Category Archives: Sin

False Prophets / Teachers, Hypocrisy, Pride, Traditions / Holidays

Jesus Calls Out the Religious Hypocrites… True Then and Still True Today

Jesus begins Matthew 23 by warning the crowds and His disciples about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees and Sadducees. As you read Matthew 23:1-12, think not only of the religious leaders during Jesus’ earthly ministry, but also of those who claim religious authority and position today. Many stand exposed directly in error, without excuse… by the words of Jesus.

1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4“They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5“But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6“They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8“But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9“Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10“Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11“But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Many in positions of religious leadership teach one thing and practice another. Jesus warns the crowds thousands of years ago and warns us today to be aware of the hypocrisy of many who teach, or claim to teach, the word of God. We are to test all teaching against the holy scripture contained in the Bible.

Beware those who seek attention, honor, and glory from men instead of God. Jesus is explicit that we are all brothers and sisters with one Father, one Teacher. We do not answer to a bureaucracy of priests or rabbis. We answer directly to God. Some of us in the body of Christ are called to teach the scripture and some to other functions. That does not make us God’s substitute or replacement on Earth. We are God’s servant with a role to help His other servants to understand and follow God’s word.

Ask yourself… whom do you follow? God Himself based on the written word of God? or someone who calls themselves “pastor” or “father” or “rabbi”? Their true role is to support and serve you, not command and direct you… to help you in your relationship with God, not to take a place between you and God.

Look for and follow those whose teaching is consistent with scripture… and test every teaching yourself against scripture. Look for humble, servant leadership in the model of Christ. Reject those who seek honor and privilege for themselves before men.

11“But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Consequences of Sin, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Homosexual Behavior, Marriage

The Immoral Man Sins Against His Own Body

God’s design for sex is for it to be a wonderful and intimate part of a marriage between one man and one woman. It is as physical aspect of the two becoming one that helps to bring them together on more than just a physical act. It is a gift of pleasure from God to His people that helps a husband and wife to share a very personal relationship that is just between them, different from relationship with all others.

Sadly, though, those who are of the world rise up to defend sexual immorality instead of respecting God’s instruction. They twist scripture to do so… or often just reject scripture all together. They constantly change what is acceptable trying to always move farther from God’s word and embrace their own sin nature which seeks after the deceptions of Satan.  They proclaim sex outside marriage is good, they rationalize adultery, they cheer on homosexual marriage despite God’s clear condemnation, and they will not stop there. Once you disregard God’s clear and holy standard… there is no other logical stopping point. If we disregard God’s instruction, what is to say marriage or sex with children or animals is wrong… what is the absolute standard and on whose authority does it rest?

The truth is that all of these immoral practices that violate God’s clear commands are wrong and damaging to the people who commit them and to others. God’s instructions exist because He loves us and wants what is best for us.

1 Corinthians 6:13-20

13Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” 17But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Romans 1:18-32

     18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

      24Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

      26For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

      28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

God loves us and set forth His instructions and commands to us because He wants what is best for us. He is guiding and protecting us … giving us freedom in His instructions rather than bondage to our sin nature.

God providing detailed instructions is not an over-controlling micro manager… no! God provides instruction as one who leads us through a minefield, carefully instructing us in the way we should go and the way we should not go so we may navigate it safely, without getting destroyed. In fact, He did not just provide a map, a written record, but rather actually became man to dwell among us and show us personally how to get through the minefield. Yes… God loves us that much!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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False Prophets / Teachers, Heaven and Hell, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Marriage, Wickedness / Evil

Jesus Answers the Sadducees and Pharisees

It seems the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious leaders of the time, those most educated and trained in the formal practices of religion, never tired of spending time and energy trying to trick Jesus while at the same time never had any energy to try to accept Him for whom He claimed to be… God and Messiah.  The same is still true for many people today. They spend all their effort trying to explain away Jesus rather than accepting Him as Lord and submitting their lives to Him.

Matthew 22:23-45

23On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, 24asking, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up children for his brother.’ 25“Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; 26so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. 27“Last of all, the woman died. 28“In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”

29But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30“For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31“But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: 32‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” 33When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

34But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38“This is the great and foremost commandment. 39“The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbors as yourself.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

41Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: 42“What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” 43He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, 44‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet”?

45“If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” 46No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

The Sadducees did not believe in life after death. They were not trying to learn from Jesus, but rather trick Him or trap Him. Jesus always has answers and is never surprised. He knows the wickedness of those who try to dismiss or reject Him. In His grace, He offers answers anyway and those of us who have ears to hear will learn.

As difficult as it seems to those of us who are married and love our spouses, Jesus tells us that life after death in Heaven will be very different than what we experience on earth today. The marriage relationship is a gift for us to enjoy in this life, but will not be the same in life after death. It is hard for us to imagine, but God has something better arranged for life after death for those who follow Him than even what we enjoy in this world.

Jesus further confirms resurrection is real and those who were in right relationship with God when they died have already been resurrected and are with Him in Heaven.

Once the Sadducees failed, then the Pharisees took another attempt to trap Jesus. Jesus was not surprised or without answer. Out of a trick question, intended to trap Jesus… Jesus provides a great summary of the foundation of all the law and the prophets for those of us who choose to follow Him.

 37And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38“This is the great and foremost commandment. 39“The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbors as yourself.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Just in case the 10 commandments are too hard for us to remember, Jesus provides insight into what they are based on… love God and love each other. Surely Jesus had great wisdom and ability to simplify what others think to be complex. We should also pause here to realize that God’s commands are all still in effect. His law, which is to love God and love one another, has not been altered or abolished by Jesus’ death. Jesus never taught as such and actually taught the opposite with both words and His actions throughout His earthly ministry and when He came back to His disciples after His resurrection. To  learn more study our teaching , Understanding The Law – What Does It Mean Today?

After responding to the questions He was asked, Jesus then challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees with a question. They could not answer it and realized Jesus was much wiser than they… but they still refused to acknowledge Him as Messiah and God. Their minds were already made up and they were not seeking truth and understanding… instead they sought only to discredit Jesus.

The question Jesus asked them was actually quite important… and it was clear they did not understand it. Jesus was pointing out that the anticipated Messiah was not just a descendant of David, a secular king or prince. If so, how could David, as an ancestor, call him Lord. No, the Messiah was not only “Son of God” but “God in the flesh”. Hence, David called Him Lord. Jesus at once opened a door to show these men a deeper understanding of the Messiah and also revealed how little they truly understood. They rejected the opportunity and instead stopped the conversation. They were unwilling to become humble and seek the wisdom Jesus offered, but instead remained proud and plotted against Him.

God has answers for all the attempts people have to explain Him away or teach false doctrine… but we must seek them out in prayer and study of scripture and in the world around us. We must first come to a place where we do not reject God and His holy word as our starting point. Then as we genuinely seek answers they will be revealed to us as we follow where the evidence leads… it leads to God as revealed through Jesus Christ.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Character of God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Jesus continues with another parable in Matthew 22: 1-14. The parable of the wedding feast is directly related to that of the vineyard told at the end of Matthew 21. Both refer to God’s chosen people, the Jews, who rejected God and responded violently to His messengers.

      1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3“And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4“Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’ 5“But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. 7“But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8“Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ 10“Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.

      11“But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13“Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The parable shows God’s love and desire for His people to be with Him, obeying His commands and living in personal relationship with Him. When the people reject God’s invitation, they have no real excuses. They just can’t be bothered to come. They find business in the things of this world… in the day to day chores and activities. The truth is they do not desire to come to be with the Lord.

God prepared everything. The people just need to come to Him and accept His offer. Still they reject it.

God next extends His offer to the gentiles and many will accept it and come to the feast. God invites those who have done evil as well as those who have done good. He extends His offer to everyone through Jesus Christ.

The offer, however, requires humility and submission to God. It is most likely that the king, who had prepared everything, had prepared and offered wedding clothes to the guests, knowing they were poor and would not have their own. When the man refused to wear them, refused to submit to the king, instead choosing rebellion and disrespect, then the king had him cast out.  This man represents hypocrites, who come to the feast, pretending to submit to God, but have clearly not found salvation through submission to Christ. They will be revealed and cast out when they face the king.

So too is it for us, when we come to accept God’s offer of salvation through grace, by faith… to turn away from our sins and prior evil, and submit to God through Jesus as our Lord… we must come humbly and submit. We must not just come to the feast and continue in our old sinful ways, assuming everything is fine and we can have all that God offers, while still living willingly and unrepentantly in bondage to sin.

Have you accepted God’s invitation to the wedding feast… His invitation for salvation through Jesus Christ?

Have you genuinely repented of, or turned away from, your old sinful ways, and humbly asked Jesus for forgiveness?

Have you submitted your whole life genuinely and completely to Jesus? or are you honoring Him with your lips only and keeping certain areas of your life out of submission to Him?

God loved us enough to make a way to be reconciled with Him! Praise God the feast is prepared and we need not complete any works to be judged worthy. We just need to accept His invitation and then begin to follow and submit to Him!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Family, Hearing from God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Idols / False Gods, Lying / Deceiving, Protector / Deliverer, Righteousness / Serving God, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

Laban Pursues Jacob

Genesis 31:22-42 continues after Jacob has fled Laban in secret earlier in Genesis 31, taking His family and livestock with Him. Rachel, stole from her father the household idols to bring with her. When Laban realizes Jacob has left, he pursues him with anger. But God is with Jacob and comes to Laban in a dream to protect Jacob.

      22When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23then he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him a distance of seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. 24God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and said to him, “Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.”

      25Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead. 26Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27“Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and did not tell me so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre; 28and did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly. 29“It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.’ 30“Now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house; but why did you steal my gods?” 31Then Jacob replied to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. 32“The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our kinsmen point out what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

      33So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. 34Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel’s saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them. 35She said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household idols.

      36Then Jacob became angry and contended with Laban; and Jacob said to Laban, “What is my transgression? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me? 37“Though you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. 38“These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks. 39“That which was torn of beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself. You required it of my hand whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40“Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41“These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you changed my wages ten times. 42“If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night.”

Perhaps one of the first things to note, is that God is perfectly able to communicate through non believers, such as Laban. He appears to Laban in a dream in order to protect Jacob. We know Laban was not a man of God by his behaviors such as deceiving Jacob and then trying to cheat him by changing his agreed wages repeatedly… and of course by the fact that Laban clutches tightly to his household  idols.  Additionally, Laban refers to God as the God of Jacob’s father, not his own God or even just “God”.

We see, also, that though Laban is quick to deceive others, he does not like to be deceived. This is typical hypocritical behavior for those who are focused on themselves rather than fundamental principles or truths of right and wrong. Every situation is interpreted not against God’s holy standard, but rather against the flawed view of “How does it affect me?” Godly people are called to be different from this behavior, measuring right and wrong against God’s holy standard revealed in scripture.

As a man continuing on his walk toward righteousness, Jacob strongly agrees that  whomever stole from Laban should be punished. Jacob wanted nothing to do with the idols anyway as they are detestable to God. Jacob did not make excuses when confronted by Laban. He clearly stated why he left  secretly and made no excuse for someone stealing.

Rachel, clutching to idols instead of God or even husband, comes up with clever deception to avoid being caught at this time. A family raised by deceitful and wicked parents becomes quite good at being wicked. This type of cleverness is not to be admired.

Having given Laban time to look for his idols, Jacob then rebukes Laban for chasing him and for several other ways in which Laban has wrongly treated Jacob. Jacob highlights that his service has been righteous and honorable even when Laban was not. Both Jacob and Laban prospered from it. Best of all, Jacob honors God by recognizing and proclaiming His role in protecting Jacob and his family in this difficult twenty years.

For those of us today, who are going through difficult family situations or even situations in life not related to family specifically, keep in mind that God can be with you even in tough situations. He never promises to protect you from suffering and make life easy. Quite the contrary, those who serve Him the most often have quite difficult lives with a  lot of earthly pain and suffering, but still find joy in the Lord and in the hope of what is to come after death.

When you find yourself in difficult times, it is then that you must draw nearer to Him, not pull away. Seek Him more earnestly both in study of scripture and in prayer. Change your ways from the path of sin to the path of righteous obedience and submission to God. Do not just look for a “quick fix” to your situation. Trust God. Ask Him for help. God is able to provide and protect according to His will.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Can God Use Me?, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Family, Greed, Hearing from God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Marriage, Obeying God, Righteousness / Serving God, Stealing / Theft

Jacob Leaves Laban Secretly For Canaan

Genesis 31:1-21 reveals to us that Laban has grown jealous of Jacob and repeatedly tries to cheat him. Family problems are certainly not new in today’s culture. Our sin nature is the same today as thousands of years ago. Jacob continues to grow in his relationship with God, though Rachel is clearly struggling. Jacob recognizes his situation is no longer good, due to Laban’s jealousy, and when Jacob hears from God… he obeys and leaves for Canaan.

1Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth.” 2Jacob saw the attitude of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as formerly. 3Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.” 4So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field, 5and said to them, “I see your father’s attitude, that it is not friendly toward me as formerly, but the God of my father has been with me. 6“You know that I have served your father with all my strength. 7“Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to hurt me. 8“If he spoke thus, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock brought forth speckled; and if he spoke thus, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock brought forth striped. 9“Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me. 10“And it came about at the time when the flock were mating that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which were mating were striped, speckled, and mottled. 11“Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12“He said, ‘Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13‘I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’” 14Rachel and Leah said to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house? 15“Are we not reckoned by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also entirely consumed our purchase price. 16“Surely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you.”

17Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels; 18and he drove away all his livestock and all his property which he had gathered, his acquired livestock which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father’s. 20And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing. 21So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the Euphrates River, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

Jacob worked hard for Laban and with integrity for many years, helping Laban to increase in his wealth. However, Laban allowed greed to overcome him in his dealings with Jacob, changing his agreed wages repeatedly out of envy for the greater success that God granted to Jacob. Laban’s sons also become jealous and resent Jacob.

When God tells Jacob to leave, he obeys… first sharing God’s word and the deception of Laban with his wives and they all agree to leave.  I believe Jacob would have led his family to leave even if Rachel or Leah did not agree, because he had heard directly from God. However, what a good way to share God’s word and the family plan with his wives to allow them to be part of the discussion before they implemented the plan.

While God gave Jacob direction to leave, He did not command Jacob to sneak away or deceive Laban. While I can understand why Jacob thought this was as good idea, we can consider if it would have been a better approach to just confront Laban directly. As we continue to read later in Genesis 31, the answer becomes more clear and will be the subject of a future teaching.

We get clear insight into Laban through the mention of his household idols, and later in Genesis 31 when he shows how important they are to him. However, we also see that Rachel does not have a mature relationship with God, even after 20 years knowing Jacob and 13 as his wife. She knows he would not approve of the idols (she hides them) but she takes them anyway. She steals from her father and deceives her husband, rebelling against his authority and leadership.

It is disappointing for sure to see this behavior with Rachel so long after being with Jacob, but we can consider that she was raised in Laban’s care, which is not as great foundation to live for God. Further, even Jacob is still maturing in his relationship with God in these twenty years. He has a history of deception as well (deceiving his own father to take a blessing intended for Esau), and was not a strong family leader as we read earlier in how he failed to love Leah and failed to address the family problems that resulted.

Perhaps the most wonderful news in all of this is as powerful reminder that God can use all of us, even in our weakness and failure… as he used Jacob. We must repent from our sins, ask forgiveness, and submit to Jesus as Lord of our lives… but He can, and definitely wants to, use each of us!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Discerning / Judging, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Greed, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Satan, Selfishness

Parable of the Vineyard Owner

Jesus is still teaching at the temple in Matthew 21:33-46. His audience is the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the Jewish people who actually came to the temple, those perhaps perceived as more righteous than the “sinners” who did not come to the temple.

33“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 34“When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. 35“The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. 36“Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. 37“But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38“But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39“They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40“Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”

42Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,

‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone;
THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,
AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?

43“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44“And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.

Most of us read this story and immediately recognize that the vine-growers were greedy, selfish, and wicked … refusing to live up to their agreement and willing to kill others who represented the one with rightful claim on the land. They were the ones who rejected the agreement they had made previously. We recognize that the vineyard owner is in fact quite patient with the vine growers who rebel against him, giving them multiple warnings and chances to repent and live by their agreement. Ultimately we recognize that he is within his rights to destroy the vine  growers and rent the land to others. It is a very straightforward story.

However, do we take time to really understand what this means when we apply its meaning to our relationship with God?

The vineyard owner is God. The vine growers represent His people, in particular the rebellious chief priests and other religious leaders who after receiving the offer to be God’s chosen people, reject His ways insisting on ruling themselves. They reject, abuse, and kill His messengers… the prophets. Then, God comes down as Jesus Christ… the son of God… surely they will respect Him… not at all. They reject, abuse, and kill Him also. Now what do you think God will do?

The specifics of this parable refer to God’s chosen people, Israel, rejecting God and then God opening up His kingdom to the gentiles, but the principle of the story applies to each of us even today.

In His grace and out of His great love for each of us, God has made a way for us to be reconciled with Him through Jesus Christ. For those that genuinely accept that offer, it changes their life as they submit all of their life to Christ and live according to His instruction.

But to those who reject Him, they will be destroyed in Hell, by their own choice of rejecting and rebelling against Him. There is righteous judgment for our sin. The penalty is death. Jesus paid the price, but many insist on rejecting His offer and insist they pay the price themselves instead.  Do not be misled by the deception of Satan, who proclaims that there is no judgment, all are righteous, all will go to Heaven. Satan comes to deceive and destroy.

God is love, but God is also righteous, holy, and just. Sin represents rebellion against God and it is ugly. It requires strict punishment. Do not rationalize to accept sin as “not that bad”. How many of us would think it wise for parents to accept “a little rebellion” from their children without consequences? What we inherently know is that rebellion against our parental authority is bad, and if allowed to continue without consequences it will grow and grow into more rebellion. It must not, can not be tolerated.

Note that rebellion is a continuous refusal to obey, often intentional but it can also come out of ignorance of the rules and laziness in refusing to learn the rules that have been clearly provided.  This is different from making a mistake, repenting, and sinning no more. Mistakes can be forgiven. Continuous rebellion must be addressed.

Each of us should study God’s word to learn and understand how He wants us to live… to relate to him and other people… and then change our behaviors to do as He instructs or commands.

In what areas of your life are you refusing to submit to God? Why? Are you going to change that behavior or continue rebelling against God?

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Consequences of Sin, False Prophets / Teachers, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Humility, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Parables, Pride, Salvation, Thankfulness

Who Is Truly Doing the Will of the Father?

Jesus appears to be still talking to the chief priests and elders at the temple, or perhaps to others who had come to the temple to worship and hear God’s word, when he shares the content of Matthew 21:28-32. He has just finished a rather clever rebuke for their effort to question His authority. Then He speaks to show us who is truly doing the will of the father… those with nice words and a good front or those who act on God’s instruction, humbly submitting to Him in repentance of their sin.

  28“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ 29“And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. 30“The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go. 31“Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32“For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

Jesus is sharing an important message with us. Notice His target audience, by context… those that were religious leaders and those that had come to the temple. (Think of it like this… Jesus came to a church to speak to a congregation that already thought of themselves as obeying and serving God.) He is not speaking to those that did not come to the temple.  It is important to do God’s will, even if we get off to a poor start. On the other hand, it is intentional deception and wickedness (or perhaps sloth), to say we will obey God’s instructions but then fail to do so. Not understanding God’s instruction clearly is a call for us to study it more and seek answers in scripture and in prayer… it is not an excuse to keep living the way we want to… that, too, is sloth.

None of us are “good enough” to meet God’s standard. We are all sinners. Those of us who recognize our sin, who recognize that our sin is so ugly to God that the punishment is death, should genuinely repent and turn from our sins, asking God’s forgiveness and submitting to Jesus Christ as Lord. We do not hide from our sin or deny our sin, but rather ask God’s help to overcome it! God loves us so much that He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him and forgiven of our sins. Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead so that those who believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. We come thankfully and humbly before God in the name of Jesus Christ, repent from our wrong behaviors and thoughts, and ask Him to be Lord of our lives. Then we begin to live our lives for God instead of our own way.

Those who put a nice image, or front, of being perfect or good enough are fooling themselves, and perhaps fooling others, but they are certainly not fooling God. In particular, the chief priests and elders had every opportunity to know and follow God’s law, but instead followed traditions of men and looked out for their own power and status. The punishment they receive is great. Many who claim to teach about Jesus even today do likewise, misleading many or living in hypocrisy, teaching about God and living for themselves.

Do not get complacent, taking confidence in your church attendance or even your church leaders. Test what they teach against scripture to confirm it. The wise welcome reproof and correction and get wiser still; only fools despise correction and testing. We should come before God like the tax collectors and prostitutes to whom Jesus referred. Accept and admit to our sins and turn from them. Live like Jesus Christ is truly Lord of our life and turn loose of any pride that we must be righteous on our own… we are not!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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False Prophets / Teachers, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Wickedness / Evil

The Chief Priests Seek To Trick Jesus, Not Learn From Him

There were many that tried to trick Him when asking questions, perhaps many still today who do the same. Even though they approach Jesus with a question, their hearts are wicked and hard as their intent is not to learn truth, but to trap Jesus. Jesus, however, has great wisdom, and will never be fooled or tricked. He often took the opportunity to respond by making a teachable point. In Matthew 23-27, the chief priests challenge his authority following His cleansing of the temple, which had become profaned as a market and “robbers’ den”.

   23When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” 24Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25“The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26“But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.” 27And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The chief priests are always conspiring and discussing things from a worldly perspective as they try to trap Jesus. Never is there a record of them going before God to pray and seek an answer about Jesus. Instead, always plotting about how to trap Him and manage the people so that they can stay in power and authority. They had become attached to the traditions of men, their own traditions, to the point that they no longer followed the commands of God.  They were far from God, despite the position of religious authority. Many who are perceived as religious authority today are doing likewise. They no longer look toward God.

Jesus answered them by simply showing He could trap them as well, and more effectively. Jesus had wisdom and a sharp wit, which He used to turn away mockers and deceivers, while focusing on teaching those who are teachable in spirit.

We must be careful as well to not spend too much time trying to teach those who are not willing to be taught. Lingering too long with them will prevent us from spending the same time with those who seek truth and want to be taught. We can always respond, even to mockers, but do not spend too much time there… for it is a trap that takes away time and energy from reaching those who want to hear.

[Proverbs 9:7-9]   7He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself. 8Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, Reprove a wise man and he will love you. 9Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Character of God, Consequences of Sin, Discerning / Judging, Discipline / Correction, False Prophets / Teachers, Hypocrisy, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Miracles, Prayer, Traditions / Holidays

“No Longer Shall There Be Any Fruit From You”

The context of Matthew 21:18-22 is important to understanding what Jesus was teaching. Without proper context, we will miss the point and walk away scratching our heads. Jesus had just been to the temple the night before and seen how what was holy, God’s temple, was being profaned by those selling animals and making a market out of it… a “robbers’ den”. He was returning again to Jerusalem and took the opportunity to teach His disciples about the coming judgment for those who choose hypocrisy and religion, while rejecting Jesus as Messiah.

  18Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.

20Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” 21And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. 22“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Mark 11:12-14 also records these events, but provides a bit more detail in regards to the fact that figs were not in season, and thus the tree was not expected to have figs.

   12On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.

Why did Jesus curse the fig tree? Was Jesus just grumpy because there were no figs when He was hungry? Did Jesus not know figs were out of season? Of course not!

Jesus was taking the opportunity to have a teachable moment with His disciples. Having just witnessed how the chief priests had allowed God’s holy temple to be profaned and made common, Jesus was making a point. The religious leaders that were supposed to be serving God faithfully and prayerfully, doing things God’s way, and bearing godly fruit in service to God were instead clinging to traditions of men and living as hypocrites, losing sight of the commands of God. They even refused to recognize Jesus as Messiah despite their knowledge of the coming Messiah and the evidence all around them that Jesus was the Messiah.

Jesus uses the fig tree to illustrate to His disciples the curse that God will put on such a people who reject Him. Yes, God does provide righteous judgment to those who reject Him, even more so when they should clearly know better.

The disciples are, of course, amazed by the noticeable withering of the fig tree. When Jesus tells them that faith enables them to do the same or even cast a mountain into the sea, we must be careful not to take it literally. Clearly, with God, many mighty miracles are possible such as those with Moses and Elijah. However, we must look throughout scripture and test how the disciples understood Jesus’ message to verify what Jesus meant. We never see prophets or disciples of God just going around “moving mountains” literally at their own discretion. That is not the point and that is not what the disciples understood Jesus to be saying, or they would have tried to do so at some point. The point is that when we seek God’s will, and listen to His instruction faithfully and without doubt, He will enable us to accomplish the work He has for us, even if it requires incredible miracles! God’s power is not something that we control for our own use and our own will, but something Gods provides as He helps us accomplish His will.

Each of us should  consider if we are bearing good fruit for God. Is it visible in our lives? Do people clearly know we are serving God? Are we serving God His way, set apart from the way of the world? or are we serving God to the point of comfort and convenience?

Do not expect miracles if you  are only submitted to God to the point of comfort and convenience and are still doing things your way instead of His. So long as you are not fully committed to Jesus, you are still in rebellion against Him. There is no neutral ground. You submit to Him fully or you rebel against His leadership.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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