“How long shall I put up with you?” Matthew 17: 17
Jesus face shown like the sun. His clothes became as white as light. Matthew 17: 2
“Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Adam has been raised from the dead.” Matthew 17:9
“You have so little faith.” Matthew 17:20
“Nothing will be impossible for you if you have faith.” Matthew 17:20
“From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes? Their own sons or from others?” Matthew 17:25
“A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Matthew 16:4
“Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matthew Chapter 16:11
The disciples understood that Jesus spoke against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matthew Chapter 16:11
“Your Father in heaven will give you the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13
“This was revealed to you by my Father in heaven.” Matthew Chapter 16:17
“On this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matthew Chapter 16:18
“Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew Chapter 16:19
He warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. Matthew Chapter 16:20
“The Son of Adam is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels. Then he will reveal each person according to what he has done.” Matthew Chapter 16:27
“You will nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.” Matthew 15:6
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain. Their teachings are but rules taught by men.” Matthew Chapter 15:8-9
“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.” Matthew Chapter 15
“These men are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man both will fall into a pit.” Matthew Chapter 15:14
“For out of the heart comes evil thoughts: murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These make a man ‘unclean.’” Matthew Chapter 15:19
Jesus did not answer the woman a word. Matthew Chapter 15:23
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” Matthew Chapter 15:24
“It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” Matthew Chapter 15:26
When he had given thanks, he broke the bread. Matthew Chapter 15:35
“You have a little faith. Why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31
“It is I. Take me, courage. Don’t be afraid.” Matthew Chapter 14:27
All who touched Jesus were healed. Matthew Chapter 14:35
Jesus looked up to heaven and gave thanks. All were satisfied. Matthew Chapter 14:19-20
Jesus went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Matthew Chapter 14:23
“The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you disciples but not to them.” Matthew 13:11
Them is, “Anyone who hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it. The evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.” Matthew 13:19
Them is, “The man who hears the word – the kingdom message – and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the world, he quickly falls away.” Matthew 13:21
Them is, “The man who hears the word – the kingdom message – but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth chokes it, making that man unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22
“The man who hears and understands the message of the kingdom, produces a crop yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:23
“Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor. They lack faith.” Matthew 13:57-58
“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while he was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.” Matthew 13:25
“Let both grow,” said the owner of the field. “At the harvest,I will tell the harvesters: ‘First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'”Matthew 13:30
“The good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one. The harvest is the end of the age. The harvesters are the angels.” Matthew 13:38-39
“At the end of the age, the Son of Adam will send out his angels. They will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace.” Matthew 13:41-42
“The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Matthew 13:43
“The kingdom of heaven is like a net that caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen sat down and collected the good fish into baskets, but threw the bad fish away. That is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace.” Matthew 13:42-50 (A heavenly fish fry!)
“Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” Matthew 11. 6
“The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it.” Matthew 11. 12
“John is the Elijah who was to come.” Matthew 11. 4
“Wisdom is proved right by her actions.” Matthew 11. 19
“Father, you have hidden these things from the wise and learned.” Matthew 11. 25
Lubber OpinionThe views and opinions expressed by this lubber do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the crew. Reader discretion be advised. – Staff
Question: Why Do Methodist Baptize Infants?
Answer: Great question. According to United Methodist teaching, “any age is appropriate for baptism since all persons stand in need of God’s grace. Infant baptism is a powerful expression of the reality that all persons come before God as no more than helpless infants, unable to do anything to save ourselves, dependent upon the grace of our loving God.”
Article XVII of Methodist Articles of Religion on baptism state:
“Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized; but it is also a sign of regeneration or the new birth. The Baptism of young children is to be retained in the Church.”
It is clear that within current UMC structure Godly parents who wish to “commit” their child to the Lord are encouraged to do so. But how can we know we have received the Holy Spirit? The baptism of Jesus offers one example: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.” As parents do we see evidence of the Holy Spirit in our child’s life?
In most cultures only after an individual reaches the “age of reason” — seven, ten, twelve … twenty — can they appreciate the words of God and become convicted of their sin. Before this moment we are:
“It is by grace you have been saved. This is a gift of God.” Ephesians 2:2-10
For Christ, his adult baptism indicated that he was consecrated and committed to God. An infant is wholly dependent upon others for their care and feeding. If sprinkling water on an infant would save their offspring from hell and a life of sinful behavior, a great many parents of all beliefs, even unbelief, would ask that their child be dipped and flipped for God.
In his baptism Christ was officially approved by God. “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16. As parents did we hear God speaking at our child’s baptism? Will the infant remember God speaking to them?
After the baptism of Jesus the Holy Spirit was seen descending on Jesus. After our baptism of water we should experience the Holy Spirit descending upon and coming to live in us. In fact, receiving the Holy Spirit marks the beginning of our “new birth.” From that moment forward, the spiritual DNA of Christ is transferred into our spirit. This starts our sanctification — a fancy word that means “set apart,” “made holy.” The old body remains, but a new spirit begins to grow within us. The baptism of Jesus as an adult is our example.
Do you know that his Spirit lives within you? “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him [Jesus] ( you, me, and all who receive Christ into themselves). The Spirit of the Lord provides spiritual wisdom and of understanding, counsel and of might, knowledge and fear of the Lord.” – Isaiah 11. This is but one way to know if you have God’s Holy Spirit. Here are other ways to check your spirit and confirm that the Spirit of Christ is working inside you.
Is there any benefit in infant baptism? Perhaps. Probably. But let us also hope that every Christian follow the example of Christ’s disciples who, when told to “wait for his Spirit,” gathered together in worship and became filled with his Spirit and power. In doing so, they taught and preached with authority, healed the sick, raised the dead, and forcefully expanded his kingdom here on earth. May we go and do likewise.