Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Obeying God, Share the Good News

God Blesses Those Who Do Not Turn Away Because of Jesus

After preparing and sending His twelve disciples to share the good news of the gospel, Jesus also went to teach and preach in towns throughout the region. In Matthew 11:1-19 Jesus addresses some of his critics, speaks about John the Baptist, and reminds us that the prophets and law of Moses all looked forward to the coming of Jesus Christ.

11 When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region.

2 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 3 “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting,[a] or should we keep looking for someone else?”

4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— 5 the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. 6 And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.[b]’”

7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? 8 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces. 9 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 10 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,

‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
    and he will prepare your way before you.’[c]

11 “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! 12 And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing,[d] and violent people are attacking it. 13 For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. 14 And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come.[e] 15 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

16 “To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,

17 ‘We played wedding songs,
    and you didn’t dance,
so we played funeral songs,
    and you didn’t mourn.’

18 For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man,[f] on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”

I am truly impressed by John the Baptist. He spoke out openly for God to common people and leaders alike. He did not fear retribution, or if he did, he feared and trusted God more.  Even after he is thrown in jail, he refuses to stop speaking the truth. And from jail, when he hears about Jesus’ ministry… he does not send his disciples to ask for personal help to get him out of jail but rather he is still seeking to know the Messiah.  John was focused on God instead of his own life and personal circumstances.

Jesus reminds us that all of the Old Testament is a very important part of our Christian faith when He teaches that the law of Moses and prophets were looking forward to the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  We should be careful to heed this and not overlook the importance of continuing to study and learn the Old Testament along with the new. It has much to reveal about God and how He relates to His people and God’s plan for salvation through Jesus.

Once again we see the healing power of Jesus Christ recorded here. John’s disciples and others who were following Jesus were witness to the healing of the blind, the lame, the deaf, lepers, and even the dead raised. Powerful miracles, with many witnesses… yet still “violent people are attacking” the kingdom of heaven as Jesus teaches the people. Many people refuse to see the truth.

Instead of recognizing Jesus as Messiah, by the evidence He provided across many miracles and instances of healing… we see that there is such pressure to reject Jesus that He even comments specifically that God blesses those who do not turn away because of Him.

Jesus then points out the foolishness of those who speak against Him and John the Baptist… like children complaining. They are inconsistent and basically say anything to persuade people to agree with them.

“John is a demon because he does not eat and drink like us.”

“Jesus is a drunkard and glutton because he feasts and drinks.” 

 Wisdom is indeed shown to be right by its results and Jesus demonstrated many miracles and signs with many witnesses and much was documented. The Bible can be trusted.

Let us heed the words of Jesus… ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’ [Matthew 11:6]

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Character of God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Sin

No Condemnation For Those Who Belong To Christ Jesus

Many in the world and in the body of Christ focus on God’s love and then use that as an excuse to remain in sin and choose not to repent.

“I was born this way. Since God is love, He would not make me to  be drawn to drunkenness or homosexual behavior or adultery or unrighteous anger or gossip or lying (and so on…)  and then judge me for it.”

This line of reasoning is a rationalization (a.k.a. excuse) to remain in sin. One could use this misguided rationalization to excuse any sin. That is not consistent with God’s call for us to turn from our sin, repent and seek Him wholeheartedly.

We are all born inherently sinful and must ultimately make a choice as to whether we will embrace and accept “our sin” or reject it and work to overcome it through Jesus Christ. Some are drawn more to one sin vs. another, but all sin is offensive to God.

Love is one important aspect of God’s character. His character also includes righteousness, holiness, and justice.  God is holy and righteous and calls us to be the same. There is a necessary judgment for our sin as we fall short of God’s perfect standard. But because God loves us so much, He came in the person of Jesus Christ, lived a perfect life both fully man and fully God, and then died on the cross for our sin.

All we have to do now is accept His grace, His offer of salvation… by accepting Jesus Christ as lord and savior. When we truly do this, our lives change and we become more like Him and less like the world. We turn away from our sin and change our behaviors and thoughts.

[Romans 8:1] So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

[2 Peter 3:8-10] 8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

God has given us, as followers of Jesus Christ, the task of reconciling people to Him and sharing the good news of the gospel.

[2 Corinthians 5:18-21] 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[e] so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

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Can I Trust the Bible?, Consequences of Sin, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Salvation

The Resurrection Was Real

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is foundational to the Christian faith. Jesus took our punishment for our sins upon Himself and suffered the penalty… death. We need only accept Him as Lord and ask forgiveness. When we genuinely accept Him as Lord and ask Him into our lives we change our behaviors and repent from our sins, not immediately and perfectly but repeatedly and consistently as on a long journey, always seeking to move closer to His perfect standard.

John 3:16-21

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave[g] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.[h]”

What a gracious and wonderful God we serve in Jesus Christ.

Despite the fact that the death and resurrection of Christ had many witnesses, and was well documented in and outside of the Bible, people make up many excuses to try to explain away “the empty tomb”.

I can simplify with a few key points:

  • Jesus was easily recognizable. Crowds of people lined up outside Jerusalem to meet Him and watch Him enter the city a week before He was executed. The people of the city knew who He was and what He looked like.
  • Jesus was brutally beaten and tortured to great physical harm and then publically executed where all could see. Again this was a big public event, crowds gathered and saw Him before and during the crucifixion. It lasted hours.
  • After Jesus’ body was buried in a tomb, Roman soldiers were put on guard. Roman soldiers were well trained and effective troops. The guard was ordered by Pilate himself and thus the guards would have taken the job seriously.
  • The tomb was undeniably found empty. Even the great majority of educated skeptics who have studied historical records cannot deny the empty tomb. To deny Christ, they have to make up wild theories to explain it.
  • Jesus was witnessed by many after He rose from the dead. He moved about freely, not limited by any injury from those that caused His death. He remained among His disciples and followers for 40 days giving many proofs that He was alive.
  • His true followers (excluding Judas, who betrayed Him) went to their deaths (or in John’s case, exile to small island) without ever denying the truth of Jesus Christ as Lord and God. The men closest to Jesus and the events surrounding His death and resurrection were willing to suffer and die for Him when simply denying Him in words would have saved their lives.  They were convinced. They profited nothing in the eyes of the world for staying true to Jesus Christ and gave up all.

I recommend The Third Day, by Hank Hanegraaff as a thorough, easily digestible, and even short book (less than 100 pages and the pages are small) to read to help put in perspective the reality of the resurrection and the foolishness of the myths and lies that people make up to reject it. (This is strictly a personal recommendation as I found this book helpful for me.)

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Character of God, Grace / Forgiveness, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Protector / Deliverer, Righteousness / Serving God

Abimelech Takes Sarah From Abraham

We continue our journey with Abraham in Genesis 20, after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham repeats the mistake he made previously in Egypt which resulted in his wife being taken by Pharaoh. God intervenes again this second time when Sarah is taken. What grace that our God would intervene on our behalf even when we make the same big mistake twice.

20 Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar. While living there as a foreigner, 2 Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.

3 But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”

4 But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 5 Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’ I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean.”

6 In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent. That’s why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”

8 Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were terrified. 9 Then Abimelech called for Abraham. “What have you done to us?” he demanded. “What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done! 10 Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?”

11 Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.’ 12 And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her. 13 When God called me to leave my father’s home and to travel from place to place, I told her, ‘Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.’”

14 Then Abimelech took some of his sheep and goats, cattle, and male and female servants, and he presented them to Abraham. He also returned his wife, Sarah, to him. 15 Then Abimelech said, “Look over my land and choose any place where you would like to live.” 16 And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your ‘brother’ 1,000 pieces of silver[a] in the presence of all these witnesses. This is to compensate you for any wrong I may have done to you. This will settle any claim against me, and your reputation is cleared.”

17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children. 18 For the Lord had caused all the women to be infertile because of what happened with Abraham’s wife, Sarah.

Clearly God shows grace to Abraham and to Sarah after they repeat their earlier mistake of misrepresenting their relationship as a means of protection instead of trusting God. God then even uses the situation to bless them in both money and land. God knew Abraham genuinely wanted to follow and serve Him, but had made a mistake.

There is another point that is significant to note. It is reasonable to conclude that Abimelech did not know and serve God based on Abraham’s description of the area as ungodly. Never the less, God communicated directly with Abimelech to accomplish His will. Even non believers can hear from God when God wants them to.

It is also worth observing that there are serious consequences for not obeying God, even for someone who may not know Him well or serve Him. Abimelech chose wisely and obeyed, likely out of fear.

If God presents serious consequences for disobedience of those who do not know Him, then we can expect He holds even higher accountability for those who know Him and still refuse to obey His instructions? This does not mean we have to be perfect or without mistake. God shows us how He has grace for Abraham.  But we are expected to seek Him wholeheartedly and that should be reflected clearly in our lives.

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Am I on the path?, Hearing from God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Share the Good News

Jesus’ Instructions For Sharing the Good News

Matthew 10 contains important insight from Jesus to those of us  who commit to serve Him and take the message of the gospel to the world.  The instructions are as relevant to us now as they were to Jesus’ disciples 2000 years ago.

There is a lot of crucial guidance in Matthew 10, and I have summarized key points at the end so this devotional is rather long. I encourage you to read it through.

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil[a] spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. 2 Here are the names of the twelve apostles:

first, Simon (also called Peter),
then Andrew (Peter’s brother),
James (son of Zebedee),
John (James’s brother),
3 Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew (the tax collector),
James (son of Alphaeus),
Thaddaeus,[b]
4 Simon (the zealot[c]),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

5 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, 6 but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. 7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.[d] 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

9 “Don’t take any money in your money belts—no gold, silver, or even copper coins. 10 Don’t carry a traveler’s bag with a change of clothes and sandals or even a walking stick. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve to be fed.

11 “Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town. 12 When you enter the home, give it your blessing. 13 If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. 14 If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave. 15 I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than such a town on the judgment day.

16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. 17 But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. 18 You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.[e] 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 “A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. 22 And all nations will hate you because you are my followers.[f] But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man[g] will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.

24 “Students[h] are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. 25 Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons,[i] the members of my household will be called by even worse names!

26 “But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. 27 What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!

28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[j] 29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin[k]? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

35 ‘I have come to set a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36     Your enemies will be right in your own household!’[l]

37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

40 “Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. 41 If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God,[m] you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. 42 And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

Trying to break down some of the key points:

  • Jesus wants His followers to openly and boldly bring the good news of the gospel to others, even though many will reject it.
  • Jesus called the twelve specific individuals and gave them authority for healing and casting out spirits. Not all of us will be given this special authority, or share the same task… in this case going out on the road to share the gospel with others. However, we all are called to share the gospel with others.
  • Jesus sent his disciples first to God’s lost sheep rather than going to those that never knew Him. God later sent others to bring the word to the gentiles. God loves all but sometimes may send us to a specific group at a specific time. This can help us have needed direction to be effective in operating in God’s plan.
  • Jesus instructed the disciples to go without extra money or supplies, but instead rely on hospitality. This guidance certainly focuses the disciples on trusting and following God rather than their possessions. Jesus is reassuring them that God is with them and will provide what is needed to complete the mission.
  • Once you bring the message of Jesus Christ to someone, if they reject it you are to shake the dust from your feet and move on. This was a symbolic way to show separation from those who reject Jesus Christ. We must not linger with those who reject His message for we will run out of time and fail to bring the good news to others who may receive it.
  • You may endure much suffering when you bring the news of Jesus Christ. Expect it. Jesus assures us He will be with us. Sometimes the suffering will create unique opportunities to share the gospel with others.
  • Many people, even family will persecute you for passionately following Christ and bringing His message in full truth. [Even those who say they follow God, but do not live according to His word. They often do not want to change and thus reject those who show them the truth that they should change.]
  • Sometimes it will be necessary to flee a bad situation. That is an opportunity to bring the message of the gospel to another group of people somewhere else.
  • Those who claimed to serve God, religious leaders, called Jesus prince of demons. Expect many to call you names and reject you… even those in the church.
  • Jesus tells us not to be afraid of those who can only kill our body, but of God who holds our eternity in His hand. What God whispers in our ear, He wants us to shout to others!
  • Those who refuse to acknowledge Jesus here on earth, despite persecution… He will not recognize before God the Father.
  • A common misunderstanding is refuted clearly. Jesus tells us He did not come to bring peace. People are peaceful when everyone is comfortable in their sin and leave others to their sin.  Jesus came to bring conflict. He wants us to stand up and clearly be different from the world and confront others with truth and the need for them to change and repent from sin. When we honor God with our lives instead of just blending in quietly, it creates conflict because people prefer to remain comfortable in their sin.
  • Jesus must be first in our lives. He must come before our own desires and before our loved ones. When we put Jesus first, everything else that should be in our lives will be placed in the right priority by following God’s instruction.
  • Jesus wants us to help His followers. We are to receive righteous people for being righteous. Even giving a cup of cold water to “the least of my [Jesus’] followers” will be rewarded.

This passage in scripture requires time to reflect and re-read to fully digest. Please take the time to apply it to your life and be encouraged that Jesus will be with us as we share the truth of the gospel with others!

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Character of God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Praise / Worship / Glorify God

Forgiveness Comes From God Through Jesus Christ

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God is righteous and holy. We fall short of His perfect standard. God is also just, meaning that we must pay the price for our sin. The cost of sin is death.  However, God in His grace has made a way for us to forgive others and to be forgiven by Him. God alone can blot out our sins. Our good works and our best efforts are not good enough.

[Isaiah 43:25] “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.

[Matthew 6:14-15] 14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

[1 John 1:5-10] 5 This is the message we heard from Jesus[c] and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

What a gracious and wonderful God we have! We need only confess our sins to God, genuinely turn away from sin in repentance, forgive others as we would ask God to forgive us,  accept Jesus as our lord and savior, and seek Him wholeheartedly and God forgives our sins.

I am glad to depend on God for everything! Always be cautious of depending on anyone other than God… whether that is a government or yourself. Only God can we trust to always be there for us and never fail us. Praise God! He truly is king of kings and lord of lords. He rules over all.

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Archaeology

Archaeology Demonstrates Biblical Accuracy – Steles and Stones

All too often Christians are unaware of the archaeological evidence (outside the scriptures themselves) that provide evidence the Bible is true. Please click through to read about a few monuments that have been recovered and their significance, or search them yourself from a search engine.

It seems those who are absolutely set to deny Christianity will always identify some reason not to accept the Bible or Jesus. When we find evidence that shows them wrong, they make up another reason to reject it. No surprise really. Many rejected Jesus even when He came in the flesh that they could see and hear and touch.

For those of us who come with open mind to truly evaluate the evidence… it leads us to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior… as God Himself in the flesh. What a gracious God we serve to leave so many different pieces of evidence for us to continue finding both in scripture and in archaeology.

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Children, Consequences of Sin, Family, Hearing from God, Obeying God, Parenting

Seek God for Decisions in Your Life

Genesis 19:30-38 shows us a dramatic example of the foolishness of people when we try to solve our problems without God and without even working together as a family.

30 Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. 31 One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. 32 Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”

33 So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.

34 The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.

36 As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. 37 When the older daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Moab.[b] He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Moabites. 38 When the younger daughter gave birth to a son, she named him Ben-ammi.[c] He became the ancestor of the nation now known as the Ammonites.

Once again we gain insight into Lot and how poorly he led his family to know God and to follow God. They were likely influenced by their time in Sodom and a lack of strong godly leadership from their father.

Lot’s daughters identified a problem that was of great concern to them. They decided it was better to try to solve it on their own than to seek God or even discuss it with their father. They end up with a foolish solution. They still have a lack of men for more children or a community in which to raise their children.  The Moabites and Ammonites as a culture continued the way they were started… far from God. They later become a thorn in the side for Israel at times.

It seems obvious that Lot’s daughters did not know how to relate to God. They did not seek His help and instruction when confronting a big issue in their lives. Further, they did not even approach their father to discuss it. Granted, Lot did not have a strong track record for godly decision making… but perhaps he could have sought out Abraham if confronted by this situation.

Of course, one could also ask why Lot was not paying enough attention to his daughters to notice their concern and ask about it. There is not much detail provided, but it seems the family was far from God and did not have good communication within the family to work together to solve problems.

Although this type of incestuous relationship is not common, the world is full of young women and men making foolish choices about sex outside marriage, about adultery after marriage, about marrying the wrong person because they are in a hurry. Some feel a “biological clock ticking” and feel pressure to hurry and marry and have children. They move quickly and marry the wrong person. Some just do not understand what real love is and respond to hormones that may lead them to feel “attracted” to someone. That is not love. Love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7.

It is important to raise children to know and serve God and to seek Him in these situations. Further, it is important to lead your children in such a way that they can approach you about these personal issues and discuss them so you can help as a parent. Don’t wait until they are teenagers, start when they are very young.  Encourage them to make decisions based on God’s word, prayer, and consulting their parents. Respect their concerns and issues at an early age and give them the opportunity to discuss anything with you as their parent. Teach them you are a resource to help them.

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Demons, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Miracles, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Satan

Some Will Always Find a Reason Not to Accept Jesus

In Matthew 9:27-34 we continue to walk with Jesus through His earthly ministry. We experience once again the joy he can bring when we come to Him in faith and ask for healing.

27 After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

28 They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see?”

“Yes, Lord,” they told him, “we do.”

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.” 30 Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, “Don’t tell anyone about this.” 31 But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region.

32 When they left, a demon-possessed man who couldn’t speak was brought to Jesus. 33 So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. “Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!” they exclaimed.

34 But the Pharisees said, “He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons.”

Jesus demonstrates the ability to heal the blind and cast out demons. Those who have eyes to see… see Him for who He really is… God. They cannot contain their thankfulness and praise for God once healed. For those who have already decided to reject Him and do not consider the evidence before them openly… they find a way to convince themselves Jesus is not God.

The Pharisees even rationalized in this case that Jesus cast out demons because He was empowered by the prince of demons. How ridiculous! If He were serving Satan, than why would He cast out demons who also serve Satan. The Pharisees acknowledged that Jesus was casting out demons and still found a way to reject Him!

As followers of Jesus Christ, we should give thanks and praise for what He has already done for us… dying on the cross for our sins, so we can be forgiven and through grace be saved. He will not always provide physical healing in this world, even for His followers. But we must trust Him and praise Him when He does an even when He does not.

For those who do not yet follow Jesus or are unsure… cast aside the biased opinion of the world that God does not exist or the foolish assertion by other religions that Jesus really did everything the Bible says… but is not who He said He is… God. Look instead for the evidence around you… in creation and in the Biblical text and the long line of evidence in archaeology. Evaluate the evidence with an open mind and put some energy and time into it. Your eternal salvation (or damnation) and that of those you influence is at stake.

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Envy / Jealousy / Coveting

Wherever There Is Jealousy You Will Find Evil

God warns us repeatedly about the trap or temptation of  jealousy. Our sinful nature has a tendency to look to others and want what they have. It leads to disorder and evil.

[James 3:16] 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

[Luke 12:13-15] 13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” 14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

[Philippians 4:12-13] 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ,[a] who gives me strength.

There is always someone who has something else we may want… we will never be satisfied by looking at what others have. Instead, we are to look to Jesus Christ for our joy and fulfillment. Through Christ we can endure times of plenty and times of want.

There is nothing more rewarding than a rich and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our lord and savior.

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