointed some men who became his apostles so that as he taught them, they could go on after his life on the earth ended, to continue his work here. We know them as his disciples. As I was about to start with Peter, I had decided that their beginning really starts with Jesus. They surely did not call themselves to his ministry. He called them. And so, tomorrows blog will be about Peter in this series. In the meantime I am going to stop at this point. I would also ask that if you would, please pray for me. Sometimes trying to get certain blogs ready, well....they can become very frustrating. I have no doubts it is the enemy that wants me to stop and give up and I have no intention of doing so. But I am asking you please to pray for me at night or whenever-that I can do them with no trouble. I would truly appreciate it. Thank you in advance. Til tommorrow....


      May our  God be magnified! And may you and yours continue to have a blessed weekend!