GOD WILL SEND HELP! Luke 9:28-31; 22:43.

The most difficult challenge any man ever faced was the cross. But God gave Jesus encouragement in many ways. While He prayed in the Garden before His arrest, “an angel appeared to Him, strengthening Him” Luke 22:43. But back the clock up a few days….

“He took Peter, James, and John, and went up on the mountain to pray. As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus. They appeared in glory and were talking about His death, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem” Luke 9:28-31.

Do you know this story? It’s called the Transfiguration, but you don’t hear much about it—possibly because no one understands it.

It’s simple: Jesus, who is God in the flesh, is a citizen of Heaven—He is the CREATOR of Heaven—He knows Moses and Elijah. But on earth, He does not see God’s face or experience God’s kingdom the same way He would in Heaven. But the Father knows the challenges ahead, and sends Moses and Elijah to encourage Jesus.

This conversation would be another amazing one to hear. What do Jesus, Moses, and Elijah say? I’m not sure, but I bet it involves the “joy set before Him,” (Hebrews 12:2) that is, the redemption of billions of people. Jesus is about to defeat the forces of evil and accomplish the greatest, most heroic moment in history. This is His pre-game pep talk. God knows Jesus needs encouragement, so He sends Moses and Elijah.

There’s more. God also sent encouragement for Peter, James, and John! After all, they were about to lose Jesus:

“Then a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is My Son, the Chosen One, in Whom My Soul Delights. LISTEN TO HIM!” Matthew 17:5.

 God knows your needs. He sees your hurts, griefs, losses, and challenges. And when you need Him most, He will provide. He may not send angels, or Moses, or speak in an audible voice—but He will take care of you! Keep seeking Him.

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Jesus Was Shrewd. John 2:23-25.

He knows human nature. So when the Pharisees were in a frenzy to kill Him, He knew not to trust anyone. He understands what lurks in the heart of mankind.

“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not willing to entrust Himself to them, for He knew all men, and He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.” John 2:23-25.

Does that make you feel bad? It should not. You already know what is in your heart—Jesus does too. You cannot surprise Him. Haven’t we all let our own selves down many times and in many ways? He knows.

When Jesus sent out His disciples, He told them to be “shrewd as serpents, but innocent as doves” Matthew 10:16. You have to be careful whom you trust—though you must always be trustworthy.

And when you fail?

He is merciful. “For He knows our frame. He is mindful that we are but dust” Psalm 103:14.

God is merciful. He knows you will fail. He understands human nature. He is shrewd and savvy and He is not surprised.

So go to Him with your failures and sins. Confess. Repent. Ask for forgiveness.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9.

Pray. Talk to God about your failures. Confess specifically. Thank Him that He understands human nature and is not surprised or shocked. Ask Him to help you do better. Ask Him to give you good ideas, tools, and strategies to do better.

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CAN YOU BE TOO TRUSTING? Matthew 10:16.

Some of us trust everyone. Some of us trust no one. Who is right?

As a young lawyer, I remember being cautioned by senior attorneys: “Don’t tell them anything, you understand? I don’t care that he is a co-defendant—he’s gonna be nice to you to try to discover our evidence. But don’t tell him anything, you understand? You can’t trust these people! They’ll stab you in the back first chance they get.”

I remember sending reply emails to each lawyer in which I quoted scripture: “Don’t worry. I get it. Say nothing. Jesus said, ‘Be shrewd as serpents, but be innocent as doves.’ I will be as shrewd as a serpent.”

That pacified the senior attorneys. But they were right about other lawyers: when two parties are being sued by the same plaintiff, they work together on the defense and can begin to feel quite “chummy.” But you’re only on the same team temporarily. Most cases with multiple defendants reach a point where each blames the other for the plaintiff’s complained-of harm.

When Jesus sent His disciples out on a mission to reach the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6), He warned them about trust:

“I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as serpents, but as innocent as doves” Matthew 10:16.

I know myself. I am trusting to a fault.

When you are honest, it is easy to assume everyone else is equally honest. They are not. But I am better off because I know that I tend to be too trusting. And Jesus warned us about that. There are wolves and snakes. Some at the office, some in the neighborhood, some in pulpits, and all of them on the internet.  The frauds, con-men, liars, conspiracy theorists and thieves are everywhere.

It pays to ask tough questions and cultivate healthy skepticism. Can you take that too far? Absolutely! But some questions are critical.

One rule of thumb—before you give up on a conviction you have had for decades, ask HARD questions—and insist on EXCELLENT answers from people who have proven themselves to be reliable sources. The round earth is now flat? The moon landing you always believed in was faked? The savings you worked on for years will double if you send it to a TV preacher? If you fall for these, you are too trusting.

“BE SHREWD AS SERPENTS.” Matthew 10:16.

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DOES TODAY’S CHRISTIAN FEAR THE LORD? Mark 4:38-41; 2 Corinthians 5:10.

One of the most dramatic scandals of my life was the implosion of the ministry of Jim Bakker. Throughout the 1980s, Bakker preached on a high-profile television show. He and his wife generated millions of dollars in donations. As is all-too-common, they promised donors that God would make the donors rich, but the ones getting rich were the preacher and his wife. Eventually, charges that Bakker paid almost $300,000 in “hush money” to silence former church secretary Jessica Hahn who claimed he had drugged and raped her led to a federal indictment, the ruin of the TV “ministry,” and finally criminal convictions for mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy. Bakker was found guilty on all 24 counts and sentenced to 45 years in prison.

In 1994, while Bakker was sitting in a jail cell, another pastor visited. He asked:

“When did you fall out of love with Jesus?”

Bakker answered: “Oh, I always loved Jesus. But I never feared Him.”

Think about that: I always loved Jesus, but I never feared Him.

I wonder how many other fallen preachers would say the same thing. And fallen husbands. And cheating wives. How many Christians feel a warm, fuzzy feeling about Jesus, and have no concept of standing in awe before the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth?

What about you? What about me? What about your pastor and mine? I am glad we embrace grace today. Grace has changed countless lives including my own. Yet we have all but lost the fear of God.  The most noticeable evidence of this shifting away from the fear of the Lord may be found in church music. Some criticize today’s pop-worship style as “God-is-my-girlfriend” music. That phrase is harsh and inappropriate, overlooking the Biblical origins of intimate worship with God (consider, e.g., all of David’s psalms). But the phrase does illustrate the shift in music from the sacred to the comfortable.

The second evidence of this shift is the way we preach today. Pastors barely raise their voices; some never speak an angry word about sin or injustice or corruption or worldliness. Many don’t even call them sermons anymore, they call them “talks.”

Don’t get me wrong: my comments about music and preaching address questions of style, not orthodoxy. That is, a given church’s music and preaching may be entirely Biblical within this contemporary style.

But our style choices illustrate our preference: modern churches do not prefer the fear of the Lord. Yet the New Testament warns us to fear the Lord. Do we? Do we talk about judgment? Do we warn Christians that even believers will be judged? (Do Christians even know that?)

“For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” 2 Corinthians 5:10, see also Romans 14:10-12.

The disciples understood the fear of the Lord. One night a terrible storm arose while at sea. They woke Jesus.

“Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”

He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ The wind ceased, and there was a great calm …  And they were terrified and asked one another, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and sea obey Him!” Mark 4:38-41.

I know it is hard to imagine this story. But imagine it. How would you feel if a man could speak to a hurricane and make it all go away? And this is just one time among many: I have written elsewhere about how many people were left frightened by Jesus.

When you encounter the Living God, you may be overwhelmed by love, by peace, by forgiveness, or joy. But sometimes you will be overwhelmed by FEAR. And thank God for it. Pray that He will bless you with the fear of the Lord. It will help you make right choices.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” Proverbs 1:7.

P.S. I think the biggest boost to a lifetime of healthy fear of the Lord is a healthy relationship with a strong but loving earthly father. Being raised by a man of integrity—who will punish consistently, but with a hand guided by love and mercy, is probably the best recipe for an appropriate fear of the Lord later in life.

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Lost. Matthew 9:36.

When a young man makes bad choices, we say he is lost. When a young woman drops out of college and refuses to work, we say she is lost. When a man’s career is over and he wallows, depressed and inert, we say he is lost. These people are lost because they have no plans, no goals, no ambition.

But even those with ambition can wake up lost. You lose a job. You fail repeatedly. You are forced to re-evaluate. Imagine trying to put your life back together after a divorce—even if you are the “innocent” party. It is devastating—and on top of the grief and hurt and anger, there may be a palpable sense of lost-ness. 

You find yourself asking, “Who am I? What am I doing? What do I want to be? Where is my life headed?” Anyone can wake up to find themselves adrift and at sea.

I love to read news stories about people rescued from the wilderness. What if you were in a plane crash and wound up alone on a mountainside, struggling to find food, water, and shelter? Nights are cold, days are hot. Everything you eat makes you sick. What little water you can find seems only to make you sicker. You wander through the thickest brush for days, hoping to find a road or some sign of civilization—then when you are rescued, the whole world sees pictures of you—and your fifteen minutes of fame finds you dirtier and more scratched and bruised than you have ever been. You are sunburned, with leaves in your hair, an oozing rash from poison ivy, and a generous coating of bugs and filth. Why? Because you were LOST.

When Jesus looked at the crowds in the towns and villages of Israel, they looked lost.

“When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd” Matthew 9:36.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. But you have to stay close to Him. Lost-ness does not happen only to young people who lack ambition. If anything, the ambitious among us can end up in a worse state because they may pursue their own plans for years and years before surrendering to the Shepherd Who knows what He made them to do and be.

When you wander off on your own plan, blazing your own trail, you will end up lost, trapped in some existential dead-end, with no choice but to come back to Jesus. Return to Him today. He loves you! He feels compassion for the lost! He knows how much you have suffered in the thorns of the wilderness.

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you” Matthew 6:33.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” Proverbs 3:5-6.

Don’t spend another day LOST.  

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SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN: JESUS WAS NOT HOMELESS, Matthew 8:20.

One day an enthusiastic young scribe told Jesus “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go!” Jesus responded with an interesting comment:

“Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay His head” Matthew 8:19-20.

Was Jesus homeless?

There is a Wikipedia page entitled “Homelessness of Jesus,” discussing different kinds of homelessness and which might apply. There are books on the subject and even a bronze sculpture of Jesus asleep on a park bench.

But Jesus was not homeless. Modern-day homelessness comes with a long list of associated problems. Homeless people are not only destitute, but are relationally poor. They have no one to rely on. No friends or family. On top of that, there are often addictions, criminal records, and mental illnesses that compound the problem.

Jesus—in spite of the time He spent on the road—was not a vagabond, a hobo, or an a member of the modern urban homeless sleeping under doorways and bridges.

“He left Nazareth and made His home in Capernaum” Matthew 4:13.

“When He returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home, and many gathered until there was no room for them, not even at the front door…” Mark 2:1-2.

When Jesus left His mother’s home, He MADE HIS HOME in Capernaum. He had a home, as both Matthew and Mark have confirmed in the verses above.

Consider these words from the article, WHY JESUS WASN’T HOMELESS, AND WHY IT MATTERS:

“Modern people who are homeless are often cut off from relationships that could benefit them financially … there are many types of poverty: financial, spiritual, relational, political, and so on. People who are poor in one area are often poor in others…. I find it pretty hard to believe that one can create a world-changing ministry and movement while struggling with homelessness. Jesus would have no time to preach, because he’d be standing in line at the employment office. He’d have no energy to preach because he wouldn’t get any sleep … And no one would follow him or take him seriously because he’d be practically invisible.”[1]

Sometimes Bible interpretation or “rightly dividing the word of truth,” requires the reader to consider not only the words of original languages, but also the idioms or figures of speech. As the writer of the article I cited points out, when readers of the Hebrew Bible spoke of “laying one’s head down,” they were speaking of finding peaceful rest.

That is, when Jesus said He had no place to lay His head, He was saying He had no peaceful rest, such as that described in Psalm 23. Instead, He was a wanted man, a fugitive, One who knows execution awaits.

I imagine this scribe as a young man, 19, perhaps, full of excitement. And Jesus smiled at this boy on the cusp of manhood, and shook His head. “Do you really want to spend your best years on the run? Do you want to sleep every night with one eye open, never knowing when they will come for you? Because that is my life right now.”

Perhaps this is simply an interesting way for Jesus to say, “Go home to your parents and the life you love. I have enough men risking their lives on this dangerous road with me.”

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[1] https://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/3933/why-jesus-wasnt-homeless-and-why-it-matters. This is a great article. It is short but addresses the issue thoroughly. Much of what I’ve written here comes from this source.

Which is Better, Old Treasure or New Treasure? Matthew 13:52.

Which is more valuable–old treasure or new treasure?

Imagine a visit to a wealthy couple we will call Mr. and Mrs. Howell. They live in a three-story mansion with Greek columns and dormer windows. Once inside, a remark about an autographed baseball jersey leads to stories about favorite possessions, and suddenly our hosts decide to show off a few things.

Mrs. Howell begins with her latest acquisition, a re-designed wedding ring with a larger diamond and rubies for each grandchild. Then the two point out a wall of framed photos of family. Next is new china and a silver service.

Then Mr. Howell remembers some heirloom silver packed away on the third floor. The Howells call the huge room the “attic,” but it has windows and a sparkling wood floor. There are cardboard boxes holding decades of quality. Before Mr. Howell can find the inherited silver, he spots a bag of old hickory golf clubs designed by the great Ben Hogan. That leads to a box of vinyl albums from the 1960s. Across the room someone spots a pair of Jordans in an acrylic display case. Mr. H. tries to explain, “there’s quite a story there—” but he is interrupted.

Soon, it’s a cascade of one amazing item after another. Some of the treasures are old, some new, but the torrent of treasures keeps flowing.

So, which is more valuable? The old stuff or the new stuff? What if you had to pick: the new diamond ring and the Jordans, or the antique golf clubs and the silver service?

Fortunately, you do not have to pick. Old treasures are amazing, and the story—the “provenance”—behind each adds to the value. But new treasures can be also be priceless. There’s no reason to prefer one to the other when you can have BOTH.

My friend C.J. loves the New Testament. He says, “I’m not really an Old Testament guy….” The trouble is, C.J. takes his emphasis on freedom and grace pretty far, arguing—for example—that “Jesus never told anyone to memorize scripture.” My response is that Jesus never told anyone to cover up when it starts raining either, because some things go without saying.

But C.J. is not alone. Many Christians consider the Old Testament optional. They may sit through a sermon on Nehemiah, but never read the book on their own. That is a mistake. Jesus encouraged us to master the old and the new:

“Every expert in the law who has been trained as a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings out of storage treasures both new and old” Matthew 13:52. 

What is an “expert in the law”? It is an expert on the Old Testament. What is a “disciple in the kingdom of Heaven”? That is a disciple of Jesus, one who will  live under the New Testament.

Jesus is saying if an expert on the Old Testament (such as Saul of Tarsus) were to become a disciple in the kingdom of Heaven (as when Saul became Paul), then he would possess the treasures of both the Old and the New, of both law and grace. Clearly, Jesus is encouraging that. The Living Bible puts it more plainly:

“Those experts in Jewish law who are now my disciples have double treasures—from the Old Testament as well as the New!” Matthew 13:52.

Read, study, and master the New Testament.  But master the Old Testament as well. There are treasures in both. God gave us the whole Bible. Make it your goal to understand and benefit from all of it.

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  • Pictured is my idea of “the perfect house,” the plantation home facing the Mississippi River and known as Oak Alley, in Vacherie, Louisiana.
  • If Moses and the law is no longer relevant, why do martyrs in heaven sing about it? “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb” Revelation 15:2-3.

PLANTING MUSTARD. Matthew 13:31-32.

Have you seen mustard seeds? Those seeds are TINY, roughly the size of a period. They must be easy to lose—a gust of wind could carry them for miles.

I found mustard seed online. It’s sold by the McCormick spice company in a tiny glass jar with a red plastic top—like so many of our spices at home. The jar contains 1.4 ounces of unprocessed seeds. They have not been made into a paste or treated in any way. McCormick’s advertising copy reads: “Our mustard seeds add tangy subtle heat to pickling brines, rubs, & seafood boils. Flavor maker.”

Jesus said:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than all the vegetables and becomes a tree and the birds of the air come and build nests in its branches” Matthew 13:31-32.

I usually read this parable as teaching that when one person comes to Christ, that seed may pay off a hundred-fold in the future, as he leads friends, neighbors, and family to Christ—and they lead others, and on and on it multiplies, reaching thousands in generations to come.

But what if Jesus is talking about how we spend our TIME?

How many times have you blown hours filling your mind with godless rubbish, with music and stories created by bitter, broken people living dark, hopeless lives—only to have your mood turned around in a moment by a Christian song or a timely Bible passage?

Give God a mustard seed of your time today.

Give Him five minutes—how hard is that? God’s message and God’s Spirit are so supernaturally powerful, in only a few minutes He can revolutionize your thinking and radically change your day for the better.

GIVE HIM A MUSTARD SEED OF YOUR TIME.

God will bless those minutes in an amazing way.

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HOW SMALL IS YOUR PART? Matthew 13:31-32.

They say, “there are no small parts, only small actors,” but the truth is—there ARE small parts. You can be the star or you can be “Man in the crowd number 2.” 

Do you ever feel that way about your life? Like your part is small? You have an unnamed role, a face in the crowd, while someone else is the star? I think everyone feels that way sometimes. Or you may know you are a star in one venue, but your role in GOD’S show, the story HE is telling, may be small. For example, Tom Brady is a huge star in football. But if he is a believer, or one day becomes part of God’s kingdom, his role there may be small. The point is, we all feel small sometimes. 

Let’s talk seeds. There is a coconut palm with 12-inch seeds. The better-known traditional coconuts are also huge seeds. Other plants with large seeds include avocados, mangos, buckeyes, peaches, pecans, and walnuts. But have you ever seen a mustard seed? It’s the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Ground pepper is larger. Yet God uses those tiny seeds to create new mustard trees. 

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds. But when the farmer plants it in his field, it will become the largest of all the herbs and will become a tree with birds nesting in its branches” Matthew 13:31-32.

Never think you have a small part. Even if it looks tiny. Even if you struggle with doubt so that your faith appears tiny. God will bless what you do for His kingdom. He will take the smallest effort, the smallest obedience, the smallest prayers, the smallest conversation, the smallest faith, the smallest sacrifice—and He will BLESS IT. His blessing will grow your tiny efforts into great things. His blessing will make something amazing out of our contributions. 

So HANG IN THERE! Keep talking, praying, reading the Bible (even 5 minutes a day). Keep doing the things He has given you to do. Keep loving the people around you. Keep talking to Him. 

HE.

WILL.

BLESS.

IT.

God, bless our efforts. Do something great!

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CULTIVATE THE SEED. Matthew 13:1-23.

Jesus told the Parable of the Sower and while reading it again I thought about Passion and other mountaintop experiences: Camps, Disciple Nows, Revivals, Christmas Pageants, concerts, a sermon series, etc. When we are moved deep in our souls, we think we will never fall away, never go back. But things happen, life happens, and we get discouraged. 

Read the parable again with different words:

A farmer went out to plant seeds. Some fell by the road and birds gobbled them up. Some fell on the rocks. They sprung up, but had no roots and the sun scorched them. Some fell among thorn bushes and could not compete for sunlight and water and space to grow. But some fell on good ground and bore fruit, 30, 60, or 100 times greater than the seed itself.

The disciples asked Jesus to explain. He said, ‘When some attend PASSION (or a similar crusade or revival) and don’t get it, then the enemy comes and steals away what little they had. Others hear the sermons at Passion with joy, but they have no root. They endure for a little while, but when it gets tough, they fall away. And the seeds among thorns represent those who go to Passion, get all excited, but the worries of the world choke their faith and they become UNFRUITFUL. But he with good soil hears the message of Passion, understands it, and will bear fruit, up to 30, 60, or 100 times greater than the tiny seed planted in his heart.’ Matthew 13:1-23 (paraphrased).

After EVERY spiritual high or mountaintop experience, PRAY for good soil, for a true and faithful heart.

God, help us hear and understand Your Word. Make it bear incredible fruit! Never let our faith be stolen or choked by the cares of the world. We want to serve and bear great fruit for you!

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