To Bargain With God

February 26, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Jews question on paying taxes; Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:19-26

Luke 20:23(World English Bible)
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "“Why do you test me?

In life this is called bargaining.  God if you will do this for me, I will do this for you.  We test God for answers that we know are not healthy for us. And then when things line up, because Satan can use it as a tool as well, we walk into it and think it is God. Trouble is, that when it is grabbed, it is often a life long change that cost more in the end than it was worth.

So, it is time for me to stand on my own to feet.  While I will have God guiding me from day to day, I need to learn to not test God.  Like Jesus, He will not show me the way I want, he will explain what I do from both sides and let me make the choice that I need.  I need to stop telling God that if He does this, provides that, or what ever, that I will line up with His way.  

In other words, I can not blame God when I fall.  If I was not bargaining with Him in the first place, I would have been OK.


Read for next time: Sadducees question the resurrection; Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40
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Going to a Wedding Feast?

February 25, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Parable of the wedding feast; Matthew 22:1-14


Matthew 22:12 - 13 NET
12 And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' But he had nothing to say.
13 Then the king said to his attendants, 'Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!'

I wonder sometimes about ‘eternal salvation and about being preordained to follow Jesus.  The parable shows that the chosen ones did not get in.  But it also shows that the wedding guest (those who were being saved) had to still have the proper wedding garments.  

So, if I do not wear the proper garments, or in my terms, act like a Christian, am I not saved?  But that means works are important.  That would mean I am under the law.  

The only way I can come to grips with this is that I am free to choose the garment of salvation that Jesus sacrificed His life for me.  On the other hand, I can pretend that I have and not have the salvation.  Also, I can have it, but then choose to take it off because the lifestyle that I live is not what God would want me to be.  

Either way, I need to continue that works that I do.  They do not save me, but they will help me keep focus on God.  And I need to make sure that I have prayed that prayer with my heart, not my head, that will show that I understand what Jesus did for me.

Read for next time: Jews question on paying taxes; Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:19-26
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Broken or Crushed

February 24, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Parable of the vine growers; Matthew  21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke  20:9-18

People often say that they will never be broken.  I think that the Bible tells me differently.

Luke 20:17-18 - The Bible in Worldwide English (BWE)
17 ‘But Jesus looked right at them. He said, ‘What about this writing then? "The stone which the builders would not use is now the chief corner stone."
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But if that stone falls on anyone, it will crush him.’

I see that I have a choice here. It is clear that the stone rejected is Jesus.  I can either fall on the stone and choose to break myself so that I can be molded into the person that God wants me to be, or I can let the stone fall on me and be broken and destroyed.

It says that if I choose Jesus I will be broken into pieces.  Pieces can be put back together.  On the other hand, if the stone falls on me, I will be destroyed.  There will be no hope of me being put back together in the way that I was.

God does not want to destroy me, but He does want to remake me in the image I need to have to do what He wants me to do.  I have unique talents and abilities that I can put to use for Him.  I cannot do that if I am crushed.

Still, the choice is mine.

Read for next time: Parable of the wedding feast; Matthew 22:1-14

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What do you see?

February 16, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Parable of the two sons;; Matthew 21:28-32

I have the need to tell people about Jesus. Jesus tells me so in the great commission. What I do not have to worry about is what they do with it after I tell them.

Douray-Rheims : Matthew Chapter 21
[28] But what think you? A certain man had two sons; and coming to the first, he said: Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
[29] And he answering, said: I will not. But afterwards, being moved with repentance, he went.
[30] And coming to the other, he said in like manner. And he answering, said: I go, Sir; and he went not.
[31] Which of the two did the father's will? They say to him: The first. Jesus saith to them: Amen I say to you, that the publicans and the harlots shall go into the kingdom of God before you.
[32] For John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him: but you, seeing it, did not even afterwards repent, that you might believe him.

Jesus clearly shows here that there are some people that will hear what I tell them, and then do nothing with it thought the give head knowledge.  Some others will not listen to me and accept Jesus, but will learn and maybe accept later.  I do not know which is which.  I do know that I have to live my life as a good Christian and help others come to know the Lord.  

It does not matter what I think, it matters what God wants me to do.  I may not see the results, but God will.



Read for next time: Parable of the vine growers; Matthew  21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke  20:9-18

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Did you ever stop to think?

February 15, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Authority challenged in the Temple; Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke  20:1-8

There is an old joke that says, “did you ever stop to think, then forget to start again?”  While humorous it really says a lot about people, even people from the life of Jesus.

Luke 20:5 (Green's Modern King James Version)
5 And they reasoned within themselves, saying, If we shall say, From Heaven, he will say, Why then did you not believe him?

The Jewish leaders had tried to trap Jesus, asking who gave Him the authority. But Jesus turns the tables on them, and what do they do? They stop to think.  They figured out it was a trap on them, and they gave no answer because of fear. In doing so they lied. Well, maybe not lied, just told a half truth.

In my own life, how many times have I had to ‘stop to think.’  When ever that happens, does the chance that I might have to tell a lie or not the full truth come up? I think it does. While I do not advocate saying the first thing that comes out of my mouth in any situation, if I have to reason things out, then I most likely need to watch for less than the truth coming out of me.


Read for next time: Parable of the two sons;; Matthew 21:28-32
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Forgive the little things

February 14, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  The withered fig tree (next morning) ; Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:20-26

Mark 11:25 (English Standard Version)
25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

As I was starting to write this, a person near me started to play some loud music. He turned it down when he realized someone was near, but it reminded me of a gentleman that used to be in the cube next to me. He played his music, movies, and anything else loud.  If you did not like it he was not going to change so you had to live with it.  While we got along otherwise, he was not the type of person that I would hang around with. I did not care for his music and he did not care for my Christianity.  

So when  I started to look at this verse I thought to myself, I have not had any problems with anyone, what can I write about here. God got me by the hairs on my neck and said, “big forgiveness problems, no, little ones, search your heart”. And that is when the music hit.  While I did not harbor large unforgiven in my heart, I had never forgiven my co-worker for his multiple infractions on my ears.

And while I can walk in love, I can not be forgiven till I forgive him, so I forgive him now.  Now to search for other places that I have not forgiven.

Read for next time: Authority challenged in the Temple; Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke  20:1-8

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In the light

February 13, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Jesus leaves Jerusalem; Matthew 21:17; Mark 11:19


ESV: Matthew 21:17. And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.


It was night time. Jesus knew that the people of the night would be the ones that would cause harm to Him.  He needed to walk in the light, literally and figuratively as well.

In my life I need to be in the light, as He is in the light.  When I move to the literal darkness, then is when the problems can and will arise.

Read for next time: The withered fig tree (next morning) ; Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:20-26

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After the healing...

February 12, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Jewish leaders seek to destroy Jesus; Matthew 21:15-16; Mark 11:18; Luke 19:47-48

Luke 19:47-48 (New English Translation)
47 Jesus was teaching daily in the temple courts. The chief priests and the experts in the law and the prominent leaders among the people were seeking to assassinate him,
48 but they could not find a way to do it, for all the people hung on his words.

After the cleansing of the temple, after the healing of the people, now is the time to teach the people.  It does no good to clean out the bad, and then heal the problems if the learning does not follow it.  This applies to those around me but to myself as well.  Jesus said in a parable that if you do not clean the house and keep in clean, then you will have the spirits return with seven others.

So I must take time to be in the Word daily.  I must take time to go to church to learn from respected preachers.  If I do not, my temple will again decay.  My long absences from writing these, be them just for myself or so that others can read them is not good.  While I know God forgives me, I know I felt the temple being dirtied. When that happens it is time to start the process over I guess.


Read for next time: Jesus leaves Jerusalem; Matthew 21:17; Mark 11:19
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After I clean the temple?

February 10, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Jesus heals many in the temple; Matthew 21:14

Matthew 21:14 (Montgomery New Testament)
14 Then the blind and the lame came to him in the Temple courts, and he healed them.

Yesterday I looked at Jesus clearing the temple and that I should be about the work of clearing my own temple.

As I see it today, cleaning the temple is the first step in being able to do things for other.

When Jesus had cleared the temple, He was able to then use it for good, healing the people that needed healing.  As I looked at the Greek used, healed in the verse can also mean waited on.  Jesus acted as a servant to these people, taking care of the needs that they had.  

When my own temple has been cleaned, I am no longer focused on me or my needs.  While I may occasionally slip, that is not the life I will lead.  Taking care of the needs of others, waiting on them, that is the life the Jesus lead, even when He knew His time was short.

Clean temple, help people, how simple can it be?

Read for next time: Jewish leaders seek to destroy Jesus; Matthew 21:15-16; Mark 11:18; Luke 19:47-48

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Cleaning the Temple

February 10, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  The 2nd temple cleansing; Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46

Luke 19:45-46 (English Standard Version)
45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold,
46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

Jesus cleared the temple. There is not much spin that someone can put on this.  It was an upending of what the religious leaders of the time expected.  It does not take place in our time.

My body is a temple of God.  Like those days, I put things into it that do not need to be there and do things with it that I should not.  I need to learn that it is wrong.  I need to have a purging like Jesus did to that temple. If not, will it be done for me?


Read for next time: Jesus heals many in the temple; Matthew 21:14

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Leaves or Fruit

February 8, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today:  Jesus curses a fig tree; Mark 11:12-14


Jubilee2000: Mark Chapter 11

[12] And the next day when they left Bethany, he was hungry,
[13] and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing upon her; but when he came to her, he found nothing but leaves, for the time of figs was not [yet].
[14] Then Jesus, answering, said to the fig tree, Never again shall anyone eat fruit of thee [hereafter] for ever. And his disciples heard [it].

Integrity, according to a saying that I try to live by, and often fail, is what you do when no one is looking.  When you do not get the reward, when you could cheat because no one would notice, and you do not, that is integrity.  

Jesus saw a tree with leaves.  Most of the trees that I see with leaves in them are at least in the baby stages of fruit making. Jesus saw this tree with leaves and wanted some fruit.  And He found none.

So I live my life as a good Christian, or at least try.  Jesus is a far off and seeing me.  Does He see leaves on me, my lifestyle and Christian walk.  I hope so.  When He gets close, what fruit does He see in me.


Read for next time: The 2nd temple cleansing; Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46
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Does God change His mind?

February 7, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Jesus enters Jerusalem then goes to Bethany; Mark 11:11

NET Mark 11:11.
Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. And after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve since it was already late.

Sometimes things can seem so frustrating.  It will seem like God is telling you to do something but then everything seems to want to stop you from doing it.  Other times you see things one way but when you go to execute it things happen differently.  Is God changing His mind in these things?

Many times in writing these devotionals I meditate on the scripture and think of what I want to type up.  Only when I sit down to prepare it things come out way different.  I wondered then if God was changing His mind.  I have come to the conclusion that yes, sometimes He does change His mind.  Here in Mark 11:11 it seems that Jesus walks in, looks around and says nothing going on, and moves out.  But I think He had a plan, and when He got there, for whatever reason, maybe the guy did not show up, He just moved on.  

In my own life I need to have that same flexibility.  I need to know that when I start something, that it may not wind up the way that I expected, and God is OK with that.  God does change His mind.  


Read for next time: Jesus curses a fig tree; Mark 11:12-14

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What makes you happy?

February 5, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Jesus weeps for Jerusalem; Luke 19:41-44

Luke 19:42 (Bible in Basic English)
Saying, If you, even you, had knowledge today, of the things which give peace! but you are not able to see them.

What an indictment on Jerusalem, and also on me.  On this day when we are going to get hit with Super Bowl mania, and millions are spent on commercials to tell us what well make us happy and give us peace, Jesus tells us what it will be that gives us peace.  

It is not the things that will give me peace.  I find it funny that I could not leave work last night till I finished up with a customer.  I started with him and his wife 20 minutes before I was to leave, and staid with him for a full hour afterwards. He could not decide which TV would give him the most pleasure in watching the game today and though his baby was getting fussy the husband and wife debated on.  What was sad about the whole thing was that he was going to be preaching at Children’s service at his church this morning because the regular minister was stuck out of town.  So at midnight, when he should have been resting and preparing, he was out in the middle of bad roads and snow, finding the TV that would make him happy.

I know I am not much different, I look for things to make me happy.  I need to focus more on Jesus.  


Read for next time: Jesus enters Jerusalem then goes to Bethany; Mark 11:11

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Dirty Work

February 5, 2011

The life of Jesus. Read Today: Pharisees reaction; Luke 19:39-40; John 12:19

ESV: Luke 19:39. And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples.

Does anyone else besides me see something wrong here?  Why are the Pharisees telling Jesus to have the disciples keep quiet?  As the leaders they could have told them to be quiet. Jesus, though we know better, was just an traveling preacher to them.  

So now the question becomes why did they want Jesus to do it and not do it themselves.  

My only thought is that people always want to keep their hands clean.  They do not want to do the dirty work.  They wanted Jesus to quiet the people not because they were wrong but because He was more popular then they were.  If it was wrong, they should have killed it then and there.  

People are always going to want you to do their dirty work for them.  I need to learn to make sure that when people want me to do something that it lines up with the Word of God.

Read for next time: Jesus weeps for Jerusalem; Luke 19:41-44
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