You can say that again!

As parents it seems that we often have to repeat ourselves (I don’t think it’s because our children have hearing problems; it’s just that they aren’t listening). Just this morning I said to Greg, “There’s a dollar waiting for you in your room.” He turned around and turned off his bedroom lights; he was suddenly reminded that I had told him that if he continued to leave his lights on I would charge him a dollar. Repetition helped him to do what I had asked and turn the lights off when he leaves his room (we’ll see what happens now tomorrow).

God instructed Jeremiah to write on a scroll the message given to him by the Lord. When the scroll was completed it was read in the temple before the officials and then read before Jehoiakim the king. Jehoiakim tore the scroll and threw it into the fire.

Now I’m sure that if God had wanted He could have caused the scroll not to be harmed by the fire, or the smoke could have risen and stained the walls with the writing on the scroll. Nothing is impossible for God. But God let the scroll be consumed by the flames. But this was not an end of the Word spoken by the Lord to Jeremiah.

• Then Jeremiah took another scroll and dictated again to his secretary Baruch. He wrote everything that had been on the scroll King Jehoiakim had burned in the fire. Only this time, he added much more!
  Jeremiah 36:32 (NLT)

Jeremiah not only had the message written again; the Word of the Lord was emphasized by saying the same thing in different ways. God’s Word could not be destroyed by the fire. God’s Word is eternal; it would remain regardless of any man’s response to it.

Some people today will still try to discredit God’s Word or say it is irreverent to our lives because it is full of errors and cannot be trusted. Still they cannot destroy the Word of God; it remains regardless of their attempts to silence it (see Psalm 119:89).

But what about us who believe in God’s Word? We may not burn it in a fire or try to discredit it, but when we ignore it or deliberately disobey what God says it’s just like we did. I’m glad God is willing to repeat Himself; that when I’m not listening the Holy Spirit will patiently tell me again and again.

God’s Word is to be heard and obeyed; are you listening?

Knowing Better

It has probably happened to all of us. If it hasn’t happened yet it will sooner or later. We find ourselves telling our kids what our parents have said to us, “You should have known better!” As a kid I could figure out how I was supposed to ‘just know;’ but as a parent I too have expected my kids to be able to ‘figure it out’ and know better.

The experiences of life are a wonderful teacher to help us all connect our experiences and learn from our mistakes. Over time we also learn to apply what we have been told in new and unique situations that keep us out of trouble. Still for others such ‘common sense’ is not so common.

A day is coming when regardless of our age or life experience, and in spite of of how much common sense we may or may not have we may be told, “You should have know better!” If we hear our heavenly Father should say these words to us we won’t have any excuses to hide behind.

• [33] "But this is the new covenant I will make . . . on that day," says the Lord. "I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [34] And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their family, saying, 'You should know the Lord.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will already know me," says the Lord. "And I will forgive their wickedness and will never again remember their sins."
  Jeremiah 31:33-34 (NLT)

No one will even be able to say, “But that’s Old Testament and doesn’t apply to us.” No excuses are valid. Paul affirms that God has in fact written His law upon even the hearts of outsiders who were not brought up to know God (see Romans 2:14-15). When we stand before God to be judged for our sin we will all know that the way we lived broke God’s law through the things we said and did.

I’m glad God has promised to forgive our sins and never bring them up again. However, this does not mean God will just overlook our sin or ignore it; this is a promise for those who know God. Jesus has made the way for us to be forgiven; only through Him can our sins be wiped clean. Thank you Lord for making my sin clear to me, and showing me how to be forgiven by knowing You and Your Son Jesus.

Rubik's Cube

Have you ever tried to figure out the Rubik’s Cube? When you solve the puzzle it’s supposed have each side be all the same color. I’ve tried several times but I just can’t do it, and yet some Rubik’s masters will solve the puzzle in just seconds regardless of how mixed-up the cube is when it is handed to them. While there are those who can figure out the cube, none of us can master the puzzle of the human heart.

• [9] "The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. [10] But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be."
  Jeremiah 17:9-10 (MsgB)

We like to think that we are good people; after all there are lots of people out there who are worse than we are. We would never be as bad as Hitler, Hussein or anyone else who is truly evil right?

If you believe that lie then it just goes to prove how deceitful our hearts really are. If you were ask even the most evil of people, you would find out that they too believe they are good.

Just how mixed up are our hearts? Think about the words that preceded these given by the Lord to Jeremiah.

• [5] This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord [6]He will be like a bush in the wasteland . . . [7] But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”

Jeremiah 17:5-7 (NIV)

Now be honest how many of us would like to have the opportunity to have the kind of money Bill Gates has? Or what about the 750 million dollars or so that’s up for grabs in Nicole Smith’s estate? We may not agree with their lifestyle and disregard for God, but it certainly does not appear that their life is cursed. How can their lives be considered a wasteland with all the things they have? And yet we struggle from paycheck to paycheck; is that a blessing?

Let’s be honest with each other sin pays well—in this lifetime. To solve the puzzle of our hearts we must learn to begin to look beyond the material to the spiritual—past the temporal to the eternal. Lord help our hearts to not be deceived and see things as they really are.

Hide-n-Seek

“. . . Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred; ready or not here I come!” Another game of hide-n-seek begins. As the older brother I always enjoyed hiding from my younger siblings; I knew all the best places to hide, and they couldn’t find me. I would tell you where I hid, but it is still a secret! Sometimes I would even try to hide right under their noses and get safely to home-base before they had even started looking.

While most of us have out-grown playing hide and seek, some of us, like those Jeremiah prophesied to, try to play hide-n-seek with God. The people of Judah thought they could hide their sin from God’s sight and be free from guilt.

• [23] "Am I only a God nearby," declares the Lord, "and not a God far away? [24] Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the Lord. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the Lord.
  Jeremiah 23:23-24 (NIV)

We’ve all made the mistake of thinking there is a safe place where we are free to do what we want and no one will ever know. We might be sitting in front of our computer, in a hotel room on a business trip, at a bar where no one knows our name, across town, in our bedroom late at night; the places we think we can hide our sin are as numerous as the child’s game hide-n-seek.

We might be alone and far from home, but we cannot hide from God. The Lord is with us wherever we go. God sees everything we do; He hears every word we speak (yes, the Lord even knows our secret thoughts—can’t hide there either).

Are you trying to hide from God? Have you made the mistake of believing that you can justify your sin and get away with it?

When we played hide-n-seek we would call out, “Ollie-ollie-oxin-free” to let those we could not find come out of hiding and be safe.

God does the same. Not because he cannot find you, but because He knows exactly where you are and what you have done. God sends out a call of repentance that you might be forgiven and set free from the consequences of your sin. If you keep hiding you are in danger of His wrath. Come out into the open and stop hiding; only there will you find real freedom.

Power of Attorney

Power of attorney gives someone the legal right to make decisions and speak on behalf of someone else. You might give someone full power of attorney, or a limited power of attorney. For instance you may only give someone the right to make health decisions on your behalf, to manage your finances, or to purchase license plates for your vehicle. A power of attorney gives specific authority, but if you overstep the limits set forth you have broken the trust of the individual granting the power of attorney and could face legal consequences.

In a way God grants power of attorney to prophets who are given the authority to speak on God’s behalf. Such authority can be easily abused.

[14] Then the Lord told me, "These are the lies that the prophets are telling in my name: They claim that I sent them, commanded them, and spoke to them. They dreamed up the visions they tell you. Their predictions are worthless. They are the products of their own imagination.
[15] "I didn't send these prophets. Yet, they prophesy in my name that there will be no wars or famines in this land. So this is what I, the Lord, say about them: Wars and famines will bring an end to these prophets.
Jeremiah 14:14-15 (GW)

When someone says, “The Lord has said,” “Hear the word of the Lord,” or any other such statement they claim to speak for God. It can be easy to declare that you are speaking for God; however, a prophet should be careful not to ‘put words in God’s mouth.’ If God has not spoken and instructed you to speak, then you have no authority upon which to talk for God.

Many of the so-called prophets of Jeremiah’s day were just telling people what they wanted to hear; they claimed to speak for God but they spoke lies. Therefore God judged them by their own words; the famine and war they said would not happen came upon them.

God will speak words of blessing and encouragement, but if preachers today never confront sin and the consequences it brings, then do they really speak for God? We need to learn to evaluate a ‘Word from the Lord’ by the authority of scripture and not simply by how it makes us feel. Heed God’s word; test the spirits. God will confirm His word by doing what He said.

It's time to brag a little!

What do you brag about the most? You may not be one to sing your own praises, but lets be honest with each other; you’ve thought from time to time, “I could do better than that,” or “If only they had taken my advice.” While we may not blow our horn for others to hear we all certainly toot on it from time to time just for our own enjoyment.

We will all boast and brag from time to time, and this may surprise you, but God actually encourages us to be boastful.

[23] This is what the Lord says:

"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, [24] but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NIV)

To boast is to speak proudly or even confidently about something. Most of the time, we admire human wisdom, power (strength) and riches. Yes, it is a problem to think to highly of ourselves, our accomplishments or our possessions, but it’s never wrong to brag a little about God.

Notice what God tells us to boast about. First we are to tell others that we know God. Amazing as it sound, it is nevertheless true; I AM A FRIEND OF GOD! That’s not something to be ashamed of, that’s something to shout outloud and let the whole world know. God Almighty has made Himself known to me and wants to make His love real in my life everyday. How do I know this? Look what else I am to boast about.

God tells me to make it known that He is “the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness.” And why does God do these things? Because He delights in doing these things! In other words, God enjoys expressing His unfailing love to me (and yes to you too).

God has been kind; He is merciful to me a sinner. God is just; He has made full payment for my sin through Jesus’ death on the cross. And God is righteous; He has given me His Holy Spirit to empower me to live in obedience to His Word everyday.

I’m told that when I get to be a grandparent I’ll have a wallet full of pictures to brag about my grandkids. It might be a good idea to put something in there now to remind me to start bragging on God because He has already done some things worth singing praises about.

"911-what is your emergency?"

I’ve only ever needed to call 911 a couple of times. My greatest emergency was when baby Gracie was sleeping and Chrysta and I ‘took a nap’ while Susie was at work. A small fire started on the kitchen stove filling the house with smoke. Fortunately Chrysta resisted the nap and we were still awake. I got the girls out of the house and called 911; I had the fire out before the firemen got there, but the smoke did the damage. I was glad 911 was there to answer my call for help.

Israel had rejected God; they had traded the glory of the living God for worthless idols made of wood and stone. People were living their lives to please themselves. Yet when disaster or trouble came they were quick to call on God for help just like we dial 911.

[27] They say to wood, 'You are my father,' and to stone, 'You gave me birth.' They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come and save us!'
[28] Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah.
Jeremiah 2:27-28 (NIV)

How often are we just like the faithless people of Judah? We may not set up an idol and worship it as our god, but we have no time for God. We have turned our back on God; we busy ourselves with activity and forget about God. We’ve no time for church; we’re too busy to pray. We fall asleep reading the Bible but stay up late watching TV. Our lives are full of all kinds of activity and have crowded God out.

But then trouble comes. Fear grips our heart with the doctor’s report, the threat of a layoff, a natural disaster, or countless other unexpected difficulties and problems. Suddenly all the activity that was so important only moments ago vanish and all we can see is our emergency.

That’s when we remember God and we cry for help; we make a ‘911 prayer.’ What will we do when God responds to us as He did to Judah? Instead of responding as a loving father coming to our rescue, He rebukes us. Unlike the 911 operator God accepts calls all the time that are not an emergency. Shouldn’t we take time to connect with God everyday so we never need to fear that He would turn us away?

What's Missing?

If you are ever a defendant standing before a judge in a court of law one of the first things that they will do is to read the charges filed against you. Regardless of whether you are innocent or guilty, before you ever get to say anything in your defense you will hear what claims are being made against you to establish what laws may have been broken.

After Jesus was arrested the religious leaders held their own trial. Many false witnesses were called, but their testimony against Jesus contradicted one another. Late into the night the high priest stood before Jesus and charged Him under oath, “Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (see Matthew 26:63). When Jesus said he was the high priest tore his robes and cried out “Blasphemy!” and found him worthy of the death sentence.

Early the next morning they took Jesus to the governor Pilate. After hearing the charges Pilate soon knew that it was out of jealousy that the religious leaders had brought Jesus to him. Pilate believed he had found a fair solution. According to tradition a prisoner was released each year during the Jewish Passover celebration; therefore Pilate would let the crowd choose between Jesus and Barabbas a convicted murderer. To Pilate’s surprise the crowd asked for Barabbas to be released.

"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked.
They all answered, "Crucify him!"
"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
Matthew 27:22-23 (NIV)

Did you notice what was missing here? Read this exchange again because something is not right in this court of law. No legal charges were made against Jesus. Pilate asked plainly what crime Jesus was guilty of that deserved death. No answer was given, only an angry crowd stirred up by the religious leaders asking for Jesus to be crucified. The transcript of Jesus’ trial before Pilate only confirms that Jesus was innocent.

"He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth."
1 Peter 2:22 (NIV)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

Let the record show the innocent died for the guilty. The proof is found in what's missing.

Connect the Dots

We recently got Jacob a connect-the-dots coloring book to help him with learning his ABC’s and counting. He went through the entire book connecting the dots in a single day, fast learner I guess!

The events of Jesus life on the night of His betrayal are familiar to us all—maybe too familiar. Take a moment and connect some of the dots with me as it relates to Jesus and Peter.

• 1 – Jesus tell his disciples one of them will betray Him. they all said (including Peter), “Surely not I, Lord” (NIV).
  
• 2 – On the Mount of Olives Jesus told them that they would all abandon Him Peter spoke up and said, “Even if everyone else abandons you I never will” (GW).
  
• 3 – Jesus tells Peter that he would deny even knowing Him that very night. Peter responds, “Even if I have to die with you, I’ll never say I don’t know you” (GW).
  
• 4 – Jesus took Peter, James and John and told them that His soul was overwhelmed to the point of death. Jesus asked them to keep watch and pray with Him. I’m sure they all said they would (and especially Peter).
  
• 5 – “When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, ‘Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire’.”
  Matthew 26:40-41 (MsgB)
  
• 6 – Jesus returns to pray and again comes back to find them sleeping as before.
  
• 7 – Jesus was arrested, betrayed by Judas just like He had said. Peter follows at a distance and entered the courtyard. While there Peter denies knowing Jesus three times, even calling down curses upon himself, just like Jesus said he would.

Peter was confident that he would remain faithful to Jesus, but he did the very thing he said he would not do. Why? Did you connect the dots with me? Peter denied Jesus because of his lack of prayer. Jesus encouraged him to pray so that he wouldn’t wander into temptation. The hour of Peter’s temptation came that very night and he was unprepared to stand up against it.

How about us? We too deny Jesus when we give into temptation and willingly sin; we do the very thing we said we would not. How are we to overcome? Connect the dots; we need to pray. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Are you ready for the snow?

Yesterday evening we stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things: breakfast cereal, milk, eggs, grape juice, bread, bagels, sugar (granulated and powdered) cake mix, chips and ice cream. We got more than we had too; we just stopped to get what the kids would need for their school parties the next day. However, as we expected school is closed today because of the winter storm; it’s a snow day. That explains why we got a few of the other things; with eight of us we could run out of bread and milk quickly.

The bad weather also explains why the store was so unusually busy; lots of people were there not just filling their carts, but overflowing them with enough to last for days for fear the weather would keep them at home for a while. With the roads snow covered and the snow still falling they wanted to be prepared for the worst.

"So stay awake and be prepared, because you do not know the day or hour of my return.
Matthew 25:13 (NLT)

With these words Jesus ends the first of three parables warning His disciples to be prepared for His second coming. Jesus will come suddenly and with less warning than a winter storm, or any other weather disaster for that matter. As Jesus said, “The Son of Man will come again just as lightning flashes from east to west” (Matthew 24:27 GW).

Of the ten virgins only five were ready when the bridegroom came. Only two of three servants were ready when their master returned. Yet in each case they had all been told to be ready, but unfortunately some were not and were therefore rejected by the one they had been expecting. This should cause us to do all we can to be ready for Christ’s coming so that we are not one who is left behind.

We have been warned to be ready for the Day of His coming. We won’t have time to say a prayer or repent of our sin when He comes. Now is the time to prepare; that Day will be too late.

At His coming He will separate the peoples of the earth like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The sheep, those who were ready will be on His right, the goats who were unprepared to His left. Untold numbers will be divided that day. Those on the right will be accepted; those on the left will be sent away. Which side will you be on?

"later Later!"

Language is a funny thing. You can say one thing but it can mean something all together different to those who hear it. For instance my brother left the following message on my phone today, “Call me later. I mean later you can call me, but you don’t have to call me later.” Now was he asking me to call him at a later time, or did he wish for me to call him by the name ‘Later?’ Which ‘Later(s)’ should be capitalized in his message?

As Jesus and the disciples left the temple Jesus called attention to the magnificent buildings there and said, “I tell you the truth, don’t be impressed by all these things because it will be completely demolished and not one stone will be left standing on another.” Outside the city Jesus sat with his disciple on the Mount of Olives and the disciples came to Him with a question.

"Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
Matthew 24:3 (NIV)

What were the disciples asking Jesus about? I believe they were asking Jesus ONE question. They wanted to be prepared for Jesus to establish His kingdom and put an end to the Roman occupation. Remember Jesus had entered Jerusalem in triumph hailed as a king, and the buildings adjacent to the temple included the Antonia Fortress which was the center of Roman power in Jerusalem. The disciples just wanted to be ready to be by Jesus’ side when He took the throne.

Jesus heard THREE questions. When will these things happen—the destruction of the city and end of Roman occupation? What are the signs of your coming—your second coming to establish your kingdom? And when will the world come to an end—when will you execute judgment upon the living and the dead? His answer focused on the later two questions, and he ignored the first question all together.

[4] Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. [5] For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.
Matthew 24:3-5 (NIV)

Jesus repeats this warning to guard against being deceived two more times. He did not want his disciples (or us) to misunderstand him. Above all else we must not let anyone deceive us through anything they might say or do. Be on guard deception is all around us. His coming is near.

Practice What I Preach

When was the last time you heard someone say, “Do as I say and not as I do?” Such a statement could be made by people we call hypocrites. I must confess that I’m guilty of saying one thing and then doing the opposite. For instance as I teach Greg to drive I tell him to watch his speed, but then I drive over the speed limit. I justify this inconsistency by telling him that I can pay the fine if I get a ticket, but he can’t. Poor logic I know. I’ve also been guilty of telling the kids they can’t have ice cream during the day because it is for an evening snack, but you’ve guessed it; I’ve had ice cream in the middle of the afternoon.

With such a confession it could call into question other things I say. Am I guilty of being a hypocrite? My desire as a pastor is that what I say and how I live line up; I don’t want inconsistencies in my lifestyle to bring the message of God’s word into question. I want to practice what I preach.

[2] "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. [3] You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer.
Matthew 23:2-3 (MsgB)

What most people don’t realize is that Jesus did not oppose most of what the Pharisees taught. These religious leaders were the experts in God’s law and accurately taught what God required to live a righteous life. Instead Jesus more often pointed out that the Pharisees were hypocrites or as the NIV puts it “they do not practice what they preach.”

The problem with the Pharisees was threefold:

1. They elevated their man-made traditions and rules to the same level as God’s law.
2. They told people how they should live (both by God’s law and the Pharisaical law), but they didn’t always live that way.
3. Finally, the motives of the Pharisees were often wrong; they didn’t obey the law to please God but to make themselves look good in the eyes of other people.

Have we made the same mistakes? Do we live by our own set of rules; do we say one thing but do the other; do we have wrong motives for what we do? For me I want the answer to those questions to be a resounding “No!” I want to live by God’s rules consistently to please Him. Let’s be ‘people of the Book’ and live our lives to glorify Jesus our Lord.

Questions

The religious leaders were looking for a way to condemn Jesus, so they questioned Him repeatedly. With each question the crowds were amazed by the wisdom and authority with which Jesus answered.

One of the Pharisees who were experts in the Law came to Jesus with a question. “Teacher, in all the Law what is the most important commandment?

[37]Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)

Look again at the last part of what Jesus said; everything else in the Law and the prophets is based upon these. Loving God and loving your neighbor as the Law commands is the foundation of a life that is pleasing to God.

Jesus then seized the moment and questioned the Pharisees about who the father of the Christ was. The Pharisees answered David and Jesus follows up with this question:

[43] He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? . . . [45] If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?"
Matthew 22:43-45 (NIV)

This silenced the Pharisees and no one dared asked Jesus anything else. Why? I don’t think it was just the wisdom or logic Jesus used to show that David acknowledged that the Christ was superior to him. Rather I think the Pharisees were convicted by their own sin because while David was guilty of sin, these Pharisees knew that he had kept these two law better than they had. David learned to love God and his neighbor more than any of the Pharisees had. This is why the bible says David was a man after God’s own heart. (See Acts 13:22)

So how about us? Will we continue to try to justify our sin, or will we be convicted by the simplicity of the Law as Jesus summarized it? How can we be more loving today? Let’s make our prayer, “Lord, make me an individual who loves wholeheartedly both You and my fellowman.”

Stir Up the Crowd

Perhaps you have seen pictures of ticker-tape parades in New York City. These city wide celebrations have been held for everything from welcoming home war heroes to championship sports teams. I’m sure the Colts were welcomed back to Indianapolis with the same kind of festivity.

Jesus entered Jerusalem with large crowds shouting, waving palm branches and even laying their garments on the road before Him. Jesus was welcomed to Jerusalem as a victorious king; “Hosanna to King David’s Son!” If they could have had a ticker-tape parade they probably would have.

[10] When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"
[11] The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
Matthew 21:10-11 (NIV)

As I read this it makes me wonder, if Jesus were to enter our town today would there be the same commotion and excitement about His arrival? Would the TV stations and other news organizations be there to report it? Or would Jesus’ coming be overlooked?

While we could debate the possibilities of my hypothetical question, one thing is certain. Jesus does come into our towns and homes everyday and no one notices. How? Stay with me.

After coming into Jerusalem Jesus entered the Temple area and turned over the tables and drove those buying and selling out saying, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

God’s temple, His dwelling place today is not a man made building. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 6:19). Jesus is within us. That’s why Paul says we are “Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20); we are the representative of Jesus to our towns and cities.

So why doesn’t the presence of Jesus stir up the crowd wherever we go? Perhaps like those in Jerusalem so long ago we too have turned God’s house into a thrift store selling second had stuff at retail prices.

Are we like them guilty of neglecting prayer? Let’s clean our spiritual houses and repair our altar of prayer; perhaps then we may stir up the crowd with the presence of Jesus overflowing from our lives.

Tunnel Vision

I admit it. I have tunnel vision. No I don’t have trouble with my eyesight; my peripheral vision is just fine. The tunnel vision I sometimes suffer from comes from being focused on getting my work done but not seeing the people around me. Over the years I’ve had to make a conscious effort to slow down and not worry about the task that needed done so I can take time to see what’s going on in the lives of other people.

Jesus didn’t suffer from tunnel vision. He and the disciples were leaving Jericho to go to Jerusalem. Jesus told the disciples that once there he would be betrayed into the hands of evil men, condemned to die on the cross and then on the third day rise again. If ever Jesus had the right to be focused on what He was going to do it was then. No distractions, just keep the work to be done in front of you.

As Jesus left Jericho two blind men began to call out for help and the crowd did their best to silence them. I must admit that if I were one of the disciples I probably would have told these guys that Jesus had more important things on His mind and didn’t have time to bother with them—tunnel vision.

Not Jesus, He looked beyond the important work of salvation (a work that only he could do) and saw these two men in need. Jesus called them to him and asked what they wanted. They said they wanted to see.

Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
Matthew 20:34 (NIV)

Jesus told his disciples that He did not come to be served but to serve others and give His life to rescue many from their sins (see verse 28). But Jesus lived it out for us all to see. He didn’t just go to Jerusalem to die on the cross so we can be forgiven; that was the work that was before Him. Instead Jesus took the time to notice two blind men in need.

Are you like me and sometimes miss the big picture because you are focused on what is right in front of you? Let’s learn from the example of Jesus to slow down and notice the people who surround us. With God’s help our hearts can be filled with compassion to meet their need no matter how big or small it may be, and in doing so God will help us get the work done we think is more important than people.

Up-side Down or Right-Side Up?

A young man came to Jesus wanting to know what he must do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus told him to keep the commandments. He told Jesus he had done that since the time he was a child, so Jesus went to the heart of the matter and told him to go and sell everything he had, give it to the poor and then come be one of Jesus disciples. The young man went away sad because he had great wealth. Jesus had exposed the young man’s heart; he believed that he had kept the commandments, but Jesus showed him that his wealth had taken God’s rightful place as first in his life.

This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.
Matthew 19:30 (MsgB)

What will it take for us to see things God’s way? Someone has described what Jesus said like this: “God’s kingdom is a kingdom upside-down.” If only we could go stand on our heads and see things from God’s perspective in His inverted Kingdom. Truth be told when we see things as God does we discover that His Kingdom is really right-side-up and it is our priorities that are topsy-turvy.

Our world values wealth and power, yet these things will not gain you a position in God’s Kingdom. If anything what makes you somebody important in the eyes of the world may actually keep you out of God’s Kingdom. Thankfully what is impossible for man, God can do. God can change the upside-down priorities of the world that our hearts embrace and turn them right-side-up so we can see things God’s way.

Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith will go down in NFL history as the first two black coaches to take their teams to the super bowl. But what most people don’t know is that both of them are also Christian coaches who live out their faith in the locker rooms and practice fields. They resist using the profanities and anger to motivate players. Dungy said, “I really wanted to show people that you can win all kinds of ways. It's a good thing to see guys have success when it maybe goes against the grain, against the culture.” Soft-spoken, kindhearted men who made it to the top—God’s way.

If God can help them see things His way and live their lives right-side-up instead of up-side down, then don’t you think He can and will help you too? Why not ask the Lord to change your perspective today?

Additional Charges

Years ago when the phone rang you would have to answer it to find out who was calling. If it happened that you were upset with the person on the other end of the line then the only thing you could do was to hang up on them. Now for a small monthly fee you can have caller ID and know who’s calling before you even answer the phone. I understand that if you choose you can even have certain numbers permanently blocked from even ringing in to your phone—again for a small fee. It is my guess that phone companies are making millions of more dollars each year from people who don’t want to talk with certain other people.

Holding onto resentment is easy to do. When someone says or does something to hurt us or those we love our blood can begin to boil. Bitterness towards others can leave a bad taste in your mouth for years to come that no breath mint will cure.

The only way to get rid of the chip on your shoulder is to be willing to forgive those who have sinned against us. Unfortunately, that is the last thing many of us are willing to do. Bitterness and unforgiveness has affected the human heart for a long time; we have always been looking for a way to justify our right to hold a grudge.

Jesus taught his disciples that they must be willing to forgive and be reconciled to others. Jesus had obviously touched a nerve because Peter came and asked a question trying to get off the hook.

[21] At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, "Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?"

[22] Jesus replied, "Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.
Matthew 18:21-22 (MsgB)

Jesus point was not that we keep a tally of how often we forgive others until we reach the magic number of 490 times and then we could be justified in no longer forgiving them. Instead Jesus wanted us to understand that there should be no limit to the forgiveness we freely give to others.

Jesus went on to show us why we should forgive others (see Matthew 18:23-35). Unforgiveness always costs us something. If we are unwilling to forgive the price will be greater than what we may pay the phone company. Unforgiveness will cost us God’s forgiveness too. Is that a price you are willing to pay for your right to hold on to your resentment?

Taxes

The last few days someone has been out along the road waving to passing cars dressed as of all things the Statue of Liberty. The kids asked why someone would be doing that. I told them it was an advertising gimmick for the Liberty Tax Office; it is tax season again and they are out there drumming up business for themselves. I used to dread tax time fearful of how much I would have to pay out in income taxes, but now it is a constant reminder of God’s provision—a reason to give thanks!

Peter found himself confronted by some eager tax collectors wanting to know if Jesus paid the customary taxes. These were not taxes paid to the Roman government but the temple tax paid by all Jewish males for the upkeep of the Temple. Before Peter had a chance to tell Jesus about it, Jesus used what happened to show His disciples that He was God’s Son.

Jesus asked Peter, “Who do kings collect taxes from—from their sons or their subjects?” Peter rightly answered that it was from the citizens and not the children that a king levied taxes.

Jesus said, "Then the children get off free, right? But so we don't upset them needlessly, go down to the lake, cast a hook, and pull in the first fish that bites. Open its mouth and you'll find a coin. Take it and give it to the tax men. It will be enough for both of us."
Matthew 17:26, 27 (MsgB)

Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that as God’s Son he was exempt from the Temple tax. A king rules over all and claims ownership of his kingdom; that’s why a king levies taxes. Jesus as the Son of God had the ultimate authority over all of heaven and earth; everything belonged to Him.

Nevertheless Jesus didn’t want to upset the tax collectors needlessly, so He used this opportunity to prove His identity in a most unusual way. Jesus didn’t reach into his pocket to get the money for the tax. He sent Peter fishing! From the mouth of a fish Jesus paid his tax and Peter’s too.

Now you know why taxes are no big deal to me anymore. Jesus provided for Peter and the Lord will provide for you and me as well. Have faith in everything that we serve a loving King who has given us liberty through His Son and will provide us with all that we need because we too are now His children.

AFTER THOUGHT: The proof is in the phone call I just received as I finished writing this. Unexpectedly someone wants to buy an air purifier from me because they've been told by their sister who bought one two years ago from me how great they are. That will be $600 to pay taxes this year I wasn't even counting on!

American Idol

Another season of “American Idol” has started and my girls are hooked; they want to find out who will make it to the top. I think they also enjoy laughing at people who try to sing but can’t. The premise of “American Idol” is simple; people audition for a chance to make it to Hollywood where they compete to be named the next singing sensation, to stand out from among the crowd and be a super star—the next American Idol.

What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?
Matthew 16:26 (MsgB)

You might think I’m going to down talk the “American Idol” craze after reading what Jesus told His disciples (people so anxious to be famous that they would do anything and what do they get for it all in the end that will really last?). Surprise, I’m not going down that road. Instead I want you to think with me about how “American Idol” and the dream to make it to Hollywood is what it will be like to stand before God on judgment day.

First, everyone performs individually. No one gets the benefit of a sound track or back ground singers; it’s just you and the judges who evaluate your performance—alone. Likewise we are all going to give an account for our lives to God and we won’t have the assistance of our mom and dad, our pastor or anyone else stand by our side us to help us make it into heaven. We are on our own.

Second, the judges evaluate the performance. I don’t know exactly what criteria they use on “American Idol” is, but one thing is obvious: you have to be able to carry a tune without holes in your bucket. When God judges your life He is looking for one thing—have you made Jesus your Savior and Lord. No matter how impressive your life may be, you can’t earn your way into heaven. Only a life surrendered to Christ will gain entrance into God’s kingdom.

Third, the judges’ decision is final, regardless of whether you agree with them or not. Folks may argue with Simon and the other judges, but that won’t change anything. God’s verdict is final too. And unlike American Idol there are no second chances; one life is all we are given and then judgment day.

So what will you give in exchange for your soul? You won’t impress the judge with good works. Nothing will help you bribe the judge and change His verdict. Jesus paid the price for you; He died to pay the penalty for your sin. Have you taken Him up on His offer? That’s the only ‘golden ticket’ to heaven God will honor.

Take Their Place (If You Dare)

I have often wondered how I would have responded to Jesus if I had been there at the time. If I had been brought up as a devout Jew would I have embraced Jesus as the Messiah or would he have offended me?

Let’s cut the Pharisees a little slack and imagine what it must have been like for them. These guys took their religion seriously; they did their best to try to honor God and teach others how they should live. Granted they were legalistic, but that’s all they knew.

One day they observed Jesus disciples breaking the law; the disciples were eating with ceremonial unclean hands. Because the disciples did not wash their hands according to the law they were unclean; this made them sinners and unacceptable to God in the minds of the Pharisees. Now how could Jesus be of God if He did not condemn the disciples for breaking the law; if Jesus were really a teacher showing the people the way to God, then He should point out such obvious hypocrisy. Jesus pointed out the hypocrites, but he was pointing at the Pharisees!

[7] Frauds! Isaiah's prophecy of you hit the bull's-eye: [8] These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn't in it. [9] They act like they're worshiping me, but they don't mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy."
Matthew 15:7-9 (MsgB)

The Pharisees were offended (and rightly so in their eyes). Jesus went on to explain their faulty thinking and expose their false teaching. It wasn’t what someone ate (or how they ate it) that would make someone unclean; instead it was what came out of their mouth—what they said and did that made them unclean. Could I have ‘stomached’ Jesus’ teaching if I had been one of those Pharisees?

Now let’s stop play acting. Do I really hear what Jesus is saying? Do his words apply to my life today? Am I guilty of saying what I think people want to hear so they are impressed with how spiritual I am? Do I pretend to live my life for God when people are watching but do my own thing whenever I get the chance? Do I just use Jesus to make me a ‘spiritual big shot’ in the eyes of others?

These are heart piercing questions. If they offend you then maybe you need to let Jesus examine your heart a little more closely. How else might we be offended, or will we repent instead?