Self Examination with Matthew 12

Lord, I desire to exhibit good fruit from the overflow of what’s in my heart.

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Matthew 12 is some real estate that we should camp out on for a while.

Lord, I desire to never quench the move of the Holy Spirit. I pray that you reveal to me any area that I’m allowing to be hindered by religiosity or legalism or what man thinks of me. Lord, please show me areas where I’m resisting others and wasting time on a debate that does nothing to further your kingdom. Father, I repent of being used to divide your house. I ask that you would help me see areas where I’m causing division so that I may correct it. Lord, I desire to exhibit good fruit from the overflow of what’s in my heart. Help me see the bad that still exists and to remove it, replacing it with your good fruit. I want to see my brothers and sisters as the family that we are, rather than enemies. Holy Spirit, I ask that you unite us in heart, mind, and Spirit. Amen.

 

•Do we allow religiosity to hamper our testimony and the works of the Spirit? Are we allowing the judgment of others to hinder the works of the Kingdom through us?

•Are we fighting and resisting those who disagree with us or speak out against us, wasting time debating those who we already know are against us; or are we quietly walking away, following the example of Jesus?

“But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. Yet He warned them not to make Him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; And in His name Gentiles will trust.”‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭12:15-21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

 

•Are we a house united or divided? This is for not only The Church, but each family and the nation.

“But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭12:25-30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

 

•Are we aware of the unpardonable sin and are we committing that sin? Do we speak out against the works of the Holy Spirit? Do we try to stop the move of the Holy Spirit?

“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” Matthew‬ ‭12:31-32‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

 

•What fruit are we producing? Are we prepared to give an account for every idle word we’ve spoken?

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”‭ Matthew‬ ‭12:33-37‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

•Are we a dry and barren resting place for the strong man to come in and enter, taking up residence? Or have we cleaned out the spaces of our spirit and soul and allowed the Holy Spirit to fully reside within?

“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭12:43-45‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

 

•Are we treating one another as the family that we are?

“But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12:48-50‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

 

 

 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Ann Lindholm

Featured Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

 

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