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Thanks for visiting my diary. I've been journaling since 1984 and have chosen to share some of my entries online. They are not all positive thoughts, but I hope that reading them might be a blessing to someone who needs encouragement.
If you are just coming to my diary for the first time, please read my introductory entry, where I share some background that is important if you plan to follow this diary regularly.
Please also visit my music page, where you can hear samples from my debut CD, I Believe, which features songs written based on experiences shared in this journal.
Each Gospel is a story, a witness to the acts of God. What is my story?
The four Gospels present accounts of people's experiences with Jesus. The Bible doesn't contradict itself. It tells one story, showing the way to life now and forever. The Gospels tell who he is, what he did, and what he will do. They are like portraits painted by different people. Synoptic Gospels are "similar". In John we hear Jesus speak, see him act, and see people respond.
Mark is like a diary for a trip and written for a Roman audience. Luke wrote for the cultured, so we would see Jesus presented as the perfect son of man. John wrote to bring people to faith so that they might have life. Matthew presents Jesus as Messiah, king.
We often read Scripture selfishly. That's not seeking His face. How do I respond to God? Sing, weep, kneel, pray, serve, testify...
Matthew was Jewish and a tax collector, considered a traitor and a thief. He lived in Capernaum, where Jesus was rejected. Matthews' home was the location of a dinner with sinners and tax collectors.
Matthew was familiar with the Old Testament and wanted people to know how Jesus fulfilled prophecy and how to get into the kingdom. He builds a bridge between the OT and NT, presents a biography, and presents the church as one body (JEWS and Greeks).
Matthew focuses on the teaching of Jesus about the kingdom of heaven. The church is the group of people who open their hearts. Jesus would not discriminate, and truth would go to Gentiles when Jews rejected it.
Matthew tells the story of Jesus because his life was changed when he opened his heart to him. Change me from being a something collector to a truth sharer.
I am a member of Lighted Path, a directory of Christian diaries.
Read my profile. This is not a comprehensive introduction, but there is some fun information there.
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http://www.growingstrong.org
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