Category Archives: Sin

Consequences of Sin, Family, Lying / Deceiving, Marriage, Murder

Deception From Within The Family

Genesis 29:15-30 continues leading us on a journey with Jacob whereby in fleeing from his past mistakes and their destructive impact on his family, Jacob met God personally on the way to find his uncle Laban. Jacob pledged to follow God. We see in this passage that Jacob is going to experience seemingly unthinkable deception at the hands of his own family. Yet one hopes God can use this deception to teach Jacob a lesson about his own deception and trickery which he played out on his father Isaac to receive the blessing Isaac intended for Esau.

After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month, 15 Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”

16 Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. 17 There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes,[a] but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. 18 Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”

19 “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.” 20 So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.

21 Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her.”

22 So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. 23 But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)

25 But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”

26 “It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied. 27 “But wait until the bridal week is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”

28 So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. 29 (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) 30 So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.

If it was Laban’s intent solely to marry his daughter Leah or get more work from Jacob, then he succeeded. However, he was wrong to do it this way, with deception and trickery. Laban essentially placed Leah in the care of a husband who did not love her and was not interested in her. This caused problems for her, and for Rebekah, as we will see in our next lesson as we read on in Chapter 29.

One hopes that Jacob is able to learn from this incident that how he deceived his father, Isaac, was wrong and hurtful. Jacob handled the situation much better than Esau. Jacob did not plot revenge by killing or hurting Laban despite being angry as Esau had plotted to kill Jacob in anger.

I am often reminded as I read through scripture that whatever family problems we see in our society around us today are not new and unique. Mankind is inherently selfish and sinful and brings much suffering and wickedness into the world, even amongst family. Man has not changed in thousands of years, just our surroundings like home, tools, clothing.

None of us are ‘good enough’ to meet God’s standard. I am grateful that God came in the person of Jesus Christ to die for my sins. He paid a debt that I could not. I accept Him as my lord and savior. I repent (e.g. turn away from) my sins and submit to Him. Through the grace of God I am saved by faith. Praise God for the depths of His love for us!

If you have accepted Christ as your savior, please take time to thank Him and praise Him. Submit to Him and turn from your sins daily. Change your life to reflect His instruction instead of the world’s.

If you have never accepted Christ as your savior, please do so now. It is not about the words or a one time action, but rather a genuine repentance of the heart and submission to God. Accept that He died for your sins, was buried, and rose again. Submit to and follow Him. Ask Him into your life as Lord.

If you have any questions or want to pray with someone, please reach out to us at our Contact Us page invite us to pray with you or provide you with more information.

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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, Faith / Trusting God, Family, Greed, Heaven and Hell, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Righteousness / Serving God, Salvation, Suffering / Adversity

What Good Deed Must I Do To Have Eternal Life?

Jesus continues to teach us about the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 19:16-30, in response to a question from a wealthy man. Jesus’ response is respectful but difficult and really tests how committed the man is to seeking and submitting to God. Sadly, this man walks away from God because it is too hard for him.

16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher,[f] what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep[g] the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” the man asked.

And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’[h]”

20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”

21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

27 Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”

28 Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new[i] and the Son of Man[j] sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.[k]

We should be careful to recognize that the rich man is a specific person, and not representative of all rich people or all people who have many possessions. That should be obvious since it is clear that not all who are rich even come to seek God or try to follow His commands as this man did.  I give him credit in that he was trying to follow God’s commandments and seek to learn more about path to eternal life… he was closer to the kingdom of God than many in our churches today. However, he still came up short of what is required… submission to God in all things.  He valued money and possessions above God.

We immediately get insight into this man’s motivations and drives by his opening question.

16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher,[f] what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

The wealthy man did not come seeking to know God’s will for him and to submit to God. He came to see what he could do to get eternal life.  In effect he wanted to see what was required and if it was not hard, he would do it. He is task oriented and seeking another specific action or work on his part to complete on his way to eternal life. He does not seem to recognize that his works and deeds are not and will never be sufficient.

He appears to believe in eternal life, but by the end we will see that his conviction on this matter is perhaps not as strong as it seems at first… else why would he walk away in the end. When we lack conviction in the reality of eternity with or without God (heaven or hell), we are vulnerable to valuing possessions or relationships in this world too much, putting them above God and failing to fully submit to Him.

Jesus takes a moment to clearly define “good”… that is to say godly or meeting God’s standard of holiness. Only those things and people are good. He clearly points out that only one is good… God Himself. No person meets this standard.

Jesus continues by pointing out that the man should measure himself against the commandments. The mans’ motivation for responding with “which ones?” is not clear to me. Was he looking for the bare minimum to get by or was he seeking clarification to separate God’s commandments from the many burdensome rules and traditions of men that the Pharisees and Sadducees had created?

When the man responds that he has followed all these commandments, we know that he can only be thinking of the physical acts associated with the commandments. Jesus just stated that only one is good… that one being God. Plus we read elsewhere in scripture where Jesus clearly tells us that to even think angry thoughts is to commit murder… to think lustful thoughts is to commit adultery. (Matthew 5:21-26). No one can measure up to God’s standard as reflected in the commandments. They show the depth of our sin when properly used as our measuring stick.

Jesus knows this man has not met the standard and could have spent time discussing it with him. Instead, Jesus knows where the man’s heart is and where his stumbling block is and gets right to the heart of the matter as it applies to this specific wealthy man.

21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

We may not know for sure if the rich man ever repented, but clearly he left in defeat. How hard it is for those that have much in this world to submit to God. How easy to rely on the things of this world.

Jesus then clearly explains to the disciples that it is hard… humanly impossible even, for a man to get to heaven without God. It is only with God that it is possible.

Peter then asks what several disciples are likely thinking…

27 Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”

We see that our eternal life with God is not just a case of either “in or out”, but rather there are levels of reward based on how we submitted to and served Him with our lives.

29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.[k]

We are also clearly reminded by Jesus that those who follow Him should expect to be giving up possessions, family , friends… those things most dear to us. This is not to be done randomly, but rather Jesus is warning us that when we put God first above all else, we will find ourselves facing rejection even from those most dear. We must choose God above all else, without exception. It will be hard… humanly impossible. We need God.

Pray that God would reveal to you what areas of your life you are holding as higher priority or value over God. Pray He would help you to properly put Him first, even when it is painful.

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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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Homosexual Behavior, Marriage, Miracles, Wickedness / Evil

Let No One Split Apart What God Has Joined Together

As Jesus is teaching and healing in the presence of large crowds of public witnesses it must have surely been a dramatic sight. People being healed, family and friends cheering on in amazement and praising God. This must surely have been an exciting scene in Matthew 19:1-12. Yet the Pharisees walk past all of this in an effort to trap Jesus. Jesus, undeterred, uses this as an opportunity to speak clearly about marriage and divorce.

19 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went down to the region of Judea east of the Jordan River. 2 Large crowds followed him there, and he healed their sick.

3 Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

4 “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’[a]” 5 And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’[b] 6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”

7 “Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?”[c] they asked.

8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. 9 And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.[d]”

10 Jesus’ disciples then said to him, “If this is the case, it is better not to marry!”

11 “Not everyone can accept this statement,” Jesus said. “Only those whom God helps. 12 Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry[e] for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

It almost seems routine that Jesus healed the sick in front of large crowds. It is mentioned almost in passing as we begin this scripture. But we must be careful never to take that for granted. He performed those signs to demonstrate His authority as God to heal people physically and spiritually (through forgiveness of sins for those who repent).

The scene is set… large crowds hearing Jesus teach and witnessing miracles of healing publically with many witnesses… and the Pharisees, religious leaders, can only think about trapping Jesus. They are blind to His truth because they already decided that they do not want to give up their power, authority, and influence. They seem blinded by their own wickedness. They are certainly not submitted to God.

Jesus takes the opportunity to clearly teach about marriage and divorce. With great clarity, Jesus points to the scriptures as authoritative and specifically points to marriage being between one man and one woman.  Homosexual “marriage” is clearly omitted because it is wrong and not God’s plan. Additionally, God clearly speaks that a man is  joined to his “wife”, not his “wives”.

Once a husband and wife are joined by God in marriage, God intends for them to stay together and seek and submit to God and each other through good times and difficult times. They are to separate  from mother and father and join to each other as the primary relationship in their lives, behind only their individual relationships with God for priority. The two become one and should not be separated.

Because of the wickedness and hardness of our hearts, God does allow divorce in some instances. It is not His plan for married couples to seek divorce, but rather a disappointing outcome driven by wickedness and selfishness, which at times creates a dangerous or harmful situation. We should never take divorce lightly and should always seek God’s help to reconcile and confirm before going down that path. It is better not to marry, than to marry and divorce.

For those of us who have experienced divorce or know those who have, there is forgiveness and grace for those who submit to God and repent from our sins. We should be careful not to rationalize divorce in a way that vindicates any involved are faultless. Those who develop an intimate relationship with God, study His scripture and apply it to their lives, submit to Him and prayerfully ask for His guidance… will be much more successful in choosing a godly spouse and living out a godly marriage that requires each of us to change and move away from our sinful and selfish desires and submit to God and our spouse. If two are truly submitted to God, difficulties in marriage can be addressed and overcome to the glory of God.

Instead, when we find ourselves in divorce, we must turn with genuine repentance before God and seek His forgiveness and grace. Jesus already died for our sins. His blood pays for our mistakes. Accept His grace and seek greater relationship with Him to avoid repeating the same sin again.

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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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Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Curse, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Idols / False Gods, Love, Obeying God

Blessings Of Obedience Or Curse of Rebellion

Deuteronomy 11 records a passionate call for God’s people to obey Him and receive His blessings. It also contains a strong warning for those who choose instead to disobey God and do things their own way. While this was addressed to God’s people at a specific important point in their journey out of Egypt and into the promised land, it is incredibly applicable and relevant today. Read it as if God is talking to you today and let it speak to you. Focus more on the blessings of obedience and curse of disobedience, which are enduring general principles of God,  than literally the direction to occupy a  land, which was situation specific.

11 “You must love the Lord your God and always obey his requirements, decrees, regulations, and commands. 2 Keep in mind that I am not talking now to your children, who have never experienced the discipline of the Lord your God or seen his greatness and his strong hand and powerful arm. 3 They didn’t see the miraculous signs and wonders he performed in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his land. 4 They didn’t see what the Lord did to the armies of Egypt and to their horses and chariots—how he drowned them in the Red Sea[a] as they were chasing you. He destroyed them, and they have not recovered to this very day!

5 “Your children didn’t see how the Lord cared for you in the wilderness until you arrived here. 6 They didn’t see what he did to Dathan and Abiram (the sons of Eliab, a descendant of Reuben) when the earth opened its mouth in the Israelite camp and swallowed them, along with their households and tents and every living thing that belonged to them. 7 But you have seen the Lord perform all these mighty deeds with your own eyes!

8 “Therefore, be careful to obey every command I am giving you today, so you may have strength to go in and take over the land you are about to enter. 9 If you obey, you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors and to you, their descendants—a land flowing with milk and honey! 10 For the land you are about to enter and take over is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you planted your seed and made irrigation ditches with your foot as in a vegetable garden. 11 Rather, the land you will soon take over is a land of hills and valleys with plenty of rain— 12 a land that the Lord your God cares for. He watches over it through each season of the year!

13 “If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, 14 then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. 15 He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.

16 “But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods. 17 If you do, the Lord’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the Lord is giving you.

18 “So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.

22 “Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him. 23 Then the Lord will drive out all the nations ahead of you, though they are much greater and stronger than you, and you will take over their land. 24 Wherever you set foot, that land will be yours. Your frontiers will stretch from the wilderness in the south to Lebanon in the north, and from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.[b] 25 No one will be able to stand against you, for the Lord your God will cause the people to fear and dread you, as he promised, wherever you go in the whole land.

26 “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! 27 You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. 28 But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.

29 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land and helps you take possession of it, you must pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal. 30 (These two mountains are west of the Jordan River in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Jordan Valley,[c] near the town of Gilgal, not far from the oaks of Moreh.) 31 For you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take that land and are living in it, 32 you must be careful to obey all the decrees and regulations I am giving you today.

I recognize certain difficult times in my life where it has seemed that God was metaphorically or symbolically calling me out of Egypt and directing me to a promised land. It required obedience to His word and to His direction in prayer. I had to boldly leave behind some things in my past that were important to me and how I viewed the world and trust God, stepping out and into a new way of approaching my life. In hindsight, I can now clearly see where God was leading me out of bondage and into freedom and prosperity in living my life for Him. At the time, it seemed daunting, as if He were leading me to a strange place that made me uncomfortable.

I encourage each of us to take time and pray that God would reveal to us His direction and that we would have the courage to obey and trust Him. Seek to apply God’s call to obedience to your life personally in the small every day decisions and actions as well as the larger “life changing” big decisions. God will lead you through if you will follow.

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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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Bitterness / Resentment, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Parables

How Often Should I Forgive Someone Who Sins Against Me?

Jesus teaches us about forgiveness in Matthew 18:21-35. Right from the beginning of this scripture passage he clearly states the case that forgiveness in God’s eyes is different from the natural instincts of man. We naturally assume there is a limit to how much can be forgiven. God calls us to forgive without counting the sins against us.

21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone[i] who sins against me? Seven times?”

22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven![j]

23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.[k] 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.

26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars.[l] He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters[m] from your heart.”

God does not keep a running count of our sins, but rather offers forgiveness to those who repent regardless of how many times they sin. As we are all sinners, we can rejoice and praise Him for His grace. However, this is not a license to sin. We have accountability to God in this world and when we stand in judgment for all our actions and inaction. Those who truly repent do not go on proudly accepting their sin, but rather turn from it as best they can and submit to Christ.

Furthermore, God calls us to forgive others in the same way that we desire to be forgiven by Him. We will not receive God’s forgiveness if we hold bitterness and unforgiveness in our hearts toward others.

We are all sinners who need grace and forgiveness.  Praise God that He shows us how to forgive and provides His grace for our sins through the death of Christ, who was without sin.

Each of us should take time to consider if we are harboring any bitterness or unforgiveness toward others. Hurry and waste no time in offering forgiveness. Pray and ask God to help you forgive others as He forgives you.

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Abortion, Church / Body of Christ, Discipline / Correction, Greed, Homosexual Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Righteousness / Serving God, Share the Good News, Sin, Temptation/Tempting

Correcting Another Believer; Keeping The Church Holy

The context of Matthew 18 is Jesus teaching about what it means to be great in the kingdom of heaven. One aspect identified early in this chapter is that someone who is great helps God’s children to follow and serve God properly. To lead them into temptation has dire consequences. In Matthew 18:15-18, Jesus provides clear guidance on how to correct another believer who sins against you.

15 “If another believer[d] sins against you,[e] go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid[f] on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit[g] on earth will be permitted in heaven.

First and foremost we must recognize that Jesus is telling us to confront other believers who are sinning. He specifically identifies believers… we need to respond to non-believers in a different way to be effective in engaging them for Christ. We do conduct ourselves in a way that gathers attention to ourselves, but in a way that tries to show others the proper way to conduct themselves as a member of the church, which is to say a follower of Jesus. We are to start privately, then in a small group, and escalate from there.

Verses 17 and 18 indicate that Jesus gives some amount of authority or credibility to represent Him to those who are more mature in their relationship with God such as leaders amongst the believers in the church. Verse 18 is directed at the disciples specifically.

We must next recognize that Jesus is instructing us as a body of believers not to accept the sin of those who refuse to repent. If someone is sinning openly and unrepentantly, they are acting like and should be treated like pagans rather than believers.

Many today say this is too harsh and we need to be more inclusive and seek to avoid hurting people’s feelings about their sin. Their argument is with Jesus Christ himself. The scripture does not say we are to hurt or reject the sinners, but rather treat them as the unrepentant sinner they are… which is essentially similar to a pagan or corrupt person. We can still show love, but should not treat them the same way that we do genuine believers who seek and submit to God.

Why? Remember the context of the earlier verses in chapter 18. God is talking about leading His children into sin and temptation. When we as a church put man’s desire to be inclusive of those openly sinning against God above God’s desire to set apart the body of believers as holy we quite simply confuse people as to what it means to be a follower of Christ.  It gives the appearance that the unrepentant sin behavior is endorsed and accepted by the body of Christ. This leads to more and more people accepting and participating in the sin and then expands to include more and more sins. Eventually the body of people in the church looks like a direct reflection of the broader culture instead of reflecting God.

We can see clear evidence of this within the U.S.A. today. Many claim to be Christian, going to church on Sunday, but choose which of God’s instructions they will or will not follow. Often many end up directly contradicting God with their behavior and efforts to influence others. Consider examples such as people who identify as Christian but support killing unborn babies for convenience, people who accept homosexual behavior rather than helping others over come it, many gossip and are mean spirited toward others, others are driven by greed seeking money and possessions as their primary goal in life that drives their behavior, and so on.

It is not that all sinners should be separated from the church… there would be no one left because we are all sinners. The point Jesus is making focuses on unrepentant sinners who openly reject God’s teaching while claiming to be followers of God.

Let each of us seek God’s help to open our eyes to areas where we sin and are at risk of leading others astray when our behaviors and attitude do not match with God’s instruction. Further, pray God gives us each fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in our lives that can help us to identify these areas in ourselves as well. Lastly, pray that God would give you the courage and inspiration to help others by confronting them when they are sinning.

God wants us to help each other to live in righteousness as a holy people set aside to serve and honor our creator.

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Am I on the path?, Children, Consequences of Sin, Heaven and Hell, Humility, Righteousness / Serving God, Sin, Temptation/Tempting

Who Is The Greatest In The Kingdom Of Heaven?

Many of us in the world seek greatness. Often what is most telling is what is put forth as the standard against which to measure greatness. Jesus addresses this subject in Matthew 18:1-10.

18 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[a] is welcoming me. 6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. 8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.[b]

10 “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.

Where does greatness begin, according to Jesus?

  • Turn from our sin. To turn from our sin does not mean we live sinless lives… but it does mean we strive to. It is a journey away from our sin nature and toward God’s holy standard. We are not to accept and dwell in our sin.
  • Be humble, as a small child. If we are arrogant instead of humble we likely start to think we deserve heaven… we have earned it because we are better than others. We also start to treat others differently, and not in a good way. On the other hand, when we realize that we are not good enough and it is only through God’s grace that we are saved, then we become humble. When we are humble, we treat people, even sinners or those who disagree with us, with love and compassion and not with contempt.
  • Recognize how our actions and words can lift someone up and lead them to Christ or cause them to stumble. We are accountable to God for helping or stumbling others in their spiritual journey.
  • Those who tempt others to sin and reject God will be held accountable and it will be bad for them. Rather than tempt people to sin by rationalizing sinful behavior, always look for ways to encourage others in living in a way that honors and obeys God.
  • There is most certainly life after death and what we do in this life directly has consequences on our life after death.

Jesus’ definition of greatness is very different from the world. The world tempts us to define great as those who get fame, power, money while basically serving themselves. Jesus calls us to turn from sin, be humble, and be seek to help others in their journey to know God and live His way rather than tempt them to live however they want to live, rationalizing sin and ignoring or rejecting God in the process.

Take a few moments to reflect for yourself and your family:

  •  How do you measure up to this standard of greatness? What changes do you want to make personally?
  • Whose standard of greatness do you use to identify your role models and heroes? God’s standard or the world’s standard? Should you change who you consider role models?

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Humility, Peace / Rest, Revenge, Righteousness / Serving God

Bless Those Who Persecute You

Romans 12:14-21 provides guidance that is clearly contrary to worldly teaching and thought, but it is common for the ways of the righteous to be very different from those of the worldly.

14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge;
    I will pay them back,”[g]
    says the Lord.

20 Instead,

“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
    If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
    burning coals of shame on their heads.”[h]

21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

The opening verse is perhaps the most challenging.  To pray that God would bless your enemies is difficult to grasp. This does not mean that you pray for God to help you destroy you or for God to help them with their ungodly plans. Rather, pray that God would bless them by revealing Himself to them and showing them the path of righteousness and salvation. I have found it helpful in my life to consciously choose to respond this way in situations where my sin nature would rather curse someone and ask God to defeat them outright. Praying for them actually helps me get my mind and spirit right with God.

This scripture also calls for humility in understanding we do not have all the answers. We should not think more highly of ourselves than others. Seek to live in peace and harmony with others. Enjoy the company of “ordinary people”.

There is a strong directive to avoid seeking revenge. Revenge is not just an act, but a mind set in committing an act. It is not seeking true justice or to simply stop evil or to protect others but rather, filled with bitterness, revenge seeks to harm others rather than forgive.

We are then actually called to give food and water to our enemies in need. This shows God’s love for them, through us, and also has a side effect to “heap burning coals of shame on their head”. When the situation allows us to be gracious and show love for our enemies it can be powerful testimony for God.

It is worth noting, however, nowhere in this scripture does it say “let your enemies defeat you”. At times we do need to defend ourselves depending on the nature of the enemy and the urgency of the threat.  We should, however, seek to maintain an attitude of love for our enemies and pray for them.

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Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Family, Greed, Lying / Deceiving, Marriage, Parenting

God’s Blessing Passed to Jacob By Deception?

Genesis 27:1-45 can be difficult to fully understand when you first read it. We must wrestle with issues such as “Why does God allow Isaac’s blessing to go to Jacob through deception and trickery?”

To understand the context properly we should remember what we read in Genesis 25. Esau showed contempt for his rights as first born and traded them willingly to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Then in Genesis 26, Esau continues straying from God by marrying two Hittite wives. The Hittite people had detestable practices involved in their pagan worship. It would appear that Esau rejected God willingly and thus in that context it becomes easier to understand why God passed the blessing on to Jacob.

27 One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, “My son.”

“Yes, Father?” Esau replied.

2 “I am an old man now,” Isaac said, “and I don’t know when I may die. 3 Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. 4 Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die.”

5 But Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game, 6 she said to her son Jacob, “Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau, 7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’ 8 Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. 9 Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I’ll use them to prepare your father’s favorite dish. 10 Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies.”

11 “But look,” Jacob replied to Rebekah, “my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. 12 What if my father touches me? He’ll see that I’m trying to trick him, and then he’ll curse me instead of blessing me.”

13 But his mother replied, “Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats for me!”

14 So Jacob went out and got the young goats for his mother. Rebekah took them and prepared a delicious meal, just the way Isaac liked it. 15 Then she took Esau’s favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob. 16 She covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats. 17 Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread.

18 So Jacob took the food to his father. “My father?” he said.

“Yes, my son,” Isaac answered. “Who are you—Esau or Jacob?”

19 Jacob replied, “It’s Esau, your firstborn son. I’ve done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing.”

20 Isaac asked, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”

“The Lord your God put it in my path!” Jacob replied.

21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau.” 22 So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s,” Isaac said. 23 But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob. 24 “But are you really my son Esau?” he asked.

“Yes, I am,” Jacob replied.

25 Then Isaac said, “Now, my son, bring me the wild game. Let me eat it, and then I will give you my blessing.” So Jacob took the food to his father, and Isaac ate it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him. 26 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come a little closer and kiss me, my son.”

27 So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, “Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the Lord has blessed!

28 “From the dew of heaven
    and the richness of the earth,
may God always give you abundant harvests of grain
    and bountiful new wine.
29 May many nations become your servants,
    and may they bow down to you.
May you be the master over your brothers,
    and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
All who curse you will be cursed,
    and all who bless you will be blessed.”

30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and almost before Jacob had left his father, Esau returned from his hunt. 31 Esau prepared a delicious meal and brought it to his father. Then he said, “Sit up, my father, and eat my wild game so you can give me your blessing.”

32 But Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”

Esau replied, “It’s your son, your firstborn son, Esau.”

33 Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably and said, “Then who just served me wild game? I have already eaten it, and I blessed him just before you came. And yes, that blessing must stand!”

34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a loud and bitter cry. “Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!” he begged.

35 But Isaac said, “Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has taken away your blessing.”

36 Esau exclaimed, “No wonder his name is Jacob, for now he has cheated me twice.[a] First he took my rights as the firstborn, and now he has stolen my blessing. Oh, haven’t you saved even one blessing for me?”

37 Isaac said to Esau, “I have made Jacob your master and have declared that all his brothers will be his servants. I have guaranteed him an abundance of grain and wine—what is left for me to give you, my son?”

38 Esau pleaded, “But do you have only one blessing? Oh my father, bless me, too!” Then Esau broke down and wept.

39 Finally, his father, Isaac, said to him,

“You will live away from the richness of the earth,
    and away from the dew of the heaven above.
40 You will live by your sword,
    and you will serve your brother.
But when you decide to break free,
    you will shake his yoke from your neck.”

41 From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.”

42 But Rebekah heard about Esau’s plans. So she sent for Jacob and told him, “Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. 43 So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran. 44 Stay there with him until your brother cools off. 45 When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

Several key points in this scripture:

  • Isaac and Rebekah had created a troubled family environment where each had a favorite rather than all working together. This approach had negative consequences.
  • Esau appears to have rejected God before losing his blessing to Jacob. Jacob does not get the blessing by “fooling God”.
  • Esau does not take responsibility for giving away his birthright but rather blames Jacob. Without accepting responsibility there can be no repentance.  In fact, Esau plots to kill Jacob.
  • Jacob receives God’s blessing, but still has to accept the consequences for his actions including breaking apart his own family to the point where his brother wants to kill him.
  • All involved in the scripture put great importance in the blessing of Isaac for His son.

As we will see tomorrow as we continue Genesis 27, the family is broken apart by this deception and infighting and Jacob leaves.

Each of us should focus on creating a loving family environment where siblings are not singled out by parents as favorites but rather all work together to serve God and the family. Respect and celebrate differences as we celebrate the body of Christ. Yes our children are different. Praise God! Each has different gifts and abilities and we can complement each other to create a family that is greater than the sum of the individuals.

Receiving blessing from God is important. Seek that humbly in prayer and submission of our will to God’s will.

Do not be emboldened to choose deception because it appears to work in Jacob’s favor to get the blessing in this scripture. God allowed the blessing of Isaac to go to Jacob.  God was not fooled. There are also consequences Jacob must face, starting with leaving his family and then in Genesis 29 Jacob is deceived by Laban in a significant manner that seems just given Jacob’s deception.

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Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Righteousness / Serving God

Faith Is The Confidence That What We Hope For Will Happen

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Hebrews 11 provides a wonderful summary of great examples of faith in God and faith that what He tells us is trustworthy and true. Faith in God should not be confused or misrepresented as a “blind faith”, but rather faith supported by the overwhelming evidence around us… in creation itself… in the authenticity and timeless relevance of the Bible… in the study of historical events including the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

11 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

4 It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.”[a] For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

7 It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

11 It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed[b] that God would keep his promise. 12 And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.”[c] 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

20 It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.

21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

22 It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.

23 It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.

24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. 28 It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.

29 It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.

30 It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.

31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women received their loved ones back again from death.

But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half,[d] and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

Verse 3 highlights that by faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.  The more we learn about the universe them more it provides evidence for its creation by God. 

Based on observable evidence, credible  scientists virtually all agree that the universe had a beginning. It is not eternal. Basic laws and logic which are foundational to all science require that the law of causality is true. Said more simply, all “effects” must have a “cause”. Everything that has a beginning is an effect that requires a cause. Additionally, something that does not exist can not create itself. Thus we see fundamental laws of logic and science require a supernatural cause (in this case God as creator) that created the universe. Evidence leads to God.

Many argue against God because they can not “see” Him. I can not see gravity, but I recognize and accept it is real based on the evidence. When I look my car, I can not see the person who invented the first car or the person who designed or built my car… but I know from the evidence that someone designed and built my car.

Others argue that God is not real because they do not understand His reasoning for aspects of creation (e.g. “Why is there suffering?). I do not understand aerodynamics but I can not deny that evidence supports that planes fly.

We are not asked to have blind faith… but rather faith based in evidence… faith in God as revealed through scripture and the life of Jesus Christ and through creation itself. When we live our lives filled with faith in God we are able to submit to and serve Him even when we do not understand all the details. In many cases, we will not even see the end result of our faith… like ripples on a pond that go far out of our limited sight. But we can trust that God uses our faith to His glory!

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