#Matthew 11:25

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Secrets Hidden from the Wise

At that time Jesus answered and said, I praise thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and understanding and hast revealed them unto children. — Matthew 11:25 | Jubilee 2000 Bible (JUB) Jubilee Bible 2000 Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International. Cross References: Job 37:24; Psalm 8:2; Matthew 21:16; Luke 10:21-22; Luke 22:42; Luke 23:34

[mindfulldsliving]

Recognizing Signs of Personal Revelation in Recovery

Recognizing personal revelation involves understanding its signs. Key indicators include feelings of peace, sudden clarity, and persistent nudging. These signs help individuals confirm they are on the right path, even when doubt arises.

Understanding Personal Revelation: A Guide for Spiritual Growth in Sobriety Understanding personal revelation is crucial for spiritual growth, especially during recovery from addiction. It provides insights and guidance that help navigate life’s challenges. Personal revelation acts as a compass, aligning individuals with their higher purpose and deepening their connection to God. Biblical…

[coptorthodox]

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Matthew 11:25

[loveerran]

Come, all ye that are heavy laden

One of the things that has really stood out to me the last few weeks is that Jesus and the gospel are for everyone. I recently attended church in a ward where most of the attendees are or were incarcerated. Almost all had been excommunicated and were no longer even members of the church. But still they came, and the spirit was there and it felt raw and real and relevant.

In a ward where most people aren’t members, adjustments have to be made. A way is found to help people who are under armed guard feel welcome. Service opportunities and assignments for them and their loved ones are made available. They are specifically welcomed and encouraged in their spiritual journey toward God, regardless of where on the path they may be at the moment. There is an understanding that the need for healing is real.

I imagine this ward exists, at least in in part, to provide a socially and spiritually safe and encouraging environment for those who might be ostracized in a typical family ward because of their history and non-conformity. I am glad the church is seizing the opportunity to minister to these men, extending love, kindness and compassion in a sensitive and caring way to them and their families. I am truly heartened to see how traditional ward structures are stretched and modified to accommodate them and make things work, to meet the needs of the moment and the individual - despite circumstances that might cause others to recoil or cross to the other side of the road and pass them by.

I appreciate how clear it was that those men are specifically invited, despite their past deeds, any feelings they may have about where they are in life, or the internal and external shame that they may feel. They are told repeatedly that Jesus wants them and that their ward family wants them too. That is real Christianity.

Love, Erran

[disneynerdpumpkin]

~ Scriptures about forgiveness ~

Matthew 6:15 "But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Colossians 3:13 "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

Daniel 9:9 "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him."

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Proverbs 10:12 "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses."

Micah 7:18 "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love."

Mark 11:25 "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

Luke 17:3-4 "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him."

Luke 6:37 "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:"

Matthew 6:14 "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:"

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Isaiah 1:8 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

James 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

[walkswithmyfather]

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” —James 1:22‭-‬25 (NLT)

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” —Matthew 24:35 (NIV)

“But Jesus said, “The people who hear the teaching of God and obey it—they are the ones who have God’s blessing.” —Luke 11:28 (ERV)

“But He said, “On the contrary, blessed (happy, favored by God) are those who hear the word of God and continually observe it.” —Luke 11:28 (AMP)

“How To Study The Bible” (Foundations) Devotional By Faithspring.

Day 5 - “Great Bible Study is Transformative:”

“Those who are willing to be vulnerable move among mysteries.” – Theodore Roethke

“Imagine walking into a doctor’s office because you’re feeling sick but instead of the thermometer being used the way it’s supposed to be (by placing it in your mouth, ear, or on your forehead), it is placed in your hand. Then after a few seconds, the nurse picks it up tells you your temperature looks fine.

How would you respond? Of course it looks fine, you didn't use it the right way.

In that setting, used in that way, the best the thermometer could do was read the temperature of the room around it. It’s not that the thermometer itself was broken or ineffective. It just wasn’t being used correctly.

In the same way, when we keep the Bible at arm’s length we miss out on the profound power, truth, and life waiting to be accessed. The Bible is one of the primary ways God chose to reveal himself to us. If we want to have, be, and do everything God intended it all starts with approaching the Bible with the right tools and intentions in place.

For my own Christian walk, these are the seven pillars of effective (and transformative) Bible study:

Understanding context.

Building a habit.

Practicing memorization.

Using the right tools.

Learning in community.

Integrating prayer.

Pursuing vulnerability.

Your own walk may incorporate more, but certainly no less than these seven. They have helped me grow beyond what I thought possible and I believe they can do the same for you.

I hope and pray that you learn to love God’s Word with a ferocious passion. And finally, that it will truly become a lamp unto your feet and a light upon your path.”

[jaguar726]

No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son

Daily Gospel Reading – Matthew 11:25-27 The Father Revealed in the Son25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the…

[bojackson54]

If Jesus Came Back Today, What Would He Say to America?

He wasn’t who they expected him to be. He said things they didn’t expect him to say. In a dramatic passage from the Book of Revelation, John described Jesus as the Alpha and Omega and the King of Kings; but let’s not forget that he had a very different role when he first came to earth. Isaiah 53 portrays a man who was rejected and spurned by the very people he came to save. While he was here on…

[ancientcatbuddy]

[doulafaith]

Lord, Don't Give Up on Me

Context: Psalm 119: 1-176 Focus: Psalm 119: 1-8 “I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!” Psalm 119:8 NLT (my emphasis) Those who follow the instructions of the Lord are blessed with the joy of His presence. Those who seek Him with all their hearts will find Him.  They do not compromise with evil but walk His path of righteousness.  You commanded us to keep Your law and our desire…

[touchofgoddotworld]

Looking at the End Times (Part 4) (205) - August 5 2023

Click here for this week’s Teaching In these times are you a fan of Jesus, wearing the t-shirt, having bought the book and speaking Christian words? Are you following someone else who is following Him? Or are you a disciple of Christ, in right relationship with God and working the harvest? It’s never too late to grow and learn, so that you will not hear, ‘I never knew you’, ‘depart from me’,…

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Music For the Soul

by Alexander MacLaren

Hidden From The Wise and Prudent

"I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes." - Matthew 11:25-26

There is no royal road into the sweetness and the depth of Christ’s love for the wise or the prudent. The understanding is no more the organ for apprehending the love of Christ than is the ear the organ for perceiving light, or the heart the organ for learning mathematics. Blessed be God! The highest gifts are not bestowed upon the clever people, on the men of genius and the gifted ones, on the cultivated and the refined, - but they are open for all men; and when we say that love is the parent of knowledge, and that the condition of knowing the depths of Christ’s heart is simple love, which is the child of faith, we are only saying in other words what the Master embodied in His thanksgiving prayer, "I thank Thee, Father! Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."

And that is so, not because Christianity, being a foolish system, can only address itself to fools; not because Christianity, contradicting wisdom, cannot expect to be received by the wise and the cultured, - but because a man’s brains have as little to do with his acceptance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a man’s eyes have to do with his capacity of hearing a voice. Therefore, seeing that the wise and prudent, and the cultured, and the clever, and the men of genius are always the minority of the race, let us vulgar folk, that are neither wise, nor clever, nor cultured, nor geniuses, be thankful that that has nothing to do with our power of knowing and possessing the best wisdom and the highest treasures; but that upon this path the wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err, and all narrow foreheads and limited understandings, and poor, simple, uneducated people, as well as philosophers and geniuses, have to learn of their hearts and not of their heads, and, by a sense of need and a humble trust and a daily experience, have to appropriate and suck out the blessings that lie in the love of Jesus Christ. Blessed be His name! The end of all aristocracies of culture and superciliousness of intellect lies in that great truth, that we possess the deepest knowledge and the highest wisdom when we love and by our love.

There is no true wisdom which does not rest calmly upon a basis of truthfulness of heart, and is not guarded and nurtured by righteousness and purity of life. Man is one - one and indissoluble. The intellect and the conscience are but two names for diverse parts of the one human being, or rather they are but two names for diverse workings of one immortal soul. And though it be possible that a man may be enriched with all earthly knowledge, whilst his heart is the dwelling-place of all corruption; and that, on the other hand, a man may be pure and upright in heart, whilst his head is very poorly furnished and his understanding very weak - yet these exceptional cases do not touch the great central truth, " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding."

[martyschoenleber]

A Saturday Meditation Between Horror and Glory

Mis-named or Perfectly Named? Yesterday, in the mis-named/perfectly named, Good Friday, we reminded ourselves of the price of our redemption. Today we remind ourselves of the utter loneliness and suffering of the early disciples. On Saturday, their vision of the greatness of the sacrifice was obscured by the pain of their loss, and un-ameliorated by the glory of what would happen on Sunday…

[macrolit]

The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.

As voted on by 503 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers — with a little help from the staff of The New York Times Book Review.

NYT Article.

*************

Q: How many of the 100 have you read? Q: Which ones did you love/hate? Q: What's missing?

Here's the full list.

100. Tree of Smoke, Denis Johnson 99. How to Be Both, Ali Smith 98. Bel Canto, Ann Patchett 97. Men We Reaped, Jesmyn Ward 96. Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments, Saidiya Hartman 95. Bring Up the Bodies, Hilary Mantel 94. On Beauty, Zadie Smith 93. Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel 92. The Days of Abandonment, Elena Ferrante 91. The Human Stain, Philip Roth 90. The Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen 89. The Return, Hisham Matar 88. The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis 87. Detransition, Baby, Torrey Peters 86. Frederick Douglass, David W. Blight 85. Pastoralia, George Saunders 84. The Emperor of All Maladies, Siddhartha Mukherjee 83. When We Cease to Understand the World, Benjamin Labutat 82. Hurricane Season, Fernanda Melchor 81. Pulphead, John Jeremiah Sullivan 80. The Story of the Lost Child, Elena Ferrante 79. A Manual for Cleaning Women, Lucia Berlin 78. Septology, Jon Fosse 77. An American Marriage, Tayari Jones 76. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin 75. Exit West, Mohsin Hamid 74. Olive Kitteridge, Elizabeth Strout 73. The Passage of Power, Robert Caro 72. Secondhand Time, Svetlana Alexievich 71. The Copenhagen Trilogy, Tove Ditlevsen 70. All Aunt Hagar's Children, Edward P. Jones 69. The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander 68. The Friend, Sigrid Nunez 67. Far From the Tree, Andrew Solomon 66. We the Animals, Justin Torres 65. The Plot Against America, Philip Roth 64. The Great Believers, Rebecca Makkai 63. Veronica, Mary Gaitskill 62. 10:04, Ben Lerner 61. Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver 60. Heavy, Kiese Laymon 59. Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides 58. Stay True, Hua Hsu 57. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich 56. The Flamethrowers, Rachel Kushner 55. The Looming Tower, Lawrence Wright 54. Tenth of December, George Saunders 53. Runaway, Alice Munro 52. Train Dreams, Denis Johnson 51. Life After Life, Kate Atkinson 50. Trust, Hernan Diaz 49. The Vegetarian, Han Kang 48. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi 47. A Mercy, Toni Morrison 46. The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt 45. The Argonauts, Maggie Nelson 44. The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin 43. Postwar, Tony Judt 42. A Brief History of Seven Killings, Marlon James 41. Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan 40. H Is for Hawk, Helen Macdonald 39. A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan 38. The Savage Detectives, Roberto Balano 37. The Years, Annie Ernaux 36. Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates 35. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel 34. Citizen, Claudia Rankine 33. Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward 32. The Lines of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst 31. White Teeth, Zadie Smith 30. Sing, Unburied, Sing, Jesmyn Ward 29. The Last Samurai, Helen DeWitt 28. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell 27. Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 26. Atonement, Ian McEwan 25. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc 24. The Overstory, Richard Powers 23. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, Alice Munro 22. Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo 21. Evicted, Matthew Desmond 20. Erasure, Percival Everett 19. Say Nothing, Patrick Radden Keefe 18. Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders 17. The Sellout, Paul Beatty 16. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon 15. Pachinko, Min Jin Lee 14. Outline, Rachel Cusk 13. The Road, Cormac McCarthy 12. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion 11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz 10. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson 9. Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro 8. Austerlitz, W.G. Sebald 7. The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead 6. 2666, Roberto Bolano 5. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen 4. The Known World, Edward P. Jones 3. Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel 2. The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson 1. My Brilliant Friend, Elena Ferrante

[ilyrafe]

after seeing so much one direction content these past couple of days, it got me thinking. one direction really was the last boyband to ever happen. no one will ever come close to what they did in only six years. it’s a once in a generation kind of thing to happen. they didn’t even win the x factor and ended up being the show’s biggest act, 14 years later.

yes, they were manufactured, but at the same time, they were the least manufactured band to ever exist in recent times. they didn’t dance, they weren’t actually meant to be a band, they got everything they had because of charisma and talent. these boys were so talented and charismatic. they didn’t really dress the same, they were working class teenagers with a dream and they did it. and it was beautiful.

after seeing their statements, it’s finally downing on me that one direction is really over and i will never see all five of them together again. 11 year old me is absolutely devastated, and so is 24, almost 25 year old me.

the fangirl in me never went anywhere, it turns out. i still have my 1d concert tickets (the only one i went to and zayn was still in the band!), my albums and dvds, books, theater tickets and every once in a while i would take them out of the box and reminisce of the good old days, never thinking i would mourn one of them so soon. i genuinely thought i would be way older when they would go.

i can’t help but feel so sad that liam’s last years were so erratic and horrible. he was hurting deeply and he deeply hurt other people, and there is no excuse for what he did. i mourn what he once was, what he could have been and how it all ended up being. i take maya’s allegations seriously and i encourage you to do the same. what she is going through right now is impossible to imagine.

for those saying they’re glad “an abuser died”, think about what you’re saying. his death helps no one. his victims will never get justice, he will not take accountability for his actions. no one will ever get closure.

for those saying they feel bad for hating or mocking him, you really should. he was called an opportunist for showing up at the boys’ concerts and yet, when harry would do it, everyone loved it.

liam wasn’t perfect, he fucked up a lot, but like anyone, he had the right to, at the very least, apologize. 31 is too young, and no one deserves to go like this.

all i think about is his little son, who will grow up without his dad. no kid should ever lose their parent, especially at such an young age. the fact that he never once exposed his son to the media (like many celebrities do) to protect his privacy tells me that he loved his boy and knew all too well the damage this exposure would cause.

i saw that some 1d songs are trending again, and as much as i would love to take the day to listen to them, it is too soon. i haven’t been able to watch friends since matthew perry died, haven’t been able to watch brooklyn 99 since andre bragher died and will not be able to listen to 1d for a while.

it’s too soon.

call me dramatic, i don’t really care. the most magical part of my adolescence has ended tragically and i am really at a loss.

for those who are conflicted as i am, take your time. it is okay to be sad he’s gone and, at the same time, feel disappointed or even angry. it is okay to mourn and, at the same time, support maya.

edit: i would also like to express my support to his parents, sisters, cheryl, kate and friends.

[walkswithmyfather]

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” —Romans 12:1-2 (NASB1995)

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” —Matthew 16:25 (NASB1995)

“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” —Psalm 16:11 (NASB1995)

“The Blessing of Sacrifice” By In Touch Ministries:

“Though it may be difficult, we are called to follow Jesus' example and surrender everything to God.”

“In the Old Testament, sacrifice was a means of atonement. When a person sinned, he or she brought an animal to the altar, and through its death, reconciliation was accomplished. What, then, does today’s passage mean when Paul urges believers to “present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice” (v. 1)?

Thankfully, there is no need for our blood to be shed; Jesus took care of that when He died on the cross for our sins. Instead, what Paul means is that our lives should be surrendered to the Lord. A surrendered life involves commitment. It’s a decision to defer to God’s will and His Holy Spirit instead of following our own preferences. Every aspect of our being—body, soul, and spirit—is to be a living sacrifice. 

Though this may sound dreary, true freedom and joy are found when we yield to Christ. The Lord promised His followers that abundant life comes from losing ourselves in Him (Matthew 16:25). Psalm 16:11 says it best: “In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”  

Becoming a living sacrifice sounds like a tall order—and it is. But it’s a call we face with Jesus by our side. Remember: He is our constant companion and wants to help us.”