The Christmas War

We may have won the battle, but I think we have lost the Christmas war. Oh, yes, we raised a ruckus and the last few years we got "Merry Christmas" back into the vocabulary of the retail industry. But really, we lost. Christmas has become a secular holiday.
Ed Stetzer reports on his blog that:
"Though a majority encourage belief in Christ at Christmastime, 67 percent of Americans say that, 'Many of the things I enjoy during the Christmas season have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus Christ.'"
Imagine what your Jewish friend or boss would think if you decided to have a Hanukkah party. Yet, if they choose to have a Christmas party, no one blinks. To choose to celebrate the birth of a Jesus who is not the incarnate Son of God is just having another excuse to have a drink and revelry and party.
We've lost the war. Christmas means nothing. Watch the TV shows and discover the real meaning of Christmas is family, or love, or hope, or caring, or sharing, or a combination of several or all of these. It makes me want to shout like Charlie Brown " Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"
We need a Linis to speak up and tell our society again what the true meaning of Christmas is.
It is worth noting that Charles Shultz had to fight to get this part of his special made even back in the 60s because the TV people thought it would not be popular even then.
Perhaps it is a glimmer of hope that life can be restored to a lifeless Christmas. Christ can be the center of Christmas. Families can be restored. Love can be shown in full. Giving and caring can be done with an eternal perspective and hope can reign in Him. May the traditions of our lives be meaningful and may we courageously point people to the Savior who was born on Christmas Day.
Merry Christmas.

Continuing the Journey!

Excited about the journey into church planting in 2011. God continues to confirm his direction in our lives. We are seeking Him and following!

Sunday School Information Websites

I promised the class I taught this morning that I would put these websites on my blog... so here it is...

Websites/Blogs

Lifeway Great Expectations Page with downloadable training materials:

http://www.lifeway.com/article/170118/?intcmp=GreatExp-Home

Lifeway Sunday School

http://www.lifeway.com/menu/?id=200738

Bob Mayfield, Sunday School/Adult Discipleship for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma

http://bobmayfield.typepad.com/my_weblog/

The Sunday School Director’s Association

http://www.sundayschoolleader.com

Blog and check out the resource page!

The Sunday School Revolutionary

Daryl Wilson, Kentucky Baptist Director of the Sunday School Department

http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/dx/how-class-greeters-can-help-your-ss-grow.htm

He recently posted a blog about Sunday School blogs!

http://www1.kybaptist.org/kbc/blogs/ssrb.nsf/dx/sunday-school-online-resources.htm

Don't Check Your Baggage - Eliminate it

Baggage. We all have it. What kind of baggage are you carting around? Envy? Hate? Bitterness? Unforgiveness?

The airlines have started charging for checked baggage and it is amazing how when people considered the cost, many decided to pack lighter - eliminate some of their baggage. Many people have figured out that they can travel with just a carry-on since the cost is too hight for the baggage.

have you counted the cost of your excess baggage? What does what you are living with cost you? Are you really willing to live with that cost?

Count the cost. Get rid of the baggage. Travel light.

And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by Him for the day of redemption. All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. Eph 4:30-32

Perspective

Perspective
Look at your life through different eyes
Look through the eyes
Of the daughter standing over her fathers coffin
Of the man sitting across the desk of the cancer doctor
Of the family who just lost their home
Perspective
Look through different eyes

Are you a Grasshopper or a Giant Killer? Part 5

Problem with FUTURE

Problem: We face uncertain days

Grasshoppers’ future: the desert Numbers 14:22-23

22 none of the men who have seen My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested Me these 10 times and did not obey Me, 23 will ever see the land I swore to [give] their fathers. None of those who have despised Me will see it.

We face uncertain days. The 10 spies who saw themselves as grasshoppers died in the desert, and never again saw the Promised Land. When we live as grasshoppers, we will die as grasshoppers, and the only solution is to take the giants on. The hymn writer says, "We can face uncertain days because He lives!"

Solution: Get to know God

Giant killers’ future: God’s blessings. Numbers 14:24, 38

²⁴ But since My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me completely, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it.

38 Only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to scout out the land.

Joshua and Caleb lived to see the Promised Land, and conquer it! They were giant killers. If you want to be a giant killer, then just like these two men of old, you have to get to know GOD. You have to know him on a deeper level than just knowing about Him. The great thing is God is waiting to get to know you better. Maybe you have a relationship with God, but some of these giants are jumping in your path. God wants to defeat those giants and he wants to use you to do it. Don’t die in the desert, get to know God by spending time with Him and come alive! Live to conquer the Promised Land!

Are you a Grasshopper or a Giant Killer? Part 4

Problem with FEAR

Problem: We fear men

Grasshoppers fear men. Numbers 13:31

31 But the men who had gone up with him responded, "We can't go up against the people because they are stronger than we are!"

There are very few problems in this world that are stronger than you are. We have built an unhealthy fear of men. It is true that there is a healthy fear, that kind that keeps you from danger but I am talking about the fear that says “this problem, this GIANT cannot be defeated because it is stronger than we are.” There is a solution for that. It is the fear of God

Solution: Fear God!

Giant killers fear God Numbers 14:9

Only don't rebel against the LORD, and don't be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us. Don't be afraid of them!"

Look at what Joshua and Caleb say here. Do not rebel against God. Here is a healthy fear of God that makes you want to obey Him for fear of what He might do! One reason we want to do right is to stay out of trouble. They go on to say that if we fear God we will not have to fear people, for the Lord will be with us. This is how it is with our problems, when we focus on God, we tend to fear Him, because we see Him in all of His glory, when we fear God, and then realize that he is on our side, we realize we do not have to fear our problems.

Are you a Grasshopper or a Giant Killer? Part 3

Problem with FOCUS

Problem: We focus on enemies.

Grasshoppers focus on their enemies. Numbers 13:28-29

28 However, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We also saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites are living in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan."

We tend to focus just like the 10. We focus on our enemies. We may not have Amalekites, or Hittites, or Jebusites, or Amorites, but we find our own enemies and focus on them and what they can do to us. The Cancers and thugs and the hurt in this world draws our focus to them and away from the solution. Joshua and Caleb knew that the focus had to be on God.

Solution: Focus on God

Giant killers focus on God. Numbers 14:8

8 If the LORD is pleased with us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us.

The solution to the problem of focus is to focus on God. I often see people who have problems pull away from the body of Christ, and I just do not understand that. Is this what we have become? Are we a place where people come and claim, whether it is true or not that “everything is all right?” May it never be! We all have problems and we are here as the body of Christ to help each other through. We have to help one another focus on God. Not only do you need the church in tough times, but you need to focus on God in your daily life. You need to spend time in the Bible and in prayer time daily.

Are you a Grasshopper or a Giant Killer? Part 2

Problem with FACTS

Problem: We tend to confuse the facts

Grasshoppers confuse the facts. Numbers 13:26,32

²⁶ The men went back to Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back a report for them and the whole community, and they showed them the fruit of the land. ²⁷ They reported to Moses: "We went into the land where you sent us. Indeed it is flowing with milk and honey, and here is some of its fruit.

³² So they gave a negative report to the Israelites about the land they had scouted: "The land we passed through to explore is one that devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw in it are men of great size.

When something happens to us in life we tend to be like those who said they felt as though they were grasshoppers. We often confuse the facts. In verse 26 of chapter 13, the spies agreed that the land was flowing with milk and honey, but by verse 32, they were giving a negative report on the land, not just its inhabitants.

We do the same thing. When things look bad, instead of focusing on the good, we tend to bring the good down to the level of the bad. We confuse the facts. If we want to kill giants in our lives, we need to avoid this pitfall. How do we do it? We need to follow Joshua and Caleb.

Solution: Speak the Truth

Giant killers speak the truth Numbers 13:30; 14:7

³⁰ Then Caleb quieted the people in the presence of Moses and said, "We must go up and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it!"

⁶ Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who scouted out the land, tore their clothes ⁷ and said to the entire Israelite community: "The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land. ^(A)

Although Joshua and Caleb saw the same things that the other spies saw, they stuck to the truth. Did they see the giants? Yes, but they saw the land as good enough to risk fighting the giants. In the chapter 14 verses they are repeating the truth that the land is extremely good!

When problems come into your life, we don’t need to ignore them, but we don’t need to make them bigger than they are, either. We too often confuse the facts and end up acting like grasshoppers amidst the giants.

Are you a Grasshopper or a Giant Killer?

We all have problems. Problems do not pass anyone by. Norman Vincent Peale used to say that the only people to say the only people without problems are those in the cemetery. Major problems affect everyone. Problems loom over us like giants. We feel like grasshoppers when we stand next to the problems of our lives. This is how it was for 12 men who were called to do an important task. We find their story in the book of Numbers, chapter 13 and 14.

The Story of the 12 spies of Israel

You may recall, if not from the Bible, then from the movie that the people of Israel were freed from Egypt and Moses was to guide them to the Promised Land. Well, by Numbers 13, they had arrived near the land and God told Moses to send some spies into the land that He was giving to them. Then Moses commanded these 12 to go and spy out the land. They were to find out:

• What the land was like
• Whether the people of the land were strong or weak
• Whether the cities were like camps or strongholds, and
• Whether the land is rich or poor and whether there are forests.

So they went and spied out the land. They returned after 40 days. When they returned, they reported on the great fruit of the land and called it a land of “milk and honey” and yet they also reported that there were giants in the land and verse 33 says this:

“There we saw the giants, and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

Now, two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, were of a different mindset. They wanted to go and take possession of the land.

Two different mindsets. One that said “we are grasshoppers” and another that said, “we are giant killers!”

Over the next few posts I will talk about four issues the "grasshoppers" have

The Job I Want and the Job I Need

The job I need may not be the job I want and vice versa. When looking for a job, there is often the tension between the “job you want” and the “job you need.” For example, that elusive career position I have been dreaming of all my whole life may not be available or open, but the job around the corner is offering. I need to pay the bills. It becomes the “job I need.” (Oh, I wish someone was offering!) Most people are to some extent living with the job they need. They want so much more. In the long run, the job I need may become the job I want. God may use if for great good and His glory. So, yes, often the job I need may not be the job I want, but perhaps the job I want is not the job I need, either. I want to allow God to work in and through my job search and I want to give Him the glory for the great plans He has for me.

“For I know the plans I have for you” —[this is] the LORD's declaration—"plans for [your] welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Are you doing VBS this year?

Vacation Bible School (VBS) is the most effective evangelistic outreach event that the church does. Period. If you are in a church that claims to be evangelistic, why would you not do VBS?

If you do not believe it, go to your church and ask. How many people have gotten saved in VBS over the last 10 years. (Most Southern Baptist Churches keep these records) and how many people got saved through other means in the church?

Now we know why we should do it. What are your other excuses?

Here are a few blocks and some solutions -

Our church does not have

1. ....the money

there are resources available - ask and you will receive

2. ...the people

there are mission teams all over America who want to help you - ask and you will receive

3. ... the training

much training is available for free or very low cost - ask and you will receive

You really do not have an excuse.

VBS is something you can do.

Days to the Cross

This week I am reminded that the ultimate will of God. That Will which brought salvation to all of us. The path that led Jesus to the cross and beyond. THAT Will. God's will. was painful. It hurt. It was so bad that Jesus -- who always did what the Father did and said what the father said -- paused and asked - is there another way.
NEVERTHELESS
Not my will but His.

Let that be my prayer this week. Not my will but His.

Not getting to 40 very quickly

I am wayyyyy behind on my posts regarding Easter. If you were following, I am sorry.
I will post some during Passion week.
God Bless.

40 Days to the Cross - Day 19

Day 19 Doing it for the Least
Who is your least?
Scripture
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’ 40 “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ 41 Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take Me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe Me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of Me.’ 44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46

Devotion
Jesus says that when we serve those who are the “least of these” we have served Him. Who are the least? Jesus describes some of them as the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick. But who are the least to you? You probably passed them by this week. Maybe it was the student no one else will sit by in the cafeteria. Maybe it was the guy who smells bad at the office. Maybe it was the homesexual or the homeless man on the street. Who do you see as the least? Jesus says “whatever” you do for thse, you do for Him. And he goes further to say that whatever you don’t do for them, you failed to do for Him. The Bible is clear that we are saved by grace through faith. No doubt about that. But the Bible is also clear (here and elsewhere) that we will be judged for our actions. Apparently those who truly belong to Him, will do for the least of these. Those who aren’t won’t. Which one are you?

Questions
What have you done recently for the least?
How will you do more in the future?
What can you do this week for the least?

Prayer
Dear God: Help me serve You by serving the least. Amen

40 Days to the Cross - Day 18

Day 18 Investment

How will you invest the resources God has given you?

Scripture

14 “For it is just like a man going on a journey. He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents; to another, two; and to another, one—to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I’ve earned five more talents.’ 21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’ 22 “Then the man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I’ve earned two more talents.’ 23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’ 24 “Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a difficult man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy slave! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27 then you should have deposited my money with the bankers. And when I returned I would have received my money back with interest. 28 “ ‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30 And throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matthew 25:14-30

Also in Mark 13:33-37

Devotion

How are you investing? In this parable the master gives something to everyone to invest. Some invest better than others, but the one who is criticized is the one who does nothing with what the master gives him. The message is clear. God has given us something in our lives to invest in the Kingdom. We must invest! We must use what God has given us to make a difference. Can you sing – sing for the Lord! Can you write – write for Him. Do you work on cars – serve God with your ability! God want to use you – and he despises the waste of his resources.

Questions

What has God given me?

How have I used that for the Kingdom?

What will I do with what He has given me this week?

Prayer

Dear God: Help me to serve you well with the resources you have given me. Amen

40 Days to the Cross - Day 17

Day 17 Five Foolish Women

Don't be foolish - prepare your heart for Christ's return!

Scripture

The Parable of the 10 Virgins

¹ “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. ³ When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them. ⁴ But the sensible ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. ⁵ Since the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶ “In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ “Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ But the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ “The sensible ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell, and buy oil for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ “When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. ¹¹ “Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’ ¹² “But he replied, ‘ I assure you: I do not know you!’ ¹³ “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour. Matthew25:1-13

Devotion

This is another parable of preparation. Those who are prepared for Christ’s return will be rewarded. Those who are not, will miss out. You will not get a second chance after death or after Christ’s return. We must be about the business of sharing the gospel with everyone.

Questions

What keeps you from sharing the gospel with others?

How can you overcome that barrier?

What small step can you make to make a difference this week?

Prayer

Dear God: Help us to be prepared and help our friends be prepared for the return of Christ. Amen

40 Days to the Cross - Day 16

Day 16 Noah

Be prepared! It is more than a motto for the Boy Scouts!

Scripture

³⁶ “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son —except the Father only. ³⁷ As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. ³⁸ For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark. ³⁹ They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away. So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be: ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one left. ⁴² Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ This is why you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:36-44

Devotion

Be prepared! Jesus will return when you least expect it! In the days of Noah, people kept living a normal life with no thought of God or his plans or perspectives. Even though Noah had given them warnings, they paid no heed. In the same way, many people today live their lives as if God does not matter. They may give a nod to him when they need help or on holidays, but really they pay no heed. And like Noah, there are many who are hearing the message of salvation and not making a change. But that does not mean we do not continue to share the message. We do not know when Jesus will return. Share with your friends today!

Questions

What is one way you can share the message of Christ with your friends?

How will you plan to do that this week?

What is keeping you from doing it?

Prayer

Dear God: Time is short. Jesus will return. Help me share the message of Christ. Amen.

40 Days to the Cross - Day 15

Day 15 Prophecy
Scripture
3 While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached Him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
Matthew 24:3
34 “Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly 35 like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:34-36

Matthew 24:1-36; Mark 13:1-32; Luke 21:5-36

Devotion
Matthew 24 and Matthew 25, known as the Olivet Discourse, constitute the last of three major discourses in this Gospel. They are called major discourses because of the extent, content, and intent of them. In this first part of Matthew 24 Jesus shares some answers to questions the disciples were asking.
When will these things happen? What is the sign of Your coming? What is the sign of the end of the age?
Jesus tells about the signs of the end and the signs of His coming. You can read the chapter.
These questions were asked of Jesus then, and they are asked today. Everyone wants to know the future. The culmination of his answers is found at the end of the Luke passage.
Be on guard. Be alert. Live for Jesus until He comes!

Questions
What are you doing to live for Jesus today?
How can you help others be ready for His return?
What can you share with someone today?

Prayer
Dear God: I know the end is coming - Help me live for you every day and tell others. Amen

40 Days to the Cross - Day 14

Day 14 The Poor Widow
Scripture
41 Sitting across from the temple treasury, He watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. 43 Summoning His disciples, He said to them, “ I assure you: This poor widow has put in more than all those giving to the temple treasury. 44 For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she possessed—all she had to live on.”
Mark 12:41-44
Also Luke 21:1-4

Devotion
As Jesus sat and watched, the crowd filed through and dropped money in the treasury. Imagine Jesus watching as the plate is passed at your church this Sunday. Many rich people were giving large sums. If you were watching with Jesus as the plate is passed at your church, what do you think as large sums are placed in the plate? What do you feel as you see the check with many zeroes pass your eyes? Then the little lady on the end. The widow. She opens her coin purse. You know the one. The one at the bottom of the big purse. Inside the coin purse she pulls out a few coins and drops them in the plate. Be honest. You would probably think she could do better than that. It would not impress you. Or, you might not even think about it at all. Jesus thought highly of it. She had given more. She gave the most! Why? Because all the others gave of their surplus – their abundance - they gave and yet they had much more to give. She, on the other hand, gave it all.

Questions
What do you have?
How do you give?
What more can you give?

Prayer
Dear God: Teach us to give it all. Amen

40 Days to the Cross - Day 13

Day 13 Woe unto you …
Scripture
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples: 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore do whatever they tell you and observe [it] . But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach ….
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in.
14 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and make long prayers just for show.
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are!
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the sanctuary, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by his oath.’
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faith.
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence!
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, …You therefore testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Matthew 23:1-36
Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:45-47

Devotion
Jesus had offered the Pharisees a few more chances to understand the truth of who He was. Now he pronounces to the disciples and crowds their demise. These are the “Woes” of the Pharisees.
Jesus points out the following:
1) Keep people from Heaven.
2) All show and no action.
3) Making converts for Hell.
4) Emphasizing the temporal over the spiritual
5) Ignore justice and mercy
6) Full of greed and self-indulgence
7) Make a show of support for prophets, but don’t believe their message.

Of course, our task is not the tsk, tsk the Pharisees, but to look at the list and make sure we are not doing the same things in our lives.
1) Are we keeping people from heaven? Have your actions turned someone off of the gospel?
2) Are we all show and no action. Do we do the works of righteousness or just go to church?
3) Are we making converts for Hell. Are we winning people to the church or to Christ?
4) Do we ever emphasize the temporal over the spiritual? Are we more concerned for ritual than we are for the God to Whom it should direct us?
5) Do we ignore justice and mercy?
6) Are we full of greed and self-indulgence? Are we out for what is best for us, ignoring the plight of others?
7) Do we make a show of support for those who share God’s truth, but don’t believe their message in our heart?

Questions
What are your answers to the above questions?
How will you change your heart?
What will you do to avoid the woes?

Prayer
Dear God: Don’t let us live like the Pharisees. Amen.

40 Days to the Cross - Day 12

Day 12 David’s Lord
Scripture
Matthew 22:41-46 (HCSB) 41 While the Pharisees were together, Jesus questioned them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose Son is He?” “David’s,” they told Him. 43 He asked them, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls Him ‘Lord’: 44 The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet’? 45 “If David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how then can the Messiah be his Son?” 46 No one was able to answer Him at all, and from that day no one dared to question Him any more.
Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44

Devotion
Jesus now turns the tables on the Pharisees. He asks them a question. He tries to help them understand that the Messiah will be the descendant of David, yet will also be his Lord. The implication is tremendous! If the Messiah is the son of David and the Lord of David, then the Messiah is more than a man, but is supernatural. Jesus is revealing that the Messiah is indeed, God. The Pharisees so did not want to come to grips with this concept that they did not dare to question Him again.

How about you? Have you come to grips with the reality that Jesus is so much more than a man. I know we say we believe it, but do we really? I mean do you really trust Jesus as God to take care of you, your sin and your eternity?

Questions
What about Jesus as God do you have a hard time believing?
How will you acknowledge Jesus as God this week?
What can you do to strengthen your faith?

Prayer
Dear God: Thank you that you are so much more than a man. Amen

40 Days to the Cross - Day 11

(Sorry about the lateness of this - got a little behind - catching up tonight!)
Day 11 The Great Commandment
Scripture
Matthew 22:35-40 (HCSB) 35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important commandment. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Mark 12:28-34

Devotion
After all the religious leaders took their turns with Jesus, an intellectual shows up. This “expert in the law” asks Jesus a question that was debated among the intellectuals of the day. With all the commandments of the Scripture, which is the greatest? Jesus does not respond with a question this time, but rather with a straight forward answer – as a matter of fact, he give more than an answer. He give the first and second greatest commandments. Jesus says that the most important thing is to love God and the second is to love people.
We love God through worship, personal and private and we also love God through personal disciplines such as quiet time, Scripture memory and giving. We love people through fellowship, small group interaction, service, witnessing and mission activity.

Questions
What are you doing to love God and love people?
How can you do better?
What area do you need to improve the most?

Prayer
Dear God: Help me to love God and love people! Amen

40 Days to the Cross - Day 10

Day 10 The Resurrection

Scripture

Matthew 22:23-33 (HCSB) ²³ The same day some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came up to Him and questioned Him: ²⁴ “Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies, having no children, his brother is to marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁵ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first got married and died. Having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother. ²⁶ The same happened to the second also, and the third, and so to all seven. ²⁷ Then last of all the woman died. ²⁸ Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had married her.” ²⁹ Jesus answered them, “You are deceived, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God. ³⁰ For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven. ³¹ Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God: ³² I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” ³³ And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40

Devotion

In the last few devotions we have seen Jesus talking to the Pharisees and the Herodians, and now He is confronted by the Sadducees. Jesus has spent time confronting many theological positions in this last week. Jesus is very concerned about right theology because having the right theology is literally the difference between heaven and hell for people.

The Sadducees propose a ridiculous scenario to try to argue the point that there is no resurrection. A woman is married and widowed 6 times. The question is, if there is a resurrection, which man would be her husband?

Jesus explains that they are in trouble for two reasons. One, they did not understand the Scriptures. They had a presupposition that there was no resurrection. The Bible clearly indicates that there is. Two, they do not understand the power of God. God has something much better in mind for us that marriage in relationships in heaven.

How about you? How is your theology? Do you find yourself asking God questions that come from a faulty understanding of Scripture? Do you fail to understand the power of God?

Questions

What questions do you have about God that could be answered by a thorough study of the Scriptures?

How can you plan to find these answers in the next week?

What will you do to give glory to God and His power?

Prayer

Dear God: Help me to understand you and Your ways more. Amen

40 Days to the Cross - Day 9

Day 9 Paying Taxes
Scripture
Matthew 22:15-22 (HCSB) 15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to trap Him by what He said. 16 They sent their disciples to Him, with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are truthful and teach truthfully the way of God. You defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality. 17 Tell us, therefore, what You think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 18 But perceiving their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing Me, hypocrites? 19 Show Me the coin used for the tax.” So they brought Him a denarius. 20 “Whose image and inscription is this?” He asked them. 21 “Caesar’s,” they said to Him. Then He said to them, “Therefore, give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.
Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:9-19

Devotion
Jesus has had a time with the Pharisees, now another group comes on the scene - the Herodians. Herodians were those who favored the Herodian house to overcome the yoke of Rome and restore Israel. They try here to trick Jesus – another one of those questions that does not have a good answer. Jesus again diffuses the question with questions of his own.
Jesus points out that there are proper times to pay taxes to Caesar. They were using Ceasar’s coins, Rome was providing them with roads, with peace and with a stable government. So, Jesus reasons, give to Rome what they deserve. However, he does not say that you do so but not give to God. Give to God what you owe him as well.
We too, should respect the government and pay our taxes. But we, like those who challenged Jesus must remember to give to God what is His. So what are the things that are God’s anyway? Oh. My. That would be everything.

Questions
What do you need to give to God this week?
How can you make a plan to give it.
What is stopping you from giving God all this is due to Him?

Prayer
Dear God: Help me to give you all I have: my time, my talents and my money. Amen

40 Days to the Cross - Day 8

Day 8 The Wedding Banquet

Scripture

Matthew 22:1-14 (HCSB) ¹ Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables: ² “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent out his slaves to summon those invited to the banquet, but they didn’t want to come. ⁴ Again, he sent out other slaves, and said, ‘Tell those who are invited: Look, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet. ’ ⁵ “But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own farm, another to his business. ⁶ And the others seized his slaves, treated them outrageously and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged, so he sent out his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned down their city. ⁸ “Then he told his slaves, ‘The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. ⁹ Therefore, go to where the roads exit the city and invite everyone you find to the banquet.’ ¹⁰ So those slaves went out on the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good. The wedding banquet was filled with guests. ¹¹ But when the king came in to view the guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed for a wedding. ¹² So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. ¹³ “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Devotion

The Kingdom is like a banquet! Sounds great! But wait. Those who were invited chose not to come. But there is good news - The King sent someone to invite others to come – fill the house with guests. But then comes bad news again - some who came were not properly clothed for the banquet.

For us this means there is the good news that we are invited to come to the King through the Son, but there is the caution that we must be “dressed properly” – that is we must have “put on” Jesus Christ!

Many want to wait until that day and pleas their case before God, but in this story the man was speechless. He had nothing to say. God has put His terms on salvation, and it is only through Jesus !

Come to the banquet – come to Jesus!

Questions

What can you remember about coming to Jesus?

How does knowing Jesus effect your life today?

What can you do to plan to share the answers to those questions with someone who needs to be invited to the banquet?

Prayer

Dear God: help me share with others that they are invited too! Amen

40 Days to the Cross - Day 7

Day 7 The Vineyard
Scripture
Matthew 21:33-46 (HCSB) 33 “Listen to another parable: There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. He leased it to tenant farmers and went away. 34 When the grape harvest drew near, he sent his slaves to the farmers to collect his fruit. 35 But the farmers took his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first group, and they did the same to them. 37 Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. 38 “But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance!’ 39 So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?” 41 “He will completely destroy those terrible men,” they told Him, “and lease his vineyard to other farmers who will give him his produce at the harvest.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This came from the Lord and is wonderful in our eyes? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its fruit. [ 44 Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder!”] 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they knew He was speaking about them. 46 Although they were looking for a way to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they regarded Him as a prophet.
Also at Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19

Devotion
Jesus spoke directly to the leaders of Israel. The condemnation is graphic. THE SON is asking them what should be done with those who mistreat and disrespect the son. They just do not get it. Epic fail.
Verse 45 tells us that they knew he was talking about them, and yet, the Pharisees still did not understand that they were at fault, not Him.
Have you ever been there before? Ever misunderstood the message being sent to you by a friend, or worse, by God? Have you ever thought you were in the right, but when you look back in retrospect you realize that you were grossly mistaken.
Have you ever wished you had responded better to the call of God when He called?
I wonder if the Pharisees ever had any regrets?

Questions
What has God spoken to you about that you rejected?
How can you work now to make it right?
What do you need to do to reconcile to someone today?

Prayer
Dear God: Please help me see the message from God and respond the first time He gives it to me. Amen

40 Days to the Cross - Day 6

Day 6 Doing the Will of the Father

Scripture

Matthew 21:28-32 (HCSB) ²⁸ “But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go, work in the vineyard today.’ ²⁹ “He answered, ‘I don’t want to!’ Yet later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ Then the man went to the other and said the same thing. “ ‘I will, sir,’ he answered. But he didn’t go. ³¹ “Which of the two did his father’s will?” “The first,” they said. Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you! ³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him, but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.

Devotion

God’s ways are not our ways. We tend to put a lot of weight on “lip service.” Jesus seems to indicate that a person’s words are useless unless they are backed by action.

God is like the father sending his sons to work. He desires us to carry out His will. Some people are like the son who ultimately disobeyed. They promise but do not perform rightly and so are rejected by God. Some are like the son who ultimately obeyed. They rebel but later submit and so are accepted. Performance in the Kingdom takes priority over promise.

Questions

What have you promised God that you failed to follow through on?

How can you better make you actions match your promises?

What do you need to do today to be obedient to the Father?

Prayer

Dear God: Help me to follow through as an obedient child. Amen