Crashing through Barriers

Why do you think Matthew started his Gospel with a boring list of so-and-so begat so-and-so? Consider just the women mentioned in this genealogy. There are four of them before you get to Mary. Matthew introduces their glorious Messiah.. as descending from two harlots, one born out of incest and an adulterous. They are the only four ladies mentioned in the genealogy other than Mary.

He came crashing through the barriers that said, “You have to be born spiritually out of the ‘right kind’ of people.”

And today, he comes crashing through barriers you’ve erected, too. The barriers that place God in a nice comfortable corner where you can keep an eye on him. He breaks down those excuses that say, “God, you can’t use me. You can’t love me. I’m a sinner.”

God built a monument to grace on that genealogy. That’s why you shouldn’t shy away from admitting your past for what it was. It can be a monument to God’s grace in our lives. That’s when God can use us the most- when we realize who we are, where we come from, and how much our lives are dependent on God's grace—on receiving it and giving it to others.

Don’t hide from the past and pretend it didn’t happen. By admitting who we are and acknowledging how God completely changes us, he can bring us further than he could otherwise and use us more.. just like those people in the genealogy.

You stack up a row of harlots and liars and murderers and cheaters, and what do you have? You have Jesus. That’s the way God works.

Stephen Goforth

The Son of David & Abraham

"A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham."

The first verse of the New Testament tells us the baby born in the manger is the son of David who's the son of Abraham.

Now, who exactly was David? From the Old Testament we know that David was an adulterer, murderer, a polygamist, bad father, his hands were so bloody that God wouldn’t let him build the temple. His son Solomon did that. Solomon was a polygamist, a man full of futility and focused on pleasure.

He’s the son of Abraham. From the Old Testament we know that Abraham was a liar who disbelieved God and committed adultery. His son was Issac - a liar and idolater.

David and Abraham. Two sinners who’s seed was the son of God. One fathered the nation of the Messiah. One fathered the royal line.

When people who've done terrible wrong allow themselves to be used by God and take part is His greater plan, amazing things can happen!

Powerful Words

Words have profound suggestive power, and there is healing in the very saying of them. Utter a series of panicky words and your mind will immediately go into a mild state of nervousness. You will perhaps feel a sinking in the pit of your stomach that will affect your entire physical mechanism. If, on the contrary, you speak peaceful, quieting words, you mind will react in a peaceful manner.

Use such a word as “tranquility.” Repeat that word slowly several times. Tranquility is one of the most beautiful and melodic of all English words, and the mere saying of it tends to induce a tranquil state.

Another healing word is “serenity.” Picturize serenity as you say it. Repeat it slowly and in the mood of which the word is a symbol. Words such as these have a healing potency when used in this manner.

It is also helpful to use lines from poetry or passages from the Scriptures. The words of the Bible have a particularly strong therapeutic value. Drop them into your mind, allowing them to “dissolve” in consciousness, and they will spread a healing balm over your entire mental structure. This is one of the simplest processes to perform and also one of the most effective in attaining peace of mind.

Norman Vincent Peale
The Power of Positive Thinking