Monthly Archives: April 2016

Divorce should be a dirty word (Matthew 19:4-12) April 30, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Mark 15-16

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 19:4-6, 8-12
Jesus: Haven’t you read that in the beginning God created humanity male and female? Don’t you remember what the story of our creation tells us about marriage? “For this reason, a man will leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” If a husband and wife are one flesh, how can they divorce? Divorce would be a bloody amputation, would it not? “What God has brought together, let no man separate.”
Pharisees: Why did Moses explain that if a man leaves his wife, then he must give her a certificate of divorce and send her away, free and clear of him?
Jesus: Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But divorce was an innovation, an accommodation to a fallen world. There was no divorce at creation. Listen, friends: if you leave your wife, unless there is adultery, and then marry another woman, you yourself are committing adultery. Only if there is adultery can you divorce your wife.
Disciples: If this is how it is, then it is better to avoid marrying in the first place.
Jesus: Not everyone can hear this teaching, only those to whom it has been given. Some people do not marry, of course. Some people are eunuchs because they are born that way, others have been made eunuchs by men, and others have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Anyone who can embrace that call should do so.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Our society has fallen far short of God’s design for marriage, hasn’t it? Does that mean it’s okay to lower God’s standard because society thinks it’s an archaic command? Just ask the families traumatized by divorce. The translation you’ve heard today describes the consequences of divorce pretty well. We think everything will work out so much better when we sever ties with the one we married because we found we’re not compatible any more, but listen to Jesus’ description. Divorce would be a bloody amputation… And just about every divorce I’ve ever seen has looked like that in the end – a bloody amputation.

The emotional scars are always deep and long lasting. It’s something from which you never fully recover because as Jesus says, you were one flesh and when you were torn apart, an amputation occurred. We have become so flippant about marriage, though. It is no wonder we are just as flippant about divorce. We think it’s okay to just though away relationships and don’t worry about the damage it causes to families, children, parents, siblings, friends, and others we touch. Divorce affects the whole of society as it breaks down the very fabric of our community, the bond between a husband and wife.

The marriage relationship is at the core of our community. It should be the relationship from which all others spring. When we disregard the importance of marriage and begin to trivialize
or minimize God’s directions for us in regard to marriage, we stand on shaky ground in regard to the whole of our society. It isn’t long before the family unit dissolves as we have already seen in our country. In fact, our rules for welfare support seem to encourage the dissolution of families rather than support them.

Now we see a small minority working feverishly to change the definition of marriage to include the union of any two people regardless of sex. But such a union was never in God’s plan for the procreation of the earth. It just doesn’t make sense in His plan. His mission for the first couple was to populate the earth. That marriage, that union, required them to become one flesh. To procreate. To expand the population. Adoption doesn’t procreate.

As Jesus says, divorce was contrived because we live in a fallen world. It was never God’s plan. We fall away from each other in marriage primarily because we fall away from God. If God is first for both partners in a marriage, it is unlikely the marriage will fall apart because the closer we come to God, the closer we come to each other as we keep God as the head of the home. The geometry of that marriage triangle always works. We just don’t like to put the effort into it in this fallen world that we need to.

Remember, Jesus gave these words to the people living in a community in which most had no choice in who they would marry. Marriages were arranged. Daughters were given to sons of others in the community and neither had a choice in the matter. Neither had any say in who they would wed. They were told. Fathers got together and determined the two would be a good fit and the engagement was set. The father of the groom had his son begin building rooms for the new bride on the family property and when complete, the father would send his son to retrieve his bride.

That was the culture in which Jesus said, the only acceptable reason for divorce was adultery. Have we become so civilized that the rules no longer apply? If we look at our society, I’d say we would do well to apply the rules God gave us. We’d be a lot better off. The evil rampant in our society would be a lot less if we paid attention to God’s word. It’s not any more, but divorce should still be a dirty word. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Warm those cockles (Matthew 18:23-35) April 29, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Jeremiah 27-31

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 18:23-35
Jesus: If you want to understand the kingdom of heaven, think about a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. Just as the king began to get his accounts in order, his assistants called his attention to a slave who owed a huge sum to him—what a laborer might make in 500 lifetimes. The slave, maybe an embezzler, had no way to make restitution, so the king ordered that he, his wife, their children, and everything the family owned be sold on the auction block; the proceeds from the slave sale would go toward paying back the king. Upon hearing this judgment, the slave fell down, prostrated himself before the king, and begged for mercy: “Have mercy on me, and I will somehow pay you everything.” The king was moved by the pathos of the situation, so indeed he took pity on the servant, told him to stand up, and then forgave the debt.
But the slave went and found a friend, another slave, who owed him about a hundred days’ wages. “Pay me back that money,” shouted the slave, throttling his friend and shaking him with threats and violence. The slave’s friend fell down prostrate and begged for mercy: “Have mercy on me, and I will somehow pay you everything.” But the first slave cackled and was hard-hearted and refused to hear his friend’s plea. He found a magistrate and had his friend thrown into prison “where,” he said, “you will sit until you can pay me back.” The other servants saw what was going on. They were upset, so they went to the king and told him everything that had happened.
The king summoned the slave, the one who had owed so much money, the one whose debt the king had forgiven. The king was livid. “You slovenly scum,” he said, seething with anger. “You begged me to forgive your debt, and I did. What would be the faithful response to such latitude and generosity? Surely you should have shown the same charity to a friend who was in your debt.”
The king turned over the unmerciful slave to his brigade of torturers, and they had their way with him until he should pay his whole debt. And that is what My Father in heaven will do to you, unless you forgive each of your brothers and each of your sisters from the very cockles of your heart.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus is still in the throes of His fourth sermon. He talked about brothers and sisters in the congregation who needed correction and how to deal with them. Peter asked how many times he had to forgive and Jesus responded with what seemed a ridiculously large number of times. He really says, don’t count, just keep forgiving. Then He gives us this illustration to understand the scope of forgiveness we should have because of the scope of forgiveness we have received.

In our country, we’ve kind of lost all sense of number value in the last couple of generations. With Congress and our states tossing out $1tn budgets in the same way they treat $1,000 price tags, it’s hard to keep up with what all the government numbers mean. Particularly when our leaders don’t tell us what those numbers really mean to our children’s children. We hear the numbers but it doesn’t translate very quickly to us that each of your children and each of my grandchildren (they are 7,5, 4, and not quite 2) owe just under $40,000 each if we all paid our part of the national debt. See, we just don’t understand real numbers any more.

Changing the numbers to something a little more meaningful as “The Voice” does in its translation helps us grab hold of Jesus’ illustration. The king forgave the slaves debt that amounted to more than a laborer (that’s you and me, much more than the slave) could make in 500 lifetimes. Did you get that? The laborer made significantly more than the slave, but it would take 500 lifetimes, not years, but lifetimes, to earn enough to pay off the debt if he gave every penny to the king.

Now you get an idea of the size of the slave’s debt. Jesus gives a clue as to how he could run up such a bill, perhaps he was an embezzler. So not only did he owe the king money, but he was also a criminal. The king had every right to put him in jail and throw away the key. Instead, the king forgave him because the slave asked repentantly.

But when the slave failed to forgive a fellow worker a significantly, 100 day’s pay versus 500 lifetimes pay, the king reacted. So in today’s average market what would that be, just so you get a feel for the numbers? Assuming a person works for 45 years, that’s probably a few years short, but we’ll use that number for this argument. And the average wage for a laborer today is about $25/hour, and the laborer takes two weeks vacation every year. That’s $2,250,000 earned in one lifetime with no overtime, just straight 8 hours a day five days a week. So compare that slave’s debt of $1,125,000,000,000, there’s that trillion dollars we have no concept of as a number. Versus the debt the king’s slave failed to forgive of just $20,000.

I guess he went to the same schools a lot of our kids in the last couple of generations went to. We just don’t understand how gracious God is when He forgives our sins, that $1tn debt when we are so reluctant to forgive those who do petty things against us that irritate us, that $20,000 debt. Can we get ourselves back to school to figure out how different these numbers are again? Can we begin to understand the vast level of love God has for us when He forgives us? Then can we exercise just a little of His great love to share some of that forgiveness with those around us?

Jesus says we must forgive from the very cockles of our heart. Ever heard that expression? It means the ventricles of your heart. You see, when you love someone, it makes your heart beat a little faster, a little harder. It warms your heart. It’s a great expression that came to us from the Latin. Forgive until your heart is warmed. You’ll like it. God promises.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Forgive how many times? (Matthew 18:22) April 28, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 33-34

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 18:22
Jesus: You must forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We are still in Jesus’ fourth major sermon in the book of Matthew. He has given instructions to His disciples on how to deal with the unrepentant in the church. But Jesus’ goal in all of His actions and all His instructions for those who will follow Him continues to be to draw men and women to Him. He wants reconciliation and restoration as the outcome of our actions. He wants us to maintain purity within the ranks of the church. His bride will be spotless when He ushers us into the banquet hall of heaven, but He also wants us to bring as many with us as we can.

That means we must learn to forgive. So Peter, after hearing all these instructions about how to deal with tough issues within the body of believers asks the question most of us want to forget about. We don’t want to ask the question because we don’t want to hear the answer. "How many times must I forgive? Seven times?

Peter thought he was pretty magnanimous in his offer to forgive someone seven times for their offenses against him or his brothers and sisters in the church. But listen to Jesus’ words. “You must forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven.” Those words probably slapped Peter in the face as much as it would us if we had asked the question.

But Jesus, you don’t know what he did to me. Forgive anyway. But Jesus, you don’t know what she said about me. Forgive anyway. But Jesus, he just keeps doing the same thing again and again. Forgive again and again. But Jesus, he just doesn’t seem to get it through his thick head that what he is doing hurts the church. Forgive and teach him. But Jesus, every time she gets around me, she seems to start with that sarcasm that just grates on everyone. Forgive and show her love.

Jesus doesn’t pull any punches in his command to forgive. In fact earlier, you’ll recall He told us that we are forgiven in the same measure we forgive. He even gave us a model prayer that reminds us to ask the Father to forgive us in the same way we forgive others. That’s pretty powerful praying. If I want God to forgive me of my sins and they are many, so are yours, I must forgive others when they sin against me. I must be willing to let go of any bitterness and anger and let God heal me of all those emotions so that I may forgive as He forgives.

Does that mean I will give an embezzler charge of the treasury? Probably not. I will forgive him, but I will also act with what I would call “smart trust”. I would not put such a temptation at his fingertips when that same temptation caused him to falter and fall before. That would be like giving an alcoholic a job as a bar tender. That’s just not smart. God tells us to forgive and we do, but He also expects us to use some smarts in how we use the talents of those around us. So that embezzler? He’s great with numbers, so why not use him in an area that allows him to use his math skills but keeps him away from money.

But forgiveness is more than restoring a person into a position or bringing them back into the fellowship of brothers and sisters. It’s a reminder of the grace and mercy God extends to us. As we recognize the position others place themselves in apart from the fellowship of God’s people and apart from God by their actions, we recognize their lost state and our hearts should break for them. We can remember how God’s heart broke for us when we were far from Him. He died for us and took us under His wing when we came repentantly to Him.

There will also be those that never repent of their wrong doing, yet we must still forgive them. Because forgiveness is not really for them, but for us. When we harbor ill feelings in our heart for someone for something they did to us or someone close to us, that bitterness takes a foothold and gives Satan a way into our spirit. It isn’t long before all that’s left is bitterness and anger and a quest for revenge. If we are to keep our hearts clean and pure, we must recognize the truth of God’s forgiveness of our sins and then willingly forgive others.

Nothing must stand between us and God or between us and our fellow man. The only way to ensure we retain that close relationship with God is to forgive and be forgiven. How many times must we forgive those who wrong us? As many times as it takes. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Do you follow or pretend? (Matthew 18:18-20) April 27, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 48-50

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 18:18-20
Jesus: Remember this: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. And this: if two or three of you come together as a community and discern clearly about anything, My Father in heaven will bless that discernment. For when two or three gather together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We quote the last sentence of this paragraph often. “When two or three gather together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” We talk about it when there are small numbers gathered for prayer. We use it when small numbers gather to worship. We use it to motivate small numbers that come together for a task that needs larger numbers. We use these words to remind us that when God is with us we always have a majority. Using these words in this way does motivate us and they are true, but…

Look again at these words in context. Jesus just talked about the way we should approach a brother or sister who wronged us. He just talked about how we should first go to that person in private and if that doesn’t work, go to the person with one or two others, and if that fails to remedy the situation, then take the matter to the congregation. If the sinner remains unrepentant, then Jesus says remove the person from the fellowship in hopes the harsh punishment will wake them up and bring them to their knees in repentance at some point. But in the meantime, their actions will not pollute the church, the bride of Christ.

So, just after giving the instructions on how to deal with the wrongs of a fellow member in our congregation, He gives these words. “What you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and what you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” He refers back to the resolution of issues in the church he’s just been discussing. He hasn’t broken His chain of thought. He’s still in the middle of this fourth sermon and continuing to expound on His instructions to His bride, the church.

He tells us two or three or four heads are better than one in discerning the right course of action to take when issues come up in the church. And He says we should pray and talk with each other when He says, “if two or three of you come together as a community and discern clearly about anything…” It’s important that we get the perspective of others when issues pop up in the church, and they will, before we damage the reputation or character of another member. When we deal with relationship issues with brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, they get messy. Discerning the right path, the right actions, often takes two or three heads.

When those two or three people earnestly seek God’s counsel, His will, and find consensus in the right path to take in a particular issue with their brother or sister who has strayed and needs correction from the body of Christ. When those two or three find agreement in God’s presence. Jesus says, “the Father in heaven will bless that discernment.” What does that mean? Does it mean they will be happy with the decision and no tears will be shed when they mete out some punishment on a friend? No. Does it mean everything will go back to the way it was before the incident? No. Does it mean God will be present as you carry out His will and ensure the results work for the good of His church? Absolutely!

Why is this true? Because Jesus gave us the promise we quote so often. “When two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” What a powerful promise. We can know the actions to take when difficult issues arise in the church. We can take the appropriate actions to keep the name of Christ clean and pure. But today, there is a difference between being the member of Christ’s body, His church, and being the member of an earthly denomination.

My daughter told me recently of a young woman who sincerely announced that she was a Christian, but followed the ways of Buddha because he was such an enlightened teacher. I would invite her to attend my church, the building where I worship and teach, but I would not let her become a member of my church. At least not until she stopped following anything or anyone but Jesus. But that’s the problem in many of our congregations today. We fail to confront the false teaching and wayward living that exists within the four walls of the institutions we call the church and let outsiders think we are Christian when we clearly are not. When we allow individuals like this young woman to come into our institutions and truly believe they are right with God, there is something wrong with our teaching.

There is but one way to heaven and that is through Jesus, the Son of God. There is but one Savior, Jesus. There is but one Redeemer, Jesus. There is but one perfect sacrifice for our sins, Jesus. There is only One capable of forgiving our sins, Jesus. There is only One who will plead for us at the final judgment, Jesus, the Son of the living God. Following after, worshiping, obeying, focusing your devotion on anything or anyone other than Him is idolatry and violates His commands. If you violate His commands, you cannot call yourself a Christian. Well, you can call yourself a Christian, but I can call myself a martian, too, but that doesn’t make me one.

Do you do more than just believe in Jesus? Remember, He said even the demons do that. You must truly follow Him if you desire to carry His name.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Go to your brother in private (Matthew 18:15-17) April 26, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Samuel 1-4

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 18:15-17
Jesus: This is what you do if one of your brothers or sisters sins against you: go to him, in private, and tell him just what you perceive the wrong to be. If he listens to you, you’ve won a brother. But sometimes he will not listen. And if he does not listen, go back, taking a friend or two friends with you (for, as we have learned in Deuteronomy, every matter of communal import should be testified to by two or three witnesses).Then, if your brother or sister still refuses to heed, you are to share what you know with the entire church; and if your brother or sister still refuses to listen to the entire church, you are to cast out your unrepentant sibling and consider him no different from outsiders and tax collectors.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Man, if we would just put these words into practice in our churches, what a difference it would make in the love people felt for each other. What a difference the outside world would see in the sense of community with our churches and in our mission to the greater community around the facilities that hold our worship services. If your church is like every church I’ve attended in the last 62 years (by the way, that’s nine months before my birth for those that are wondering). People gossip, backbite, tell tales, exaggerate, talk about each other behind their backs, and all sorts of things that run contrary to these biblical principles.

And the world outside our doors know it goes on, because they hear the stuff around the water fountain at work, over the fence in the neighborhood, and now plastered all over facebook, instagram and twitter. We don’t even pretend to hide our failures to do the right thing in confronting the sins of one of our brothers and sisters. We’re afraid we might hurt their feelings, I guess.

But there’s a reason Jesus says to first go to the brother or sister who sins against us in private. Let me enlighten you after years of attending a lot of different churches in a lot of cities, states, and countries. Several years ago, good friend put this verse in great perspective. When you’re thinking about a brother or sister in Christ saying or doing something that hurts you, sins against you as Jesus starts his example, what do you have to think about that brother or sister to think they would purposely, intentionally, viciously do what ever it is they did against you a fellow brother of sister in Christ? Then ask yourself, knowing what you know of that person, do you really think they would do that? Usually, normally, most of the time if you’ll take the time to ask yourself those two questions, your answer to the second will be an emphatic no.

So what happened? The answer can usually be found in an illustration I used with soldiers about communication. If I gave the order to secure the building. It might seem clear at first. But what outcome would you expect? If you’re a Marine, you’d storm the building and nothing would be left of it. Not even a cockroach would survive. If you’re an Army soldier, you’d put up fighting positions around it, concertina wire, perhaps a few landmines, so nothing within 300 meters could come close without you knowing about it first. If you’re an Air Force pilot, you’d lock the door and turn out the lights. If you’re a Navy submariner, you’d pull out your checkbook and buy it. So what did I mean when I said secure the building?

That’s what happens in most of the events brothers and sisters in the church get most riled up about. What they heard is not what was said. I wanted the doors locked and the receiver of the information blew it up. Same words, but the outcome, the interpretation of those words were so totally different because of our different experiences, backgrounds, the lens through which we understand information, that what I wanted was completely missed.

That’s what happens usually, normally, most of the time between brothers and sisters in Christ. So Jesus says, go to that person in private. Find out what was really done. Maybe she said, “Secure the building” (lock the door) and what you heard was, “Secure the building” (blow it up). Getting together in private suddenly defuses the situation. You find out the words were meant to help, not hurt because you left the door unlocked and she was trying to save your stuff! You’ve won a friend.

If you still can’t communicate, if there is still tension between you, Jesus says take two or three people with you. The broader experience in the group helps sort that stuff out. Remember, the first two questions my friend asks, what do I have to believe about my Christian brother or sister to think they would really do what you think they did? Then, knowing what you really know about them, do you believe them to be that person? Three or four heads together can straighten things out and get everyone on the same sheet of music. If not, Jesus says, bring the sin to the whole congregation. If there is no repentance, no contrite heart, no brokenness, throw them out of the congregation before the infection of brothers and sisters failing to try to find unity in the body of Christ spreads to others. That’s what Jesus is telling us.

It’s a shame we don’t go to Jesus’ formula first. It really does work. There’d be a lot fewer squabbles in the church if we did. We see a lot fewer churches split over silly issues. Visitors would find and feel more love when they walked in the door. We would get along a lot better month after month and year after year if we would just do what Jesus told us to do. Try it. It works. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Are you helping that sheep? (Matthew 18:10-14) April 25, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Exodus 13-16

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 18:10-14
Jesus: Make sure that you do not look down on the little ones, on those who are further behind you on the path of righteousness. For I tell you: they are watched over by those most beloved messengers who are always in the company of My Father in heaven. The Son of Man has come to save all those who are lost. A shepherd in charge of 100 sheep notices that one of his sheep has gone astray. What do you think he should do? Should the shepherd leave the flock on the hills unguarded to search for the lost sheep? God’s shepherd goes to look for that one lost sheep, and when he finds her, he is happier about her return than he is about the 99 who stayed put. Your Father in heaven does not want a single one of the tripped, waylaid, stumbling little ones to be lost.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

When I read Jesus’ words today, a familiar quote came to mind. “Christians are the only Army that shoot their wounded.” That’s not really true. We’re not the only ones. If you’ve worked in the big corporate world, you know that as soon as you’re wounded you’re left behind to die. Nurses will tell you their profession shoots their wounded and eat their young. Or how about politics? One false move there,…well, maybe not. We seem to thrive on dirt these days and no one seems to care when our politicians falter.

What is it about us that sometimes causes us to forget about that one lost sheep out there that so desperately needs our help? Why don’t we seek out that single tripped, waylaid, stumbling little one and bring them back to the fold? Instead, we seem to leave them in the cold to fend for themselves and maybe they will come back, or better yet, we pray they will get back, but in another church.

What is it that causes us to shy away from those within our own ranks when they falter?

I think there are probably several things that we could mention. First, we often don’t know what to say. It’s easy for us to pull out the 4 Spiritual Laws or the Road to Redemption or any number of pamphlets and hawk them to complete strangers, but when our brothers and sisters fall within our community, it’s not so easy to wrap our arms around them and use those same words. Inside, we sometimes think they feel harsh or cold. They are not. We sometimes forget we need to share the good news inside our house just as much as we do outside. Because those inside the house grew up with us, we become familiar with them, they are close friends, we forget all of us are sinners and must be saved through God’s grace.

Second, I think sometimes we think, like leprosy, their fall to temptation is contagious. We’re afraid if we get too close, we might end up doing the same things, falling into the same traps. So we shy away not knowing that God will protect us from the evil one when we ask Him and keep our eyes focused on Him instead of the world’s treasures.

Third, I think sometimes we don’t want to spend the time and energy it takes to bring someone back into the fold. Remember Jesus illustration about the lost sheep? That takes tremendous effort to go out into the dark where bandits, wild animals, stumbling blocks, cliffs, rivers, mountains, and all sorts of other things you can begin to name get in the way of finding and helping that lost sheep. We know it will take effort and sometimes we’re just plain too lazy to put out the effort needed to go out and help that lost one.

Fourth, I think we sometimes take sides and push one side away. We forget that both the victim and the perpetrator are souls Jesus died to redeem. Is it easy to love them both? Not always, but Jesus did. And if we are going to be like Him, we must love both side, forgive both side, restore both sides. Sometimes that’s really hard to do in small churches and large churches. But that’s the message Jesus gives us.

Fifth, I think sometimes we look at the fallen and say to ourselves, I’m worse than he is. We look inside our own heart and find that we are not where we should be in our relationship with God. We find we too have fallen, but perhaps not in such a public, outward display as the one who others have pushed aside. We are far from God, but our pride keeps us from falling on our face before Him and begging for His forgiveness and getting our relationship right with Him so that we can then help others to come to Him.

I know there are more than these five reasons why we are timid in reconciling and restoring our fallen Christian brothers and sisters. My prayer is that we will soon throw off the label the outside world has given us. As I said at the first, we really are not the only organization that shoots its wounded, but shouldn’t the church, of all places, be the place to find restoration and hope when we fail. Pray that God will make you and your church a place of redemption and restoration for all.

Remember Jesus forgave those Roman soldiers who flogged Him, put a crown of thorns on His head, crucified Him, and pierced His side with a spear. Can’t we help our brothers and sisters find their way back to Him?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

How do you ace the final exam? (Matthew 18:7-9), April 24, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Corinthians 1-3

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 18:7-9
Jesus: Beware indeed of those in a world filled with obstacles and temptations that cause people to turn away from Me. Those temptations are woven into the fabric of a world not yet redeemed, but beware to anyone who lures righteous women and men off the narrow path. If your hand constantly grasps at the things of this world rather than serves the Kingdom—cut it off and throw it away. If your foot is always leading you to wander, then cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to hobble, crippled, into the kingdom of life than to burn in hell with two hands and two feet. And if your eye always focuses on things that cause you to sin, then pull your eye out and throw it away. It is better for you to see the kingdom of life with one eye than to see the fires of hell with perfect sight.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Does Jesus really mean we should poke our eye out if it makes us focus on things that would cause us to sin? Does He really mean we should cut off our hand if it keeps reaching for things of this world instead of kingdom things? You know, I think if that would stop you from sinning, I think Jesus would say, absolutely! What good are your eyes if they cost you eternity with Him? What good are your hands if they damn you to eternal punishment? What good are your feet if they carry you on the path to hell?

His point is we have to get control of our bodies. There is a whole crowd of people out there now that will tell you that satisfying our natural instincts is just human nature. We shouldn’t condemn or be condemned for yielding to the natural urges of our bodies. It the same physical reaction that all animals have. Just look in the wild and you’ll see every animal species satisfying those base desires, so we should as well.

Really? So rape is okay because we’re just satisfying those natural base desires? Really? So theft is okay because we want something someone else worked for and we think it should be ours? Really? So I don’t like what you said to me so I can pick up a gun and kill you? I’d just be satisfying those base desires, right?

Well, no, you’d say. Now you’ve gone too far.

Well, how far is too far? Who sets the rules? Who draws the line in the sand and says this is enough? You can go this far and no farther? Who determines when satisfying base desires turns into crime? Or sin? It really is an easy question. Our instruction book gives us the answer if we would be so bold as to read it. There will be only one judge at the final judgment. So if God is going to judge us, doesn’t it make sense to follow the rules He puts in place?

Try going to your boss tomorrow and telling him you’ve decided you aren’t going to follow his rules any more. You think they are dumb and you want to do what you want to do. It’s not that you don’t appreciate your paycheck every couple of weeks, but you’ve decided that you just don’t want to follow his rules any more. You’ll come into work when you feel like it. You’ll decide if you like the tasks he gives you to do and then get around to them when you aren’t busy with your own projects and hobbies. You want to continue to use his resources, though, because he’s got great stuff that can come it handy for your projects. It’s okay if he puts a note in your box every once in a while to tell you he’d really like you to follow his rules again, but don’t get too pushy. You don’t want him to hurt your feelings or anything like that.

How long do you think it would take before your boss either fired you or called the paramedics to get you to the nearest psych ward and put you in a straight jacket with some high powered meds? But that’s exactly what we do to God. We’re on this planet with a task to do. He created us to worship Him and care for the rest of His creation. Read the book. It’s all in there. And what do we do? We tell Him we want to follow our own path because it’s just satisfying our base instincts. The problem with that line of thinking is that God created us in His image. We are much more than just animals. We have the ability to choose our actions. We don’t have to run around the world naked eating or being eaten. That’s the rest of the animal kingdom, you know.

God created us to come into a relationship with Him and gave us the instructions on how to do it. We can choose right over wrong, obedience over disobedience, righteousness over sinfulness, eternal life over death, we get to choose which path we want to follow. But in choosing, there are rules to follow. We follow God’s rules or we act like the idiot in the earlier illustration. God judges based on His rules, so which is the path that makes the most sense?

Did Jesus really mean follow God’s rules whatever it takes to do so? Absolutely! He’s the one that sets the rules. He’s the one that sits in the final judgment. He’s the one that determines whether or not we followed Him. Doesn’t it make sense to dust off His rule book and study up a little before that day comes? I’d sure like to ace that final exam. How about you? 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

To be a kid again (Matthew 18:3-6) April 23, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Mark 13-14

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 18:3-6
Jesus: This is the truth: unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. In that kingdom, the most humble who are most like this child are the greatest. And whoever welcomes a child, welcomes her in My name, welcomes Me. And do not lead astray one of the weak and friendless who believes in Me. If you do, it would be better for you to be dragged down with a millstone and drowned in the bottom of the sea.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I used to watch my kids to understand what Jesus meant by His words, become like little children. They grew up, though. I had to start watching other people’s kids. Then my grandkids came along and I get to watch in house kids every once in a while again up close and personal. I think it always best to observe their behavior up close to really find out what Jesus meant as He talked to His disciples, those that wanted to become like Him.

So what can we learn from watching kids? First, they are happy. Watch a bunch of kids. They usually play well together until adults get involved. Then they learn how to bully and want to be first and how to trip up the other guy so they win. But until they are spoiled by the world’s definitions of success, kids just play and as they play, they are happy with themselves and with each other.

Second, they are trusting. Tell them almost anything and they will believe it. Why? Because they trust people. They believe you. They think no one would every lead them down the wrong path, so they trust people. They don’t think anyone would every do them anything but good. They believe in the good in everyone. That’s what trust is about. They give you the benefit of the doubt and trust that you have their best in mind with every action you take towards them.

I remember my kids jumping off the porch expecting me to catch them. They just knew I would. They trusted me. Of course, I did… every time. I wasn’t about to let them fall or lose their faith in me.

Third, they are inquisitive. Kids want to soak up information and knowledge and wisdom like a sponge. We cut them off because it’s inconvenient for us to answer all their questions sometimes. But it seems they never tire of asking those questions. I remember when my daughter was just putting sentences together she was sitting in her car seat in the back and must have asked a hundred “Why” questions non-stop. My wife was having a pretty stressful day as it was one of my Army absentee days and finally had enough. She blurted out, “If you ask me ”why“ one more time…” I don’t remember the punishment, but I’m sure it would not have been something my daughter looked forward to.

Without missing a beat she said, “Mommy, how come…” Children are inquisitive and God wants us to ask questions so He can answer them for us. He wants us to talk to Him and learn from Him. If we don’t ask questions, we can’t grow in wisdom and knowledge and understanding. He likes our curious nature.

Finally, children know where to go when they are hurt and broken hearted. They run to their parents. They want to be wrapped in their mother or father’s arms for consolation and comfort. They need the safety of knowing Mommy or Daddy will be there for them and love them no matter what is going on around them. If its an injury or illness or bullies or whatever the situation, they want the unconditional love only a parent can give. Jesus point us to our heavenly Father and says be like little children. Run to Daddy when we feel broken and alone with no one else to turn to.

Jesus looked around at the children playing in the village and in the fields around Him. He saw their behavior and their character. He saw their openness and joy. Jesus saw in them the trust and curiosity that comes with being a child and longs for us to scrap off the façade the world tries to get us to paint on our faces to make us think we’re all grown-up, self-sufficient, in need of nothing. But we’re not. We need Him. We need to humble ourselves. Become like little children with their joy, their trust, their curiosity, and their wisdom to know Who to turn to.

We can learn a lot from children if we will just stop and watch them carefully. Jesus had a lot to say about them. He said such as these will inherit the kingdom of heaven. I guess I really want to be like a kid again. How about you?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

It’s tax time! (Matthew 17:25-27) April 22, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Jeremiah 22-26

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 17:25-27
Jesus: Simon, what do you think? When kings collect taxes and duties and tolls, from whom do they collect? Do they levy taxes on their own people or on strangers and foreigners?
Peter: The foreigners, my Lord.
Jesus: Well, then, we children of the King should be exempt from this two-drachma tax. But all in all, it’s better not to make any waves; we’d better go on and pay the tax. So do this: go out to the lake and throw out your line. And when you catch a fish, open its jaws and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take this to the tax collectors, and pay your taxes and Mine.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

While I was serving in the military, we often joked about our paychecks. And we had a lot to laugh about. Those of you who are old enough, might remember those payday lines when the pay officer dealt out cash on the Friday closest to the end of the month. I was one of those pay officers every once in a while as a new lieutenant. I was very happy when the Army said everyone had to receive their pay by check and then by direct deposit. Cash paydays were awful for the pay officer for a lot of reasons.

Counting out thousands of dollars in the right denominations of bills so everyone could get the right amount of cash was the first obstacle. An armed guard stood on each side of me to make sure no one got the bright idea to stage a robbery. Of course, these were soldiers from the same unit as the guys getting paid, so if one of them decided to pull a heist, I’m not sure how quick any of us would be to shoot each other.

But then the paying process! A soldier came into the room and the first sergeant looks him up and down to make sure his uniform is in shape. (No offense to the women in uniform today, but back then I was in an Infantry Battalion and there were no women there, so all the pronouns are masculine.) We already had our inspection for the day, but the first sergeant just wanted to make sure one more time. If there were no ‘gigs’ in his uniform, he reported to me to receive his pay. I checked his LES (leave and earnings statement), counted out the amount he should receive, counted it again on the table in front of him, then had him count it back to me on the table in front of him. Then he picked it up and asked to be dismissed.

But depending on what time of year it was, someone in the chain of command (of course I couldn’t because I was the pay officer that day) would ask if he wanted to join the NCO club if he wasn’t a member, or AUSA, or give to the Army Emergency Relief Fund or some other organization that happened to have its campaign going on that particular month. And it seemed some campaign happened almost every month. Right after the pitch for the campaign stood the clerk with the duty rosters with the first sergeant standing by his side. The same door you came in and the door you hoped to leave by. You looked at the first sergeant, you looked at the duty roster, and understood giving to the campaign of the month meant less duty. So you contributed.

Amazing how almost every unit had 100% contribution to those campaigns back in those days. Those were interesting times. But one of the other things we joked about were the taxes, Social Security, and Medicare fees that came out of our paycheck every month. Didn’t that mean we were paying ourselves? Sounds a little ludicrous, doesn’t it?

Here’s another one of those lessons Jesus gives Peter that helps us understand who He is and what He does for us in this upside down world.

Peter has been confronted by the keepers of the temple safes. Those guys that tried to trap Him in a hundred different ways to finally find some fault they could use to discredit Him in front of the people who thronged to Him. They go to Peter. “Hey, Peter. Doesn’t Jesus pay attention to the requirement to pay the temple tax? Every real male member of the Jewish community pays 2 drachma to the temple each year to support the temple for the administration of the worship of God. Doesn’t He pay attention to the rules? It’s tax day and He hasn’t paid His fair share yet. What’s wrong with Him? Is He rebelling against God and the temple?”

Sounds like a bunch of temple politicians, doesn’t it?

Peter doesn’t know what to say. It slipped his mind, too. So he goes to Jesus. “Pssst. We goofed. The priests say we haven’t paid our temple tax yet. I know I forgot to pay mine. We’ve been so busy. You didn’t by chance pay the 2 drachma tax for any of us did you?”

Jesus makes His point pretty quickly. Peter already declared Him as the Son of the living God, then Satan used Peter as a scapegoat to try to tempt Jesus to take a shortcut to accomplish His mission. Peter learned His lesson about jumping too quickly with his pronouncements, sort of. Except he just told the temple tax collector that Jesus certainly knew the rules and would certainly be paying His tax. And here he stood. So Jesus lets Peter begin to hear more of the truth of this separate kingdom to which they both belonged.

The children of the king didn’t pay taxes. Caesar’s kids didn’t pay taxes. Herod’s kids didn’t pay taxes. So what about the Father’s Son? Should the Son of the living God pay a tax to people who were charged with maintaining His house? That’s kind of what Jesus was asking Peter. But like all those soldiers that pay part of their own wages by paying taxes, Jesus tells Peter to go fishing, watch a miracle happen, then pay both their taxes. He didn’t have to, but He did.

Why? Because He wanted to show us that we are still in this world. He was in this world, but not of it. He didn’t have to pay the tax, nor did Peter. They and we are children of the King. The King’s children don’t pay taxes, but to show the world His support to the King’s house, that He follows the rules laid out by the King for those subject to the laws of this realm, He too followed them. Just like soldiers pay their salary, Jesus and Peter paid for the support of their house, the temple. How do you support your house, the church? 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Which road will you take? (Matthew 17:22-23) April 21, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 31-32

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 17:22-23
Jesus: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and on the third day, He will be resurrected, vindicated, newly alive.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

What might we do with these comments if they were made to us today? Who might Jesus be talking about and what might that betrayal mean in the context of our 21st century civilized society? Certainly we wouldn’t crucify Him on a cross as a public spectacle. Certainly we wouldn’t flog Him and parade Him through the streets throwing garbage at Him, spitting on Him, cursing Him, as He made His way to the place of His execution. Certainly we would be much more civil than the barbaric behavior of the Romans as they went through their mock trial and crucified Jesus with no just cause and cruelly abused, tortured, and crucified Him on the hillside on that bleak and awful day.

But then again…

Think back to the scenario surrounding the last days of Jesus’ ministry on earth before His betrayal. His disciples continued to pledge their loyalty to Him. The crowds were flocking to Him in droves. Jesus could barely find time to sleep and eat because of the press of the crowds. Throngs of people came to Him to hear His teachings, receive His blessings, touch His garments. They brought their sick and injured to Him. They brought those no one else could heal to Him because they knew He could do something when no one else could.

If anyone could be said to have a loyal following, Jesus did.

It reminds me of the political games we play today. Trump is our man. No wait, it’s Cruz. Oops, I meant to say Clinton, except she’s not a man, she’s a woman, so let’s change our language. Clinton is our person. That’s not right. Sanders is the one we want. Well, maybe it’s really Kasich that should be in office. Soon the race will be down to two candidates and everyone who rooted for one of those out of the race will suddenly defect. Well, he (or she) wasn’t such a great candidate after all, I really want XYZ to win. I’ll put all my weight and effort behind him (or her).

We are so fickle. We don’t know what we want in this world. We are so sure of something and then suddenly the tides changes and we’re off on something else. That’s why car dealers and IT companies and clothing manufacturers and every other business keeps pitching those ads, you know. The thing that was perfect yesterday and had our undying devotion is suddenly obsolete. Anyone still have an Atari laying around? How about one of those TR 8080s? My first real computer was an Apple IIc. How long has it been since you’ve seen one of those? It had a whole 128 KB internal memory! That’s right for you youngster, I really did mean kilobyte and it was top of the line at the time.

What would I give for that Apple IIc now? Nothing. It’s just a paperweight or a museum piece I don’t have room for. And so it is with so many things in life. We let it take first place and then discard it like so much trash.

That’s what too many people do with Jesus, too.

As long as He was passing out bread, making the lame walk, giving sight to the blind, healing the sick, confounding the scribes and Pharisees, the people around Him praised Him and lifted Jesus up. As long as Jesus did things they agreed with and made them feel good, they went along with His plan. As long as they could sit around and listen to what He had to say without His interfering with their lives in too many ways, they followed.

But when the way got tough. When Jesus started talking about taking up your cross and following. When He began to talking about following the narrow, rugged path, those feint of heart began to fall away. In fact, it got worse. Some began to find ways to undermine His message. They sought for ways to destroy Him. They looked for ways to trap Him. They even schemed to kill Him.

He knew it was coming, though and reassured His disciples that He could not be defeated. His enemies would betray Him, kill Him, and think Him defeated. But the resurrection power of Almighty God would raise Him on the third day to demonstrate His victory of sin and death.

The question for us today is, “What side are we on?” Will we try to betray Him to try to hang on to the temporary pleasures we enjoy today? Or will we take up our cross and follow Him? Which is more important to us? The temporary baubles the world dangles in front of us or the eternal rewards that come for pleasing God and doing His will? There are only two paths we can follow. We choose the path we will take. Which road will you take?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.