2/10/2012. Heavenly Father: bless is with spiritual understanding and give us the mind to overcome our own inherited nature and the world’s pulls toward it’s god. We ask, we pray in Jesus’ holy name. Amen…………….Could be that Jesus’ students were surprised that He would offend the gentile woman. But understand; Jesus knew of her faith. She was apparently planted by our heavenly Father. We should ask ourselves “has my heavenly Father planted me?” Whether we think individually or as a group, His people are organisms of Himself; branches of the Vine. If He isn’t doing the planting, there is no root. The self righteous Pharisees ask Jesus “why don’t your disciples wash before meals as we do? (Matt15:16-20; And Jesus said, Are you also yet without understanding? Do not you yet understand that whatsoever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness and blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands defiles not a man.))) We are back to the principle, “from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” A person defiles himself by not believing God. If one believes God, they will be careful about what goes in the mind and the belly. The things that go in do come out. When one is of the mind that practicing and not practicing things defiles, they are off base, not understanding “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Our thoughts, deeds and speech all come from our nature “the heart.” Either we have a new nature because of our believing in Him, or we are still catering to the old selfish nature. Without believing in Him, mankind makes his own ethics and thus becomes his own god. Particularly all schools of so called higher learning, have evolved, to the making of their own ethics and most churches follow their lead. God, through Isaiah speaks to us. (Isaiah 5:20-21;“Woe to those who are saying that good is bad and bad is good, those who are putting darkness for light and light for darkness, those who are putting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those wise in their own eyes and discreet even in front of their own faces!”)))) New World Translation) Christ Jesus has the authority to tell us what defiles. Leaning to one’s own understanding, defiles. Wrong speech defiles. Many use this text erroneously to justify eating anything; overlooking the crux of the spiritual lesson. )Matt 15:21-27; Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.  And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, you Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But He answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought Him, saying, send her away; for she cries after us. But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me. But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.))) This Gentile woman was gifted with faith, to know who Christ Jesus was.  “You Son of David,” she said. Who was He sent to? The lost sheep of the house of Israel.   Why was this Gentiles woman referred to in such uncomplimentary terms?  Consider what Paul wrote at Romans 1:19-23; again, “when they knew God, they didn’t acknowledge Him as God.” By and large Gentiles openly worshiped gods of their imagination and as such, were considered heathens. God set aside the Israelites because of His promises to Abraham. It was Abraham that God made awesome promises to regarding his seed. Isaac and then Jacob yielded to the God of Abraham. The Gentile nations yielded to paganism more so, because of their unbelief. God chose Jacob and changed his name to Israel. For the most part, God allowed Satan to spiritually blind the other people groups. BUT, the nation Israel too, always turned to paganism, except when, by His grace God raised up strong leaders. God considered the Israelites’ failure to obey an act of adultery, because He husbanded them. He gave Israel His laws and showed His way of righteousness to them. Other people group individuals who recognized the goodness of God were not excluded. God provided a method by which they could enter in and become an Israelite. Israel’s history and New Testament doctrine is for our learning. The lesson we should learn is that we all need the Shepherd. Thank God we Christians have one; Christ Jesus. . Because of God’s grace and favor toward Israel, they grew to believe that God loved them, only. Therefore so many of them were astonished after that Pentecost when Gentiles too, received the Holy Spirit. (Matt 15:28; Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is your faith: be it unto you even as you wished. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.)))  God gifted this woman with faith to recognize Jesus and His power.  This one came to Him as a child, knowing that she was unworthy. Let us all say it together and mean it - we are unworthy of His grace. (Matt 15:29-31;  And Jesus departed from there, and came near the sea, of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and He healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.))) The populations at large glorified Him, but the leadership rejected Him. Apparently food was the farthest  thing  from these followers minds. They had not had food for three days. (Matt 15:32-39; Then Jesus called His disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.  And His disciples say unto Him, Where should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus said unto them, how many loaves have you? And they said, Seven,  and a few little fish. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and the fish, and gave thanks, and  brake them, and gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. And He sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Mag’a dan.))) The Holy Spirit had bit been gifted to His students at this time, they are trying, but spiritual lessons were not soaking in. I wonder how many of us realize that “unbelief” constitutes a religion. Even Atheism is a religion. . The Gospel is about the Son being manifested as Creator, Sustainer, Life giver, Healer and Heir of all. The Gospel is about the person of Christ Jesus, the Messiah that came to save believers IN. The Gospel is about His coming to save this age from itself. The Gospel is about the throne of David being reestablished and all twelve tribes of Israel being brought back to the promise land. This Good News is about the providences of God unfolding according to His plan.

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