Today’s devotional is light-hearted with an experience I’m sure a lot of us go through. There are times when we need an immediate answer. Urgent matters required a quick response. But what about needing a quick response that is not critical, but only to your timetable. It can be frustrating waiting for an answer or getting the run around as your request for service gets passed around only to wind up back where you started. Yes, our time is precious and valuable, and we don’t want to waste it, but living in an imperfect world we are going to have delays and needless waste of time can be expected.
I experienced such an incident this week. With an already full daily schedule, a scheduled appointment for a quick fix at the car dealership turned out to more than a quick fix but not fixed at all. I got caught up between two car dealerships and a third-party service provider as to who will fix it. I’m not complaining (really,) the problem will be resolved, but I was frustrated with the amount of extra time I spent reaching out to the other parties. Living in a day when communication is so much faster it sure took me a long time to finally convince Chatbot that I needed to speak to a representative. Chatbot wasn’t programmed for this unique dilemma.
What a comfort it is to know that when we call upon God, He will answer and quickly. To be fair to Chatbot, it answered quickly, but only had programed answers for the most common problems, not my unusual circumstance. God has all the answers all the time, and He needs no reprogramming or updates. He is the original programmer of all things, and He is quick to reply.
“They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, ‘All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!’” John 8:7 NLT
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The story of a woman caught in adultery recorded in John’s gospel is a very familiar one with Christians and non-Christians alike. It reveals the hypocrisy of certain religious leaders and those who assumed the role of being one up on everyone else on morality. The main point made by many is Jesus’s words, “let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Admittedly there is not one of us who is able to throw that first stone, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Rom.3:23 nlt) That lesson should be applied to every Christian in our daily walk in the world in which we live. But there is also another point that lies underneath the surface of the immediate that reveals the foundation for that exchange with Jesus.
The law in which the accusers wanted evoked would have been the Old Testament law of adultery. But certain facts of the case were not presented in their entirety as only one of the participants was presented. This didn’t seem to bother those who brought the woman for their own interpretation of God’s law. The fact is they weren’t as pious towards the carrying out the law as they were about trying to set up a trap for Jesus. They cared nothing about the law, but only the response from the one who came as a fulfillment of the law.
The religious leaders brought to Jesus a woman, minus the man, caught in the act of adultery. Their intent was to corner Jesus into deciding on whether or not to stone her according to the Law. Jesus essentially ignored them knowing of their deception. If He agreed to stone her, Jesus would be looked upon as having no forgiveness or compassion. If He did not comply with the Law it would appear Jesus was not who He said He was, the Son of God. They did not give up but kept on asking Him. They wanted Jesus to answer them either way to discredit Him. Jesus was interfering with their authority and their way of life.
There are those today who view Jesus as interfering with their authority and their lives. They demand an answer to the laws they perceive as right and just in their own eyes. They view the commands of God found in scripture as irrelevant today. They have gathered stones in their hands and are willing to throw the first stone, believing they have no sin. But tragically their aim is at God and His Word for interfering with their way of life. Be careful not to pick up stones.
Aren’t you glad we have an unchangeable God? Just think how many times a day you change your mind. Sometimes when we change our minds it doesn’t work out so well. Ask yourself, have I ever changed my mind towards God? If you did, how did that work out, or are you still working it out? We never need to worry about God changing His mind towards us, because He never will. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He doesn’t change His mind.
The Lord God was calling His people Israel to repentance through the prophet Malachi. They had sinned against Him countless times. Israel would repent and turn back to God. God would forgive them but they would again change their minds and go back to their old ways. Sounds a lot like us in our day. God did not give up on His people Israel and He doesn’t give up on us either. God’s forgiveness is always available when we confess our sins and repent, because our God doesn’t change His mind.
God’s forgiveness, grace, and mercy is the same as it was for Adam and Eve in the garden when they first sinned. His plan of salvation for sinners has not changed, and every one of us should be eternally grateful for that. God’s Son Jesus Christ is still the only way of salvation and eternal life with the Father. (Jn.14:6) The way of salvation is through Christ alone by faith alone. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” (Ro.10:9-10 nlt) It’s still the same way today, no additions and no subtractions, for we have an unchangeable God.
Christians around the world anxiously await the return of Jesus Christ. As sin runs its course and persecution is on the rise the thought of Christ’s return is a blessed hope for all believers. The apostle Paul writing to the church at Thessalonica encourages them of that future day as they were beginning to face persecution. He also commends them for their faithfulness and endurance in their persecution. Paul says God will use this persecution to show His justice and to make the church ready for His kingdom. “In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.” (2Thess.1:6 nlt)
This brings us to the other side of the coin. While Christians look forward to the return of Christ and the blessings it brings, the unsaved in this world have no such hope or blessings that come with it. Paul lays out in graphic detail the fate of those without Christ when He returns. “And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.” (2Thess.1:7-9 nlt)
Ignoring God and refusing to recognize Him and His plan of salvation through His Son Jesus has fatal consequences. Should one be alive at the return of Christ and have not accepted Him, this will be your fate. If you pass into eternity before His return, your fate is the same, judgment with eternal destruction, not annihilation, but forever separated from God in hell. The return of Christ will be a glorious day to be sure, but not all will find it glorious. You don’t need to be one of those on that day. While there’s still time. accept Jesus as your personal savior before it’s too late.
Today we begin to look at an endearing passage of Scripture with a most recognized piece of artwork to describe it, the Last Supper. There are few people in our world today who can say they haven’t seen an artist’s work of the Last Supper. Some may not know what is represents, but they have seen it. During the last few weeks we have covered the events of Passion Week beginning with Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem. It is now Thursday and sunset is the beginning of Passover. It will be Jesus’ last Passover with His disciples and He is eager to share this last meal with them before His crucifixion.
Mark notes it is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread with coincides with Passover. This sounds confusing and the names of both were used interchangeably due to their close association. The Feast of Unleavened Bread represented the removal of sin in one’s life and was celebrated for seven days beginning at the end of Passover which was one day. Passover celebrates God redeeming the children of Israel from death when they applied lambs blood on the door posts in Egypt on that first Passover before He miraculously led them out of slavery. “Jesus’ disciples asked him, ‘Where do you want us to go to prepare the Passover meal for you?’” (Mk.14:12 nlt)
Jesus displays His divine knowledge once again as He did when sending two of His disciples to gather a donkey for His ride into Jerusalem. Jesus sends two disciples into the city with instructions on where to prepare the Passover meal. We know from the gospel of Luke these men are Peter and John. Jesus told them to look for a man carrying a pitcher of water and follow him to his home. That is the place. Peter and John went into Jerusalem and spotted the man with the pitcher of water. He would have been easy to identify because carrying water in pitchers was a task reserved for women. Men usually carried water in animal skin containers. They followed him to his home and said to him, “The Teacher asks: ‘Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’” (Mk.14:14 nlt) It was customary in those days to offer a room to pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus may have made prior arrangements with the man for the room. The man showed them a large upper room as Jesus told them, perhaps a roof chamber built on top of the roof. So, Peter and John prepared the Passover meal where Jesus instructed them to.
The preparation of the meal began with getting a lamb for sacrifice. Only two people were allowed to accompany the lamb for sacrifice which would be killed between 3-5 PM. The blood would be sprinkled on the altar and the lamb taken home to be prepared by roasting it whole for the evening meal. Other chores were providing other necessary foods for the meal; unleavened bread, bitter herbs, sauce made from crushed apples, dates, pomegranates, and nuts. And of course, wine. The meal would begin at sunset and was to be concluded by midnight.
Jesus and His disciples gather in the evening in the furnished upper room prepared for Passover. During the meal Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me.” (Mk.14:18 nlt) Apparently a shock to eleven of the disciples as they each responds in disbelief, ‘Am I the one?’ Even Judas, number twelve, who knew he was the one. No doubt Judas wanted to avoid suspicion. The eleven were expressing the thought that this is an impossibility. This could not happen.
Again to their shock Jesus says, “It is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me.” (Mk.14:20 nlt) During the meal bread or meat was dipped in the sauce that was prepared for the occasion. There were probably several bowls of sauce on the table as there were thirteen people gathered around. This would indicate that Judas would have been seated close to Jesus to be able to dip in the same bowl. This betrayal was deep and personal as it broke the table fellowship of a close friend. Bible commentator David Guzik notes, “In Middle Eastern culture, betraying a friend after eating a meal with him was and is regarded as the worst kind of treachery.”
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Jesus then remarks, “For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” (Mk.14:21 nlt) Jesus notes two truths in this verse. First, the Scriptures declared the Son of Man must die. Isaiah, the prophet writes in Isaiah 53 known as the ‘Suffering Servant’ chapter, “But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands.” (Is.53:10 nlt) Christ’s death on the cross provided a way of salvation for us by shedding His blood, for He is our Passover lamb. (1Cor.5:7) Second, Judas will not escape the torment of eternal punishment in hell by rejecting Jesus and His way of salvation. It would have been better if he had never been born. This horrible tragedy is still true today for those who reject Jesus. It would have been better if they had never been born. How about you? Acceptance or rejection? The choice is yours. Judas made the wrong choice. Next week part 2 of the Last Supper………
Let me first say I thank the Lord God and praise Him for the ceasefire that has been achieved as part of the ‘20-point Israel-Gaza Peace Plan.’ This war has been in effect since Hamas attacked and murdered innocent Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, along with taking 251 people hostage. The remaining hostages are to be released in a few short days, another praise to almighty God. Once the hostages are released negotiations on the next phase will begin. So, while we rejoice in the ceasefire and the soon release of the hostages, the world is very cautious not to get too overjoyed as things can turn around quickly.
Case in point, the plan will be implemented in phases with on-going negotiations. Phase 1 is the ceasefire and the release of hostages along with Israel releasing several hundred Palestinian prisoners. Other phases include Hamas disarmament, Gaza’s governance, Israeli withdrawal, and long-term security among other items as humanitarian aid. The problem is, although a good plan that was accepted by all the neighboring countries, it does contain 20 points which are all valid, but somewhere down this long road the unexpected could pop up and stop everything.
For all intents and purposes, even if this plan is implemented in every detail of every phase, this is only a temporary peace. The evil in the world will continue to prevail as controlled by Satan. The Jewish race is hated by Satan because they were the vehicle in which Jesus, the Messiah, came to redeem mankind and destroy Satan. Satan’s influence on those who hate the Jews will only increase prompting them to once again engage in violence. I pray this peace will hold for an extended period of time until the Lord returns. When Jesus returns He will save the Jews who put their faith in Him during the tribulation for they will be attacked once again during that period. So, even if this peace lasts until then, it is only a temporary peace.
Christians today have a responsibly to keep praying for peace in the Middle East.
We are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, pray for humanitarian needs, pray that the gospel of Jesus Christ will be preach, for Jesus is the only source and hope of peace we have on earth until He comes back to rule the world. So, we pray to that end, because this is a temporary peace.
“This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience.” 1 Timothy 1:18-19 NASB
All Christian believers are in a fight whether we like it or not. You may say, I’m not a fighter, but that is beside the point. If you stand for Jesus you’re in a fight. This is not something new in our day but has been the case since the early days of the New Testament church. Christians throughout the centuries have been battling Satan and his demons. Satan is not giving up in case you haven’t noticed but he is in full attack mode as he sees the end of his days approaching.
The Lord God does not leave defenseless in this spiritual battle. He has given instructions through the writings of Paul such as in Ephesians chapter 6 where it says, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” (6:11 nasb) The best part of this fight is we only need to stand, but to ‘stand firm.’ We are to put the battle armor on to fight the good fight by standing firm. Paul encouraged Timothy to fight the good fight with holding to the truth (keeping the faith) and living a pure life (a good conscience). Satan is a liar hating the truth and certainly despises one who is living a pure godly life. So be aware, Satan’s eye is on us too.
Notice Paul said it was a ‘command’ to ‘fight the good fight.’ Timothy didn’t have a choice, and neither do we. Let us stand firm and fight the good fight.
“This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty-never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Winston Churchill
Have you ever reached a point in your life when you throw up your hands and say, ‘why bother?’ You obey the law, except perhaps going over the speed limit, you’re kind to your neighbors sharing what the Lord has blessed you with, you volunteer for community projects, and you give to the poor. After a while you experience unsettling times when you sense your efforts are underappreciated or not recognized at all. On top of that, you don’t see anywhere your goodness has made a difference. Indeed, it can be unsettling. Paul has some advice for us ‘don’t give up.’
As the farmer waits patiently through the hot summer months until autumn to reap his crop, so must we be patient and not give up.. Our heavenly Father is the master gardener and we are His workers in His field. Our main job is to constantly plant seed, do good works as unto the Lord allowing Him to nurture our efforts by watering the ground and providing abundant sunshine to produce a bountiful crop. Some of our efforts may fall on hard stoney ground and never have the chance to sink in and make a difference. That shouldn’t stop us from doing good. We are to faithful and give it to the Lord.
It can be frustrating not seeing results from our work and not being appreciated, but we are not doing it for ourselves but for the Lord. His command to us is to love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves. And remember Paul’s advice, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” So, don’t give up!
“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” Luke 12:1-3 ESV
The Pharisees of the New Testament were hypocrites. Said one thing and done another- especially when it came to religious things. They were quick to enforce the Law on others while not living within the Law themselves when it came to the love of God and loving their neighbor. Perhaps you can relate as you think of a few modern-day Pharisees you might know. Jesus told His disciples to be beware of the leaven (evil and corruption) of the Pharisees. Jesus called it hypocrisy.
Sadly, hypocrisy is alive and well in the Christian community today. A quick glance at any social media platform and you will see the fruit of hypocrisy. Modern-day Pharisees post their rant, which may be true and biblical, but is posted in a negative light to prompt a jarring response. Some of these same people then get caught participating in or supporting what they ranted about. Needless to say, social media lights up and is eager to expose the hypocrisy. Now to be fair, this happens to non-Christians alike, but the push back on Christians is relentless and it may be warranted. The sad truth is one’s reputation is ruined. You are now a hypocrite. Your voice has been silenced.
Every day on social media we witness Jesus’ words play out, “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” (Lk.12:2-3 esv) Those things whispered in our private rooms have a way of making it up to the rooftops, or shall we say the internet. Here’s a social media guideline for all of us to follow, “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Col.3:17 nlt)
“O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, ‘Your God is coming!’ Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm.” Isaiah 40:9-10 NLT
Two years today, October 7, 2023, the nation of Israel was savagely attacked by the terrorist group Hamas. 1,195 people were brutally murdered and 251 innocent victims were taken hostage by heavily armed and trained killers. 45 of the hostages have died during their captivity and as of this date 48 remain held in Gaza by Hamas. The world is closer today of seeing this tragedy end than any time during the last two years. But the problem with negotiating an end to the war is Hamas continues to push their ultimate goal of getting rid of every Jewish person in the land of Israel, even though they won’t admit it. It’s hard to reach a compromise when one party won’t be satisfied until you’re dead.
The day is coming when there will be total peace in Israel, all of the Middle East, and the entire world. The prophet Isaiah spoke to the Jewish people of that future day. He specifically said, ‘Your God is coming!’ Jesus, the Messiah, came the first time to save His people from their sins, and He is returning a second time to rule on the earth from Jerusalem restoring all of Israel’s land to its full God ordained boundaries. All of Isarel today wants peace and will negotiate in the spirit of achieving it and we pray to that end. But the day is coming when Hamas and those who hate Israel will be eliminated. Christ will rule and Israel will have their entire land and the peace to go with it.
So, in the meantime, what should Bible believing Christians be doing. First of all, we should always be praying for the peace of Jerusalem. (Ps.122:6) Second, we should be praying for the salvation of the Jewish people by recognizing and accepting Jesus Christ as their Messiah who has come to save them. And third, we should live godly lives before the entire world as we wait for our Lord’s return, because we do not know when that day is coming!
Word for the Soul 