JESUS, the TEACHER (37)

Section Five, 

JESUS

the TEACHER

31. Flying Standby 7/30 32. A Prayer Warrior            8/6 33. Focused on the Father  8/13 34. The One Who Provides 8/20 35. The Treasure Principle  8/27 36. A Marriage Counselor        9/3 37.Can One Become Two?    9/10 38. Love: Can Two Stay One? 9/17 39. The Number One Priority   9/24

Surely, most of us, are familiar with this lesson
but in reverse - that
"two become one"
as used at weddings
from
Genesis 2:24

<>
so this twist in the title of #37 should be interesting
if I was to answer this, it's easy for me to say "yes" without a doubt
but let's look at these scriptures for this week:

Matthew 19:7-12; Matthew 5:31-32; 1 Corinthians 7:10-16; Hebrews 13:4; and Malachi 2:13-16

With last week's
... Marriage Counselor ...
and this week's
I am definitely being taught some very good points
(a little late in my life)
on marriage, divorce & remarriage.
The subtitles/segments of this devotion are:

"A Holy Design"; "One and Done"; "Know the Reason Behind Divorce"; "Understand the Restriction on Divorce"; "Accept the Reality of Divorce"

so the above gives you some idea of the content that
Jesus, the Teacher
is sharing this week through the
"52 Weeks with Jesus"

"Lord, whether I am single or married, give me Your passion for enduring covenant faithfulness and teach me to love like You love."

Marriage is an important "invention" - part of a holy design
but it is LOVE that matters
in all our relationships
RESPECT & LOVE
go together
as we
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
let us prepare ourselves; our hearts & minds as we
REMEMBER
9/11
and the victim's families who still need love & support
Our nation needs to come together again
as we needed in the aftermath of
9/11
more than ever
we need to
reclaim
JESUS
as
LORD
and
the best
TEACHER
of life & love
Remembering that there is freedom and justice for ALL!
but ... we need the lessons that Jesus teaches us and
REMEMBER
the price paid
with
HIS LOVE
John 3:16

JESUS, the TEACHER (36)

Section Five, 

JESUS

the TEACHER

31. Flying Standby 7/30 32. A Prayer Warrior            8/6 33. Focused on the Father  8/13 34. The One Who Provides 8/20 35. The Treasure Principle  8/27 36. A Marriage Counselor   9/3 37.Can One Become Two? 9/10 38. Love: Can Two Stay One? 9/17 39. The Number One Priority   9/24

I definitely need to pay attention in this lesson from
JESUS
Most of my married life of 40+ years
would have benefitted greatly from
A Marriage Counselor
daily and we even made a few attempts
though unsuccessful
I always learned more on marriage
and very thankful for the help:
Christian and others.
JESUS
offers us the best lesson & truths about marriage.
This week, I will gain much counsel from
JESUS
on Marriage & counseling.
Recently I also have greatly benefitted from
Therapy & Theology
with
*Lysa TerKeurst, Dr. Joel Muddamalle & Jim Cress - a licensed professional counselor
<>
Let's begin with this Week's Scriptures:

Matthew 19:1-6; Genesis 2:18-25; Ephesians 5:22-33; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Peter 3:1-7

through these segment/subtitles of this week's devotion

"A Blessed Invention" (marriage) "God's Default Position" "Understand God's Plan for Marriage" "Remember God's Purpose for Marriage" "Commit to God's Permanence for Marriage"

"Lord, as a person who's married (or as one who's single), I give thanks that You are the inventor of and the sustainer of marriage ... "

Since I have little success in this area, I will leave this to *Lysa's team & God's Word,
along with the advice in the words I read from James Merritt this week.

JESUS, the TEACHER (35)

Section Five, 

JESUS

the TEACHER

31. Flying Standby 7/30 32. A Prayer Warrior            8/6 33. Focused on the Father  8/13 34. The One Who Provides 8/20 35. The Treasure Principle  8/27 36. A Marriage Counselor   9/3 37.Can One Become Two? 9/10 38. Love: Can Two Stay One? 9/17 39. The Number One Priority   9/24

<>
There's actually a book with this title by Randy Alcorn.Here is a written summary of his 6 key pointsand a link to Randy Alcorn's 1st video of 3(?)
However, Randy is writing based on the teaching found in
Matthew 6:19-21
and so are

this & the others in this Week's Scriptures:

Matthew 6:19-24; Mark 10:23-27; Luke 18:18-26; 1 Timothy 6:17-19; Luke 6:38

We find ourselves focusing on these segments/subtitles:

"Final Plans" "Master or Be Mastered" "Be Strategic in Where You Put Your Wealth" "Be Wise in How You Perceive Your Wealth" "Be Careful How You Position Your Wealth"

Good points on the lesson of our Wealth
"Jesus doesn't want your money. 
It's already His.
Jesus wants your heart.
But since your heart always {*often} follows your money,
He wants you to surrender your money, your wealth, your stuff to Him.
You will never master your money until Jesus is the master of you."~James Merritt, 52 Weeks with Jesus

"Lord, I confess that all that I have is Yours. Release my grip on all that binds my heart, so that I might be mastered by You alone."

Jesus, You are the treasure I seek and Your principles to guide me!
Thank You for this lesson on wealth & treasures.
<>
In our treasure hunt for much of our life, 
we tend to look for a 'perfect' person,
a 'perfect' place -
Jesus is that person; Heaven is that place.
[this is a rewrite of what Randy Alcorn shares in his introduction, not a direct quote]
but the following is:
"...When you discover the secret Joy of the Treasure Principle,
I guarantee you, you'll never be content with less."~Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle
I pray you encounter the hidden treasure in Jesus Christ!
(and the perfect peace of Jesus)Isaiah 26:3
<><><>


* I think the word here should be 'often' rather than 'always' - hopefully no one always follows their money yet I know there may be some. The word always should not be used that often when it rarely is always. 

JESUS, the TEACHER (34)

Section Five, 

JESUS

the TEACHER

31. Flying Standby 7/30 32. A Prayer Warrior            8/6 33. Focused on the Father  8/13 34. The One Who Provides 8/20 35. The Treasure Principle  8/27 36. A Marriage Counselor   9/3 37.Can One Become Two? 9/10 38. Love: Can Two Stay One? 9/17 39. The Number One Priority   9/24

<>
This lesson seems to continue from #32 & #33 with Prayer to:
"The One who Provides"
Jehovah Jireh

{I love the photo image on that link page!!! Be sure to see it.}
As we continue this week also with the following Scriptures:

Matthew 6:11-13; James 1:12-15; Acts 17:22-25; Psalm 66:16-20; Philippians 4:14-19

{maybe you noticed that we continue in the same passage(s)}
as we lean into listen to Jesus
we read these segments/subtitles on:

... "Learning to Pray" "Ask God to Provide Your Needs" *** "What to Ask For?" "Ask God to Pardon Your Sins" "Ask God to Protect Your Purity"

*** seems like last week, I was not quite right in this regard ***

" ... We have to go to God, acknowledge our needs, and ask God to meet those needs. (as Jehovah Jireh) When you pray, you let God do the fighting. Prayer is not just for defense. Prayer is for offense."

"Lord, don't allow me to walk into a situation that would cause me to sin (do wrong); deliver me from the devil (run, devil, run) and every trap that he would set for me."

So far, our Teacher Jesus, is letting us know just how important it is to PRAY!
My most favorite book (newest from 2023) is 
PRAYERS OF REST
by Asheritah Ciuciu
and I like even more how I can listen and pray along with her on Spotify (there are other options available also to hear her podcast - just follow book link}

I cannot say enough good things about this, more than I highly recommend!!!
It is Excellent! 💗💗💗💗💗Great prayer format, too - withR.E.S.T. Recite God’s goodness, Express our neediness, Seek His stillness, and Trust His faithfulness.

🙌🙏💝
This past week, I'm so thankful for Jesus, our Teacher that I can lean on for better understanding and trust always, even when you meet with unexpected loss of a loved one,God is good and His mercies endure forever.
Our Teacher, not only teaches & shows us how to pray butJesus prays for us when we have no wordsthrough the Holy Spirit.
What a sweet Comforter! What precious Peace!
Thank you for any prayers!

JESUS, the TEACHER (33)

Section Five, 

JESUS

the TEACHER

31. Flying Standby 7/30 32. A Prayer Warrior            8/6 33. Focused on the Father  8/13 34. The One Who Provides 8/20 35. The Treasure Principle  8/27 36. A Marriage Counselor   9/3 37.Can One Become Two? 9/10 38. Love: Can Two Stay One? 9/17 39. The Number One Priority   9/24

<>
Since last week, we focused on being "A Prayer Warrior" -
it makes sense that the lesson for this week with
Jesus, the Teacher
is
"Focused on the Father"
with Jesus teaching us how to pray and where we begin is by where we focus
FIRST
with
OUR FATHER
in these
Scriptures for the Week:

Matthew 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:15-20; James 4:13-17; Romans 15:8-15; Hebrews 10:32-39

with these segments/subtitles giving us the lesson plan

... "How You Should Pray" "Focus on the Father's Worship" "Focus on the Father's Will" "The Best Prayer You Can Pray" "Prayer Changes Things"

so that
the change begins in the one praying
even as we pray

"Lord, quiet the voices in my heart that are all about me. Tip me face toward Yours so that I might greet You with worship, acknowledging who You are."

If I (or you) are truthful, about our prayers (as the one above points out),
we come to the Father for what we need or want or those of others in need.
Even when most of us know the PRAY format of A.C.T.S.
we hardly ever spend the time in
Adoration
or
Confession
some of us have gotten more in to the habit of 
Thankfulness to God
but most of us
skip directly to the final part of
Supplication
for ourselves and others
asking God to Supply our many needs
Of course, God wants to just spend the special time with us and He does care for us
and all of our needs: spiritual, physical, emotional ...
however He does desire our hearts to worship
and come to Him from a penitent place
to focus truly on Who He is
and finding His will.
To seek God first
with all of our
heart
mind
soul
as we
surrender
our will and wants
to
HIS
🙏

To God, the Father
be the glory
now & forever

JESUS, the TEACHER (32)

In Section Five, 

JESUS

the TEACHER

we will be continuing with lessons through these:

31. Flying Standby 7/30 32. A Prayer Warrior          8/6 33. Focused on the Father  8/13 34. The One Who Provides 8/20 35. The Treasure Principle  8/27 36. A Marriage Counselor   9/3 37.Can One Become Two? 9/10 38. Love: Can Two Stay One? 9/17 39. The Number One Priority   9/24

Since last week, JESUS dazzled our minds with the "Flying Standby", 
His teaching this week jumps right into a very necessary lesson 
to be
"A PRAYER WARRIOR"
<>
JESUS
is the best teacher on
Prayer
and
clearly knows much on being a "warrior"
He constantly is fighting for you and me!
He is our Advocate before the Father.

So "simply put, a Prayer Warrior is an advocate, who feels themselves called to the ministry of reconciliation between God and man. The Prayer Warrior's heart is one after God's own heart: selfless, with an ability to look at situations from a place beyond them and truly seek after God's will in them." 4 Prayer Warriors to Emulate... : David, Hannah, Daniel, Jesus - the One who taught us how to pray to the Father ... (Matthew 6) 

Being a Prayer Warrior is one lesson that I keep on learning about and developing in my personal spiritual life & will continue to grow in, I pray for the rest of my life. Being a prayer warrior, one "senses the spiritual battle and intercedes in prayer at the prompting of the Holy Spirit."["How to Know if You are a Prayer Warrior"] and another article "10 Powerful Characteristics of a Prayer Warrior" I found helpful (but there are many available in a simple search of "prayer warrior", I just chose these two. Prayer warriors are needed, especially for our families. In the day in which we live, we need people committed to praying. So we need to pray scriptures, cry out for our nation - our world, and learn how to commit to praying unceasingly. Now is the time. We need to cry out for revival and hearts turned toward God like never before. I'm looking forward to this devotional lesson from Jesus, the Teacher - truly a lesson worth learning!

Scriptures for this week:

Matthew 6:5-8; Romans 8:26-30; James 5:13-18; Psalm 141:1-2; Psalm 4:1-5

as we read the devotional divided into these segments/subtitles:

"Hear Me Now?" "Lesson Worth Learning" "Pray Secretly" "Pray Sincerely" "Pray Specifically"

"... prayer is not primarily about getting things from God; it's about spending time with God."

"Lord, ignite my passion to grow in intimacy with You.💖 This week I bring You my heart. I bring You my love. I bring You my undivided attention."

"Jesus makes the point that
it is not how much You say to God that causes Him to hear your prayer:
but it is how you say what you say that gets His attention."

While I was preparing this blog post, I received an email I signed up to get the ebook download from Proverbs 31 Ministries "50 Biblical Prayers for Hard Moments" [I hope that this link works so if you want, you too can sign up and receive. If not, try their Resource Library.] This is not connected to my 52 Weeks but an additional resource I find helpful to pray for others (and myself). 

YV Plan: "7 Prayers for Ferocious Prayer Warriors"

[and there are many other YV Prayer plans]

JESUS, the TEACHER (31)

In Section Five, 

we meet

JESUS

the TEACHER

I think that JESUS, the Storyteller; and JESUS, Teacher are closely related.

<>

Having been a teacher, I remember when weaving a lesson through storytelling 

seemed to make the lesson more enjoyable for both student and teacher.

That storytelling ability and a song makes the lesson stick a bit better.

This section on JESUS, the Teacher seems to have fallen at just the right time of the year, 

as teachers soon begin their preparation for the next school year, many already have.

There is so much more to take into account being a teacher nowadays

that every minute preparing ahead helps you deal with the extra being required of 

the teachers in our school/education system.

JESUS

is the ultimate example for

the Teacher

but the bar Jesus sets is a pretty high one!

Sadly, far too many teachers (and students) are paying a very high price 

in our schools these days with their very lives, just as Jesus did yet

Jesus sacrificed for an eternal reason.

The loss of teachers and students

is an absolutely senseless loss

without any reason.

This tragedy

in our lifetime has to end now!

It is completely out-of-control - 2023 statistics show us clearly.

This is not why we become teachers, nor why we send our children to school!

I might never have the chance to speak out against this

as I do right now, as I begin with

JESUS, the Teacher

I pray we look closely at the lessons that 

JESUS

teaches and see that

Violence (Gun Violence)

does not fit with any of His Principles, Character or Design

for His Children.

In no way, does any of this violence & hate line up with Scripture!

<><><>

In this section of

JESUS

the TEACHER

there are 9 chapters or weeks: #31-39

31. Flying Standby 7/30 32. A Prayer Warrior            8/6 33. Focused on the Father  8/13 34. The One Who Provides 8/20 35. The Treasure Principle  8/27 36. A Marriage Counselor   9/3 37.Can One Become Two? 9/10 38. Love: Can Two Stay One? 9/17 39. The Number One Priority   9/24

Can you guess what that last one is?
<><><>

In the introduction to JESUS, the Teacher, James Merritt writes:

"Scholars debate almost everything about who Jesus was and what He did. But all agree He was a masterful teacher. He spoke with an understanding of spirituality and philosophical depth that continues to dazzle the minds of the masses. His teaching addresses life's most pressing problems and helps us navigate through them. The trick is to encounter Jesus' familiar phrases & well-trod wisdom with fresh eyes."~James Merritt

I couldn't agree more, plus this is so concise & well said that I decided I needed to share it.

It gives such a good overall view of JESUS, the Teacher!
I can already see some of the lessons that I should have paid better attention to in my life.
Coming to know and relate to JESUS in all of these capacities,
 gives me such a broader view of the JESUS I know & fall more in love with Him
every.single.day
if that's even possible
but doesn't even come close to how much He loves us,
that He would speak to us & cover all these aspects of our lives
in simple yet complex ways,
where we can always learn more and grow more as
He stretches & challenges us as we read & reread His Word given to teach us,
help us, encourage us, motivate us, guide us, transform us ...
What a Teacher! What a Savior!
I'm not one of those scholars,
yet I know a Masterful Teacher when I meet one
or have the privilege to sit under His Teachings & learn.
There are many wonderful teachers,
in fact, each year, in each state, there is a chosen
Teacher of the Year
as well as finalists from which they're chosen, but
JESUS
is the Master
Teacher of Every Year
without a doubt, we have so much to learn from Him!
<>
Here are the Scripture readings for this week:

Matthew 7:1-6; 1 Corinthians 2:14-16; John 12:44-50; Romans 2:1-11; Romans 14:1-12

I'm not too sure what "Flying Standby" is or means for this week?
but I hope to understand after finishing reading 
these subtitles/segments:

"First Impressions"; "To Judge or Not to Judge"; "Eliminate Improper Judgment"; "Participate in Self-Judgment"; "Validate Righteous Judgment"

"Lord, teach me to see myself and others clearly, so that I might be more aware of my own sin and more passionate about Your grace for sinners like me."

Thank You Teacher - I'm ready to sit at Your feet again
for more lessons!

My STORY

JESUS the STORYTELLER
our STORY Teller

 As I finish yet another Section - Four out of Eight; meaning halfway through 52 Weeks with Jesus (devotional book by James Merritt) as I focus on JESUS in 2023; I realize that JESUS is the very BEST STORYTELLER, and there is even a Scripture in Hebrews (12:2) that calls Him, "the Author & Finisher of our faith". Although this verse is not speaking of Jesus, as the actual Author of our story, I do believe that He is ... since "author is an originator or Creator" and that He IS; Jesus is the ultimate Author and that is what He does in each believer's life as we hand our lives over to Him, and we can watch as He pens our story ... page after page, with all kinds of ups and downs, but He definitely is weaving each day or page into the next to create a tapestry of our entire faith journey. It may not be a Parable, yet I can see Jesus, teaching and using each thread to tie together the difference He makes in our lives; the days that He walks through our hard times and then all the beautiful moments He creates in our life. He calls each one of us to share our life with one another and with others that do not yet call Him, Lord and Savior. He wants our Story to make a difference for us and for others. As in the Parables, He wants us to share our common experiences - good and not-so-good - so that our STORY will connect with His Story, bringing us all closer together to understanding, with compassion and caring that unites us rather than divides us. He wants us to learn and grow closer to Him and others through our stories interlocking and changing us for the better. We all have a story to tell!

Surely, if JESUS has and was the STORY TELLER of your STORY, what might He want you to share. I love people who tell or share their STORIES. My father was like that and repeatedly he told and retold his stories of his STORY to anyone that came to visit so I heard them often. Many were his "world world II" stories, POW story and then some were about his amateur boxing days. But he was most often telling his STORY to all. I, too, enjoy story telling but not too often are they the ones from my personal life but rather ones already in a wonderful book. When I was in my high school Drama Class/Club, part of an assignment once was to tell & act out a story. My favorite one was Dr. Seuss' "Horton Hatches the Egg". Right now, this summer, the birds have chosen to build their nests close to our house entrances above the doors - this is not the delight you may think it could be. But back to telling our stories...or better said/written -God's story in our Story. Because HE is and that's the best part.

Years ago, back in 2010, I decided to attempt to put my STORY together as how I saw and understood it at that time. I think that if I wrote a new STORY of my faith journey now, it would hopefully be different and better. Yet I am sharing the links to that attempt to share my STORY

again here - I had just gone through a devastating experience in the last month of 2009, which might have influenced my writing or train of thought as I wrote; a very dear close friend had taken his life and I discovered him. A life shattering experience like that profoundly impacts your heart, soul and mind. It is one of many throughout my life that I know - without Jesus - I would not have made it! Jesus changes everything! And our prayers change everything! So clearly, our STORIES are meant to change and inspire, encourage and impact the lives of those around us. I hope my STORY may help you see how God loves & desires us to be image bearers that bear our stories - one to another; seeing our differences and similarities as we press on and continue to deepen our faith, strengthen our hope and increase our love for one another through Jesus Christ, who took all our stories & brought them to the Cross to redeem and forever change us to be more like Him. May you see Jesus in my STORY!

THIS IS MY STORY... Part I. MAZES... this too is my story...  MESSES... this too is my story... MIRACLES... this TOO is my story THIS IS MY STORY... PART II THIS IS MY STORY... Part III THIS IS MY STORY... Part IV THIS IS MY STORY ... Part V. THIS IS MY STORY... Part VI THIS IS MY STORY... Part VII. END of THIS STORY

If you just go to the Blog Archive (in the right side bar >>>)
and go to the year 2010 to open August you will find all of these blog posts
<><><>
Perhaps if I had found this website "Tell Your Story" I might have had a better STORY of
MY STORY
or more polished if I had followed others I have now found:
"How to Write about Your Life"
"Telling Our Stories"
"Preparing Your Personal Testimony"
{this is more of what I was trying to do}
"5 Simple Steps to Write Your Faith Story"

"Perspectives: On Sharing Our Stories" by Kelly O'Dell Stanley{I received this as an email}
<><><>
What is the best part of your STORY?
every one of us
have a
STORY