Category Archives: Christian

What do you want? (Matthew 20:32) May 11, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Samuel 10-14

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 20:32
Jesus (taking the two blind men aside): What is it that you want, brothers?

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

In the Christian world, in fact in every religion, we talk a lot about the power of prayer. We hear lots of sermons on how important it is to commune with God. Jesus gave us an example prayer when His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. They recognized prayer was an important element of strength, even for the Son of God. He spent long hours with His Father making sure He stayed on the right path, renewing His strength, gaining wisdom, protecting Himself from His enemies.

Prayer is vital for the Christian. It’s an important discipline we must learn if we expect to remain a Christian. I don’t think we can maintain our relationship with God if we don’t talk to Him regularly. And that means a lot more than just at mealtime and at church on Sunday mornings. We need to really get in touch with God often.

But Jesus words today sparked in me an important lesson about prayer that we must learn early and remind ourselves often in our Christian walk. It’s easy for us start getting ritualistic in our prayer. We hear ministers or priests pray from the pulpit with community prayers that aim to touch an entire congregation and we think we should mimic those because, after all, they are our spiritual leaders, right?

So we go into our prayer time and ask God to bless our home or bless Aunt Suzie or bless Uncle Harry or bless our kids. Well what do we mean by that? We heard the pastor ask for God’s blessing and certainly it’s a good thing to ask for, but what is it and how do you know God has done something when we ask for Him to bless us? I think we’ve gotten into that habit because we’re afraid God won’t answer our prayers so we just ask something so general we can’t see an answer if it doesn’t go our way and then we won’t be disappointed. Maybe that’s why we started using such general rubbish in our prayers.

What do you think Jesus would have done if these two blind men had said, “Lord, we want your to bless us,” when Jesus asked this question? Do you think they would have received their sight? Maybe, but they might have gone away with a pat on the back and a word of encouragement. Blessed by Jesus. They might have found a better spot to beg after Jesus passed by and gained more income from their begging as people took pity on them. Blessed by Jesus.

I have to admit, I’m often guilty of just asking for blessings, not thinking about what it is I really want God to do for me or the person I’m praying for. I just ask God to bless. But when I do that, how do I know God has answered my prayer? Would the blind beggars know if Jesus gave them the increased income if they found a more generous crowd at a better spot? Would they know it was God who touched them if they just felt a little freer and happier after Jesus passed by?

God is so much bigger than that. He wants us to know that He is God. He wants us to realize that He is in the prayer answering business. He doesn’t always give us what we want, but He always answers our prayers. Sometimes with yes, sometimes with no, and sometimes with wait, not yet. But He always listen to our prayers and does something about them. But how does even He know what to do when we are so wishy-washy in our petitions? How can we give Him the credit when our requests are so nebulous that we don’t even know what we have asked?

I still like the old hymn, “Make Me a Blessing”, but what does it really mean? You have to get into the words. Do you remember them? The writer gets into the mission God gives of spreading the word and winning men to the kingdom, helping those in need. It’s all about working at the tasks God gives, helping others, and in so doing, being a blessing.

So what is it God wants us to do and what do we learn from Jesus’ words today?

I think He’s telling us to stop being wishy-washy about our conversations with Him. Think about what you need from God. Dig deep and stop playing around with the surface conversations and the generalized petitions that don’t mean anything to you or to God. Do you have a loved one that is lost? Do you pray specifically about that person by name every day? Do you ask God to put the right person in his path with the right message to introduce him to Jesus? Do you ask God to make her world fall apart until she is so broken by the realization of her sinful condition before a holy God that He is her only hope?

How do you pray? Do you get specific with God so you know He is the One who answered when you called on Him? Or do you just go around asking for blessings and grace and hope and let the world go on spinning around you? God wants to get involved in your life. And He wants you to know about it. Jesus asked, “So brothers, what is it you want?”

Do you have an answer for Him? Think about it. He wants to give it to 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.

Learn to be a servant (Matthew 20:25-28) May 10, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Exodus 21-24

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 20:25-28
Jesus: Do you want the Kingdom run like the Romans run their kingdom? Their rulers have great power over the people, but God the Father doesn’t play by the Romans’ rules. This is the Kingdom’s logic: whoever wants to become great must first make himself a servant; whoever wants to be first must bind himself as a slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as the ransom for many.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Here’s another one of those speeches that got Jesus in so much trouble. “God the Father doesn’t play be the Romans’ rules.” Once again Jesus turned the world’s thought process upside down. Aren’t you supposed to work your way to the top? Aren’t you supposed to take your knowledge and wealth and power and find a position worthy of your experience as you get older? Aren’t you supposed to try to gain those seats of power in your workplace, in your home, at church, in your social circles?

That’s what the world tells us. There’s this caste system that’s alive and well around the globe. We make it easier to move between castes in this country. You might be born in poverty in the United States, but there are opportunities to break free from it through education and hard work. Your family caste in this country doesn’t lock you into generational bondage. Although sometimes we make it so by following in our parents footsteps.

In a lot of other countries, castes do determine your future. If you are lucky enough to be born into wealth and a higher caste, then you enjoy the privileges of the wealthy. If you are born into poverty, you are subject to remain there with no chance to break free from its strangle hold as long as you remain in that country. Most of the world, unfortunately, still operates under those ancient caste rules. But even in those rigid caste systems, there still remain glimmers of hope. One person in 50 or 100 might break through the bonds by the kindness of someone in the next caste above and be lifted up from the lower caste into the higher one. It doesn’t happen often, but it happens and so there is hope.

But now Jesus is saying it’s the servant, the slave, the people at the bottom of the caste system that will be held in highest esteem in God’s kingdom. How can that be? These people are the beggars on the streets. You don’t even see them. They are there, but if you keep your eyes up as you should, then they are the invisible vermin that populate the roads and ditches and sewers of the city. Why would Jesus insinuate that these people will be first in God’s kingdom?

The priests thought they should be first. They were the ones who entered into the Court of the Priests at the Temple and one of them each year, the high priest, actually went into the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for the whole nation. Shouldn’t they be given the seats of honor in God’s kingdom? Weren’t they closer to God that all the scum that littered the roadways?

Well, the world just doesn’t get it. Outward appearance has nothing to do with God’s kingdom. Our position and prestige don’t move God one iota. He is not impressed by the things that impress men. He made the world, so what can we do that impresses Him? We get impressed by the trappings people wear. Have you looked at the pictures from the Hubble telescope? You want to get impressed, take a look at those. God did that. Do you think anything you wear impresses Him?

But that’s not really it either. There are a lot of criminals, thugs, evil people sometimes found in every level of the castes. The poor have their share of evil just as much as the upper crust. The top tiers can often hide their evil a little better by doing so in the name of corporate investment, saving for future retirement, creating jobs by satisfying personal indulgences, and other such disguises.

But God sees our heart. Jesus talks about a servant heart. Do we serve self or do we serve others and in so doing serve God? That’s what real life is about. God created us to live in community and gave each of us different skill sets so we would be interdependent. We can get along with just a handful of people around us. But we thrive when we give our talents to others and let them give their talents in service to us. When we are interdependent, amazing things can happen. It’s like Proverbs says, a rope of three cords is not easily broken. We really do need each other.

So Jesus tells us it’s the servant’s heart in us that takes us to the top of God’s list. The problem with the wealthy, the power hungry, those seeking position more than anything else, they loose sight of what it means to have a servant’s heart and want to be served instead. Jesus turned it around and the leaders didn’t understand. It didn’t make sense to them because they bought into the world’s rhetoric.

Don’t let the world trap you into it’s idea of success. It doesn’t work. It won’t get you a seat on the bus to heaven. If you want to make it into God’s kingdom, learn to be a servant and practice every day. Practice makes perfect.

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.

Top billing? Be careful what you ask for (Matthew 20:21-23) May 9, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Exodus 21-24

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 20:21-23
Jesus: What do you want?
Zebedee’s Wife: When the kingdom of God is made manifest, I want one of my boys, James and John, to sit at Your right hand, and one to sit at Your left hand.
Jesus (to all three): You don’t understand what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink? Can you be ritually washed in baptism just as I have been baptized?
Zebedee Brothers: Of course!
Jesus: Yes, you will drink from My cup, and yes, you will be baptized as I have been. But the thrones to My right and My left are not Mine to grant. My Father has already given those seats to those for whom they were created.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Do you ever crave that center of attention spot? When I got to my first assignment as a brand new Second Lieutenant, I thought, “It must be great to be a company commander and set your own schedule.” See, I had 27 additional duties in my first assignment along with the responsibilities of my real assignment of medical platoon leader in an infantry battalion. So my calendar seemed full. It seemed like I was going to someone else’s meeting two or three times a day. I never seemed to have enough time to do the training I wanted to do with my medical platoon.

Then I became a company commander. And I thought, “Boy, it must be great to be a battalion command and set your own schedule.” See, as a company commander, it seemed I was going to someone else’s meeting four or five times a day. I never had the time I wanted to spend with my company training them to do their mission on the battlefield.

Then I became a battalion commander. And I thought, "Boy, it must be great to be a Second Lieutenant blind to the fact that you have so much time of your own to spend with your soldiers teaching them to work as a team and do their job. I finally figured out (I’m a slow learner sometimes) the higher you go, the less time is your own. The more demands others make of you. The spot light is a pretty lonely place to be and you don’t have much control when you’re in that spot.

As a colonel, I’d come into a room full of my subordinates chatting away with each other about all sorts of things business and personal and as soon as I walked through the door, you could hear a pin drop. It’s not that I wasn’t approachable. Those that got to know me, knew I was pretty personable. But getting time on my calendar to get to know me was pretty hard sometimes. And people were afraid they might say the wrong thing and destroy their career because for many of them in the room, I was their senior rater. That meant changing a few descriptive words on an evaluation or a point or two difference in a rating could make the difference between getting promoted to the next grade. It’s an imperfect military and government system, but the one millions of employees, military and civilian are stuck with. So they were afraid to approach me and just chat.

I’ll have to admit, in my younger days, I wanted those power positions. Commander sounded so nice. But when in the position and you have the life of soldiers in your hand because of the decisions you make, it’s not so much fun. Some of those soldiers you send into battle never come home and those letters are really hard to write. They are tear-stained before they get into the envelop because those soldiers become your family.

I’m not sure James’ and John’s mother understood that about being in the limelight #1. And #2, the positions were not Jesus’ to give. As the Son of Man, He had no authority to name the people who sat on the seats around the Father’s throne. As the glorified Son of God He might, but He wasn’t in that position yet. Besides, He explained those positions were already promised. But then He talks about the difficulty of those top positions.

I’ve been in some of those top positions in the Army. Never as a general and I so very glad I stopped before I got there. I worked with lots of generals throughout my career and watched their lives, or lack thereof. I thought my calendars were full sometimes. They had no life. Sometimes people envied them all the travel, the special treatment they receive in meetings, the perks of being a general. I learned about those perks in some of my jobs. We put the right pen and the right paper and the right drink at the right place at the table. The temperature was just right and the right chair was at his or her spot. The lighting was just right and the screens had no glare from the general’s seat. But these were not perks. We did that because as soon as the general sat down, his total focus was on the work ahead for the next thirty or sixty or ninety minutes. We didn’t want anything to distract his thoughts because another meeting that needed his total focus was happening immediately after that one and that room had exactly the right pen and paper and drink and chair and light and… so as soon as he sat down his total focus was on the work at hand.

Perks? When you wake up in another motel room at 5:30 in the morning and don’t remember what city you’re in today because all the motel rooms start to look alike, travel is not fun. You know someone will be at your door thirty minutes later and whisk you off to breakfast, which will be a business breakfast and the day will run non-stop meeting after meeting until they plant you on another plane or in your motel room after your dinner business meeting at 8:30 that night. Then you get to answer the 300 emails in your inbox before you go to sleep. Perks at the top? Be careful what you ask for. You just might get it. 

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.

We are going to Jerusalem (Matthew 20:18-19) May 8, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Corinthians 6-8

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 20:18-19
Jesus: We are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the teachers of the law. He will be condemned to death, and the priests and teachers will turn Him over to the Romans, who will mock Him and flog Him and crucify Him. But on the third day, He will be raised from the dead to new resurrected life.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We are going to Jerusalem. Jesus knew what would happen there. He laid it out in pretty clear terms to His disciples. No pulled punches. Betrayal. Condemnation. Beatings and floggings. Crucifixion. But also hope and victory. By the time He got to the raising from the dead part, I’m not sure His disciples were listening any more. I’m not sure I would be if this were the speech I was hearing at the time.

We are going to Jerusalem. Let’s go there so I can die! All you guys who have been following Me to see My kingdom come to fruition, watch Me go to the seat of our religious power and hang on a cross. Sound like a good idea to you? Oh, by the way, betrayal, that means one of you will be part of a conspiracy against Me. Which one of you wants to fill that role? Okay, pack your bags. Let’s hit the road. Let’s whistle a happy tune and get going.

What did He just say? That sounds like fun, doesn’t it?

Two things that are important for us to think about today and emulate in our walk with Him. First, Jesus knew His path and steadfastly took it. Even though He knew what was coming, Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem and went. He knew His mission ended in Jerusalem and He had to go. He knew He would die there. He knew He would face pain, torture, ridicule, death, but those did not deter Him because He knew God’s plan for Him meant going to Jerusalem and nothing would stop Him from taking the path God laid out for Him. He set His face toward Jerusalem. We are going to Jerusalem. That was it. No question about it. Done deal.

So, the question I have for you today is, Do you know what God wants you to do? If so, are you so determined to fulfill it that nothing will stand in your way to complete it? Jesus knew what completing His mission entailed. It meant betrayal, condemnation, torture, and death. But despite the obstacles that Satan put in His path, Jesus knew His mission would not fail because it was not His plan but His Father’s.

When we know God’s plan and get to it, nothing can stop it. We can boldly move toward the culmination of God’s plan even when it looks impossible. See, God works in the realm of the impossible. He takes our efforts and fills that gap between what we can do and what He plans and makes the impossible happen when He wants His plans completed.

The second thing we should learn from Jesus’ words today, let’s look at the words again. We are going to Jerusalem. We are going. You can’t get anywhere without taking those first steps. The old Chinese proverb says, the longest journey begins with the first step. It’s true with God’s missions for our lives. We might know what God wants us to do. But until we take that first step, we will never get it completed. We have to get up off our best intentions and get moving.

Jesus made a declaration to His disciples. It was not a question or a request. He made a statement and then set out doing it. You have to get up and move accomplish God’s will, not necessarily literally, but most of the time, literally. But always you have to do something. More often that not, that something will be service to others. Helping in some way. Doing something to show others God’s love, grace, and mercy.

Will there be difficult times when we serve others? Absolutely. Serving others is messy business. Getting involved in people’s lives is tough. It’s never easy, but the rewards are great. So what’s stopping you? Do you question what God wants you to do or where He wants you to go? I’ve had that problem at times. So what do you do then? Just work where you are. Maybe God has you exactly where He wants you. So just do something where you are. Maybe it’s not the distance you need to travel, but the service you need to perform in the very spot you’re standing.

So there it is. Jesus says, “We are going to Jerusalem.” So figure out what God’s plan is, get on board and just go do it. It’s really that simple. Is it always easy? No. But God will be with you every step of the way. He’s promised never to leave us or forsake us. So just take that first step and see where your journey leads.

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.

The peace God gives (Matthew 20:1-16) May 7, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Luke 1-2

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 20:1-16
Jesus: The kingdom of heaven is like a wealthy landowner who got up early in the morning and went out, first thing, to hire workers to tend his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a day’s wage for the day’s work. The workers headed to the vineyard while the landowner headed home to deal with some paperwork. About three hours later, he went back to the marketplace. He saw some unemployed men standing around with nothing to do.
Landowner: Do you need some work? Go over to my vineyard and join the crew there. I’ll pay you well.
So off they went to join the crew at the vineyard. About three hours later, and then three hours after that, the landowner went back to the market and saw another crew of men and hired them, too, sending them off to his vineyard and promising to pay them well. Then finally late in the afternoon, at the cusp of night, the landowner walked again through the marketplace, and he saw other workers still standing around.
Landowner: Why have you been standing here all day, doing nothing?
Workers: Because no one has hired us.
Landowner: Well, you should go over to my vineyard and work.
And off the workers went. When quitting time arrived, the landowner called to his foreman.
Landowner: Pay the workers their day’s wages, beginning with the workers I hired most recently and ending with the workers who have been here all day.
So the workers who had been hired just a short while before came to the foreman, and he paid them each a day’s wage. Then other workers who had arrived during the day were paid, each of them a day’s wage. Finally, the workers who’d been toiling since early morning came thinking they’d be paid more, but the foreman paid each of them a day’s wage. As they received their pay, this last group of workers began to protest.
First Workers: We’ve been here since the crack of dawn! And you’re paying us the exact same wage you paid the crew that just showed up. We deserve more than they do. We’ve been slogging in the heat of the sun all day—these others haven’t worked nearly as long as we have!
The landowner heard these protests.
Landowner (to a worker): Friend, no one has been wronged here today. This isn’t about what you deserve. You agreed to work for a day’s wage, did you not? So take your money and go home. I can give my money to whomever I please, and it pleases me to pay everyone the same amount of money. Do you think I don’t have the right to dispose of my money as I wish? Or does my generosity somehow prick at you?
And that is your picture: The last will be first and the first will be last.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Some of you might get a little perturbed at Jesus’ story. He’s talking about heaven being like this landowner and those that get in at the last minute getting the same reward as those that worked for the kingdom all their lives. Does that sound fair? Is that right? Is that justice? Do you want to shake your fist at God and shout at Him for His injustice? That’s what some of those around Jesus wanted to do. But God does what God wants to do. It’s His plan.

I’ve given this a little thought since I read Jesus’ words and began to think about what to put into this devotional. And one of the things these workers didn’t think about and what we don’t think about when we first look at this story is the privilege of being in the kingdom, working for God for longer periods of time, the earlier we come to Him. Sometimes we forget that we enjoy a little taste of heaven here on earth as soon as we invite Him into our heart and give Him lordship over our life.

That’s one of the points of Jesus’ message as He share with people. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. It’s here. You can enjoy it now. Remember His promise that His legacy is peace? It’s not the absence of war between nations Jesus talks about, but the absence of war between God and us. Peace in our heart because He has forgiven our sins and we are right with Him. What is that kind of peace worth? Isn’t living with peace in our heart every day in this life worth something? Isn’t that a just reward for giving our heart to God earlier in life and not living under the guilt and pressure of sin every day of our life until we final say yes to His will?

To live that extra 10 or 20 or 50 years without the guilt of sin, certainly has its own reward. To have the privilege of working in God’s vineyard and feel the joy of watching one more person come to know Him as their Lord carries a priceless value. To be part of building God’s kingdom for the years He allows us to labor for Him cannot be viewed as hard labor in a field with no reward, it has tremendous value in its own right. We just need to stop and remember what God gives us during those extra years He allows us to engage in the work of building His kingdom.

He created us to care for His creation. When we don’t do that, somehow I get the feeling we we just will never be content. But when we work in His fields, building His kingdom, doing the work He plans for us, I think we enjoy that peace only He can give. The internal reward of a job well done. Don’t worry about what the other guy gets. The peace God gives on the journey with Him pays every single moment we live in His presence. 

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.

Can you imagine what it will be like? (Matthew 19:28-30) May 6, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Jeremiah 32-36

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 19:28-30
Jesus: I tell you this. When creation is consummated and all things are renewed, when the Son of Man sits on His throne in glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on thrones. There will be twelve thrones, and you will sit and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. You who have left your house and your fields, or your brothers and sisters, or your father and mother, or even your children in order to follow Me, at that time when all is renewed, you will receive so much more: you will receive 100 times what you gave up. You will inherit eternal life. Many of those who are the first will be last, and those who are the last will be first.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I’m currently teaching a Sunday School class on Romans as I put together these podcasts on the words of Jesus. And as I came to Jesus’ words today, I can’t help but put the two together again. Jesus tells the disciples what will happen when creation is consummated and all things are renewed. It reminds me of Pauls words in Romans chapter eight: “Now I’m sure of this: the sufferings we endure now are not even worth comparing to the glory that is coming and will be revealed in us. For all of creation is waiting, yearning for the time when the children of God will be revealed. You see, all of creation has collapsed into emptiness, not by its own choosing, but by God’s. Still He placed within it a deep and abiding hope that creation would one day be liberated from its slavery to corruption and experience the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that all creation groans in unison with birthing pains up until now. And there is more; it’s not just creation—all of us are groaning together too. Though we have already tasted the first-fruits of the Spirit, we are longing for the total redemption of our bodies that comes when our adoption as children of God is complete—for we have been saved in this hope and for this future.”

Paul talks about the birthing pains of the earth and Jesus talks about the consummation of creation. Both point to the same event–the end of this age and the beginning of eternity. Evil will finally be conquered by the return of Jesus and the destruction of all we know with the creation of a new heaven and new earth as John reports in his Revelation. I sometimes wonder what that new creation will be like, don’t you?

Through my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to a lot of places through the years. Some of them I don’t wish to see again, quite frankly, but everywhere I go, there is always a different kind of beauty in the countryside. The monstrosities we build and the pollution we bring to nature doesn’t do much for the landscape, but the world is a beautiful place. Even my native land is filled with wondrous sights I have yet to explore that I hope to some day.

You’ve probably seen pictures of some of the places I’m talking about. The Grand Canyons, the seacoasts in Maine, Washington, California, Florida, the Outer Banks. The meandering Mississippi River as it flows into the delta in Louisiana and on out into the Gulf of Mexico. Or the badlands in the Dakotas, the wild mountains of Colorado and the tree covered mountains of the Smokies in the East. There are hundreds more places of beauty I could talk about in this country alone. Then multiply that by the enchanting scenes of thousands more around the globe.

Now think about the fact that we live in a broken, corrupted, polluted, sin-scarred world that has collapsed into emptiness awaiting to be revealed when creation is consummated, completed, renewed by the final battle of good against evil. Imagine with all the beauty of this world, what the next one must be like, well, maybe you can’t. I know I can’t. I’ve seen some great things here, so what will the new heaven and new earth be like?

But all creation awaits it. The earth groans like a woman in birthing pains. Can you sense it? Take a look at the news reports and listen to the birthing pains of creation. The earthquakes, the famines, the wild storms, the inexplicable changes happening all around us. Some will try to explain it all away as man’s doing. In a way it is, but it’s not our fossil fuel use. It started with Adam’s fall and has gotten worse ever since. But God made a plan to complete creation, to renew it.

Those who follow Jesus will be a part of this renewed creation. We will experience this new heaven and new earth. As beautiful as this one is in some parts, the next will have no damaged parts. And all creation longs for it. All creation awaits that day. All creation looks for the day when God’s children will be revealed so we can once again be the caretakers of God’s beautiful gardens, His creation, His wonders and glorious kingdom. Can you imagine what it will be like? 

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.

Nothing is impossible (Matthew 19:26) May 5, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 35-36

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 19:26
Jesus: People cannot save themselves. But with God, all things are possible.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We sure try to save ourselves, though, don’t we? We try to buy our way into heaven by giving tokens of material goods. We think if we give enough to a church and get our name on a pew or the wing of church or maybe on the wing of a hospital it will earn us that spot in the kingdom. It’s kind of foolish to think that way, though. Take a look around. How much would it cost to buy the ocean and everything in it? That belongs to God, so does your wing of the hospital impress Him?

Do you know how much gold has been dug out of the earth? If you’ve never thought about it, it’s not quite enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool. That’s all. Men have been pulling gold out of the ground for centuries and that’s all they’ve found. So how much of that Olympic swimming pool sized lump of gold do you own? Do you think that impresses God? I guess not. So buying your way, just can’t save you, can it. There’s nothing you can give God in material goods that could impress Him.

So how about something you could do. Is it some good deed you could do that could get you into heaven? What could it be? What act could you perform that could impress God enough to win your salvation? The answer is nothing. He has seen it all and people have tried everything to try to assauge the guilt of sin they carry with them from their youth. No one has found the cure in good works. Every prophet, every preacher, every priest has talked about it. When you compare what we can do with what God can do, what can we do that would impress Him? Again, the answer is nothing.

We try hard. We do all kinds of things to make up for our past, to atone for our sins, but those actions just don’t do enough. You see, nothing we do can clean up the darkness in our heart. We can’t create light in the darkness. Oh, we can strike a match, but that ’s a chemical reaction, it doesn’t actual create something. We can’t create something out of nothing. Only God can do that. We always start with basic ingredients.

So Jesus starts with this basic premise, this indisputable fact that we try to dispute, people cannot save themselves. We have tried throughout the centuries to prove Him wrong, but no one has, because we can’t. We are not God. We are far from it. We wouldn’t know where to begin to make ourselves pure enough to be in God’s holy presence, but we try…unsuccessfully.

God abhors sin. It sometimes amazes me that He pays any attention to us at all in our sinful state. We separate ourselves so far from His holy, perfect, pure state in our sin, yet He wants to bring us back into His presence. In fact, He puts in place an impossible plan. A God-sized plan to bring us back. He takes all His mighty energy and smashed Himself into the form of a tiny human baby, the likeness of sinful man, and lived among us for thirty years to become the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

He did what we could not do for ourselves. He acted in a way none of us could because we are sinners. He paid what we could not pay. He did the impossible. Because He is the God of the impossible, He can save us. Because He can speak and create light out of darkness, He can save us from ourselves. Because God can speak and spark life from death, He can bring life to us and grant us eternal life even though we don’t deserve it. Because God has creative power, He can do the impossible. Even bringing us, sinful man, into His holy presence.

How does God do it? I don’t understand it. I only know that He gave His Son, Himself wrapped in flesh, as the sacrifice for the atonement for our sins. I only know that when we exercise our faith in Him as that sacrifice and ask for His forgiveness, He grants it because of His infinite grace and mercy. I only know that because of His love for us He does God-sized things when He forgives us of our sins and makes us right with Him so we can come into His presence covered by the blood of His sacrifice on the cross. How does it work? It’s impossible for my finite mind to grasp the wonder of it all, I’m just glad it does.

I’m just glad that when I cannot save myself, nothing is impossible for God and He shows it by rescuing me from a life of sin. He’ll do the same for you if you ask 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.

Where is your treasure? (Matthew 19:23-24) May 4, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 51-53

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 19:23-24
Jesus: This is the truth: it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We’re taught our whole life to become self-sufficient. Learn how to take care of yourself. You don’t need anyone. Don’t depend on anyone else because they’ll let you don’t. Learn to do everything yourself so you don’t need anyone else. Get everything you can because someone will try to take everything you have. Be careful of everyone; they’re all shysters after your treasure.If they have it you don’t, so go after it.

We hear a lot of stuff.

We even hear that the wealthy are happy. They’re the ones that have it made. But if that’s so, why is the suicide rate highest among those above the average income mark? Why is it that it’s the rich that spend the most time in with the gastroenterologist because of ulcers due to stress? Why is it the wealthy that never seem to have enough? Rockefeller put it best when one day a reporter asked him how much more money he really needed. He answered, just one more dollar. Think about that answer just a second if it didn’t strike you on the head the first time.

See the rich can find themselves thinking they don’t need anything else. They can get food by spending money for it. They can get medical care by spending money. They can get clothing and a nice home with their treasure. They can even get more treasure with their treasure. Interest on investments is really fascinating. If you put $1,000 in a good fund when you child is born and leave it there. Good funds will average about 12% a year return over the long haul. So by the time your child goes to college at 18, that $1,000 is worth $8,578. Now that doesn’t sound like much, but remember, you haven’t done anything but put that thousand dollars in an account and left it there, right. But watch what happens if you leave it there until your child retires in another 50 years at age 68. That $1,000 just became $3,359,239.80. Remember, you didn’t do anything to it except leave it alone.

That’s why insurance companies are so happy to sell you life insurance when you’re young. You buy a $500,000 policy for $25 or $30 a month, they bet you live a long time. They invest the money into good stocks and bonds and when they pay your estate the $500,000, they keep the rest. Sometimes they have to pay early and lose money, but their actuary tables are pretty good. That’s why there are a lot of insurance companies and a lot of the CEOs drive big cars and have big houses.

So lots of companies make more money from their investments than they do their products. And many of their senior executives get the idea they don’t need anything or anyone. They have it made with their yatchs and servants and multiple houses and jets and what they think is everything. But most can’t say they are happy because they don’t have the most important thing. Like Solomon, they try it all. They try everything under the sun and find it all vanity, useless, meaningless.

The rich young man who came to Jesus found that true when Jesus told him he still lacked one thing. He kept six of the ten commandments, but failed to keep the first four because his wealth had become more important to him than the Almighty. The young man put his confidence in the things he could touch instead of the God he could only believe. The consequence? The verse before today’s said he went away sad because he was very wealthy.

Jesus says it’s hard for the wealthy to find their way to heaven because they find it hard to let go. They forget the material things of life are meaningless. The world tells us they are so important. We work so hard and at some point we have enough to retire and enjoy the remainder of life in some semblance of rest. But it doesn’t work. We can’t take any of it with us. And when our health runs out near the end of life, what good are all those things? Solomon talks about those days when sounds are muffled and sight is dimmed. Life drags on until we take our last breath. It happens to the poor and it happens to the rich.

The rich think they can prolong life by searching out the right doctor, the right medicines, the right elixir, the right cure. They can’t. Only God knows the day or the time your last breath will come and nothing you can do can change that. Your riches or your poverty cannot change the number of your days. God gives us those days and He can take them away. He allows us to be stewards of His property. He can also take that away just as quickly as well. Ask the executives at Enron. They thought they were invincible. It took just a few words in the right place and their empire came crashing down.

It’s all His, give it to Him, He lets us enjoy it while we’re here, but don’t hang on too tightly. You might begin to think like the young man who went away sad. He thought he was wealthy. But was he really? Where is your treasure?

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.

Give it up! (Matthew 19:18-21) May 3, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Samuel 5-9

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 19:18-21
Jesus: Well, to begin with, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Young Man: I’ve kept those Commandments faithfully. What else do I need to do?
Jesus: If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give all your money to the poor; then you will have treasure in heaven. And then come, follow Me.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Isn’t it just like us? The young man, I mean. Jesus explains in pretty simple terms what he needs to do to be assured of eternal life. He explains all he needs to do is obey God’s commands. So what does the young man do? He retorts with, “Well, which commands in particular? I really don’t have to keep them all, do I? Just tell me the most important one so I can concentrate on those. Give me the cliff notes so I don’t have to study so hard and let me just keep the one or two commands that are most important to God, okay?”

We do that in school. Hey teacher, just give us the answers to the test. Let us study those so we don’t have to learn all those principles and facts. Don’t make us waste our time learning all that stuff, just give us the answers so we can get the grade we need to pass. Or how about at work. Hey boss, what if we take some shortcuts on this project. No one will know. It’s all covered up by the time we’re done. No one will know we skipped some steps or used inferior parts. It will save us time and save you some money. What do you think? We want everything now. We want great success, but we don’t want to work for it.

We do the same thing in our relationships skipping in and out of marriages. Throwing away relationships like they have no affect on us or those around us. We want the short version so we don’t get locked into anything too deeply. We do it with our prayer life, our devotions, our Bible study.

Jesus doesn’t let the young man get away with that philosophy. The young man asks, “Which commandments in particular must I keep?” Jesus starts His answer knowing the conversation will continue. “Well, let’s start with the last six of the ten commandments and see how you do. Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself, that is do not covet.”

I can see the young man puff out his chest and stick out his chin as he gives his answer to Jesus. “I’ve kept all those commandments since my youth. What else do I need to do?” He knew deep in his heart there was something wrong. He hadn’t made the cut yet. He knew he didn’t have the keys to the gate yet. That’s an important point for us to see. We know if we are right with God. We don’t have to guess. We can examine our heart and know if we are bound for heaven or not.

On with our story. Jesus knew the young man’s problem wasn’t in lying or stealing or committing murder or not respecting his parents or adultery. He even knew the young man loved his neighbors. But the young man had a problem. Something got in his way in his relationship with God. Notice Jesus didn’t mention the first four commandments when He talked about keeping the commandments. He knew the young man’s answer would have been the same as it was for the last six, but Jesus knew the young man’s heart. So Jesus probed into his inner being and put His finger on the thing that had become the young man’s god.

Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give all your money to the poor; then you will have treasure in heaven. And then come, follow Me.” Ouch! Things had become the young man’s god. Had Jesus asked if he obeyed the first four, no doubt, the young man would answer in the affirmative, just like we would. But when Jesus put His finger on the young man’s real god, the thing that mattered most to him, he saw what kept him from attaining eternal life.

The sad commentary that follows is copy for too many of our generation. Matthew says the young man went away sad because he was very wealthy indeed. You say, “But I’m not wealthy, money and things are not my god.” Then let me ask a couple of questions. Do you substitute sports for devotion to God. Do you substitute your lawn or upkeep on your house for devotion to God? Do you substitute your house for devotion to God? Are you kids extracurricular activities more important than your devotion to God?

What does your heart tell you when you ask yourself those questions? Only you and God know the answer. You can put on the airs of the young man who spoke to Jesus and everyone around you will think everything is in order and you’re on your way to heaven. But you know what God thinks. Is it time to find an altar and put all your possessions there? God accepts nothing less. But then, it’s His anyway, we’re just His temporary stewards.

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.

Only One is good (Matthew 19:17) May 2, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Exodus 17-20

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 19:17
Jesus: Strange that you should ask Me what is good. There is only One who is good. If you want to participate in His divine life, obey the Commandments.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We talk a lot today about tolerance. We tolerate different religions, we tolerate all forms of education, we tolerate every political view, we tolerate gender identities. We seem to tolerate just about anything that comes along. I think there’s something wrong with that when I read Jesus’ words in Matthew 19. Yes, we need to tolerate people and have compassion on them. But no where do I see Jesus tolerating behavior that runs contradictory to God’s commandments.

This young man found himself in a world similar to ours. At this point in Rome’s history, their citizens’ primary goal seemed focused on personal pleasure. They engaged in the most base practices to satisfy those desires. Crowds visited the Collosium to watch men slaughter each other. Crucifixions gathered crowds just to view the spectacle of horror and agony endured by other men. Sensuality and sexual exploitation even became part of the temple worship of their gods to legitimize the evil acts they sought to satisfy their sensual desires.

Nothing seemed beyond limits of what the Romans and by association, what the surrounding nations would do to appease their growing demand for something that would satisfy the fleshly desires that continued to demand greater and greater action for an equally sensual response. So the young man comes to Jesus and asks, “What good deed can I do to assure myself of eternal life?”

I’m especially fascinated by Jesus’ answer now. Our vocabulary turns everything around. Gay meant happy when I was growing up, not sexually attracted to the same gender. Bad meant the opposite of good, yet today people refer to something as bad meaning it’s high quality music. We have screwed up our language and our meanings so much that no one understands what anyone else is talking about. It’s no wonder we can’t communicate any more. We abuse the English language to an extent we don’t know what good and bad mean any more.

Jesus clears it up. There is only One who is good. Do what He says to do. He’s the judge. Obey His commandments. I don’t see much tolerance in Jesus’ words there. I don’t see Him saying, “Well, you can follow anyone that sounds like he’s succeeding in the world.” It doesn’t sound like Jesus advocates, “Just do what feels good.”

I don’t think Jesus meant to say, “Any religion works as long as you’re sincere in your belief.” Jesus’ words come out pretty straight forward and remarkably clear. God is good. Do what He says if you want assurance of eternal life. That’s the only way to get it. There’s not other path, nothing you can pay, no spells you can cast, nothing else you can do. Just obey what He tells you to do. Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it?

We make it difficult because we don’t like His commands. We don’t want to follow His rules. He says take control of your body. Stop satisfying those fleshly desires in evil ways. Instead listen to what He says and He will satisfy the desires of your soul, but in ways that meet His requirements and in ways that keep you pure and holy. God will get you through this life without yielding to the temptations that Satan sets in front of you. He will let you tap into the same resurrection power that raised His Son, Jesus, from the dead.

We make it difficult because we want to find some easier way to get to heaven. We think there’s some other judge out there that will give us a different set of rules that let us off the hook and let us do what we want instead of what God wants. There is not.

We make it difficult because we want our way. We think we are smarter than God and want the baubles the world flashes in front of us assuming them permanent decorations, when none of those things last. Most of them don’t even last through our lifetime, much less through eternity. We just don’t want to accept that God’s way is the only way to gain eternal life.

But until we realize the truth of Jesus’ words, “There is only One who is good. Listen to His words, obey His commands. Eternal life is the reward for those who do.” Until we recognize that truth, we will continue to traipse down dead-end paths wasting time and effort for nothing. There is no other way to God than through Jesus, the Son of the living God. As He told us so many centuries ago, He is the truth, the life, and the way. No one comes to the Father except through 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.