Tag Archives: Matthew

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

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Exodus 13-16

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

Today’s Devotional

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

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Corinthians 1-3

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

Today’s Devotional

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

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Mark 13-14

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

Today’s Devotional

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

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Jeremiah 22-26

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

Today’s Devotional

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

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Job 31-32

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

Today’s Devotional

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

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

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

But then again…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a little faith (Matthew 17:20-21) April 20, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 45-47

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 17:20-21
Jesus: Because you have so little faith. I tell you this: if you had even a faint spark of faith, even faith as tiny as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and because of your faith, the mountain would move. If you had just a sliver of faith, you would find nothing impossible. But this kind is not realized except through much prayer and fasting.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

When I was a kid, on rainy Saturdays when it was too wet to go outside and play, I remember watching cartoons on television. Those were great cartoons. Mickey Mouse, Rocky and Bulwinkle, Atom Ant, Deputy Dawg, Felix the Cat. If you’re old enough to remember some of those old black and white cartoons, you’ll probably remember the public service announcement that came on with them every once in a while.

This big giant bear would show up in the middle of the forest wearing overalls and a park ranger hat. Of course, it was a cartoon forest and a cartoon bear, but Smokey Bear fit the bill. He’d come on and show us a news clip of a campfire that was left smoldering in the forest or a cigarette that was carelessly flicked out a car window onto the dry brush on the side of the road.

The next scene was that of acres of forest aflame and the forest animals running for their lives to flee the onslaught of the flames. The scene would shift to the devastation left because of the carelessness of one person with that campfire or that cigarette and Smokey Bear would come back into the picture. You probably remember his famous words. “Remember. Only you can prevent forest fires.” Of course, I learned as I grew older that most forest fires are actually caused by lightning strikes. But there are enough caused by man’s carelessness that the public service announcement was worth the cost with the cities encroaching on the forests around them. The safety of those living on the borders of those forests and the lives of the park rangers and firefighters were at stake.

Jesus’ words today reminded me of that commercial. Just one little spark, one smoldering ember can create acres and acres of forests to catch flame and destroy hundreds of years of forest growth. I don’t know if Jesus saw many forest fires in Judea. When I was in the middle east, I don’t remember seeing much that would create a wildfire. But we understand wildfires in this country and the devastation they can cause. Just a little spark and it seems like the whole world is on fire if you live in one of those wildfire prone areas.

Jesus tells us we only need that much faith, just a spark we could tell a mountain to move and it would move from one place to another. You might wonder how that is done. God could do it any number of ways you know. He could generate an earthquake that shifts the crust of the earth and makes on mountain disappear as the crust of the earth pushes above it and causes the crust to push up in another place. It has happened in the past and can happen again.

He might use a volcano to do the work for Him. Volcanologists talk a lot about how the geography of the west and midwest would change if the supervolcano under the Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park were to erupt. They tell us it’s past time and if it errupts with the explosive power they say it will, the terrain of the region will be forever changed. Mountains will move.

God could use water to crash through some natural barrier and forge new rivers through what was a mountain and reduce it to nothing. Think of what would happen to the terrain downstream if the Hoover Dam were to suddenly let loose its tons of water all at once. It’s not the only dam holding back a reserve of such mass that nothing, including a mountain, could hold it. What if God decided to shift an ocean? You think mountains might change?

Or God could decide to tell a thousand people to pick up a pick and shovel and get to work. With faith, the mountain could move from one place to another. All you need to do to see that truth is follow our highways across this country. How many hills and mountains have shifted by the hands of men and machines to make way for steel rails and asphalt roads so we could get commercial goods from one side of the country to another. Yep, a little faith can move mountains.

So why is it so hard for us to believe in God. We believe we can do incredible things, like make holes in mountains to drive through. Impossible feats. Yet we don’t believe in the Creator who put that rock there in the first place. We don’t believe it took a Master Designer to make these biological miracles we call life to actually take form and breath and move and live and die. Somehow we get the idea all this just happened. Hmmm.

If I didn’t think about the complexity of the world we lived in, you might convince me there is no God. But the more I think about the complexity of life. The more I see how intricate the support of each substance and each species of life on another. The more I examine the vastness of the universe we live in and the extreme improbability that life could even exist in this vast almost limitless space. The more convinced I become there is a God in heaven. And to think He knows each one of us personally and loves each one of us individually. What a God we serve. Have a little faith.

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 dog in the park (Matthew 17:17) April 19, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Exodus 9-12

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 17:17
Jesus: This generation is no better than the generation who wandered in the desert, who lost faith and bowed down to golden idols as soon as Moses disappeared upon Mount Sinai! How long will I have to shepherd these unbelieving sheep? (turning to the man) Bring the boy to Me.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

In the weekly church staff meeting I attend, we try hard to stay on task. We usually have a lot of ground to cover and need to keep on our agenda because all of us are busy and what we really want to get to is the prayer requests that have been given to the staff. If we spend too much time on business that can be done elsewhere or start down tangents, we can easily lose lots of time in the meeting. You’ve probably all been there if you’ve been in more than one meeting in your life.

Invariably, though, something will be thrown on the table that sparks a discussion and off we go. We act just like those young pups you see in the park the owners are trying to train. They are pretty obedient in the middle stages of their training until a squirrel darts across the playground. Then all bets are off. Whatever the trainer was trying to do just ended. That squirrel has become the center of attention and the dog is off to chase it.

No matter how good the treats the trainer offered. No matter how important the training benefitted the dog. No matter how much better off the dog would be with the obedience to the commands the trainer provided. That squirrel was all that was on that dog’s mind. You’ve seen it happen. It seems like just a little thing that distracts the animal and yet it’s whole purpose changed. But a well trained dog will keep its instincts under control. It will let that squirrel run by and leave it alone. It knows his master’s commands to sit and be still will keep it from running into the street and getting hit by a car or will result in a kind word or even his favorite treat from his master.

We’re a lot like that dog being trained. We so often let our fleshly desires chase after insignificant things that will cause us to run out in front of a car instead of keeping them under control so we can get the real rewards in life. We fail to listen to the commands of our master and instead run to and fro after some illusive target that we have little chance of capturing in the first place, but we run as fast as we can to get it only to have it disappear up a tree and we’re left with nothing.

We’ve risked everything. Lost the benefit of all the training we’ve had. Given up that prime spot next to the master. Lost the reward that was just in our reach. For a glimmer of something that stayed out of reach and then disappeared forever.

Jesus described the Israelites that wandered in the desert like that. Wandering sheep in the desert who lost faith and bowed down to idols. They chased after some illusive thing that they thought could do something it couldn’t. They thought they could capture God in a piece of gold and chased after it, but the dream escaped them and He couldn’t be found there. They lost their faith because they chased after a squirrel instead of remaining obedient to the commands of the Master. Consequently, they lost the land promised to them by God. The only adults who left Egypt to enter the promised land were Joshua and Caleb. All the rest died in the desert sands chasing squirrels.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that as a legacy. Jesus warned His disciples and those around Him about the problem. It’s easy to get off track and chase the things the world throws in front of us. It’s easy to see the glamor and the glitter and think those are important because the world keeps telling us they are important. But all those things will disappear. Those things are temporary. They cannot last. Just look around at the great civilizations and name those that have lasted. They belong in history books and they are covered with dust, buried under tons of sand. They lasted a few hundred years and then they were gone. But what is that in the span of eternity? It’s just the blink of an eye.

We must be steadfast in our faith if we want to see the promised land, heaven. We must listen and obey the commands of God if we expect to make it through the desert of this world to life everlasting with Him. We must stop our flitting around, chasing after every new fad that passes by that sounds good to our ears and pick up God’s word and meditate on it. We must make it part of our daily routine and let it permeate our life. We must become like that well trained dog in the park so that when the squirrels run by, we sit quietly at the Master’s feet knowing our reward is at hand. 

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 all in there (Matthew 17:11-12) April 18, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 1 Corinthians 15-16

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 17:11-12
Jesus: Scripture tells us clearly that indeed Elijah will come to restore all things. But see this: Elijah has come already. No one recognized him for who he was, so he was arrested and killed. That is part of the preparation of which our Scripture speaks: for the Son of Man, too, will be arrested and killed at the hands of people who do not see Him for who He is.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

There’s a problem that all prophets have when God gives them a glimpse into the future. How do you describe what you see? In the 1800’s for instance when people talked about a ‘horseless carriage’, they had some precedent to describe it. There were plenty of carriages and steam engines began to come around so a horseless carriage could be described. But what if you lived in 500 AD? How would you describe a modern automobile? Or better yet, if you lived in 50 AD, how would you describe a Boeing 757?

What if God gave you a glimpse into today from that vantage point and you saw a battle taking place? The battles you had seen were pretty gory and you thought they were loud. Roman soldiers establish their phalanx and marched toward their enemy. The sound of spears and swords smashing against shields were the noises you heard. Then above that din, you would hear the screams of the wounded and the dying.

Now transport that prophet from 50 AD to 2000 AD with its tanks, jets, smart bombs, landmines, and so forth. The noise on the battlefield is loud enough to actually cause eardrums to burst and bleed. How would a prophet describe that war? Would he call the jets metal birds? Dragons? Flying beasts that spit thunder and fire from their belly? What would you say about them? How would you describe a tank? Or the rifles? Or even the gear the soldiers wear? If you saw a fully outfitted soldier would you even recognize he is a human?

So the Bible’s prophets tell us the best they can about what will come. They talk about Elijah will come again to announce the Messiah. How best would you describe John except by comparing him to Elijah, a voice calling in the wilderness to prepare the way for the one who comes. It’s exactly what John did. It’s where he lived. It’s how he dress. The prophet described John well comparing him to Elijah.

And so did the prophets who described Jesus. The suffering servant. The perfect sacrifice. The Lion of Judah. The Messiah. Jesus point out the sad truth, though. Scripture described John but no one recognized him for who he was. The scriptures described Jesus, too, but no one recognized Him for who He was. Soon they would parade Him through the streets of Jerusalem as King of kings. They would sing Hosanna to Him and praise Him honoring Him as king in the lineage of David. But by the end of the week, the religious leaders would stir the crowd to cry crucify Him.

We all have the same scriptures available to us. Some of us see God’s word as just a collection of stories to entertain us. Some of us read them and know they are God’s word, but assume there is plenty of room to interpret them any way we want. We think since God is love, He will surely overlook anything we have done and just let us into heaven because He loves us. We don’t need to change. His love will cover us in the end because He wants all of us to live with Him. Besides, He hasn’t come yet. We have plenty of time to get right with Him before He comes.

Some read God’s word and recognize His word is truth. What God says, He means. Yes, God is love. Yes, He wants all of us to live with Him. But in making us in His image, He gives us the choice for our eternal destiny. He has left the choice of our destiny up to us. We can live with Him or we can choose not to. We read His word and recognize we are fallen, broken, in need of His grace and mercy. We learn the only way we can find our way to Him is to see He has already reached out to us and we must accept the gift of grace He holds out to us. We must believe in His Son, Jesus for salvation.

We can also see Jesus words and John’s revelation and in those descriptions, it’s not too difficult to see the signs they talked about when the end would be very near. Earthquakes, famine, signs in the sun, moon and sky. We are closer than many want to believe. The earth is going through pains like a woman in childbirth. Last year over 25,000 earthquakes above 3.0 on the richter scale shook our planet. They are coming faster and stronger this year than last, just like a woman in labor as described in scripture.

Is it time for us to read the Bibles on our tables and bookshelves and see the signs, read the descriptions, and understand that time is running out? Check it out for yourself. 

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.

Get up, don’t be afraid (Matthew 17:7-9) April 17, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Mark 11-12

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 17:7-9

Jesus: Get up. Don’t be afraid.
And when the disciples got up, they saw they were alone with their Lord.
The four men hiked back down the mountain, and Jesus told His disciples to stay silent.
Jesus: Don’t tell anyone what happened here, not until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

What would you do if you had been Peter, James, and John? These were Jesus’ closest friends. He stuck to them closer than to any of His other disciples. He shared with these three more than He shared with the other nine. He seemed to sense that these three would carry the weight of the development of the early church on their shoulders. The new converts would look to these three for guidance, interpretation of Jesus’ teaching, a strong but loving hand in the face of the adversary in the midst of the growing church.

Jesus had a special assignment for His three friends this day. He took them to the mountain top with Him to pray. While Jesus was praying, the three of them saw Him in His glorified form. Bright and shining like the sun, Jesus stood with two other figures that the three identified as Moses and Elijah, the great prophets that foretold their Savior’s coming. What would you do if you had been there? How would you react to such an appearance?

I expect I would do the same thing they did. I’d fall flat on my face and try to crawl into a hole that wasn’t there. Complete and total fear would describe the reaction. Oh, we’d like to say we’d be all brave and sit around and enjoy the event, talk to Jesus and Moses and Elijah. We’d like to brag about how we’d just revel in the thought of being in their presence. I don’t really think so.

Jesus in His glorified form as the Son of God, light of the world, brighter than the morning sun would scare me to death. He has everyone who has seen Him. Paul fell on His face as though dead. Daniel fell on His face as though dead. John fell on his face as though dead. These three together fell on their face as though dead. That’s the reaction when you see Jesus as He really is. He is God. We are not. Standing before God is a fearful, yet wonderful thing. But I expect our first reaction will always be to fall on our face. Either in fear or in worship or both.

I like what usually happens when Jesus breaks in on the scene, though. The first words He usually says to those who believe in Him and are trying to follow God’s path are, “Don’t be afraid.” He calms our fears. He lets us know He’s on our side. He wants us to know He is for us, not against us. When we’re flat on our face, He says, Get up, don’t be afraid. What wonderful words.

Peter, James, and John were ready to run down the mountain and tell everyone they saw what happened. They wanted to give this irrefutable proof that Jesus was the Son of the living God. They heard God speak. They saw Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus on the mountain. They saw Jesus shining like the sun. They saw Jesus standing between heaven and earth, in His human form, but wearing His heavenly glory. They were astonished, afraid. They didn’t know what to make of it, but they knew without a doubt that Jesus was the person He said had been saying He was. Jesus was the Son of God.

But Jesus told them to hold on to that information until after His resurrection. Keep the encounter a secret until He was raised from the dead. Now that is a mysterious statement at this particular time. Jesus hinted at His death and resurrection, but hadn’t come out and told them in plain language about it. They still saw Jesus as a political savior as well as a spiritual leader. They still wanted Jesus to break the political bonds that held their nation.

Jesus wanted it kept quiet. He still had a mission to complete. He knew His task meant the sacrifice of His life for the sins of humankind. He marched that direction, but hadn’t arrived yet. And at this point, He was to close to His goal to have a circus of people distract Him from that goal. If the three disciples started telling others about this encounter then, Jesus would have faced incredible crowds that would want to see the sight for themselves. The arguments about who He was and the factions that wanted Him to prove His deity would stop His progression toward the cross.

Jesus’ transfiguration would lend credence to the disciples’ claims later as they told the story of their travels with Him. But to tell of the event now, would disrupt Jesus’ plans and the Father’s plans. We see God’s resurrection power at work as Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus on the mountainside. We will see it in full force in just a few months after Jesus’ crucifixion. He will rise from the dead and appear in all His glory. The disciples will fall on the face in fear again. And Jesus will say, “Get up. Don’t be afraid.”

When He is on our side, we have nothing to fear.

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.

What is your soul worth? (Matthew 16:23-28) April 16, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Jeremiah 17-21

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 16:23-28
Jesus (turning to Peter): Get away from Me, Satan!
You are a stumbling block before Me! You are not thinking about God’s story; you are thinking about some distorted story of fallen, broken people. (to His disciples) If you want to follow Me, you must deny yourself the things you think you want. You must pick up your cross and follow Me. The person who wants to save his life must lose it, and she who loses her life for Me will find it. Look, does it make sense to truly become successful, but then to hand over your very soul? What is your soul really worth? The Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory, with His heavenly messengers, and then He will reward each person for what has been done. I tell you this: some of you standing here, you will see the Son of Man come into His kingdom before you taste death.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Sometimes I like reading about Peter. I want to be so much like him when he does things like step out of the boat or be part of the group that serves the 5,000 those baskets of bread and fish or declares that Jesus is the Son of the living God. At other times, like today, I really don’t want to be much like Peter, but I’m afraid I’m more like him than I want to admit. Peter declares his loyalty to Jesus and says I won’t let anyone or anything harm you. I’ll die before I let them take you!

Boy, I’d like to say those words, just like Peter. And I think I would die for my faith. I would die for Jesus. I haven’t been put in that place yet. I haven’t faced the knives in the hands of ISIS terrorists or the torture of government sponsored atheists in China or the killing squads hunting down Christians in the Sudan. I can’t guarantee that I would die for my faith, but I think I would. I’m pretty sure I would lose my life for Him.

But then, look what happens. Jesus turns to Peter and says, “Get away from Me, Satan!” Ouch! Peter, unbeknownst to him was being used by the prince of darkness. I do not want to be like Peter in that circumstance, but if I were a betting man, I would bet my words have been a stumbling block to someone at one time or another. Something I have said led someone down a path I did not want them to go or God did not want them to go.

It’s so easy isn’t it? Peter thought he was doing the right thing. He was standing up for his Lord. He was doing what any good soldier in this world would do for his leader. But Jesus isn’t from this world. He has a different set of rules. He comes from a different realm and wants to raise us to that same plane on which He lives and loves. He wants to teach us what life is really about. The life the Father intended for us. Jesus saw this physical world’s goals creeping into Peter’s mindset. Jesus wanted to get it out. Jesus saw Satan’s clutches grabbing hold and replacing the Father’s goal with worldly goals, replacing temporary biological life with real, true eternal life.

So Jesus lashes out. He uses the same words He used in the wilderness temptation. Get away from Me, Satan! You’re a stumbling block. You’re not focused on the right story. You’re focused on temporary things. You’re focused on the world’s idea of success, not mine or the Father’s. I know where I’m headed and I can’t take any shortcuts. Don’t try to entice Me with your false trophies. The things you are thinking about come from the distorted view of fallen, broken man. Centuries of disobedience to the Father and the lies of Satan have shaped your story! Get away from Me.

No, as often as I would like to be like Peter, I wouldn’t want to be Peter at that moment.

Then, Jesus takes Peter and the others under His wing and explains what His path is like. Follow the Father’s will. It’s not always an easy path. In fact, in the world’s view it looks a lot like a cross and suffering and pain. In the world’s view, it looks like defeat and agony and death. But when you take up your cross and follow Jesus, it means life, joy, peace, sharing in His glory, joining the family of the Father. It means an eternity with Him, never bothered again by the evil in this world because Satan has already been defeated.

When we lose our life in Him, we find our life in Him. When we try to keep our life, we lose it. He goes on to ask an important question if we try to weigh the difference between our physical life with our spiritual one. The answer is an incomprehensible amount. What can you give in exchange for your soul? What temporary thing is your eternal soul worth? There is no worldly thing that compares, yet we trade it for such fleeting pleasure. Jesus tells us in His words, focus on the important. Get your eyes off the world. Set your sights on God and His kingdom. Think on eternal values. Those will get you through.

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.