Faith Ventures

In Matthew 26:6-13, there's a story about Jesus being in a town called Bethany. While he's there, a woman comes to him with an expensive jar of perfume. She pours the perfume on Jesus' head as a way of showing him honor and love. Some people who are there watching get upset because they think the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor instead. But Jesus tells them to leave the woman alone, saying that what she did was a beautiful thing. He explains that she's preparing him for his burial, showing her deep love and understanding of what is to come. Jesus says that wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what this woman has done will be remembered and honored. So, this story teaches us about the importance of showing love and devotion to Jesus, even in simple acts, and how Jesus values heartfelt gestures of love and sacrifice.

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Third Temptation: Bowing to Satan for Kingdoms

In the third temptation, Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus bows down and worships him. It's like a big temptation to take a shortcut to ruling everything without going through the hard work. But Jesus says a firm "No"
He knows only God deserves worship, not Satan. So, he sticks to what's right and refuses to give in to the tempting offer.

Second Temptation: Jumping from the Temple

In the second temptation, Satan takes Jesus to the top of a tall building and says, "Jump off! God will save you!" Satan wants Jesus to show off his powers and prove he's the Son of God. But Jesus doesn't fall for it. He knows it's wrong to test God like that. So, he denies him once more, showing he trusts God's plan without needing to do prove anything.

First Temptation : Turning Stones into Bread

In the first temptation, Satan comes to Jesus while he's in the wilderness and suggests turning stones into bread to end his hunger. It's like offering a quick fix for Jesus' empty stomach after fasting for 40 days. But Jesus denies his offer. He tells Satan that people need more than just food to live, that they need God's word more than anything. Jesus shows he cares more about spiritual things than just satisfying his flesh.

Matthew 16: 13-20
Peters declaration about Jesus that he is the Messiah
Jesus asked his disciples Who do "people" say the Son of man is ?
They answered some say John the Baptist,some Elijah, some Jeremiah or some other prophet.
And then Jesus asked Who do "you" say I am?
Peter said Your are the Messiah, the son of the living God.

Jesus was happy to hear these words professed by Peter and declared it was only God's spirit that revealed this to him. This is when he gives him the keys of heaven.

Who is Jesus to you ?
A father ? A friend who you can lean on ?
Your defendor ? Saviour ?

John 14 15-17 The promise of the Holy Spirit

If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him

Matthew 25: 1-13
Parable of the ten girls
Ten virgins took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps and were ready when the bridegroom arrived.

Jesus wanted his disciples as well as us to be ready, spiritually prepared, for the coming wait, but excited for the promise of His return. He then tells the Parable of the 10 Virgins to illustrate what the ready will look like, as well as what the unready will look like.

Luke 18: 1-8 Parable of the widow and the judge
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, `Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, `Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

Persist in your prayer, he will reward your faith !

John 11 38 -44 Lazarus is bought to life
Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth.
Jesus restores life to a man who has been dead for four days.
Is there anything he cannot do ?
"Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
Dare to believe in middle of your storm.

Luke 17: 11-19 Jesus heals ten men
but only one of those who were healed returned to give thanks to Jesus.

Jesus asked, 'Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this one man.

To glorify God is to extol His attributes and His actions. It is to exalt Him, to let others know how great he is which he truly deserves

Luke 19: 11-27 Parable of the gold coins
Jesus expects us to use the gifts that he has entrusted to us to produce results for the Kingdom of God. We cannot keep our "gold coin" hidden underground or in a handkerchief out of fear or laziness. Instead, the more we use our gifts for the kingdom of God, the more our blessings will multiply.

Matthew 21 : 28-32 Parable of the two sons

Jesus tells a story about two sons
Jesus said to the Jewish leaders, ‘Tell me what you think about this story. A man had two sons. He went to the older son and said, “Son, go and work in my field today.”
The older son replied, “I do not want to go and work there today.” But after he had said that, he did go and work in the field.
The man went to his other son and he said the same thing to him. The second son replied, “Yes, father, I will go.” But then he did not go to work in the field.
Tell me, which of the man's sons did what his father wanted?’
The Jewish leaders replied, ‘The older son did what his father wanted.’
Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you this: The men who take taxes from people are going into the kingdom of God before you. It is the same with prostitutes. They also are going into the kingdom of God before you

Like the first son, those who reject God at first but then turn around and obey will enter the kingdom. And they will enter before those, like the second son, who say yes but disobey God who unless they repent, won't be allowed in at all.

Mark 12: 41-44 The widows offering
And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

Jesus affirms the widow's giving not because it is generous, but because she does not give out of her abundance, rather out of her poverty she gives all she has to live on.

Beatitudes

The Latin word beatus, which meaning "blessed" or "happy," is where this title originates. The first line of every Beatitude refers to individuals who are blessed in relation to a particular action or mindset. In Jesus' discourse, the concept of being "blessed" does not always imply happiness. Instead, it is appreciating what in a person's life is genuinely positive and the reason why.

Matthew 19:13–15 describes Jesus overruling the disciples when they rebuke people bringing children to Jesus. They want Jesus to lay hands on the children and pray for them. Jesus tells the disciples not to stand in the way of the little children because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like them.

Having faith like a child requires putting aside our will. This way our opinions and misconceptions do not get in the way of trusting Christ wholeheartedly.

Matthew 7: 1-5 Judging others
We are called to examine our own conduct and ourselves (seeing if we have a plank in our eye when others simply have a speck). We should
complete our own introspection in order to " see clearly".

Matthew 7:7 -12 Ask Seek Knock
He commands us in Matthew 7 to do more than just hear the message; we are to put it into practice. The idea that God the father desires to provide for his children is emphasized. As such, we ought to ask him for what we require in addition to listening to what he has to say.

Jesus instructs his disciples to confidently ask God for what they require. He compares God like a loving father who is anxious to provide for his kids. In his opinion, he will best grant our request. God responds to prayers in three different ways: "Yes," "No," and "Wait" as he alone truly knows what is best for us and see a bigger picture, Trust him 🙏

Matthew 22 1-14 Parable of the wedding feast
A king, who wanted to give a big wedding banquet for his son, invited guests who did not arrive.

He sent his servants back to all others and invite them. Sure enough, common folk poured into the palace to celebrate the feast.
The king saw one without a wedding garment and questioned him to which he remained quiet and the king had him thrown out.

The banquet represents the free gift of salvation, made available to all of us. The invitation to the banquet is for all people on earth. But many of us make excuses.
When we accept the invitation from God, heed the message of his servants, we respond with obedience to the will of the Father in heaven. To do so is to clothe ourselves with righteousness which is the appropriate attire for the things to which we have been called by God.

Matthew 13: 33 Parable of the yeast

Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to yeast that is used to leaven a whole batch of dough. Similar to this, when the kingdom of God is established into the earth, everything is impacted to the point where it transforms into something entirely different from what it was before.

Matthew 22: 34- 40 The great commandment
Seeking to test the Savior, one of the Pharisees asked which commandment in the law was greatest. In response, the Savior taught that the first commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and that the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves.

The principle of the Cross is drawn to this greatest commandment. To love not only God by surrendering every aspect of our lives to Him but also by loving others as much as love ourselves.