“You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to.” Mark 14:7 NLT
A volunteer happily hands a meal to an elderly man at a community food distribution site.
Jesus said many things recorded in Scripture, all true by the way. When Mary anointed Jesus before His crucifixion with an extremely expensive perfume, $53,000 in today’s economy, people were outraged. Why this waste they responded in a scolding tone. That money could have been given to the poor. “But Jesus replied, ‘Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me.” (Mk.14:6-7 nlt)
We cannot deny the truthfulness of Jesus’ statement, ‘You will always have the poor among you.’ All we need to do is look around and we see that Jesus was right. Jesus went on to say, ‘you (we) can help them (the poor) whenever you (we) want to.’ The world is looking at poverty the wrong way. Poverty is never going to be eliminated. Jesus said so. So, what do we do, especially Christians. We help the poor. It is an on-going work. Yes, there will be many who see their way out of poverty and we rejoice in that, but there will always be others who will take their place. Jesus said so.
Our focus today as Christians should be to do the work of helping the poor as Jesus said in Scripture to help them. It is the Chrisitan thing to do. Mary’s sacrificial offering of the rich ointment poured over Jesus’ head was of the absolute best showing her love and devotion to Him. When we give to the poor may we give our best to show our love for Jesus and His love for us as He sacrificed His life for us, poor in spirit sinners, that we may receive the glorious riches of His salvation.
“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” Matthew 5:20 NLT
You may have heard the term, ‘practice makes perfect.’ You may have used it yourself while encouraging others to continue their practice sessions. Whether learning to play a musical instrument or being coached up to throw a curve ball, run a deep route on the football field, or raise the percentage of free throws from the foul line, practice is needed. But does practice really make perfect? We are all able to testify that practice does make us better, but it does not make us perfect. That is not to say that one cannot bowl a perfect 300 game, a pitcher not throw a perfect 27 out baseball game, or a student studying for an exam is not able to ace it. Outside of those accomplishments, which are few, practice does make us better, but certainly not perfect.
The religious leaders of Jesus’s day were all about practicing religion. They had calculated 248 commandments and 365 prohibitions in God’s law. They strived to keep them all. No doubt, they practiced their religion by obeying or trying to obey each of 613 total commandments and prohibitions. As much as they practiced their religion and attempted to keep all the laws, they were not able to do so. They did claimed, however, to have a righteousness that surpassed everyone else. Their religion was an outward show of righteous deeds. No matter how much they practiced the righteous deeds of the law they were not perfect.
Jesus said to His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount in reference to this, “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” (Mt.5:20 nlt) The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were considered to be the most righteous individuals due to their observances of God’s laws. But Jesus tells the disciples their righteousness must exceed that of the righteous leaders or they will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Practicing or observing religion is not the answer.
One is made righteous in the sight of God by accepting Christ as their Savior. There are no works we can perform, or any amount of practicing that will earn us a place in Heaven with Christ. “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Eph.2:8-9 nlt) Do not practice your religion, put your religion into practice.
“Abraham replied, ‘Yes, I swear to it!’……Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the LORD, the Eternal God.” Genesis 21:24, 33 NLT
Last week in our Biblical Insights Abraham was blessed by God as the Lord promised that Ishmael will be blessed by being the father of many nations and Issac would be the promised son of the covenant. The Lord has continually blessed Abraham even through his times of failure. Abraham is very wealthy and now has become a formidable and respected sojourner in the land. This is where our story of Abraham picks up this week.
“About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. ‘God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do,’” (Gen.21:22 nlt) King Abimelech is well aware of Abraham’s wealth and status. He has come to realize it is the God of heaven who is blessing and protecting Abraham. Abimelech pays a visit to Abraham with his military commander, Phicol. Although the king is more powerful, he is looking to secure a permanent agreement with Abraham lasting for generations. “Swear to me in God’s name that you will never deceive me, my children, or any of my descendants.” (Gen.21:23 nlt) Abimelech points to his loyalty towards Abraham and asks for his loyalty in return. Abraham agrees and swears to it.
Abraham takes the opportunity of Abimelech’s kindness to him to mention the issue of a seized well owned by Abraham. “Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had taken by force from Abraham’s servants.” (Gen.21:25 nlt) The king said he was not aware of the incident or who was responsible for it. Abraham wanted his own treaty now stating the well was his by right. Abraham gave sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech as was used in treaty ceremonies. He then gave an additional seven ewe lambs as a special gift. Acceptance of the gift recognized Abrahma’s right to the well. “Abraham replied, ‘Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well.’” (Gen.21:30 nlt) Abraham then named the place Beersheba meaning ‘well of the oath.’
Abimelech left to return home, and Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba. The tamarisk tree represented several things. The tree served as a reminder of the treaty between Abimelech and Abraham. It was a tree that took years to grow. Abraham will be in the land a long time and the Lord did promise it to his descendants. Abraham was looking forward to the future generations. The tree also marked God’s grace upon Abraham and God’s chosen people and His ever presence over the land. And it became a worship site for Abraham as he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God. Indeed, Abraham is blessed by God.
Beginning next week the world will celebrate another ‘Pride Month,’ the recognition of the LGBTQIA+ community. While ‘pride flags’ and colors of this revolution will be hard to miss in public venues as sporting events, concerts, playground activities, retail establishments, restaurants, libraries, and sadly many churches, a much larger community must witness and absorb what they consider offensive and immoral. They are not alone because God Himself is offended and He has a few things to say about pride and ‘Pride Month.’
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.” (Pr.8:13 nasb)
“There they cry out, but He does not answer Because of the pride of evil men.” (Job35:12 nasb)
“In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.” (Ps.10:2 nasb)
“On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be caught in their pride, And on account of curses and lies which they utter.” (Ps.59:12 nasb)
“When pride comes, then comes dishonor.” (Pr.11:2 nasb)
‘“Proud,’ ‘Haughty,’ ‘Scoffer,’ are his names, Who acts with insolent pride.’” (Pr.21:24 nasb)
“ For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened……Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them…….For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” (Ro.1:21, 24, 26-26 nasb)
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 NASB
There are various things in life that require our maximum effort. Rearing children to adulthood needs more than casual supervision. Working your way through medical school is a vast undertaking that shapes your priorities to maximize your efforts where they need to be. Going back to the moon and safely returning takes maximum effort from every individual involved in every step of the entire project. Doing anything that is vital for our quality of life will take maximum effort to be achieved successfully. Anything less will fail.
In the Christian life one of the most important things that require maximum effort is to present ourselves approved to God. What is meant by, ‘approved to God’? For starters it means are we being faithful to God through obedience? Are we applying maximum effort to live a life unblemished by the world? Our deeds should not put us in a spotlight of embarrassment before others, especially those outside the faith. If we are applying maximum effort to live pure lives before others it will bring good results and that will bring God’s approval.
There is one other vital aspect in presenting ourselves approved to God and that is handling the word of truth, the Bible, accurately. This is not just for pastors, Bible teachers, and seminary professors. Every Christian needs to know Scripture well enough to handle the truth correctly. The truth of the gospel is the most important message you can convey to others. In a world where this truth gets distorted every day, it is vital for true Christians to understand salvation and be able to explain it through Scripture. It will take maximum effort but we have the Holy Spirit to help us with that extra boast we need to get us there. With His help we can accurately handle the word of truth.
“But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted: ‘LORD, who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?’” John 12:37-38 NLT
In today’s broken world it is hard to have faith in someone. World leaders and politicians are the biggest targets when it comes unbelievability. News media outlets, social media influencers, some teachers, and professors are a close second in being untrustworthy. Even previous accomplishments on display are not enough to convince people if a certain person is one worthy of respect.
Perhaps you are one who struggles finding it hard to trust people, especially those in authority whether in government or in the church. In a sinful world it helps to remember there is no one perfect. Putting our trust in someone today should only go so far. Observing the person, matching their words with their actions is necessary. If consistent, it is a safe bet they are worthy of your trust. Seeing is believing is was once said, but even then some people will still not trust and believe.
In Jesus’ day even after all the miracles He perform in front of thousands of people, John writes many still did not believe in Him. In this case, seeing was not believing. Jesus may not be physically on earth today but there are still modern-day miracles taking place if you see them for what they are. People today who question the existence of God, maybe you are one of them, would like to see some proof in this troubled world. There is plenty of proof to go around. When Jesus Himself walked the earth performing miracles people still did not believe in Him. If Jesus were here today performing miracles He would still find those unbelievers not believing in Him.
So, what is the bottom line for the unbeliever? This same Jesus is still alive and active in the world today through the Holy Spirit. If you feel something stronger than your insistence there is no God or that all of us end up in a good place when we die, it may very well be the Holy Spirit drawing you to Jesus. Do not resist! Do not be as those who see but refuse to believe. Jesus is real. His salvation is real. Eternity is real, and hell is real. The Holy Spirit is leading you from unbelief to belief. You will not get there on your own. Follow the Spirit’s leading and accept Christ today and believe.
The world of NASCAR suffered a tragedy at the death of one of its top drivers. Kyle Busch, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion ranking ninth in all-time cup wins, died suddenly after a brief illness. Of all major sports, NASCAR embodies the spirit of family like no other. Christian faith runs deep throughout the racing industry. The danger of the sport may contribute to that, but there is spirit of joy within the NASCAR community that can only come from a living savior. Busch is one of many in the NASCAR circuit who have openly declared their Christian faith.
Less than a week before his passing Busch won the ECOSAVE 200 in the Craftsman Truck Series. His excitement after winning the race spilled over into reality as he is quoted saying, ‘you never know when the last one is.’ I am sure Kyle wasn’t referring to the shortness of our lives like the ‘morning fog’ that James writes about. He had something else in mind, the reality of uncertainty. Will another win come about? What is certain to come about is God’s plan for us.
While we live in a reality of uncertainty, it is only uncertain to us. God has a plan for each of us and it will unfold as is scheduled. We can be sure God’s purposes are best for us and always designed to bring Him glory. Unexpected tragedies may shake our faith if we lose track of the reality of what is certain, God’s sovereignty and His love for us. As NASCAR has many family members to support each other, all Christians have each other in God’s family and in that we can be certain.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 KJV
Sunlight beams pierce dramatic clouds over rugged mountain range
“You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” Proverbs 19:21 NLT
How many times have you needed to change your plans due to circumstances that were beyond your control? Think back through the years of your life. Depending on your age, you could be thinking back ten years or more or looking back through the decades. Assess where you are at this moment of your life and think back of all the circumstances that brought you to this point. Some choices you have clearly made yourself, but many others were choices you made due to a change you had not planned on.
Often times we get frustrated, even angry, when our plans are not working out according to our wishes or desires. Sometimes we get angry with God because His plans are different from ours. On occasion they match, but other times they do not. Just as we have plans and desires for our lives, God also has His plans and desires for us.
God will not hold back any plans that are good for you. He will give you the desires of your heart as you delight yourself in Him, committing your way to Him and trusting Him completely. (Psalm 37:4-5)
Circumstances that come our way are not a surprise to God or beyond His control. He will use them to bring us to where He wants us to be for His glory and not for our satisfaction. When we trust God and delight in Him our plans will be in perfect sync with His plans. It would do us good to remember that God’s plans always have a Higher Purpose.
In the United States, Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May. The day is set aside to remember and honor those who have given all in the service of their country. It was known as “Decoration Day” in its beginning shortly after the American Civil War. Fellow soldiers would decorate the graves of their fallen comrades with flags, flowers and wreathes. The tradition continues to this day. These decorated graves signify that each individual is not forgotten but remembered and honored for their sacrifice in the protection and maintaining the freedom of their fellow citizens.
Many people visit the grave-sites of their departed loved ones and heroes year after year honoring their memory. But there is one particular grave-site that is visited by thousands of people year after year, and yet they do not come to decorate for remembrance. That is due to the fact that the grave is empty. It is known as the garden tomb in Jerusalem, where Jesus was laid after His death on the cross. They come to wonder in amazement and worship the Lord Jesus Christ who rose from the dead and is alive today in Heaven and seated at the right hand of God the Father.
As we remember those who have given their lives, by paying the ultimate sacrifice for freedom; let us also be reminded of the ultimate sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His death provided freedom from the bondage of sin, and because He lives, all those who call upon His name will also live.
“So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.” Genesis 21:14 NLT
FreeBibleimages.org
We all had problematic decisions to make in our lives. They are a lot easier to make when we know it is the right thing to do and the Lord is leading us in that direction. Abraham has a decision to make this week in our study of Biblical Insights but not as hard as another decision he will face in the future. Last week in our story of Abraham, the promised son Issac, was born to a man one hundred years old and his wife of ninety. That doesn’t happen in our day and age and didn’t happen during Abraham and Sarah’s day that we know of. It was an immense joy for both of them after waiting twenty-five years from the time God promised it would happen. Even at that time it seemed impossible for both of them. Waiting impatiently for what they perceived as running out of time they took matters into their own hands and had a child through Sarah’s servant Hagar. It was inevitable problems would arise. They did. But God is faithful and still blesses in spite of our foolishness as we will see.
“When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion.” (Gen.21:8 nlt) Issac is three years old, the customary age for weaning in the ancient Near East. Another custom were the huge celebrations that families would have to mark the occasion. On this day in Abraham’s family all were having fun and enjoying themselves at the feast with two of them having too much fun. Abraham’s son by Hagar, Ishmael, was mocking young Issac. His mother, Hagar, joined in the ridicule. Ishmael, now about seventeen years old may have seen his inheritance slipping away. Hagar may have felt the same way, and Sarah feared trouble for her son Issac. Sarah didn’t stall but immediately went to her husband and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!” (Gen.21:10 nlt) The tone of Sarah’s voice and the use of the term ‘that slave woman’ rather than ‘maid and servant’ revealed she was serious. She wanted Hagar gone and her son gone. In that culture to drive out a son from a servant woman was to disinherit them and it was prohibited to arbitrarily expel a servant woman’s son. This caused Abraham much distress for the decision he was to make. He loved Ishmael for he was his son, and he would be violating the customary laws.
But God came to Abraham and told him not to worry and to send both Hagar and Ishmael away. God said Issac would indeed be the child of the covenant and then said to Abraham, “I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.” (Gen.21:13 nlt) God is a merciful and gracious God. He will bless Ishmael as well. He will become a father of nations.
“So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.” (Gen.21:14 nlt) As hard as it was for Abraham to send his son away, he had faith in God that He will do what He promised for Ishmael. We may wonder why Abraham only gave Hagar limited supplies with all the riches he had. One reason may be Abraham trusted God and knew the only way Hagar and Ishmael would make it was by the hand of God.
The food and water was soon gone as they traveled through the hot, rough, and rugged wilderness of Beersheba. Certain of death, Hagar put her son under a shady tree and herself one hundred yards away. She could not bear to watch her son die. But God heard Ishmael’s cry just as He heard Hagar’s cry eighteen years ago when she ran away from Sarah. Ishmael’s name means ‘God hears.’ He heard Ishmael’s cry also this day. Just then the angel of the Lord called out to Hagar, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.” (Gen.21:18 nlt) The Lord gives Hagar the same promise He gave to Abraham. Ishmael will be a father of nations that has carried through to this day.
God then filled their immediate need, water! Hagar looked a saw a well full of water in front of her. Did she miss seeing the well in her physical and mental state earlier or did the well appear by divine intervention? Either way, it doesn’t matter. God’s hand was in it. He is the same God who has his hand in our business when unexplainable good things happen to us. Hagar quickly filled her container and gave her son a drink. God always fulfills His promises.
Scripture fast forwards to note Ishmael grew up in the wilderness and became a skillful archer. He settled in Paran which is in north central Sinai. Hagar arranged marriage for him with a woman from Egypt which was customary in those days. God shown favor and kindness to Hagar and Ishmael in the necessary action that needed to be taken. One Bible commentator noted ‘that God was not against Ishmael and his descendants.’ God was with Ishmael and had a promise for his future. Ishmael’s descendants are the many nations of the Arabic people.
Word for the Soul 