The Truth about Heaven!

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:44-46

Would you like to win the lottery? Perhaps many of us have daydreamed about what we would do with the money if we won. Did you ever as a child imagine finding a buried chest full of treasure? Divers search the ocean floor for sunken ships and the treasure that they hold. But, in these instances the treasures in our imagination are physical. The greatest treasure we can ever possess is spiritual, and it’s for real and available to us.

Jesus was telling what the kingdom of heaven is like. Heaven is the greatest treasure a person can possess. Its value is emphasized in two of Jesus’ parables which teach the same truth.

The first parable tells about a man who discovered a treasure hidden in a field. There were no banks or safes in Jesus’ day, and people often buried their wealth in the ground to hide it from thieves. The man in the parable hid the treasure again. Then he sold everything he had and used that money buy the field.

The second parable says the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who was searching for fine pearls. He found one of great value, and he sold everything he had and bought it.

These two parables teach us the same truth. The kingdom of heaven is of such great value that a person should be willing to give up everything that he has in order to gain it. And this is what it takes--total commitment to God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Paul called upon us to be “living sacrifices” and called that our “reasonable service”.

We can look at the two parables from a different perspective We can liken the person who pays the great price to Jesus and the treasure to mankind. Certainly, Jesus paid the highest price ever paid for anything when He died on the cross for us. Knowing Him and belonging to Him is worth everything that we have to give--ourselves in commitment, service, and obedience. One hymn says, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.” Spending eternity with Him and God the Father and our constant companion, the Holy Spirit, is certainly worth everything we have to give.

Father, may we give ourselves to You in total commitment, with gratitude for all You have given us and with great anticipation for what You have prepared for us in heaven for eternity. May we realize that it is worth everything we have to give. Amen.

What You Need to Know to Live the Best Life

Ecclesiastes 1-12

“I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 1:13a (NIV 1984)

Ecclesiastes is one of the most practical, up-to-date books of the Bible. Solomon carefully examined the way to get the most out of life, the happiest way to live. I want the best life that I can possibly have. Don’t you?

Solomon’s purpose in Ecclesiastes was to find the answers to the big questions people have asked throughout all generations and are still asking today. Who am I? Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? Is there meaning, purpose, and value for my life, or is all of life meaningless? Does God exist? Is there life after death, or is this world all there is? Max Lucado writes, “Mine deep enough in every heart and you’ll find it: a longing for meaning, a quest for purpose. As surely as a child breathes, he will someday wonder, ‘What is the purpose of my life?’”

The author of Ecclesiastes--and the probability is that Solomon is the author--begins his writing by saying in chapter 1, verse 2, “‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.’” He gives four reasons to support that conclusion: 1. Life is monotonous; 2. Death is certain; 3. Wisdom is in vain; and, 4. Wealth is futile.

Solomon talks about the monotony of life. He says it’s the same old, same old over and over. The sun rises, and the sun sets. Then it rises again. Generations come and generations go. I have lived long enough to be seeing the fourth generation in my lifetime, and there is much repetition in the way people live from generation to generation. Solomon implies that mankind is just going around in circles but getting nowhere.

Twenty-seven times in the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon uses the phrase “under the sun”, denoting the human viewpoint, trying to understand life from man’s wisdom alone. But life and the world look very different from God’s point of view. I don’t see the reliability of the universe as being monotonous. Rather it assures us of the eternal unchanging dependable nature of God. Ecclesiastes 1:11 states an indisputable fact that Solomon abhors but cannot circumvent: we will all die and soon be forgotten. The wise and foolish alike will die. If a man works hard and does well, he will one day have to leave everything he has amassed to someone else. That is life under the sun. But, with God, what wonderful possibilities open up and give us hope for an incredible future with Him.

Solomon says if life under the sun is all there is, it doesn’t make a lot of difference whether we live wisely or foolishly. Both kinds of people will end up dead. But from God’s point of view, the way we live this life is the foundation and preparation for eternal life. It makes all the difference when we see life from God’s point of view! Contrary to human thinking, man's wisdom and education will not give him the answers he is seeking to the ultimate questions of life. No amount of human effort can explain life’s meaning and purpose or give man eternal life. Only God can do that.

Father, thank You that knowing and serving You is the purpose for our lives. It gives fulfillment in this life and prepares us to spend eternity with you. Amen.

Is life unfair? Surprising answer.

Job 1-42

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…” Job 13:15a (King James Version)

Life is not always fair. And there will be times when we don’t understand what God is doing nor why He is doing it. Have you ever felt like you have fallen into a pit too deep to climb out and people are throwing dirt in on top of you? Job must have felt that way when his life caved in on him.

Job was a man who always tried to do the right thing. Job 1:1b tells us, “This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.” You might think that such a person would, and should, have smooth sailing all through life.

God had blessed Job abundantly. He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 donkeys. He had many servants as well.

One day the angels and Satan came before God. God asked Satan if he had noticed Job and how upright he was. Satan said, in essence, why wouldn’t he be good? You have given him great wealth. But if you take it all away he will curse you. God gave Satan permission to test Job by doing whatever he wished with Job’s possessions, but Satan wasn’t allowed to harm Job’s body.

Satan struck Job with a vengeance. He destroyed all of his livestock and killed all of his children. Both God and Satan were watching closely to see what Job would do. What would you have done? What do you think Job did? He fell to the ground and worshiped God. He said, “The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were his to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21 The Living Bible “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” Job 1:22 NIV

God and Satan had a second conversation about Job. God bragged on Job, and Satan said if Job’s body were afflicted, Job would certainly curse God. God gave Satan permission to strike Job’s body, but he was forbidden to take Job’s life. Notice: it is God who sets the times and the limits to our trials and testing.

Satan afflicted Job with painful boils which covered his whole body. Job 2:8 give us a picture of how pitiful Job was when it says, “Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.”

Mrs. Job brought her husband no comfort. She said to him, “Are you still trying to be godly when God has done all this to you? Curse him and die.” Job 2:9 The Living Bible

Job’s friends came to visit and insisted he must have sinned for such calamity to befall him. Job told them, “What miserable comforters all of you are.” Job 16:2b The Living Bible With friends like that, Job didn’t need any enemies! This story tells us plainly that good, innocent people may suffer.

Job kept protesting his innocence and reiterating his faith in God. Since Jesus had not yet come and the resurrection had not yet taken place, Job wondered aloud, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” Job 14:14a The Living Bible Later he made this declaration of faith, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” Job 19:25-26 NIV But, to me, Job’s most amazing statement of faith is found in Job 13:15a, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” Job passed God’s test with an A plus plus! He didn’t make the mistake many people make, letting their suffering embitter them against the only One who can help them. As a friend of mine once said, when her husband died, “I can’t afford to be made at God. I need Him too much!”

The story of Job had a happily ever after ending. God gave Job twice as much wealth as he had before. He also gave him ten more children and 140 more years in which to enjoy his children and grandchildren.

Father, may our faith in You be as strong as Job’s faith was, regardless of our circumstances. Amen.

What is the kingdom of heaven like?

Matthew 13:31-46

“The kingdom of heaven is like…” Matthew 13:24b

What is the kingdom of heaven like? In the thirteenth chapter of Matthew, Jesus told seven parables to explain what the kingdom of heaven is like. The first one was the parable of the sower, or the soils, which describes how the kingdom begins. It begins with the sowing of God’s Word which plants the seed of salvation in people’s hearts. The Word of God is living, and it can impart life to all who believe and obey it. When God’s Word takes root in a heart and is cultivated, it bears fruit for the Kingdom of God.

We have an enemy, Satan, who is fiercely opposed to God’s kingdom. God warns us about his desires in the parable of the tares, or weeds. In this world, Christians and unbelievers live together. The weeds represent non-Christians who mix and mingle with believers. The owner of the wheat field said to let the plants grow together until the harvest. But there are graphic word pictures to depict the end of believers and unbelievers. The tares, or unbelievers, will be collected and burned, a picture of everlasting damnation. The believers will be gathered into the owner’s barn, a picture of God gathering those who are His in heaven.

The parable of the net has the same message as the parable of the wheat and the tares. All kinds of fish were caught in the same net. When the net was full, the fishermen pulled it to shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but they threw the undesirable fish away. Matthew 13:49-50 says, “This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. It is one of the tiniest seeds, but it grows into a tree where the birds can come and perch. The kingdom of God had a small beginning, but it is large enough to accommodate all who believe in Christ, and they will find rest there.

As yeast permeates a batch of dough and changes it, so the indwelling Holy Spirit permeates and affects every area of a believer’s life. And Christians are like yeast in the world, permeating and changing society by their witness and influence.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

We have seen clearly in the parable of the weeds and the parable of the net what will happen to those who do not belong to the kingdom of God. The tree grown from the mustard seed pictures a place for all who believe in Jesus in heaven. The parable of the yeast encourages Christians to use their influence in the world so many people will come into God’s kingdom. The hidden treasure and the pearl show the tremendous value of being a part of God’s kingdom. A person should be willing to give up everything he has to attain it. 

Father, the greatest thing that can happen to a person is to believe in Christ, enter Your forever kingdom, and be assured of going to heaven after death. May we make sure of our own salvation and use our influence to help others come to Christ. Amen.

This is how it will be at the end of the age.

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

“This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:49-50

I had an uncle who was a minister. I remember asking him one time why God poured out His gifts on bad people as well as good people, why He “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45b My uncle said if God gave His gifts to the righteous only, many people might try to be righteous just to receive God’s gifts. Their motives for serving Him would be wrong.

Another reason that God pours out His gifts on all people is because He is hoping that will bring some people into His Kingdom. He is giving them every chance to repent and accept Christ. He doesn’t want anyone to perish, so He patiently gives many opportunities for people to come to Him.

These thoughts should help us understand the parable of the weeds. The parable says that a man sowed good seed in his field. But while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds in the field with the wheat seeds. When the wheat came up, so did the weeds. If you have ever gardened, you will realize that this is a common occurrence.

People in Decatur, Alabama have been know to sow seeds in the shape of football game scores in the yards of their friends who support different teams.

The servants of the owner of the field came and asked him where the weeds came from since he had sown only good seed. The owner told them that an enemy had done this. The servants asked if they should go pull up the weeds. The owner told them no because they might pull up wheat along with the weeds. The owner told the servants to let the wheat and the weeds grow together until time for the harvest. Then he would instruct the harvesters to gather the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned. Then they were to gather the wheat and put it in the owner’s barn.

The disciples came to Jesus later and asked Him to explain the parable of the weeds. Jesus said that He is the One who sowed the good seed. The field represents the world, and the good seed stands for those who become God’s children. The weeds are children of Satan, sown by him. The angels will be the harvesters. They will weed out of God’s kingdom all who do evil and everything that causes sin. Then the weeds will be burned in a fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. But the righteous will enter God’s Kingdom.

There is a parallel parable. A net was let down into a lake, and all kinds of fish were caught in it. The fishermen pulled the net to shore, sat down, and separated the fish. They collected the good fish in baskets, but they threw the bad fish away. Again, the angels will separate the righteous from the unrighteous.

We should be sufficiently warned to make certain our destination will be heaven for eternity, and, hopefully, we will do all we can to help as many people as possible enter God’s place of glory and reward as well.

Father, once we know we are secure in Christ Jesus, may we be used of You to help others, and especially those we love the most, become secure in Him as well. Amen.

Matthew 13:1-23

“Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed.’” Matthew 13:3

This parable is best known as The Parable of the Sower, but it really is a parable about the different soils where the seed fell. That’s what made the difference in how the seed grew because the sower and the seed are constants.


God is the sower and the seed is God’s word. Some seed fell along the path. The gardens were edged with paths that were beaten down and packed by the foot traffic so the soil was hard. Seed that fell on the ground would just stay on top until the birds came and ate it. The birds are a picture of Satan snatching away the word.


What makes the human heart hard? Sin--the desire to go our own way and do our own thing and ignore God. Author James Montgomery Boice tells of a conversation he heard between two women. One asked the other, “Why is America in such a declining moral state?” Her friend replied, “Because the people love sin.”


Some seed fell on rocky places where there was not much soil. The seed sown on stony ground with little soil represents people who receive God’s word with joy and excitement, but in a time of testing they fall away because they lack roots and nourishment. They are shallow Christians. We never know when trouble will come, but we need to be prepared by putting our roots down deep in Christ when we have opportunities.


Some seed fell among thorns which grew up and choked out the plants. The seed that was sown on thorny ground and was choked out by the weeds represents people who hear the word but they become so caught up in worrying about the problems and details of living and in enjoying wealth and leisure that the seed of God’s word can’t grow and mature. We can become so involved in the things of the world that we do not grow and bear fruit.


Finally, the seed was sown on good ground and produced a bountiful harvest. A fruitful Christian, represented by good soil, is one who studies God’s word and is obedient to what he learns.


The application of this parable is obvious. We are led to examine our lives to see what kind of soil we are. Are we fruitful Christians? If not, why not? How can we change?



Father, I want to be good soil for Your word to grow in my life and make me be fruitful for You. Amen.

Matthew 13:11-17

“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables…” Matthew 13:1-3a

Have you ever wondered why Jesus taught by parables? The disciples wondered too, and they asked Jesus about it. A parable is a story that has one main point. It usually teaches a particular spiritual truth. Wiersbe defines it this way, “It is a story, or comparison, or illustration that is put alongside something else to help make a lesson clear.” Another good definition is “a heavenly truth illustrated by an earthly story.” A parable is different from an allegory. In an allegory, like Pilgrim's Progress, almost every detail has special meaning, but a parable usually makes just one major point.

Jesus told His disciples that He taught by parables for three reasons: 

1. because it was prophesied that He would do that; 
2. because of the hard hearts of some people; and, 
3. to further the understanding of those who were receptive to His teachings. 

He also used parables for teaching because of the impact they made on His listeners and because they were easy to remember and share with others--parables are great teaching tools.

Jesus fulfilled prophecy when He taught by parables. Matthew 13:34-35 says, “Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: ‘I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.’” This prophecy is from Psalm 78:2.

Jesus spoke in parables because of the hardened hearts of many of His listeners. His enemies were seeking ways to discredit Jesus with the people who were following Him and who thought He was wonderful. The Pharisees and others wanted to kill Jesus, but they didn't want to cause an uprising among Jesus’ followers. If they could trap Him into saying something that would be unpopular, it would help their cause. But those who were opposed to Jesus or indifferent to Him would not understand the parables because they had closed their hearts and minds to His teaching. Because they did not understand, they would not be able to trap Jesus with His words or use what He was saying against Him.

Matthew 13:13-15 says this about those who opposed Jesus, “This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’’” No one is so blind as one who refuses to see, and no one is as deaf as one who refuses to hear.

Jesus also spoke in parables to enhance the understanding of those who were listening and open to what He had to say. He told those people how blessed were their eyes because they saw and how blessed were their ears because they heard. And then Jesus told the crowd that they had an incredible privilege of hearing and seeing what many prophets and righteous people had longed to see and hear in the past--the long awaited Messiah Himself.

Think of the incredible spiritual privileges we have today. We have the whole Bible. We know that the Messiah has come and who He is. We have many years of church history and the lives of many saints to challenge and encourage us. We have our local congregations of the church where we can meet regularly with others who are like-minded. We have the privilege of prayer at any time and any place for any need. And we have the Holy Spirit who opens our minds and hearts to God’s Word. How blessed we are!!!

Father, thank You for all the spiritual privileges you have given us. May we learn and obey Your Word and pass it on to others. Amen.

Whose rules are you following?

Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 3:1-6, Luke 6:1-5

“So he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’”   Mark 2:27-28

Some years ago two friends of mine were headed to Sunday School with their children.  They were in a hurry because they were running late.  On the way, they passed a neighbor who was obviously having car trouble. As they were speeding past their neighbor, one of their children said, “Well, I guess we’ll hurry on to Sunday School so we can sit and listen to the story of the Good Samaritan.”  With that comment, they turned around and helped their neighbor.

One of the greatest priorities for the Pharisees was keeping all the laws they had made.  One of Jesus’ greatest priorities was helping people.  One of the greatest reasons for opposition to Jesus by the religious establishment of His day was Jesus’ disregard for their detailed man-made rules for keeping the Sabbath. Here are some interesting examples of their man-made rules.

The law said no one was to travel on a Sabbath.  But how far a walk was considered traveling?  The rule was made that going further than 1000 yards from home was traveling.  If someone walked farther than that, it was considered to be a sin.  But if a rope was tied across the end of a street, the whole street was considered to be one dwelling place, and then people could legally walk 1000 yards beyond the rope.  Or if someone deposited some food at a certain place on Friday night, the next day he could walk to that place, eat his food (thereby technically establishing a new home) and then he could go 1000 yards beyond that.  A clever person could travel as far as he wanted to that way.

The Pharisee’s law forbade carrying a load on the Sabbath.  A piece of clothing was defined as a load if it was carried, but if it was worn, it wasn’t considered a load.  So if a person wanted to move an article of clothing from one room to another on the Sabbath, he could put it on, wear it to another room, and take it off.  The Pharisees established 39 categories of work that were forbidden on the Sabbath, including healing and reaping.  There are several instances where Jesus ignored these laws to heal on the Sabbath, but Jesus also allowed His disciples to break some of the Pharisees' laws against reaping.

One Sabbath Jesus and His disciples were walking through a grain field.  The disciples were hungry, so they picked some of the grain and ate it.  The Pharisees didn’t accuse the disciples of stealing grain.  What the disciples did was lawful on any day except the Sabbath.  Deuteronomy 23:25 says, “If you enter your neighbor’s grain field, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to his standing grain.”

The reason the Pharisees became so angry about the disciples picking and eating a few kernels of grain was because they had done so on the Sabbath. The Pharisees considered picking the grain to be reaping.  When the disciples rubbed off the husks, the Pharisees considered that threshing.  Blowing the husks away was winnowing, and the whole process was considered to be preparing a meal.  All of these activities were forbidden on the Sabbath by the Pharisaic rules.

Perhaps the Pharisees expected Jesus to correct His disciples, but He defended them.  He stated that, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” Mark 2:27.  God intended for man to be helped by the Sabbath, to be rested and refreshed.  But He didn’t intend for human needs to be neglected because of some man-made rules. The "Golden Rule" says, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you". Doing good for others is not against God’s law.

Father, thank you that nowhere in Your Word are there commands that we neglect other people.  May Your priorities be our priorities as well.  Amen.

Are you eating with sinners and tax collectors?

Matthew 9:9-19, Mark 2:14-17, Luke 5:27-31

“Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’” Luke 5:31-32

Matthew was an unlikely candidate to become one of the twelve apostles and the writer of the first gospel in the New Testament. He was a tax collector who was also called Levi. He wrote his own testimony for all who feel unworthy and unacceptable in order that they might realize that God loves sinners.

As a tax collector, Matthew was politically unacceptable. He was an outcast in his society. The Romans hired Jews to collect taxes from their own people. These people were considered traitors because they collaborated with their enemies. Also, many tax collectors took more money than the people owed and lined their own pockets with the surplus.

Matthew was socially unacceptable. The Jews, and especially the religious leaders, shunned tax collectors. The teachers of the law were forbidden to travel with them, do business with them, have them as guests, visit in their homes, and particularly would not eat with them. The Holman New Testament Commentary contains this comment, “Tax collectors, in general, were known for their greed and lack of conscience, so they were thought of as the lowest form of humanity.”

But the wonderful thing for Matthew was, even though he was considered unacceptable to his fellow Jews, he was not unacceptable to Jesus!

Jesus passed by Matthew's tax booth and said to Matthew, “Follow me,” and, just like that, Matthew got up, left everything, and followed Jesus. Since Matthew was so willing to follow Jesus, it is possible he had already met Jesus before. At least it is probable that he had heard about Jesus and knew His reputation. It may well be that Matthew had already been seeking a new and better way of life.

Matthew had two signs of a true conversion. He had a changed life when he left his former occupation and followed Jesus. And he wanted his friends to know Jesus as well. So Matthew gave a great banquet for Jesus and invited a large crowd of tax collectors as well as some other people. It’s not hard to imagine what the Pharisees and other religious leaders thought about Jesus eating at Matthew’s house. No doubt they were horrified to see Jesus mixing and mingling with this “unclean” group. They complained to Jesus’ disciples asking them, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Luke 5:30b But it was Jesus Himself who answered them. He said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:31-32

Sin is like a disease. People must realize they are sick before they will seek a cure. Not only would the Pharisees and Scribes not see the fullness of Jesus’ life, but they also could not see the emptiness of their own lives. Only those people who recognize the fact that they are sinners and want to be forgiven can be helped by Jesus. Those who are self righteous and think they are spiritually acceptable to God on their own merit will not repent because are blind to their sins and their need for forgiveness. They will remain in their sins.

Fortunately, those who recognize their sins and repent have a Doctor who heals sin sickness. He makes house calls. He comes to us wherever we are. He makes an accurate diagnosis and provides a complete cure. And, He doesn’t charge us anything because He has already paid the bill!

Father, thank You for sending Jesus to pay for our sins, to bring us forgiveness, and to lead us to You. Amen.

How busy are you?

Matthew 8:14-17; Mark 1:29-38; Luke 4:38-44

“When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.” Matthew 8:16

We have surely all had those days when there was much more to do than time to do it in, days when everyone seems to need you, and there’s just not enough of you to go around. Jesus surely had days like that as well, with so many people with needs clamoring for His attention. How did He handle days like this?

One such day for Jesus began in the synagogue. It was a Sabbath, and Jesus was teaching. People were listening. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon. Suddenly the demon spoke through the man at the top of his voice, saying, “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God” Luke 4:34

Jesus exercised His authority and power over the demon who caused this interruption. In a stern voice Jesus told the demon to be quiet, and then He commanded the demon to come out of the man. The demon threw the man down and then came out of him. The people who saw this were amazed, and the news about Jesus spread through the surrounding area.

Then Jesus left the synagogue and went to Peter’s house. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick. She had a high fever, and those in the house asked Jesus to help her. He went to her, rebuked the fever, took her hand, and helped her up. The fever left, and she got up and began waiting on the people in her home.

Since it was the Sabbath, it was unlawful to heal on the Sabbath according to the rules of the Pharisees. People waited until sunset when the Sabbath was over. Then they brought all who were sick with various illnesses. He laid His hands on each one and healed them. There was also a number of people there who were demon-possessed. Jesus drove out the demons, but He wouldn’t allow them to speak. They knew who He was, and He didn’t want their recognition. Mark tells us that the whole town was gathered at the door. This must have been a very tiring day for Jesus, but He had compassion on the crowd and ministered to them.

Did Jesus sleep late the next morning? Did He take the day off and rest? No, the next day He got up before sunrise, went to a solitary place, and prayed. He needed the refreshing power that came from being with His Father.

In our world of noise and busyness, it is often hard to find a quiet time and place. But Jesus made prayer a priority in His life. He made certain He took the time to talk to His Father, and He did it before the pressures of the day moved in. The battles of the Christian life are fought and won in prayer before they are ever fought in everyday life. How should we handle a tough day? Get alone with God and allow Him to infuse us with His peace and power. We might make a slogan that says, “Start your day the Jesus way!”

People were looking for Jesus that morning. When they found Him, they wanted Him to stay with them. But He told them that He needed to preach the good news about God’s kingdom in other towns as well. That was why He had been sent. And so He moved around, preaching in different synagogues in Judea.

Wiersbe, “Jesus did not permit popular acclaim to change His priorities.” People followed Jesus for His healing and other miracles, but Jesus was careful to teach people as well as heal. He knew that His words were more important than His works.

Father, may we seek You for a relationship more than for the gifts You give us. But may we also realize that we need to be refreshed and replenished every day by coming to You for strength and guidance. Amen.

Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-10

“And without faith it is impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6a

When I was in school, my daddy would try to help me with some of my math problems. He could work the problems and get the correct answers, but he didn’t do the problems the way my math teacher had done them so I rejected Daddy’s help. He did the right thing, but not in what I thought was the right way.

Have you ever asked God to do something specific for you and then told Him how to do it? Have you said, “No, God, You’re not doing it right?” How rigid we can be in our ideas and expectations! Other people may do things the wrong way, but surely we can trust God to do the right thing the right way! Our faith in God is very pleasing to Him and our lack of faith in Him is a great disappointment to Him.

A centurion had a servant who was very sick. In fact, he was about to die. Centurions were officers in the Roman army, usually commanders of around 100 men. This centurion highly valued his servant and sent for help for him. The Roman soldier was a member of an occupying army sending for help to a Jewish rabbi, one of the subject people. This was most unusual. The Romans were not known for humility and ordinarily would definitely not have displayed humility before their Jewish subjects. But this centurion must have really loved his servant. He showed him compassion--one person’s pain in another person’s heart.

Luke gave this version of the story. The centurion sent some elders of the Jews to Jesus to ask Him if He would come heal the centurion’s servant. When they came to Jesus they pled the centurion’s case, saying, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” Luke 7:4-5.

Jesus went with the elders to the home of the centurion. As He drew close to the house, He was met by friends of the centurion who came with this message to Jesus, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You.” Luke 7:6-7. The centurion was being thoughtful toward Jesus. Strict Jews would not enter a Gentile house. The centurion wanted to spare Jesus the embarrassment of being put on the spot. What an amazing person this centurion was--a man of great humility, compassion for his servants, kindness to the Jews, and thoughtfulness toward Jesus. And we have yet to see another of his admirable traits.

The centurion told Jesus just to say the word, and his servant would be healed. The centurion was a man both under authority and with authority over the soldiers under him. His soldiers obeyed his commands. He believed Jesus had the authority to heal with a word.

Jesus was amazed at the faith of this centurion. He told the crowd that was following Him, “I tell you I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”

The centurion is an example for us in humility, compassion, kindness, thoughtfulness, and faith. He simply trusted Jesus to heal the servant, and the servant was healed. Do we lay our needs before Him and simply trust Him to take care of them in His own time and His own way?

Father, it’s foolish of me to try to tell You how to do Your business. May I lay my needs and desires at Your feet and trust You do what’s best for me in Your time and Your way. Amen.

Do you choose to trust and obey?

Matthew 7:24-27

“‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.’” Matthew 7:24

In the almost 25 years that I was the Teaching Director for Community Bible Study in Decatur, Alabama, we boiled down the essence of what we had learned into three words: trust and obey. Then we amplified this synopsis into eight words: choose to trust and obey, abide and pray. We called obedience the “O word” because we encountered it so often and saw how crucial obedience was in living the Christian life. Some of my first words to the new class every year were: “I teach for application. The main point of learning God’s Word is to put it into practice. Teaching the Bible should result in changed lives.”

We are all in the process of building our lives. A firm foundation is essential for a stable life. We choose our foundations, but our choices have implications for the success or failure of what we build. Jesus talked about this in a parable about the wise and foolish builders. The wise builder built on rock, and when the rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, it did not fall. The foolish builder built upon the sand. When the rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, it fell with a great crash.

What was the difference? What do the rock and the sand represent? Both builders heard the word of God, but the wise builder put God’s word into practice, and the foolish builder did not apply what he had learned from God’s word. The rock represented obedience, application, putting into practice what God tells us to do.

James gives us the same advice in James 1:22 when he says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James also says, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” (James 2:14) and “...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17)

Father, may I not only learn what Your word tells me to do, but may I do what it says. Amen.

Do you pick figs from thistles?

Matthew 7:15-23

“Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” Matthew 7:17

My friend Howard Ball used to say, “You can spot a Christian every time--if you’re God.” There are people who profess to be Christians, or who pretend to be Christians, who are not. How can we, who are not God, tell the difference?

Do we need to know the difference? Indeed,we do. Why? So we will not be deceived and misled. John warned us in 1 John 4:1, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Jesus Himself warned us. We read in Matthew 7:15, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

God has given us a way to recognize false prophets and others who are not really believers. Matthew 7:16-18 tells us how we can know the difference between real Christianity and false religion. These verses say, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.”

Not only does God want us to use discernment so we will not be misled by false prophets, but He also wants us to discern where people are in their spiritual lives so we can minister to them more effectively. To have discernment, we need to be fruit inspectors.

By what kinds of fruit will we recognize true believers? What “fruit” are we to inspect?

1. The fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; Christian character; true righteousness.
2. John indicates in the book of 1 John that a real Christian will love others.
3. One fruit of a Christian life is that lost people are won to Christ through that person.
4. Christians bearing good fruit serve God, doing good works, good deeds, for others, not to earn their salvation but in gratitude for it.
5. Real Christians display their fruit by their commitment to God. They obey God and keep His commandments.

The trees that do not bear good fruit will be “cut down and thrown into the fire” --destroyed.

Not everybody who goes to church or talks about God will enter the kingdom of heaven. There is a spiritual that says, “Everybody Talkin’ ‘bout Heaven Ain’t Going There.” Only those who obey God, who do His will, will be admitted to the place that God has lovingly prepared for those who belong to Him. Those who have never come to God by way of accepting His Son will be turned away. What a sad day that will be for those people.


Father, give us the discernment to be good fruit inspectors so we will know best how to minister to different people. May we bear good fruit to be examples and encouragement to others. Amen.

Are you on the road less traveled?

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

Robert Frost wrote, in his poem The Road Not Taken: “I shall be telling this with a sigh some ages and ages hence; two roads diverged in a wood, and I--I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Frost wasn't referring to the broad and narrow roads of Matthew 7:13-14 but if we take the narrow road, the road less traveled, it will truly make all the difference in our lives.

Obviously the small gate and the narrow road lead to Heaven while the wide gate and the broad road lead to hell. We all start out on the broad road. We are all born sinners. Romans chapter 3, verse 23, tells us that, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. In other words, all we have to do to end up in hell is nothing, just by traveling down that broad road. But in order to get on the narrow road to heaven, we must make a conscious decision to change. It is not true, as many people think, that all roads eventually lead to Heaven. Proverbs 14:12 says, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end leads to death”.

The broad gate might be entitled “self-sufficiency”, while the narrow gate might be named “surrender” or “commitment”. 

Many people visualize the two roads side by side but the people on them are going in different directions. Others imagine that the narrow road runs right through the middle of the broad road, but again with the people on the two roads going in opposite directions. It is true that Christians on the narrow road are, in a sense, swimming upstream or going up the down staircase - going against the general grain of society. 

Jesus said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 No other way will lead to heaven. Only faith in Jesus Christ will shift us from the broad, easy, popular way of the world that is headed toward destruction and put us on the narrow way that will take us to an eternal home in heaven. 

Our present choice of which road we take has eternal consequences, so now is the time for us to choose wisely. Moses challenged the Israelites, and us, with his words found in Deuteronomy 30:19-20a, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.” 

I hope each of us who reads these words will take the narrow road, the one less traveled. It will make all the difference! 

Father, we are all sinners and started out traveling on the broad road to destruction, but you sent Jesus so we can move over to the narrow road and go in the opposite direction to spend eternity with you. Thank you; thank you; thank you. Amen.

Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-16, Luke 11:9-13

“You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on pleasures.” James 4:2b-3

How is your prayer life?  Ever feel like your prayers hit the ceiling and bounce back rather than going to heaven?  Ever wonder why you don’t get the answers you seek?

Jesus encouraged us to pray, and to keep praying, until we get an answer. Matthew 7:7-8 are Jesus’ words of encouragement and assurance to us:  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Jesus offered further encouragement for us to pray; He said if a son asks his father for bread, would the father give him a stone?  Or if a child asks its father for a fish, would his father give him a snake instead?  Then Jesus made this comparison—if we, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, think how much more our Heavenly Father would give good gifts to us when we ask.

Philippians 4:6 instructs us,  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  And then there is that wonderful invitation in Hebrews 4:16,  “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.” How many decisions do you usually make during a day?  A week?  A month?  A year?  Our need for God’s wisdom and guidance is continual, ongoing, so we need to stay close to Him in prayer to receive His wisdom and power as we need it.  As we keep asking and seeking and knocking, our gracious Heavenly Father keeps hearing and answering our prayers.

All too often we come to God only when emergencies arise, but we need to keep in constant touch with Him.  Jesus called it “abiding”, and Paul called it “praying without ceasing.”  One little girl said, “When I call God in the morning I just never hang up the phone all day.”

God doesn’t always answer our prayers right away.  So we should keep right on praying until He does.  Sometimes He says “yes”, and grants what we have asked.  Sometimes He says “no”.  He may say, in essence, “maybe.  Keep praying”.  He may tell us He will answer later, and we need to wait patiently. Sometimes He will give us the assurance that He will grant a request at a later time, and we can begin to thank Him in advance.  And sometimes God will impress upon us to no longer pray a certain prayer.  Perhaps we have prayed with a wrong motive and are making an invalid request.

We need to remember, too, that prayer isn’t just about asking for things that we want or need.  Much of our prayer life should consist of praise, thanksgiving, and intercession for the needs of others.  Prayer is a conversation with our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit—our triune God.  It is the most incredible experience available to man.  Imagine:  we can talk to the awesome God of the vast universe at any time about anything.  He’s never asleep.  His line is never busy.  He’s never too far away to answer our call.  So keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.  He loves to hear from His children!

Father, thank you ever so much for the incredible privilege of prayer. May we enjoy your presence everyday.  Amen.

Why am I stuck in the kitchen?

Luke 10:38-42

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better…” Luke 10:41-42a

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Worship is at the heart of all that we are and all that we do in the Christian life.” This past year, God has been showing me that the most important part of our Christian walk is our intimacy with God—the quiet times of reading His word, talking to God in prayer, and listening as He speaks to us. If you do not have a quiet time when you get alone with God everyday, you are missing one of the best privileges of belonging to Him.

Two sisters and a brother, named Mary, Martha and Lazarus, lived in Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem. They were friends of Jesus. When Jesus came to Bethany, Martha opened her home to Him.

Martha’s sister Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to what He said. Actually, all three times Mary is mentioned in the Bible she was at the feet of Jesus. When her brother died and Jesus came to their house, Mary fell at Jesus’ feet and poured out her grief over Lazarus’ death. And, at a banquet, she poured out an expensive bottle of perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair in an act of devotion and worship.

Most women can identify with Martha. Everybody else was having a good time visiting with Jesus, and Martha was hustling around the kitchen trying to get the meal ready to serve. Many of us can probably identify with Martha’s irritation with Mary for not helping her. Ever been there? Martha was having a pity party. She had a martyr complex. Martha tried to enlist Jesus’ support. She wanted be appreciated. She also wanted Jesus to chastise Mary for being lazy. She said to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all this work by myself? Tell her to help me!” But it was Martha whom Jesus chastised, and He gave Mary His approval. Martha had an attitude problem. She could have been kind and tactful to her sister. She could have quietly asked her to help. Or Martha could have kept quiet and graciously served, considering it a privilege. She could have simplified her preparations and joined Mary at Jesus’ feet as soon as possible. But she was distracted by making many preparations, angry at Mary for not helping, worried and upset about many things, and feeling sorry for herself.

It certainly isn’t wrong to cook and serve others. Think how hungry we would be if no one did that! But Martha had a priority problem. Jesus told her that Mary had made the better choice of spending time with Him.

A Christian missionary and speaker named Miss Bertha Smith came to my church to speak at a conference we sponsored. She stayed with one of the ladies in the church, but she said she always insisted that the hostess prepare only a very simple meal so she could attend the conference. Wiersbe goes on to say, “Martha received Jesus into her home and then neglected Him as she prepared an elaborate meal He did not need. What we do with Christ is far more important than what we do for Christ. Few things are as damaging to the Christian life as trying to work for Christ without taking time to commune with Christ. If serving Christ makes us difficult to live with, then something is wrong with our service.” Unless we meet Christ personally and privately each day, we will soon end up like Martha—busy but not blessed.

Actually what we need is to be balanced—to worship like Mary and serve like Martha. Both are important. Charles Wesley wrote, “Faithful to my Lord’s commands, I still would choose the better part; serve with careful Martha’s hands, and loving Mary’s heart.”

Father, may I always come to You to be filled with Your Spirit before I go out to serve You. Amen.

Do You Want Justice?

Matthew 7:1-6

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Matthew 7:1

If we take Matthew 7:1 out of context, we will think we are never to judge anyone else. But when we read the rest of this passage of Scripture, we find that Jesus was saying for us not to judge other people until we have first judged ourselves. And Jesus warned us that we will be judged in the same way and by the same standards with which we judge others.

We want justice for other people. We think they should be given what they deserve. But we want mercy for ourselves. We are very lenient about our own sins. Jesus likened them to having a plank in our eye. That’s huge. We ignore the plank but point out a speck in someone else’s eye. Most people are far-sighted when it comes to sin. They see the sins of other people but not their own.

We can’t see clearly to help other people if we are blind to our own sins. We tend to approach others with a haughty, self-righteous attitude like that of the Pharisees. But if we have faced up to our sins and confessed them, we will come to others in humility with a sincere desire to help them rather than gleefully pointing out their shortcomings. We need to be very careful about criticizing others because only God knows the hearts and the circumstances of other people. 

Sometimes we are called upon by God to offer criticisms or suggestions to others. If so, we should have their good and their growth as Christians as our purpose. The goal of correcting others should be to leave a person better than he was before. Warren Wiersbe said, “The Pharisees judged and criticized others to make themselves look good. [Gossip fits into this category.] But Christians should judge themselves so they can help others look good.”

You know how it feels when you have something in your eye. It is irritating and painful. You want it removed as gently and painlessly as possible. You don’t want it to scratch or otherwise harm the eyeball, and you don’t want the process of removing it to hurt.

If we need to confront another person, we need to do it as gently and lovingly as possible so we don’t do more harm than good. Just as “a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down”, if we mix praise with advice it makes the correction easier for others to take. 

A good rule of thumb is to sandwich criticisms between two sections of praise, like putting a piece of bologna between two pieces of bread. Praise, then criticize, then praise again. But your praise should not be empty flattery. People don’t appreciate that. We can find truely praiseworthy attributes in almost anyone. Our praise should be recognition of positive valid characteristics of a person. When we affirm someone for their good traits, we leave them encouraged as well as corrected.

The reason for exercising discernment when looking at specks in the eyes of others is not to condemn them but to know the best way to minister to them. Think in terms of exhorting people to live up to their potential. That’s what parents do as they teach their children and help them mature. “Brush your teeth”; “take a bath”; “don’t chew with your mouth open”; et al. If exhortation is given with love and gentleness, it is more likely to be received than rejected, and a person becomes better for it.

Father, may I confess my sins and approach others with a sincere desire to help rather than a “holier than thou” attitude. And, may I be open to the helpful criticisms and suggestions of others. Amen.