Monthly Archives: November 2016

Fibber McGee’s Closet (Luke 11:42-44) November 10, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Ecclesiastes 5-6

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:42-44
Jesus: Woe to you, Pharisees! Judgment will come on you! You are fastidious about tithing—keeping account of every little leaf of mint and herb—but you neglect what really matters: justice and the love of God! If you’d get straight on what really matters, then your fastidiousness about little things would be worth something.
Woe to you, Pharisees! Judgment will come on you! What you really love is having people fawn over you when you take the seat of honor in the synagogue or when you are greeted in the public market.
Wake up! See what you’ve become! Woe to you; you’re like a field full of unmarked graves. People walk on the field and have no idea of the corruption that’s a few inches beneath their feet.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Some of you might remember the radio show, Molly and Fibber McGee. One of the most memorable things about the show happened rarely, but often enough that it became one of the hallmarks of the show. It has gone down as the historic way of identifying the whole series of weekly episodes. Whenever you mention Fibber McGee’s closet, people immediately think of that show and the times Fibber or Molly would open the hall closet door and you would hear the sound effect of falling objects fill the airwaves for the next two or three minutes. It sounded like everything but the kitchen sink, and maybe that too, was stuffed into that closet away from view.

It reminds me of a few people I know who keep impeccably clean houses. Spotless in every corner. So clean you could eat off the floors. But don’t open a drawer or a closet. Those are a disaster. Everything you can see is in perfect order, but when there is a closed door, behind it, expect a chaos.

A lot of people’s lives are like that, too. You might think things are perfect for them. They have the perfect house. The perfect cars. The perfect job. The perfect family. Everything looks good. But on the inside, there is nothing but turmoil. Inside the chaos that runs around their head and spirit every day crushes them. The smile they wear on the outside is just a mask for the agony they feel on the inside. The closets in their lives where the guilt and shame stays hidden away from the world are as full as Fibber McGee’s closet just waiting for someone to open the door and come gushing out for all the world to see.

The follower of Jesus who has repented, opened all those doors to let Him clean them out and get rid of all that guilt and shame is okay with opening all those doors, though. Paul said it in these words, “Therefore, now no condemnation awaits those who are living in Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King, because when you live in the Anointed One, Jesus, a new law takes effect. The law of the Spirit of life breathes into you and liberates you from the law of sin and death.”

We can open the closet doors and it’s okay for others to peak inside because the guilt is gone. The sin is forgiven. Jesus has swept our lives clean and given us a new lease on life. Satan tries to get us to close some of those doors and hide things away. But don’t keep them open. Let God shine His searchlight into the deepest, darkest corners of those closets and keep them cleaned out. It’s the only way to have real peace and joy and the abundant life Jesus talks about in His word.

The Pharisees tried to look prim and proper and keep all those external appearances up for everyone who could watch them. They didn’t know Jesus could see into the recesses of their spirit. But He could. He could open their Fibber’s closet door and watch the cascade of junk come tumbling out onto the floor. He could see all the things they tried to hide from everyone else. He knew their heart and wouldn’t let them keep their facade.

Jesus does the same with each of us. We might keep up appearances for a long time with those who see us occasionally or even see us a lot. But Jesus sees through us. He knows us intimately. He knows all our hidden secrets and opens the doors even we have forgotten about to reveal the things we need Him to sweep out of our lives. And He always comes with a bright light and a broom. He’s ready to clean out all those cobwebs and dirty corners. But He won’t go where He is not invited. Until we invite Him in to do His work in our lives, He remains on the outside and just knocks at the door asking to come in. Only when we open the door of our hearts and lives will He enter to do His work.

So what will it be for you? Will you continue to let Fibber McGee’s closet be the description of your life with all the junk that needs cleaned out? Or will you let the One who can purify your life from the inside out take charge and become the Lord of your life. All you have to do is open the door and let Him in. What do you say?

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.

Guys, get it right! (Luke 11:39-41) November 9, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 128-130

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:39-41
Jesus: You Pharisees are a walking contradiction. You are so concerned about external things—like someone who washes the outside of a cup and bowl but never cleans the inside, which is what counts! Beneath your fastidious exterior is a mess of extortion and filth.
You guys don’t get it. Did the potter make the outside but not the inside too? If you were full of goodness within, you could overflow with generosity from within, and if you did that, everything would be clean for you.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a terrible problem for those that have a severe case of it. It can be very debilitating causing you to go through repetitive rituals dozens of times before you can move on to the next item of the day. Maybe it’s as simple as tapping the bed or touching a spot on the vanity or seemingly benign things like lining shoes up in a particular way before you can get on with your life. But sometimes these rituals can take on a life of their own. Sometimes they can become bizarre activities that make no sense to anyone, even the person that goes through them over and over, but just can’t stop until the routine is complete for fear that something bad will happen if they don’t.

That’s the sense I get when I read these verse about the Pharisees and their cleansing rituals. I often think about OCD and the terrible plight of the disorder’s victims when I hear about the rituals the Pharisees demanded the Jews follow in their daily routines. When we look back at the book of Leviticus at some of the cleansing ceremonies that God prescribed for the wandering Israelites in the deserts of the middle east, it’s easy to understand many of them.

Having served in army units that spent a lot of time in the field, I know how important some of those personal and community hygiene rules are. It doesn’t take much for disease to spread through a unit if soldiers aren’t following good hygiene rules. In fact, until recent years, disease accounted for the vast majority of casualties every army around the world suffered in times of war. Even today, there are far more soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan due to illness and injury than from battle injuries.

When you have three million people moving across the desert, living in tents, eating from open cook fires, things can get a little dicey. They didn’t have our current medical knowledge. They didn’t use our current medicines. They didn’t have the same kinds of equipment with which to travel. They needed some practical instruction from God to survive.

But by the time Jesus came to visit us, Rome had some pretty good systems in place. Medicine had progressed significantly. Running water appeared in some houses. They understood the importance of hygiene for the most part even though they didn’t understand germs and viruses and the mechanics of disease communication. But the Pharisees took those Levitical laws and turned them into OCD actions. It seemed like somewhere along the line one of the chief priests really had undiagnosed OCD and just multiplied all the rules by ten and no one had any breathing room about anything. It became impossible to keep up with the rituals.

So Jesus intervened. “You guys don’t get it.” It’s what’s on the inside that counts. If you were generous on the inside it would show by your giving. If your were happy on the inside, you’d be smiling and laughing on the outside. If you cared about people, you would try to lift their burdens instead of adding to them. If you loved God, you would love people.

So what would Jesus say to us if He came to visit? Do our services and our institutions look like we have OCD? Do we get so wrapped up in the routine activities that just have to be done in just the right order and just the right way that we forget why we come to church in the first place? Do we forget that what God wants from us is our worship and that when we gather for fellowship it isn’t the ritual that’s important but the relationships we build with people that supersedes everything else? It’s not what we eat or what we drink or how we wash our hands or how we set the table or whether the silverware matches the plates or the napkins match the tablecloth. None of that matters if we love people and care about the relationship we are building.

The Pharisees took their rituals to an extreme to try to assuage their spiritual conscience. It didn’t do any good. They still didn’t meet God’s standard because what God wanted was their devotion and love for each other. They could give neither as long as they were so focused on getting the ritual right. It’s the same with us. Until we get it right and love God and each other, we, like the Pharisees, will try to substitute our rituals, our activities, for the right stuff. Like Jesus says, “Guys, get it right!”

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.

Is your light malfunctioning? (Luke 11:33-36) November 8, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Chronicles 33-36

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:33-36
Jesus: You need a light to see. Only an idiot would light a lamp and then put it beneath the floor or under a bucket. No, any intelligent person would put the lamp on a table so everyone who comes in the house can see. Listen, your eye, your outlook, the way you see is your lamp. If your way of seeing is functioning well, then your whole life will be enlightened. But if your way of seeing is darkened, then your life will be a dark, dark place. So be careful, people, because your light may be malfunctioning. If your outlook is good, then your whole life will be bright, with no shadowy corners, as when a radiant lamp brightens your home.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Solomon talks about the plight of the elderly in Ecclesiastes 12 this way: And so we come to the end of this musing over life. My advice to you is to remember your Creator, God, while you are young: before life gets hard and the injustice of old age comes upon you—before the years arrive when pleasure feels far out of reach— before the sun and light and the moon and stars fade to darkness and before cloud-covered skies return after the rain. Remember Him before the arms and legs of the keeper of the house begin to tremble—before the strong grow uneasy and bent over with age—before toothless gums aren’t able to chew food and eyes grow dim. Remember Him before the doors are shut in the streets and hearing fails and everyday sounds fade away—before the slightest sound of a bird’s chirp awakens the sleeping but the song itself has fallen silent.

But today ophthalmologists and audiologists are doing some things to turn back the years in some ways. In a couple of days I get my new hearing aids and I hope to be able to hear those doors on the streets open again and hear the sounds of laughter again and the bird’s chirp like I haven’t heard them in years. The noises in the Army have a tendency to decrease hearing in some frequencies sometimes and age doesn’t help the problem any. So I’m looking forward to seeing what audiology and modern science can do.

Ophthalmologists can now replace those cloudy lens that sit behind the iris. The disease we call it is cataracts that cause those lens to just get more and more milky until you just can’t see through the lens anymore. But now, we can replace those lens. When the patient leaves the doctor’s office, not only is the lens replaced, but now vision is corrected at the same time by shaping the cornea and suddenly the cloudy vision is not just unclouded, but crystal clear.

It’s as if a miracle happens. Those who go through that cataract surgery and have their vision restored understand something of what Jesus talks about when He talks about the way we see. Many go about their daily chores almost blind until that day the surgeon releases them from their bondage and lets the light pour into their lives so they can see again. They can once again experience the world the way God made it, bright and clear and full of light instead of dim and dull and dark because of the lens that has distorted their view.

It’s a shame we can’t figure out spiritual maladies the way we do physical maladies. Satan has clouded our vision so we walk through this world with cataracts if we let him. But Jesus wants to be that ophthalmologist that performs the needed surgery on our eyes so we can see clearly once more. He wants to remove those diseased lens so we can see the way God meant the world to be, not the way we have perverted it through our sinful ways. He can correct our vision so we can see the way we should, we can see through His eyes of love and recognize those who need the same vision correction He gives us. Then we can introduce them to the physician who can help their spiritual vision, too.

Walking around blindly today is dangerous. There are too many pitfalls and dangers to just strike out without sight. Even the physically blind today go through months of training or use support animals to help them through the perpetual night. But the spiritually blind, talk about dangerous. Our eternal destiny is at stake. Satan tries to make us believe that God is too kind to let any of us go to hell. He’s going to save us all, Satan tells us. God is love, after all, right?

But it’s one of Satan’s lies. You see, God doesn’t send us to hell. We send ourselves there. God is love. He made a way of escape for us, but we must take it. The means of salvation is there, but it is still our choice. Ted Bundy’s mother loved him, but it didn’t keep him from choosing to become a serial killer. We make our own choices. I choose to spend eternity with God or with Satan. It is my choice. I choose to let Jesus open my eyes to His light and follow Him. 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.

God’s word, proof enough (Luke 11:29-32) November 7, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Deuteronomy 10-12

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:29-32
Jesus: This generation is evil. These people are seeking signs and spectacles, but I’m not going to play their game. The only sign they will be given is the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
The queen of Ethiopia will stand to condemn the people of this generation on the day of judgment. She, an outsider, came from so far away to hear the wisdom given to Solomon, but now, something greater than Solomon is here: how are the people of this generation responding?

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Why is it that people inside the church are often the hardest to convince of their need for salvation? So many just assume because their name is on the role as a member of the church, their name is in God’s book of life. But that’s not necessarily true. Think about the conflicts Jesus had with all those leaders in the temple and synagogues while He traveling among us. The scribes and Pharisees were among His most vicious opponents, yet should have been His most ardent supporters. After all, He came to fulfill the Law they kept preaching to the people that came to their institutions every week.

Jesus pointed to all those prophecies that said the Messiah was about to burst upon the scene and save men and women from their sins and He showed evidence that He was able to do just that. But when He rocked the boat of their neat little religious empire, they opposed Him at every turn. They couldn’t accept that this backwoods carpenter was the Son of God and Savior of humankind.

There are some today that rock the boat of the institutional church. I hope I’m counted as one. When we allow some of the perversion of God’s word to take place and say it’s okay, something is terribly wrong. When we hide blatant sin as just cultural change and accept the sin in our society and civil progress, something is terribly wrong. Satan has crept into our institutions and blinded us to the truth. We allow him to twist and turn and water down the scriptures and accept his lies because we don’t want to hear the truth and worship God for who He is. It means we would have to change our ways and we just don’t want to let God be in charge. We want our way.

So when someone begins to speak the truth, we yell out, “Prove it! Show us some sign that what you say is true and not the man or woman that stands in our pulpit.”

The problem most of us have is that we just fail to read God’s word. If we would sit down with the book He gives us, we would see the truth. We would figure out the false teachings in many of our progressive churches quickly. It’s not okay to pick and choose your favorite verses and forget the rest. It’s not okay to ignore those things you don’t like and only live by the scriptures that support the life you want to live. It’s not okay to twist God’s words to make them say what you want them to say.

There are dozens of translations. Pick one or two or three. Read them all. If you don’t like the way one translates the Hebrew and Greek language, read another. What you’ll find is that they all say about the same thing. Unless you can find one that has perverted the language, you’ll see that dozens carry the same message, the same language, the same warnings and admonitions. The truth hasn’t changed, no matter how much people want it to.

Yes, there are some things that we know are cultural in God’s word. But the flavor of God’s word speaks to us through the ages despite the culture or time or political theories you hold. God’s truth is still viable for every generation and if we follow His word, we find peace with Him now and throughout eternity. He will be the one to judge us at the end of time. We should read His instruction manual and do what it says. We will be judged by that book.

Regardless of whether we want to set up some other method of measurement, He gave us the rules to follow. Don’t you think it makes sense to follow the manual He gives instead of something someone else made up? It certainly does to me. Moses told the Israelites to meditate on God’s law day and night. When you get up in the morning and when you go to bed at night. When you sit down and when you stand up. Meditate on it all the time. We don’t do that. Apparently neither did most of them or they wouldn’t have fallen as far from the path as they did.

Everybody wants a sign. Everybody wants proof. What we really need is to read God’s word. When you do, that will be proof enough. Trust me. 

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.

Let God fill the hole (Luke 11:24-26) November 6, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Peter 1-3

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:24-26
Jesus: When a demonic spirit is expelled from someone, he wanders through waterless wastelands seeking rest. But there is no rest for him anywhere, so he says, “I’m going back to my old house.” He returns and finds the old house has been swept clean and fixed up again. So he goes and finds seven other spirits even worse than he is, and they make themselves at home in the man’s life so that he’s worse off now than he was before.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

There’s no such thing as demons, …is there? Satan’s minions can’t invade our minds and bodies and control what we think and do, …can they? All this demonic spirit stuff is just to make people act better and listen to preachers so they get their salaries paid, …right? Jesus doesn’t really mean what He says here about spirits coming back and bring their friends, …does He?

Well, He said it. So far, everything He said would happen has happened at the right time. So far, every time someone has tried to prove the Bible wrong, they prove it right. So far the number one seller in every book store around the world keeps proving itself accurate in what it tells us. So I expect this tidbit must be true, too.

What do we learn from these three verses that Luke records for us? First, there are demonic spirits in the world. Satan has the ability to infill us with His demonic spirits if we let him. But those demonic spirits will not be looking out for our good but to strengthen their master’s power. Those demons want Satan in control of this world. Even though he has no legitimacy here, they try to give it too him by enticing and tempting us through our selfishness.

Second, Satan’s demons can be removed from our lives. Note Jesus starts out His words with when a demon is expelled. You don’t have to keep a demon around. They can be kicked out of your life. They might be stronger than you, but they are not stronger than God and just the name of Jesus causes them to tremble in fear.

Third, Jesus’ words tell us that we need to replace those evil spirits with God’s Spirit in us. We can leave that spiritual hole in our lives empty. It will be filled with either God or Satan, one or the other. We are all created with this spiritual hunger that wants to be satisfied. But God will not enter our lives unless we invite Him. Satan, like any bully, will crowd his way into any space he can. So when he finds an empty spiritual hole in our lives, he will do his best to fill it with evil. He will tempt us and use whatever enticements he can to keep us from turning to God to fill that God shaped hole in us.

God created us with a desire for worship. The question is who or what will we worship. Paul tells us the predicament the human race got itself into starting with Adam and Eve. We began to think we were better than God so we began worshiping two-legged beings instead of God. Then it was the image of two-legged beings. Then we continued our downhill degradation and began worshiping four-legged creatures and their images, then insects and serpents and trees and rocks and anything else. Our problem as humans, we forgot that the desire for worship can only be satisfied when we worship the only One worthy of worship and He is the God of creation.

Fourth, Jesus tells us that if we don’t fill our lives with His spirit, we are in danger of falling further from Him than we were before He drove out the sin and evil the first time. It’s easy to see that in the behavior of a drug addict, but it’s the same with any sin. The first time you take a drug it doesn’t take much to feel the effects. But every subsequent time you take the drug, it takes a tiny bit more to create the same effect as the first time. Your body become adjusted to the foreign substance and you tolerate it until finally it takes almost a lethal dose to get the same result.

The same is true with sin in your life. You might feel some pleasure in that momentary sin that thrills or satisfies some base desire in your life, but it’s momentary, artificial, not the kind of satisfaction that only God’s spirit in your life can create. And every subsequent attempt to gain that same level of pleasure takes a little more or a little stronger dose of the behavior to obtain the same pleasure until the perversion is incomprehensible to a sensible person. But sin has taken over. Satan has done his work well. The addiction is complete and your brain tells you to get more of the temporary pleasure at any expense.

These words from Jesus give us ample warning about the way Satan works in our lives. We need to be careful to fill our lives with God or risk the dangerous consequences Jesus describes. Don’t take the chance. Let God fill that hole in your life.

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 for or against? (Luke 11:21-23) November 5, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Acts 13-14

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:21-23
Jesus: When a man of power with his full array of weapons guards his own palace, everything inside is secure. But when a new man who is stronger and better armed attacks the palace, the old ruler will be overcome, his weapons and trusted defenses will be removed, and his treasures will be plundered. Can you see that I’m asking you to choose whose side you’re on—working with Me or fighting against Me?

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

A couple of weeks ago, a pastor friend asked me to hold a weekend renewal series of services for his church here in San Antonio. We had a great time as God moved in the services. His church had been doing a series of Jericho walks around their property, claiming the community for God and as it turned out, the last Sunday of the renewal weekend coincided with the last Jericho walk. So I used several chapters of Joshua for the background of the services that weekend.

Jesus’ words reminded me of that great battle and some of the events leading up to it. Jericho was a fortress. Built with an impenetrable defense. Walls that had never been breached. Many of the citizens lived with their houses built into the walls, in fact, so they had a vested interest in keeping that seven foot thick wall repaired and secured. Their guards were good. The citizens knew they were secure. Jericho was the place to live if you wanted security. Well, almost.

Rahab, one of the prostitutes in Jericho, listened to the stories coming from the men in the city. They told about the other nations that had fallen to the Israelites as they came across the wilderness. She heard about those who tried to stand up against this band of nomads and suffered incredible defeat at their hands. These armies should have been able to easily defeat these wanderers or at least hold their own against the Israelites, but God’s people defeated them every time. But those armies didn’t have the walls of Jericho protecting them. Surely, Jericho would stand, right?

Rahab, met the two spies. She believed God would had the city over to the Israelites. She did her part to save the spies and sent them back safely to Joshua. Rahab understood that despite what the leaders of Jericho thought Jericho was vulnerable. No matter what rhetoric the leaders of Jericho might tell her citizens, the walls might not keep out that rag-tag band of Israelites. No matter how strong or high or thick those walls were, Jericho just might not stand up to the power of the God these wanderers served. He had already shown His power too many times to be ignored. The plagues in Egypt 40 years ago. The stories of the path across the Red Sea and destruction of Pharaoh’s army. The rumors about the God whose voice called from the mountain and gave food and water to this nation of three million people every day.

This army might not look like much, but Rahab knew in her heart there was something different about them and that something was the God they believed in. The walls and the soldiers and the leadership and the gods of Jericho might have looked impressive and held the city safe for all those years, but a new man had arrived on the scene. Joshua was just across the Jordan River and his God did things for His people that no other god could do.

Rahab made a decision when the spies came to see her that she lived on the wrong side and wanted to be on Joshua’s side, on Jehovah’s side. So she told those two spies everything she knew about Jericho. She hid them on her roof and protected them from the soldiers that came to her house to find them. She gave the spies the information they needed to get back to their own people on the other side of the Jordan and share their information with Joshua. Rahab got on the side of the man she knew was stronger and would win the final battle.

Jesus asks the same question with His metaphor. “When a man of power with his full array of weapons guards his own palace, everything inside is secure. But when a new man who is stronger and better armed attacks the palace, the old ruler will be overcome, his weapons and trusted defenses will be removed, and his treasures will be plundered.”

He is that stronger man. Satan wants you to think he is. He wants you to think maybe you are and that you can stand up to everything the world throws at you by yourself, but you can’t. You need God to stand against the tide of evil that we face every day. So Jesus still asks the same question He asked those gathered around Him that day 2,000 years ago. Whose side are you on? Are you working for Him or against Him? Those are your only choices and depending on which side you’re on will make a huge difference as to whether you survive the fall of the wall of Jericho so to speak. Make sure you make the right choice.

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.

A house divided (Luke 11:17-20) November 4, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Haggai

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:17-20
Jesus: People, be logical. If a kingdom is divided against itself, it will collapse. If a ruling family is divided against itself, it will fall apart.
So if Satan’s kingdom is divided against itself, won’t his whole enterprise collapse? Does it make any sense to say I’m casting out demons by Beelzebul? Besides, if you’re saying it takes satanic power to cast out Satan, by whose power do your own exorcists work? If you condemn Me for an exorcism, you’ll have to condemn them. But if I by the power of God cast out demonic spirits, then face this fact: the kingdom of God is here, just as I’ve been saying.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We are less than a week from election day in this country. I’m sure everyone knows this is an important election for us, but many think it is more important than it really is. In fact, what this election shows is exactly what Jesus’ words tell us in these verses. Never has our nation been more divided than it is today. I’m not suer, even during the years of the Civil War when we raised arms against each other were we as bitter about the issues as we are today. None of the candidates or parties talk about how they will fix anything, they just talk about how bad the other candidate is. And it’s not just the presidential candidates. The vitriol ripples down through every election all the way to mayors and council members and school superintendents.

The division in our country has become pretty disgusting as a whole and as Jesus said, “A kingdom divided against itself will collapse.” We are on the brink of collapse – economically, politically, morally, spiritually, you name it, we’re on the brink. Just read the statistics and you’ll see it in front of you. Don’t listen to the rhetoric of the candidates, they want to be elected. Go to the statistics in the courthouses and Congressional records and look for yourself. We are on the brink of collapse. Why? Because we are more divided than we have ever been in our 240 year history.

So what do we do about it? How can we fix the divide that threatens us? Is there a solution that can pull us together instead of the party wedges that keep pulling us apart?

I can assure you the answer is yes and it’s a simple answer. Unfortunately, the answer will probably not happen in my lifetime or in yours as we look at the path we take as a nation and as a race called humans. You see, the answer is total commitment to God’s will instead of ours. Giving up what we want and acknowledging God as the Master of all things including us collectively and individually. But we won’t give up our selfish control because we think we know best. Just like the Democrats and Republicans each declare they know how best to run the country. Neither know how as both parties have each adequately demonstrated through their failures in their tours in the White House and in Congress.

It doesn’t matter if the Squid party runs the country as long as God is really in control. And if He is not, again, it doesn’t matter who is in control, nothing will be fixed. Everyone will look out for themselves instead of lifting God and letting Him fix what needs fixed, our sinful hearts. Are there Christian candidates? I’m sure there are a few. But watching the behavior and character of the candidates, there are a lot more who say they are Christian but are not than there are real Christians with Jesus as Lord of their life.

Maybe you want to say that’s judging people and we are not supposed to judge others. You can call it what you want, but Jesus also told us to be wise and watchful and avoid false prophets. He understood the tricks and schemes of those who would try to lead God’s children down the wrong path. When He talked about judging, His words said to remember we would be judged by the same yardstick. I can’t talk about the thief if I’m cheating on my taxes, for instance, because I’m stealing from the government when I do. I can’t talk about adultery if I’m lusting after other women. Because Jesus says that’s where adultery starts.

So can we judge the behavior of others? Yes and we should these days. Satan is trying his best to use that “don’t judge” phrase to trap us into all sorts of tolerance for evil. Stop! Judge others for their evil behavior. But also let God shine His light on your own and become Lord of your life by being obedient to Him. Only then do we have any chance of finding unity of any kind in this world.

Remember what Jesus called us to as His disciples? If your answer was unity, you got it right. That doesn’t mean we’ll all be Democrats or Republicans or Green Party or any party. It means we’ll be children of God and get along even in this crazy mixed up ridiculous election year.

All that said, don’t forget to pray for all of the candidates because someone will win each seat up for election and lead us for the next several years. Each of them need God as their God whether they know it or not. According to His word, many will use their own wisdom instead of His, unfortunately. He’s coming to take us home where we will be unified. But if we call ourselves Christians here, we better be getting along. It’s one of those qualities He expects in us.

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.

Have you asked Him? (Luke 11:11-13) November 3, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Ecclesiastes 3-4

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:11-13
Jesus: Some of you are fathers, so ask yourselves this: if your son comes up to you and asks for a fish for dinner, will you give him a snake instead? If your boy wants an egg to eat, will you give him a scorpion? Look, all of you are flawed in so many ways, yet in spite of all your faults, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to all who ask!

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

An autopsy on the young victim showed burns over 15 percent of his body. Lampley and her boyfriend were originally charged with first-degree murder in the tragedy. The prosecutors wanted Newell-Skinner to get 48 years for the tortures she inflicted on her little girl before the child passed away. They didn’t get their wish. John Hogg, the perfect name for one of eight busted for soliciting child prostitutes and enticement. Little Tobi was taken to the hospital with injuries her mom and significant other said were from a tumble down the stairs. The X-ray didn’t pick up the skull fracture, and the doctor okayed the child’s return even though a former babysitter had already reported signs of abuse. Weeks later, the girl was dead. After Fort Bend County Sheriff sat down with Jason Sheats –whose wife, Christy, killed their two daughters before a police officer fatally shot her–he made public what Jason believed may have led to the tragic event. “We asked Mr Sheats for a motive in his own words, and why would Christy kill their two daughters,” the sheriff said at a news conference. “He stated that he felt Christy wanted him to suffer. During this incident, Christy had ample time and opportunity to shoot and kill Mr. Sheats in the home, but she chose not to. Mr Sheats stated Christy knew how much he loved Taylor and Madison, and how much they loved him.” A concerned citizen showed police a shocking video in which a mother verbally and physically abused her toddler son. But no arrests were made and the child was left in the home until after the video went viral on Facebook and YouTube.

These headliners are too real today, aren’t they. We can’t imagine a world in which parents would do these things to their own children. But these are just a few of the dozens that hit the papers every day and those that hit the paper are just a small percentage of the cases that happen across the country every day. We know that in our heads but seldom let it sink into our hearts.

Unfortunately, with the divorce rate above 50% now, most of the children in our society live in broken homes. They know emotional and physical abuse. They know the brokenness in relationships but fail to see the love of our heavenly Father expressed in the genuine unconditional love of their earthly fathers because of the brokenness of their homes.

You see, over and over, God’s word uses marriage and the home as a metaphore for the love of God toward us. But we have so broken those covenants we make to each other that we no longer understand the covenant God makes to us. We assume that since we can slip in and out of relationships at will, that God will too. We assume that since our affections can grow hot and cold based on our current whim or mood, that God’s love can grow hot and cold toward us. But God’s love is perfect. He is the perfect Father.

Jesus uses this example of a father giving good gifts to his children because usually, even in the corrupted world we live in, most fathers are not like those in the news headlines. Most will not purposely harm their children. We don’t love the way God loves and we don’t love unconditionally the way God wants us to and the way He helps us love if we let Him, but most of us don’t purposely hurt our children. We do it because of the sin that we let reign in our hearts instead of letting God reign there.

That’s point Satan has used to blind us. We think everything is okay because we give gifts to our children and try to buy their love with material things, when what we need is to show genuine, unconditional love to them. God’s kind of love. Love that reaches beyond affection and into the realm of sacrificial giving of self for their good. It means giving up some of the things we want for the good of those we love. God did. He gave His best, His Son, for our good.

So Jesus reminds us that we can understand even in all the corruption we see in this world: Look, all of you are flawed in so many ways, yet in spite of all your faults, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to all who ask! Have you asked 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.

Keep on (Luke 11:9-10) November 2, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 125-127

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:9-10
Jesus So listen: Keep on asking, and you will receive. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you. All who keep asking will receive, all who keep seeking will find, and doors will open to those who keep knocking.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Aren’t those great words from Jesus we’re considering today? Keep asking and you’ll receive. Keep seeking, and you’ll find. Keep knocking and the door will be opened for you. Just keep on and it will happen for you. Be persistent.

We have a problem in today’s society, though. We have too many fast food restaurants. We have get too many television channels. We have 24 screen movie theaters. We have 300 mega bit per second download service at home. We have interstates with 70 and 75 mile per hour speed limits. We fly across the country in jets traveling at near super sonic speeds. We have meals ready to pop in the microwave and whole sections at the grocery with vegetables and fruits already pealed and sliced for us. Our cars even start before we get to them and the doors unlock a few feet before our arrival so we don’t have to worry about fussing with keys. Everything is instant.

We want what we want now. I can’t wait until tomorrow. I need it now. Amazon has made a fortune because they can deliver anything in two days. Even on Saturday and Sunday thanks to UPS and the Post Office agreeing to our unreasonable demands for instant delivery of those things we just have to have now. We are an incredible society, aren’t we? What ever happened to patience? Isn’t that one of those virtues we’re supposed to be developing as Christians?

God, you mean I have to ask twice, or even three times for something? You mean I have to look in more than one place for the thing I’m seeking from you? You mean I might have to wait for the blessings you want to give me? I don’t know about this. I don’t know if I’m ready for this faith thing that says I have to be patient and wait on God’s timing. How do I know He’ll answer if He doesn’t answer my prayers right now? Doesn’t He know I have a life I need to get on with? I don’t need to be wasting my time asking twice or three times for the same thing, do I?

How much do we miss because of our impatience? What does God want to do for us that we let slip past us because we are just not willing to spend the time and effort persistently seeking God’s will and going to Him in prayer seeking His will? What opportunities go untouched because we just don’t slow down enough to see them or pull the door handle once and find it closed and never try the door again?

Jesus told us to ask and keep on asking. He told us to seek and keep on seeking. He told us to knock and keep on knocking. How long are we supposed to keep up those efforts? Until our prayers are answered. Sometimes God does say no, but so often in our Google search, instant answer world, if He doesn’t give us what we asked for within ten minutes of our prayer, we assume the answer is no when God hasn’t answered yet.

Sometimes God takes His time answering and we don’t like that much, but God’s time is perfect. Sometimes He does say no, but sometimes, He says yes, but on His timeline, not ours. Remember time means nothing to God. He existed before time began and that wristwatch you wear means nothing to Him. His days are not measured in minutes and hours and days. His time expands across eternity and just can’t be measured in any way.

So if God waits a day or a week or a month or a year to answer your prayer, what’s that to Him in terms of time? It means nothing to Him, only to us. He still cares, but sometimes He uses that space that that we measure by the ticking of the clock to help us get to know Him and ourselves a little better. Sometimes He lets us mature and understand His ways a little more before He gives us what we ask for our lets us find what we are looking for or opens that door we’re knocking on.

However, the promise is still true. God does answer our prayers. Keep on asking, and you will receive. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you. All who keep asking will receive, all who keep seeking will find, and doors will open to those who keep knocking. Jesus made that promise to His disciples and if you belong to Him, you are one of His disciples. 

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.

Learn the lessons (Luke 11:5-8) November 1, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Chronicles 29-32

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 11:5-8
Jesus: Imagine that one of your friends comes over at midnight. He bangs on the door and shouts, “Friend, will you lend me three loaves of bread? A friend of mine just showed up unexpectedly from a journey, and I don’t have anything to feed him.” Would you shout out from your bed, “I’m already in bed, and so are the kids. I already locked the door. I can’t be bothered”? You know this as well as I do: even if you didn’t care that this fellow was your friend, if he keeps knocking long enough, you’ll get up and give him whatever he needs simply because of his brash persistence!

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Well, today the scenario might end a little different. Today, we would call the police and tell them about someone trying to break and enter and have them arrested, friend or not. If they bothered us at midnight we wouldn’t care who they were, we’d just call the cops and that would be it, right? Or maybe we would wait just a little while until they were loud enough to be heard by one of the other neighbors and then invoke the “castle law” and pull out a 12-gauge and end the conversation.

We’re not nearly as hospitable in this country as the middle easterners were in Jesus day. No one wanted to get up in the middle of the night and have their sleep disturbed, but their rules of hospitality led them to get up and help sometimes even when they didn’t feel like it. A lot of people then would have put off the neighbor until morning, asking them to make do until they the city woke up. Then they would be happen to not only provide the bread, but would probably invite them over for a whole meal.

That’s the way of these hospitable people. Their society was much more friendly than ours. Actually, it still is. We hear a lot about ISIS and the radical side of the Muslims that want to kill us, but the typical middle easterner is much more hospitable than the typical American. There, expect to be invited into their home for tea often. It’s just their way. Here, if you’re invite for coffee or tea at all, it will be at Starbucks or some local coffee shop, not in their home. We just don’t make people feel welcome. We say we do, but we don’t.

So what does all of that have to do with Jesus’ words today? Two things. First, we should recognize sometimes we don’t understand His words the same way those He spoke to originally did. They lived that middle eastern hospitality every day. They would have taken the story a little more to heart than we do because sometimes travelers did get stuck on the road later than expected and just dropped in unexpectedly, but their rules of hospitality said you took them in and fed them. The neighbor had to get some bread from somewhere and hoped his friend would provide it. We don’t understand it as well as they did, but we can put ourselves in their culture and understand the parable better.

One of the lessons learned from this and many other stories Jesus tells reminds us we can experience His lessons better when we know more about the culture of those to whom Jesus spoke. It isn’t hard to find out what it was like for the people in first century Judea, but you do need to study a little. Isn’t it worth a little study to get more out of God’s word? I certainly think so.

Second, the simple message of the parable is two fold. The man could never have gotten the three loaves of bread in the middle of the night unless he went next door and asked in the first place. So first, we need to ask God for what we need. He knows what we need, but we need to ask so that we know it is God who provides. It helps us remember that God is the one who gives us what we need day by day. Second, we need to be persistent in our asking when we are asking for something. Sometimes we figure out the thing we are asking for is not in our best interest when we keep on asking and God doesn’t answer the way we want Him to. Sometimes God needs us to mature our thinking about an issue and delays an answer so that we can be better prepared when the answer comes. Sometimes God is working on solutions behind the scenes and wants to work His miracles through other means that what we might think is the most obvious way to answer our prayer. In all these instances, He asks us to be persistent in our asking.

So now, go out and do some study about the culture of Jesus day. Read His parables again and learn the lessons even better than you did before. You’ll be glad you did.

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.