From Milk To Meat

Hebrews 5:12 - 6:1, 9 - 12

When parents bring home a new baby, family and friends may have a celebratory party for the new family.  Perhaps the new uncle is cooking up some steaks on the backyard barbecue.  Everyone will sit down to enjoy the nice dinner.  The newborn baby may be in the arms of mother or father, or another relative, but the baby is not taking part in this delicious meal in their honor.  Nobody would dare give this little baby a nice piece of steak!  All they can have is milk for four to six months before soft or pureed food is added to their diet.  However, when that child is school age and older, if they are still only having milk, there is something wrong.  Our Scripture today from the Book of Hebrews gives a similar analogy for how Christians need to grow spiritually beyond the basics.

Just like with physical babies, spiritual babies, those who are newly saved, can only handle spiritual milk.  These would be the basic principles of salvation, such as Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, His resurrection on the third day, the Bible being the inerrant Word of God, etc.  As the weeks and months pass after one is saved, they should be growing spiritually, just as a newborn baby grows.  Soon the baby is rolling over, then learning to sit up, crawl, and then stand before the first year is over.  And importantly, as we read here, they learn to eat solid food.  Many of these believers the author was writing to were stunted in their spiritual growth.  Spiritually they were still drinking milk when they should have been way beyond that.  They should be teaching other new believers, but instead they were needing to be taught themselves (Hebrews 5:12).

As a baby grows, their muscles develop and gain strength to crawl, stand, and then walk.  If they never moved their muscles, they would not have the strength to do this.  If you’ve ever broken an arm or leg and had it immobilized in a cast, you might remember how weak that limb was when the cast came off.  The muscles had begun to atrophy.  In order to counteract that you need to exercise those muscles.  Our spiritual muscles can also atrophy quickly when we don’t use them.  Spiritual exercises, such as Bible reading, prayer, and obedience, are more important than physical exercise.

One sign of spiritual immaturity is failing to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).  A spiritually mature Christian, one who is eating “meat”, will show discernment.  Discernment knows that there is a line separating between good and evil.  It acts like an umpire in life.  One with discernment has skill and accuracy in reading character, and will detect and identify the real truth  Discernment reads between the lines of the visible.  It is cultivated by saturating the heart and mind with Scripture.

Another sign of spiritual maturity is that of having a degree of patience (Hebrews 6:12).  Patience is available through the power of the Holy Spirit.  It allows us to have the mindset that says we are willing to let go of immediate gratification and wait for God to supply our needs.  Patience reveals itself when we are willing to wait without frustration while suffering, or experiencing a strong desire.  Patience means accepting whatever the Lord chooses to give or not give, and willingly receiving it on His timetable.

The author felt that he could expect better things from those he was writing to, that they could handle meat, and not just milk (Hebrews 6:9).  He then closes this passage with reminding them that God is not unjust, He will remember all that they have done and suffered for Him (Hebrews 6:10).  God is faithful to take special note of those who serve Him.  He is faithful.  He is steadfast in His allegiance to His people.  God will not leave us in the lurch.  He is firm in His adherence to His promises.  God keeps His Word.  He is not fickle.  God does not have hot and cold temperamental moods.  Let us be faithful to Him.  Let us go on past the baby bottle of milk and on to the spiritual steak dinner!

How Long, Lord?

Psalm 13

“How much longer?”  Most of us who have had children can remember when they were younger they would cry out this complaint, often on a long drive.  Adults, too, can cry out that lament, as no one likes to wait.  There are situations that are much more serious than just waiting for the end of a long and boring drive, or even a long line at the store!  Many of us have gone through, or are currently going through some troubles that seem to be lasting forever.  There just doesn’t seem to be an end.  We feel so discouraged and forgotten, even by God.  That is the theme of today’s psalm.  Let’s look into this Scripture and find some encouragement.

Psalm 13 is one of the many psalms that David wrote.  It is quite evident as we read through the psalms that he wrote, and through both I and II Samuel, that David went through many, many trials and troubles.  In his youth things seemed to be going well for him.  As a youth, Samuel came and anointed him to be the future king.  That is certainly a positive!  Then he was called to come to court as a musician for King Saul.  That would have been a nice plus on anyone’s resume.  And then he was the one to bring down the giant enemy warrior Goliath with a stone and slingshot!  Then things took a turn, and King Saul became insanely jealous of David.  He spent many years trying to kill David, hunting him down, and David had to flee, living on the run, constantly in fear for his life.  We might think that things would improve when he became king, but David had to flee his capital Jerusalem when his son Absalom orchestrated an ill-fated coup.  It could have been any of these events which led David to compose this psalm.

David spent many years on the run from King Saul, and I think it is likely that the psalm was written then.  For years Saul hounded David like a hunter chases after his prey. (I Samuel 26:20).  Four times in the first two verses David cried out “How long”.  This had been going on for so long that he was beginning to wonder if the Lord had forgotten about him, if He was hiding from him.  Sometimes some problems that we have been dealing with seem to go on for so long that we might also think that God has forgotten about us, and our enemies will get the victory.  So we cry with David, “How long, Lord?”

When believers have a period of time where they feel abandoned by God, where they question if He is there, or cares about them, some have called this the “dark night of the soul”.  This was a term that was first used by St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) a Carmelite priest and monk.  Other saints of God, such as St. Paul of the Cross (1694-1775), St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1891), and St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938) are just some who have experienced such times in their faith.  Like they did, we can trust that God’s love for us will never waver or change.

Often prolonged afflictions vex us, as well.  We want sudden solutions.  However, some things we face will not be fixed.  They can only be borne.  God wants us to engage with Him in our struggles  He understands us as no one else can.  When we’re waiting for God to resolve a difficult situation, it’s easy to get discouraged.  Satan tells us that God has forgotten us and things will never change.  We are tempted to give in to despair.

One of the purposes of the psalms is to show us how to honestly cry out in our pain, even when we feel forgotten and helpless.  In Psalm 13, David goes from being on his face in misery (vs. 1-2), to being on his knees in prayer (vs. 3-4), to being on his feet rejoicing (vs. 5-6).  David focused on all he knew of God’s love.  He reminded himself of past blessings, and deliberately praised God, who he knew would not forget him.

Sufferings can persist, but like David, we can sing in the midst of our trials.  David knew he was God’s child.  God’s love stands when all else fails.

God's Arm Is Not Shortened

Isaiah 59:1-19

The cries of the distressed rise up, but they seem to land on deaf ears.  Is there a reason why they receive no response?  Is it because the one they cry to is not there?  Is it because that one is unable to bring them relief, or perhaps does not care?  These are some of the questions that some of the people of Judah asked both the prophet Isaiah and the Lord when it seemed their prayers were not being answered.  Many today ask the same questions.  What was the Lord’s response?  Our Scripture gives His answer.

Depending upon who the king was at the time, the Kingdom of Judah swayed back and forth in their allegiance to Yahweh.  Many of the people mixed the worship of the Lord with that of pagan gods and goddesses, with some completely abandoning Him.  Only a few were completely faithful to the Lord.  But when troubles arose, they would pray to Him for deliverance, and they wondered why God was not responding.   Some of them wondered out loud if perhaps Yahweh wasn’t strong enough, or had lost strength since the days of the past.  Maybe He just wasn’t listening, others said.

Yahweh answered through His prophet Isaiah, and told the people that it wasn’t that He wasn’t strong enough nor deaf (vs. 1).  His arms were just as long and strong as they always were.  The reason was that the people’s sins had come between them and Himself.  If there is repeated unconfessed and unrepentant sin in our life, God will not hear or answer our prayers (Psalm 66:18).  And God will never tolerate or excuse the worship of Him combined with that of false religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, or any neo-pagan religions.  This was what the people were involved in, along with unrepented sins (vs. 3-5).

The false religious leaders had led the people astray.  Isaiah compares them to people who hatch venomous snake’s eggs, which bring forth a baby snake who is ready to bite right from birth (vs. 5).  They are also compared to a spider weaving her web.  A spider’s web is a marvel of seduction.  With cunning the spider weaves the web to trap unsuspecting insects and small animals.  False religions are like a venomous snake’s egg or a spider’s web, equally seductive, but hiding potentially lethal danger.  The false leaders make their lies appear to be true, so we need to be on alert, aware, and wise.  Rather than being the truth, and being something that can clothe us with Godly wisdom and salvation, these false religions and philosophies are as worthless as trying to clothe oneself with a spider’s web, and their paths lead to evil and sin (vs. 6-8).

The Lord God tries to call the people back to Himself, and to get their attention.  He tries to get us to listen to Him.  However, all too often they are blind and deaf, or like dead men, like corpses (vs. 10).  They are seemingly trying to find the right way in life, but can’t find their way.  The justice and righteousness that they profess they want is far away (vs. 9, 11).  Why is that?  Isaiah answers that it is because they have multiplied sins which they refuse to let go of (vs. 12-13).  They have sinned against the Lord so justice, righteousness, and answered prayer will be far away.

This does not please the Lord.  He is not happy when people are lost in their sins.  Therefore, God Himself brought salvation to mankind by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, clothed with salvation and righteousness (vs. 15-19).  When we accept the Lord as our Savior, when we fear His Name, we can call upon Him, and He will hear us.  He will also protect us when the enemy comes in upon us like a flood (vs. 19).  When the presence of the Lord overshadows you, there is nothing that the enemy can do to harm you.  God will rise up and scatter him.  His presence covers and protects us on every side.  The Lord goes before us into every battle, and He is our rear-guard.  He is ever watchful.

In closing, let’s look back one more time at the opening verse of our Scripture passage.  When the people were wondering why God did not seem to hear or answer their prayers, rather than suspect that the fault would lie with themselves, they felt the fault lay with the Lord, that He was weak, His arms or hands were “too short”.  As we have seen, the Lord does hear and is attentive to the prayers and cries of His children, those who have a relationship with Him through the Blood of the Lord Jesus.  No disaster can put us beyond God’s help.  When we are frightened in the dark, trapped by poor choices, or over our heads in trouble, God’s arm is long enough to reach us.  He is not too weak, and we are never beyond His reach.  As the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:38-39, nothing can separate God’s Blood-bought children from Him!

James And John's Request

Mark 10:35-45

You have probably heard of patronage jobs.  We see this a lot in bigger cities and many county governments.  Someone does a politician a favor, helps in his campaign, or contributes money, and they or someone in their family is then given a job.  Usually these are good jobs, often with a pension, sometimes even a “no show” or “no work” job.  This sometimes happens within big corporations, where favoritism and nepotism play a lot in who gets promoted or given certain jobs rather than the hard-working fellow.  There is the old saying “It’s not what you know, but who you know” in getting certain jobs.  In our Gospel passage today we see a couple of the disciples looking for some patronage positions.  Did they get their request?  Let’s take a look.

As our Scripture opens, the two brothers James and John came up to Jesus with a request.  They had something to ask Him, and they didn’t beat around the bush or hesitate, but came right to the point.  They believed that Jesus was going to come to Glory one day, and at that time they wanted the prized positions of sitting at His right and left hand (vs. 35-37).  There was no shyness or reticence with these two!

Historically, the positions of sitting at the right and left hand of a king, a pharaoh, or an emperor, were special positions.  It was a spot of power and of trust.  These mighty rulers would not just give them to anyone.  Instead they were usually given to good friends of the monarch, hopefully someone who was wise.  They might have a lot of money to help finance the monarch, and might also have some military power.  Just like with a political or corporate patronage job, these brothers James and John felt that they could get these two enviable positions.  After all, they were part of Jesus’ inner circle of closest disciples, which also included Peter, who witnessed the Transfiguration, and a few other private miracles, such as raising the daughter of Jairus.

Jesus questioned the two brothers.  Were they capable and willing to suffer and die for their faith, for their Lord?  Could they “drink the same cup” that Jesus was about to do?  They quickly stated that they could (vs. 38-39).  Jesus promised that they indeed would, but that those positions were not for Him to give out but instead were for those who the Father had prepared it for (vs. 39-40).  The other disciples were angry with the two for thinking they should be given special spots, possibly quietly thinking that instead they should get those spots (vs. 41).

The Lord used this opportunity to teach the twelve that, contrary to what the world thinks, if one wants to be great, they need to become a servant to others (vs. 42-45).  The world thinks that being great is having a lot of money, a lot of power, a lofty position.  However in God’s sight, the greatest are the least, those who are humble and lowly in spirit, those who are willing to take the lowliest spots, and are servants to others.

A popular philosophy and teaching is to think about yourself first and foremost - do something for yourself, or with yourself, or to yourself.  That is different from the model and message that Jesus gave us.  He said to be a servant, and give yourself to others.  Paul echoed that in Philippians 2:3-4.  Don’t let selfishness and conceit control you.  Instead, have humility of mind.

Jesus modeled that, by giving of Himself, both throughout His life, and then in His death for our salvation.  Salvation has three “s’s”.  Sacrifice - salvation comes through the death of Jesus.  Substitution - Jesus died instead of us.  Satisfaction - Jesus’ death fulfilled the justice of God, as God’s justice was “satisfied”.

Did the brothers James and John live up to their claim that they could drink the same cup that the Lord Jesus would?   Were they willing and able to suffer for their Savior?  As we read in the Book of Acts, aside from the betrayer Judas, James was the first of the apostles to die.  King Herod Agrippa had him put to death by a sword (Acts 12:1-2).  His brother John, on the other hand, was the only apostle besides the betrayer who did not suffer martyrdom.  After a lifetime of ministry and serving others, as Jesus had instructed His followers to do, John was banished to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, which was used as a Roman penal colony at the time.  It is there that John is believed to have died.  Like these two brothers, are we willing and able to give our all for the Savior?

 

A Two-Edged Sword

Hebrews 4:12-16

Have you heard temptation calling your name lately?  All of us will face different temptations on a regular basis, and we have various levels of success in fighting them off.  For some it’s the lure of watching something on TV or the internet that we shouldn’t.  For others it’s something in the refrigerator calling our name, that we know we shouldn’t eat.  Or the lure of illicit drugs, or having a violent temper.  Whatever our temptations are, we have various ways of trying to fight it off.  Our Scripture today gives us one sure way to fight these.  Let’s look into what the Lord can teach us.

When we have temptations it is often helpful to talk with someone who has gone through the same thing we are going through.  That is part of the basis for the success of groups like Alcoholics Anonymous.  For us believers, the best way to overcome temptation is to look at the One who has dealt with every temptation successfully and consistently, and that would be the Lord Jesus Christ.  How did He deal with the temptations He was faced with, temptations that Satan threw in His path?  Jesus was tempted in every way that we are today.  However, the big difference is that He never succumbed to those temptations (vs. 15).  Jesus used Scripture and only Scripture to resist Satan’s temptations.  He didn’t use His own wit or His own power.

When one country seeks to fight off an enemy who is attacking them, they want to use powerful weapons.  We have an enemy to fight, and that is Satan and all the temptations he brings.  The best weapon to use is the same one that Jesus used, the Word of God.  We read here that God’s Word is powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword (vs. 12).  A two-edged sword is sharp on both sides, and will cut in any direction you use it.  God’s Word, when properly applied, can cut off any temptation that comes.

It always helps to have our weapons prepared and ready when we need them.  The best way to have God’s Word, our spiritual sword, ready when temptations come is to have appropriate verses and passages memorized.  Memorizing Scripture can transform our life.  It doesn’t necessarily change circumstances, but it will give us something to hold on to when the storms come.  God’s Word is our sword to fight back Satan’s lies.  If we believe that the Bible is the living Word of the One True God, we won’t just read it, we’ll obey it and let it change our life.

Being in prayer is also a weapon that we can use.  God doesn’t care if our prayers are poetic or intellectual, or even grammatically correct.  He listens to our heart.  However, when we pray using Scripture that we’ve read and even memorized, we can pray God’s Words right back to Him.  There is something special about praying Scripture.  These are God’s Words, and we can pray them back to Him.  Through our belief and faith in the death of the Lord Jesus as payment for our sins, we can approach the throne of Almighty God (vs. 16).

The author of Hebrews instructs us to hold fast to our confession (vs. 14).  Whatever we talk about is our confession.  If we are continually confessing how much trouble the devil is causing, our words will ring true.  When the Bible tells us to hold fast our profession we are being told to hold on with faith to what the Bible says about our situation - the kind of faith that does not let go!

When we feel alone and that no one understands, we forget that Jesus became fully human, and experienced life as we do.  He was tempted as we are.  He dealt with grief, sadness, had joy and happiness.  The only thing Jesus didn’t experience was sin.  However, because He paid the price of sin, He knew the suffering of sin’s consequences.

No matter what we are facing, Jesus identifies with our circumstance, and He feels every single thing we’re experiencing.  He is our Great High Priest.

Under His Wings

Psalm 91

In many parts of my country there are various severe storms that can pop up.  The southeastern coastal area has hurricanes.  Recently they had two major-strength hurricanes that left devastation in their path.  In the central and southeastern part of the country there are also strong and deadly tornadoes.  In the north there can be dangerous blizzards in the winter.  All of these storms require one thing in common, and that is that people in the path need to seek shelter, and not just any shelter, but one that is strong, secure, and safe.  In life we face storms, as well.  Sometimes they can be just as devastating.  We need to seek a safe shelter, but where can we find one?  That is the theme of our psalm for today.

Have you ever had to seek shelter from something severe, like a storm?  Due to where I live, I have gone through several tornadoes that came fairly close, and a few strong blizzards, as well.  I was thankful that I had a good shelter to be in.  There are other things people need shelter from, such as in a time of war, or when you are hiding from a criminal or someone who seeks to harm you.  During the pandemic, people sought shelter in their homes from disease.  However, our shelters don’t always help.  Tornadoes and hurricanes can still knock buildings down.  Criminals can break into homes and harm us.  And diseases can still manage to creep in.  Where can we find a sure shelter?

Psalm 91 gives us the answer, and tells us Who will protect us, no matter what our storm in life is.  This unknown psalmist sought his help from Elyon, or God Most High.  El Shaddai, or God Almighty, will protect him (vs. 1).   He is the psalmist’s refuge and fortress, and he trusts in Him.  When storms come in our life, to calm our fears we can cling to faith in who Yahweh is, and what He can do.  We can take shelter in Him.  He is with us in the storm, and will cradle us through that storm.

Several times throughout Scripture God uses a picture of a mother bird protecting her chicks from storms and danger by hiding them under her wings.  He uses this picture to show how He also cares for those who have put their trust in Him.  We see this analogy here in our psalm (vs. 4).  For chicks, the safest place to be is enfolded inside their mother’s wing.  Jesus gave a similar statement that He wanted to gather Jerusalem as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but they refused Him (Matthew 23:37).  We live in a stressful world filled with problems.  Jesus calls us to trust Him and run for protection within His arms.

When we trust in the Lord, He puts us in a place where we are protected, where we rest in His presence and power.  Believers can live in the shelter and safety of God’s magnificent wings.  Nothing can harm us there.  We are completely safe and secure.  When God covers us He puts insulation between us and the hand of our adversary.  The Lord is covering us to survive the perils of perilous times.  We can survive anything if we trust in Yahweh and hold steadfast to His Word.

When we are feeling anxious, worried, or fearful of the “terrors of the night” (vs. 5), remember in Whom we dwell, and the promises and truth of God’s Word.  Whatever the terror - fire, thieves, sickness, death, we do not need to be afraid.  We can find refuge and comfort under His wings.

During those times when we are in danger, God is ready and waiting to help us, as He promises at the end of our psalm (vs. 15-16).  We don’t have to try and convince Him to come to our aid, for that is what good father’s do for their children, and Yahweh is the best of Fathers.  He is ready, willing, and able to be with us in our time of trouble, and to rescue us when we need to be saved.  We have a sleepless Guardian watching over us through the night.  God’s love for us will never change.  He is a faithful Friend!

 

The Silent Lamb

Isaiah 53

When someone has done you wrong, do you just take it?  Most of us would have to say that no, we don’t.  Or at least we don’t want to.  Society tells us to stand up for our rights, and don’t let anyone walk all over us.  Perhaps if we know that we’ve done something to deserve what we’re getting, we might grudgingly take it, but not likely if we’ve done nothing wrong.  That would make us look weak and like a loser.   No one wants to be considered a loser, especially if nothing is their fault.  Our Scripture today describes someone who is grossly mistreated, and not for anything they have done wrong themselves, and yet they endure that treatment.  Are they weak and a loser?  Let’s look and see.

In this 53rd chapter of Isaiah, the prophet gives us an account of a person who is going through some terrible treatment at the hands of others, and yet he is enduring it meekly, without any sign of fighting back, even though, as we read, it was not treatment that he deserved. We know through reading and studying Scripture that this account is a description of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the suffering He endured to obtain salvation for mankind.  As the prophet brought his message, he relates that many refuse to believe him (vs. 1).  So many times when we tell others about Jesus, and the sacrifice He paid for our sins to bring us salvation, we are not believed, either.  Yet, like Isaiah, we need to keep telling the message.

What kind of abuse did the Messiah, the Lord Jesus suffer for us?  Have you ever seen someone after they have been severely beaten?  I’ve only seen depictions in movies or TV, not in real life.  But it’s safe to assume it’s not a pleasant sight!  Isaiah tells us the same, that there was no beauty or glory in how He looked throughout this ordeal.  He was despised, and people didn’t even want to look at Him (vs. 2-3).   I’m sure those hours were very gruesome to behold!

As we continue reading the account of Isaiah, we see that all that the Messiah went through was not because of anything that He did, and it was not somehow for His benefit.  The Lord God tells us that it was for our transgressions and iniquities, our sins that Jesus suffered this (vs. 4-6).  Verse 5 speaks it all - “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”  All that Jesus suffered was for us!

Now if you were suffering all this excruciating, abusive treatment, especially if there was no fault of your own to merit such treatment, would you take this quietly?  Most of us could honestly say that we would lash out at whoever was doing this to us.  We would be shouting at them, and possibly even be trying to fight them off.  However, that is not what the Lord Jesus did.  Our Scripture says that just as a lamb or sheep being led to the slaughter is quiet, so He was, as well (vs. 7).

Sheep do not typically struggle and fight when they are being sheared, and they are compliant and easily led when they are taken to the slaughter.  Jesus didn’t try to escape from the agony and shame that faced Him when He was led to the cross.  He went willingly, silently, and with no verbal retorts to those who mocked and jeered while He was nailed to the cross.  Jesus, the Son of God, sacrificed all He had for us.  He took our place so that we could be forgiven and have a restored relationship with God.

So how would the world look at someone like this, someone who took all that abuse and didn’t fight back, someone who was executed with criminals (vs. 9, 12) ?  They would call them weak losers.  Yet that is not how God viewed Jesus.  God was pleased with the sacrifice of Jesus.  His sacrifice satisfied the justice that the Lord demanded for sin (vs. 10-12).  On the third day Jesus rose from the dead, and several weeks later He ascended into heaven where He is seated upon His heavenly throne.  As Isaiah said, He was given a portion with the great, and divided the spoil with the strong (vs. 12).  That is not a picture of a weak loser!  No, the Lord Jesus reigns as King forever more!

What Has Ahold Of Your Heart?

Mark 10:17-31

Is there some belongings of yours that you could never part with, no matter what?  Do you have some treasured object that nothing could force you to give up?  Just a couple of months ago I had to move several hundred miles away, and I had to give up a lot of my belongings.  I was not able to take them with me.  I had a lot of books, and there was no way I was able to keep them all, so I had to make the difficult decision of which to take, and which to give up.  The same with the many knick-knacks I had collected over the years, along with a lot of dishes.  Thankfully, over the years, the Lord had taught me that “things” do not matter so much, so this wasn’t as hard as it would have been a number of years ago.  In our Scripture today from the Gospel of Mark, we read of a young man who was asked to voluntarily give up his belongings for something infinitely better.  Let’s look at what his decision was.

Word of Jesus’ ministry had spread far and wide around Galilee and Judah, and many people sought to see Him.  Among them was one young man in particular.  This young man came running up to Jesus, as he had a very important question he wished answered.  This man wanted to know what he would need to do to receive eternal life.  In light of this question we can be fairly certain that he was religious and spiritual.  He also had great respect for Jesus, as he knelt before Him (vs. 17).

Jesus proceeded to review the Law, the Ten Commandments with this fellow (vs. 18-20).  It is not that the Savior was saying that keeping the Law will earn someone heaven, because that won’t (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).  Jesus was digging deeper, to show this man what exactly was standing in the way of him and salvation.  He then pointed out to this man in a kind and loving way that what is standing between him and a true relationship with God was material belongings and things, so He proceeded to tell him to get rid of them all (vs. 21-22).  Unfortunately he could not do that.  His wealth, his material things, were too tightly wrapped around his heart, and the young man left in the same spiritual condition he came in.

When Jesus proceeded to tell the disciples that it is difficult for the rich to find eternal life, they were surprised (vs. 23-26).  At this time most Jews believed that riches were a sign of God’s blessing.  Peter pointed out how he and the others had given up everything for Jesus, and He reassured him that they would receive God’s blessing (vs. 28-31).

There are other things besides literal money that can keep us from fully following Jesus, such as career, some treasured possession, family, friends, reputation, prestige, or power.  Suppose you felt a very distinct call from the Lord to go into full-time Christian work of one type or another, would there be something that would hold you back?  Perhaps you know that it would upset your parents because you might be called to move far away.  Maybe you hold back because it would mean giving up that rather prestigious and lucrative job you have or wanted.  Maybe it means selling the family home.  If you knew that God wanted you to leave for the mission field or some other work for Him, and you didn’t because of some reason, then that thing has your heart and not Him.  In our Scripture, this man’s riches had become more important to him than anything, even God.

Being rich in and of itself, is not wrong or sinful.  Rich people do have some advantages for God that the poor do not have.  They are able to spend more time in Bible study because they wouldn’t have to work that second job.  They can give more money to the Lord.  However, they are very likely to overlook their own need for God.  They are tempted to replace God with any number of idols of their own making.

Faith in Jesus means following Him in this life, and giving our all to His Kingdom.  For this rich young man, Jesus’ advice to sell everything and give away the proceeds and then follow Him, was a deal-breaker.  He could not do that.  Several centuries later, a similarly rich man heard God calling him to a life dedicated to His service.  This man also came from a very wealthy family.  However, he gave away his share of the family’s wealth and inheritance, and gave his life fully to the Lord Jesus.  His name was St. Francis of Assisi.  He did what this other man would not do.  Let us ask ourselves if there is anything that we can’t bear to give up, whether money, possessions, or even people, in order to fully follow Jesus.

Greater Than Moses

Hebrews 3:1-6

For many years I lived right near Oak Park, Illinois, a prominent suburb of Chicago, and also the home for many years of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.  I have seen many of the world-famous houses he designed, along with his famous studio and home.  His style of design was so admired that many other architects tried to copy it.  What made his houses and designs so admired and famous?  Was it because of who lived in them, or was it because they were designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright?  It was his name that mattered, not that of the tenant.  As we look into our Scripture for today, we see that same idea - which is more important, the one who built the house or the tenant or caregiver of the building.  Let’s see what the Lord teaches in this passage.

As our Scripture opens, the author urges us to consider the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession (vs. 1).  To consider Jesus is to fully observe Him, what He said and what He did, which is recorded in the Gospels.  Even though we may desire to follow Jesus, our life can get off track if we are not careful.  We need to constantly fix our eyes upon Jesus, to consider and follow His path (Hebrews 12:2), following Him every step of our life.

Our Scripture now brings to our consideration the great Old Testament leader, Moses.  Moses was one of the most important people in Israelite history.  He was the faithful messenger of God, the instrument through which the Law was given, and the one who established the Levitical priesthood.

As important as Moses was, Jesus is superior.  Moses was faithful as a servant (vs. 5).  Jesus was faithful as a Son (vs. 6).  Moses was a witness to what God would speak in the future (vs. 5).  Jesus was the message (Hebrews 1:1-2).   Moses was faithful in God’s house (vs. 2).  Jesus was the Builder of the house, and faithful as Son over God’s house (vs. 6).

While being the caretaker of a building can be very important, the builder of the building has greater honor.  Without the builder, there would be no building to take care of.  Moses was the caretaker.  Jesus was the Builder.

This is not to denigrate Moses.  He was a very faithful and devout servant of God, and the Lord used him in a mighty way.  However, he cannot even approach the majesty of Jesus, the Son of God.   Moses was the servant, Jesus is the Son.

The houses and other buildings that Frank Lloyd Wright built aren’t famous because of who lived in them.  For some of these buildings, only real Frank Lloyd Wright experts even know who they were.  Others might have been well-known in their day, especially since one had to be rather wealthy to afford a Wright-designed house, but now they are forgotten to history except for the fact that they once had or lived in one of his houses.  It was the designer and builder of the house that was important, not the caretaker or tenant.

Let us devote ourselves to following the Builder, the Lord Jesus Christ, and not anyone else.  Let us fix our eyes on Him alone, considering Him and following the path that He has laid out.

Over In The Blink Of An Eye

Psalm 90

When one is a child, time seems to go by so very slowly.  Each school year, September to the end of May or early June, seemed like a lifetime.  As the end of the school year approached children might count down the days until summer break.  Those days would drag on and on.  It was the same waiting for Christmas to come.  Opening up those days on the Advent Calendar seemed like a whole year!  Now that we are an adult, time seems to just zip by like a flash.  The new year has started, and in a blink of an eye, it has passed.  This observation, and that of the brevity of life, are the topic of this week’s psalm.

Psalm 90 was written by Moses at the end of his life.  He lived to be 120 years old, dying shortly before the people of Israel would enter the Promised Land.  As he looked back over his life, these words were some of the observations that he made, words which were a prayer to the Lord God.  Moses’ life can be easily divided into three parts.  The first 40 years were spent living in the palaces of Pharaoh as a prince, living in luxury and ease.  Then he had to flee to the deserts of Midian where he spent the next 40 years as a shepherd.  At age 80 the Lord called him to go back into Egypt and lead the Hebrew people out of slavery, and Moses spent the remainder of his life leading them through the desert.  Through all of this, days of ease and days of trouble, Moses knew that God was with him.  He called the Lord God his “dwelling place” (vs. 1).  A dwelling place should be sturdy, providing shelter and giving safety.  As Moses found, God is our secure shelter.

While our life may seem to pass by in a flash, Moses contrasted that with the eternal God.  We look around us and see things that have been around for seemingly forever, such as the mountains and hills.  However, as old as they may seem, God existed before they ever were, as He is their Creator (vs. 2).   Yet there are some people who, even knowing that those mountains were there long before they were born, still act as though they themselves will live forever.  However, we know that no one will.  We will come and go like a flower (vs. 5-6).  As we see with so many people we know or hear about, we are here one day and gone the next.  Life is short, hard, and ends in death.

Yet in comparison, God is eternal.  To Him a thousand years are like just one day (vs. 4) (II Peter 3:8).  There are approximately forty generations that pass in a thousand years, yet for God that is the blink of an eye.  After the days of the Patriarchs in the Bible, Moses said that most people’s lives would be seventy to eighty years (vs. 10).  With modern medicine today, that has extended by just a bit, but living to 100 is still a notable accomplishment.  The longest documented life-span outside of the Bible was 122 years.

So now, having been reminded of the brevity of life, what lessons should we learn?   Moses reminds us that first we need to be aware of our iniquities and secret sins, as God has kept track of them (vs. 8), and to repent and seek His forgiveness.  Secondly, Moses tells us to number our days, and spend the brief time we have with wisdom (vs. 12).  We need to live wisely, making the most of our time (Ephesians 5:15-16).  Have we been wise with how we’ve spent our time in life?  What about with how we plan our remaining days?  Time passes in a blink of an eye.  We have not been put here on earth to make money and then retire in style, but to tell others about Jesus, and show them His love.  So then, we need to wisely use the opportunities that God sends.

In closing, Moses reminds us all that our life will not go on forever.  No one knows how long they have.  Your life may yet have quite a few years left.  For others, only a few.  Some may not make it to the next year, and some may not even make it to tomorrow.  Psalm 90 tells us to number our days.  In other words, make each day count for the Lord.  He has counted them.  He knows our first day, and He knows our last.  They are all in His care.  Make them count for the Lord, so that at the end of our life we may hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

God Knows What Is Going On

Amos 5:6-15

Today’s Scripture passage from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer comes from a rather obscure passage from the minor prophet Amos.  Traditionally, the twelve prophets in the Old Testament from Hosea through to Malachi, have been called “minor”, but that was not because their message was any less significant or important than the others.  They were called “minor” only because their books were shorter in length than the other books of prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, which are significantly longer.  The prophet Amos was from the southern Kingdom of Judah, but his message from the Lord was primarily for the northern Kingdom of Israel.  As mentioned before in earlier blogs, Amos was not an ordained member of the clergy, with multiple theological degrees, but was both a shepherd and a farmer.  People may think that only “qualified” ordained clergy with fancy seminary degrees can bring a “proper” message, but God will use whoever He chooses, including a shepherd or a farmer.

Amos’ time of ministry was brief, from around 760 - 755 BC.  Over the many centuries from the death of Joshua, the general who led the people into the Promised Land, until Amos’ time, the people had drifted into apostasy and outright idolatry.  Many had succumbed to the worship of the gods of the surrounding pagan nations, including many of the kings and religious leaders.  As a matter of fact, all of the kings of the Northern Kingdom had forsaken Yahweh for pagan gods, and a majority of the people followed.  It was to them that Amos came to bring God’s message.

Amos brought his message from the Lord, calling on the people to seek Him, and they would live (vs. 6).  Return to Yahweh, follow and obey His Word, or He would bring judgment on them.  The Lord warned that He would break out like a devouring fire, that no one in Bethel could quench or stop.  Bethel was one of about six villages that had a School of the Prophets, a type of Old Testament seminary.  Amos warned that even these seminarians-in-training would not be able to save the people from the judgment of God for all of their idolatry.

Not only had the people fallen into idolatry, but they perverted justice and cast aside righteousness (vs. 7).  In ancient times, the civic leaders would hold council at the gates of the city, and many matters between people would be settled there.  People would hope to find justice there, but as Amos stated, all too often they didn’t.  The people scorned and hated to hear anyone who would rebuke their unjust behavior (vs. 10).  They wanted to continue to take advantage of all that they could, oppressing the poor through their taxes, including taxes on the very food they ate.

These people who had turned their backs on the true worship of Yahweh thought that He did not know how they were living, that He didn’t see, but Amos warned them that was not the case.  God knew their many sins, just as He does ours (vs. 12), how they took bribes, cast aside justice.  Just as in the days of Amos, people may feel confident in their wealth, in their costly homes with large properties and gardens (vs. 11), but God can and would take them away from those who forsook Him.

Amos warned that in case these people felt that Yahweh was not strong or powerful enough to do anything to them, he reminded them that God created the stars in the universe, the Pleiades and Orion, noteworthy constellations in the heavens (vs. 8).  It is He who brings both the day and the night.  He made the sea and directs the crashing waves upon the face of the earth.  He is certainly capable to bring His fury upon sinners and rain ruin upon them! (vs. 9).

God does not enjoy bringing judgment upon people.  He would much rather that they turn to Him, that they would follow after good and not evil, so that they may live (vs. 14-15).  If the people would do so, Amos promised that God would be with them, and be gracious to them.

It is no different today from the days of Amos.  People have turned away from the Lord Jesus, and worship what they choose, whether it is literal pagan gods, or worshiping their own self and pride, their own false intellect, possessions, whatever brings them pleasure, etc.  People still seek to take advantage of each other, the rich trampling over the poor.  Where can the poor find justice today?  It seems no one cares.  God knows what is going on.  He is not blind, nor is He powerless.  People can only mock God for so long before He breaks forth in judgment against them!

Faith, Not Doubt

Mark 11:12-14, 20-26

When you pray, do you really believe that you will receive what you have prayed for?  Many times when we pray, the doubts may creep in, believing that this or that prayer could never be answered, so why bother even praying, especially if that prayer may be counter to nature.  In today’s Gospel reading we will read just such a scenario, and our Lord’s response.  Let’s see what lessons the Lord can teach us in His Word.

As our Scripture opens, it is the day after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the crowds had cheered and waved palms.  Jesus had spent the night with friends in Bethany, and now was reentering Jerusalem.  He was hungry and saw a fig tree up ahead that was full of leaves.  When He looked over the tree, Jesus saw that there was no fruit, and He proclaimed a curse upon the tree (vs. 12-14).   Was this a surprising and rare time when Jesus just lost His temper, when He was hungry and just got angry?  No, this, like everything Jesus did, was a lesson for us.  First, when fig trees in the Holy Land had leaves, that was an indication that there should be fruit.  These fig trees would have two crops of figs each year.  The first crop was in spring, the breba figs which is what Jesus would have been looking for.  They are not the best or sweetest fig, but they are a guarantee of the good ones to come later in the year.  A tree with no breba figs is a tree that will be barren later on.

This was an object lesson.  The fig tree had often been a symbol of the people of Israel.  Like a fig tree that was full of leaves, they looked good from afar.  They had all of the trappings of true religion, but they had lost the point, they had no fruit.  They were about to kill their Messiah.  Jesus cursed the empty, barren tree as a sign that God would bring judgment on His corrupt people.  We may look good from afar, but Jesus comes near looking for fruit that only the Holy Spirit can produce.  Jesus is warning, when God comes looking will there be any fruit?

Then the day after this, as Jesus and His disciples passed by that way again, Peter noticed that the tree that Jesus had cursed had withered down to its roots (vs. 20-21).  He was amazed, but Jesus said that he shouldn’t be.  He proceeded to teach them a lesson on prayer and having faith in God when we pray (vs. 22-24).  Do we believe or have doubt in our heart?  When we pray, speak faith into your spirit, even with the difficult prayers.  Remind yourself of the promises of God.  Remember, God “calls those things which are not as though they were” (Romans 4:17).  Your tongue will either announce your next victory or your next defeat.  Speak victory.  Refuse to open the door for the enemy’s attack with what you say.

Mountain-sized problems and obstacles are part of living in a fallen world.    God is committed to removing only those obstacles that are hindrances to His will.  We must also make sure that we are not the obstacle standing in God’s way.  Jesus said that we would have trouble in this life, but that He had overcome the world (John 16:33).  When our problems seem overwhelming, have faith in God and pray.

There are a couple of points to remember when we pray, and in expecting answers from God.  Just because we add “in Jesus’ Name” at the end of a prayer doesn’t mean that the prayer, no matter what it is, will be granted.  First, one must have a saving relationship with God.  Then, we must request only what is consistent with Jesus’ character.  If it is, God is able to do whatever is in His will.  God won’t say yes to prayer that will hurt us or derail His purpose.  Is our goal to glorify God and let others see Him?  Is our motive selfish, greedy, or impure?

Jesus continued teaching on prayer with the admonition that it is important to forgive others if you want to have God hear and answer your prayers (vs. 25-26).  Don’t waste time holding onto anger towards someone who has wronged you.  Forgive that person today.  Whatever reason you have for not forgiving someone, it isn’t listed in the Bible as a condition that you don’t need to forgive.  God knows your situation, and He has still called you to forgive, no matter the circumstances.

In closing, realize that doubt tears down what faith tries to build.  Doubt nullifies what faith desires to bring to pass.  As you pray, lift up faith and not the problem.  Lift up faith and not the obstacles.  Lift up your faith in God, and not the circumstances.  There is nothing greater than God!

Our Big Brother

Hebrews 2:9-18

Picture a family that is wealthy beyond all measure.  Then the head of that family decides to adopt, to bring into the family, a child from a terribly poor and destitute background.  The child is in rags, filthy, and even smelly.  It would not be too surprising that the natural-born son might resent this child, the fact that this beggar child, this vagrant, will now get a portion of the inheritance.  The now older brother is not happy, and he is ashamed to be seen with his new sibling.  Why, they don’t even know how to dress properly, to talk or enunciate properly!  He doesn’t want to be known as this scoundrel’s brother.  In a different, and admittedly probably less common scenario, we might see the older brother lovingly welcoming this penniless beggar child into the family.  We see this, though, in our Scripture for today, with our older Brother, the Lord Jesus.  Let’s look at what lessons the Lord can teach us from this portion of the Book of Hebrews.

One key theme of the Book of Hebrews is that Jesus is greater than many things the Jewish people held important, including Moses, and here mentioned, greater than angels.  Though when Jesus became man He was a little lower than the angels, but after He suffered death for us, Jesus was crowned with glory and honor, much greater than any angel (vs. 9).

The author of Hebrews calls Jesus the Captain of our Salvation (vs. 10).  A ship’s captain, in a time of a disaster, will ensure that every passenger and crew member has been rescued before he leaves the ship.  If need be, the captain will “go down with the ship”.  Jesus was willing to sacrifice His life for His family.  He is our Captain, the One willing to give all for us.  He is the One we need to look to, as well, just like a captain of one’s team.

As we continue, we read that Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brethren, His brothers and sisters.  Each of us, without exception, were sinners before we were saved, covered with the filth of our sins.  Yet in this awful condition, the Lord reached out to us, and when we accepted Jesus as our Savior, He brought us into His family, cleaning us up giving us the righteousness of Jesus, and our inheritance with Him.  Jesus loved us while we were still sinners, still covered with the filth of this world, and He is not ashamed to call us His family.  He is our Big Brother (Romans 8:29).

Jesus, the Son of God, became man, took on flesh and blood, just as we are (vs. 14).  He did this so that His death on the cross would destroy the devil, who holds the power of death, and we would be set free from the fear of death, and the bondage that it holds (vs. 15).  Jesus did not do this for the angels, but for us (vs. 16).

Jesus had to be made like His brethren in all things so that He could be a merciful and faithful high priest (vs. 17).  One thing that some people who have a nice older brother have stated, is that they like that their older sibling went through some of the difficulties they have beforehand.  They went through school, each grade, before us.  They went through the same scrapes and struggles.  The older sibling can relate to us.  Jesus enters into our lives, and experiences our pain, hurt, and guilt right along with us (Hebrews 4:15).  Jesus can identify with our circumstances, and He feels every single thing that we experience.

When we encounter some particularly difficult temptation, we can turn to our Older Brother Jesus, as He, too, went through similar temptations.  There is no sin in being tempted, but there is sin in yielding to temptation.  Jesus was tempted just as we are, by the very same sins into which we fall.  Jesus was tempted, but He never sinned.  In His power we may also flee from sin.  Jesus bore the load before us.  The Blood-stained footsteps of the King of Glory can be seen along the road that we travel.

When we feel that no one understands or can help us, we are reminded that Jesus gave us Himself, and He knows exactly who we are, and what we are facing.  Jesus fully shared our humanity.  He is our loving Big Brother, there to help us when we call on Him.

Strong Family, Strong Nation

Psalm 128

Imagine the horror of a homeowner if he went down into his basement, or underneath the crawl space beneath his house, and as he looks at the support beams and cross beams he discovers that there is a terrible termite infestation.  The formerly strong and sturdy beams have been eaten away, and crumble in his hand.  If enough termite damage is done, the whole structure could be in serious danger.  That is why it is important to be sure that one never allows termites to get in, as the house, the structure’s stability, strength, and safety depend on it.  Our psalm for today speaks of the family, and by extension of the family, the nation.  It speaks of the importance it is to have a good, strong, god-fearing family, and the blessings that will bring.

Our psalm this week, Psalm 128, is a short one, whose author is unknown.  It is also one of the Songs of Ascent, which are a group of fifteen psalms (Psalms 120 - 134), which Jewish pilgrims would recite or sing on their way to Jerusalem for the holy days.  The six verses of this psalm speak of the blessings that one who fears God will receive from Him.

To be called a “God-fearing” person used to be considered a compliment.  That’s what most people would have aspired to be.  That was what every father and mother wanted to raise their children to be.  Today few people have any fear of the Lord or of the coming Judgment Day.  Today people would wonder which god should be the one which people should show “fear” or show reverence to, and they would question why anyone should show any fear of God, anyway.  Fearing God has been displaced by modern human reason.

The author of this psalm speaks about families, possibly thinking about his own wife and children, or remembering back to his childhood with his own mother, father, and siblings.  The psalmist in a poetic style, describes the parents and children as two different types of plants (vs. 3).  He calls the wife a fruitful vine.  When we think of vines, especially in the Holy Land, we might think of grape vines.  At this time of year here in the U.S. we might think of pumpkins.  Tomatoes and beans also grow on vines.  Then the psalmist calls the children olive plants.  Olives are the fruit from an olive tree.  Vines and trees, two different types of plants.  Children are not little identical clones of their parents.  They are uniquely created individuals.  Just because the father is an athlete doesn’t mean that his son will be, too.  And just because the mother is artistic doesn’t mean her daughter should be, as well.  Parents need to let their children blossom with whatever talents and abilities the Lord has blessed them with.   As parents, we should direct our children to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and give training in the principles of Scripture, to raise them to become God-fearing people.

Continuing our thoughts about families, we can see that strong, stable families make for a strong and stable community.  And strong communities help to build a good, strong, and safe country.  When the family unit breaks down, when there is not a good and godly father or mother in the home, when there is fighting or indifference between the two, or one or the other has walked out, or when the parents are never there and the child is basically raised by sitters or caregivers because the parents are too busy at their jobs or their own social activities, the family will inevitably suffer and it will crumble like a termite-infested building.  And like a pebble tossed on the water, the ripples will be felt all over.  The communities will start to deteriorate and become crime-ridden, and eventually the nation will start to crumble.  A nation remains only as strong as its families.  A crumbling family life is one of the signs of a crumbling culture.  The breaking up of a home eats like termites at the structure of a nation.

Our psalmist wanted to see God’s blessing upon both his family and his nation, in particular the capital city of Jerusalem.  He knew that would only come when his family feared, obeyed, and worshiped Yahweh.  The same is true today.  Do we want God’s blessing upon our family and upon our nation?  As our psalm instructs us, let’s fear the Lord and walk in His ways.

Sin Crouching By Our Door

Genesis 4:1-16

If you leave your house one day, and notice some animal crouching outside your door, what would you do?  If it is a small, harmless critter, you might feed it, possibly even take it into your house.  However, if it is dangerous you will want to do whatever you can to get it away.  You don’t want anything dangerous and harmful around.  It’s good to be warned, as such things left crouching near us are never good.  Our Scripture today tells of someone who did not heed such a warning, and what it led to.  Let’s take a look at the narrative of this person from the Book of Genesis.

As our Scripture opens, we read of the birth of Cain, and then his brother Abel.  The Lord tells us that Abel tended sheep while Cain grew crops, both respectable jobs (vs. 1-2).  Then one day the two brothers bring an offering to the Lord.  Abel brought the firstborn of his flock, while Cain brought some fruit and/or vegetables.  As we read, God accepted Abel’s offering, but not that of Cain’s (vs. 3-5).

The Scripture here doesn’t tell us specifically why God accepted the one but not the other, but there had to be a reason.  We do have a few clues, though.  In the Book of Hebrews we read that Abel offered his offering in faith, which Cain did not (Hebrews 11:4).  Everything we bring to God must be done through faith.  Another reason could possibly be that Abel offered the firstborn of his flock.  He offered his best.  Cain, though, just brought whatever he gathered.  The Scripture does not say that he picked and brought anything special, that he looked over and brought the choicest and best-looking fruit or vegetables.  It is possible that his basket contained bruised, withered, and otherwise fruit that was less than the best.

A third reason could be depending on what type of offering this was.  If this was a sin offering, then it needed the shedding of blood for it to be accepted.  Scripture teaches that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22).  If it was a sin offering, then Cain would have needed to trade some of his crops to Abel for one from his flocks.

Whatever the reason, Cain knew of it and instead of telling God he was sorry and would do better next time, Cain just got angry and sullen (vs. 5-6).  God told him that if he did well, he would be accepted, but he needed to be alert for sin, which was crouching at his door.  Sin wanted dominance, but God said he could rule over it if he wanted and tried (vs. 7).  The word “lies” in verse 7 in Hebrew is “rabas”, which suggests an animal which is hunting, crouching as he closes in on its prey, ready to pounce on it.  That is a great picture of what sin is like, ready to pounce on us, overpower us, and bring us down.  Rather than heed God’s warning, though, Cain let his anger boil over into a murderous rage, and shortly afterwards he killed his brother (vs. 8).

Uncontrolled and lingering anger is sin.  We must master it, otherwise it will rule over us, leading to serious consequences just as with Cain.  Sin is a contaminate, like a biohazard, that needs to be kept away and removed before it destroys us.  Sin is a grave and dangerous enemy.  In life we have a choice - to do or not to do what is right.  When we choose to do what is right we choose life and master sin.  When we choose to do what is wrong, we open the door to sin, which leads to disaster.

Just like Cain did, we love to make excuses (vs. 9-15).  We love to blame others - our parents, teachers, leaders.  We cry “injustice”, and never feel sorry for those we have hurt, but only for ourselves.  We demand things we don’t deserve, just as Cain did to God.  Cain was totally self-focused, while God was gracious.  He gave Cain every opportunity to repent.  However, Cain was so full of himself, that instead of confessing his sin and seeing the pain that he caused, he complained that things were unfair for him!

In closing we read that God asked Cain where his brother was, though He knew all along what had happened to Abel.  Cain dared to give God a very sassy, smart-aleck response, and asked Him a question back (vs. 9).  He asks God if he is his brother’s keeper.  He implies that he is not, that he is not responsible to watch over, keep track of, or care for his brother.  The answer, though, is Yes!  We are our brother’s keeper.  In a world of danger, we are called to watch out for others.  Just as Adam was to care for the garden, Cain was to care for Abel.  Throughout the Bible God tells us that we are to keep watch over the vulnerable, and care for the needy.  Unlike Cain, we need to be on the lookout for sin crouching at our door, and we need to care for our brothers and sisters in this world.

Are You One Of Us?

Mark 9:38-48

I love watching old-time TV shows from the 50s and 60s, and on one show I recently watched, the main character, a young boy, joined a club with some neighborhood boys.  However, when they wouldn’t let one of his friends join, this boy quit the club.  One of the other boys said that part of the fun of having a club is keeping other kids out.   Is it really fun to hurt others by keeping them out of clubs?  Many think so, as even adults frequently take part in such behavior, as we see in their own clubs and organizations.  Unfortunately we sometimes even see this behavior in churches.  In today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark we see Jesus address this, along with another topic, both of which we’ll look into this morning.

As our Scripture opens, the Apostle John speaks to Jesus, telling him about an incident that had recently happened with him and some of the other apostles.  He somewhat proudly tells the Lord that he and some others had stopped some other men from casting out demons in the Name of Jesus because they were not part of their group (vs. 38-41).  Just like the little kids in the club, if you’re not one of us, you can’t do this or that, and we’ll run you off if you try.  The disciples did not like it when others, those not in “their group” were preaching, teaching, and healing in Jesus’ Name.  They tried to stop them.  However, Jesus had to stop His disciples from their behavior.

There are some in the Church who do the same.  If a different denomination, one that is authentically preaching the Gospel truthfully, but has a different name on the door, some people will shun them, maybe even speak spitefully about their group.  Maybe we reject other Christians because they look or act differently from us.  Maybe their hair is a different color, or maybe they have tattoos and we think they can’t possibly honestly be following Jesus, so we doubt their faith.  Or maybe it’s the reverse, the younger group scorns the faith of those older and more traditional.  Jesus said in essence that if they are truly doing righteous things in His Name we should not vilify, censure, or revile them.  If they love Jesus and hold to His Word, we should not reject them.

Jesus proceeds with another teaching, one that has caused some puzzlement and even concern over the years.  He told His audience that if someone causes a believer and follower of His to stumble, to fall into sin, it would be better for them to have a millstone, a large heavy weight, tied around their neck and be drowned (vs. 42).   Jesus continued, that if one’s hand, foot, or eye caused them to sin, it is better to cut them off than to keep them and then burn in hell in the afterlife (vs. 43-48).  If we reach for something we shouldn’t, if we walk somewhere we shouldn’t, or we look at something we shouldn’t, are we supposed to take out the ax and start chopping off hands, feet, and eyes?

I don’t believe that Jesus was telling His followers to maim and disfigure their bodies, especially when such drastic action could possibly lead to death if the wound got infected or they bled to death.  There is more than one way to “cut off” something.   In addition to meaning literally chopping something off, we can cut something off by putting an end to it.  Sometimes certain things need to be cut off or ended in order to preserve us from going deep into sin in our life.  It may be a relationship, a job, a hobby, our TV, or computer, etc.  It likely will hurt, perhaps a lot, but it is necessary.   If a relationship is leading you away from Jesus, cut it off, end it right away.  If something we are doing on the internet or watching on TV is leading to sin, pull the plug, perhaps get rid of it altogether.  If your job has sinful elements to it, quit.  Jesus is saying to take the drastic step, whatever it is, to keep you from sin.  Run from the temptation, just as Joseph did (Genesis 39:7-12).  Run to Jesus and He will strengthen you.

Jesus spoke very clearly here about hell, and some of the aspects of that very literal place.  He spoke of hell as being a place of unquenchable fire, and where the worm does not die.  The Greek word that Mark used here is “skolex” which is defined as a worm which preys upon dead bodies, like a maggot.  Jesus might have meant a literal worm or maggot chewing away at the people for all eternity in hell, or perhaps He might have meant the “worm” of memory that will eat away at one for all eternity.  In hell one will remember all the wicked and evil things they did, and especially the times that they had the opportunity to receive Jesus as Savior, but turned Him away.  Either one will be awful, along with burning forever.

Some people believe that if there is a hell, it will only be for a while, and then you no longer exist.  That is not what Jesus teaches here.  The fire is never quenched.  It does not end.  I am sure that you do not want to ever go there.  There is only one way to be certain of that, and that is by confessing you are a sinner, acknowledging that Jesus died to pay the penalty of your sins, and calling upon Him as your Savior.  Do not delay, as no one is guaranteed tomorrow.  Turn to Jesus today!

Resist The Adversary

James 4:7-16

If you had an enemy who was always attacking you, bullying you, and making your life miserable, and then was told of a way to be free from your enemy and their attacks, wouldn’t you listen and follow what they said?   As believers, we have an enemy, one who is out to totally destroy us.  In our Scripture today we are given one clear and concise answer for this battle, along with other valuable instructions and help for our Christian life.  Let’s see what James has to teach us.

As most of us know, the fierce enemy in our Christian life is Satan, the devil.  His attacks against us are relentless, and can quickly bring us down if we do not use what we have available to counteract those attacks.  Our Scripture opens with James telling us from God’s Word that we need to both submit to God and to resist the devil.  When we do that, he will flee from us (vs. 7).   The word “resist” from the original Greek means to withstand, to oppose.  When we resist someone, we don’t let them get the advantage over us.  When Satan knows that someone is a spiritually weak Christian, he knows that he and his demon hordes have the advantage, and they are an easy target.  When we submit to God, He promises us that the devil will flee.

Satan is a powerful enemy, that is for sure, and many Christians want to just back away and be the one to flee.  We need to remember that Satan is a defeated adversary.   He was defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ through His sacrificial death at Calvary.  While he is a powerful foe, those who are protected by salvation, and through prayer and the Word of God, need not be paralyzed in fear at this roaring lion (I Peter 5:8-9).  We are kept by the power of God (I Peter 1:5).  No evil can penetrate the armor of God when we put it on (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Satan dangles temptations right in front of us.  But his power stops there.  He can’t force us to succumb to temptation.  When we are warned by the Holy Spirit, and decide to say no to the temptations, Satan can do no more.  He runs away.  We need to be careful, though, when old sins resurface in our lives.  We cannot allow them back in. We must submit to God, resisting, withstanding, and opposing the devil.  We have a Savior who doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, but grants us grace and power for a new start of service for Him.

We are to imitate Jesus in resisting temptation, which requires submission to God’s will, and is the key to staying on God’s side and not the devil’s.  Submission means obedience, which in turn means resisting the devil and his temptations.  Resisting the devil will move us in the direction of drawing nearer to God, and reciprocates the move towards a closer relationship with Him.  This requires confession and repentance.  The mourning in verse 9 is grief over our sins.  The laughter and joy in those verses would be showing a casual attitude towards sin.  When we humble ourselves before God, He is faithful to lift us up, forgive us, and restore our relationship with Him (vs. 10).  We become better people by humbly admitting our sins, asking for God’s help, and being honest about our weaknesses.

Our Scripture passage closes with James instructing us to put our whole life, all of our plans and dreams, into the hands of the Lord (vs. 13-16).  Mature faith makes plans but remains in a posture of humility and submission to the sovereignty of God.  We are not in control of the variables.  When we assume that our plans will dictate future events, we ignore the fact that it is God who rules over everything.  Planning is necessary in life, but the sin of presumption is the assumption that we are in control.  Life here on earth can end in a split second.  We don’t know the day or the hour when the Lord will return, nor when our life on earth will end.  The day will come when each of us will have to leave this life.  All that will matter is whether we have been prepared by believing in Jesus, and by serving Him here on earth.

The events of our lives may be uncertain, but one thing is sure - through all of life’s unexpected moments, our God will never leave us.  He is our one constant throughout life.