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Bad things happen (Luke 13:2-5) November 23, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 134-136

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

Today’s Devotional

Luke 13:2-5
Jesus: Do you think these Galileans were somehow being singled out for their sins, that they were worse than any other Galileans, because they suffered this terrible death? Of course not. But listen, if you do not consider God’s ways and truly change, then friends, you should prepare to face His judgment and eternal death.
Speaking of current events, you’ve all heard about the 18 people killed in that building accident when the tower in Siloam fell. Were they extraordinarily bad people, worse than anyone else in Jerusalem, so that they would deserve such an untimely death? Of course not. But all the buildings of Jerusalem will come crashing down on you if you don’t wake up and change direction now.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I think from the time Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden as punishment for that first act of disobedience, we seem to lay the blame for every bad thing that happens at God’s feet. It must be God’s punishment for something that caused him to go through that terrible tragedy. It must be some sin in her life that brought on that awful disease. God is punishing him for actions in his past. That must be true, right? Wrong!

There are a couple of things we can learn from these words from Jesus, though. He makes it pretty clear not all the bad things that happen to us are because of sin in our lives. The Galileans killed by the Romans were killed as a demonstration that Rome was still in charge. No reason for their murder other than they came to Jerusalem to worship and perhaps didn’t have all the right permissions stamped on their papers. The Romans ruled with an iron fist and showed their ruthless power occasionally just to let people know who still ruled them and it wasn’t those temple priests.

Jesus let those around him know the Galileans that lost their lives did nothing more or less than any others around them yet lost their lives. It’s not their individual sins that caused those bad things to happen, it’s the fact that death entered the cosmos with that first sin Adam and Even committed and so bad things happen to everyone. Trouble in life is a universal issue for all of us. We all get sick. We all face taxes and bills and mortgages. We all find laws conflicting with other laws and have to make choices as to which we will bend to follow others. We all find difficult relationships with someone somewhere.

Face it. Bad things happen to us occasionally. We can’t get away from it. Expect it. And it comes just because we breathe air on this side of dirt. If you take that first breath out of your mother’s womb, you will have bad things happen to you. It’s a fact of life and you just can’t get away. Maybe it’s like James Dobson once said, it’s to keep us from getting too comfortable here and help us remember there is a better place awaiting us. If we never had problems here, we might not long for heaven the way we do. So maybe it’s okay for bad things to happen just because.

But Jesus also indicates that sometimes bad things do happen as a result of our wrong doing. That wasn’t true for those Galileans who were killed or the victims of the tower wall that fell in Siloam, but He warns those listening to Him that they better changed their ways or bad things will happen to them soon. He says the walls of Jerusalem will come crashing down on them if they don’t change.

Those are interesting words considering in forty years the Romans will destroy Jerusalem and the temple and the whole city will be reduced to rubble. I wonder how many of those in that crowd were caught under the falling stones as catapults and battering rams smashed the walls. Some of them didn’t change their ways. We know that from their behavior toward Jesus at the mock trial, calling for His crucifixion, mocking Him on the cross.

So some of the bad things that happen to us are a result of our wrong doing. Either natural consequences of our bad behavior, like the health problems that come from drug addiction, abuse of alcohol, and a host of other illicit behaviors. Or punishment from God for our disobedience to Him like He did with the Israelites and sent a plague among the community.

The bottom line for any individual is that you know your heart. Is there any unconfessed sin there? If so, ask God to forgive it and thank Him for His forgiveness. Then recognize that all of us will suffer in this world. Accept the suffering as identifying with our Lord. He suffered and died for us and was sinless. If He suffered and did no wrong, then we have nothing to complain about when we suffer for the wrong we do. Bad things will happen to us. Use them to remember Jesus faced bad things, too. He faced them so we can enjoy good things for all eternity.

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

Don’t hold onto things (1 Timothy 6:1-10), June 24, 2015

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Today’s Podcast


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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – 1 Timothy 6:1-10
Set – 2 Chronicles 24; 1 Timothy 6
Go! – 2 Kings 11-12; 2 Chronicles 24; 1 Timothy 6

1 Timothy 6:1-10
1 Tell all who labor under the yoke of slavery to treat their masters with honor and respect, whether or not their masters deserve it. This will keep God’s name and doctrine from being smeared. 2 If their masters are believers, then they should not be insolent toward them just because they are your brothers and sisters. Actually they should be even more determined to serve them because the gains from their good works benefit those who are faithful and loved.
Timothy, teach these instructions, and appeal to those under your ministry to live by them. 3 If others are teaching otherwise and bringing unhealthy conversations to the community, if they are not sticking to the sound words in the teaching of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, if they are not teaching godly principles— 4 then they are swollen with conceit, filled with self-importance, and without any proper understanding. They probably have a gross infatuation with controversy and will endlessly debate meanings of words. That kind of talk leads to envy, discord, slander, and evil mistrust; 5 and these people constantly bicker because they are depraved in their minds and bereft of the truth. They think somehow that godliness is the way to get ahead. 6 This is ironic because godliness, along with contentment, does put us ahead but not in the ways some imagine. 7 You see we came into this world with nothing, and nothing is going with us on the way out! 8 So as long as we are clothed and fed, we should be happy. 9 But those who chase riches are constantly falling into temptation and snares. They are regularly caught by their own stupid and harmful desires, dragged down and pulled under into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money—and what it can buy—is the root of all sorts of evil. Some already have wandered away from the true faith because they craved what it had to offer; but when reaching for the prize, they found their hands and hearts pierced with many sorrows.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Many get mixed up by Paul’s words. Let Me make sure you understand there is nothing wrong with money or things. But loving things more than Me gets you in trouble very quickly. That’s why almost 2,600 verses in scripture deal with money. It is the root of all sorts of evil. Again, not because money or things are bad, but because people look at what others have and get covetous of things.

You forget that I allowed you to be born into a family of wealth or a family struggling with poverty. But it doesn’t matter what your family has. You both come into the world exactly the same – naked and with absolutely nothing that belongs to you. You have a common struggle for life and the skin you’re wrapped in. That’s it!

When you begin to walk with Me and get your eyes off the “things” of the world, you begin to see like Paul. You begin to understand how to find contentment if you have your needs satisfied. What are your needs? Food, water, clothing, shelter, and a relationship with Me and others. That’s it. Nothing else. Everything else comes from seeing what others have and wanting more for yourself. It’s the difference between wants and needs.

It’s not that I don’t want you to have things. As I said before, there is nothing wrong with “things”. They make us comfortable. They sometimes help us help others. They can make life a little more pleasant in a world marred by sin. In fact, I even give some people the gift of accumulation. It takes the gift of accumulation to have the gift of generosity. You can’t give if you don’t have. But don’t let things take over your life. You can’t take them with you. Keep them in their rightful place.

Remember that for each “thing” you bring into your life, it will require time away from My tasks for you. Cars need fixing, yards must be mowed, gadgets take time to learn, charge, or they just consume time (just watch people on Facebook). Each “thing” in your life does the same. Few new items are time savers that actually give time back that you can use for Me.

So, I urge you to get back to basics. What do you need? Stop and think before you acquire that next “thing” for yourself. Do you need it or want it? You won’t take it with you when you transition from this life to the next. Will it add real joy to your life or just bring you some momentary happiness? There is a difference. Think about it.

Naked you came into the world and naked you will leave it. You came with nothing and you’ll leave with nothing. So hold those “things” loosely that you happen to accumulate along the way. Maybe I want you to share them with someone who needs them more than 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.