Matthew 22:15-22 - Look out for Traps!

 At that time, the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. Tell us, then, what do you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the money for the tax." And they brought him a coin. And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Render, therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. " When they heard it, they marveled; and they left him and went away.

Don't Fall into Traps!
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Christ Jesus, You read the hearts of all! You could see that the Pharisees, seeking to trick You by Your own words, used flattery as a weapon to catch You off guard. But, You, O Lord, do not succumb to flattery and did not fall into their trap.  For You always do those things that please the Father. These hypocrites were sent to test You, but You turned the tables on them and after they asked You a question, You asked them.  The wisdom of Your response quiets the mouths of all detractors.  

O Lord, grant me a humble heart today. Let me never use flattery in my dealings with others.  May I be honest with all whom I come in contact today. And like Christ offered a wise answer to a tricky question, may I always answer with the Words of Christ, when put to the test! May I always render unto God the things that are rightfully His. And what is rightfully His? Only all of my life! Amen.

Matthew 21:18-43 - Do the Right thing' not just say it!

18

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.

19

And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

20

And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

21

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.

22

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

23

Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

24

But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:

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The baptism of John – where was it from? From heaven or from men? And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

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But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.

27

So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

28

But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’

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He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.

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Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.

31

Which of the two did the will of his father? They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.

32

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

33

Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.

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Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.

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And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.

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Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

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Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

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But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’

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So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40

Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?

41

They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

42

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43

Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

Good advice!
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O Lord, help me to be like the son in the parable who said "No" to following Your commands but later repented and did indeed obey his father.  For it is not the one who says yes and yet does nothing but the one who actually acts upon the commandments of the Lord- he it is who will receive notice from God.  Help me to live this day and everyday in repentance, knowing if I obey God, then I will follow Him.  Help me to see Christ in my neighbor, looking for ways to serve Him. Amen.

Philippians 4:4-9 - Rejoice!

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say it, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.
The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

We have many reasons to rejoice!
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 There is much to be happy about! There are plenty of reasons to rejoice! The Lord is at hand. Not only meaning that He will be returning soon but also, He is close to those who trust in Him.  Therefore, we have noting to worry about but, instead offer to God our prayers and our requests. This we do with thanksgiving, ever grateful for His many benefits. Peace follows all of this, peace from Christ who guards our hearts and minds.

As someone who follows Christ, I must meditate on things that are pure, true, noble and just.  Only positive things should fill my mind. As I think this way, I should follow the example of those who have shown me how to live in Christ.  Doing this will fill me with peace, a peace that leads to joy!

O Lord, how I want to rejoice in You always. When bad news tries to capture my soul or when evil reports would disturb my peace, let me remember that Christ is near and will never forsake me. Then, shall my soul always rejoice!

Hebrews 12:28-13:8 - Our God is a Consuming Fire!

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Let brotherly love continue.Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them – those who are mistreated – since you yourselves are in the body also.Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.

Fire Consumes!
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We are to serve God with reverence and godly fear.  For the writer of Hebrews tells us that "Our God is a consuming fire." That phrase doesn't seem to be the best evangelism tool yet the statement is true for both believers and unbelievers.  For the unbeliever,  the presence of God is an unbearable and burning fire, which sears the being and scalds the soul.  His holiness in the presence of our sinfulness, burns.  

For the believer, he who it is who is daily conforming to the Image and likeness of Christ, this fire is a welcome radiance, purging out the debris of our souls, a purification  we readily accept. We all stand in the presence of God, who is everywhere  present and filling all things. Either we feel His presence as scourging or we feel His presence as Light.

This day, I pray, O Lord, may I embrace the Your fire. May it burn out the dross of my soul and radiate my life with Your Holy Spirit. I am sinful and full of imperfection yet I rely upon Your Mercy. For the Mercy of God, in the person of Christ, shall be my refuge always. And I am bold to say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. Amen. 

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Isaiah 66:10-24 - Comfort for the servants....and Judgement for the enemies...and a witness to all!

"Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; that you may suck and be satisfied with her consoling breasts; that you may drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her glory." For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip, and dandled upon her knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the LORD is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies. "For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the stormwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the LORD execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many. "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating swine's flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, says the LORD. "For I know their works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations. And they shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their cereal offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD. "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me, says the LORD; so shall your descendants and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from sabbath to sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, says the LORD. "And they shall go forth and look on the dead bodies of the men that have rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

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The Lord promises comfort to Israel. Like a babe at his mother's breast or a young child upon the hip of his mother, so the Lord promises peace and comfort to His people. The Lord promises all of this to His people and, yet, those who reject the Lord, who willfully follow after other gods, who are no gods at all, shall meet with the Lord's indignation. Judgement is for those who reject their own good and exchange the glory of God for filthiness. And why is this? Because we are created for greater things than these.

The Lord will have His witness among the nations.  His people will be scattered throughout the world But they will be gathered again back to the holy city.  In their captivity though, they shall bear witness to the Lord's Goodness.  Men shall see and have no excuse.

O Lord, I seek Your comfort but more than that, I seek to be Your witness. Grant me, this day, Your Holy Spirit, alive in me to declare Your goodness. Amen. 

1 Peter 5:6-14 - Look out for the Lions!

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son.Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Satan, the master predator is like a lion
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 The Devil, he who tempts all of mankind to follow their own passions and to ignore Go- he, is like a roaring lion, on the hunt for those he may consume.  He throws temptation after temptation hoping that the person falls and stays fallen.  But God wants us to resist him and we should do this because we are not the only ones being tempted but our brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo temptation. Together, in prayer, we can resist and the Grace of God can abound in us.

God has called us to His eternal glory through Christ Jesus. He too has suffered under temptation yet He did not fall.  To Him belongs glory and honor for He it is that delivers us from the roaring lion, Satan. He will establish us, strengthen us and settle us! 

O Lord, let me live moment by moment, resisting each temptation that comes along and when in my weakness I fall, help me to cry out for Your mercy. May I ever be cognizant of the evil one but, more still, may I remember Your Presence and rely upon it to help me conquer my passions.
In Christ's Name, Amen.

Isaiah 58:1-11 - Why bother Fasting, if you still hate your brother?

 Thus says the LORD: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. 'Why have we fasted, and thou seest it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and thou takest no knowledge of it?' Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?

"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, "Here I am."

"If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

What? You're gonna fast and still not love your brother? Why bother?
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O Lord, Help me not be like the people of Israel who fasted and yet lived in strife with their brothers.They engaged in religious activities and yet let the homeless remain without a bed and sent away the hungry with no bread.  They continued their duties, thinking they were pleasing You. How foolish to think God would be pleased by anything we do with a hypocritical heart. This day I pray, may my fasting not be in vain or my prayers not be with no effect. For if I would truly follow You then, when I fast and pray, I will also love my brother. Soften my heart, I pray. Amen.

Isaiah 49:6-10 - Shine the Light!

Thus says the LORD: "I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I have answered you, in a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages; saying to the prisoners, 'Come forth,' to those who are in darkness, 'Appear.' They shall feed along the ways, on all bare heights shall be their pasture; they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall smite them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them.

Shine through me, I pray!
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O Lord, You say You have given us as a light to the nations  Help me, this day, to show forth You light. May those who don't serve You, prostrate themselves before You as they see the Light that comes from Christ in me.  My soul is darkened at times, Lord, so that Your Light is not radiant in my life. How I long for the Light of Christ to shine brilliantly. How I wish my life to be ablaze with the Holy Spirit's fire.

Grant this to me this day, O Savior, for you have promised to answer us in a "day of salvation" Lead me out of darkness into Christ's light and may others see Christ's Light in me. amen.

Isaiah 48:17-49:4 - Peace like a river and righteousness like a wave!

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go. Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.Your descendants also would have been like the sand, And the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; His name would not have been cut off Nor destroyed from before Me.”Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing, Declare, proclaim this, Utter it to the end of the earth; Say, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob!”And they did not thirst When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out.“There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”“Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me.”“And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.’Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.’”

God's Righteousness is a Mighty Wave

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The Lord longs for us to follow Him. He longs for us to listen to and obey His commandments  And why shouldn't we? Does He not provide for us as He did for Israel in the desert? He made waters proceed from a rock and when His people were dying of thirst, He provided refreshing water.  Yet, it is more important to have the peace and righteousness of the Lord for He promises that peace would flow like a river and righteousness like the waves of the sea.  All this would happen if we would just heed the commandments of the Lord. 

In my life, is peace and righteousness abundant? Is it obvious to all? No one can mistake a river nor can they ignore the presence of a mighty wave. The Lord promises  this to His servants and surely it will be seen by all.  He has redeemed us and has said, in us, He would be glorified.

May, this day, I be ever aware of the Lord's righteousness and may His peace reign in my life so that those around would see the refreshment of my soul, as a river refreshes our thirst. May all around see His righteousness in me which comes in power like the might of a strong ocean wave.  Help me to follow Your commandments so this will be accomplished in me, Your servant. Amen.

Mark 10:32-45 - Don't look for the Seats of Honor.

At that time, Jesus taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise." And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant of James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Not the Seat to Seek
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After Jesus predicts His own death and resurrection, the two disciples, James and John, ask for places on honor in the Kingdom of God. Jesus asks them, "Can you go through what I am about to go through?" They say, "yes" and Jesus tells them that, indeed, they would suffer as He suffers but, as far as places of honor, that is something which is reserved for those whom it is reserved for already.  Jesus than says that followers of Him should not seek to be served but rather offer to be the servant since He, Himself, is the model of true service, giving His life for us.

In my life, I must avoid trying to get a place of honor or work for recognition for any good deeds I have done. Instead, I should seek to serve as Christ served. Is there a job no one else wants to do? I should volunteer. By doing lowly tasks and scoffing at recognition for doing those tasks, I do indeed avoid seeking the seats of honor and recognition among men.  Let others more worthy than me take those seats. I will content myself in a low place in the Kingdom.  

O Lord, I seek no seats of honor. I seek to serve as You have served.  The seats of honor are for those for whom You have prepared.  Allow me, O Lord, in Your Kingdom and help me to understand that occupying a low space there is greater than any high honor here. Help me to be a servant this day. For Your glory, Amen.

Isaiah 45:11-17 - Remove All Idols!

Thus says the Lord, The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: “Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me. I have made the earth, And created man on it. I – My hands – stretched out the heavens, And all their host I have commanded. I have raised him up in righteousness, And I will direct all his ways; He shall build My city And let My exiles go free, Not for price nor reward,” Says the Lord of hosts. Thus says the Lord: “The labor of Egypt and merchandise of Cush And of the Sabeans, men of stature, Shall come over to you, and they shall be yours; They shall walk behind you, They shall come over in chains; And they shall bow down to you. They will make supplication to you, saying, ‘God is with you only, and there is no other; no god besides him.’ Truly You are God, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior!They shall be ashamed And also disgraced, all of them; They shall go in confusion together, Who are makers of idols.But Israel shall be saved by the Lord With an everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed or disgraced Forever and ever.

Toss away your idols like this guy throws out garbage!
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O Lord, raise me up in righteousness and direct all my ways.  Then shall those who worship the idols of this age see Your power and Your workings in my life.  Surely, if I allow myself to be filled by the Lord than those around me will say, "God is with you and our gods are false." But what if I live like the rest of the world? What if my life is no different than those who worship idols? Then, the Lord will not be glorified in my life nor shall the see the futility of theirs. 

I must remove the idols in my life and devote myself totally to the Lord and His Gospel Teachings. I must take the actions necessary to  sequester those things which draw me away from the Lord.  Even good things can become idols if they replace the Lord.  And what is an idol in my life? It is those things that occupy my time and attention.  That is what must displaced.  

O God, be my Savior in this age and in the age to come. Be my everlasting salvation. Then in You, I shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever. Amen.