Tag: bible-study

watch out for those who would cause divisions, create needless obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; turn away, avoid them. Romans 16:17-18

Romans 16:17-18 New American Standard Bible 1995

17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and  [a]hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own [b]appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Apostle Paul became increasingly aware that after his departure, the enemy would not only seek to divide the Church through false teachers and demonic doctrines, but would also use clever words, internal dissentions and disunity to cause chaos, havoc and distress among Christians and divide the Body of Christ.

As he brings his long, instructive Roman epistle to a close, the one message Paul was prompted to leave with these dear people was about discord among the saints: “Keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned,” he warned, “and turn away from them.”

His final comments to the brethren in Rome concerned the gravest dangers of internal conflict and contention. Wrangling and verbal strife among Christian brethren and internal bickering is at great variance to the gospel of grace and ultimately seeks to create great “who is right?” destroy the unity of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:10-13 New American Standard Bible 1995

10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all [a]agree and that there be no [b]divisions among you, but that you be [c]made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 [d]Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized [e]in the name of Paul?

In his final comments, Paul greeted twenty-six people in the Roman Church by name. Was he implying that some of them just might be contentious or was he warning them to watch for others who might cause disunity among the saints?

In either case, Paul knew the great damage caused when conflict and strife from conflicted interpretations of Torah, allowed to permeate the Christian Church.

False teachers and destructive doctrines infiltrating the Body of Christ was the biggest danger about which all the apostles warned in their letters, and in Acts 20, we read that Paul knew that vicious wolves would soon come smiling into the Church, twisting the truth, and scatter the flock of God after his death. But during his lifetime, we see Paul addressing internal strife among Christians.

Conflict, division, between believers was a deep concern that Paul challenged unrelentingly in a number of his epistles, because once murmuring, bickering, squabbling, and disunity, is allowed to percolate, the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace is crumbled, destroyed, and contrary to the teaching of the Word.

Misinformed, badly educated by teachers who are themselves badly taught, upside down biological teachings in scholastic institutions at all levels, young children. False teachers and heretical doctrines have become an increasingly serious problem in church communities and Christian fellowships today, but too often they are conceived by those who desire to cause division and disunity.

We should be alert and ready to know what the truth of the Gospel teaches and be knowledgeable of correct interpretations, sound accurate contextual biblical applications, studying to show ourselves approved of God, willing to turn away, correcting them, from who have this destructive spirit of division and discord.

Drifting away from biblical truth into apostasy or the deliberate infiltration of heretical teachings are a serious problem in any Christian fellowship, but let us never forget that they are often spawned from internal disagreements, division, and disunity, and should be dealt with before the witness of Christ is tarnished.

The enemy of God is the same evil one that comes to steal our peace, kill our hope, accuse the saints, and destroy our testimony.

He not only comes as a roaring lion but also as an angel of light.

With this in mind, just as individual members of the Church in Rome were exhorted to diligently identify those who caused division within their own congregation and turn away from them, we too should be prepared to address such disunity within our own churches and quickly deal with those that cause worldly dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching of God’s Word.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned, Keep away from them. – Romans 16:17

Africa’s Victoria Falls produces a cloud of mist that is often heavy enough to impair visibility.

Once a man was walking the path that skirts the giant gorge, and he noticed a sign on the rim but could not fully make it out. Not wanting to miss whatever it might be noting, he slithered and slid and slipped, slogged his way through the mud out to the very brink only to read the message:

“Danger! Your standing on the very edge of a slippery, Crumbling Edge.”

As Christians, it can sometimes be easy to unwittingly miss the danger you’re in until you’ve gone too far.

This is especially true when it comes to right and wrong ideas of God.

You flip through the channels on TV at night and come across a preacher whose message sounds great at the beginning.

But when you really understand the kind of gospel he’s preaching, you realize it may be very different from what the Bible teaches.

Sadly, many once-faithful followers of Christ have built their house on this misty mud covered “crumbling edge” of mistaken misinformed faith, and their whole spiritual life is one fatal step away, fallen out from under them because they forgot to stand on the correctly educated e high ground of biblical truth.

So if you find yourself tempted to walk out into the heavy mist of dangerous doctrine where things may not seem as they should, watch out for the warning signs! Stay grounded in the truth of Scripture. Stay engaged with self and group Bible Study. Recognize when what’s being taught is not what the Bible teaches.

When you take the time to do that, you can be sure you’ll build your faith on the dry, solid rock of good doctrine and not on the crumbling edge of bad theology.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 25 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 25

A Psalm of David.

1 Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed,
let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed:
let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me:
for thou art the God of my salvation;
on thee do I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses;
for they have been ever of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions:
according to thy mercy remember thou me
for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord.

8 Good and upright is the Lord:
therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
9 The meek will he guide in judgment:
and the meek will he teach his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth
unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity;
for it is great.
12 What man is he that feareth the Lord?
him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
13 His soul shall dwell at ease;
and his seed shall inherit the earth.
14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him;
and he will shew them his covenant.
15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord;
for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me;
for I am desolate and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged:
O bring thou me out of my distresses.
18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain;
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many;
and they hate me with cruel hatred.
20 O keep my soul, and deliver me:
let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me;
for I wait on thee.

22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

“What is the supposed plan here?” from the viewpoint of all those 5000 gathering, what are we be pondering, our viewpoint, thoughts, theirs, our 2024 expectations? Matthew 14:13-18

Matthew 14:13-18 Complete Jewish Bible

13 On hearing about this, Yeshua left in a boat to be by himself in the wilderness. But the people learned of it and followed him from the towns by land. 14 So when he came ashore, he saw a huge crowd; and, filled with compassion for them, he healed those of them who were sick.

15 As evening approached, the talmidim came to him and said, “This is a remote place and it’s getting late. Send the crowds away, so that they can go and buy food for themselves in the villages.” 16 But Yeshua replied, “They don’t need to go away. Give them something to eat, yourselves!” 17 “All we have with us,” they said, “is five loaves of bread and two fish.” 18 He said, “Bring them here to me.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

This story about Jesus feeding more than 5,000 people is usually told from the viewpoint of the disciples.

I see Jesus – this whole story revolves around his actions.

I see the twelve disciples.

I see the enormous expanse of curious people coming from all directions.

I sit here in my dining room writing this devotion, from a viewpoint focused squarely on what I know what Jesus is about to do – his healing of the sick and the disabled, his challenging his disciples to come up with a plan that will feed all those who have come right there in that moment – not sending them home.

I look at the wonderment coming from the confused minds of his 12 disciples at the enormous task that their Rabbi just handed over to them with that obvious expectation they will arrive at a workable doable solution and feed everyone.

I can see them scratching their collective heads, waving their collective arms all over the place, pushing, chattering and shouting and screaming at each other.

I can see Peter struggling to use some semblance of authority trying to gain some sense of control and give order – but the huge scope of the mission is not allowing for any fruitful results – and the longer that it goes on, the greater the chaos to fulfill their Rabbi’s command. From my 2024 eyes – I am bewildered.

I wonder what it was like to be those panicked disciples, a person in the crowd?

I would have loved to been that fly buzzing around from shoulder to shoulder trying to listen to their confused and chaotic efforts, a fly on Rabbi Jesus hands.

I can imagine walking around, or observe myself flying around surrounded by those thousands of people—men, women, children of all shapes, sizes, ages.

Everyone is trying to find their places to sit and keep their families together.

You would probably see oblivious young children rollicking, running around in play as their parents are desperately trying to corral them along the shoreline.

And seniors slowly shuffling to find a place close enough to Jesus so they could hear him speak.

It was probably an example of what people have called “organized chaos.” Even Jesus’ disciples didn’t know what to do with the hungry followers (vv. 15-17).

What was it like to observe the calm and measured face of Jesus in the midst of such a hectic scene? How did Jesus know he could actually feed all those hungry, exuberant newly healed people with just “five loaves of bread and two fish”?

Jesus always knew he could and would feed the healed, starving crowd because he was and is the compassionate Son of God, who not only provided the bread and fish but too created the earth, established everything in it, from the waters where the fish lived to the land which provided the grain used to bake bread.

Knowing the power of the Creator gave Jesus the opportunity to invite others to know him too. But in this moment, what was it that the twelve disciples knew of their Rabbi, could wrap their finite intellect around and the crowd of thousands, how much did they know, even care aside from the healings which stirred their “what is next” curiosity, did they come to expect a miracle or just full bellies?

What will happen to us if we are generous? We never run out of things to give be it money, goods, intellect or anything that we are generous of giving. Everything flows back in return a hundredfold.  Why is this so? The reason behind is, the moment we give; we don’t only give to the person who needs it we also give to Jesus. And Jesus whom we can never outdo in generosity gives back to us many times over what we give Him.

The crowd in the gospel who were following Jesus had nothing more left in them, they were hungry. And Jesus saw this that’s why He graciously did the miracle of loaves and fish. With five loaves and two fish He feed the nearly five thousand people not including women and children. After all of them had eaten from this miraculous abundance, they had an excess of twelve wicker baskets.

The simple message of the gospel for us from this text is we must be generous and thankful at all times. This is for the reason that God will never run out of anything to give and the more that he give the more that we would give also. God has no limits or boundaries on what He will provide, responding to us all.

As we witness Jesus being compassionate, merciful and generous to the utmost especially to the poor so we must be also make our own sacrifice of self. Let us not worry if our pockets will hurt from our being merciful and generous. For Jesus will always see to it we’ll be filled, motivated with anything that we need, observe with compassionate eyes, act with healing hands, not minding chaos. 

Having observed the twelve, the crowds, what are our 224 collective responses?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

View Post

Psalm 23 King James Version

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

The Bible says…“IF we will devote Ourselves to Prayer AND unto the high Ministry of the Word of God.” Proverbs 2:1-5 

Proverbs 2:1-5 Complete Jewish Bible

2 My son, if you will receive my words
and store my commands inside you,
2 paying attention to wisdom
inclining your mind toward understanding —
3 yes, if you will call for insight
and raise your voice for discernment,
4 if you seek it as you would silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure —
5 then you will understand the fear of Adonai
and find knowledge of God.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

There is a Whole Lot of “If’s” Going on Here …

If you will call out for insight …

If you will cry aloud for understanding …

If you will look for it as for silver …

and if you will search for it as for hidden treasure …

and if then you will understand the fear of the Lord …  

and if then you authentically desire to find the knowledge of God …

“if We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word…”

if We can never discover the depths of Scripture’s insights into life without first accepting it as true and authoritative, why then did God speak it to us?

If we do not, will not, accept the Word of God as true and as authoritative …

And if several hundred years later the Lord God continues to admonish us with these words of Apostle Paul to his protégé’ Timothy …

1 Timothy 4:11-14 The Message

11-14 Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, and teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.

Ask yourself, pray to the Holy Spirit … Is my soul being strangely ignited? Can my Soul be strangely ignited? Will my soul be ever become strangely ignited?

So, Let the Truth be Told … So, Let God be Revealed

We can never discover the depths of Scripture’s insights into life without first accepting it as true and authoritative.

We must first believe Scripture before we can understand it.

As long as we keep asking, Should this passage be here? Is it genuine? Is it a legend? Is it nothing but a fairy tale? If this is our constant approach, then we can never get around to asking, What does this say to me? What does it mean to me? Where is the wisdom hidden in this that I need so desperately in my life? 

Those students and pseudo-scholars who feel they are a final authority on what ought to be here and what ought not to be here, never seem to be able to get around to understanding what is written. They never seem able to say anything or teach anything about the wondrous depths of the Scriptures, for they exclude themselves from minimal understanding by their attitude of judgment over it.

You cannot understand nuclear physics unless you first believe the underlying axioms that have to do with this realm of human knowledge. You cannot hope to understand chemistry unless you are willing to accept certain of the chemical formulas that have been proposed. You cannot believe anything until you accept it as genuine and put it to the test of experience, and this is true of God’s Word.

I remember Reverend Dr. Billy Graham saying that as a young man there came into his life a time and a season of doubt as to the authority of the Scriptures.

There came questions as to whether the text as we have it could be trusted, whether this was the Word of God or merely the ideas of men about Jesus.

He was troubled by the questions that occur all too frequently in these days.

He went away by himself up into the mountains, taking his Bible with him, and there began to read it, and read it, and read it.

He eventually came at last to the place where he said to God, I have seen enough of the transforming ability of this Word to know that you alone are behind it. I know, Lord, there are too many questions, many areas that I do not understand about this book, and I will take it by faith that it is your Word and believe it and preach it as your Word and trust that you will make clear to me what it means. 

It was from this time that Billy Graham’s worldwide ministry of evangelism began. You well know that his favorite expression is, The Bible says. He does not debate it with anyone; he does not question it; he simply, diligently, declares it.

Devoted Ourselves to Prayer and the Word of God

Acts 6:1-6 The Message

The Word of God Prospered

6 1-4 During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers—“Hellenists”—toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines. So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, “It wouldn’t be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor. So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we’ll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.”

5-6 The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose—

Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,

Philip,

Procorus,

Nicanor,

Timon,

Parmenas,

Nicolas, a convert from Antioch.

Then they presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task.

While the Spirit-filled events of Pentecost and the resulting ministry were extraordinary, the apostles, their followers did not begin saying afterward,  Well, now the Spirit of God teaches me; therefore, I don’t need to listen to anybody else. 

Instead, when filled with the Holy Spirit, they were all ears for the authoritative preaching and teaching of God’s word.

This teaches us an important lesson: the Spirit of God always leads the people of God to devote themselves to the word of God.

This is why the book of Acts is full of the centrality of preaching.

The apostles ultimately recognized that God’s supreme instrument for the renewing His people in the image of His Son was and is through His word and their diligent reading and diligent study of it, as His Spirit works through it.

Here in Acts 6 we see an example of the priority and protection the apostles gave to those called and equipped to teach.

The apostles recognized the sobering importance of being entrusted as devoted servants of God as Ezra, bring before the people the very Words of God Himself.

Nehemiah 8:1-12 New King James Version

Ezra Reads and Explains the Law

8 Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that  was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3 Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate [a]from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

4 So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God.

Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. 8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.

9 And Nehemiah, who was the [b]governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the  Lord  your God;  do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.

10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.

The Old Testament books refer to the “oracles” of the prophets; this word can also be translated as “burden” (see, for instance, Isaiah 13:1-3, NKJV).

13 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

2 Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain,
exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand,
that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
3 I have commanded my sanctified ones,
I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger,
even them that rejoice in my highness.

It describes a millstone weight upon the heart and mind that comes about because of the awesome responsibility of speaking God’s truth to people.

Back in the nineteenth century Reverend Charles H. Spurgeon acknowledged the magnitude of this burden by declaring his pulpit to be more influential than the very throne of the king of England, for Spurgeon brought a message from the throne of God to that pulpit and delivered the truth of Christian doctrine.

We must pray for and protect those called to teach the truths of Scripture, whether to a congregation, or to little children, or in any other context.

It is no small thing to stand up regularly between a holy God and His people, declaring His word. It is a high heavy burden as well as a wonderful privilege.

In addition to praying for our teachers and preachers, we must also be humble and eager to sit and learn under the authoritative teaching of God’s word.

Such an example of devotion was set by the early church in their dedication to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42).

Contemporary devotion ought to look the same; we must each be committed to teaching that is based on the New Testament truths revealed to the apostles and built upon the foundations of Old Testament doctrine.

We must not be spending all our time snacking on the fast food of box sets that soak up our time, TV networks that confirm what we already think, and books or video games, vastness of social media that offer escape from the real world.

John 4:31-38 Disciples’ Literal New Testament

Jesus Explains: I Came To Do God’s Will. The Harvest Is Ripe

31 In the meantime the disciples were asking Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat”. 32 But the One said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about”. 33 So the disciples were saying to one another, “Someone did not bring Him something to eat, did he?” 34 Jesus says to them, “My food is that I may do the will of the One having sent Me, and accomplish His work. 35 Do you not say that ‘There are still[a]  four months, and the harvest comes’? Behold, I say to you— lift-up your eyes and look-at the fields, that[b] they are white for harvest[c]. Already 36 the one reaping is receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life eternal, so that the one sowing and the one reaping may rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true, that ‘One is the one sowing and another[d] is the one reaping. 38  I sent you out to be reaping what you have not[e] labored-for. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor”.

Instead, we need ask God to set our meal tables to feast on the word of God.

Like Jesus taught his disciples; Let that be your spiritual food and you will find each day that the Spirit of God leads you deeper into the truths, the joys within.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 119:1-16 Complete Jewish Bible

א (Alef)

119 How happy are those whose way of life is blameless,
who live by the Torah of Adonai!
2 How happy are those who observe his instruction,
who seek him wholeheartedly!
3 They do nothing wrong
but live by his ways.
4 You laid down your precepts
for us to observe with care.
5 May my ways be steady
in observing your laws.
6 Then I will not be put to shame,
since I will have fixed my sight on all your mitzvot.
7 I thank you with a sincere heart
as I learn your righteous rulings.
8 I will observe your laws;
don’t completely abandon me!

ב (Bet)

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
don’t let me stray from your mitzvot.
11 I treasure your word in my heart,
so that I won’t sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, Adonai!
Teach me your laws.
13 I proclaim with my mouth
all the rulings you have spoken.
14 I rejoice in the way of your instruction
more than in any kind of wealth.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and keep my eyes on your ways.
16 I will find my delight in your regulations.
I will not forget your word.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

 https://translate.google.com/

What Will We Do With the King of All Truth that hasn’t already been done? John 18:36-37

John 18:36-37 New American Standard Bible 1995

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom [a]is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not [b]of this realm.” 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/1041

1Jesus is standing in Pilate’s hall—
Friendless, forsaken, betrayed by all:
Hearken! what meaneth the sudden call?
  What will you do with Jesus?
 What will you do with Jesus?
  Neutral you cannot be;
Some day your heart will be asking,
    “What will He do with me?”
2Jesus is standing on trial still,
You can be false to Him if you will,
You can be faithful through good or ill:
  What will you do with Jesus?
3Will you evade Him as Pilate tried?
Or will you choose Him, whate’er betide?
Vainly you struggle from Him to hide:
  What will you do with Jesus?
4Will you, like Peter, your Lord deny?
Or will you scorn from His foes to fly,
Daring for Jesus to live or die?
  What will you do with Jesus?
5“Jesus, I give Thee my heart today!
Jesus, I’ll follow Thee all the way,
Gladly obeying Thee!” will you say:
  “This will I do with Jesus!”

What will you, would you do with Jesus?

What will I, would I do with Jesus? 

What will the church, would the church do with Jesus?

Who is the King of Truth …

On the morning of what is today known as the first Good Friday, the Jewish religious authorities took Jesus to continue His trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.

We can see in the details of the Gospel accounts how God sovereignly orchestrated all of these events.

The Jews’ determination to secure Christ’s death by crucifixion would actually fulfill God’s plan from eternity.

God had also planned Christ’s interaction with Pilate.

As they stood before one another, Pilate asked significant questions about Jesus’ identity and authority.

These questions formed an examination with eternal ramifications—an examination we all must make. Consider how the hymn writer puts it:

Jesus is standing in Pilate’s hall—
Friendless, forsaken, betrayed by all;
Hearken! What meaneth the sudden call?
What will you do with Jesus?  

Pilate from his position of high authority, as representative of the Emperor, believed he was holding an examination on a purely intellectual, natural level.

But anyone answering the question “Who is this Jesus standing as prisoner before all these decision makers, those with the power to decide life and decide death?” is always going to be confronted by a spiritual, supernatural matter.

Jesus wasn’t any political king, as Pilate believed, but he was the heavenly King.

He essentially told Pilate, 

My kingdom doesn’t find its origin in this world. The concern of My kingdom is the spiritual transformation that is brought about in the hearts of My people. The very reason why I was sent by my Father, born as a King, was to testify to God’s truth. 

But Pilate, blind in his unbelief, did not grasp that, had already made up his mind – after all, he had the positions of authority, he was conquering Roman and therefore, in that exact moment he was all the truth that ever mattered.

Jaded and disdainful, he sought to avoid the fundamental question we all must ask: “What will I do with Jesus?”

But in trying not to answer, he nevertheless gave his answer: I shall reject His claim on me and His authority, rule over me, and therefore His offer to rescue me.

What will you do with Jesus?
Neutral you cannot be;
Someday your heart will be asking,
“What will He do with me?” [1]

1 Albert B. Simpson, “What Will You Do with Jesus?” (1905).

Neutral you cannot ever dare to be!

Neutral I cannot ever dare to be!

Neutral the church cannot ever dare to be!

You and I and the church will either live under Jesus’ rule or we will not.

So do not close your Bible in the morning and then live out your day as though this world and its changing concerns and kings are all that is or all that matters.

Do not proceed as though Jesus has no place or interest in your life in this world.

The King of Truth stood friendless and forsaken before the Temple Authorities, Pilate, so that we all might be welcomed as His friend into His eternal kingdom.

There is no option of neutrality—but why would we want there to be?

What Jesus Did had nothing to do with being Neutral!

John 18:36-37 Amplified Bible

36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world [nor does it have its origin in this world]. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting [hard] to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this world.” 37 So Pilate said to Him, “Then You are a King?” Jesus answered, “You say  [correctly] that I am a King. This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth [who is a friend of the truth and belongs to the truth] hears and listens carefully to My voice.”

Jesus came as King.

He did not come as a king in robes of royalty or with a fine palace and a royal court.

Instead, Jesus came as the King of Truth in simplicity and with a band of everyday folks called apostles.

His mission was not to conquer the political landscape, but for God’s truth to win the hearts of the people — all people, not just the Jewish people.

Truth, however, is extraordinarily dangerous for some people to hear, listen to.

Every pretender to a powerful position and those who misuse the power that they have are threatened by one who is genuinely qualified and powerful in ways that they don’t understand.

Pretenders fear the truth.

So the true King was murdered so that they could feel secure in the power that they had.

The only problem was that once the truth was out there, no political pretender and no earthly power could keep truth from triumphing.

Where is Pilate’s power today?

Where would Pilate’s power be today?

What’s left of Herod’s thirst for royal recognition?

And Caesar’s rule?

And the Roman Empire?

All are gone, even those who actually had royal and powerful positions.

Hebrews 13:5-9 Amplified Bible

5 Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you  [assuredly not]!” 6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say,

“The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”

7 Remember your leaders [for it was they] who brought you the word of God; and consider the result of their conduct [the outcome of their godly lives], and imitate their faith [their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider of eternal salvation through Christ, and imitate their reliance on God with absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. 8 Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.  9 Do not be carried away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and strengthened by grace and not by foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no benefit or spiritual growth to those who observe them.

On the other hand, one TRUTH always remains inviolable: one King still reigns over the hearts of all men and women of all races — Jesus, the King of Truth!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Father, thank you for the blessing of an everlasting Kingdom and a triumphant King — your Son and my Savior, Jesus. May his inviolable truth and his Kingdom come to complete triumph in my life and the life of Your church in these ever changing days.

Psalm 24 New American Standard Bible 1995

The King of Glory Entering Zion.

A Psalm of David.

24 The earth is the Lord’s, and [a]all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul [b]to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And [c]righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 [d]This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. [e]Selah.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O [f]ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O [g]ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDtU1K2nlGE

https://translate.google.com

Habits of Faith: Kingdom Living, “Now and Forever, O’ Lord I Pray.” Matthew 19:16-26

Matthew 19:16-26 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Rich Young Ruler

16 And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he *said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man *said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be [a]complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The kingdom of God is eternal.

It’s the ultimate reality, when everything will be good at last.

Surprisingly, though, the kingdom is also right here, right now—wherever Jesus is present in the flesh or by the Spirit.

We can see that in Matthew 19.

A rich man who comes to talk with Jesus is very interested in having eternal life—that is, life in the kingdom of God.

But does he really want that kind of life?

When Jesus tells the man, “Sell everything, give to the poor, and follow me,” the man can’t do it.

He can’t take those three steps.

It’s really hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

That’s what Jesus says.

And He means more than entering the eternal kingdom in the future.

He also means living the way of the kingdom right here, right now.

Among other things, the way of the kingdom is selfless and generous.

And the way of the kingdom includes deeply trusting in God to meet every need.

Sadly, the rich man in this story wasn’t ready to live that way.

Not here, not now.

How about us?

Are we ready to live the way of the kingdom here and now?

If not, will you want to live that way in eternity?

Jesus is emphatic: It is extremely difficult for the rich to embrace the radical call of discipleship in the Kingdom of God.

Yes! Jesus is very emphatic with the rich folk, does mean that we who are not counted among the rich will automatically have it that much easier experience?

No! but salvation does not depend on our ability, but on God’s generous grace.

The key point for us, however, is to be reminded about the dangers of wealth and possessions, reminded that discipleship requires great sacrifice from all.

They can become our god, our stumbling block, our choking point, our diversion, and our downfall if they become the things we cannot give up to follow Jesus-from our vantage point, following Jesus’ radical call is impossible.

25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Fortunately, God has provided the Holy Spirit and fellow-Christians.

We all need the guidance of the Spirit and the strength of a dedicated Christian community to yield to Jesus’ call in all areas of our lives, including using our wealth or our poverty and our abundance, lack of possessions to serve others.

A Widow’s Gift

Mark 12:41-44 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Widow’s Mite

41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting [a]money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came 0and put in two [b]small copper coins, which amount to a [c]cent. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all [d]the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their [e]surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, [f]all she had to live on.”

Who is the most generous giver today?

You’ve likely heard of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who runs the largest foundation in the world.

You may also know about the generosity of Warren Buffet, who pledged the largest stock donation ever.

Today’s major philanthropists are very rich, their names are very well known. 

But when Mark writes about giving, he draws our attention to someone who is poor, nameless, and a widow.

On her way to the temple treasury she follows some wealthy and seemingly generous people.

And guess what?

Jesus says she makes the most generous donation!

He wanted his disciples to see that somehow her gift of two small copper coins amounting to about 1 cent is much more generous than the gifts of the wealthy.

We don’t have to be rich to make a generous donation for the Lord.

True giving means more than simply opening our wallet or writing a big check.

It’s about unlocking the safety deposit boxes of our hearts to God first and then fully trusting him in everything, including our financial well-being or lack of it.

Jesus expects us to be generous when serving him, and he has every right to demand that.

Just a few days after he met the widow, out of his poverty, Jesus gave up his life-his blood-the most generous and loving act of sacrificial giving in all of history.

That’s why he rejoiced about the impoverished widow’s “all I got” generosity.

We can believe he was very grateful for the surplus generosity of the rich folks.

That’s how he calls us to Kingdom Living-to be habitually generous, sacrificial.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd,
I [a]shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside [b]quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You [f]have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.

Our ABBA Father, we praise you for your generous gift of salvation through your Son. Give us the generous spirit of that widow as we live to pour out our gratitude to you. 

Only living and Almighty God, I want to worship you with my will, my heart, my words, my hands, my feet and my possessions and my service and money. Please help me to use those incredible blessings you have poured into my life for your glory and the blessing of others. In the name of Jesus, the greatest of all gifts, I pray. Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

Advent Reflection: How Sure Are We That We Would Listen to the Message of Our John the Baptist? Matthew 3:1

Matthew 3:1-6 English Standard Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”[a] 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare[b] the way of the Lord;
    make his paths straight.’”

4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

If John the Baptist were alive today, a noisy passenger on an airplane, or an unkempt passenger on a commuter train, a homeless person sitting against a building with his sign or someone standing on some street corner or in some other public place with a bullhorn or mic running his mouth, his message to the masses would be the same message he preached in the wilderness so long ago.

“Where do you think you are going , how far can you run you brood of snakes?”

“Do not think for even one hot second you can flee from God’s coming wrath!”

Picking up a rock or stick he says shaking them; “God can raise up far better Christians than you with these!”

“Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Who is actually going to take any time to actually listen to any of those words without thinking: “He is Drunk!” “He is off of his medications!” “Arrest him!”

We certainly won’t ever go near him to be baptized in any river called Jordan!

Just another sad, down on his luck soul in weird clothing not worth any time.

Yet, I wonder how many of us would take him seriously – in our world that is deafened by the constant noise and chaos, how many would actually listen to a man in the streets of any city who claimed to be preparing the way of the Lord?

John’s timeless message is like a banner waving over every heart on the planet.

It continues to wave bold and strong, even in our darkest of days – like today!

We all need only look up, pay attention and see that God’s kingdom is at hand.

Our present circumstances are not our final destination-here is not all there is!

The beautiful thing about that ancient John the Baptist’s invitation, is that it does not require any whole google search check-list of things to accomplish.

There is no get-your-life-together-first requirement – there are no rules you and I have to follow before repentance – for repentance now is where it begins.

A moment of recognition then a moment of confession (Peter’s Confession of Christ as Messiah when the disciples were asked by Jesus who did the people say, and thought Jesus was – and Jesus proclaiming BINGO) Matthew 16:13-20

The Bible assures us that when a person, or a nation, repents of sin, God is faithful and just to forgive (1 John 1:9).

When people humble themselves and with their whole heart seek the Lord, He will hear them – He will heal them. And, He forgives them (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Have we lost that “very first loving feeling” of being 1000% forgiven by God?

Psalm 32 English Standard Version

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil[a] of David.

32 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up[b] as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

What a simple, yet unheeded message from the Psalmist’s and John’s call:

“Know you will be blessed” “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

If that ancient John the Baptist declared the kingdom of heaven was at hand, more than 2,000 years ago, exactly how much nearer is God’s kingdom today?

Every new moment of everyday, we are one step closer to our heavenly home.

Yet, how likely is it that we will continue to live as though this is all there is?

We will continue to strive for the things of earth, which will one day pass away.

Even Jesus himself said to those who had gathered around Him, His Message,

Matthew 5:4 Amplified Bible

4 “Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].

Today, let’s take 1% more heed to John’s ancient, yet relevant message, ask God to begin, renew our hearts, minds, souls, surrendering more everything to Him.

Every spark of coming chaos, darkness, hardship, trial, sin, and struggle, let us enter our prayer closets, invite God inside, confess them, to lay them at His feet.

Will you read John’s ancient admonishment as recorded here in Scripture and in some part of your busy day-take the time to absorb them-try to find relevance?

There is a brooding, budding John the Baptist within every single unbeliever!

There is a brooding, budding John the Baptist within each and every Christian!

When does our world of chaos and darkness around us-hear his words of truth?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Heavenly Father, We come before You, humbly seeking Your will and Your way. Forgive us, Lord, for doing as we please, in a world that is not our home. Help us to gain a heavenly perspective of “By Your stripes we were healed”. Help us heed the timeless call of John the Baptist—“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 

Please, ABBA Father, give us a fresh and refreshed and refreshing boldness and more clarity to share this message with those around us, to break away from the noise and chaos and speak words of truth. Thank You, Father, for preparing the way through Your Son. There is no other way. Continue to work in our lives until the glorious day when Jesus returns. For it is by Him, for Him, and because of Him that we live, and move, and have our being. It is in His name above all names that we pray. Amen.

https://translate.google.com/

Advent Prophet: if John the Baptist Called Out into the Gathered Crowds? Luke 3:1-14

Luke 3:1-14 New Living Translation

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler[a] over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler[b] over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. 2  Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness.  3  Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,

“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
    Clear the road for him!
5 The valleys will be filled,
    and the mountains and hills made level.
The curves will be straightened,
    and the rough places made smooth.
6 And then all people will see
    the salvation sent from God.’”[c]

7 When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 9 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

10 The crowds asked, “What should we do?”

11 John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”

12 Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13 He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”

14 “What should we do?” asked some soldiers.

John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”

The Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Hypothetically, imagine slipping into an airline seat for a three-hour flight or boarding that same old commuter train for that long morning work commute.

The man next to you politely begins to exchange some general pleasan­tries.

But as the commute continues, the polite tone of the conversation changes.

The man begins to mutter something, in fact, he mutters several somethings.

These “somethings” are things which instantly cause you to bristle, to squirm.

Luke 3:7-9The Message

7-9 When crowds of people came out for baptism because it was the popular thing to do, John exploded: you “Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God’s judgment? It’s your life that must change, not your skin. And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as ‘father.’ Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there—children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants. What counts is your life. Is it green and is it even flourishing? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.”

Very soon you discover, realize that he also has extreme views about religion, even more extreme views about politics and governance, how people respond.

His goal as you fly the friendly skies or just try to get to work for another day, is to convince you that your far too casual way of life is putting you in danger of snake venom, the fires of hell – it dawns on you it’s going to be a very long day!

Now imagine that it is not just you who are in ear shot of all these harsh words.

You aren’t the only one on the airplane nor the only one on the commuter train.

On the plane we might hope that the louder and more raucous this guy gets that the flight attendants would not be so slow to intervene on this guys intrusions.

They might even try to move him to another seat – but that is no promise nor is it any guarantee that this guy will not just stand up and cause another ruckus.

Maybe if it gets to be too much – someone would inform the pilot – or if there was an Air Marshall with a pair of handcuffs and something to cover his mouth.

Maybe if it goes to the extreme of extremes, the Pilot will turn the plane around.

Anything, anywhere-as long as someone figures out how to shut the guy down.

Now, back in the commuter train – the people just have to sit restlessly and just listen until they get to the next station and hope he gets tired and he gets off or they do and they simply accept the uncomfortable fact they will be late for work.

Imagine walking the downtown streets of any city or serving meals in a shelter and this guy walks up beside you, gets into your ears, or hands you a meal tray.

Perish the thought and pray such an occurrence is one you’ll never experience.

In a homeless shelter?

In an overnight shelter?

Spending a morning, an afternoon or evening or a whole night with the words of John the Baptist ringing in your ears would have been a similar experience.

After all, John’s hardcore extremist views believed you got ready for Christ’s coming by taking a hard, long, in­tense look at the ethical quality of your life.

Hearing enough of this message, listening to all the vitriol, high end criticism spewing from his mouth about quite literally everybody – who would not want have the plane turned around, to call the police this guy arrested – like Herod?

Luke 3:19-20 New Living Translation

19 John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee,[a] for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. 20 So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.

Which one’s of us reading this reflection would be praying to God to keep such a man out of our lives, as far away from our “Christian experience” as is possible?

The Covenant Reality of Becoming an Advent Prophet

Isaiah 40:1-3 New Living Translation

Comfort for God’s People

40 “Comfort, comfort my people,”
    says your God.
2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.
Tell her that her sad days are gone
    and her sins are pardoned.
Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over
    for all her sins.”

3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness
    for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
    for our God!

Yet our preparing a pathway for the coming of the Messiah is our Advent task.

That means listening to John’s words and some (Psalm 51) clearing away the moral rubble that prevents God from taking His straight path to your hearts.

I mean we’ll never like, nor appreciate, anyone calling us a “brood of snakes!”

Yet, OUR King is coming, and He will remember the poor, cut down the proud.

The all too comfortable, utterly corrupt order of things, must come to a change.

The hardest thing for “contemporary Christians” is actually taking the time for us disciples to make the U-turn of repentance, to straighten out their priorities.

Preparing our homes for the season, getting it ready for Christmas isn’t first a matter of our remembering our perfect gifts for everyone on our family gift list.

It’s about remembering the very nature of citizenship in the King’s king­dom!

It’s about taking a moral inventory of our lives. What changes do we need to make so that we can welcome Christ with integrity on Christmas morning?

More Like Christ – More Like John the Baptist First?

Ephesians 5:1-2 New Living Translation

Living in the Light

5 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us[a] and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

When I have asked, very Christian I have ever known will always profess this:

“Work in progress, trying to be more like Jesus every moment of every day!”

But, what about a bit more like John the Baptist in his camel hair wardrobe?

Luke 3:10-14 New Living Translation

10 The crowds asked, “What should we do?”

11 John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”

12 Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13 He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”

14 “What should we do?” asked some soldiers.

John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”

The changes John the Baptist was calling for do not appear .0001% radical.

One teacher I know of thinks John’s counsel is, for us, rather commonplace.

All we need to do, it seems to him, is to love a little, show a little kindness.

No career change is required.

I believe that interpretation goes too easy on many of us.

After all, many of us are well-to-do.

Many of us out there in the world have far more than two sets of clothing; many of us also have two cars, two or more credit cards, and maybe even two homes.

Our freezers are probably most full preparing for the Christmas feasts to come.

Yet, our hardcore reality: in light of our riches, John’s words become unsettling.

They demand a radical generosity that few of us are genuinely accustomed to.

True, John the Baptist does not specifically order anyone to leave his or her job.

But he definitely and directly does demand that we actually live out our faith by actually being honest and genuinely content and not ever abusing our power.

Clearly, any reading of Luke’s narrative reveals “John the Baptist Discipleship” is not something for the uncommitted, the timid nor for “after-hours only.”

We are not, so to speak, called or covenanted by God to moonlight for Christ.

Quite the contrary, our allegiance to Christ rules not only our after-work hours but also our hours travelling to work, our hours of actual work in the office, at the plant, on the road, in the air, on the trains, in class, at those sales meetings.

We can neither ignore the hardcore words of John the Baptist, leave Christ in church on Sundays nor let him “wait for us in the parking lot” on weekdays.

Here’s a question:

How do we, who are supposed to be dying to self and coming alive to Christ, do our work and other activities so that we honor Christ and respect our neighbor?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Lord Jesus, too often after hearing the good news we go right back to business as usual. Forgive us, and make our every thought captive to you. Lord, we admit that our lives are a mess. It’s been a long time since we’ve held them up to the light of your truth. Now is the time. Help us to begin today. Let us read these words from Luke’s narrative, let us hear the hardcore accusations spoken by John the Baptist against us as so called “contemporary Christians” and your so called Body of Christ, the Church in your kingdom, let us finally come to our senses. In your name, Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/