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Stop Stressing About Money (Part 2). Store Up Heavenly Treasures — Francis Chan Crazy Love Ministry

Children of God’s Kingdom

Inheritance of Eternal Life: Sell Your Possessions & Give to the Poor

21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

MARK 10:21

Vineyard Vengeance. — Parable of the Wicked Tenants #1

Parable of the Wicked Tenants

Matthew 21:33-46

33 “Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. 34 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop. 35 But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.

37 “Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’

38 “But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 39 So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him.

40 “When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?”

41 The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.”

42 Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
    and it is wonderful to see.’[b]

Psalm 118:22-23

43 I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. 44 Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.[c]

45 When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.

34
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling.

Luke 13:34

Notes

In the last days, two prophets will be slain in Jerusalem—After 3½ days, they will be resurrected—Christ will reign over all the earth.[2]

references & reflections

[1] https://pillarofenoch.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-lesson-in-parable-of-wicked.html
[2] https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/rev/11?lang=eng

Sold Out! Selling Possessions to the Poor for Perfection — Matthew 19 #5

“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” – 1st Timothy 6:7
We actually own nothing! All things belong and are under God’s Sovereignty and control

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Matthew 19:21

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.

24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 19:24

References & reflections

[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/camel-eye-needle.html
[2] https://www.thejoshlink.com/article290.htm
[3] https://parablesreception.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-eye-of-needle-is-not-gate.html
[4] https://johndavies.typepad.com/blog/love-comes-blinking-through-the-needles-eye.html
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_7:13

Receive Renewed Rewards, Returns (100x Times ROI!) in God’s Kingdom of Heaven — Matthew 19 #3

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[e] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

Promise of Eternal Life, Returns and Rewards Matthew 19:29, Mark 10:28-30

30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

References & reflections

[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/camel-eye-needle.html
[2] https://www.thejoshlink.com/article290.htm
[3] https://parablesreception.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-eye-of-needle-is-not-gate.html
[4] https://johndavies.typepad.com/blog/love-comes-blinking-through-the-needles-eye.html
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_7:13
[6] https://www.gotquestions.org/first-last-last-first.html
[7] https://bibleaboutmoney.finance.blog/2020/02/21/eye-of-a-needle-narrow-path-kingdom-of-god-matthew-19-1/

Eternity: Everything with God is a Possibility — Matthew 19 #2

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[e] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

Promise of Eternal Life, Returns and Rewards Matthew 19:29, Mark 10:28-30

30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

References & reflections

[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/camel-eye-needle.html
[2] https://www.thejoshlink.com/article290.htm
[3] https://parablesreception.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-eye-of-needle-is-not-gate.html
[4] https://johndavies.typepad.com/blog/love-comes-blinking-through-the-needles-eye.html
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_7:13
[6] https://www.gotquestions.org/first-last-last-first.html
[7] https://bibleaboutmoney.finance.blog/2020/02/21/eye-of-a-needle-narrow-path-kingdom-of-god-matthew-19-1/

Eye of a Needle, Narrow Path, Kingdom of God — Matthew 19 #1

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Matthew 19:21

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.

24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 19:24

References & reflections

[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/camel-eye-needle.html
[2] https://www.thejoshlink.com/article290.htm
[3] https://parablesreception.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-eye-of-needle-is-not-gate.html
[4] https://johndavies.typepad.com/blog/love-comes-blinking-through-the-needles-eye.html
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_7:13

Adultery Defined by Jesus: Prenuptial Prototype of Moses Explained

Matthew 19 New International Version (NIV)

Divorce

19 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a] and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

Matthew 19:8-9

10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

references & reflections

[1] http://www.comereason.org/new-testament-contradictions.asp
[2] https://telioschurch.com/sermons/matthew-05m-jesus-on-adultery/
[3] https://slideplayer.com/slide/10717442/

Kingdom of Heaven —Matthew 19 Children of God #3

The Little Children and Jesus

13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Matthew 19:13-14

references & reflections

[1] https://achristianpilgrim.wordpress.com/2015/08/15/todays-gospel-matthew-1913-15/
[2] http://fralfonse.blogspot.com/2012/08/mt-1913-15-why-kids.html
[3] https://goodnewsshared.wordpress.com/2019/08/17/let-the-little-children-come-to-me-and-do-not-hinder-them-for-the-kingdom-of-heaven-belongs-to-such-as-these/

Saving the Lost & Littlest: Son of Man — Matthew 18 Children of God #2

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep

10“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

[11] a For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

12“What do you think?

If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?
13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Matthew 18:12b-14

References & Reflections

[1] https://chongsoonkim.blogspot.com/2015/08/become-like-little-children-if-you-want.html
[2] https://themillennialbridge.com/matthew-181-6greatest-in-the-kingdom-of-heaven1-at-that-time-the-disciples-ca/
[3] https://www.catholicteacherresources.com/webquest-parable-of-the-lost-sheep/

Who’s the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? — Matthew 18 Children of God #2

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.
3And he said:

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Matthew 17:3b

4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Saving the Lost & the Littlest

For the Son of Man has come to save that which has been lost.

Matthew 18:11

References & Reflections

[1] https://chongsoonkim.blogspot.com/2015/08/become-like-little-children-if-you-want.html
[2] https://themillennialbridge.com/matthew-181-6greatest-in-the-kingdom-of-heaven1-at-that-time-the-disciples-ca/