“For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” Psalm 84:11 NLT
It’s always nice to have a guarantee on something you purchase. There is a satisfying comfort in the thought if the product breaks it can be replaced, even if you break it. But a guarantee is only as good as the word of the one backing it up. There are occasions when a guarantee is not guaranteed according to ‘the fine’ print. Always read the fine print. We all assume that there is no such thing as a sure thing, but we assume wrong. There are sure things. With the Lord God there are many sure things, and they are guaranteed.
Psalm 84:11 says, “The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” (Ps.84:11b nlt) It sounds to me like we are guaranteed good things from God. It certainly seems like a sure thing for God said it. There is no fine print to watch out for. The conditions are clearly spelled out for us so there is no misunderstanding. We only need to read it as it is written. It’s God speaking. But take note that it is conditional. God promises not to hold back any good thing that helps or benefits us when we obey Him and do what’s right.
With that said, we do not always see things the Lord allows in our lives as good things as we do what’s right. We must then search ourselves and ask do we trust God that His words are true? If we are in a right relationship with Him obeying His Word, and no we are not perfect, we can be assured that God will honor His Word and not withhold any good thing from us. It’s a guarantee.
“As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me and be my disciple,’ Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.” Mark 2:14 NLT
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Have you noticed someone who has truly come to Christ and the radical change that has occurred in their life? I emphasize ‘truly’ for there are many who profess finding Jesus, but their lives do not show it. They are easily exposed to being fraudulent, no true conversion has taken place. Unlike the truly converted, whose lives have changed and taken on a new a meaning. Things they have done before they no longer do, things they would never do they are doing unashamed. Jesus has a way of making that happen in the most unlikely individual when they realize they need a savior. This week in our study in the gospel of Mark we meet up with such a person, Levi, whose name was changed to Mathew after he met Jesus in his place of business.
Jesus went out to the lakeshore after healing and forgiving the sins of a paralytic proving His deity in Peter’s house. Again, Jesus was teaching all who came to Him. “Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him.” (Mk.2:13 nlt) Jesus came to a tax booth near the Sea of Galilee. Tax booths were set up by the Roman government to collect taxes for infrastructure and to support the government. They were set strategically along the main roads to collect tolls like in our day. Commercial fishing was also taxed, so you would find a tax booth near a major fishing location. There Jesus saw Levi in his tax collector’s booth and said to him, ‘follow me and be my disciple.’ Levi didn’t hesitate to leave his lucrative job behind he went out and followed Jesus.
Levi is a good example for us to look at of one having a radical change after accepting Christ as savior. Levi was a tax collector, one of the most despised people in Israel at that time. Tax collection ran like our modern-day franchises. Tax offices were purchased from the Roman government with the right to collect taxes in a certain area. Operators were allowed to keep everything above the required government tax rate. Tax collectors made an exuberant living by charging excess fees far above what was reasonable, and most were dishonest. These tax collectors were making themselves rich at the expense of their own people. Levi left the money on the table, realizing that he needed a savior more than the money due to his sins, and he was now about to show everyone his radical change.
Levi’s quick response to Jesus and what he is about to do next is a testimony to the genuineness of his conversion. Levi decided to have a dinner party in honor of Jesus and invite his friends, colleagues, and associates. “Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.” (Mk.2:15 nlt) Levi wanted his guests to meet Jesus who had made such a change in his life. This did not sit well with the Jewish leaders who were looking for anything to discredit Jesus. Jesus sitting among these people and having a meal with them was an offense to these Pharisaical leaders. “But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with such scum?’” (Mk.2:16 nlt) The leaders felt any contact with these people would make Jesus a sinner. Sinner was a common term for tax collectors, adulterers, robbers, and the like. But in their eyes, anyone who did not follow the Mosaic Law as they interpreted it were sinners, or scum.
Christians today need to be careful we don’t look down on non-Christians by not associating with them. Jesus gave us a command to go into all the world and preach the gospel making disciples in all nations. (Mt.28:19-20) Jesus also said “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.” (Mt.5:44, 46 nlt) Jesus answered the Jewish leaders in Levi’s home by saying, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” (Mk.2:17 nlt) A self-righteous person feels no need to come to Christ for salvation, but a sinner does. And that sinner will have a radical change take place in their life for all their friends and the world to see.
Traditional news sources we have become accustomed to have come to an end. The Econo Times reported at the end of last year, “The media landscape in 2024 is undergoing seismic changes as traditional news outlets face dwindling audiences and staff layoffs. Networks like CNN, NBC, and Vox have been forced to reduce staff, while platforms like X have gained prominence as sources of news, bolstered by user interaction and a perception of greater control over the narrative. Consumers are increasingly seeking news that feels participatory and relevant to their lives, often turning to platforms like X and TikTok for real-time updates and direct engagement.” (1) A major factor in the decline of network news has been political bias by these organizations. With the rise of social media and independent journalists creating their own platforms, news seekers gravitated to the non-bias sources. But this is also becoming a problem.
The new media landscape is not much different than the old. Newly created news organizations and social media platforms are catering to a certain segment of society they see as profitable. The political biases have not disappeared but only changed locations. The more things change the more they stay the same. There may be more of a balance between different points of view in this ‘new’ versus the ‘old’ media. It’s become a point-counterpoint news media. Elon Musk’s ‘X’ formerly ‘Twitter’ is countered by ‘Bluesky’ founded by Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of ‘Twitter.’ Video hosting service ‘Rumble’ is countered by ‘Tik Tok’. ‘Facebook,’ a pioneer in social media platforms with its own problems, currently seems to be in the middle of the road. And then there are live stream news sources and podcasts from both sides of the aisle as we say in America. Well, you get the idea.
The bottom line is, can all or any of these news sources in the current media structure be trusted to tell us the truth. I’m sure there is plenty of honest reporting, and I have come upon a few I trust. But that doesn’t relieve us of our responsibility to make sure by doing our own fact checking and not letting personal biases we carry cloud our thinking and judgement. With that in mind, there is only one source we can go to get the truth every time, for it is the only source of truth in all history, and that is the Bible, God’s Word. Within its pages we will find how we are to live in treating other people, in conducting our business, in handling selfishness and pride, in applying true justice, in loving one another, and if you can name it, you’ll find an answer to that as well, and more importantly we will find how to love the Lord our God. We can be thankful the more things change in our world; the more God’s Word stays the same. You can factcheck it.
Sometimes there are people who try to get the best of us, meaning getting under our skin or intimidating us making us fearful of their intentions. Christians especially come under the attack of intimidation. Standing up for Biblical values in a secular world and claiming Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven will give plenty of fuel for people who think otherwise to prove us wrong. Intimidation presents itself in various ways, but it is always to make us fearful and second guessing ourselves.
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, said that when we become fearful of others, we set ourselves up to be trapped. If our focus is not continuously on God, we will start to lose our confidence as we get bombarded by others trying to intimidate us. This will lead to our becoming fearful eventually trapping ourselves in doubt and confusion trying to defend ourselves when our trust is to be in the Lord.
The Lord will never leave us standing alone. He is always with us. “For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’” (Heb.13:5b nlt) When we put our trust in Him, we need not fear for we are safe. As Christians we are to do the work He gives us, proclaiming the gospel, and living in accordance with His Word. So let the world intimidate us for our Biblical worldview, and be not fearful, but answer boldly in the fear of the Lord our God, trusting Him for His safety and protection on us. “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.” (Ps.4:8 nlt)
There are many parallels in Scripture to consider for our benefit if we take the time to recognize them. An easy way to access them is to observe the study notes and related Scripture of the verses in the passage you are reading. That is, of course, if you have a Study Bible. If you do not have one, I highly recommend you get one. Parallels between the Old and New Testaments occur quite often, and all are important for our understanding and growth as a Christian.
Daniel chapter 2 records the story of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation. The king sees a large shining statue of a man in his dream which frighten him. Daniel reveals the dream exactly as the king saw it. Daniel then interprets the description of the appearance of the man from head to toe. In short, the man in the king’s dream represents four kingdoms, one that was present, Babylon, and three that are future. They were the Medo-Persian Empire, followed by Greek Empire with help of Alexander the Great, and the Roman Empire.
The rise of a fifth and final kingdom is explained by Daniel from what Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. “As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits.” (Dan.2:34 nlt) The interpretation of the rock (stone) is Christ at His second coming who will destroy all the sinful empires of man establishing His millennial kingdom on earth. “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever.” (Dan.2:44 nlt)
Jesus told His followers in the New Testament as He was being rejected by the Elders and Jewish Leaders, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” (Lk.20:17b-18 nlt) All who reject Christ, the only way of salvation, is subjecting themselves to stumbling and being crushed by the weight of their own unforgiven sin. Let that not be you!
Our sins can put us into very uncomfortable situations. For instance, it is an embarrassment when one is caught in sin. The results of that sin can lead to life changing circumstances where there is a constant reminder of it. Our lives will have an empty, punch in the gut feeling, for having sinned against God and bringing this condition on ourselves. Perhaps this condition is worsened by God Himself in punishment for our sins. Yes, God will leave us to stew in the consequences of our sins for a time. But it is possible to be restored, when we reach out to Him in confession and repentance asking Him to forgive us our sins.
The writer of Psalm 80 notes that Israel is a vine that God planted in the Promised Land after bringing them safely out of Egypt. “You removed a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it.” (Ps.80:8 nasb) The vine took shape and grew and filled the land. However, Israel’s on-going sins against the Lord led to this vine being ravaged by man and beast. (Ps.80:12-13) Israel cries out to the Lord in prayer, “O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech You; Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine.” (Ps.80:14 nasb) It was God’s wrath against them for their sin that destroyed and burned the vine. Since God planted the vine (Israel), he can restore it. They ask the Lord “Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. O LORD God of hosts, restore us; Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.” (Ps.80:18b-19 nasb)
Whenever we find ourselves in a similar situation as ancient Israel, may we be reminded God is the restoring business. We may feel the hand of God upon us due to our sins, but He will revive us as we cry out to Him. And then we can say with Israel, “O LORD God of hosts, restore us; Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.” (Ps.80:19 nasb)
Super Bowl Sunday, the unofficial holiday in the United States, is less than two weeks away. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs have earned their tickets to the biggest football game of the year by winning their respective conference championship games. The game has truly become an event the shuts down most of the nation for 4-5 hours on a Sunday evening. There are parties and family gatherings, with every variety of food imaginable and all eyes bent toward the giant flat screen television. Excitement builds for two weeks with fans bantering each other on who will win, and who are true fans and who are the bandwagon jumpers looking to get in on a good thing. Last year an estimated 123 million people in the United States watched the game, and that’s not including the international audience, that close to 40% of the entire population of America.
Obviously, they are not that many football fans in the U.S. or across the world, but many people get caught up in the excitement and enthusiasm of the fans and the whole event. It is a time to celebrate. On those same lines every day is an unofficial holiday for Christians, and it too is a day to celebrate. God in His grace and mercy reconciled us back to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. Our only response needed is to accept Christ as our Savior. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph.2:8-9 esv)
Do people around us get caught up with our enthusiasm and excitement for Christ? Do you think it’s possible for us to stir up enough excitement these next two weeks to make a difference in the kingdom of God by offering a free ticket to the biggest event in of all history, eternity with Christ? Yes, it is time to celebrate. And maybe we’ll even see a John 3:16 sign in the end zone this year!
Have you ever found yourself saying amid a problem, ‘Hey, no problem, I got this?” Maybe you asked the Lord for His help, probably not if you ‘got this’. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. Our failure to ask God for His help is just that, our failure. The Lord is always there to help us even when we do not ask Him. So perhaps it was God all along who had this.
Nevertheless, Christians are to be careful of a having a smug attitude. Thinking we don’t need God in situations we deem we can handle is pushing God aside. Yes, the Lord gave us a brain to work things out, but if our attitude is ‘I’ got this ignoring God, we’re forgetting God by pushing Him aside. There may not be any consequences other than a failed project, but a continuing do-it-yourself-attitude without God will lead to disobeying to God at some point and then there will be consequences.
Moses did not have a do-it-yourself-attitude except one time, and it cost him from entering the Promised Land. The children of Israel were constantly complaining about their conditions traveling in the wilderness. Once again there was a lack of water, and they complained bitterly to Moses. They blamed Moses for no water and for making them leave Egypt entering the wilderness to die. Moses and Aaron went before the Lord and He instructed them on what to do.
The Lord said to Moses, “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water.” (Num.20:8a nlt) Moses had the experience of providing water for the people of Israel years earlier through the Lord’s help. He followed the Lord’s instructions to strike the rock at Horeb and water gushed out. (Ex.17:6) But this time the Lord instructed Moses to speak to the rock and water would come forth. Frustrated with the people’s complaining, Moses basically said, ‘I got this.” “Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. ‘Listen, you rebels!’ he shouted. ‘Must we bring you water from this rock?’” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out.” (Num.20:10-11a nlt) Moses was taking the glory for himself rather than putting it on God where it belonged. He pushed God aside and the consequences of that sin was being denied entrance into the Promised Land.
We may not have such an experience as Moses but let us not carry an “I got this’ attitude thinking we don’t need God, especially if our efforts included something the Lord would disapprove of. May we be wise in what is right and wrong and not push God aside.
“So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Mark 2:10a NLT
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Jesus had become a popular figure with the Jewish people as we saw in last week’s Biblical Insights. This week Jesus becomes a polarizing figure with the Jewish leaders, the teachers of the Law. Jesus finished His first tour through Galilee and returned to Capernaum. Scripture says the news spread quickly that He was home. People of celebrity status find it difficult to return home without a big fanfare or with news leaking out. Jesus was indeed well-known. Remember He was forced to go outside the city to continue His ministry due to the crowds, and He has now returned home with His disciples. Most likely Jesus stayed in Peter’s home while in Capernaum. It would become Jesus’ ministry headquarters. Capernaum was convenient as it was centrally located with direct access to the Sea of Galilee.
It didn’t take long for Peter’s home to be filled with people wanting to see Jesus for healing and to hear Him teach. There was no more room in the house and an overflow crowd was assembling outside reminiscent of today’s concert venues and speaking events of famous people. While Jesus was preaching, four men arrived carrying their paralyzed friend on a mat. There was no way into the house due to the crowd, but they were determined to get their friend to Jesus for his paralytic condition was severe. There was only one thing to do, if they couldn’t get in by going through the door, they would go through the roof.
“They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.” (Mk.2:4 nlt) Palestinian houses of that day had a flat roof that were used for relaxation in the cool of the day and sleeping during hot nights. They had an outside staircase which led up to the roof. The roof was made with a thick layer of clay baked by the sun, then covered with mats and branches across wooden beams. The four men saw their opportunity to help their friend and proceeded up the staircase to the roof.
Once on the roof, they dug a hole through the clay large enough to lower the paralytic down in front of Jesus. Jesus recognized that these men, including the paralytic, had the faith the He could heal the man physically. But Jesus took care of the most pressing need first. The forgiveness of sins for salvation. “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’” (Mk.2:5 nlt) Many Jews believed that one’s illness, especially severe, was because one’s sins. Once Jesus heals the man of his paralysis, which only God can do, they could not deny that He could forgive sins. But the Jewish leaders did just that.
The Jewish leaders thought to themselves Jesus was committing blasphemy, for only God could forgive sins. Jewish theology taught that even the Messiah could not forgive sins, so indeed, Jesus was a blasphemer in their eyes, He was claiming deity. Jesus asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?” (Mk.2:8b-9 nlt) It may be easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven’ but when the paralytic gets up and walks, proof that Jesus healed him, it is proof that Jesus has the power to forgive sins as well.
“Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’ And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. (Mk.2:10b-12a nlt) The man came into the house through the roof laying on a mat and went out walking through the front door to the amazement of those around. The paralytic was completely healed, which no one could deny. It was another one of Jesus’ instantaneous healings. This miracle healing along with Jesus proving His deity intensified the conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. It put the leaders in conflict with Jewish people, for the people “were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, ‘We’ve never seen anything like this before!’” (Mk.2:12b nlt) A Biblical Insight for us is, ‘preaching the truth about the deity of Jesus Christ is sure to find conflict especially in our day.’ May we continue to be faithful and proclaim Jesus is God the Son. For Jesus said, “So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” (Mk.2:10a nlt)
“But you are near, O LORD, and all your commands are true. The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.” Psalm 119:51, 60 NLT
Much has been made on social media and mainstream news networks of Donald Trump not having placed his hand on the Bible during the swearing in ceremony. The best of intentions sometimes goes awry even in a well-planned inauguration of a president of the United States. The President-elect had chosen the first Bible his mother gave him and the famous Lincoln Bible used by President Lincoln. The problem was the oath was already being administered when the future first lady was in position with the Bibles. Yes, an unintentional case of bad timing even in a Presidential inauguration.
Regardless of whether President Trump had his hand on the Bibles, does that relieve him of holding to the oath since he did not have his hand placed on them, or if he did does it make his oath more authentic? I find these questions interesting for discussion, but I also find them irrelevant. The main question to consider is, is the Bible relevant to the one taking the oath. Does a future president or anyone taking an oath in a court room believe the Bible is God’s Word, every word of it, and fearing the Lord God Almighty? I thought of that question last weekend before the inauguration on my drive to visit a family member by something that provoked me on the radio.
This is a lesson for all of us to consider when we’re asked to raise our right hand and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. If we believe in the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ, and believe His Word is true, we can easily place our hand on the Bible. But if there is no Bible we can still swear by His Word and His Name, for we are committing to tell the truth before His presence. Whether Donald Trump had his hand on the Bible or not, his oath was before a Holy God who gave us His Holy Word. What makes an oath authentic is swearing before the one you truly believe in.
Word for the Soul 