Is The Light Of Jesus Shining Today?

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” [John 9.1-5]

Is Jesus in the world today?

Are we living in the night or in the day?

Are we sent by God today, and, if so, what were we sent to do?

Why is it important that the power of God be seen?

Over the years, I have addressed each of these questions to some degree or another. And, I would add, believe some of them have been addressed quite sufficiently (I did a search for "John 9.1-5" in this blog to find them all).

If indeed my journey is a progression of understanding (and, I believe it is), then I have further understanding of one portion of John 9.1-5 that I must elaborate upon today...

We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. [John 9.4]

Is My "Light" Actually Darkness? (yesterday's article) sheds light that should carry forward to today's article: night and darkness are synonymous, and, especially so in biblical terms. In the same way, light and day are synonymous. 

Having established this understanding, Jesus' mention of "night" in John 9.4 can easily be seen as a haunting warning of the overwhelming idolatry to come - a blindness and darkness so great that miracles will cease to be seen and realized.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.14-15]

Is there any doubt that, "the night has come" matches with the worldwide industrialization of idolatry today? "Christian" people trust finance, insurance, medicine and technology without even a moment's hesitation that all these industries (and more) offer adulterous faith alternatives to trusting God ALONE (regardless how much "Christians" defend doing so).

In Jesus' famously revelatory discussion with Nicodemus in John 3 we find a perfect description of this adulterous and dark misuse of faith:

“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. 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. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” [John 3.18-21] 

Do Jesus' repeated references to darkness and night mean anything? You can bet they do. If man's industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology were indeed "from God," why then would they all be shameless proponents of self-centric lifestyles at best and outright debauchery at worst (homosexuality, transgenderism, and all manner of sexual perversions - all associated with gross idolatry in the Bible)? Just pay attention to their advertisements...

No doubt, Jesus was prophesying about the dark times we are living in today. Jesus was prophesying about the dark powerless times we are living in today because people hate the light (where the power is) and refuse to go near it.

There should be no question then why Jesus was so exclusive in His requirement upon His followers:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

To be a follower of Jesus is to carry forward the Light that He is.

Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.” After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them. [John 12.35-36]

If the Light of Jesus is not shining in power today, it's not His fault! The burden of carrying the Light - the very Holy Spirit power of God - into the world today rests squarely upon the shoulders of Jesus' followers:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]

The ONLY reason this is not seen for the truth it is today is because deceived "Christians" hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. Instead, they comfort and defend themselves with powerless (dark-with-idolatry) religion, proudly content in their indistinguishable (dark-with-idolatry) existence in the world.

Say it isn't so.

Father, the progression of understanding You have me on has become quite uncomfortable... Forgive me for reading Your Word through dark-with-idolatry religious lenses. May I be found giving up my own way, taking up my cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

Is My "Light" Actually Darkness?

“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is unhealthy, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. [Luke 11.34-35] 

What if God didn't give us eyes to see how to take care of ourselves, but instead to see how to do His work?

Here's a fact with riddle-like meaning: We only "see" what we look upon!

His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.11-15]

Jesus likened listening to looking and looking to listening. Both have everything to do with intent. Intent reveals our heart. Our heart reveals what we trust in - what we look upon and listen to. What we look upon and listen to reveals our god.

How much confusion exists among people who claim to be followers of Christ but spend all their energy building their own kingdom?

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. [Luke 12.31]

In context of all that is said to this point, anything that we look upon or listen to - trusting in - instead of God is an idol. Idols have some rather unique characteristics that should make us wonder why Jesus spoke so often about seeing and hearing:

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8]

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18] 

Two very distinct characteristics of people who trust in idols is that they are blind and deaf! Oh, to be sure, they "see" and "hear," but, what the look upon and listen to are idols and not God.  Everything they see and hear is about themselves - about "self." They are blinded and deafened by self-centeredness. Idols allow people do for themselves everything God said He would do for those who simply obey Him (Luke 12.31 above along with Matthew 6.33). And, therein is revealed the problem: dealing with God - obeying God. Idols offer benefits without accountability to God. Idols darken the heart of selfish man to the selfless light that is God. But that's not all... so powerful is the darkness of self-centered idolatry that it easily convinces its unwary victim that it is from God.

Jesus warned us to, "Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness."

We must remember that Jesus constantly taught about faith. However, like a poignant line from a popular movie accurately says, "just because you believe something does not make it true." Jesus was never abstract about faith. What we believe in matters. Jesus specifically demanded faith in God. Jesus actually scolded "faith" that did not yield miracles. Jesus specifically demanded faith in Himself, the Son of God - God With Us. Jesus went straight to the heart of the "self" matter in Matthew 16.24:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

The sad truth is this: most people will read these words without even a hint of conviction about their "own way" of gross idolatry. So permeated into the fabric of modern society are the idols of man that even the Church has been infiltrated, and dare I say, conquered by self-centric idolatry. One has to look no further than man's industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology to realize his dependence upon these idols and not God - all the while believing and assuring himself in abject darkness that these idol industries are from God. And then, we wonder why God doesn't "heal us" or do profound miracles today... And, again, Jesus' words sum it up:

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.14-15]

Question: Is my "light" actually darkness? 

Father, help those who would be Your people - those who would follow Christ - to see the truth of Your Word. May we not be fooled - blinded - by our own selfish desires. May we be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus, seeking Your Kingdom above all else - knowing You will give us everything we need. So be it.

Look Out For Yourself! (The Original Sin)

Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” [John 8.42-47] 

When Adam and Eve were tempted in the Garden of Eden they stopped "hearing God" and started "listening to the devil." Jesus' mention of the devil here is paramount to the context of what He is saying.

What did Satan do that earned his reputation? Did he tempt Adam and Eve to murder, lie, cheat, or steal? No, he simply encouraged them to look out for themselves regardless what God had said. Satan enticed Adam and Eve into idolatry -the original sin - trusting something other than, or in addition to, God (in their case, it was themselves). And so began man's fallen nature to sin - to trust things other than, or in addition to, God. Every sin known to man is ultimately the result of misplaced trust - idolatry. Satan did not ask Adam and Eve to trust him - he deceptively encouraged them to trust themselves ...thus doubting God.

Sin in mankind follows the same pattern over and over. First, man is enticed to "ignore" (not listen to) God Who says "obey me." When man ignores God, he listens to something else - something else that always tells man he must look out for himself making his own solutions. Then, in a real twist of the truth, man attempts to justify his disobedience by lying to himself that God would have him take care of himself (because, after all, God gave him the ability to do so). Thus, the damnably erroneous phrase, "God helps those who help themselves," is born.

What resulted from Adam's and Eve's disobedience (idolatry) was their eviction from the Garden of Eden into a life of hard work. They would quickly learn of their need to "rest." They also learned what nasty deeds were unleashed by their self-centered decision in the Garden: the first murder occurred. Because they had been deceived to mistrust God, all manner of manward sin was unleashed.

Now, to understand the significance of the digression of man, we need only look to God's rules (the Ten Commandments) that timelessly address man's abovementioned pattern to sin. The 1st Commandment prohibits "listening to anyone else but God." The 2nd Commandment prohibits trusting anyone or anything else but God. The 3rd Commandment prohibits justifying idolatry by associating it with God.

Then, the 4th Commandment has to do with "rest." This is all-important because all manner of restlessness is the result of idolatry.

Following the 4th Commandment are the last six Commandments prohibiting sins against man.

So... what does all this have to do with Jesus in the context of John chapter 8? Back up a few verses:

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” [John 8.31-32]

Religion today tries to separate Jesus from the Ten Commandments. This however is a fool's errand because Jesus specifically addressed this topic:

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. [Matthew 5.17] 

Jesus came to accomplish the purpose of the Ten Commandments (and all the Law) so that all who simply follow Him might be saved. In this way, Jesus is the 4th Commandment - the Sabbath Rest - the observance of which manifests in the proper treatment of others (last six Commandments).

All of this then, matches perfectly with what Jesus demanded of His followers:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

God simplified the first three Commandments in the Advent of Jesus. Following Him, on His terms above, fulfills all of the first three Commandments. That's a "rest" (as in, "Sabbath") worth looking forward to! And, what's more, in following Christ, the Sabbath Rest, we find all we need to treat mankind as the last six Commandments direct!

However! If our ears only hear the continual and tireless lies of Satan to "look out for ourselves," nothing Jesus said or did means a thing to us. Unless we give up our own way - the way of idolatry - the way of looking out for ourselves, take up our cross to do so - intentionally ignoring our "right to live," and follow Jesus (looking and acting ONLY like Him), we have no part of Jesus - we have no part of salvation - we have no hope in God at all.

Satan's modus operandi is always the same. In a blinding and deafening whisper he subtly suggests, "God knows you have to look out for yourself..." in direct contradiction of the 1st Commandment. The digression that follows is predictable by every page and every story in the Bible.

Now, try to justify the man-made industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology... They are all man's way to look out for himself! They are all man's way of helping himself. They are all idols. Idols blind and deafen man to God preventing them from experiencing miracles from God:

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.15]

So, why are God's people powerless today? Do we really need to ask that question? 

Father in heaven, may Your Word penetrate our hard hearts and cause us to see and hear the Truth. May we truly give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.

Where Jesus Is From

On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.) When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” So the crowd was divided about him. Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him. [John 7.37-44] 

How important is knowing where Jesus came from?

It might be asked, "How can you know the man if you do not know where he came from?"

John's Gospel of Jesus is different than the others. John tends to look deeper into Jesus' life. This is the same John who leaned on Jesus at the Last Supper indicating at least some level of relationship beyond casual acquaintance. John's deeper understanding of Jesus cannot be separated from his deeper relationship with Jesus.

As could be expected of a writer more intimately knowledgeable of Jesus, it is no surprise that he pointed out the failure of those who assumed Jesus was born in Galilee. To miss this fact about Jesus is to miss the fact that He is Messiah - that He is God. John's understanding of Jesus is seen in the early chapters of his Gospel where Jesus' existence is explained in absolute profundity. John's advanced understanding of Jesus would have been meaningless however if Jesus had not actually been born in Bethlehem.

Confusion about Jesus' birthplace is translated directly into confusion about His being God. This is highly significant because when Jesus spoke of the law of God, the Ten Commandments for example, He was speaking as One present even before the very creation of the world. When Jesus spoke of the Commandments, He spoke of that which He knew intimately. When Jesus spoke of the Prophets, He spoke of men He knew personally. When the people assumed Jesus was from Galilee, it proved they were clueless. They were the perfect candidates to reject and crucify the very God they claimed to know.

This is where we are tasked to understand where Jesus came from. We are tasked not only to understand that He was born in Bethlehem, but to understand that He was present at Creation. We are tasked to understand that the Ten Commandments (and all the Law) are about Him. We are tasked to know the Word - the written Word that is, in fact, the Living Word Who is Jesus. We are tasked to understand that everything Jesus said about Himself perfectly coincides with everything written about Him - even long before His Advent. We are tasked to see and understand that man's age-old problem of idolatry, repetitiously addressed over and over in what we call the Old Testament, remains man's problem today - causing man to trust in a plethora of things other than God ALONE. We are tasked to understand that the things Jesus demanded we must "give up" in order to follow Him are idols. We must understand that Jesus' exclusive language in Matthew 16.24 is one and the same as the exclusive language of Exodus 20.2-3:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7]

But, if we do not know the Word - the written Word, and, therefore, the Living Word, Jesus, then we will never fully understand anything beyond a meaningless life on earth. And yet, this was the pathetic powerless existence of religion in Jesus' day, and it is the pathetic powerless existence of religion in our day.

Like had begun in Jesus' day, religious people have continued to opine about religion - about God - and yes, even about Jesus. Innumerable books have been written, lessons taught, and sermons preached on what amounts to be the opinions of man just like the religious elite in Jesus' day with their traditions. Somehow in all their "religion" and religious pretense, they missed the simple FACT that Jesus was indeed born in Bethlehem. This advancement of religion came then, and comes today at the costly price of ignorance of God's Word - ignorance of Jesus. People today know more about their favorite preacher or denomination than they know about Jesus.

Any recovery from this digression will come only when Jesus' words in Matthew 16.24 are taken literally:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Jesus' demand in Matthew 16.24 is the antithesis to man's pitiful existence without God (albeit highly religious). It all starts with understanding where Jesus is from... the heart of God via Bethlehem. 

Father, may we be found knowing Jesus. May we be found giving up our own way (religious as it may be), taking up our cross (unpopular as it may be), and following Jesus. So be it.

This Is Deep!

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. [Matthew 18.1-6] 

It is a universal fact: children are not self-sufficient.

Jesus chose a child to depict the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven because a child has no notion that he or she exists without help. In that way, a child is humble. In that way a child is also vulnerable.

There are two things Jesus taught through His illustration with a child: 

1. Living in self-sufficiency is a sin: unless you turn from your sins and become like little children...
2. Teaching self-sufficiency is a sin: if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin...

This goes hand-in-hand with what Jesus said at another time and place:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

To "give up our own way" is to give up our idea of self-sufficiency. It is to abandon any thought that we can sustain ourselves.

To "take up our cross" is to demonstrate to others that we have no dependency upon ourselves because the cross we carry renders us incapable of doing so (a person "nailed to a cross" cannot "hold onto" anything else).

This furthermore goes hand-in-hand with the first three Commandments:

Commandments 1 & 2: “I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. [Exodus 20.2-6]

Commandment 3: “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.7]

The 1st & 2nd Commandments warn us that living in self-sufficiency is sin: it must be given up.

The 3rd Commandment warns us that to speak God's name in blasphemy is sin. It is a misuse of (blasphemy against) God's name (Who is all-sufficient) to declare that sufficiency is found in, or even alongside, any other name (idol). To "speak" any other name (the name of an idol) is to inadvertently teach it - demonstrate it - to others. To "take up our cross" renders us incapable of demonstrating any other name but the name of Jesus (God With Us - Immanuel).

It is pure child-like humility to trust God alone. Such trust, from an adult perspective, is vulnerable. To take advantage of that vulnerability, teaching "the believing child" to trust in anyone or anything other than or in addition to God secures severe consequences: it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

In Jesus' own words, this is deep!

Father in heaven, as we "dive in" to Your Word, may our eyes be opened to the consistent truth of Jesus that flows uninterrupted between what we call the Old Testament and the New Testament. May we see that singularly trusting in You - through Jesus - is indeed, child-like. Help us to see that it is indeed adult-like to surround ourselves with idols... May we be found, in child-like faith giving up our own way, and, in intentional demonstration of that child-like faith taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

Have We Missed The Point Of Life?

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. [Matthew 16.21-27] 

If we are not living to die, we have missed the point.

Jesus' ONLY purpose to live on earth was indeed to die.

Peter, under the influence of Satan, overwhelmingly represented every person who misunderstands Jesus' purpose to come to earth. Jesus did not come to earth to entertain or to be entertained - He came to die.

There is no Biblical proof that "life" is ours to preserve. Jesus' example and teaching says it all. God indeed said He would care for us, but we are strictly forbidden to take that matter into our own hands:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]

The pursuit of life is a human perspective of self-centeredness, idols, and Satan himself who inspires us to take our lives into our own hands for the sake of living. This is, as Jesus rebuked Peter for, a dangerous trap.

Do I mean that all the things we do "to live" are a dangerous trap? Yes, that is what Jesus said.

When death is on the line, our motives become clear. Peter only said what all of us feel. That lust to live on earth is the work of Satan. That self-centric motivation is exactly what tripped up Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. At the heart of such error is the notion that God, Who reserves the right to be our everything, is not.

Is it wrong then that we live? Of course not! But it is wrong for any "follower of Christ" to "take matters into their own hands" regarding their life. The apostle Paul said it quite clearly to the Church in Galatia:

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [Galatians 2.20]

Nothing says what or who we trust in more than our "life." Regardless what we have been deceived to believe, any trust in ourselves or other man-made systems is idolatry. It is, in fact, what Jesus warned against in Matthew 16 above: If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?. 

This is serious. This should occupy our thoughts every day... to live only as Christ with zero concern for "living on earth." This preempts "name-it-claim-it" mentality with the question instead, "What is necessary today to bring glory to God living only like Jesus knowing that God "has my back"?" If it's a miracle of epic proportions, fine. If it's the miracle of my cross, even better! Just let me follow Jesus!

Suddenly, the things of life do not matter. Suddenly, finance, insurance, medicine and technology become a clear affront to faith in Christ alone.

Hebrews 11 (the famous faith chapter) is perhaps the most taken-out-of-context chapter in the entire Bible. Everyone loves the first part of Hebrews 11 where those mentioned got the faith-opportunity to live. But most prefer to overlook the last part of Hebrews 11 where others had the faith-opportunity to die! Living or dying is not the focus! The focus is faith in Christ!

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. [Philippians 1.21]

As a believer in Jesus Christ, my "life" is in heaven. I only "live" on earth to serve God's purpose. At least, that's the way it should be...

Father, like Peter, I get so distracted with "living" that I find myself rebuked by Your Word, Jesus. Help me instead to have a proper Biblical evaluation of my life on earth. May I be found giving up my own way, taking up my cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

The Yeast Of The Pharisees And Sadducees

At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. [Matthew 16.7-12] 

The faith Jesus promoted here in Matthew 16.7-12 is faith that, regardless the circumstances, trusts God implicitly. Such faith transcends science itself in demonstration of God's Kingdom power.

In contrast, the "faith" that Jesus denounced in Matthew 16.7-12 (He didn't call it faith, but instead "the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees") is more worried about protocol and appearances than glorifying God.

The point Jesus constantly drove home with His followers was to trust God - to have faith - in real time and in every situation. Jesus is still driving this point home today and religion and religious people are still resisting it today. 

Man's own way is the way of self-preserving reason and logic (first seen in the Garden of Eden). The way of Jesus miraculously feeds thousands, heals the sick, makes the blind see, makes the deaf hear, makes the lame to walk, raises the dead, and even walks on water ...all without fear.

The way of reason and logic looks upon Jesus' miraculous life and, instead of rejoicing that God might move among them, proudly denies and rejects Him because He does not look and act like them (in their own powerless existence). This is precisely why so many have been compelled to write books, teach lessons, and preach so many sermons about why God's people are so powerless today (deceptively normalizing powerlessness among God's people). The way of reason and logic is, in fact, the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The way of reason and logic trusts man more than God. In this way, the way of reason and logic, from Jesus' time until now, is ever-increasingly more idolatrous. The way of reason and logic - the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees - is still very much with us today.

To address the problem of reason and logic then and now, Jesus gave every would-be follower of Him this timeless demand:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

An attempt by any person to justify and even defend powerlessness in the life of a "believer" is the deceptive yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. It is the work of a hard and deceived heart void of God-pleasing faith.

Father in heaven, Jesus didn't 'pull any punches' and so, You have not 'pulled any punches' today. Your Word, Jesus, exists to separate Your people from the world and its powerless, religious, ways. May all who read this today, with me, more clearly see the need to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus (on His terms, not ours). So be it.

 

Was Jesus Out Of Touch With Reality?

Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.” “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.” [Matthew 15.15-20] 

Are we to conclude here that Jesus was ignorant of biology? In a world gone wild on "eating right" Jesus' words stand in stark contrast. Modern science traces all sorts of things we eat to certain diseases and physical conditions. I mean, it's science, right?

Jesus says however that evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander are what defile us. In fact, what Jesus said coincides perfectly with what Deuteronomy 28.15-68 says about disobedience to God: all manner of sickness results in addition to all manner of loss otherwise.

I know "sincere Christian people" who are consumed with "eating right" - even religious about it. They justify their actions with both science and God's Word:

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. [1 Corinthians 6.19-20]

The thing is, 1 Corinthians 6.19-20 is not at all about "eating right" but instead the context of that entire chapter is about moral purity (read all of 1 Corinthians 6)! 

Man's sickness, weakness, and disease is NOT the result of what he eats. Jesus unapologetically contradicts such a notion (science be damned) saying man's defilement (that is what sickness and disease are referred to in the Bible) is the direct result of evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. In fact, the apostle Paul confirms this in 1 Corinthians 6 (if we actually read the whole chapter).

The only real Biblical warning concerning our diet is not found in what we eat, but in how much we eat. Gluttony is repeatedly prohibited in the Bible.

What if people so bent on "eating right" spent that time instead in repentance and devotion to following Jesus? What if people gave as much effort to Matthew 16.24 as they did their diet?

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Was Jesus out of touch with reality? I don't think so.

Father, help us see the futility of "eating right." Help us instead see the absolute necessity of giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

They Didn't Understand Miracles

Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!” Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed,  for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in. [Mark 6.47-52] 

What was it that Mark understood about the miracle of the loaves that the disciples had missed? Most assuredly it was this:

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.15]

Because a hard heart is blinded and deafened by something, it cannot enjoy the miracles of God. Like physical healing, walking on water also qualifies as a miracle the same as feeding 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. The point is, a hard heart gives preference to man's solutions to his problems denying the power of God.

That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.” “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered. [Matthew 14.15-17]

The simple solution of the blind and deaf hard-hearted disciples was to, "Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves." They never even considered a miracle from God instead. The hard-heartedness of never even considering God is a violation of the 1st Commandment:

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.2-3]

THINK! How did God bring the Hebrews out of Egypt? WITH UNDENIABLE MIRACLES! In the very context of the 1st Commandment, God demands to be distinguished as His people's ONLY God by powerful miracles. Pharoah did not let God's people go because they posed a significant military threat. Instead, Pharoah let God's people go because He feared their miracle-working God.

The disciples were mindlessly amazed at Jesus walking on the water because their hearts were hard against their miracle-working God. The disciples mindlessly resorted to sending the crowds away to get food because their hearts were hard against their miracle-working God.

Today, God's people mindlessly turn to all manner of man-made solutions for everyday problems because their hearts are hard against their miracle-working God.

Man's "solutions" are idols. Although not an exhaustive list, man's solutions (idols) today are found broadly in his industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology.

Idolatry only sees the problem (wind and waves, hungry people, poverty, vulnerability, sickness, ignorance...). Idolatry is blind and deaf to anything else.

Faith sees the solution (undeniable miracles). Faith believes God exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. Faith sees every possibility in God the Creator.

To preemptively address any misunderstanding going forward, Jesus placed the responsibility of miracles (and everything else He did) on every believer:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]

Unironically, man has a solution for John 14.12: it's called religion. Like every other man-made solution to "man's problems," religion is also an idol. So firmly established is the idol of religion that books, teachings, and sermons defending man's undeniable failure to comply with John 14.12 cannot be counted. These same books, teachings, and sermons also make damning allowance for man to establish his own spiritual equilibrium regarding Matthew 16.24:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Man's problems identify the condition of his heart. What is the first solution that comes to mind when we encounter a problem? Is it a man-made solution (our way)? Or, is it our miracle-working God (the way of the cross)?

This subject is not going away because the the Word of God is not going away. My "voice" might be silenced, but let us not think for a moment that Jesus' words will ever be silenced!

Father, may the truth of Your Word prevail in this day and age when man's solutions (idols) abound and man's hard heart prevents him from enjoying Your miracles. May there be a revival of Your Word - may there be a revival of Your miraculous intervention in the lives of Your true followers. So be it.

What If Jesus Really Meant What He Said?

If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. [Matthew 10.38-39]

What if Jesus really meant what He said? 

This is the proverbial "elephant in the room" no one really wants to talk about. This is where pure undefiled relationship with God takes a u-turn to become false religion. This is where abstraction sets upon what is otherwise clear instruction in God's Word. This is overwhelmingly where the alleged Church finds itself today.

It matters not how many books have been written or how many sermons have been preached to "soften the blow" of Jesus' hard words... Do we dare to interpret the Bible to suit our comfort level? Why would we presume to know more than God? Who would think of such a thing?

"God knows my heart" won't cut it because the fact is, God indeed knows our hearts:

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? [Jeremiah 17.9]

So, if we cannot trust our own heart, who or what can we trust? God's Word: Jesus Christ. Period.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14.6]

How do we identify deceit in our lives? It's simple: the deceiver of mankind would have us focus on ourselves instead of God. This self-centric disregard for what God said is idolatry - it began in the Garden of Eden. 

If then we cannot focus on deceit, we must focus on the Truth. Jesus spoke that Truth, so, we cannot ignore what He said! Jesus really meant every word He said.

Would it not be even more important to do what Jesus said if He repeated it? That is precisely what Jesus did:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Yes, Jesus really meant every word He said.

Father, every one of us makes a decision every day to either follow Jesus, or follow our own heart's idolatrous desires... even knowing that our hearts are "ground zero" for all manner of deceit. Help us to get real - help us stop deceiving ourselves and each other. Help us make personal every directive Jesus gave for all who be His followers. May we truly be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

If Only We Could Touch The Hem Of Jesus' Robe!

Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.” Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. [Mark 5.21-29]

For all of us who have ever wished we could just touch the hem of Jesus' robe...

Let's consider what John said about Jesus:

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. [John 1.14]

And then, let's consider what the writer of Hebrews said about God's Word:

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. [Hebrews 4.12] 

Here then is what we MUST understand from these two passages: 

God's Word and Jesus are synonymous.

With this in mind... Do we then wish to touch the hem of Jesus' robe? We do have this opportunity every minute of every day... We have God's written Word which is synonymous with His Living Word that we might "touch" Him any time we want to! And, it is in this 'want-to' where we find our great disconnect...

In today's One Year Chronological Bible reading we see another important fact about encountering God's Word:

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. [Mark 5.18] 

The formerly demon-possessed man begged to be with Jesus, the Word. The demoniac's want-to had been changed. That attitude is much different than what is demonstrated by most so-called believers today who find it a struggle to 'make time' to read the Bible. Jesus actually spoke to that condition:

Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” [John 8.47]

The woman who encountered Jesus' touch in Mark 5.21-29 had to finally come to the end of her resources before coming to Jesus. In her case, the woman had realized the futility of medicine abandoning it and turning instead to Jesus. She effectively broke ties with the idol of medicine in order to receive miraculous healing from God. God's Word had no impact on the woman until she turned to Him in earnest - turning only to Jesus, giving up on the idol of medicine, trusting her entire life and well-being to the Word of God. She actually did what Jesus later demanded of all who would be His followers:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Additionally, there was an obvious and distinct feeling of God's Word actually working. Of the woman it was said, "...and she could feel in her body that she had been healed." And of Jesus it was said, "Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him..." (Mark 5.30). So, without question, both parties involved in this healing "felt" something. This is a far cry from what occurs in most "healing ministries" today where nothing is felt by anyone excusing the lack of anything happening by calling it "faith." Yes, people get all emotional, but emotions and Biblical faith are two entirely different things!

There are two schools of thought when nothing is felt regarding healing: One group insists that miraculous healing is not for today (as in ever) and the other group insists that miraculous healing is not for today (as in at that moment). In indicting contrast to both of these Pharisee-like variations, Jesus never left a miracle undone.

We are left then with the choice to believe what God's Word says, or make up our own experience-based, Pharisee-like conclusions. If we believe God's Word for what it actually says, must desire and intentionally turn to God's Word prioritizing Him above all else, and we must bring no idols to that party! Few, if any today, meet these qualifications. But Pharisee-like religion screams cheap, unaccountable "grace" in demonic, soul-damning disagreement with what God's written and living Word says. And, yes, it is that serious...

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” [Matthew 22.14]

The "call" is indeed undeserved grace. The "chosen" are those who, in unmistakable, undivided faith, follow Jesus, the Living Word of God on His terms:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

We cannot make our own rules. We must touch the hem of Jesus' robe - we MUST touch God's Word and be touched by God's Word in a way that is felt.

Father, may we be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. May this experience be felt! So be it.

Not About The Man, But About The Faith

Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”  [Matthew 8.23-27]

Jesus illustrated a very bold fact here: 

It's not about the man, but about the faith.

However, the disciples did not get it. Instead, they were amazed, "Who is this man?"

People today still look at Jesus the same way. Even though He constantly referred to Himself as the Son of Man, they still ogled over Him as the Son of God. They missed the point. They were looking at the tree and not the forest represented by the tree. They failed to understand that they were also trees belonging to that same forest.

Any one of the disciples could have spoken to the wind and waves bringing about calm and peace. But instead, they were afraid. Jesus only did what any one of them could have done. Otherwise, His scolding of them, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” was completely unjustified.

If we can see it, the disciples trusted the man-made boat more than God. As sturdy as the boat built by man may have been, it was no match for the wind and waves over which God's Kingdom rules.

While, at first this illustration may seem to justify man's idols of finance, insurance, medicine and technology as "the boat," a more complete look at Jesus' life and ministry in another boating incident reveals otherwise:

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed. [Matthew 14.24-33]

Leave it to Peter to "test the waters," Peter whose faith became foundational to the Church! Why did Peter want out of the boat? Was the boat not sufficient? Was the boat certainly not better than nothing? Peter did not think so! So, he asked Jesus if he might come to Him. And, what did Jesus say? "Yes, come." For at least a moment, Peter understood that "if Jesus does it, I can do it." And, Peter concluded further that he should do what Jesus was doing intentionally leaving the boat.

And here is where we are today. We are experiencing the strong winds of life in our man-made idol-industry "boats" of finance, insurance, medicine and technology. God's Word is revealing Jesus to us on every page of the Bible. But instead of desiring to get out of the boat to follow Jesus, we insist that Jesus should get in the boat with us where it's 'safe.'

I suppose Jesus 'met the disciples where they were' when He got back into the boat with Peter. The disciples only witnessed Him again as the Son of God, but only Peter, and only for a moment, witnessed Jesus as the Son of Man when he (Peter) got out of the boat in faith as a man and walked on the water too.

Were the wind and waves real? Of course they were. But Jesus did not need the boat to deal with them.

So, again, why did Peter want out of the boat? Because he just wanted to be where Jesus was doing what Jesus did. He wanted to follow Jesus. The 'security' of the boat, for at least a moment, lost all meaning. Peter took "following Jesus" literally (until he didn't).

The question prevails then, "Do we want to follow Jesus?" Or, do we want instead to just stay in the boat? Getting out of the boat is Kingdom faith. Staying in the boat is ...well, idolatry (trusting something instead of, or in addition to, God).

It should be understood that Peter did not want out of the boat to prove a point as a man in human pride. Peter wanted out of the boat to follow Jesus as a man in Christ-like faith.

There is a scripture that speaks directly to this end:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Imagine that!

Father, I want to follow Jesus. I don't want to sit in the boat any more. May I be found more like Peter, reckless as he was, than those who stayed in the boat never understanding that everything Jesus did as the Son of Man, we are called and empowered to do in faith. May I genuinely give up my own way, take up my cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.

Blasphemy Against The Holy Spirit

“So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. [Matthew 12.31]

This verse scares a lot of people ...as it should.

I and many others have wondered what this verse really means. I believe I am finally beginning to understand exactly what Jesus was talking about and, even though it still scares me, I would like to share it here...

Context is everything in understanding what Matthew 12.31 means. Jesus gave this response in the context of just having been accused of casting out Satan by the power of Satan.

First we must understand that the Holy Spirit is the power of God. Jesus did not deny the strength of Satan's deception, but very much recognized the power of the Holy Spirit as stronger:

For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. [Matthew 12.29]

Notice that Jesus was not speaking of Himself as being stronger. This must be understood. "Someone even stronger" is the Holy Spirit. All of God's power is manifest in the Holy Spirit. All of God's power is the Holy Spirit.

With this established, we can refer to the 3rd Commandment:

“You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.7]

Even though Jesus is Immanuel (God with us) in the flesh, it must be remembered that, in order to effectively accomplish redemption for mankind (John 3.16), He had to become a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2.9). In this position, it was actually necessary that man could speak against Him. But, not so with the Holy Spirit (and likewise not so with God the Father).

Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come. [Matthew 12.32]

When Jesus cast out evil spirits, He did so by the power of the Holy Spirit - a privilege afforded every believer in the Name of God (John 14.12). Jesus even pointed out that the Pharisees had indeed operated in this same legitimate power. It was not their own power, but the power of God - the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit was never made a little lower than the angels, it is an unforgivable affront to the Name of God Himself to speak falsely against the Holy Spirit.

It should be recognized then that confusing God's power, His good Name, with evil is what the 3rd Commandment is all about. So we are all good, right? Not so fast...

In today's One Year Chronological Bible reading, we also find Jesus speaking of identifying a tree by its fruit - in the very same context of Matthew 12.31!

“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. [Matthew 12.33]

Do we dare associate the Holy Spirit with self-centric life? Do we dare associate the Holy Spirit with homosexuality? Do we dare associate the Holy Spirit with transgenderism? Do we dare associate the Holy Spirit with God-less living?

Do we? 

Before saying "absolutely not!" consider the following: God's people alarmingly declare man's industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology to be "gifts from God" - inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit to meet the needs of man without paying attention to the advertisements of these industries depicting as normal all manner of lifestyles forbidden by God's Word? A tree is identified by its fruit (Jesus' words, not mine)!

It is misuse of (blasphemy against) the Name of God - the power of God - the Holy Spirit to declare God-less industries as "gifts from God."

God placed the 3rd Commandment about misuse of His Name immediately following the 2nd Commandment about idolatry for good reason: because it would forever be man's tendency to justify his idolatry by calling it the work of God. 

Matthew 12.31 should indeed scare the idolatrous hell out of God's people. The fear of God should constrain His people to reject any and all association with bad-fruit-bearing idol industries of man's making. Refer to Commandment #1:

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.2-3]

The conclusions drawn here are not resultant to the Word-less and prayerless life of those who show up at church every weekend destitute of God's Word and prayer in their preceding week. As I have intentionally read the Bible, responded to what I have read (in writing), and prayed with regularity, my eyes see and my ears hear differently. My life is proof-positive that God's Word and prayer changes the way I see God's Word and prayer! I do not say this in pride (as I am far from where I need to be), but in persuasion (that this direction is real) - we all need God's Word and prayer in our lives if we are ever to distinguish what is the power of the Holy Spirit and what instead is idolatry - Matthew 12.31 gives sufficient reason to do so!

Idol industries are the way of man - not of God. Their "power" is not the Holy Spirit, but instead  deceptive self-sufficiency. Jesus was clear about the way of man:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

When the Bible is read "as a whole," Matthew 16.24 best sums up the entire story.

Father, I ask that every reader of this article see for themselves what Your Word has been saying all along. May this article point people to Your Word. May we all be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

Matthew 11 Is Amazing!

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.’ [Matthew 11.10] 

Matthew 11 is amazing!

Regardless what may be said otherwise, there is simply no way to fully comprehend the life and ministry of Jesus Christ without first understanding the life and ministry of John the Baptist.

In the context of Matthew 11, Jesus provided great insight:

For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. [Matthew 11.13]

The prophets and the law of Moses went hand in hand. The law revealed man's sin, and the prophets called for repentance of that sin. This is precisely what John the Baptist re-emphasized in preparation for Jesus. However, instead of following through with prescribed sacrifices, John baptized people. John's baptism was a baptism of repentance.

Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.” [Acts 19.4]

Repentance is the preparation for Jesus. It might also be accurately concluded that if Jesus then is not "seen" then repentance has not taken place, giving paramount importance to repentance.

What sin is being talked about here?

The prophets and the law of Moses dealt directly with man's sin problem. Specifically, and as might be expected by the arrangement of the law of Moses, the sin problem of man can be understood as idolatry. The first three Commandments are the first three Commandments for a very good reason! John the Baptist's baptism of repentance dealt primarily with man's violation of the first three Commandments.

John's message and baptism of repentance for violation of the first three Commandments (regarding idolatry) was the perfect segue into (preparation for) a new understanding of the 4th Commandment about the Sabbath - about the rest God wrote into the Ten Commandments long before anyone really understood why. John's call to repentance prepared the way to embrace the rest found in Jesus Christ, The Sabbath Rest. Matthew 11 also includes this important information from Jesus, the Sabbath Rest:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” [Matthew 11.28-30]

If however, people failed to repent for the Godward sin of idolatry, then they would fail to comprehend Jesus as the Sabbath Rest, and then they would have no basis to understand the remaining six manward Commandments.

While, for years, I have felt that John the Baptist was having a weak and doubtful moment in prison, I now see instead that John was actually brilliantly doing his job of "preparing the way" for Jesus when he sent his disciples to Him with a question that would intentionally unveil amazing truth.

John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” [Matthew 11.2-3]

I now don't think that John was having doubts. Instead, John crafted the perfect question for his disciples to ask Jesus so that they might understand for themselves what and who John had indeed been "preparing the way" for in calling for the baptism of repentance. And what did John lead them to learn?

Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” [Matthew 11.4-5]

Jesus sent John's disciples right back to John with powerful confirmation of John's accomplished task of "preparing the way." Repentance for idolatry had been re-established and miracles were the result. What a leaning moment for John's disciples! And what a confirmation for John in what would be his final days!

Religion and religious people refuse to acknowledge this. In Luke's account of the same Matthew 11 discussion about John the Baptist, we find this damning statement:

But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism. [Luke 7.30]

Later, Jesus would reveal the consequences for those who rejected both John's baptism of repentance and Jesus' message of the Good News: miracles as the result of repentance.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not  understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.14-15]

Religion and religious people always have and always will reject the notion that they are idolatrous, and therefore need to repent, so that when they do, they will enjoy God's miraculous power. Stiff necked, unrepentant people, like the religious ones who opposed Jesus, must have religion to excuse their powerless existence. They simply cannot accept the the truth of Jesus Christ plainly recorded in the Gospels - but must instead "explain away" most everything Jesus said.

And yet, Jesus' demand in Matthew 16.24 reveals the idolatry that must be given up and the cross that must be taken up in order to follow Him:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Repentance for sin is much deeper than being sorry for stealing a cookie. Every sin of man is traceable back to idolatry - starting with the idolatry to "self" - placing our own will over the will of God (the original sin in the Garden of Eden). 

Until we understand John's message of repentance (in perfect harmony with the prophets and the law of Moses), we can never understand Jesus or enjoy the power of God.

Father, I feel like I have stumbled through these thoughts here in amazement but also in accuracy. May I constantly see the depth of Jesus' call to give up my own way (turn away from idolatry - repent), take up my cross (the power of God, 1 Corinthians 1.18), and follow Him. So be it!

How Do YOU See It?

“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! [Matthew 6.22-23] 

Okay, so, I have reviewed this passage before... 

Why is this discussion about "the eye" right in the midst of Jesus' discussion about material things, life, and God's provision? Well, we might rightly conclude many things, but something I personally have not discussed before now regarding this passage is the fact that the eye has much to do with the topic of idolatry.

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8 bold added]

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18 bold added]

Actually, only until we understand the role of the eye in idolatry, do we fully comprehend the fact that Matthew 6-16-34 is all about trusting in God alone for everything. The opposite of trusting God alone is idolatry - trusting in anything other than or in addition to God.

It is not ironic that Jesus also used the role of "the eye" elsewhere in a discussion about us being healed:

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.15 bold added]

We have control of what we see. We can look upon the world's life-solutions (idols) or we can intentionally look to God. The problem with looking to the world's idols is that, in time, and, much akin to snow blindness, we cannot see anything else. Consequently then, we cannot "see" and therefore, cannot enjoy, the miraculous blessings of God.

What is said here is true because it is what God's Word teaches ...if only we will to see it. If we do not make it our will to see God as our Provider for everything, He will provide nothing and we are left to the methods and conventions of man (idols). And, that is where we are today. And, that is why the Church today is quite literally a "joke" to the world when it comes to the indisputable power of God.

The sad truth that we see today however is that the Church is quite content in its powerless state. Oh sure, there is much "talk" about the power of God however, it is always in abstract terms like those the apostle Paul warned of:

They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! [2 Timothy 3.5]

In fact, in the context of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters five through seven, we also find these less-than-settling words:

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.13-14]

In light of all this, is it any wonder that Jesus began His famous Sermon on the Mount with these words about how we "see" ourselves?

“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. [Matthew 5.3] 

We simply must have the will to see our present condition - our inherent need for God. Idols blind us to this fact - the more we look to them, the less we see God.

How do YOU "see it"?

Father, You have NEVER been vague regarding what we "see." You have NEVER been unclear about where we place our trust. You have been nothing less than demanding that we trust ONLY You. May we be found giving up our own way (all the man-made things we trust in), taking up our cross (giving up our own way to the point of reckless abandon), and following Jesus so closely that our lives are one with His. So be it.

Don't Misunderstand!

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. [Matthew 5.17-19]

What is the purpose of God's law and the prophets?

Watch this...

The purpose of God's law and the prophets was, is, and ever will be, to reveal Jesus. God's law and the prophets revealed Jesus in those who anticipated His walk earth. God's law and the prophets revealed Jesus as He walked the earth in person. God's law and the prophets reveal Jesus as He walks the earth in us today.

Use of God's law and the prophets for any other purpose is false religion.

So, what is required of those who walk in Jesus? Everything the law and prophets said. 

First, God's Commandments - God's law must be kept: namely not only keep God first, but keep God only, no idols whatsoever - no allowances, no excuses, no misuse of God's name to save face for idolatry, honoring Jesus (the Sabbath) in everything, and treating others as we wish to be treated. Jesus is central to it all.

Secondly, God's prophets - God's word concerning failure to keep His law. This one is summed up in one word: repent.

Unironically, Jesus summed all this up in one carefully-crafted statement:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Because the purpose of the law and the prophets is Jesus, any attempt to downplay or lessen their role is nothing less than the work of Satan. It is indeed false religion deceptively hiding behind a cloak of "grace" never intended. To ignore the law and the prophets calling it "grace" is to ignore Jesus missing the point entirely.

Father, may the false grace teaching that is so popular today be revealed for what it really is. May the true grace of God's undeserved call to Jesus be seen as the reason we might be chosen when and only when we submit entirely in faith. May we give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.

Jesus Is The Sabbath Rest

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” [Mark 2.27-28] 

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Church in Colosse, made a statement about the Sabbath that cannot be overlooked:

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. [Colossians 2.16-17]

Paul indicates that Jesus is the reality of the Sabbath. What is that reality? 

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” [Matthew 20.28]

With this established, we can look at God's 4th Commandment and understand it in its fullness!

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. [Exodus 20.8-11] 

The 4th Commandment is perhaps one of the most compelling prophecies of Jesus in the Bible! Is it any wonder that the 4th Commandment takes more Bible "real estate" than any of the other Commandments? 

Jesus said:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [Matthew 11.28]

Jesus also said:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Our rest is found in giving up our own effort to save ourselves - to self-preserve - to serve ourselves. Effort to serve ourselves is idolatry (ref. Matthew 20.28 above).

The Cross was Jesus' only reason to come to earth. On His Cross He fulfilled every facet of His earth-purpose - His selfless mission to serve, and not be served. Our cross then, that Jesus demands we take up, fulfills every facet of our earth-purpose - to selflessly serve, and not be served.

Sadly, many today focus on the Sabbath exactly like the religious people in Jesus' day focused on the Sabbath: they completely fail to see Jesus as the Sabbath. We must observe the Sabbath because the Sabbath is Jesus. If we disallow Jesus' rest for us, then we are 'taking care of ourselves' in our own way - we are committing idolatry.

Father, thank You for this reminder today that Jesus is indeed our Sabbath Rest. Help us meditate on this Biblical Truth understanding that our failure to rest entirely in Jesus is idolatry in its basest form. May our meditation on this Truth lead to our freedom from idolatry - our giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it.