Investigating the Manger Series: Jesus' Perfect Family?

Biblically, when genealogies were written you only had the males' names (the grandfather, father, son, etc), but Matthew's genealogy has 4 women’s names: Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba, and Ruth. What is more interesting is that these four women are Gentiles AND have interesting backgrounds: Tamar was a Canaanite and tricked Judah by pretending to be a harlot/temple prostitute (Genesis 38); Rahab was of Jericho and she was a harlot (Joshua 2); Ruth was a Moabite. Ruth didn’t have anything really wrong with her, but being a Moabite she was cursed (see Deut. 23:3). Bathsheba, some writers don’t even include her name they just write "the wife of Uriah". Bathsheba was a Hittite who slept with David, got pregnant, and then David killed her husband to cover the pregnancy up (2 Samuel 11).

Both the men and women in the genealogy had issues, but from an ethical and spiritual point of view of the Jewish writer, Gentiles shouldn’t be in the genealogy for the Gentiles were lost and not heirs to the promise and the Messiah and they shouldn't have been in the genealogy as they were instructed not to intermarry with the Gentiles or pagans. But with this unique family tree we see that EVEN Jesus' family had issues. Jesus' family wasn’t perfect, but Jesus still comes out to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Yet in our day and even in some of our history, we have allowed the history of our family and our family’s flaws make us feel like we should not and cannot aspire to be great. We allow our families issues to limit our dreams and manipulate our behavior. But through the “investigation of the manger”, we realize that through a DNA sample that even when there is a genetic malfunction there is still a spiritual genetic hope! For out of this family tree a cross is carved out that brings forth a hope and redemption for every human family! So through Christ and His imperfect family we see that God can still birth and bring forth kings and queens and change the world! You no longer have to misjudge yourself and/or your future based upon your family’s failures. You can be what God intended for you to be! Some people feel like, “well my sister got pregnant so I guess I am going to get pregnant too”. Others say, “well my brother and my father went to jail so I guess I am going to one day go to jail”. What happened in your family does not have to be your future!

What was it that helped Jesus rise above the mess in His family to be the Messiah, the Christ? It was the Spirit of God. Though Jesus’ family was imperfect, Jesus didn’t need to rely on His family orientation to make Him who he became. Jesus relied on the Spirit of God. If you rely on the power of God and if you live by the spirit of God you shall overcome every “genetic prediction” that would make you think you will experience the same negativities and fate as your family. The Spirit has the power to override every genetic code and genetically graft you into the family of God and you will be “a peculiar people” and a part of “a royal priesthood!”

Here are some more things to consider:

1. Embrace your genealogy. Don’t be ashamed of it and don’t deny it. Embrace the fact that there is imperfection in you and your family, but realize that life doesn’t end with imperfection, but it can be transformed to something greater through a life in Jesus Christ. Don’t use energy complaining about your family and don’t take on the failures of your family. Use your energy to be filled with and live by the Spirit of God and save your family!

2. Realize that there is more to you than just your family orientation and your genetic makeup. Your family and where you are from does not have to limit where you can go! Where you are from and the family you have is just the background and context from where the Gospel will come out of.

3. Realize the Spirit of Christ lives in you and if Christ made it and He lives in you, through the Spirit you can make it too.

4. Realize that you can be greater. The uniqueness of our families is based upon choice. We are a result of what we choose. So if you choose differently than what others have chosen then you will be different. Choose to live by the spirit!

YDOC Bible Study ~ "When Life TEARS You Up" Psalm 61

You seem down. Are you okay?

No, life is really tearing me up!

I understand. Life is always full of the unexpected. It brings unexpected joy, happiness, sadness, pain, fears, doubt, faith and love. It’s easy to go through life when life seems to cooperate with you, but what does one do when life seems to be your worst enemy? When life seems to have your address and it express mails betrayal, lies, deceit, death, pain, and chaos to your door? What do you do when the bitter side of life rings your doorbell, when the downside of life decides to tear you up? How do you deal with life at provokes tears?

Can I read you something?

What?

I just want to share this scripture with you.

Scripture? That can’t help me right now! Give me a page, so I can wipe my tears!

Okay, here is one:

Psalm 61
For the choir director; on a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my cry, O God;
Give heed to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

I need that right now…..

I know, but check this out. David remembers what God did for him before and makes a request for his present situation:

3 For You have been a refuge for me,
A tower of strength against the enemy.
4 Let me dwell in Your tent forever;
Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah.

I don’t think God cares about my tears… I feel alone on this one.

“No, never alone.” There is a benefit of being a believer. Look”

5 For You have heard my vows, O God;
You have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your name.
6 You will prolong the king’s life;
His years will be as many generations.
7 He will abide before God forever;
Appoint lovingkindness and truth that they may preserve him.

I really don’t feel that way right now.

Your “right now” doesn’t have to dictate your “shall be”. Here’s the last verse:

8 So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
That I may pay my vows day by day.

When life tears you up, David lets us know that we can bring our prayers, concern and tears to God. There is nothing that you can’t talk to God about. He cares about every intimate detail of your life. God is not so divine and transcendent that God doesn’t sympathize and has compassion for you’re going through. As much as God is God, God is our father, mother, friend, supporter and love!

Who do you bring your tears to when life tears you up?

My friends, if they are available; my boo, and sometimes I even try some things to make me feel better and just forget everything.

Like what?

Hmmm….nothing. Never mind.

I encourage you to consider God. God is the only one that can take your tears and interpret your tears effectively to meet your needs. Some people will see you cry and not know why or understand. There are times when you yourself can’t articulate what or how you feel, but you are still in need of an understanding heart to give you the help you need. God is the only one that can read your tears and touch your heart.

Well, I have a lot of tears!

Well, God can handle your tears. God’s hands hold the oceans and the seas. God can certainly handle your tears. He will never fail you. Trust God with you tears.

When life tears you up and you feel like you are at the edge of sanity and you are on the shaky ground of instability, you can find a firm foundation in God.

Well, I can’t find my way out through these tears! How can I find God when I have an ocean of issues streaming down my face?

“When you can’t find your way out my friend, you can follow your way out.” Through the tears remember the WORD of the Lord and follow God through God’s WORD. Like the David in verse 2b, one song writer said, “When my heart is overwhelmed, I’m asking, ‘lead me to the rock.’ Lead me to the rock that’s higher than I, oh Lord, higher than I.” When you can’t find your way, God will grab your hand and lead you to a rock. When your world is shaking all around you and you can’t seem to keep a good footing on our faith, hold on to God’s hand and God will lead you to a rock that’s higher than the attitude your sorrows and problems have you. The rock is what you are in need of when life appears shaky. You need a rock that is impenetrable when your life feels fragile. You need someone and something that is higher and greater than you to get you through when you can’t get yourself through! You need a rock! The good news is you don’t have to go far to get to the rock because the God is the rock. God will never lead you to anything, anyone, or anywhere but to God’s self. GOD IS YOUR ROCK!

WOW! So you are telling me that God can not only handle my tears, but God can interpret my tears to see my real need and when my world is upside down and “I feel like I’m close to the edge” and I feel like I’m losing my head God can be my rock in a weary land?

Yup! “God will do exceedingly and abundantly…” Just Trust God, Follow God and Stand on God’s WORD!

But, also when you feel like life is tearing you up and you don’t know what to do, remember what God has done for you and ask God for an encore! Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” If God kept you before, God can keep you again! Just tell God, “Can I get an ENCORE!” God I want more! God I need you again! God is what and who you need! He is a tower of strength, a refuge in a time of trouble and he has a place that is design for only his children to abide, under God’s wings of safety! Like the mother hen covering and protecting her chicks, God will cover you with God’s divine wings. You have a feather called prayer, another for fasting, another for worship and another for studying God’s WORD. You are protected and sustained by the wings of God! God did it before; God will do it again and again and again!

WOW! “GOD, CAN I GET AN ENCORE!”

You see you got it! You are starting understand what David is talking about in verses 5-7. There is a benefit in going through with God! Don’t go through life with your tears by yourself. Believe in God and trust God with your tears! Follow God when you can’t hear him yet feel him. Like an employee of a company who is entitled to certain benefits, you, the believer, are entitled to divine benefits! God will be your keeper! That’s a benefit! God will be your rock! That’s a benefit! God will be your refuge and protector! That’s a benefit! God will never leave you nor forsake you! God is always on your side! That’s a benefit!

YES! YES! YES! I LOVE ME SOME BENEFITS! You, know there is a difference in having Jesus on your side and in your life! We all go through, but “through” for Christians should be different! You know what?

What’s that?

My situation hasn’t changed yet, but it’s starting to look different now. It’s amazing how you can see God in the midst of your tears! It’s amazing how you can see God in the dark places!

YOU GOT IT!!!!! So now, I found you with your hands up, all ready to surrender and you were half right. But don’t surrender to your problems or your tears, but turn around and surrender to God. Give your life, your issues, your worries and fears to God. God will never leave you nor forsake you. Surrender everything to God. With your arms raised in a posture of surrender and with tears in your eyes worship through! Praise through! Glory God through!

I surrender ALL! GOD IS MY ROCK! THANKS!



"Stop Looking for a Man"

 ²Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. ³In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. ⁴For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. ⁵And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. ⁶When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? ⁷The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. ⁸Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. ⁹And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath- John 5:2-9

Like the man in the text, we all have found ourselves in some situation that we needed to be delivered from. Some of us may be in a situation right now. This man finds himself in a powerless condition and is in need of some help. He has been lucky enough to get close to some help, but because of his condition he believes he is unable to obtain that help. The man finds himself by a pool that when troubled by the angel the first one in the water would be made whole. This man has been walked over, brushed passed and over looked by people who are in need of their own deliverance. This man has been hoping that someone would see his need, his condition and his desperation and put him in the pool. But time after time again he has been disappointed by man’s individualism and man’s heartlessness.

At this point of the man’s life, after being in his condition so long, he is used to being helpless and dependent on others. He presently finds hope in a temporary and unsuitable source—the pool. The situation at the pool is not helpful because it doesn’t allow real opportunity for change. For this man, it only presents false hope.

If one looks at this situation closely, we should see our own reflection in the pool for we too are like this man, managing lives that are in need of change, but seeking unsuitable sources of change and we have placed our hopes in the heart of disappointing people. We go from relationship to relationship only to be disappointed and hurt by the issues of other people. We have been walked on, brushed passed and left for dead. We place our hopes in unsuitable and temporary solutions like drugs, alcohol, people, power, possessions, and fornication.

What is screaming out to me as I look at the ripple effect of this man’s situation is that when in the presence of Jesus, he is still looking for a man and placing hope in a temporary fix. The man’s ability to see who is before him, the Son of David, the Son of God, is distorted. He is still looking for a man when He was in the presence of God. He was looking for a man when God was available. Let’s be honest, we too have been in the presence of God still looking for intervention from something or someone else. While in church, during worship, and/ or during the preached word, we’ve thought about, cried for and text-messaged our insufficient help. While in the presence of hope Himself, we are mentally and emotionally taken away on the current and waves of false hope. The man needed to realize that the angel that troubled the water was created by the Creator. The man he wished could help him was created and given strength by the Creator. The man in our text and some of us today need to stop looking towards creation to do what the Creator can do all by Himself. We, like the man, need to stop looking for man (mankind) to do things for us. Stop looking for a man to heal your wounds, fill your heart, and change your life. Stop looking for a man to tell you what you were created to do! Stop looking for a man to make you feel like you are something. Stop looking for a man to give you a vision. Stop looking for a man to make you feel like you have purpose and look to the Creator, God Almighty, and allow His creative power to give you something you can’t get yourself! Stop looking for a man!

How many of us would feel better today, if we stop laying ourselves at the mercy of men and laid ourselves at the mercy of a merciful and all powerful God? Look at your life. Are you where you are right now because you are looking for a man or woman to do something in your life? Look to God, He is more than able. Stop looking for a man!

Prayer this prayer: Lord, forgive me for looking for and trusting in people and things to do what you are meant to do. There are so many things in my life that have been delayed because I have been in denial about my dependence on creation and not You, my Creator. Lord, I lay myself at your mercy and your creative power and I ask you to make me whole. Help me to trust you with everything. Allow me to now begin the journey of learning more about Your faithfulness that I may never again look for human beings to do that which is meant to be done my divine hands. In Jesus name, Amen.

Living in What You Say-Youth Summer Bible Study #2

Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof

- Proverbs 18:21

Also see:

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh

- Matthew 12:34b

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart and they defile the man

-Matthew 15:18

Have you ever sat in a room with a friend and suddenly someone you don’t like or someone you have a problem with comes into the room and you feel differently now that you see them and now that you are around them? You were just telling your friend how you don’t like this and that about the person and how they made you feel and what you would do or say to them if you saw them and then they popped right up. Now your mood changes and now you’re frustrated, mad or sad.

There are times when great teams lose games they could have won. One of the reasons why I believe that Pau Gasol wasn’t able to perform at his highest level in the 2011 NBA Finals is because of how he spoke about the game, the Dallas Mavericks and especially his opponent Dirk Nowitzki. Pau Gasol is an excellent player, but when matched up against Dirk Nowtizki and the Dallas Mavericks his swag and confidence was on ZERO! Interestingly enough, I heard an interview where he spoke extremely highly of Dirk Nowtizki which is okay to do once the battle is over. He gave a lot of credit to Dirk Nowtizki as if he couldn’t be stopped before the series was even over and he played out the very thing he spoke, thus losing the championship.

SO what’s your point Rev. Max!?

The Bible says that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” We really don’t understand that we create and destroy things with our mouths. We are created in the image and likeness of God and we have been given the power of God from God through the Holy Spirit to have dominion and authority on earth giving life or summoning death to a thing or idea. Don’t you remember in Genesis, God caused life to exist by words? God has given us that same power residing in our own mouths and we sometimes misuse that power and authority to sabotage our own lives.

We must realize that we can have happier, more fruitful and loving lives if we change how we talk and what we talk about. Sometimes the defeat we experience is the defeat that we spoke right out of our own mouths. The negativity that we experience is the negativity we spoke concerning the day while we were getting ourselves together in the morning. We sometimes claim that we don’t like certain people and we don’t know why, but could the answer be possibly found in your conversation and thinking about that individual? Why are you depressed? Why do you dislike yourself? If you want to change how you feel about yourself then change the way you think and talk about yourself. We are victims of our own tongues.

If you want to have a different experience in your life, church or even school then change how you talk about those things. You have to stop setting yourself up to walk in awful experiences that come as a result of your words. Like the man in the picture above we live in our words so don’t get stuck in the phone booth of life with bad results that come from what you say. Change your words and you will change your life.

Pray this prayer:

Lord, thank you for the power and authority that you have placed in my mouth. Help me Lord not to sabotage my life with the death that comes from my own mouth. Fill me with Your Word so I may speak Your Word and live in the Life of Your Word. Lord, where I need healing in my life so I can think differently about certain things, please provide the healing so I don’t speak out of my wounds and continue to live an even more pain-filled life. Right now, in the name of Jesus, I speak love, power, joy, peace, kindness, and purpose in my life and I expect change to manifest itself in my life-Amen

Rev. Max



You Have New Strength-2011 Youth Summer Bible Study #1

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” - 1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB

Have you ever said, “I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYONE MORE!!!?” I have you ever felt like what you were facing was more than you could bear by just looking at it or hearing about it? Well I want to encourage you and let you know that when you find yourself facing something a little bigger or more than what you are a custom to, you are not being overtaken, but you are receiving a direct message and revelation from God that you have NEW STRENGTH!

1 Corinthians tells us that God is faithful and when we are going through life and face with temptations and other life challenges God will never tempt us with more than we can bear. It may seem extremely challenging and unbearable, but if you know that God is faithful then you know that you can overcome!

You may say, “Well, that’s not true, I have been through something recently and it was too much to say no to or deal with in the right way.” I will tell you that God knows you better than you know yourself and God’s word is true. “So why did I go through it and why did it overtake me?” I’m glad you asked!

You have to realize that God is consistently faithful. God is not about games or tricks. He has blessed you with the ability to overcome. God is not going to tell you that He has put a certain amount of weight on the bar and then make you lift it to make you fail. No! God doesn’t work like that. You must not panic and give in. You must be faithful to fight as God is faithful to provide strength and a way of escape.

I hear you REVIE REV, but still, why does God allow this!!!?

Listen, if you are experiencing new weight-greater temptations, challenges, and obstacles and you know that God is faithful and true saying He will never give you more than you can bear then that means this new challenge, temptation and /or obstacle is a revelation of your NEW STRENGTH!

God knows His children. God knows what you can take and not take. God knows what you need to bring out the best you that He placed in you Himself. So look at your week. Think about your life. Think about the various challenges you have ahead of you. Does it appear to be a little more than what you are used to??? Well, CONGRATULATIONS! You just moved up another weight class!

God doesn’t want us to stay the same way. You should always expect growth and with growth comes greater challenges. So whatever you are facing you can make it! Whatever you are going through, you are already showing growth by just the mere fact that you are going “through”! If you find yourself stuck in a certain place in life, continue in the strength of the Lord because He is only furthering your spiritual development by requiring more reps than usual. You have NEW STRENGTH!

Pray this prayer:

Lord, I thank you for being faithful. Thank you for knowing me the way you do and for being the best steward over my life. Lord, I trust you with my life and I know you will never give me more than I can bear. Help me to see my new strength that you have given me. Help me to operate in my new strength so I can give you more glory. Teach me Lord to remember that you expect me to grow and with growth come challenges and with challenges it produces more growth. Thank you Lord for all you have done for me and being a keeper and sustainer in my life. Amen!

Tell me about the new challenges you have recently faced. Tell me how this indicates that you have new strength. How is this different from your past challenges? What growth do you see from previous challenges from the ones you presently face by looking at how you want to deal with them now? Post your comments; send an email, or send a message to my Facebook inbox. God Bless!

Rev. Max




"STOP LIVING IN REARVIEW!"

Kingdom Greetings Believers!

I am so excited about this year’s Youth Day! Through numerous discussions with some of our youth and with much prayer and guidance from the Lord, our theme this year is: “Stop Living in Rearview!”

This theme has been lifted out of the soil of the Old Testament rooted in Isaiah 43:18-19. The New American Standard Bible Version reads, “Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it?” But I also like Eugene Peterson’s Message Version which says, “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?” God is telling us “Stop Living in Rearview!”

Here is a picture of the vantage point from the driver’s seat. The driver has a small rearview mirror which shows him or her things that are behind them; things related to what they have already passed. Then there is a big window that allows the driver to see what is in the road that lies before them, places they can go, people they can meet and various experiences they could have.

Our lives are something like that, individually and as a ministry. God has a window of great opportunity for us while we do have a rearview mirror a past! But the most interesting thing believers, is that the creator of this structure and our life structure is our rearview (our past) is not bigger than the window to the road of opportunity. What we allow sometimes in our own individual lives and as a ministry is we live (drive) life (the road) through the rearview instead of looking through the window of opportunity and instead of properly encountering (pulling up to) opportunity, we miss and/or crash into opportunity.

Just imagine someone driving through life through the rearview? Would you ride with someone like that? Could they even make it down the street or get out the parking lot without some type of damage to themselves or someone else?

The “rearview” concept could be understood as being stuck in the past and it could be good or bad. It is a place or state of being. It’s being psychologically, emotionally, spiritually or even physically stuck in previous relationships, past issues, past pains or hurts, past successes, past failures, and past thoughts. An individual can’t enjoy new relationships or new opportunities because they remember what happened in the past; they measure and encounter everything by the past, which limits their life experiences even in ministry.

While we can learn from our past, God has uniquely designed our lives to be motivated, led and governed by proper forward VISION! It is the “already, but not yet” of God; the promises of God! Like driving you are not motivated by things in the rearview. You are motivated to move forward by the things you see (vision) in front of you. God places opportunities, promises, dreams and a purpose in front of you to pursue.

So many youth, adults and ministries find themselves in God’s collision center because we fail to keep our eyes (hearts, minds and spirits) open to the “new thing”, the road ahead that God has for us! We can have better grades if we stop thinking about last semester or quarter grades. We can have better relationships if we stop dealing with new prospects as if they were the other guy or girl. We can have evolving, relevant, creative, spirit filled, life transforming, and unpredictable ministry if we forgive, and work together; stay open to God’s new thing, stop worrying about who is here or not or how someone did what when they were a part of the ministry.

God is calling our youth and maybe our church to “Stop Living in the Rearview!” God has wonderful opportunities for us, but we can no longer allow a small mirror limit great opportunity. Life and ministry is about living things not dead things (the past). Our challenge in June is to “Stop Living in the Rearview” and let’s move forward in our personal lives and as a ministry and be all that God has called us to be. We can no longer speak about the possibilities of our lives and ministry based upon the rearview mirror. The Bible says, there is life and death in the power of the tongue. Sometimes we experience more of the death we speak than the death that is really in something or associated with someone. Sometimes we experience more of the negative in our lives and ministry that we have spoken through the misuse of the power God placed in our tongues than the real challenges that is in our lives and associated with ministry. “Stop Living in Rearview” and start speaking, expecting and seeking what thus saith the Lord!

That is the grace in the text, “Forget” and don’t ponder “the past” but God says, “BEHOLD! I am going to do something new!” God acknowledges that there is a past, but is motivating us not to live in the past. God is showing us that there is always something greater for us beyond what we have already experienced. Don’t let success limit the possibility of greater achievement. Don’t let past hurts detour you from available healing. We can’t move forward in our personal lives living in the rearview and we can’t lead our ministries with “rearview vision.” In the words of DeWayne Woods, we have to “Let Go and Let God!”

“Stop Living in Rearview!”

Rev. Maurice Maxwell

FBCV Youth Minister