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Portrait Credit: William Hole

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THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁹ Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
⁴⁰ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
⁴³ And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
⁴⁴ Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵ Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.
⁴⁷ So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
⁴⁸ And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. ⁴⁹ But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
⁵⁰ Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. ⁵¹ He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵² This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³ Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. ⁵⁴ That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.
⁵⁵ And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. ⁵⁶ Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. (Luke 23:26-56, New King James Version)

But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised (Luke 11:38 | NIV).

Inviting Jesus to dinner was never so dangerous. At least that is one impression you may get from text found in Luke (11:37-54) where Jesus turned religious convention on its head to pronounce six woes on his host and his guests.

Jesus was invited by a “certain” Pharisee to dinner, but that Pharisee should have considered what he was doing before extending his invitation. You kind of get the impression that the Pharisee wanted to put Jesus on the menu, by roasting Him, as immediately he marveled that Jesus did not wash up before dinner.

During those days religious Jews had a certain way of ceremonially cleaning themselves, but that observance was based on personal piety, not cleanliness. Most telling it was one of the laws the Jewish leaders established which ended up being a burden for the people.

In response to the marveling Jesus offered a lesson that would not soon be forgotten culminating in six woes. In verses 39 and 40 Jesus said, “…Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?”

Jesus then proceeded to talk about giving as unto God, pronouncing each woe to all within earshot. I’ll add some of my comments to make these woes relevant to today’s religious folk:

1. Woe to the Pharisees for wrong priorities (v 42) – The Pharisees had their tithing down pat, but they were lacking in justice and love for God. Are you diligently serving God by bringing forward your offering and doing the work of the ministry? None of this matters if you don’t care for God’s people or if you have lost your first love.

2. Woe for putting personal reputation above godly character (v 43) – Position was of utmost importance to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. Today, we still see that in the church: people striving to be known and oftentimes taking short cuts instead of upholding godliness.

3. Woe for being defiled by religion (v 44) – The Pharisees not only practiced a dead religion, but they seemed unaware of their spiritual condition. Lots of people in the church today are operating similarly: their hearts are dead while their religious observations continue.

4. Woe for putting heavy burdens upon people without offering to lift them (v 46) – The law was a heavy burden, an extension of the ten commandments that went beyond the Torah (instructions) to include the Talmud and other Jewish writings. Indeed, there were 613 commandments for people to keep and although all were based on scripture, problems arose in their rigid enforcement. Worse, if you had a burden you had to bear it yourself. There are churches today who have come up with their own set of rules and commandments. Some have absolutely nothing to do with biblical teaching.

5. Woe for killing God’s messengers (v 47) – The prophets brought messages from God to the religious leaders but they were killed because their message was unpalatable, though true. Today, people who have itching ears do not want to hear the truth. Instead, they heap upon themselves false teachers who push whatever manner of doctrine that suits them.

6. Woe to the scribes for not entering into truth while also forbidding others from doing the same (v 52) – Some believe that the Pharisees did not know better. On the contrary they did and made sure that others did not hear or follow the truth. I see this playing out in some churches today: preachers know the truth, but they are in it for financial gain and want to keep their flock from coming to the truth.

Friends, we can look at what Jesus had to say to the Pharisees and miss out on what He may be saying to us. If you are walking apart from the Lord but playing “church” most certainly one or more of these woes may apply to you.

Return to your first love now and put aside anything that will hinder you or others from serving God faithfully. Don’t be counted among the hypocrites who will be found wanting on judgment day.

Photo Credit: Lionel Titu

Special thanks to Pastor Rodney Finch whose recent two-part message on this topic inspired my article.

He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done. (Proverbs 19:17)

Duane Zook, Global Chairman of Global Aid Network, prays for a young earthquake victim, whose mother and father could not be found.

The recent cataclysmic earthquake in Haiti has galvanized much of the world into action, an amazing response that includes a number of supernatural components including seeing the hearts of several world leaders moved (Proverbs 21:1). Though hundreds of thousands were killed, millions were spared with remarkable testimonies of survival being shared for many days afterward.

Did you know that when you help someone who is poor that you are directly making a loan to God? Not that God needs anything from us, but He has set things up in this world to work through the hands of women and men to take our ordinary talents and multiply them into extraordinary blessings to those who have nothing.

But God rewards us for our kindness to the poor whether they be someone who has been dug out of the rubble in Port-au-Prince; an orphaned child in a desolate, war-torn land; or an elderly neighbor who is desperately trying to hold onto her home. When you help the poor, you are ministering to God.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. (Matthew 25:35, 36)

Clearly, God gives us many chances to help people who are impoverished physically, spiritually, or both. Even if the world was somehow a place where everyone’s temporal needs were taken care of, the spiritual need would remain.

But our world is far from being that comfortable place as wars, famine, disease, corrupt governments, and a host of other reasons conspire to keep people down. Yes, you will even have a group of people who simply will not work, but I am not talking about them. Untold millions are poor, needing to be ministered to, but the workers are few though the harvest is great.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

You may not be called to go on a mission trip, but you certainly can be missional minded. That kind of thinking has you praying and taking action as the Lord leads, seeking for ways to make a difference in the lives of the poor, giving to God with the side benefit that you will be rewarded for your efforts.

Photo Credit: Global Aid Network (Campus Crusade for Christ)

Needless to say I was frustrated. Even angry. I had a full day of work ahead of me and I knew that at some point I was going to have to stop my work, pick up our youngest son from school and return home. Another interruption in my busy day. “Problem loading page,” was the message. Ugh.

I would love to tell you that I prayed my way through this problem, but I didn’t. Instead, I grew increasingly tense, frustrated and snapped at the cat who decided that the time for her to rub up against my leg had arrived. Wrong. Thankfully, my kids were not around or at least they weren’t in my line of fire.

With no internet connection I realized that I wouldn’t be able to complete my research for the articles I was writing. Funny, it wasn’t too many years ago that all of my research materials were offline. At the library. Or in a magazine I subscribed to. I can’t remember when I last set foot in our local public library. At least I still subscribe to a handful of magazines.

Thankfully, the Lord soon brought me to my senses. I picked up my study notes and looked over a sermon that our pastor had preached a few weeks ago: When Good Meets Evil. Using Luke 8:26-39 for his text, Pastor Rodney examined the account of the man possessed by demons — a legion of them — which means that he had more than six thousand ghoulish fiends within him. This man was under the brutal control of darkness, frequently cutting himself, running around naked, crying out like the mad man that he was, and living a tormented life among the dead.

Everyone was afraid of the demon possessed man, but not Jesus. The demons within him knew who Jesus was and begged that they wouldn’t be thrown in the abyss. Instead, they asked Jesus to permit them to possess a nearby herd of swine, a request Jesus granted. As the story goes the demons immediately took up residence in the swine who rushed maddeningly down a hill, plunged into the water and drowned.

As for the formerly demon possessed man, he was now in his right mind and wanted to follow Jesus. However, Jesus told him to stay around because everyone knew who the “crazy man” was – imagine what sort of living testimony this new follower was to the local community!

Which brings me to my point – are you being driven by the devil or led by the Lord? Sure, we’re Christians which means we always do the right thing, am I right? Not a chance. Our kids don’t cooperate, our bosses make an unreasonable demand, our computers fail to connect to the internet….life weighs in and sometimes we don’t respond in the way that we should.

And yet, Jesus still beckons us to follow him, laying aside the urgency of the moment and the tyranny of the devil who would push us in a direction we know that we shouldn’t go.

Be led by Jesus the Good Shepherd today – the world, your flesh and the devil want to drive you, but your spirit is eager to allow God to lead you to a peaceful and restful place.

Photo Credit: Elly Kellner

Now allow me to say this – it is through the work of the Holy Spirit where we’re able to understand the Bible in the first place, as He empowers us to understand (grasp) what has been written. John 14:26 says, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Reading isn’t enough; comprehending what we’ve read is where it’s at.

Doubting Thomas

Even the novice amongst us has probably heard the term “Doubting Thomas” before, alluding to a passage in John 20:24-29 where this follower of Jesus misses His post-resurrection visit to His disciples. Thomas heard their stories, but that wasn’t good enough for him – he needed to see and touch Jesus for himself!

Poor, Thomas – he is like so many of us! I believe that Thomas had great faith, because he stayed faithful while Jesus was tried, convicted and crucified. I’m sure that when he had learned that all of the other disciples had seen Jesus there was a lot going through his mind – after all, THEY got to see and touch Jesus which affirmed their faith, while he had to take them at their word!

Doubting John the Baptist

We’ve been reading through the Gospel of Luke on Sunday mornings at our church. Our pastor, Rodney Finch, recently preached a sermon titled, “The Virus of Doubt.” The primary text used was Luke 7:18-35 which gave an account of John the Baptist sitting in prison, doubting if Jesus was, indeed, the Expected One (Savior).

How odd – John had already been paving the way for Jesus for some time, introducing Him to the world in John 1 as the Lamb of God. He KNEW who Jesus was, but as our pastor shared, he had his doubts too. Who wouldn’t? He was imprisoned for rebuking Herod who took Herodias to be his wife who belonged to Herod’s brother, Philip.

Knowing that Jesus had already healed the sick, raised the dead, freed the captives and done so many other miracles, John was probably wondering why he was still languishing in prison. Yet, when this message was brought to Jesus, our Savior didn’t rebuke John for his unbelief:

Then Jesus answering said to them, “Go your way, and tell John what things you have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whoever shall not be offended in me.” Luke 7:22-23

Not A Personal Savior?

We may believe that Jesus came so that he might be our “personal savior” a teaching rampant in the church today. While the “personal” aspect sounds lovely, in actuality Jesus is the Savior of the world. 1 John 4:14 says, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” John wasn’t going to be freed from prison (saved), in fact he would eventually have his head cut off! The fact John wasn’t rescued meant that God had another plan for him – eternal life.

Jesus did respond to John by reminding him to stay the course. Can I be perfectly frank with you? We all struggle with whatever difficulties come our way, but sometimes those same problems can wear us down when they continue on and on and on…. I’m sure that John thought that he’d be sprung from prison by Jesus, instead he was left there and martyred. John died knowing that Jesus was the world’s Savior, but he wasn’t saved from a gruesome death.

The Savior of the World

Nothing I’ve said is meant to diminish who Jesus is, rather to bring some clarity to our doubts as well as to our expectations. Though I don’t look at the “personal savior” teaching as heresy, it can lead some believers to becoming discouraged if certain expectations aren’t being met. In John the Baptist’s case Jesus did relay an answer, though it might not have been the words he expected (or wanted) to hear.

We need to trust the Holy Spirit to teach us and guide us no matter how difficult the situation we’re in. Unfulfilled expectations can lead to doubt, but if we’re able to look beyond our present circumstances, we can see that Jesus is, indeed, the Savior of the world!

Photo Credit:  Stephen J. Sullivan

See Also — The Blind Shall See (Matthew 11:5)

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men — Luke 2:52 (NIV)

My wife, unknown to me, began to pray a few weeks ago that I would not only gain favor with God, but with man. Not that she doubted that I already wasn’t receiving God’s favor, rather that His favor would extend to people whether they trusted their lives to Him or not.

Since I work for myself, I’m busy throughout the day writing articles, marketing myself and trying to run a business. Needless to say, there are times I feel overwhelmed by it all, needing some help especially from above.

The verse in Luke mentioned above is very interesting. At that time, Jesus was twelve years old and was astounding everyone with his scriptural knowledge and composure. Jesus never lacked the Father’s favor, as He already had that.

and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased” — Matthew 3:17 (NASB)

We also have God’s favor when we become born again. That doesn’t mean we always have all of His blessings, especially when we’re willfully sinning, but it does mean that His favor is upon us.

The favor of man is something that is entirely different, seemingly harder to gain, especially by human means. People are so fickle, loving you one moment and ready to rip you apart the next. But, having man’s favor is still important, especially as we navigate through this life.

Jesus had man’s favor not because He told them what they wanted to hear but because He spoke truthfully and with authority.  As Christians, we’re to model that pattern in our own lives, demonstrating to the world who we are and what we believe.

Related to that, I believe that God wants us to seek favor from men in other areas of our lives.  My wife’s prayers were uttered in the knowledge that she wanted prospective customers to give me their favor too, in the form of new work.

Well, her prayers have been answered as I recently started working with two new clients and have signed on with a third a special promotional opportunity. I’m not saying that the floodgates have been opened, but I will say that my cup is filled to the brim. All this has taken place in the face of the worse economy we’ve seen in a generation.

Speaking about the economy, I realize that man’s economy is one thing, but God’s economy is something completely different. Where man pulls back, God moves forward advancing His kingdom and completing the work that He has promised to fulfill.

Oh, and lest I forget, thanks Ruthie for following through with your prayers!

Photo Credit: Jesse Schutt

See Also — You’re Worthy Of My Praise

I believe that the disciples were anticipating they were next, that the Jewish leaders would come for them and have them arrested. Good Friday was followed by Gloomy Saturday, a day which had Jesus’ followers hiding and fearing the worst.

Women Head To The Tomb

But, not everyone was paralyzed by fear, with at least five women choosing to get up early that Sunday morning to visit Jesus’ tomb where they planned to anoint His body with spices. Mary Magadalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, Joanna and at least one other woman went out that day (Ref. Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, Luke 24:10 and John 20:1).

In Matthew’s account, we know that Mary Magadalene and the other Mary went to the tomb and at some point a violent earthquake took place as an angel rolled back the stone blocking the tomb and sat on it. Jesus had already raised Himself (Ref. 2:19-21, Romans 8:11 and Acts 2:32) from the dead and left the tomb; the angel was sent to give His followers access to the tomb to see that He was, indeed, no longer there.

Jesus Was Alive & So Were Many Dead Saints

Soon, the disciples discovered that Jesus was not dead that He was alive and that “many bodies of the saints which slept arose” (Matthew 27:52). For forty days the resurrected Jesus showed Himself to His followers, encouraged them and then ascended to heaven (Ref. Acts 1:9-11 and Luke 24:50-53). Although we don’t know what became of the resurrected saints, they very well could have ascended to heaven with Jesus.

Fast Forward To 2009

I’m also spending this day in anticipation, but unlike the disciples, I have the rest of the story. At least the part where Jesus rose from the dead and ascended.

I, too, am waiting in anticipation not so much for Easter Sunday, rather for Jesus’ return. Resurrection Sunday serves as a strong reminder that Jesus conquered death and sin, but another event — His Second Advent — is what I really yearn for these days.

I know that we are living in the end times, perhaps the very last days before His return. The signs are clear to those who love Him as the birth pangs grow closer together.  Moral depravity, ungodliness, the falling away of professing believers and wars/rumors of wars are signs that this world cannot continue “as is” for much longer.

Lately, I’ve been finding myself crying out to the Lord, not so much to intervene in my personal circumstances but that He would intervene in this world’s affairs. I know that He’ll come back on schedule, but I must admit that “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” is the cry of my heart.

Thankfully, today isn’t “Gloomy Saturday” for me. Instead, I wait in anticipation of the reminder of Resurrection Sunday and for the promise of His return.

May your heart also be filled in anticipation, watching and praying until the return of Jesus Christ.

Related Reading: Prophecy Fulfilled — Zechariah 9:9

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it — John 8:44 (NKJV)

This past Sunday our family visited a sister church in another city where we were blessed to be able to worship with God’s people and listen to a sermon titled, Unforgiveness.

A Heart That Had Been Broken

Coincidentally (is there really such a thing in God’s will?) we also heard the testimony of a teen believer who shared how God moved mightily in her heart while she was at a recent youth retreat.  She recounted her feelings of worthlessness, recalling those times when she had no desire to live, even ‘tempting fate’ by walking out in the street, wanting to be killed.

Apparently, this young woman — who was pretty and articulate  — believed some terrible things about herself, lies which were being fed to her from the pit of hell. But, God showed Himself faithful, lovingly revealing sin in her life while giving her the opportunity to repent.

A Young Life Saved and Restored

Restored and filled with His Spirit, her story received the applause of all who were in attendance as we rejoiced and thanked God for his deliverance perhaps knowing that her story could possibly parallel our own experience or what our children sometimes experience. God’s mercy was evident — a life had been spared and transformed!

John 8:44, taken in context of the chapter, shows how Jesus had to ‘get real’ with the Pharisees by telling them that their witness was false. Cutting to the chase, Jesus called them children of the devil — who is the father of lies.

Satan, Your Enemy

I believe it is important for each person who has surrendered his or her life to Jesus Christ to remember exactly who wants to destroy them. Satan, an angel who was once called Lucifer (Ezekiel 28:15-17) was filled with sin, cast out of heaven and has been at war with God and his saints ever since.  He not only is a liar but a thief who tries to steal, kill and destroy while Jesus came to give us life and that more abundantly.

While the liar/thief has only your ill will in mind, God has a better idea:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope — Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB).

This last verse should be of immense comfort for those who are following Jesus Christ as well as those who want to escape their lives of sin: God has good things in mind for you, but you have to quit listening to the lies and walk in truth to apprehend all the goodness He has for you.

Satan knows that his time is short and he wants to rip people off. For the believer, we need to recall God’s promises and lay hold of every one of them so that we may walk in victory with the One who has overcome the world.

Photo Credit: Joël Dietlé

For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him — Mark 4:25 (NASB)

I’ve met some very brilliant people in my life, great minds who have an intellect that puts me to shame. I have a decent handle on mathematics, but when it comes to advanced applications such as Calculus, I am lost.

What I do have is a desire to learn. Maybe not so much Calculus or a World Language, rather to have a better grasp of what I already know and to be open to learning new things. I never believed that my education stopped when I completed my college studies, rather I’ve long looked at my years since then as opportunities to keep on learning, but in an unstructured environment.

Jesus encouraged his disciples to keep on learning too, promising those who did that new things would be revealed to them. Not new and contradictory doctrine, as some would say, rather a deeper understanding of who He is, what God wants from us, His plans for us, etc.

Mark 4:21-25 is known as the parable of the light under the basket. Jesus asks his people where a light is to be put — under a bed or on a lampstand? Clearly, the answer would be on a lampstand where all would see it.  Back in verse 11, Jesus told his disciples that  ”…it has been given to know the mystery of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables…”

For the follower who seeks the light (that is the knowledge of God), Jesus’ intention is for them to have all truth revealed. Thus, putting the light away as in under the bed will mean that the follower will not learn truth.

Even more emphatically Jesus warns the person who has truth but doesn’t seek to learn more, that even what he has will be taken away from him.  I equate this warning to the Christian who refuses to open his Bible to learn of God; eventually what knowledge of the truth they do possess fades away.

One of the biggest problems in this world isn’t a lack of knowledge, rather people pursuing worldly knowledge at the exclusion of knowing God. Quite frankly I am not opposed to people furthering their formal education, but if they do that at the expense of learning more about the higher purposes of God then their great intellect will do them no good ultimately.

Perhaps that is the reason why we have so many smart people in this world who are truly clueless when it comes to the things of God.

The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge — Proverbs 18:15 (NASB).

Photo Credit: Wong Mei Teng