Reflecting the Image (by Carla Sunberg)

Scripture For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. (2 Thessalonians 3:10 NASB) For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. (2 Thessalonians 3:11 NASB) Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread. (2 Thessalonians 3:12 NASB) But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:13 NASB) Observation In this letter to the church in Thessaloniki some very practical advice for daily living is given to the followers of Jesus Christ. To be a part of the Church community meant that you were to also take responsibility for your personal life. It sounds rather harsh, but if people weren't willing to put forth effort to work, then they were not supposed to get free food. This didn't mean th...

Scripture Those who trust in the L ORD Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. (Psalms 125:1 NASB) As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the L ORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever. (Psalms 125:2 NASB) Observation One of the surest things in this world is a mountain! Just this week, sadly, a pilot learned that you cannot fly into a mountain, for the mountain will not be moved! The Lord is reminding His people that if they will simply put their trust in Him, they will be like a mountain. They will be strong and firm, and yet that is not all, for in this state they will also be surrounded by the Lord. The Lord Himself will be stronger than one mountain, but rather will be as the mountains which surround Jerusalem. God's children will not be left alone, but rather will be surrounded day in and day out by His mighty presence. Application What more could we want, but to be surrou...

Scripture “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ (Matthew 25:40 NASB) Observation Jesus was preaching a powerful sermon and it spoke right to the hearts of the religious leaders. These were the ones who thought they had everything right in terms of looking good before God. He shot them down because they had their priorities mixed up. They thought it was all about show and how it looked to the world from the outside. Instead Jesus pointed out that their motives and behavior on a day to day basis were what God would judge. This was completely foreign to their way of thinking. Application This week we have celebrated Thanksgiving in the United States. A day of celebration, which is followed by a day called "Black Friday." I have already heard stories of Black Friday -- how people pushed and...

Scripture But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. (Matthew 22:34 NASB) One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, (Matthew 22:35 NASB) Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: (Matthew 22:41 NASB) No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question. (Matthew 22:46 NASB) Observation In this story in Matthew we find an interesting dialog between Jesus and those who were trying to trap Him. The Sadducees came to Him first and tried to trick Him. It didn't work. So, the Pharisees decided to step forward with their questions. After they were unsuccessful at tricking Him, finally Jesus turned the tables on them and asked them a question. His question was so clever that they dare not answer it, because they would have had to concede that he was the Christ and that He was t...

Scripture The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. (Matthew 16:1 NASB) But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘ It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ (Matthew 16:2 NASB) “And in the morning, ‘ There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? (Matthew 16:3 NASB) Observation The Pharisees and the Sadducees were well educated and they certainly knew the teachings of the Prophets. From childhood they had been taught the signs of the coming Messiah. Now, suddenly, the Messiah stood before them and they simply refused to believe the Truth. Instead they kept pushing Him for signs and wonders. Finally Jesus reminded them that they were willing to fall back on their education and experience to predict the weather, and yet, they were unwilling to d...

Scripture He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; (Matthew 13:31 NASB) and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES .” (Matthew 13:32 NASB) Observation Jesus continued to present the "upside-down" kingdom to the Disciples. The world expects great people to do great things, and by the world's definition, these are usually "big" things. Jesus explains what it means to be willing to work in the kingdom. It may mean faithfulness with something very, very small. The mustard seed is so small that one can barely even see it. And yet, the man in the story is faithful with the very small mustard seed. He takes it to the field and he plants it. Not only does he plant it, but he must take th...

Scripture “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. (Matthew 10:40 NASB) “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. (Matthew 10:41 NASB) “And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.” (Matthew 10:42 NASB) Observation Jesus was constantly turning the world upside down by the things that He said. Now, He was telling the leaders what it meant to receive their eternal reward. Of course, they were thinking that it was all related to the high and mighty things that they may have accomplished in their lifetime. Instead, Jesus turned it all around and told them that it boiled down to doing things like giving a simple cup of water to little chil...