Thursday, October 25, 2012

The tax collector Levi (Matthew) is called by Jesus. Notice Levi got up and followed. Now the fishermen had done a similar thing. When Jesus called, they followed. The fishermen however could go back to fishing (which they did). Once Matthew left his lucrative tax collecting business, he burned a bridge. He couldn’t go back. 

Some significant pieces of Scripture in today’s reading.
John 5:21
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
John 5:28-29
"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
John 5:25
I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

God the Father raises ALL the dead. Only those who hear (know Him and have salvation) Jesus’ voice will live forever. Those who are raised and do not know Jesus will die the second death.

John 5:46
If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.
Moses…wrote about Jesus??? How can this be???

Several times Jesus gives strict orders to the demons and evil spirits not to tell who He was. Why?

Luke 6:12-13
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
Jesus had many disciples or followers, not just the twelve. A disciple is someone who wants to learn. Many people followed Jesus around to learn from Him. But Jesus chose twelve to become apostles (sent out). He chose these twelve to be the ones to send out and be the leaders of the others. Interesting that Jesus spent the night in prayer before choosing the twelve. If Jesus spent the night in prayer with His heavenly Father, shouldn’t we spend time in prayer with Him too?

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