“……The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” Luke 10:2 NLT
Labor Day is here once again. Like most holidays in the United States, the significance of the day is often overshadowed by festive celebrations of picnics, recreational activities, sporting events, and the like. That is not to say we shouldn’t celebrate, but at times we tend to look for any excuse to celebrate and we forget the purpose. Labor Day is no different. Labor Day is a National holiday both in the United States and Canada celebrated on the first Monday in September. It recognizes American and Canadian workers for their contribution and achievements to a working society of both countries. A labor force that is steady working towards building a better society, economically and for the advancement of all people is worthy of recognition on Labor Day.
But there is also another labor force that is steady working towards building a better society, the building of the Kingdom of God. And it is also for the advancement of all people. There is a problem though within this work force, it is extremely short handed. This job market is huge and there are plenty of opportunities. But as so often happens in the U. S. job market, some people would rather stay home rather than apply for the job. Our Lord Jesus makes reference to this in Luke’s gospel, “……The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (10:2 nlt))
There is certainly plenty of work to do. It is steady work we call job security, and you will never be laid off. And yes, if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savoir you are more than qualified. You were called for this purpose to serve and work for Him in the field He has placed you. The Lord has placed a light within you and me to share with others who are struggling in this dark world.
Sometimes working for the Lord Jesus does not bring recognition. We should never do it to be noticed, but to bring glory to God by adding to His Kingdom. Besides we will receive the ultimate recognition when we hear our Lord Jesus say, ‘Well done good and faithful servant for Steady Working.’
We are coming to the end of chapter 12 of Mark this week in Biblical Insights. It is still Tuesday of Passion week, and Jesus is getting questions from the Jewish rulers as the curious crowds look on. Jesus will have an opportunity to address a certain teacher, the people following Him, and His disciples with His teaching.
One teacher of the law was standing by and heard Jesus answer the Sadducees’ ridiculous question concerning a woman who was married seven times. They wanted to know whose wife she will be in the resurrection, when the Sadducees didn’t even believe in the resurrection. (Mk.12:18-27) This teacher was impressed with Jesus’ answer and decided to ask his own question.
The question he asked was, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important.’ (Mk.12:28 nlt) Jewish rabbis had a count of 613 commandments in the book of the law. They distinguished them between heavy and light. The problem was they couldn’t all agree which ones were ‘heavy’ (more binding) and which ones were ‘light.’ The Jewish teacher went right to the top commandment and asked what was the greatest of them all. “Jesus replied, ‘The most important commandment is this: Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mk.12:29-31 nlt) The teacher liked Jesus’ response agreeing with Him adding his own Scriptural evidence. Jesus saw how much the man understood, but he was still lacking what was needed for salvation. The teacher knew moral concerns were more important than ceremonial sacrifices, but he needed to grasp all that was needed was to love God and obey Him. Jesus told him he was not far from the kingdom of God. Interesting that after this exchange with the Jewish teacher, no one dared to asked Jesus anymore questions.
Later in the day Jesus was once again teaching in the Temple. He asked the people who were listening, “Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah is the son of David? For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’ Since David himself called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?” (Mk.12:35-37 nlt) Jesus is making the claim here that He is the Messiah, the Son of God. Most Jewish people knew the Messiah would come from the family of David. Jesus is explaining the first word ‘The LORD’ is ‘Yahweh’ God’s covenant name, and the second ‘my Lord’ is a word the Jews used for God. It is a picture of God speaking to the Messiah, and David calls Him Lord indicating the Messiah is more than the Son of David, but the Son of God. David would not refer to one of his descendants as Lord. Jesus was acknowledging the Messiah’s deity, and therefore His own.
Jesus then takes the opportunity to warn his listening audience which includes some of these religious rulers, “Beware of these teachers of religious law!” (Mk.12:38 nlt) Jesus said they would know them by their appearance in the long robes of a dignitary and the wealthy, and worthy of a respectful greeting. They would be noticeable in having the front row seats in the synagogue. Jesus then issues a cautious warning to widows, as the scribes and teachers also served as estate planners taking unfair advantage of unsuspecting women. A warning needs to be given in our day against false teachers and those who would seize on the opportunity to take advantage of those in hurting situations. The very ones who trust these leaders to be faithful are swindling them out of house and home. May we sound the alarm when we observe these vulnerable ones being taken.
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“Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.” (Mk.12:41-42 nlt) When Jesus saw this, He called His disciples. The collection box was in the women’s court of the Temple. In fact, there were 13 trumpet shaped receptacles around the courtyard to make donations. This was a public area as people traveled through depositing their money. Jesus pointed out to His disciples the large amount of money the rich put it, which to them was equivalent to spare change. Then Jesus noted what the poor widow put in, two small coins. These were copper coins, the lowest valued coins in circulation in the Holy Land. These two copper coins were all she had to live on, and she put it in the donation box. This lesson Jesus points to is the show of faith this woman had in believing and trusting God to meet her daily needs. We live in a time when trusting God needs to come with a secure job and healthy bank account, then we can donate our spare change. But our God is faithful who will supply our needs when we first seek Him and His kingdom. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Mt.6:33 nlt)
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Next week we begin chapter 13 where Jesus answers the disciples’ questions concerning future events. “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?” (Mk.13:4 nlt) Until next week…….
There is an all-out assault on the family in 2025. It can be debated when the assaults started to occur, and what was the driving force setting it in motion. But there is no debate about the effects of broken families in the current day. Destruction of the family unit is one of Satan’s major goals. He, indeed, is the culprit in the destruction of the family. Satan and his demons are on the lookout for any breach in the family wall that is not fully secure. Defensive shields need to be erected, but more importantly in this case, the best defense is a powerful offense.
The Lord has laid down guidelines for us to follow in the structure of a family. Very simply, God created man in His image, male and female. He instituted marriage between one man and one woman, and children as a blessing creating a family unit. The husband (father) is to be the spiritual head of the family with the wife (mother) spiritual helpmeet to her husband. Both are responsible for bringing their children up in the admonition of the Lord. Simple enough, but there is a lot more to it as most married couples will tell you. Living in a fallen world with Satan shooting his arrows into the family through society’s ills, it’s time to deflect those arrows with a powerful offense of the Word of God and serve Him fully with a whole heart as a family.
King David made a pledge to reign as a righteous king and that started in his own home with his commitment to lead a life of integrity. David knew if he couldn’t live an exemplified life in his home, he would be incapable of leading a nation. He also knew he couldn’t do it without the Lord’s help, leading both his family and the nation. Christian fathers today cannot do it alone either, they need the Lord’s help in leading the family in a spiritual direction serving Christ. Joshua made it clear, as far as he was concerned, he and his family were going to serve the Lord. He knew failing to serve the God of the Bible would lead to all kinds of trouble. We see all kinds of trouble in Christian homes today as a result from the onslaught of the devil. These can be minimized drastically by going on offense following David’s and Joshua’s offensive strategy for families and homes.
One final thought: I realized with many broken Christian homes’ family structures vary. There are one-parent families, both men and women. Many Christian women are heads of the household due the father being absent. There are aunts, uncles, and grandparents who have assumed the role of head of the family. Whatever your circumstance, the Lord knows and will give you an extra spirit of grace as you train your children in the Lord. You can rest assured that your offensive strategy against the evil one will be just as powerful as you and your family are serving the Lord in your home with His help.
Admittedly, one of the hardest things for Christians to do consistently is to pray. We can all rattle off every excuse we can think of for being laxed, but that is not the point of this devotional. First allow me to ask a question; how often do we pray for our families? The chances are we favor pretty well when it comes to praying for our loved ones, and that is how it should be. But how often do we pray for our church family, or do you ever considered those you worship with every week is your family. How about Christians worldwide, they’re our extended family. The point is our church is a family in every sense of the word as our biological family.
Below are a few Scripture verses for us to ponder over on the subject:
“But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.” (Acts 12:5 nlt) – “The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other.” (1Pt.4:7-8 nlt) – “So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.” (Col.1:9 nlt)
“And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.” (2Cor.2:11 nlt) – “Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.” (Ro.15:30 nlt) – “We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Thess.1:2-3 nlt)
“Jerusalem, once so full of people, is now deserted. She who was once great among the nations now sits alone like a widow. Once the queen of all the earth, she is now a slave.” Lamentations 1:1 NLT
Repeated warnings that are not observed will end in disaster. In fact, failure to obey any warning could result in some type of misfortune. However, failing to heed multiple warnings you’re heard many times will lead you down a path in which there is no return. If you are able to return, life may never be the same. That is why we have warning signs and guardrails in life to keep us safe by obeying those‘ danger ahead’ signs.
The Bible is not just a rule book with an endless list of do’s and don’ts. It is God’s Word communicated to us. Within its pages are examples on how to live and how not to live; what pleases God and what displeases Him, the punishment for sin and the forgiveness of sin, the repentant sinner and the unrepentant sinner. The Bible may also be referred to as God’s love story to us. His wonderful plan of salvation for all who believe in Christ is what His story is all about, but the Bible also gives it to us straight concerning our unrepentant sin ignoring His warning signs and going our own way.
The people of Judah found out the hard way what happens when you ignore repeated warnings from the Lord. Over the centuries warnings were issued to the Jewish people, some in which the people repented but they always went back to their old ways. A point was reached in their continual sin that no words of warnings from prophets the Lord sent were ever acknowledged. They reached a point of no return. The Lord had the city of Jerusalem destroyed and the people taken captive to Babylon. The prophet Jeremiah witnessed all this in real time and lamented over their sin and the destruction of Jerusalem.
The Lord is gracious and full of mercy. He will give us warning signs on what to avoid in this life and how we should live. The Lord gives plenty of opportunities to repent and turn back to Him, but there will a point where continual defiance and being disobedient will result in severe consequences and sorrow of unrepented sin to bring us back to Him. When you begin to see repeated warning signs, it’s time to pay attention before you go over the cliff.
Here in North America we are blessed often with a rainbow in the sky during the summer season. It’s not that one does not appear at other times, but lest frequent. A rainbow forms, in simple terms, as light mixes with water droplets. You made have noticed a few when washing your car. But the most amazing spectacle is seeing one in the sky on a summer day after a thunder shower. God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, did not form the rainbow at the earth’s creation, but after the great flood in the book of Genesis. Nevertheless, God created it. He created it and placed in the sky for a purpose, His covenant with the earth, His rainbow.
It is well-known the rainbow has been hijacked of its meaning over the last several decades, but that is a subject for another day. Our focus today is why did God place a rainbow in the sky. The rainbow is God’s covenant, His promise to us that ‘Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life.” (Gen.9:15 nlt) The world, in Noah’s day, was extremely sinful and evil. “The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt.” (Gen.6:5,12 nlt) God had decided He would destroy all living creations due to their wickedness. But Noah found favor with the Lord. The entire story of Noah and the great flood is found in Genesis chapters 6 through 9.
Back to our ‘sign in the sky.’ The Lord has kept His promise through the ages, and we have proof that He will continue to do so as we see His covenant sign in the sky in the form of a rainbow. But our world has become increasing wicked once again, and this time Jesus Christ is returning to earth to make things right. “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.” (Mt.24:37-39 nlt
Don’t get caught by surprise as in the days of Noah, but remember God’s faithfulness, His promises, and His plan for Salvation available only through His Son, Jesus.
“I cried out to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy mountain. I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me.” Psalm 3:4-5 NLT
Trying to fall asleep when you have something heavy on your mind is almost impossible. You’ve try some of the latest sleep aids on the market and they do not work. The old cliché ‘try counting sheep’ never worked even after downing a glass of warm milk as most grandmothers recommended back in the day. But when our minds are preoccupied with current troubles it is hard to shake them off. It’s difficult just to find a few minutes when our minds are completely still from the noise of the day in order to relax and fall asleep. There is one method I recommend if you haven’t tried it recently and that is following King David’s method of praying confidently.
The king of Israel was being undermined by his own son Absalom who was after his father’s throne to the point that war had broken out between the two camps. (2 Sam. 15-18) King David was being pursued by Absalom and his army as he fled Jerusalem. David wrote Psalm 3, a psalm of praying confidently, during this time which also served as encouragement for many other future battles throughout Israel’s history.
David let out his frustrations as he began the psalm, “O LORD, I have so many enemies; so many are against me.” (Ps.3:1 nlt) He is letting the Lord know what He already knows, but David still laments over his situation. People were beginning to say that even God would not recue him, that all is lost. Imagine now trying to go to sleep under these conditions with Absalom’s army all around you. But David knew of God’s protection and how He is able to sustain him and bring through this. So, he cried out to the Lord, praying confidently, and the Lord heard him and answered him. And David wrote, “I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the LORD was watching over me.” (Ps.3:5 nlt)
We too can have the same confidence that the Lord will put our thoughts and minds at rest in the evening hours to get the sleep we need despite our troubled thoughts. David was able to rest comfortably with an aggressive army surrounding him knowing God will protect and watch over him, and he will awake in safety. I recommend you try it. According to David, it works.
“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.” 1 Peter 4:10-11a NLT
Fear of not being qualified or talented enough has kept many Christians from serving the Lord in their local church. There are also other, not so legitimate, reasons for not serving and you most certainly cannot serve if you do not attend church, but that is for another day. Today, be encouraged the Lord God has gifted you to serve Him in His church. If you are a child of God you have been given a spiritual gift, maybe even a combination of serval gifts, but one in particular to serve God within His church.
The gifts that God bestows upon us at our conversion are spiritual gifts of a supernatural nature. They are gifts we did not possess before, nor could we achieve them on our own. They are also not to be confused with natural God given abilities which can and should be used to bring glory to God. These are gifts given to us by God to serve Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ where we gather together as a body of believers.
It is also important to note not everyone has the same gift. Oh, there may be others who have similar gifts, but a variety of gifts works best for the church to function orderly and for all to be taught, encouraged, cared for, and blessed. Whether you have the gift of teaching, administration, leadership, hospitality, serving, exhortation and caring, or a hands on where needed, used the gift God has given you for His glory. You are qualified and talented enough so do not fear. Do you have the gift? Yes, you do!
“Jesus replied, ‘Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.’” Mark 12:24 NLT
This week in Biblical Insights Jesus is approached by two groups of religious rulers opposed to each other but have a common enemy, Jesus. Their goals are to trap Jesus into contradicting Himself and for Him be at odds with either the Roman government or the Jewish law.
Our first group is a combined group of the Pharisees and the Herodians. The Herodians were a political group of supporters of King Herod, not exactly the Jews best friend but they were sent together to ask Jesus a question about paying taxes. “Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.” (Mk.12:13 nlt) Their hope was Jesus wouldn’t recognize the Herodians and He would agree with the Pharisees in not paying tribute to Caesar by not paying taxes forcing His arrest.
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The Pharisees and Herodians used flattery by telling Jesus they knew how honest He was. They noted His impartiality, playing no favorites, and always speaking the truth of God. Then they asked Jesus should we be paying taxes to Caesar. Of course Jesus saw right through this. “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.” (Mk.12:15 nlt) Showing Jesus a coin, He asked them an easy question, whose picture is on the coin? When they replied with ‘Caesar’s’ Jesus said, “Well, then, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” (Mk.12:17 nlt) Problem solved. But the Pharisees didn’t see it that way. They hated to pay taxes to the Roman government who was oppressing them. Their thought was, Jesus would never sanction such a tax, but he did, and they were amazed. They also failed at their attempt to trap Jesus in having Him arrested or the crowds turning on Him which was the real goal.
What Jesus laid out to the taxpayers of His day applies to us in our day. Jesus implied our responsibility to the government does not interfere with our responsibilities to God. We are under divine obligation to pay taxes to the government God has placed over us, for all authority comes only from Him. Many Christians today have the same problem the Jews had in paying taxes to an oppressive government, but Jesus spoke it plainly, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
Our second group this week are the Sadducees. They were the sophisticated Jewish party and very wealthy. Australian Theologian Leon Morris describes them best, “The conservative, aristocratic, high-priestly party, worldly minded and very ready to cooperate with the Romans, which, of course, enabled them to maintain their privileged position.” They were made up of High priests, chief priests, and most of the Sanhedrin. They were highly political and had great influence in the religious activities at the Temple. They oversaw the Temple business which Jesus disrupted the day before by clearing them all out. Their beliefs were noticeably opposite the Pharisees and other religious rulers. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. They were all about this world and making a profit. The Sadducees only recognized the first five books of Moses as authority and did not adhere to any oral, traditional, or Scribal law of the Pharisees. They also denied the existence of angels.
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This group, the Sadducees, described in the previous paragraph asked Jesus the most ridiculous question. They based the question on a law of Moses found in the Old Testament. The Sadduceess were seeing common ground with Jesus for their question. They confirmed the book of Moses and knew of Jesus’ quotations from Moses. But their question was to prove their point of no resurrection. They start by saying, “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.” (Mk.12:19 nlt) The purpose of Moses’ law was to provide a continuance of the man’s family name and inheritance rights. The first son born would be considered the son of the dead brother. The Sadducees then create a scenario where there were seven brothers and all of them died without passing on a son, and then the woman died. Now their ridiculous question from a group who doesn’t believe in the resurrection, “So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.” (Mk.12:23 nlt) Absurdity!
“Jesus replied, ‘Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.’” (Mk.12:24 nlt) The Sadducees were ignorant of the Scriptures. If they knew God’s Word even just the first five books they claim to believe they would know of the power of God and His ability to raise the dead. People today are just as ignorant of the Bible as the Sadducees were. They don’t believe because they don’t know. They don’t know because they haven’t read. They don’t read because their eyes are blinded by the spirit of darkness in this world. Christians should be in prayer for eyes and hearts to be opened in people to read God’s Word and understand His plan of salvation.
Jesus then explained those raised from the dead are not married as when they were here on earth but are like angels in heaven. Angels do not marry and do not have children. Life in heaven is not like life on earth. Marriage was established by God on the earth for companionship and advancing the human race. Believers in heaven will have a totally new spiritual existence.
The Sadducees needed understanding in another area in which Jesus is going to explain to them. They needed to know the truth of the resurrection. “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’” (Mk.12:26 nlt) Jesus went right to book of Moses, the book they should have been familiar with for they accepted it as the authority of God. This Scripture proves there is a resurrection of the dead. God spoke of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as being alive. He said, ‘I am the God of Abraham’ not ‘I was’, but ‘I am’ in the present tense.
Only the power of God is able to raise someone from the dead. Every believer’s body will be raised up on the last day and be united with our living souls in heaven. Our physical bodies die but our souls live on either in heaven with Christ or in hell with the lost until they reunited at the Lord’s return unto eternal life or eternal punishment. Don’t be as the Sadducees. Don’t be ignorant of the Bible, believe in the resurrection and the power of God, and accept Christ as His Spirit calls you unto salvation.
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17 NIV
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 NIV
Last weekend, recently drafted Cleveland Browns quarterback, Dillon Gabriel got caught in the social media ‘taken out of context’ web. A question by a sideline reporter was not fully aired or referred to, only his answer. “Speaking with CBS Sports reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala, Gabriel was asked about his comfortability in front of a camera. The poised Gabriel was authentic in his answer, a harmless and fun response.” (1) Gabiel’s fun response escalated rapidly when sports reporters and commentators from major sports outlets looking for a story failed to do their journalistic research. Their main concern was to adapt the answer to their bias narrative ignoring the truth. Eventually the truth came out, but the damage was done and too late for all the headline and sound bite social media followers who never saw the update.
I’m sure many of us have been taken out of context having our words twisted to mean something other than what was intended. Most of the time it is done to humiliate us or to put their opinion into focus as the right point of view. We may not be able undo the damage each time, but it is imperative for Christians that we try because our integrity and the truth is at stake.
Social media and bias reporters work as a conduit to get many false narratives accepted by as many people as they can to push their agenda. The Bible has been taken out of context for centuries, but not at the rate it is today. Again, those with a certain point of view and an agenda to push due to their politics or to satisfy the changing culture will take the Bible out of context to suit themselves. The Bible’s truth has not changed. It is not subject to re-interpretation. The Bible is not a fluid document, but the very Words of God. God’s Words mean the same today as when they were first written. It is vital for Christians to take a stand for the unchanging truth of God’s Word. Jesus confirmed the truth of God’s Word in His intercessory prayer, and Paul tells us not to be ashamed and to correctly handle the word of the truth (The Bible). It may come with criticism and be taken out of context, but we have proof the Bible is true as we apply it to our lives through the Holy Spirit.
Word for the Soul 