Tag Archives: Matthew

Yes and no (Matthew 5:33-37) January 15, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Isaiah 12-17

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 5:33-37
Jesus: You know that God expects us to abide by the oaths we swear and the promises we make. But I tell you this: do not ever swear an oath. What is an oath? You cannot say, “I swear by heaven”—for heaven is not yours to swear by; it is God’s throne. And you cannot say, “I swear by this good earth,” for the earth is not yours to swear by; it is God’s footstool. And you cannot say, “I swear by the holy city Jerusalem,” for it is not yours to swear by; it is the city of God, the capital of the King of kings. You cannot even say that you swear by your own head, for God has dominion over your hands, your lips, your head. It is He who determines if your hair be straight or curly, white or black; it is He who rules over even this small scrap of creation. You need not swear an oath—any impulse to do so is of evil. Simply let your “yes” be “yes,” and let your “no” be “no.”

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The election year will start up in earnest now. Candidates with spew their rhetoric across the airwaves and meet with thousands to vow what they will do if we will just put them in office. Well, we’re on president number 45. None have kept their vows yet. Should we expect number 46 to keep his or hers? I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to hold my breath. If I were a betting man, I’d bet none of them will keep their promises.

It’s important to God, though. He says so in these words. When we make an oath He expects us to keep it. But more than that, He expects our simple yes to mean yes and our simple no to mean no. But we’ve gotten really good at double-speak. Have you noticed? Just add enough words and you talk yourself into or out of just about anything. Instead, Jesus says use fewer words, get your point across, and mean what you say.

A lot of our problem in making promises is we do so about things we have no control over. Just stop and think about what you really control. You don’t control the weather, and how does that affect promises you might make to someone? You don’t control traffic, and how does that affect your promises? You don’t control the finacial state of the country, so how will that affect your promises? You don’t really control your own health except to a very small extent by what you eat, the sleep you get, and the exercise you do. So how will you health affect the promises you’ve made?

You certainly can’t control anyone else’s actions or emotions. You might think you can, but people really can do exactly what they want to do. They can refuse to take your directions. They might suffer severe consequences as a result, but they can choose to accept those consequences instead of doing what you say. When you think about it, you really have control of very little. And you can make promises only about the things that you can really control. So…

Jesus really makes sense when He says don’t make oaths. You might not be able to keep them and then your reputation suffers for it. You’ve heard the addage, “Let your word be your bond.” Today, we need hundred-page contracts because as a society too many of us have proven our word is not our bond anymore. Jesus says if you’re going to follow Him, you better start letting your word mean as much as those contracts again. He’s serious about keeping promises. Look at the promises He’s kept. They start in Genesis when He promised Man would crush the serpant’s head. He looked ahead to the cross and saw His victory over sin as He gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for us.

God has never broken a promise He has made. His word is full of them. Some He’s completed for His chosen people. Some are waiting for those who follow Him. Some await the end of time when He comes to take His bride home with Him for eternity. But God has and will never break His promises. We wants us to follow in His footsteps and do the same. “Simply let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and let your ‘no’ be ‘no.’”

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.

Jesus really did talk about divorce (Matthew 5:31-32) January 14, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 3-4

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 5:31-32
Jesus: And here is something else: you have read in Deuteronomy that anyone who divorces his wife must do so fairly—he must give her the requisite certificate of divorce and send her on her way, free and unfettered. But I tell you this: unless your wife cheats on you, you must not divorce her, period. Nor are you to marry someone who has been married and divorces, for a divorced person who remarries commits adultery.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

These are tough words for our society where the divorce rate soars around 50 percent. In fact, last year the divorce rate in our churches exceeded that of the unchurched. Partly because the unchurch decide not to marry and just live together, but what an indictment against the church. How do we let that happen in light of Jesus’ words? Did we forget what He said?

We have made divorce so easy and told ourselves that divorce is okay so we just throw relationships out the window when we get tired of them. God never intended them to be that way. He let us know that when He was here with us.

You might say, “We have progressed beyond those archaic rules. No one should have to stay in a relationship in which you are not happy.” I would tell you that God is a lot smarter than we are. Jesus said those words to a crowd in which marriages were arranged. Your parents told you who you would marry and you didn’t have much choice in the matter. Still the Lord of life says, don’t divorce.

The reason is relationships take work and are built by unselfishly giving to your spouse. Marriage isn’t about compromise. Spouses that go into a marriage with a 50/50 attitude never make it. Marriage is about being all in. It starts with an oath before God that you will love, honor, cherish, support, protect, do all those things …and most of the vows include that little phrase until death do us part.

So how does divorce get into the picture? Someone does something you don’t like and we jump out? Someone hurts our feelings so we quit? Someone doesn’t give us the sprinkles on our ice cream so we pout and cry and decide we’re done? It all goes back to one or both partners wanting more for themselves than for the other partner instead of giving themselves to the relationship.

Jesus saw through divorce for what it was. Selfishness in the relationship that God can fix and only He can fix. You think it will get better in another relationship? Not until you fix the selfishness you took with you into the first one. Why do you think 75 percent of second marriages end in divorce? Why do 90 percent of third marriages end in divorce? The reason is usually staring at you in the mirror. The reason is the self-centeredness that plagues the relationship on one or both parts.

Am I condoning staying in an abusive relationship? Absolutely not! But here’s the problem. A person that chooses an abusive spouse the first time very often chooses an abusive partner the second or third or fourth time. Stay in the relationship? No. Free yourself from the abuse and get help. But stay single. Don’t look for more trouble. Let God be your partner and don’t put yourself back into those abusive situations. You’ve already shown yourself you don’t choose well. Don’t exacerbate the problem.

Does that advice make me a terrible person? I don’t think so. It makes me a practical person having watched so many children suffer pain and agony of broken homes, abusive second and third step-parents. Children especially get lost in the relationships and the parents’ selfish desires to just be with anyone. Don’t do it. At least get the kids grown and out of the house before you think about finding that next mate. You’ll thank me for the advice some day.

But let’s go back to Jesus’ words. If you’re divorced, God forgives. He doesn’t like it. He wants relationships to thrive, but He forgives the past. If you’re married, work as hard as you can to keep your relationship growing. It takes both of you, but it’s worth the work. If you’re in a relationship, dating, thinking about marriage, pray hard. Make the right choice. Remember God expects you to marry for life, not for convenience.

These might be words we want to skip over and pretend Jesus didn’t say them, but He did. We have to contend with them even in our society in which divorce is rampant. Marriage is only a convenience for many. Vows mean little or nothing for too many that stand before an altar. Remember marriage was an institution created by God and He set the rules. When we abide by them, marriage works well. When we don’t, expect to suffer the consequences that come with 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.

Good advice from the One who knows (Matthew 5:27-30) January 13, 2015

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 3-5

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 5:27-30
Jesus: As you know, long ago God forbade His people to commit adultery. You may think you have abided by this Commandment, walked the straight and narrow, but I tell you this: any man who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery in his heart. If your right eye leads you into sin, gouge it out and throw it in the garbage—for better you lose one part of your body than march your entire body through the gates of sin and into hell. And if your right hand leads you into sin, cut it off and throw it away—for better you lose one part of your body than march your entire body through the gates of sin and into hell.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We don’t like these words today. A lot of us would just as soon skip over this part of the Sermon on the Mount and pretend Jesus never said these things. But He did. So what do we do about them? Barna Group surveys show that adultery in the church happens about as often as adultery outside the church. The media says it’s okay. In fact, our culture seems to encourage sexual experimentation before marriage and out of marital relationships.

Our culture wants us to believe it’s okay, to engage in pre-marital and extra-marital affairs. No harm done to any parties involved. Or so they say. Look around at our society and it’s easy to see the damage, though. Broken homes, damaged and castaway children. Emotional wreckage along the pathway of life because we think it’s okay to disregard Jesus’ words.

And just like with His discourse about murder, Jesus starts with a behavior that we know will disrupt the fabric of a healthy and wholesome society and reminds us that behavior doesn’t come from pure instinct within the framework of the human creation. We have a choice in our behavior, our actions spring from thought, not pure base instinct as in other animals. We can decide to act differently. We can choose behavior that glorifies God and keeps the norms of society on a higher plane.

So the act of adultery doesn’t just happen. One must decide to engage in adulterous behavior. But the thought generates from lust long before the full blown thought of sexual engagement with another, just like the act and thought of murder simmers and grows from the germ of separateness and envy and anger.

And what is the germ of lust? Wanting something you don’t have. It’s that selfish motive that says, I want something that doesn’t belong to me…no matter the consequences. It gets back to the same motive Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden. They decided they knew better than God. Lust is the same way. I disregard what God knows is best and decide I know what is best for my life. I want to satisfy my desires the way I want them satisfied despite the consequences.

The consequences always show up. Sooner or later, you reap what you sow. Remember the story of king David and Bathsheba? He saw her bathing from his rooftop and decided he would take her even though he knew it was wrong. She got pregnant. David tried to get Uriah home from the war to pass the child off as his. But Uriah didn’t go home. The stakes get worse. David’s lust leads to murder as he sends Uriah into the heart of the battle and has Joab abandon him. Then David tries to cover his sin by doing an honorable thing…marrying the poor hero’s widow to make sure she is taken care of the rest of her life.

The people bought the ploy. God didn’t. Bathsheba’s child died. David’s son raped his half-sister. Then his daughter’s brother, killed his half-brother in revenge. His avenging son tries to take the throne and is killed in battle against David’s army. But David’s family is a disaster. The throne is in jeapordy. The nation is a mess. The loyalties of the people are torn between two factions. And it all started with David’s selfish desire for something that wasn’t his – lust! It’s a deadly game we play when we let our thoughts run away with us.

Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows how what seems like innocent thoughts can turn into disasterous actions with long range results , just like they did for David. “If your right eye leads you into sin, gouge it out and throw it in the garbage—for better you lose one part of your body than march your entire body through the gates of sin and into hell. And if your right hand leads you into sin, cut it off and throw it away—for better you lose one part of your body than march your entire body through the gates of sin and into hell.” Good advice from the One who knows us best!

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.

Reconcile your relationships (Matthew 5/23-24) January 12, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Joshua 6-10

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 5:23-26
Jesus: Therefore, if you are bringing an offering to God and you remember that your brother is angry at you or holds a grudge against you, then leave your gift before the altar, go to your brother, repent and forgive one another, be reconciled, and then return to the altar to offer your gift to God.
If someone sues you, settle things with him quickly. Talk to him as you are walking to court; otherwise, he may turn matters over to the judge, and the judge may turn you over to an officer, and you may land in jail. I tell you this: you will not emerge from prison until you have paid your last penny.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Ouch! It’s one thing for Jesus to tell me to stop begin angry at someone else for something they have done against me, but man, is it hard to go ask forgiveness from someone that’s angry with me. Especially, if I think I’m right. I mean, really? What is Jesus thinking? Why do I need to make things right when the other guy is the one with the anger issue? Why should I put myself in a situation where he might boil over and test my faith with that turn the other cheek rule?

And Jesus says to do that before I bring my offering to God. Here I am about to do something good for God, about to give Him my best, and He wants me to go make it right with someone who is angry with me first. Why?

God is a God of love. In fact, He is love. We learn to love because He plants the seed of love in our hearts before we know Him. He puts it there and shows us an imperfect kind of love through the relationships we have with others. So when there is something between one of our fellowman and us, how can we have a loving relationship with God?

Paul reminds us that we cannot love God who we cannot see if we don’t love our brothers and sister who we see. The early teachers of Christ’s message understood clearly that our relationship with our fellow humankind reflects our relationship with our heavenly father. If that reflection is marred by anger or envy or name the other negative emotions that might pop up, then our message to our brothers and sisters is marred and we cannot go to God with a pure heart and a clean offering.

Jesus will later tell the Pharisees, it’s not what people see on the outside that makes a person clean, but what’s on the inside. He called them white-washed tombstones. They looked good on the outside, but their hearts lacked love for their fellow man. They knew others held something against them, but their pride kept them from getting out of what they thought were positions of authority and making their relationships right before they came to the altar.

Have you ever thought about how much easier it would be to come to God if you knew nothing stood between you and your neighbor? If those ills were forgiven by your earthly neighbor, if your relationships here stood on solid ground with nothing between you and another person, don’t you think it would be easier to lift a prayer of repentance to God? Don’t you think it would be easier to come into His presence if you know nothing needs forgiveness between you and your brothers and sisters when you enter His presence?

This might be a poor example, but think about going to the bank for a loan. If you owe fifteen people money, the bank will think hard before extending more credit to you. But if you have paid your bills on time, owe nothing to your creditors, have a steady income, and go to those same lenders, they willingly extend credit to you. But until those smaller debts are paid, the bank is unwilling to give you a large loan. Should I expect God to accept my offering when I’m out of sorts with others? I’m like that guy trying to borrow money with lots of debt out there. I need to get those debts paid off before I come to God.

That’s a really poor analogy, but I hope you get the point. God wants us to keep our relationships up to date. He wants us to make every effort to ask forgiveness from those who have something against us – whether we’re right or wrong in the dispute. You see, relationships are not about right and wrong. It’s about loving people. Jesus loved the woman at the well. He did not agree with her behavior, though. He loved the rich young ruler, but He saw through the young man’s love of money and the young man went away filled with sorrow.

So, we’re back to Jesus’ words. “…if you are bringing an offering to God and you remember that your brother is angry at you or holds a grudge against you, then leave your gift before the altar, go to your brother, repent and forgive one another, be reconciled, and then return to the altar to offer your gift to God.”
When you come back and offer your gift, you’ll be surprised at the difference in your disposition and the blessings God will pour out on you when you do.

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.

Don’t murder…and more (Matthew 5:21-22) January 11, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Genesis 4-7

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 5:21-22
Jesus: As you know, long ago God instructed Moses to tell His people, “Do not murder; those who murder will be judged and punished.” But here is the even harder truth: anyone who is angry with his brother will be judged for his anger. Anyone who taunts his friend, speaks contemptuously toward him, or calls him “Loser” or “Fool” or “Scum,” will have to answer to the high court. And anyone who calls his brother a fool may find himself in the fires of hell.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

It’s easy for us to condemn the murderer. After all, do not murder is something every society says is wrong. Everyone knows killing someone is bad. If we let people go around killing each other, we could never live with any peace or security within our community. So we know it’s wrong to murder. Anyone who commits murder should be punished, right?

We could argue about the justice of capital punishment or the equity between sentencing between rich and poor, the lines between first, second, and third degree murder, or a host of other aspects involved in the judicious meeting out of punishments for murder. But all of us would probably agree that murder is wrong. Every society across our globe holds murder as a most offensive action against society.

However, Jesus points out that murder never starts out as murder. It always starts with the thought, “You’re different than me. Either I’m better than you or you’re better than me, but we’re not equals.” So we call our brother, that person next to us scum, or fool, or loser, or pick another slang that makes you feel superior in that moment. In World War II, they were Krauts, in Viet Nam, Gooks, in the Middle-east, they’re Rag-heads. Are they different from me? No. God made us all and we all want the same thing, a better life for our children, peace and security from day-to-day. We have different ideas about how we obtain those ideals, but basically we want our daily bread, security, and a better life for our kids in this life.

So that first thought that gives rise to “I’m better than you,” makes it possible to move on to I hate you because you have something I don’t have. Maybe it’s money. Maybe it’s education. Maybe it’s more land or better land. Maybe it’s power or fame. Maybe it’s a relationship you think will bring you happiness. But whatever that something is, the thought that the object of your desire centers on what that person has that you don’t have drives you to hate that person.

Once you reach the emotional level of hate, murder is just the physical expression of that mental state. It’s only a behavior away from what you’re already thinking. Jesus got it absolutely right. He explained our situation so well and yet we still harbor ill-will against our brothers and sisters that God created. Can I condone sinful action on the part of others? No. Neither did Jesus. He never condoned sin, but He always loved the person and worked hard to bring them back into a relationship with God.

Remember the woman caught in adultery? First, I always wonder why they didn’t bring the man out with her. He was also guilty and deserving of stoning. Jesus didn’t let her off the hook. He didn’t throw a stone. He didn’t have to condemn her. Her actions did that for her. All He wanted to do was forgive her and lead her to a life in which she no longer sinned. Remember Jesus is never identified as our accuser, only as our judge when the day of judgment comes. Satan will do his best to accuse. Jesus stands both as our advocate and as judge.

It’s not always easy to love all of God’s creation when you look around the world at the corruption, the war, the evil resident everywhere it seems. But in all those places, God has a remnant of followers that remain true to Him and His word. He has a few that stay on His path of righteousness and will not stray from it despite the persecution they face or the enticements the world offers. And in those places, we must remember that God created us all. Many follow the broad way that will lead them to their own destruction because they refuse to listen to the truth of God’s word, but that few continue to share God’s truth anyway. They continue to pray and hope that one more will give their life to Him and so add another to His kingdom.

If I am to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and the Apostles and the great figures of the church, I must remember God created us all. I must remember these words of Jesus and let Him help me stop my thoughts of self importance and disregard of my brother or sister. I must let Him into my life so I avoid those initial thoughts that can lead to hatred which is just a single behavior away from murder, an act we all agree is wrong and worthy of the severest punishment.

Jesus’ words take us back to Cain’s question in the Garden of Eden and what seems a rhetorical answer viewed throughout the rest of God’s word. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Yes, at a minimum, I must extend the grace and mercy and love God shows me to him. So, how do your thoughts measure up?

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.

Will you fulfill the law? (Matthew 5:17-20) January 10, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Romans 3-4

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 5:17-20
Jesus: Do not think that I have come to overturn or do away with the law or the words of our prophets. To the contrary: I have not come to overturn them but to fulfill them.
This, beloved, is the truth: until heaven and earth disappear, not one letter, not one pen stroke, will disappear from the sacred law—for everything, everything in the sacred law will be fulfilled and accomplished. Anyone who breaks even the smallest, most obscure commandment—not to mention teaches others to do the same—will be called small and obscure in the kingdom of heaven. Those who practice the law and teach others how to live the law will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you this: you will not enter the kingdom of heaven unless your righteousness goes deeper than the Pharisees’, even more righteous than the most learned learner of the law.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I find it interesting that Jesus tells those around Him that even the smallest, most obscure commandment will remain in effect. Jesus didn’t come to do away with the law, even though He talks to His disciples about a new covenant and then His disciples talk to the Gentiles about the futility of circumcision and other Jewish rituals that they need not keep as followers of Christ. Is this a double standard? Did Jesus mean what He said when He spoke these words to the Pharisees and the crowds gathered around Him that day?

I think Jesus meant every word, but I also think Jesus saw the greater meaning of the Father’s word and His law. God gave Moses and the Israelites the law the Pharisees tried to impose on those Jesus spoke to that day. But He told the crowd their righteousness must go deeper than the Pharisees if they expected to see the kingdom of heaven. Stop and think about that for a minute.

The scribes and Pharisees spent their lives studying the law God gave Moses, but Jesus counted them as unrighteous. Why? Because they didn’t live the concepts of the law they studied. Abraham didn’t have the law, but God counted him as righteous. Cornelius didn’t follow Jewish law, but Jesus said of Him, “I haven’t seen such faith in all of Israel.” Enoch didn’t have the law, but God saw such obedience in his life that Enoch didn’t suffer death, but rather God took him straight to heaven. He did the same for Elijah, one of his great prophets.

So stop and think about God’s law for a minute. What does Jesus mean when He talks about God’s law? I really think when we listen to God, He does what He says He will do and puts His law in our hearts. We don’t need a bunch of rules and regulations because His Spirit in us will lead us toward righteousness. He will keep us on the path of righteousness so we do not soil His name. Just look at every civilization across the world. All of them have laws against murder, theft, adultery, and other crimes against other members of the community. Most have regulations and rules that govern behavior concerning the major religion of the community.

How do those rules come into existence? Why do we establish those laws in the first place? I think it’s because God places within the heart of every human being the innate knowledge that He exists and demands our worship and our obedience to His laws. As Paul points out in his letters, God gave us the laws to that we will understand better how to behave in society because we have become so corrupted in our societal fall from grace. Those boundaries that the written law gives us keep us in line so we can come to know God and learn to hear Him amid the clamor the world raises to try to drown out His voice.

Once we come to know Him, though, we can hear Him. We can distinguish His voice among all the others in the same way you can hear your baby’s cry in a room full of infants. We can distinguish His commands from the cry of the world in the same way we can pick out our spouse’s voice among the din in a crowded room. We can hear Him, because He puts His law in our heart. We no longer need a list of written rules and regulations because God transforms our mind so we become more like Him each day. We begin to live according to His wishes instead of our own. We begin to live within the boundaries of His law, His precepts, His directions and commands, so that we stay by His side on this journey of life.

What is the sacred law? It’s God’s Spirit directing us when we give ourselves completely to Him. Will it be different from His written word? No! God doesn’t contradict Himself. That’s why Jesus can say, “…not one letter, not one pen stroke, will disappear from the sacred law—for everything, everything in the sacred law will be fulfilled and accomplished.” He wants to accomplish His law in you and me. The question each day is, “Will I let Him?” What’s your answer?

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 your light shine (Matthew 5:15-16) January 9, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Matthew 3-4

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 5:15-16
Jesus: Similarly it would be silly to light a lamp and then hide it under a bowl. When someone lights a lamp, she puts it on a table or a desk or a chair, and the light illumines the entire house. You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus said we are like an illuminating light. Light dispels darkness. Not the other way around. If you ever study the properties of light, you discover there is no such thing as darkness. It’s really a word we made up to describe the absence of light. Just like we made up the word cold to describe the absence of heat. Heat and light describe energy, power, something that you cannot see and really no one can truly understand completely, but we see the effects of it all around us.

Light comes from our sun and warms our planet to just the right temperature for our survival. It excites the rods and cones on our retina and sends electrical impulses to our brain so we can interpret those signals into patterns of light and dark and different colors so we can “see”. Light gives us those incredible capabilities because of the wave and particle properties it possesses.

But darkness? Nonething. Darkness is just the absence of those wave and particle properties that give life and light and heat to the universe. A single candle can be seen for miles on a clear night. Why? Because light dispels the darkness. It pushes through the vacuum of nothingness and excites the senses like nothing else can. It takes away the fear of night because just a little light dispels the darkness.

When we come to know Christ, His light shines on us and in us. We begin to understand the truth of His words and we no longer fear the darkness around us because His light dispels that darkness. We know we will be victorious over the tempter of our souls if we just follow the light ahead of us. We can feel the warmth and joy that comes from the presence of His light. And when we have His light, the words of this verse make so much more sense because not only will His light illumine us, but we have an opportunity to let His light in us, illumine others.

So Jesus asks, “Who would hide a lamp under a bowl?” It would be a silly thing to do. When He shines His light on us and illumines our heart, our minds, our inner thoughts, He wants us to let His light shine in us so that others see it. He wants us to live as He would in a world that sorely needs His light. People run around blindly because they live in darkness. Satan puts blinders on the men and women of this world to shut out the light and so people grope around trying to find their way in the dark. But as God’s light, we can help them see the world differently. We can help them find hope and life and light for themselves by introducing them to the source of it all.

We can’t share that light if we hide our Christianity, though. We can’t share His light if we try to cover up who we follow. We can’t be a light to the world if we just attend church every once in a while and then look and act like the world the rest of the time. If we expect to be a light to those around us, we must demonstrate Christ’s love, grace, and mercy to those around us. We must show Him to the world through our good works.

Good works don’t save us, but are a natural outflow of the grace He extends to us. If we try to hide the love He gives to us, we will be like a candle trapped under a glass. Soon the oxygen is consumed and the flame goes out. The light is gone. To keep our light burning, we need to let it shine so others can see it. Hiding it means it will snuff out our own light. God doesn’t do it, but we snuff it out ourselves because we refuse to let it shine in the open air as light is meant to do.

So listen to Jesus words. “Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it.”

Let Jesus’ light in you become a conflagration that consumes you and points others to Him giving Him praise, turning others to Him, seeing creation at its fullest.

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 salt or asphalt? (Matthew 5:13) January 8, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Isaiah 7-11

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 5:13
Jesus: You, beloved, are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes bland and loses its saltiness, can anything make it salty again? No. It is useless. It is tossed out, thrown away, or trampled.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We don’t think much about salt today. We put it on our food for flavoring, but that’s about it. But even today, if you really look at the many uses for salt, you find what a useful compound it is. In the kitchen it can be make things salty or take the bitterness out of some foods. It can preserve meat, fish, and foul to allow you to keep those things outside of refrigeration for long periods of time without harm. It helps you peel eggs, makes egg whites whip better, prevents cheese from molding, and keeps milk from spoiling.

You can use salt to clean a greasy pan or keep things from sticking to a pan. You can put out a grease fire with it. Or shine your silver with salt. You can keep your mirror from fogging with a saltwater solution and you can remove stains from your clothes with salt. Salt can clean your teeth, relieve sore muscles and aching feet, soothe mosquito bites and bee stings, and help a sore throat.

Salt was so important in ancient times, Roman soldiers often received part of their pay in salt. Our word salary finds its root in the word salt. The word salad finds its history in the word salt because people would sprinkle salt over raw greens to make them more palatable. Salt was highly prized and most governments restricted its production and taxed it because of its universal use.

Now, are you beginning to get a feel for how important salt was for those who initially heard Jesus’ words? He tells His followers, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the single most popular condiment, the single most important spice, the single most taxed item in the world. Something not just used by everyone, but universally needed by everyone because you carry the message from God to the rest of the world.”

Meditate a little on Jesus words for a minute. You are the salt of the earth. Think about what He was telling you and me. Without salt, you die. Without salt, the world is not only flavorless, but nothing alive as we know it can exist. You, as one of Jesus’ followers, hold a crucial place in His kingdom. You might think yourself an unimportant cog in the wheel of the intricate machinery of God’s universe, but you are. Think about a Swiss watch. Hundreds of single gears work together to make the watch operate with high efficiency and accuracy, but remove one of those tiny pieces and the watch no longer works. It will stop and until the watchmaker replaces the missing piece, the watch continues to keep inaccurate time or remain at a halt.

God wants every part in place so His plans work perfectly. Can He make allowances for your absence? Yes. Will He work around you and without you if He must? Yes. But that is not His plan. His plan includes you in His garden, in His home, the one He’s building with your wants and wishes in place. Holes in His plans are not what He wanted when He created the world, but God also wanted men and women who would willingly follow the path He wanted them to take, not creations that followed like robots follow their programming instructions.

So He gives us a choice. We can be salt for Him. Useful. Flavorful. Giving life and utility to the world around us in the manor He chooses in His overall plan for the world and His individual plan for each of us. Or we can choose to take our own path. But when we do, we are like that salt that looses it’s saltiness. It’s like the salt mined from the ground over which water flowed to removed the pure mineral leaving asphalt, useful only for paving roads. So when the “salt [mined from the ground] loses its saltiness, can anything make it salty again? No, its useless. Tossed out, thrown away, or trampled.”

Am I going to allow the world to let me lose my edge, my saltiness for God? Am I going to let the world decide that I will not be useful to God and His kingdom? Am I going to lose my enthusiasm and excitement for the things of God after all the blessings He gives me from day to day? Am I going to just stand by and let His plans go on without me? I know God’s plans will be accomplished. I know everything He wills finally comes to fruition with or without me. God doesn’t need me, but I need Him. And I want to be a part of His glorious plans. I want to be on His winning side. I want to experience the greatness of His kingdom.

I can only experience God’s kingdom by maintaining that intimate relationship with God that keeps my spirit pure, like the purity of salt. Nothing added, just plan sodium chloride. I must operate like that salt mine. I must let God throw out all the impurities, all the asphalt, so that all that’s left is the pure salt. However He chooses to do that is His business. Sometimes it will take His gentle prompting to teach me. Sometimes, it might take pretty tough discipline. Sometimes it will bring me joy and happiness, and sometimes it will bring me pain and sorrow. But I know that with God in charge of the mining operations, He can keep me in perfect balance so that I can be salt to the world, or my neighbor, or my family, as He chooses me to be.

How about you? Do others see you as salt or asphalt? 

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 Be Attitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) January 7, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 1-2

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 5:3-12
Jesus: Blessed are the spiritually poor—the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Blessed are those who mourn—they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek and gentle—they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness—they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful—they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are those who are pure in heart—they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers—they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness—the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
And blessed are you, blessed are all of you, when people persecute you or denigrate you or despise you or tell lies about you on My account. But when this happens, rejoice. Be glad. Remember that God’s prophets have been persecuted in the past. And know that in heaven, you have a great reward.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

We call the first part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew, the Beatitudes. I sometimes refer to them as the Be Attitudes, though. I think, Jesus really wants us to get past what we usually want from the definition we give this portion of the sermon. You see, the word beatitude means supreme blessedness; exalted happiness. It’s one of those “what’s in it for me” kind of words.

Sure, that’s the end result of the life of those who follow the pattern Jesus gives to those who listened to Him on the mountainside that day, but He wants to convey so much more to us if we will listen to His words. What Jesus tells us in this short sermonette gives us insight into the transformed spirit He puts within us as we let Him take charge of our life. He changes our attitude toward life and toward others so that we can truly have that supreme blessedness and exalted happiness we talk about in the beatitudes.

The secret to the happy life, Jesus tells us, is not in the outcome of these verses, but in the input. We get the blessing by changing our attitude toward life. When we demonstrate the characteristics He outlines in these verses, we begin to reap the rewards, but not before. So as we recognize we are poor in spirit, as we mourn our condition, as we walk through life with a meek and gentle spirit, then, God begins to bless us with the rewards He talks about in these verses. We inherit heaven, comfort, and the earth. We begin to experience real joy. We understand as our character changes what blessings and exalted happiness is all about.

We don’t understand happiness in this life because too often we chase the wrong things. Sometimes we buy into the world’s lie that things we see will bring us happiness so we accumulate things. It might be houses, cars, big boy (or girl) toys that glitter and shine in the sunlight. People will ooh and ahh over them. Many will express their envy over the toys you collect. But the problem with toys of whatever shape or size, however expensive or at a bargain price, they will never satisfy.

Things bring momentary happiness and last until the next model comes out. Think about how the commercial world works. Apple is a great example. I admit I bought the first model iPhone when it came out. Steve Jobs had me hooked. I loved it because of all it could do for me. But guess what, my original iPhone didn’t last long. It’s not even supported anymore. I now own an iPhone 6 plus and it’s my fourth iPhone. I’m trying to avoid getting a 6s and waiting until at least the 7 or 8 comes out. Not sure I’ll be able to make it since I do a lot of my business on my phone. The iPhone only made me happy for a little while, now every generation of iPhone frustrates me because I know a new one will be out next year and I’ll have to get it because my old one won’t be supported much longer.

That’s what happens with every material thing. It all breaks, wears out, becomes obsolete. No matter what it is. Even silver or gold or land that all the speculators tell you will never lose value, loses value. None of it really means anything in the end. You can’t take any of it with you and what you have someone will always be trying to take from you so you’ll just worry about all that stuff anyway. Your happiness from things will always be short-lived.

Maybe you think power or prestige will make you happy. Nope. Someone will always be more powerful than you. Someone will always scheme to take your place. Someone will always attack you if you are in a place of power and leadership whether you are a great leader or a poor leader. You’ll always be looking over your back. You’ll always be watching for your enemies. You’ll always expect opposition if you chase power and prestige.

But when you work with God to let Him transform your character. When you let Him change your attitude and you live those “Be Attitudes of the Beatitudes”, you’ll find the supreme blessings, the exalted happiness, the beatitudes that come with living for the Almighty Creator of the universe. You’ll understand that things are temporal, but your changed spirit because of His spirit in you is eternal. You’ll find indescribable joy that comes from living within the kingdom of heaven even as you abide on earth.

You can be the person you were created to be with transformed attitudes shaped by the one who created all things. All it takes is letting go of yourself and following in the footsteps of the One who loves you most, Jesus, the Savior of all humankind. 

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

It’s time to get moving! (Matthew 4:19) January 6, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 1-2

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 4:19
Jesus: Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus doesn’t use a lot of words when a few clearly spoken will do. His command to Simon Peter and Andrew are just one example. “Come, follow Me.” He also tells them the task He will give them when they obey His command. I’ll not just make you fishermen, but I’ll let you catch a more important haul, men.

Jesus’ calling of these first two of His circle of twelve intimate disciples tells us something about how He calls not just them, but us. If we look at Jesus’ words we see how He calls each of us when we listen to His voice.

First, He says, “Come.” You can’t follow Jesus from afar. He wants you within arms reach. Trying to follow Him from a distance just doesn’t work. Remember the story of Elijah whining about his plight and God letting him hear His voice on the mountainside? Elijah didn’t hear God’s voice in the thunderstorm or in the earthquake, but in the still small voice he had to listen carefully to hear.

I learned a technique from my father many years ago that served me well with my children and in counseling and disciplining soldiers during my military career. When I really want someone to listen and hear what I’m saying, my voice gets softer, not louder. Our instincts are geared to put us into a fight or flight mode when we hear loud noises or aggressive actions from an enemy. So when we shout at someone or raise our voice in anger, the person on the receiving end no longer hears us. Their brain is getting into a fight or flight mode preparing to defend themselves. So I lower my voice and get you come close. I get you to almost strain to hear the words. I get you to listen instead of fighting against the words.

God does the same thing, but so much better. God cannot be defeated. He never fails and so has no need of defense. So when He speaks to us, He doesn’t need to scream at us to make us hear Him. That puts us in a fight or flight mode. Why would He want to do that? Instead, He whispers, “Come. Get close so I can talk to you. I have some things to tell you that I really want you to hear.”

See, you can’t be a disciple, a follower, a Christian from long distance. You just can’t hear what God has to say when you’re far away from Him. You need to snuggle up close so He can put His lips up to your ear and whisper His commands, His blessings, His thoughts to you. He wants you at His fingertips ready to talk to you all the time. He can’t do that if you’re not right there in His presence. So first, He says, “Come.”

The second thing Jesus told those crusty fishermen was, “Follow me.” When we come to Jesus, He won’t leave us alone. He won’t leave us where we are. God wants to change us. He doesn’t want to leave us in the state we live in now. He calls us to Him to transforms us, to make us over into the creation He wants us to be. And so He says, “Follow me.”

Jesus will take us into places that challenge us. Places that test us. Places that causes us to rethink how we approach others. Places that make us weep and laugh and stand in awe of Him and fall on our face in worship and lay prostrate before Him for our failures and thank Him for His strength in our successes. He will take us to places that transform us into His likeness and help us to understand love and mercy and grace. He will take us to the mountain tops and to the lowest valleys in our spiritual journey. And as we follow Him we will know sorrow and we will know indescribable joy.

Jesus tells us to follow Him because He knows exactly the path we must take individually to make us more like Him each day. He knows the transformation that must happen and just like a skilled surgeon, He knows each operation that He must perform on us and the order each must take place. And although some of them may be painful and the recovery from some of those operations might seem difficult and arduous, Jesus knows, as the Master Creator He is, exactly how to lead us along this path of life to make us the child of God each of us are meant to be.

Jesus also reminds us in His command to follow Him, that we never walk on that path alone. If we follow, it means we walk along with Him, not by ourselves. It means He is just ahead of us. I sometimes think about the point-man in a squad walking toward an objective on a battlefield when I think of Jesus’ command. Jesus is that point-man. I follow Him, but He is out front making sure the path is clear. Watching out for any booby-traps. Watching for enemy troops waiting in ambush. Jesus is right there with Me, but clearing the path ahead of me on my journey through life.

Finally, Jesus’ command tells us the task He gives Simon and Andrew as they follow. They will fish for men. I think, Jesus has a task for everyone. God gives each of us different gifts to build His church. Paul tells us some have the gift of teaching, some preaching, some hospitality, healing, speaking in different languages, and the list goes on. I think, Paul would say mathematics skills is a gift, or science, or IT skills, or prowess in a sport. All of these talents and skills can be used for God’s glory. The question is, how do we use the talents, skills, experiences, desires, gifts that God has given to us?

Jesus said, “Come, follow me, I have a job for you to do.” Have you followed close enough on the path to hear His task for you? He’s ready to talk, but He also keeps walking along. It’s time to get moving!

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.