Blessed by the Father

Mt. 25: 45-46

"Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

In this description of the end times, the Son of Man comes in His glory with His angels. As He sits on His throne, all the nations stand before Him. He separates the people as one would separate the sheep from the goats. His words to those on His right are, Come, You are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. The people on His right responded with when, when did we do all those things. Jesus said that if they did it to the least of His brothers, they did it to Him.

Observations from this account:

• There will be a judgment where all stand before Jesus.
•  The sheep and goats will both stand before Jesus.
• What He has prepared for believers was prepared from before the foundations of the world.
• He is a sovereign God.
• His brothers are His body and what is done to the least of His brothers is done to Him.
• Following Jesus means meeting the physical needs of hunger, thirst, clothes, ministering to the sick and the imprisoned.
• What is prepared for believers is eternal life.
• What is prepared for unbelievers is eternal punishment.

How sobering! The difference between sheep and goats is not monumental, but it is crucial. Within Christianity obviously there are people who are goats, or like in the previous story, are one of the virgins without enough oil. They blend in to the human eye. They look good from the outside, but none of that matters when all stand before Jesus. What is my response? I must not judge people but concentrate on serving Jesus, obeying His word, and making sure my lamp is trimmed and ready. Am I concerned for the body of Christ? Am I meeting the needs of others? Am I living out the Beatitudes, the Christian character that Jesus taught His followers were to have? Am I listening to the voice of my shepherd? Am I an obedient sheep?

Father,

Teach me body life so that I may minister to You as I minister to them. Thank You for preparing heaven for me before the foundation of the world.

In Jesus name,

 Amen

An Unknown Day and Hour

Mt. 24:36

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."

Mt. 24 tells of the same events as Mk. 13, but it goes on to explain what it means to Be on guard. The moral compass of the world will be the same as in the days of Noah, eating and drinking and totally unaware of what is to come, but the believers must be aware. Why? They must be on guard because the time of His coming is unknown to all but the Father. Jesus said it was similar to staying awake to guard against the attack of a thief. The householder knows the thief is coming, but not when. Similarly, we know Jesus is coming, but not when. Consequently, we must be eagerly watching and waiting because the time will be when we least expect it.

Jesus wants us to be faithful servants keeping charge of the master's house and giving food at the proper time. If I am this faithful servant, I will be blessed because I will be ready for His return. But if I am a wicked servant, beating the fellow servants and eating and drinking with drunkards, then I will be thrown into the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. What is my heart? Am I waiting eagerly? Am I a good servant living obediently and longing for the day of His return?

Father,
I want His return. Give me Your grace so that my heart and life are ready.
In Jesus name,
Amen

My Word Will Not Pass Away

Mk. 13: 31

"Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."

God's word endures because He Himself is timeless. He existed before time and will exist when time is no more. Since He is immutable, His words are as well. Not only that but His words will always come to pass. They know the end from the beginning. In Mk. 13 Jesus tells the signs that mark the end of the age. Always, there is one warning. Be on Guard.

• Many will come in His name leading many astray.
• There will be wars and rumors of wars.
• There will be earthquakes and famines.

As bad as these are, they are merely the beginning, the birth pains. Jesus is not returning yet, but there is more for the believer to observe.

• The abomination of Desolation will be ruling.
• There will be unbelievable tribulation.
• Days will be shortened to preserve life.
• False Christs and prophets will perform signs to lead people astray.
• The normal course of the sun, moon, and stars will be altered.
• The gospel must be proclaimed to the world.

After all this, then the Son of Man will come in the clouds with great glory and power to gather His own from the ends of the earth. This chapter ends with the definitive statement: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Believe Him. This will all happen, and when it is over, His words will remain. No wonder I should be on guard.

Father,

Teach me the truth in Your words. Help me to be on guard. Strengthen me to withstand what you have for me to endure.

In Jesus name,

Amen

What is Sefl-Righteousness?

Mt. 5:20

"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

What exactly was the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees? I know it was self-righteousness, but how did it manifest itself? Mt. 23 makes it pretty clear. Jesus begins be giving a few general statements before He lists the woes.

• They asked the people to practice what they themselves did not do. 
• They preached without personally practicing what they said.
• They tied up heavy burdens, hard to bear and laid them on people's shoulders, burdens they were not willing to lift at all.
• They do all their deeds to be seen of others.
• They loved the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplace, and being called Rabbi.

Then Jesus went on to give some woe's to these self-righteous men. These woes were distinct warnings to them about their lives.

• Woe to them for shutting the kingdom of heaven in the faces of people without them entering into the kingdom either...How devastating that they would keep people from the truth!
• Woe to them for traveling great distances to make a proselyte, but then making them children of hell ... Their beliefs had no saving element to them, and all they brought into their way of thinking ended up as they were.
• Woe to them for being blind guides and misinterpreting the spirit of the law for the letter of the law and their traditions..Such legalism and it's still thriving to this day!
• Woe to them for tithing but neglecting the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, faithfulness. They were straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel...Could people today be thinking that the acts of religion take the place of the heart of Christianity?
• Woe to them for cleaning the outside of the cup and plate with the inside full of greed and self-indulgence...These masks people still wear!
• Woe to them for being whitewashed tombs, appearing beautiful but full of dead men's bones. They were outwardly righteous but inwardly full of hypocrisy and lawlessness...Strong words!
• Woe to them for saying that would not have done what their fathers did to the prophets, but yet they are doing the same thing now and on them will come all the blood of the righteous and the innocent...A classic action--seeing the same sin in others that was in themselves!

Definitely strong words that I need to apply to myself. What is my heart like? Am I covering up the truth about myself to that I look a certain way?

Father,

Send Your Holy Spirit to root out and self-righteousness rooted in my heart. Make me transparent for You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Giving My All

Mk. 12:41-44

"And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

Jesus was observing those who were putting money in the offering box, but His observations went far beyond their external actions because He was able to see their hearts. The rich put in their large sums, but a poor widow came and put in two small coins, a penny worth. Was Jesus more impressed with the rich or the poor widow? As Jesus told this story to His disciples, He said that the widow put it more than anyone else. How could that be? The amount of her offering was hardly anything compared to the rich. From a human point of view, this assessment did not make sense.  

Jesus told them that they [the rich]  contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty had put in everything she had, all she had to live on. Jesus was more concerned with the quality of the offering than the quantity, with the sacrificial quality. When the poor widow gave her all, her choice demanded faith. Once she had given all , she had nothing left. How would she live? Where would she get food? Her only recourse was to trust God since she had eliminated her human supports, but the rich still had plenty of their money to take care of themselves. In fact, what they gave did not even put a dent in their riches. The principle Jesus was teaching was an offering to the Lord must come out of sacrifice, and giving all brings great blessing and growth in grace. How hard this is! How it takes the giver out of the comfort zone! Perhaps Jesus is saying that great blessing comes when we are out of our comfort zone. How often do I go out of my comfort zone? How often do I make a decision that leaves me nowhere to go but to trust in God?

Father,

Teach me to give to You sacrificially. Take away my fear and build my trust.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Die to Live

Lk. 12 :24-26

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him."

Jesus answered His disciples' question by saying that His hour had come, His hour to be glorified. Strange to human understanding, that glorification meant His death. He went on to explain that a grain of wheat doesn't bear fruit unless it dies, and likewise, His life would bear tremendous fruit by His death, fruit that involved the life of His followers. Like Jesus, His followers must follow Him even in death. Perhaps, not physical death, although some may lose their lives for Him, but all His disciples must hate their life in this world to live eternally. If anyone desires to love and serve Him, then they must follow Him completely including death to this life.
 
 Romans clarifies this death issue. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Like Jesus died in the flesh taking my sin, I must die to my old self. Consequently, I can't let sin reign in my body; I can't present my members as instruments to sin; Instead, I must present myself to God and my members as instruments of righteousness. Do I live like this? If this great transaction has been accomplished, why do I still allow myself to pander after the world? Am I taking up my cross daily and following Him?
 
It is truly amazing that God sees me through the blood of Christ, and through that blood, I am dead to sin. The struggle is over! The victory is completed! But yet practically, there is Rom. 7. In my spirit I delight in God, but my flesh wages war with my spirit. For this battle, I need so much grace!
 
Father,
Give me Your strength to carry my cross and to follow Jesus. Let Your grace be my power and sufficiency in dying to sin practically and daily and in living in this new life. Transform my heart so that I am united to fear Your name.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Hidden Saying

Lk. 18:34

"But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said."

Jesus was with His disciples as they were beginning their journey to Jerusalem. He told them plainly that everything that had been written about the Son of Man would now be fulfilled. Were these men familiar with the prophecies since they were lowly fisherman? How much religious education had they received? But for sure the Scribes and Pharisees were familiar with them. How blind these self-righteous men were to miss what was going on, and even worse than that, to be an active part in what was happening! Jesus went on to say He would be delivered over to the Gentiles, mocked, shamefully treated and spit upon, flogged, killed, and on the third day rise again. And it all happened just as it was prophesied!
 
As I read His words, it sounds so clear, but of course, I am looking at it in hindsight. However, the disciples were looking at it as it was happening, and understood none of these things because it was hidden from them. They were not allowed to grasp the meaning of what He said. Why would it be hidden? What was the purpose? Perhaps they would have tried to stop it all from happening since they loved Jesus and would not have wanted Him to endure this terrible time. Perhaps they were not strong enough to stand and would have turned back. Whatever the reason, it was all in God's timing. This incident further shows me that God's timing is not always understood by men and may actually be hidden from men. This is why it is called the faith walk! I must walk believing and trusting in God's plan and His timing whether I understand it or not!
 
Father,
Help me to trust You unreservedly. Unite my soul so that I may fear Your name.
In Jesus name,
Amen