Tag Archives: relationships

Do you have a notorious sinner as a friend? (Luke 19:5-10) December 23, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Revelations 12-17

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 19:5-10
Jesus: Zaccheus, hurry down from that tree because I need to stay at your house tonight.
Zaccheus scrambles down and joyfully brings Jesus back to his house. Now the crowd sees this, and they’re upset.
Crowd (grumbling): Jesus has become the houseguest of this fellow who is a notorious sinner.
Zaccheus: Lord, I am giving half of my goods to the poor, and whomever I have cheated I will pay back four times what I took.
Jesus: Today liberation has come to this house, since even Zaccheus is living as a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to liberate the lost.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Do you know any notorious sinners? I hope so. It gives you a good opportunity to become friends with them, invite them into your house, eat dinner with them, get to know them, and let them get to know you. It gives you an opportunity to let them see your life in side and out. It lets them see you in the crisis times of life and how you rely on God to get you through those tough times and how you praise Him for the good times. If you get to know a notorious sinner, you might have the opportunity to help him out when he gets in a tough spot and show God’s grace through your actions.

Does that mean you condone what he does that doesn’t conform to God’s law? No. Neither did Jesus. When Jesus went to Zaccheus house for dinner, I’m sure He didn’t go there with the intent of learning how to cheat people on their taxes. That’s what Zaccheus was know for. I’m pretty sure Jesus didn’t intend to get stone drunk at dinner and make a fool of Himself. I’m pretty sure Jesus planned to enjoy Himself at dinner and talk to Zaccheus about what He was doing in His ministry, the people He was meeting along the way, the help He was able to give, the joy God brought to individual’s hearts when they changed their ways and followed His commands.

Jesus didn’t condone sin, but He loved sinners. He demonstrated that fact over and over throughout His ministry. He associated with the notorious sinners. Those labeled as the worst of the worst so those on the fringe and we could know that God will forgive anyone who comes to Him with a repentant heart. And what better way to tell the story of God’s forgiveness than over a meal?

When your eating with someone, you’re eyeball to eyeball with them. It’s hard to just walk away in the middle of a meal. Especially if they invited you to dinner. What are they going to do? Grab you by the collar and throw you out in the street? If they have come to know you as a friend that really cares about them, probably not. They will listen to your stories. They will see the sincerity in your eyes. They will feel your passion and compassion. They will know you believe what you tell them. It will cause them to think about what you say.

Will you win them to Jesus? Maybe. Maybe not. They must make the choice for themselves. But you will at least plant a seed that may have a chance to grow in them. If you are friends with notorious sinners you will have a better chance of reaching them for Jesus than any pastor preaching in a pulpit. Why? Because that notorious sinner won’t show up at that pastor’s services. No matter how great a preacher, no matter how persuasive, no matter how successful he is in sharing God’s word and convincing others to come to Christ, if that notorious sinner never enters those church doors, he will never hear the pastor’s great message. The truth will have to come from a Christian friend.

Jesus showed us by example how best to spread the good news. He went to the homes of those who needed to hear it most. He went to the people who needed Him. He didn’t wait for them to come to Him. He didn’t expect them to approach Him, He traveled the countryside and went to them. The crowds gathered around Him, but those crowds came from the nearby villages, not from half way across the country. The crowds were locals that sought Him out when He came to their town.

We in the church are sometimes afraid, or maybe, like the Pharisees, too proud or pious, to associate with the notorious sinners. But how else will they hear that Jesus loves them just as much as He loved us when He offered us the chance to have our sins forgiven and an opportunity to attain eternal life with Him. How else will they come to know Him as Savior unless friends carry the message to them.

So the questions for us today: Do you know any notorious sinners? Have you made friends with them? Have you share the good news of God’s love with them? If not, what are you waiting for? Jesus showed us how with Zaccheus as a great example for us. You might help win a Zaccheus today if you try. Let’s get at 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.

Practice His practices (Luke 15:3-10) December 6, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Nehemiah 5-9

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 15:3-10
Jesus (with another parable): Wouldn’t every single one of you, if you have 100 sheep and lose one, leave the 99 in their grazing lands and go out searching for the lost sheep until you find it? When you find the lost sheep, wouldn’t you hoist it up on your shoulders, feeling wonderful? And when you go home, wouldn’t you call together your friends and neighbors? Wouldn’t you say, “Come over and celebrate with me, because I’ve found my lost sheep”? This is how it is in heaven. They’re happier over one sinner who changes his way of life than they are over 99 good and just people who don’t need to change their ways of life.
Or imagine a woman who has 10 silver coins. She loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the whole house, and search diligently until that coin is found? And when she finds it, doesn’t she invite her friends and neighbors and say, “Celebrate with me! I’ve found that silver coin that I lost”? Can’t you understand? There is joy in the presence of all God’s messengers over even one sinner who changes his way of life.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Maybe it’s just because I’m getting older and notice it more, but I really think it’s true. We, who call ourselves Christians become more and more critical without showing God’s grace in return. This past year I’ve really noticed it. Even in this season of the year when people normally get a little more cheerful as we approach the celebration of Christ’s birth, I’ve noticed we are still on this string of harsh criticism of one another. We single out that one that is outside of God’s will, or at least what we think is His will, and blast his or her behavior. We cry out for justice or more likely for revenge. But we don’t do anything to try to bring them back into a relationship with God.

Isn’t that what we are supposed to be doing, though? Aren’t we supposed to be sharing God’s love and grace? Aren’t we supposed to be extending His mercy and teaching others what it means to love each other rather than hating each other? We don’t seem to do that very well these days, though. We criticize and complain and condemn rather than try to bring others into the kingdom by sharing the message Jesus gave us to share with the world.

If all heaven rejoices at the recovery of just one sinner, then shouldn’t we be working hard to find those lost souls and introduce them to the One who can bring them back into the fold? Shouldn’t we be finding ways to befriend the lost so that they will listen to the message rather than ranting and raving against them so that they immediately feel ostracized from us?

I think Jesus wants us to pattern our lives after His. His great commission was to teach others His practices. If you look at one of the reasons the temple leaders condemned Him, it was because He associated with sinners. He ate with prostitutes and tax collectors. He talked with people the Pharisees and scribes felt were below their status and should be avoided. So if that was jesus’ practice, isn’t that what we should be doing?

That doesn’t mean we take up their habits. He never did. He never sinned, remember. He kept Himself pure in an evil world. But He associated with the lowest of the low so He could share with them the message of hope He brought to the world. Jesus didn’t care what social status someone had or the crimes they committed or what other people thought about them. He just shared the message of redemption. He shared forgiveness. And with ever person who accepted His message, heaven erupted in joyous praise.

So why have we forgotten that message? Why do we let little meaningless things get in the way of showing God’s love to those who need it most? Instead, we have a tendency to first complain, criticize, and condemn. The world needs more love and laughter. We need more Christians to extend the hand of friendship to those who do not know Christ. How else can we share the message? We certainly can’t expect sinners to listen to a message filled with hate and condemnation, can we? That generates a fight for flight response. We don’t want that. We want them to know our Jesus. Only a friend can share that message. Jesus knew that. That’s why He ate with and talked with and worked with those that needed Him most.

So today as you go about your daily routine, who in the circle of people you meet do you need to reach out to improve your relationship? Who needs to become more than just someone you see and change into someone that needs a friend, you? Who do you know that needs to know your Jesus? The only way you can introduce Him is to get to the point in your relationship that he or she will trust you enough to know you genuinely care about their eternity. Only friends do that. Does that compromise your purity? It didn’t for Jesus. He didn’t change His behavior. He just made friends wherever He went. It’s one of His practices we need to improve upon.

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

Keep your promises (Luke 14:16-24) December 2, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Revelation 1-6

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 14:16-24
Jesus: A man once hosted a huge banquet and invited many guests. When the time came, he sent his servant to tell the guests who had agreed to come, “We’re ready! Come now!” But then every single guest began to make excuses. One said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I just bought some land, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.” Another said, “So sorry. I just bought five pairs of oxen. I need to go check them out. Please excuse me.” Another said, “I just got married, so I can’t come.”
The servant returned and reported their responses to his master. His master was angry and told the servant, “Go out quickly to the streets and alleys around town and bring the poor, the amputees, the blind, and the cripples.”
The servant came back again: “Sir, I’ve done as you said, but there is still more room.” And the host said, “Well then, go out to the highways and hedges and bring in the complete strangers you find there, until my house is completely full. One thing is for sure, not one single person on the original guest list shall enjoy this banquet.”

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus story reminds me of a wedding I attended not long ago. I was just a guest so I don’t know how many people the bride and groom invited or how many actually sent back an RSVP, but at both the wedding and the reception, there were a lot of empty chairs. I assume that means people said they would come, the wedding party spent a lot of money on food and other accommodations for their expected guests and all the prepared food, money, and energy ended up wasted.

That problem seems to happen more and more these days. We have lost our social graces. We don’t pay any attention to those four little letters that appear at the bottom of most invitations. RSVP means respond. The party that sent the invitation may not care whether you come or not, but at least be polite enough to answer the question. Are you coming? Uhhhh? Hello? Anyone out there? Did you get the invitation? How is anyone supposed to plan when we don’t have the courtesy to let the host know if we’re coming?

It’s not just weddings that the phenomenon happens. In fact, we’re more prone to answer wedding invitations either yes or no that almost any other invitation that comes our way. Birthday parties? Silence. Dinner for a group of people? No response. Invitation to a theater event, ballgame, or other social activity? Nothing. What ever happened to common courtesy and just simple etiquette?

I think it’s a simple answer. It’s that selfishness that rears its ugly head again. We focus on ourselves and don’t really care about anyone else or the inconvenience we might cause in our failure to respond. We just decide at the last minute to go or not to go based on whether there is a better offer for us. How do I feel at the moment of departure? So we just don’t answer. Then if we show up it’s okay and if we don’t, we think it’s okay.

It’s not. Things may not end the way they did with the host and guests in Jesus’ story, but the host will feel the same. And you certainly won’t win friends by letting a host prepare for your coming and then not show up, or show up without the host preparing for you. In the first instance, the host may be pretty angry, in the second, he may be embarrassed because there may be no place for you. Then you might be angry. Both situations end with broken relationships.

How hard is it to send a note in the mail, pick up the phone, or send an email with a simple yes or no to an invitation? We are on our smartphones and computers all day long. What’s a few seconds to confirm or regret that invitation from someone who asks your presence at something. It’s not hard to do and keeps your relationships intact.

The host understands people have things to do and he would not have been angry had those guests sent their regrets when the invitations came out. The problem was their broken promise. They promised to come. Their RSVP said yes. But they made excuses and didn’t show. It’s the broken promise that made the host angry. The same is true today when those simple invitations go out. Be polite. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. You can say no, but say something. Then keep your promise.

I know, there are lots of other things you could say about this parable that Jesus gave us. Those who heard it understood some of those subtle innuendos, too. They knew Jesus was talking about them and that He referred to their coming absence from God’s banquet table if they didn’t change their ways. But just for a moment, think about the easy thing to see about the story Jesus tells. Be polite. Answer those RSVPs that come this time of year. Then keep the promises you make.

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.

Be a good citizen (Luke 12:58-59) November 22, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Ezra 6-10

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 12:58-59
Jesus: Imagine you’re being sued. You and your accuser are on your way to court. Wouldn’t you do everything in your power to settle out of court before you stand before the magistrate? After all, he might drag you to stand before the judge, and the judge might hand you over to the police, and they might throw you in jail. Once you’re in jail, it’s too late: you’re not going anywhere until you’ve paid in full.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Early in my military career, we had a nearly a million soldier on active duty just after Viet Nam and a lot of those soldier were draftees that didn’t want to be in the Army and some were sent there instead of to jail. Consequently, we had correctional barracks on most of the installations to take care of some of the less that stellar troops that committed crimes on the installation. The correctional barracks are long gone from most of the installations now. That’s a good thing. But one of the advantages of having those facilities on the post was that you could arrange a visit every once in a while for a salvageable, but wayward young soldier.

I knew several of the officers who worked in or with the correction barracks facility and when I had a soldier that lost his way, I would ask one of my Military Police friends to give that wayward soldier and inside visit of the barracks. This wasn’t a prison, so the conditions were much better, with more privileges than the military prison system, but a young soldier’s eyes were opened pretty quickly when they suddenly found themselves going through the doors with an MP in handcuffs and standing on the wrong side of that yellow line.

When the iron gate closed behind them and suddenly they found themselves cut off from the world with fencing topped with razor wire and the barracks filled with real criminals, that hour or two that the MP spent taking them through the facility letting them know the rules of how they would live for the next six months or two years or six years, depending on the infractions that were building up, felt like an eternity. I’d watch their eyes grow to the size of saucers. Seldom did those soldiers leave that facility without understanding life would not be the same if they didn’t change their ways.

Most of the soldiers I sent for a visit to the barracks for an hour or two turned around and became good soldiers. They straightened up and understood that the Army had rules for a reason. A couple of them even became Sergeants Major, the highest enlisted rank in the Army. Most thanked me later in their career for giving them the opportunity to visit the barracks instead of taking the formal actions I could have taken to send them there or to prison on a more permanent basis.

Jesus’ words today, reminded me of those times in my early career. Isn’t it better to negotiate with people and fix things than to watch them explode in front of you? Isn’t it better to build relationships rather than tear them apart? Of course, the best action is never to get yourself into a position to be sued or charged in the first place. Obey the law. Do what’s right. Love your neighbor. Pray for those that injure or abuse you. Love your enemy. Those are the things Jesus told us to do.

When we do the right thing, we will seldom find ourselves on the wrong side of the law or sitting in the defendant’s seat in court. We will seldom find ourselves facing a judge for doing things that run against the civil laws of the land. Most people will be surprised at our kindness and love for others, but we will seldom be dragged into court for kindness, gentleness, goodness, self-control, those fruit of the spirit that grows in the spirit-filled believer.

What should we be dragged into court for? Going to church and declaring Jesus as Lord. With the state of the world moving in the direction it is moving, it might not be long before that happens. But if it does, if we are dragged before authorities for declaring that Jesus is the Son of the living God. If we face prosecution for declaring that only by believing that Jesus died for our sins can we gain eternal life and forgiveness for our sins. If we face punishment for our faith. Then Jesus says God spirit will put the words we need in our mouth so we do not need to worry about what to say or what to do when we face the judge.

Whatever else someone might call us into court for account we should be careful. Do the right thing. Obey the laws of the land. Be a good citizen while on this journey of life. Build good relationships so that others can know you are a child of God and a citizen of another kingdom. Then proclaim your citizenship and how to get your name on those immigration papers found in the book of life. 

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

No spouse in heaven? (Mark 12:24-27) September 1, 2016

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Proverbs 20-21

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 12:24-27
Jesus: You can’t see the truth because you don’t know the Scriptures well and because you don’t really believe that God is powerful. The answer is this: when the dead rise, they won’t be married or given in marriage. They’ll be like the messengers in heaven, who are not united with one another in marriage. But how can you fail to see the truth of resurrection? Don’t you remember in the Book of Moses how God talked to Moses out of a burning bush and what God said to him then? “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” “I am,” God said. Not “I was.” So God is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are sadly mistaken.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

No marriage in heaven? This year my wife and I will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. That’s a pretty big deal in today’s society. In a current culture where 50% of church goers divorce, sadly, sticking around with the same marriage partner for 40 years is becoming a rarity. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’ve kind of gotten use to having her around. I’m not sure I could get use to not having her around. She’s pretty special to me. So when I get to statements like this from Jesus, my eyebrows turn up a little.

Does that mean Carole and I will be separated in heaven? Does that mean we won’t know each other or spend eternity together? Does that mean our marriage will be null and void when we both walk through the pearly gates? No. No. And sort of.

We won’t be husband and wife in heaven. Marital relationships will not mean anything after the resurrection. Why? There is really a simple reason. We, the church, believers, followers of Christ, are referred to as the bride of Christ. We will be collectively and individually in an intimate relationship with Christ. Notice I didn’t say sexual relationship. I said an intimate relationship. John says when we see Him we will know Him and be like Him and see Him like He really is.

I think there will be an intimacy in the relationships we all share in heaven that does not compare with our relationships here on earth. The closest approximation is that of a marriage between a husband and wife as the two become one through years of love and toil and struggle and joy and sorrow and happiness. Those years of getting to know each other better than we know ourselves sometimes. I think that’s the closest we can get with the limitations we have in our current physical frames. But when we get to heaven, when we lose the constraints of these bodies of clay and are resurrected into our new bodies, I think we will enjoy new sight, new thought, new communication skills, new realms of intimacy with God and with each other that we cannot begin to imagine here.

We will know each other. Not just our current spouses, but we will have that intimacy with every one of God’s redeemed. We will have that intimacy with Jesus. We will have that intimacy with God, the Father and God, the Spirit. We will know each other the same way He knows us now we when shed these temporal vessels that house our immortal spirit.

I’ll recognize Carole, not as my wife, but as a fellow saint as we worship together at the feet of Jesus. And I recognize Gery and Ruth and August and Charlene and Nick and… just begin to make your list. I’ll recognize all of those who have gone before and will come after me in the same way I recognize Carole. We will all rejoice at worship at the feet of Jesus. The Bride of Christ. His church. There won’t be any jealousy if I talk to someone else or if she talks to someone else. We have eternity to learn about everyone there. We can hear first hand the stories of Peter and Paul and Silas and Barnabas and Phoebe. We will know each other and relish the time we can spend with each other, but mostly the time we can spend in the presence of God.

Satan jumps on my back every once in a while when I read verses like these. He says, “What kind of place is heaven, if your wife won’t be your wife anymore.” But Satan is the father of lies. You see, relationships in heaven will be perfect. No missed cues between anyone. No misspoken words or misinterpreted phrases. No actions that hurt someone or whose actions hurt me. No failures in understanding non-verbal cues or missing the meaning of an important communique. My relationships with everyone will be perfect in heaven.

And best of all, we will see Jesus! He will be the center of attention for all who go there. The rooms are finished. The furniture is in place, curtains are hung, and pictures are on the walls. He’s just waiting for the Father to say, “Son, go get your bride, your church.” Whichever one of us departs this life first, the other will be sad for a while, lonely for the comfort and companionship and love we enjoy right now. But not long after that, we will be reunited with everyone else who sings the song of the redeemed to be forever together with our Lord. 

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.

An important institution (Mark 10:3-12) August 18, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Proverbs 17-18

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

Today’s Devotional

Mark 10:3-12
Jesus: What did Moses say to you?
Pharisees: Moses permitted us to write a certificate of dismissal and divorce her.
Jesus: Moses gave you this law as a concession because of the hardness of your hearts. But truly, God created humans male and female in the beginning. As it is written in the Hebrew Scriptures, “For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother to marry his wife, and the two of them will become one flesh and blood.” So they are no longer two people, but one. What God has joined together in this way, no one may sever.
In the privacy of their dwelling that evening, the disciples asked Him about this teaching, and He went even further.
Jesus: If any husband divorces his wife and then marries another woman, he commits adultery against her. And if a wife should divorce her husband and marry another, then she commits adultery against him.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus must have been mistaken when He said this stuff. God certainly didn’t mean for us to be stuck with the same person forever if we can’t get along, right? God wants us to be happy and if that means we need to get away from the person we married divorce is okay, right? These words are just an old fashioned, arcane philosophy that only prudes believe in. No one believes this stuff anymore, right?

We certainly act that way as a society. We even act that way within our churches when you look at the statistics. In fact, there are now more divorces in our churches than outside our churches. I hope that is because we still believe more in marriage than the rest of the world and we not just living together, but that’s another message. Even in the church, divorce is no longer the taboo it once was. If we don’t like our spouse any more, we just quit. We don’t spend the effort to make marriage work. We just jump in and out of relationships as if God doesn’t care.

All you need to do is read Jesus’ words again and you’ll see that God does care, though. He intends marriage to last for as long as you live. He intends for marriage and family to be the bedrock of our communities and our society. When you take a look around at the number of broken homes, is it any wonder we have the problems we have today?

Family and home is where we should feel safe and learn about love and security. But if husband and wife are bickering, failing to understand love and work on relationships, then how will their children learn to love? If husband and wife decide that their spouse is not important and can be thrown aside, with all the damage that broken relationship brings, how can their children learn differently as they grow?

We have bred a society that accepts divorce and brokenness as the norm. We have decided as a society that it’s okay to jump in and out of relationships as quickly as you change careers or jobs. We think it doesn’t hurt anyone, so why not try another spouse and throw the old relationships away. We have decided if our current spouse isn’t making us happy for the moment that it’s okay to find someone else who will.

The problem is that no one can make us feel happy or sad or wanted or discarded. We own our feelings. It’s time we figure out that we can control our feelings and feelings are not what love is about. Love and marriage and family is about a lifelong commitment to each other. Remember what Jesus said about the marriage relationship and divorce? The certificate of divorce that Moses inserted into the law for strict reasons unfaithfulness were allowed by God only as a concession because of the hardness of their hearts. Divorce was never part of His plan. It was never something He wanted or condoned.

God allows divorce just like He allows sickness and disease and sin and death. Does He want those things in the earth? Absolutely not! But He allows them because we choose not to abide by His law. We fail to follow Him and so suffer the consequences that come with it.

Our society is suffering the consequences of forgetting what Jesus said in these few verses. We have taken marriage vows lightly. We jump into marriage without taking seriously the responsibilities and commitments that come along with the vows we took. We let Satan lure us into thinking relationships don’t matter. And so we see the rise of divorce and the dissolution of families. Our children and their children pay the price. Those broken homes permeate our society and result in the broken lives that just continue the cycle of disruption in the home, the school, the workplace, everywhere you look.

Divorce affects everyone. It have never been God’s plan. We need to turn this ship around in our society and make marriage the important institution God intended it to be once again. 

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.

Friends in the time of need (Matthew 26:18) June 18, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Luke 13-14

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 26:18
Jesus: Go into the city, find a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, ‘My time is near, and I am going to celebrate Passover at your house with My disciples.’”

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I like this about Jesus and the relationships He has built in His thirty-three years on earth. He told a few of His trusted disciples to go find a certain man. No doubt one of the many friends He made along the path of life He traveled over the last several years. Maybe the man was a family friend who didn’t berate Mary and Joseph for the son born to early to them to be Joseph’s legitimate heir. Maybe he was one of the guest at Cana who witnessed Jesus’ first miracle and became a close and trusted friend after believing Jesus was the Son of God. Maybe he was one of John’s followers present on the day John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.

We don’t know who the man was, but Jesus sent His disciples to this particular, person to let him know He was coming with a bunch of His friends. And when Jesus’ disciples came to that man and told him what Jesus said, he didn’t even flinch. He set up the room. He got provisions for them. He welcomed them in. He was happy to see Jesus and meet whoever Jesus brought with Him.

I often wonder how many of those kinds of friends Jesus made in His wanderings throughout the territories of Judea and Galilee. I think of people like Lazarus, Mary, Martha, Zaccheus the tax collector, and others who probably gave Him an open door invitation to welcome Him into their home any time He was in the area.

With our travels, my wife and I have made a few of those kinds of friends. We can call and tell them we will be in the area and they expect us to stay with them. And when they are in San Antonio, we expect them to stay with us. They are friends that if they called at midnight and said they needed a place to stay, the doors would be opened and beds would be available. They’re like family. Nothing is spared. No invitation is needed. Just show up and we will have a good time together for as long as they choose to stay. And they reciprocate if we happen through their town.

Relationships like that don’t happen overnight. Those relationships grew over years and decades as we learned about our likes and dislikes, as our kids grew up with common interests, as we discussed values and ethics and determined we were like minded in our love of God. These relationships take the brunt of life and survive the worst crises life throw at us because they help us get through those tough times. We rely on each other for prayers, an understanding shoulder to lean on, something beyond sympathy for our plight, a willing hand to help us through those crisis moments.

Jesus sent His disciples to meet such an individual. A certain man. A person with whom He grew a relationship over time until like those friends I discribed above, He could drop in without notice and be welcome. So how do we grow those kinds of relationships? How do we get to the place with others that we can drop in or have them drop in without the feeling of interruption and welcome these friends with open arms, always feeling at home with them? What is it about those relationships that make them so close and so genuine that you can share your life deeply and relish every moment with them?

I think one of the most important aspects of these relationships is the common ground in values. Deep in your heart where eternal things matter, you are kindred spirits. As I think about that list of people that I’m comfortable dropping in and out of their homes, almost without exception, they have a deep love of God and faith in Christ for salvation. All are growing in faith, but most know Him intimately.

Second, we are all open with each other. No pretense. No hidden agenda. We aren’t looking to gain anything from each other except friendship. We expect nothing in return from the time we spend together or the things we do for each other. We communicate and share joys, sorrows, hurts, celebrations, a multitude of emotions without fear of ridicule or judgment.

Finally, I think those relationships grow because from the beginning of the relationships, with small things at first, but later with whatever is needed, we have learned to trust each other to help when needed. We know we can rely on each other when the chips are down. We know when nothing else seems to work, we can turn to each other and things will get done.

Do you have those kinds of friends in your repertoire? I think Jesus made those kinds of friends wherever He went as the perfect Man and Son of God. I also think it’s more difficult for us to make and keep those kinds of friendships because we are imperfect and often not very godly. But I can tell you from decades of experience, those relationships are certainly worth the effort.

Jesus sent His disciples to a certain man. Do you have a few of those around the world you can call on for help when you need them? 

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 okay, ask your questions (Matthew 13:37-43) March 28, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Genesis 48-50

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 13:37-43
Jesus: The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed represents the children of the Kingdom. The weeds—who do you think the weeds are? They are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who threw the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the workers are God’s heavenly messengers. In the parable, I told you the weeds would be pulled up and burned—well, that is how it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send His messengers out into the world, and they will root out from His kingdom everything that is poisonous, ugly, and malicious, and everyone who does evil. They will throw all that wickedness into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. And the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

In the verse before Jesus’ words, the disciples ask Him to explain the parable of the weeds. So Jesus answers them. This, I think, is an important lesson for us as we contemplate Jesus’ words for us today. Jesus spoke to the crowds around Him in parables fulfilling the prophecies given to Isaiah and Psalms. People would listen but not hear, try to understand, but not comprehend. He gives them His message, but they do not exercise enough faith to let His words break through to their heart and mind so they understand Him.

But the disciples wanted to know more about the messages Jesus gave the crowds. They weren’t content to just hear His stories and go away and live their lives as if nothing happened. They wanted deeper understanding. So they came to Jesus and asked what His parables meant. That’s the real message I’d like begin with from Jesus’ words today. We need to want to know more about Him so we ask Him to clarify His word. He wants us to delve into His word and learn about Him. He wants us to draw close to Him and ask questions. He wants to settle our doubts and calm our fears. But He can’t do that unless we engage with Him in conversation. We have to get away with Him and talk to Him.

And then comes the good part. Jesus didn’t ridicule His disciples because they didn’t understand. He didn’t send them to the library to look up the answers. He didn’t send them off to the seminary or tell them to go study their catechism. No. Jesus answered their questions. He understood their infancy in their faith and took the time to explain His teachings to them. He made sure they understood His message so they could better understand Him and His mission from the Father.

It helps us know that Jesus doesn’t want to be hidden from us. His message was plain: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. God has burst in upon the scene. He wants an intimate relationship with you. I’ll tell you stories to help you understand the relationship God wants to have with you. But He also wants you to exercise your faith a little. He also wants to see that His relationship with you isn’t completely one-sided. He carries the biggest load. He pulls the heaviest weight. He makes the greatest sacrifice. But He also expects us to do at least a little something in the relationship.

He spoke to the crowds in parables. Most of the people in the crowd listened to His stories and walked away happy to have seen His miracles and heard His message. But they didn’t understand and didn’t do anything else about it. It’s not unlike many who sit in the pews in churches all across America. We come and listen to the music, hear a good sermon, then go home and live the rest of the week without any thought about what any of it meant. We don’t think about the words we heard or the work God has for us to do. We don’t understand it, but we don’t ask about it either. We are happy just to keep our superficial appearance of righteousness, but there is no substance to our relationship.

Jesus answered the disciples questions because they asked them. He encouraged them to find out what His messages meant so they could draw closer to Him and His Father. He wanted them to understand His mission because He would soon pass that mission on to them and they would need that relationship with the triune Godhead vibrant and strong to withstand the fury of those Satan would throw in their way. They needed to know that no question was too insignificant for Him to answer for them.

So how about you? Do you just sit in the pew every once in a while or every week and just hear the words without really listening to the message God has for you? Do you leave the church without meditating through the week on the sermon and songs you heard? Do you fail to ask God what He wants you to know in building your relationship with Him and others? Then these words of Jesus were meant for you. You see, Jesus has answers to our questions. And He wants us to ask them. 

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.

Put your treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21) January 23, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Matthew 8-10

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

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 6:19-21
Jesus: Some people store up treasures in their homes here on earth. This is a shortsighted practice—don’t undertake it. Moths and rust will eat up any treasure you may store here. Thieves may break into your homes and steal your precious trinkets. Instead, put up your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Well, to see if Jesus words hold true, I took a look at the stock markets from a year ago today. Google is up from a year ago. That’s good news if you have stock in Google. Almost everything else is down from a year ago today. Over the last couple of weeks, everything has taken a nose dive. It’s only a drop of five or six percent, but that represents trillions of dollars of investments for people who planned their retirements or some big windfall on the continuing rise of the stock market. So much for storing up your treasures in stocks. In the long run, it just doesn’t work. It finally runs out and you can’t take it with you.

How about gold and silver and precious gems? Well, it sounds good, but someone has to buy it, right? So if you have a few pounds of gold sitting around your house it sounds like a great investment. But what happens if the economy really crashes? Do you think your local grocer will accept a hunk of gold for your groceries? He might, but probably not. I doubt if he wants to worry about figuring out the purity of the gold, weighing it, storing it, figuring out how much it’s worth, and providing security for it. Gold is really a pain to have on hand in any quantity. Ask Fort Knox!

When the economy goes kapluey, who’s going to buy your gold, anyway? Who can afford it? What will it be worth? You’re stuck with a lump of gold that you’d happily give away for a scrap of food if someone would give it to you. But ask the Argentinians who a few years ago went through run away inflation what gold was worth to them. Those things will be meaningless to you.

So if gold and silver and stocks and priceless jewels and all those earthly treasures are meaningless, what are we to store up? What treasures can Jesus be talking about when He says to store them in heaven?

If we back up to the beginning of His discourse on the mountain, I think we begin to understand His meaning. Jesus has talked about attitudes being right. He’s talked about thoughts set on goodness and love. He’s talked about keeping your mind out of the gutter and instead offering simple meaningful praise to God. He’s talked about giving to others generously without fanfare. He’s talked about faithfulness to spouses, friends, even enemies. Jesus talked about a new lifestyle from that seen in most circles of society.

From the previous sixty verses Jesus has already laid out a kind of living that turned the general thinking of the religious community upside-down. He has already said enough to cause the Pharisees to hate Him and want His blood. Jesus has already declared their practices shallow, vain, and worthless. He tells those who will listen to His sermon that God has a better plan for them. God has ushered in a new covenant with all humankind. Salvation has arrived, not from doing good deeds. It didn’t come from obeying all the rules. Salvation didn’t come from being religious.

Salvation comes from a change in attitude. It comes from our relationship with God and particularly our relationship with His Son, Jesus the Christ. Through these sixty verses, Jesus has talked about things that affect our relationship with God and others. God wants a vibrant, living relationship with us. He wants our attention. Just like your spouse or your best friend wants your attention to keep your relationship strong, so does God. He wants to talk to you through His word and He wants you to talk to Him through prayer. God wants to communicate with you so you learn of Him, not just about Him.

Everything Jesus tells us to this point leads us toward building our treasure in heaven. It’s not brownie points of doing good, but rather it’s loving God with your all your strength, mind, soul, and spirit. It’s loving your neighbor as yourself. It’s building relationships with others. It’s sharing God’s love with everyone you meet. It’s telling others what God does in your life, witnessing to His amazing grace. That’s your real treasure. Everyone of those people you introduce to God’s kingdom, those are the real treasures you put away in heaven. Eternal friends and family. Those relationships will go on forever.

So, like Jesus says, “Instead, put up your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

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 Podcast

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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.