For everything we do in life there is the right way and a wrong way, well almost everything. I say ‘almost’ because there are some things that fall under the category ‘it doesn’t matter,’ or ‘good enough’, or as is said, ‘close enough for government work.’ Knowing the difference between the right and wrong way will save us time, money, and less embarrassment in a failed project. I’ve been embarrassed a few times in my life. Not knowing the right way from the wrong way when in a leadership position will result in more than a failed project but a confused company of people going their own way.
When young Solomon became King at age twenty God appeared to him in a dream and asked, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” (1Kg.3:5 nlt) Solomon asked for wisdom in governing the people. In other words, he asked to know the difference between right and wrong. The desire to do things the right things and not fail in leading Israel was a show of humility. Solomon could have asked for anything he wanted but chose to know the difference right and wrong.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the Lord asked us what we wanted, and He will give it to us? I wonder what we would ask for. Would we ask to know the difference between right and wrong above everything else? The fact is having the wisdom to know right from wrong is the most important thing you can ask for outside of asking Christ to save you and forgive your sins. We are living in a fallen world under Satan’s influence that only knows the wrong way. For us to live biblical godly lives it is vital for us to have the wisdom to know right from wrong in all things. It is one request God will surely grant. Make sure we ask Him.
I’ve heard it said, and it is true, that those desiring to read through the Bible never make it past the book of Leviticus. It is understandable seeing that the specific sacrifices made do not apply today. The religious ceremonies and offerings required by God do not apply either. The slaughtering of animals for the sacrifices is also a turnoff for some people. But there is much we can learn about the holiness of God in Leviticus, and maybe a thing or two about ourselves.
A sacrifice had to be made in the event of a sin even if one sinned unintentionally. The Lord required an animal sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. “When they become aware of their sin, they must bring as an offering for their sin a female goat with no defects. They must lay a hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place where burnt offerings are slaughtered.” (Lev.4:28-29 nlt) You may have heard the saying ‘our sin affects more people than just ourselves.’ The sinful actions we engage in have a ripple effect hurting people around us. Sin has its consequences.
The effects of sin by the people in Old Testament Israel caused the death of a blemish free animal. What was striking to me as I read our passage was that the one bringing the animal for sacrifice had to put their hand on the head of the one about to die and have their blood poured out on the altar. Because of their sin, that blameless animal was about to die. This should resonate with each one of us when we think of our own sin. Our Lord Jesus shed His blood on the cross at Calvary to satisfy the Father’s required payment for sin. Our hands were on Him as He was in our place about to sacrifice His life for our sin.
When entering a dark room, the first thing we do is turn on a light. If we enter a room we haven’t been in before, we search for the light switch using the back lighting that is illuminating from outside the room. Turning on the light we can now move around and conduct our business.
There are many dark rooms we enter throughout our lives. Some are daily decisions that need to be made at the spur of the moment, and others are the major decisions made only occasionally in our lifetime. But all decisions have that uncertain shadow of what’s ahead. If only there was no shadow at all with enough light to enter each decision, we would be confident we’re making the right move.
The Psalmist wrote, ‘The entrance (or unfolding) of Your words gives light.’ The Bible contains everything we need to know in making those decisions of uncertainty. We need light to shine through the shadows of both the daily decisions and the life changing ones. Seeing that we make decisions daily, it stands to reason, the light always needs to be on. Daily reading of Scripture is a must for every Christian if we are to be in His will and make the right decisions.
Our Lord will not abandon us making our own decisions without His guidance. He has given us His Word in clarity for us to understand and obey it. The Psalmist also wrote, ‘It gives understanding to the simple,’ and that means all of us. God’s Word is the light which illuminates our ability to understand His message to us, most importantly for salvation, but also for those decisions to be made in the shadows of a dark room.
“Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.” Mark 3:7- 8 NLT
FreeBibleimages.org
Famous people usually draw a crowd when out in public just by showing up at an event or enjoying dinner out. People crowd around them to say a word, or hope for a longer conversation, or are just looking for an autograph. Imagine if that person, in addition to filling your excitable emotions, could heal you physically of any disease or sickness you had. You would actively seek that person and not wait for a chance meeting. Jesus was such a famous person as he started His earthly ministry as we have been studying in the book of Mark.
Large crowds were beginning to follow Jesus as the news about His miracles of healing began spreading all throughout the region and beyond. People were traveling considerable distances from outside Palestine to find Jesus. He was becoming quite popular and there was much excitement building around Him.
We read today in the first six verses of Mark chapter 3 of another healing performed this time in the synagogue in Capernaum that helped boost Jesus’ fame. This miracle took place on the Sabbath day which boosted the Pharisees disproval of Jesus to the point they were now plotting His death. As Jesus entered the synagogue there was a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees were watching with intent for what Jesus would do. The verb that is used indicates they were observing maliciously waiting to trap Him. The Pharisees were looking for an opportunity to accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath by healing the man. Rabbinic teaching did not allow the practice of medicine on the Sabbath unless the individual was close to death. This man with the deformed hand clearly was not, so the Pharisees watched closely.
Jesus asked the Pharisees, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” (Mk.3:4 nlt) The Pharisees had failed to see the true nature of the Sabbath was to do good. Not healing this man would be breaking the spirit of the Sabbath and would be a sin. The Pharisees did not answer Jesus. By remaining silent they were implying their views on the Sabbath were wrong. They were convinced Jesus could heal the man, yet when He does, they are ready to accuse Him and seek His death. It’s ironic Jesus asked them, ‘Is it a day to save life or to destroy it?’ No wonder they didn’t answer, Jesus was going to save life, and the Pharisees were plotting to destroy His.
Jesus displayed His righteous anger as the Holy One of God and was grieved at their hardness of heart. The Pharisees hearts were growing hard by their pride, and by the prospect of losing their power and positions. Their lifestyle was more important to them than accepting Jesus the Messiah had come. How many people have we in the world today who also love their lifestyle to the point that any mention of Christ hardens their hearts. The Pharisees in Jesus’ day were throwing away the truth of Christ for their own lies.
“Then he said to the man, ‘Hold out your hand.’ So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!” (Mk.3:5 nlt) Jesus performed another miracle of healing increasing His popularity with the people and infuriating the so-called religious Pharisees who wasted no time in gathering support to destroy Jesus. The Pharisees met with the Herodians, a secular political party who supported the Roman government, but opposed the Pharisees. The Herodians also wanted to see the end of Jesus. They feared their political power would be in jeopardy if the region became unstable due to Jesus’ presence. The Herodians and Pharisees had a common enemy for different reasons, but their concern for themselves united them. Our world is no different today. We have so-called religious people where Jesus gets in the way of their programs, and secular political parties where the name of Jesus becomes a distraction. Both avoid any contact with the Christ of Scripture.
No matter the efforts to suppress Jesus in our modern society, His popularity and the excitement He builds cannot be restrained. Large crowds still follow Him today, and they are growing. Just as in Jesus’ day, “They came from all over Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him.” (Mk.3:7-8 nlt) Jesus is not on earth physically with crowds of people ascending on Him just to touch Him that He needed to seek refuge in a boat. But Jesus’ popularity and the excitement He brings is only natural as He is the only hope in this world, and the only hope for our afterlife. He still heals and saves those who come to Him for salvation. Jesus offers us the ultimate healing from the sin of death to eternal life. That’s worth seeking Him.
“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.’” Matthew 28:18-19 NLT
FreeBibleimages.org
Do you own a ‘red-letter edition’ of the Bible? I have had several over the years. The red letters, of course, are the words spoken by Jesus. It is an excellent edition especially for a new Christian and those seeking to know more about the sayings of Christ, for Jesus’ words are easy to find. A bit of caution though to be aware of when reading a red-letter edition. There is a tendency to put more emphasis on Jesus’ words as being more important than the rest of Scripture. They are not. All Scripture is God’s Holy Word and equally important. What Jesus had to say is very important and should be lived out by every Christian. There is no greater example of living a godly lifestyle than the Lord Jesus. We should heed the words He spoke, all His words, and live accordingly.
Throughout the four gospels Jesus tells us in His teaching why He came to earth. He came to redeem us and restore our broken relationship with God the Father due to our sin. Jesus proved He was God the Son by the miracles He perform, and His love and compassion He had for all. He lived a perfect sinless life and was the only one worthy to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus taught His followers, including us, how we should live and care for others. Christians today are to be the hands and feet of Jesus in all He taught us by His words, His example, and His parting words which are His instructions for us to follow while He is away.
Sadly, I’m afraid there are many Christians and churches who are weighing the importance of Jesus’ words against the rest of Scripture even within the red letters themselves. For example, Jesus taught us how to treat others, how to care for poor and the sick, how to look out for widows and orphans, and visit those in prison, along with loving the Lord our God with all our heart and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus taught us many other things in Scripture, but those mentioned above seem to have priority over everything else Jesus said including, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (Jn.14:6 nblt) and His final instructions, His parting words as he ascended to heaven.
All of Jesus’ words have equal importance and it is not up to us to pick and choose, especially when we ignore the gospel message of salvation. Jesus told us to, ‘go and make disciples of all the nations.’ We are to preach the good news of saving grace and explain why Jesus came. He came to provide our greatest need, forgiveness of our sins and to save us from eternal separation from the Father.
And yes, taking care of social needs in Jesus’ name is also the work of Christians and the church. We should be quick to do this work and never neglect it. It only stands to reason if Jesus instructed us to care for the temporal needs of people on earth, He cares just as much for the more pressing need of saving their eternal souls. That is why Jesus gave us those parting words. Let’s do both!
The word ‘love’ is being tossed around so flippantly in our day that it is losing its meaning. Culturally and politically, it is used to ensure a safe place where love brings everyone together across all lines of ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, race, and gender. This indeed works until it is found out that one does not agree with certain issues, then they are ostracized for their opinions or beliefs. What was to bring people is now separating them causing division. Love only works for some people when it is their definition of love, and you agree with them. The banished ones still strive to love those now disassociating with them, but it is to no avail.
You may have been or are now at the receiving end of such hostility for your opinions and your belief in Scripture. It is during these times that we look again to the Bible at some references of love. The ultimate definition of love is to sacrifice your life for others. “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Ro.5:8 nlt) The God of heaven sacrificed His Son Jesus, who willingly went to the cross for us defining the true meaning of love.
Again, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. We love each other because he loved us first.” (1Jn.4:10, 19 nlt) God first loved us enabling us to love Him and others. We are incapable of loving others outside of Christ. Which means we can love those who hate us, and look down on us, or as Jesus would say ‘we could love our enemies.’ Don’t be fooled by the world’s shallow definition of love. Give our enemies the opportunity to experience the true love of God through our actions towards them despite their feelings towards us.
The well-known Bible story of the three Hebrew boys thrown into the fiery furnace is applicable for all Christians today. Really?! The familiar names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego not only have a ring to them, but they represent all Christians living in a pagan society. They held positions of rank in the Babylonian government, were under the king’s rule, but they were also followers of the Lord their God, the God of Israel. Christians today hold jobs in a secular pagan society, are under the authority of the government, and we are followers of Jesus Christ.
The government of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar, issued an order for all people within the boundaries of the empire to bow down and worship the golden image he had erected. Bowing down would be recognizing the gods of Babylon and the king as a god by being obedient to the order given. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when called before the king for not bowing did not need to think it over, but told King Nebuchadnezzar they didn’t need to defend themselves. Their actions were intentional. Their minds were made up, and they would not bow but rested on the Lord their God to deliver them from the king either in death or by rescuing them from the fiery flames of the furnace. They submitted to the will of God.
We may not be put in a fiery furnace situation as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but we are beginning to see increase pressure to suppress Christianity across the world, and even in the United States. When those moments come, will we be able to be as intentional as the three Hebrew boys and be submissive to God’s will whatever it may be, or will we bow down to gods of this world.
Today marks the 216th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday here in the United States. Born in a backwoods cabin in rural Kentucky, Lincoln became the 16th President of the United States during this country’s most turbulent times. Two months before Lincoln’s inauguration the first state to withdraw from the union took place paving the way for the start of the Civil War. Although Lincoln never joined a church or proclaimed association with any religion, he relied heavily on the truths of Scripture especially during his presidential years. Many of his quotes recorded for us in history stem from these truths.
Abraham Lincoln was not one to remain silent on the ills that plagued America during the mid-19th century. He is noted for saying, ‘It is a sin to be silent when it is your duty to protest.’ James wrote something similar, “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” (Ja.4:17 nlt) President Lincoln’s greatest accomplishment was the Emancipation Proclamation that eventually ended the horror of slavery in the United States and put an end to the Civil War.
The United States still has horrors today that are afflicting the nation. Sadly, many Christians are standing on the sidelines and not engaging in the protest over evil by remaining silent. Our silence could be considered by some as agreeing with the current anti-God secular worldview. We could be considered as agreeing with the majority. Remember the majority accepted slavery in Lincoln’s time. Today, the majority accepts all kinds of evil as spelled out in God’s Word. Let us not be silent but confront the evils in our society knowing it is a sin not to do what we ought to do.
“Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. The lampstand will stand in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning in the LORD’s presence all night.” Exodus 27:20-21 NLT
When the children of Israel set out for the Promised Land under Moses’ leadership, the Lord God gave instructions in the building and maintaining the Tabernacle of God. (Ex.25-27) One of the articles inside the Holy place of the Tabernacle was the golden lampstand. It was crafted resembling an almond tree in bloom. The lampstand gave light for the priests serving in the Tabernacle, and it was to be lit at twilight and never to go out until morning.
The Lord commanded that there be a sufficient supply of olive oil on hand to keep it burning continuously. Care was taken to ensure that the olives used in providing the oil were beaten rather than crushed, for it would produce a finer quality of clearer fuel burning brighter and with less smoke. This command to provide olive oil was given to the people to ensure that the priests would be able to keep the lamps burning.
Dark storm clouds and shadows of discouragement that fill our life dim the light around us. Soon we find ourselves fumbling in the dark and losing our way. But there is no need for Christians to succumb to the darkness when we have the light. Jesus tells us, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (Jn.8:12 nlt) The light in the Tabernacle symbolized the life-giving and light-giving power of God. It also typified our Lord Jesus who is the true light who came into the world to save us. Those of us who know Him as savior have the light, the lamp of God that burns continually. So, no need to walk around in the dark.
The results of NFL’s ‘Super Bowl 59’ are in as the game was played last evening in New Orleans, Louisiana. As I write this, the game is a day away. I anticipate there will be many joyous celebrations from fans of the winning team, and not so joyous on the other side. Locally I reside 60 miles from Philadelphia and this morning there is either joy or sadness in the Philly area. In fact, there will be joy or sadness across the sporting world due to the outcome. Did Kansas City set a record with their 3rd in a row? Either way, whatever the result, don’t let it take away your joy.
David writes in Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (nlt) David says there is fullness of joy, or complete joy, in God’s presence. He is not referring to happy moments as when your favorite team wins the Super Bowl. David is referring to a lasting joy that overcomes any disappointment, sadness, or sorrow that comes our way in life. Our joy in God is not based on external circumstances, but on His internal presence in our lives with His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
To secure that internal joy that will never fade away receive Christ as your personal savior if you have never done so. If you’re a child of God but your joy is missing a beat, perhaps there is something in your life that needs to be corrected. Make it right with God and restore your joy, win or lose.
Word for the Soul 