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Lessons from Matthew 28: Pride

I once read this:

Pride is like bad breath–when you have it no one will tell you that you have it; they just stop coming around and they stop listening.

Is pride hindering you from listening and obeying the word of God?

The opposite of pride is humility. Such a heart doesn’t have to announce its presence; a heart of humility just is, and just does whatever God asks because it pleases Him more than self.

Many times God wants us to break through to new places in His kingdom, but our pride hinders us from hearing the simple commands of His voice through His Word.

Often, we are waiting on God to give us some difficult assignment or some impossible task to prove our worth. But all God wants is our obedient response to His voice of invitation.

What is God asking you to do for Him?

Maybe God has been asking you to give Him 30 minutes of your day. Perhaps He wants you to honor Him with 10% of your resources. Or maybe it is to forgive a family member or a friend from whom you have been estranged. None of these are difficult challenges for God, but how often does our pride keep us from hearing them?

By putting away your pride, you can develop a heart of humility that is quick to respond to Jesus and His commands.

Unfortunately, the Jewish religious leaders in Matthew 28 did not have hearts of humility and never took the time to investigate the guards’ claims. They thus chose to believe a lie over the truth.

But we can take heart that this was not the end of the story It was next the 11 disciples who not only believed but acted upon the truth of Jesus’s resurrection.

Obedient Proclamation

Matthew 28:16-20

While the Roman guards met with the Jewish leaders, the others, this small band of women and the disciples, did everything the angel told them to do. The 11 disciples were obedient and went to Galilee as they had been instructed by God to do.

Verse 17 tells us that when they saw Him they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

Jesus eased their doubt by revealing himself to them in the way that overcame their doubts and fears. How sweet of the Lord to meet Mary Magdalene in the garden and call her by name.

And what about the 500 others He appeared to all at one time? What about those He allowed to touch Him and feel His wounds? And Peter and John who ran to the tomb when they heard the words of Mary Magdalene?

John tells us in his gospel that he and Peter ran for the tomb when they heard the good news. It appears that John outran Peter and reached the tomb first, but when John arrived he remained outside looking in. It was Peter, who arrived after John, who entered right in.

After Peter went in, John followed. They found the strips of linen lying there, not as if the body had been taken or stolen, but rather as if the body had just been lifted out of the cloth. And they also saw the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’s head. It was folded up by itself, separate from the other pieces.

It was when John saw this that he finally believed.

What was so important about the head dressing? Why would this cause an unbeliever to believe?

It was this that convinced John:

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew traditions of that day.  The folded napkin had to do with the master and servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant waited, just out of sight, until the master finished eating.

The servant would not dare touch that table until the master was finished. 

When the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard. Then he would wad up the napkin and toss it onto the table, signaling to the servant that his master was done. And then the servant would appear and clear off the table.

But if the master got up from the table and folded his napkin and laid it down beside his plate, the servant would know to leave things as they were, for the master would be returning soon. The folded napkin was the signal to the servant that the master was not done and that he would be back.

John recognized Jesus’s signal! He had indeed risen and was coming back, just as He said He would!

What joy these men and women found as they were confronted by their living resurrected Lord!

And as these men gathered together in Galilee with Jesus, He then commissioned them by telling them that though He would not physically be with them, the power of His resurrection would be.

Because of this they were to go out into all the world, to all people, and tell them the good news of the gospel, teaching and training and baptizing people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He then left them with a promise to be with them always, to the very end of the age!

And each one did as the Lord commanded and became fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. They sacrificed their lives for the cause of Christ in the world.

You and I are the great benefactors of their faithfulness!

His command continues to go out to ALL believers. We are not only to receive the good news of Jesus Christ for ourselves, we are also commanded to go into all the world, to all people, and declare these truths so that others might also be saved.

This leads us to the last principle of this study.

Jesus calls and equips His people to live for Him and to proclaim the good news of the gospel.

Each one of us has a responsibility to God first and then to others to share the good news that we have received and live our lives in that truth.

This is indeed the most important calling in the world! What a privilege we have!

How will you speak and act for Jesus not only this week but throughout the year? Who do you know that needs to hear Jesus conquered death and calls His people to new life?

Who will you disciple for Christ? A disciple is simply one who follows Jesus and His teachings and imparts this to others. Will you ask God to show you who He is calling you to disciple?

Remember that God is faithful to equip you with all you need as you answer His call and fulfill His command.

And like Jesus told His disciples, God is with us always, until the end of the age!

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Lessons from Matthew 28: Deceitful Plans

Deceitful Plans–Matthew 28:11-15

After the amazing events of Matthew 28:1-10 (link to previous post), verse 11 tells us that while the women were on their way to the tomb, some of the guards who had been posted at the tomb (who must have regained consciousness) got up and went into the city.

They reported the event to the chief priests, revealing everything that had happened.

But instead of embracing these truths and being filled with joy at the news of Jesus’s resurrection, verse 12 tells us that the chief priests met with the elders and together they devised a plan (basically a lie) for which they paid the soldiers a large sum of money to repeat.

The soldiers accepted the money and repeated the lie. And today, people are still told this lie! People then and people now, willing to disregard the truth of God for a lie, which is most often hard to believe!

The Lie

This is exactly what we see next. Verse 13 says that the religious leaders told the soldiers what they were to say. “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’”

If that were true, the Roman soldiers could have lost their lives. Not only could they be killed for sleeping on the job, they could also lose their lives for losing their prisoner, and in this case, a dead man.

But they agreed, and the religious leaders assured them not to worry. Verse 14 tells us the leaders said, “If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy Him (meaning we will support this lie and protect you) and keep you out of trouble.”

What happened to these religious leaders? How did they become so corrupt and rebellious against God and His Word? Why were they willing to replace the truth of God and His promised Word with a lie?

Well, I believe it began with the sin of pride.

The Sin of Pride

It was the same sin that overtook Adam and Eve. These religious leaders, who not only knew God but also knew His Word, came to the point in their lives where they thought they had a better plan, a better way. They discounted God and His Word!

Their power and position had gone to their heads and not their hearts. I believe they thought of themselves higher than they ought. I believe pride, power, and the prestige of their positions began to take over and their love for God, His Word, and His people was lost in the process.

Instead, they let their EGO’s “EDGE GOD OUT” and they then made decisions not based on God’s Word or God’s will but on what they wanted or desired! Had these religious leaders remembered and lived by God’s Word in Proverbs 6:16-19, things might have gone differently. But it appears that they were so set in their ways instead of God’s they refused to live by the Holy Scriptures they professed to treasure!

Proverbs 6:16-19 tells us:

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

These religious leaders had committed all of these things–things which were detestable before their God. And we too can be guilty of such sins if we do not remain faithful to God and His Word! We would do well to remember that pride comes before a fall.

Christians are to live the resurrected life by remaining faithful to God and living by His Word.

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Lessons from Matthew 28: Resurrection

Jesus’s resurrection is the key to the Christian faith.

Why?

Because, just as He promised, Jesus rose from the dead. We can be confident, therefore, that He will accomplish all He has promised in His Word. He is the Word.

Jesus’s bodily resurrection shows us that the living Christ is ruler of God’s eternal kingdom and not a false prophet or imposter. He is truth, and His truth endures forever.

We can be certain of our resurrection because He was resurrected. The good news, friends, is that death is not the end for those who believe in Christ Jesus. We have a living hope and bright future.

The same power that brought Jesus back to life is available to us to bring our spiritually dead selves back to life. The old is gone and the new has come!

The resurrection is the basis for the church’s witness to the world. Jesus is more than just a human leader; He is the Son of the Living God.

Therefore the question is, do you believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus?

If Christ has not been raised, then your faith and my faith is nothing more than a figment of our hopes or imagination.

The Bible says that if this is not true, we are to be pitied! And then how can our sins be forgiven? They can’t! But the good news is that Jesus Christ did conquer death and because of that, ALL who believe in Him will be raised from the dead.

Their sins are forgiven; their faith is rightly placed in their risen Savior, who is Christ the Lord!

In Matthew 28:8, we are told that after hearing and witnessing the truths that the angels presented to them, the women hurried away from the tomb. Afraid but filled with joy, they obeyed the commands of the Lord through the angels and went to find the disciples to tell them the good news!

Have you done the same? Do you run to tell others the truths that you have learned? Do you minister to others because you yourself have been ministered to?

If not, how will you change that? How will you seek to minister these truths to others? Will you prayerfully ask God to enable you to openly and energetically tell the good news of the gospel to others?

God commands His people to share the good news of the resurrection!

This is not God’s suggestion, but rather His command for His people to go and share the gospel of good news with others. It is God’s command and He is eagerly expecting us to fulfill this!

It was upon their obedience to do what they had been instructed to do that Jesus himself, their risen Lord, met them.

Verse 9 says that suddenly, Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said, and immediately they recognized their Master’s voice. They came to Him, clasped His feet, and there they worshiped Him.

But knowing that He could not remain there with them, Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

These women, who left the tomb just days prior in immense grief, had returned to find that it was just as He had said. He was indeed risen from the dead.

So you can imagine that as they ran through the city with excitement and an eagerness to find His disciples, there was already a stir rising among the people.

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Lessons from Matthew 28: Amazing Proofs

So let’s open our Bibles to Matthew 28 where we will conclude this study of Jesus Christ through the gospel of Matthew.

It is important to note that though Matthew gives us some of the details, he alone does not cover the whole scope of events that happened. In fact, there is not one gospel writer who gathers all the information and events.

It is when we lay these gospels side by side that we then begin to put together the pieces of the puzzle and get a bigger picture of what happened and how it happened. Even then, however, there are some things we are left wondering about! But the good news is that we have been given enough information to make a right decision about Jesus Christ and His bodily resurrection.

So as we begin, we will look at amazing proofs in Matthew 28:1-10.

Matthew begins by telling us that after the Sabbath (Saturday for Jews), at dawn the next day, the first day of the week (Sunday) Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went early to the tomb where Jesus had been buried. They went in order to give Him a proper burial, which there had not been time for prior to the Passover feast and the Sabbath.

On their way that morning there was yet another violent earthquake. This earthquake, we are told, was the result of an angel, or possibly two angels (Luke 24:4), of God who had descended from heaven and went straight to the tomb where Jesus had been buried.

Obviously their arrival did not go unnoticed for we are told that they appeared like lightning, meaning quickly and brightly. Not your average visitors, and after rolling back the stone that sealed the tomb, one of the angels sat on the rock apparently waiting for the women to come so that He might encourage their hearts and direct their paths. The other angel was inside the tomb acting as a light, revealing that the tomb was indeed empty.

Apparently, after witnessing these events, the soldiers that were posted at the burial site shook in great fear and fell to the ground as dead men.

And it appears that as the women approached the tomb they could see from a distance that the stone had been rolled away. It was probably at this point that Mary Magdalene was sent off to go and tell the disciples.

Questions

I’m sure these women had many questions as they stood off at a distance from the sight. What happened? Who moved the stone? Had the body of Jesus been stolen? Grave robbing was a common crime in the ancient world; what if the grave robbers were still close by? What was going on? These questions and more may have filled their minds and troubled their souls.

Then, in order to calm their fears and ease their troubled hearts, the angels who had remained silent until now appeared like lightning in clothes that were white as snow.

They spoke to the women, imparting a four-part message.

First, they encouraged their hearts by saying, “Do not be afraid.”

The reality of the resurrection brings joy, not fear! When you are afraid, remember the empty tomb! And rejoice!

Secondly, they comforted the women’s souls by making them aware of the reality of the resurrection.

They said, “I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.”

We too would do well to remember that Jesus is not in the grave and not go looking for him among the things of the dead. How often do we go back to the graveyard of our sins and transgressions in doubt or fear, dredging up things that have long since passed?

We must focus not on the past but on what lies ahead. Jesus Christ died that He might bury the sins of our past, present, and future. We must trust that His work of salvation is complete. Instead of going backward, we must confess our sins and move on, knowing that He is alive and enables His people to live a resurrected life in and through Him.

Next, the angels invited the women to, “Come and see the place where he lay.”

The women accepted their invitation and went deeper inside to check out the evidence for themselves. They found that the tomb was indeed empty, and it remains empty today!

So for those of you who have studied God’s Word through this series, you too have been given sufficient evidence that indeed the tomb was and is empty!

How have you responded to that truth? Have you committed your sin and your life to the one who can raise you to new life?

That’s the truth of the resurrection for you too!

And fourth, they were told to go quickly and tell the others.

They were to spread the joy of the resurrection and so are we. WE are to spread the great news about Jesus and His resurrection from the dead.

Jesus’s bodily resurrection is all the proof one needs to place their faith in Him and tell others.

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Lessons from Matthew 28: Tragedy to Triumph

  When was the last time you received unbelievable news? News that seemed to be to good to be true?

I remember a time when I received such news. It was when my father was getting ready to have hernia surgery and it was on a Friday afternoon. My mom called and said, “Sis, Dad wants you to get here ASAP before he goes into surgery.”

Now, my dad was at Kaiser Fontana, it was a Friday afternoon, and I lived in Covina just a few miles up from the West Covina Mall. My car had been stolen and I had 2 small kids, and the only thing holding up the surgery was the anesthesiologist who had yet to arrive.

This seemed impossible, yet we know that nothing is impossible when God is in it.

And so I was able to borrow a car and get my girls together and head out on the 10 freeway on a Friday afternoon. I arrived at the hospital just as the anesthesiologist was walking out of my dad’s room while waiting for surgery.

As I walked in, my dad, prepped for surgery, had no teeth in but somehow was able to ask first if I had any money in my fanny pack. I told him not to worry, I was ok. I had a checkbook and could go across the street to Alpha Beta and cash a check if need be. And then he instructed me to tell my mom to give me some cash if I needed it.

I know my dad had not called me all the way out there to ask how much money I had in my possession, so I stood there trying to process what was really going on.

Then my dad said the words my heart had prayed for, for years. He said, “Sis, I want you to know that if anything happens to me, I’m going to be ok. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior!”

And because this news was more than I could think or imagine, I asked, “What did you say?”

And he repeated, “I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and if anything happens to me I want you to know, I’ll be ok!”

It was a most amazing moment, and I didn’t know for sure if he knew what he was talking about.

But I left the room and found out that one of my grandfather’s brothers was there visiting from South Carolina. He went with my grandfather to visit my dad and presented the gospel to him. My dad, who had been an abusive alcoholic for almost all his life, had apparently heard the gospel and received it.

I had my doubts, but no sooner had my dad come out of surgery than he was telling everyone he had a new heart. After being asked if he had had heart surgery, he joyfully replied, “No, I had hernia surgery, but I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior right before and now I’m a new man.”

God proved my dad’s words true as he lived his last 3 years a transformed man.

Though not all believed it, and some were skeptics, I and others witnessed my dad’s transformation as he began to live a resurrected life, a sanctified life.

God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ raised my dad to new life and evidence that the Holy Spirit lived and dwelled within him became apparent to all who would look and listen!

Well, an even greater event occurred after our Lord Jesus Christ took on the sins of the world as he hung on the cross after willingly giving up His Spirit to God the Father.

He was raised to life again, proving God has the power over life and death, sin and Satan.

And without the truth of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, there would be no gospel, no faith, no reason to pray and worship. Therefore, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are essential to your salvation.

The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead proves the triumphant power of God over all.

From Tragedy to Triumph

Our Lord Jesus was raised from death and appeared to many witnesses. But not all those witnesses would tell the truth of what they saw and heard.

And so in Matthew 28:1-10 we will hear the amazing proofs of His resurrection. Then we will be confronted with the deceitful plans of the religious leaders and the Roman soldiers in Matthew 28:11-15. Lastly, in Matthew 28:16-20, we will look at the obedient proclamation of Jesus’s disciples!

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Do you choose praise?

They say there are three things of utmost importance to human beings: health, love and money. And that the lack of one of those things is enough to throw your life into a storm.

They also say that most marriages face only one majorcrisis, but if it comes early in your marriage, you may have another.

While these sayings may or may not be true, I can tell you that I’ve had my share of trials, storms and crises in the last twenty years of my adult life; at least one in each of those three areas. As I’ve learned to praise the Lord for his goodness, both in and out of the storms, I’ve begun to see a pattern.

Praise brought healing, where there would have been anger and bitterness.

Healing allowed me to share my story with others, giving them hope for God’s healing in their lives as well.

Praise, Healing, and Hope. Those are all God things, and they are all designed to bring him glory.

I don’t know what your storm or your story is, Friend. Perhaps, like my husband and I, you’ve weathered such storms as pornography, depression, deputation, miscarriage, un-realized adoption, stressful work, separations, cross-country or international moves, public slander, humiliation, abandonment, rejection, betrayal, criticisms, loneliness, accidents, illness, or poverty.

You know what I’ve learned through these God-ordained storms in my life?

God is faithful.

He is good.

He is merciful.

He is sovereign.

He is not surprised, but rather calmly in control.

He does care for me, even down to the $10 detail.

He will provide for what he calls me to do.

He does love me – immensely.

He delights in me.

His approval is the ultimate blessing, and the only necessary one.

He is trustworthy.

He can heal.

He can give hope.

He can give joy.

He has a plan, one that leads to my good and his glory.

He protects.

He guides.

He gives good gifts.

He loves me in spite of myself, my sin, my complaints, and my doubts.

His consequences in love are always less than I deserve.

He consistently blesses me above what I deserve.

He can turn solemn, weeping hearts into hearts of praise.

And he may allow a storm, in part, because someone else is watching who needs to know he can be trusted both in and out of it.

The interesting thing about praise is that it benefits not only the one voicing the praise, but also the listener. Praise is as much for you as it is for others.

God is working in you to heal your heart and teach you to praise, so that your song in the storm may be a light to those he’s placed around you.

I waited patiently for the Lord: he inclined to mea nd heard my cry.

He drew me up from the pit of destruction,

out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40:1-2 (ESV)

Will you choose praise?

*This post is an excerpt from In Spite of Myself: How Intentional Praise Can Transform Your Heart and Home by Katie Hornor, used by permission.

Katie Hornor writes at ParadisePraises.com. Her new book In Spite of Myself: How Intentional Praise Can Transform Your Heart and Home just released and stems from the lessons she’s learned in choosing to praise, intentionally, as a wife, expat, homeschool parent and business owner. Click here or follow the #IChoosePraise hashtag on social media for information on the book, and to learn how to join Katie for a free 4-week Bible study on Praise.

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Seasons of Service Fear of Man

God has such a funny sense of humor, wouldn’t you agree? He lays someone or something on your heart to pray for and then He asks you to be a part of the answer to that prayer. I have to agree with the saying, “That prayer doesn’t change things, rather prayer changes us.”

On this particular day in June, not long after my prayer request that God return the mother of my youth and free her from the bondage of addiction that God used my early morning devotional time to give me a message from His Word for my mother. As instrumental as God can be it was through a series of events that He led me on that day on a drive to one of the local casino’s in search of my mother. A search that I feared but in complete and utter conviction obeyed.

Fear of Man

Not long into my travels I received a phone call from my sister asking me what I was doing. By the grace of God she and my niece volunteered to go to the casino with me. Little did I know or think about the fact that I had my 4 year old special needs son in the car with me and there was no way I could have taken him into the Casino. So, when we arrived I was able to leave him with my sister and niece in the car, while I pursued the mission God had for me that day.

After lifting up the situation in prayer with my sister and niece, I stepped out of the car leaving behind my special needs son in order to accomplish my God-given mission for that day. With my backpack purse secure on my shoulders and my Daily Light Devotional held in hand, I set out hoping to find my beloved mother and share the words of God in it.

Soon after entering the casino, two men approached me as I came upon an exit. One was coming crouched down with a look like he was about to grab my backpack and run and the other was there for what seemed like back up. Immediately, I sensed something was about to go wrong and I threw my back towards the wall and they fled!

After regathering my composure and thanking God for His safety, He enabled me to continue to forge forward and pick up the mission He had set me on that day.

So I continued walking each isle and looking at each individual, who was found to be intensely concentrating on their machine, my mother was no where to be found. Without any success, I returned to the car and told my sister what almost took place. She looked at me and laughed. She said, “Terri, what did you think was going to happen? You are walking through a casino with a Bible in your hand and the gates of hell are shaking.” Really? It wasn’t a Bible it was a little devotional by Anne Graham Lotz that held the Word of God, but the thought did make me laugh!

It was extremely hot and we decided to drive around and see if we could find her car, to no avail. Then my sister encouraged me to check the valet, since our mother had some physical limitations. Sure enough, there was her old beat up, uncared for car parked in the valet.

Once again, I set out to find her and ready to give up, I made one phone call to my brother who said I might find her at the Keno.

Facing Your Fears

BINGO, as I turned the corner there she stood. I walked up and stood beside her and said hello. As she looked over her shoulder and saw me, she wanted to know what I was doing there. I slipped my hand into her pocket where her hand was. With all the clam and composure I could muster up, I responded that I had come to tell her that I loved her.

I could see that her heart was about to beat out of her chest, yet she remained calm and responded, “It doesn’t feel like it.”

To which I responded, “I know it probably doesn’t feel like it, but it’s true. Mom, we all love you.”

She then invited me to sit down. We chatted for a little bit and I tried to share the message God have given me, but she refused to hear it.

She said, “If it’s not good news I don’t want to her it.” Though I knew it was the hard truth that could be good news if she received it, much to my disappointment she refused.

Not too long into the conversation, I shared with her that my sister and niece were in the car with Matthew and that I needed to go.

Yet, before I left she asked me for two things, one was for money because she had no gas. The other request was not to tell my brother because he would be upset. In response to her request, we walked out of the casino together and I followed her to the gas station. I put gas in her car and after a short visit with my sister, niece and seeing Matthew who were all in the car, we parted ways.

Not the ending I had hoped for, but God was not yet done!

Where is it that God is calling you to step out in obedience? Won’t you step out in faith and trust knowing that God is up to something. Let God replace your fear with faith and trust that His love is greater than our fear. He never calls us to something He won’t equip us for. If God is for you, no one can be against you!”

One of my most recent prayers is that my faith in God be greater than my fear of man.

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Seasons of Service

Seasons of Service

Have you ever missed someone so deeply that your heart-ached at thought of them or at the mention of their name. And what if that person wasn’t really gone or far away, but rather lost in an addiction or addictions! What then?

This is what I was facing one day as I was dusting. Funny how the simplest things in life can bring about our deepest longings and our most heartfelt prayers.

As I opened up the drawer to the antique china hutch to dust off its ledge, my eyes landed a beautiful lavender card. It had been tucked away with some other cards, letters, pictures and memorabilia. But the little card took on a life of its own and I reached in and pulled it out and preceded to open it up and read its contents.

It was a lovely little card, written in my mom’s own beautiful hand writing. It was filled with her heartfelt sentiments expressing her pride and joy in my recent accomplishments in my National Aerobic Championship.

As I read the words so eloquently written on the card, I was filled with so much emotion. Delight in seeing her lovely handwriting written inside this heartfelt note. Gratitude for her heartfelt message of love and encouragement for my accomplishments.

Yet, soon after my delight and joy of reliving that past, my heart and my mind were filled with sadness. Sadness at wondering what happened to this mother that I knew and loved. And then wonder, wonder at what had happened that made her who she was now.

Soon after my dad died in 1995, my brothers and my sister and I lost our mother too! We lost her not to death but rather to an addiction. An addiction that changed who she was, into who she became. My heart yearned for her to return to her old self!

And so I stopped what I was doing and I prayed. I asked God to bring back the mom we knew and loved! It was a simple prayer and yet it was a prayer that came with a heartfelt request.

Do you have a loved one lost to an addiction? Or maybe you are reading this and you are that person. Won’t you stop and pray and ask God to deliver you or your loved one from the bondage of that addiction. There is hope in Christ Jesus.

In Luke 4:18 Jesus declares that, “The Spirit of the Lord was upon Him because  Jesus had been anointed to preach the good news to the poor (the poor in spirit).

Jesus had been sent to proclaim freedom to the prisoners (those held in bondage to sin) and recover to sight of the blind (those spiritually blind to His truths) and to release the oppressed (those suffering because of their belief in Him), and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

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Seasons of God’s Grace Introduction

Seasons of God’s Grace

There is always a sense of anticipation as one season begins to fade away and another starts to appear over the horizon. There is this quiet understanding that change is about to take place. Consequently, we prepare to say goodbye to one season in order to welcome in another.

Each new season often ushers in a sense of change, a change in the climate, or a change in the hours of daylight. Seasons can also bring a change in the food we eat, a change in the clothes we wear and even a change in the activities we do or don’t do.

You see, seasons weren’t meant to last forever. God teaches us in Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 that,

“There is time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot, a time to kill, and a time to heal, a time to tear down, and a time to build up, a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them, a time to embrace, and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear, and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love, and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”

Seasons are Temporary

Though the seasons do indeed change, I have learned that there is one constant that remains the same and that is God’s great grace. His abounding mercy and faithful love for those who love Him and have been called according to His great purpose continues.

And that’s my story, God’s great grace, abounding mercy and faithful love to see me through four very different, difficult and victorious seasons in my life.

I invite you to join me as I share, God’s Glorious Gifts as they unfold in His Seasons of Grace.

Just as there are four seasons of the year, God took me through four seasons of life.

The first was a Season of Service

Followed by a Season of Suffering

Then a Season of Silence and now

His Season to Speak!

Through His Words, I hope to lead you to find joy in the service God has called you too. I pray that you learn how to depend upon and trust Him for all things through whatever you season you find yourself in. Remain faithful through the service He has called you to and be filled with endurance through the suffering. Find His encouragement and love through the silence and His confidence when it’s time to speak.

May He use His own Words through the scriptures to encourage, inspire and equip you to stand firm through the seasons of life that Christ may bring to you!

Please join me for the entirety of this Seasons of God’s Grace series.

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Lessons from Matthew 24: Watchful Readiness for Christ's Return

Watchful Readiness for Christ’s Return

Matthew 24:36-51

In answer to the disciples’ questions as to when all of this will take place, Jesus said in verse 36 that no one knows the day or the hour. Not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Jesus said that as in the days of Noah, before the flood, the people knew nothing. They continued in their sin-filled lives. They had not a care for God, the things of God, nor the people of God. Only Noah and his family cared to consider God and obey His Word.

And so it will be for those who live in the same way today. They will go on with living their lives as they please. But there will come a day, a day when no one is paying attention, a day when they least expect it.

Therefore Jesus said, in verse 42, to keep watch because we do not know the day or hour that He will come.

Like a Thief

Just like a thief who comes to rob and no one is aware, the Son of Man will come. And what He will find is one working alongside the other, living life as usual.

Anything but the usual will happen, though. For He will gather up His own and take them home with Him to His holy heaven. And He will put them to work (verse 47)!

But for those who are left behind, they will face their final judgment and they will have secured their final destination because they refused to believe. Though the truth had gone out, they refused to take it to heart.

They chose to deny Christ and live for themselves. Therefore, they will spend eternity separated from God, from the things of God and the people of God!

Our responsibility as Christians is to continue in the ways of the Lord. Continue to read and study and live out His gospel truths. Continue to watch and pray and continue to be about our Father’s business. This is no time to take a back seat and enjoy the ride.

Lives are at stake here, maybe even the lives of many of your loved ones. So let’s get up and get going with what God is calling us to do! For in it you can trust Him to provide all you need.

Christians are to be watchful, ready, and serving as Christ returns!

But that time has not yet happened, and so in the meantime you and I have been called and commissioned by God to go into the world. Or at least the world we live in and teach and preach the gospel. That is what this life is all about!

So what are you willing to do for God and for His kingdom? Who is it that needs to hear these truths?

And what are you willing to risk to hold out the word of God to others?

Maybe it’s your “me” time, maybe it’s your TV time, or Facebook time or gym time, or your lunch time, that you might, as Matthew 6:33 says,

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

When we put God as our first priority, we give Him the honor due His name. And when we serve Him as He calls, we fulfill our purpose as Christians here on earth.

Yet when we do these things, others will be bothered by it. They will hate us and our message of salvation through Jesus Christ. It’s a given!

We are to persevere though, until the end, the end of our lives or the end of this age, whichever comes first!

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Lessons from Matthew 24: Cosmic Events

    Jesus went on to explain (Matthew 24:24-31) some of the cosmic events of which, again, He is in control that will take place in those days.

These are things such as the sun and the moon growing dark and no longer giving off their light or warmth. The stars and planets He set in orbit will cease to remain in their positions and they will fall from the sky.

Both of these events the Old and New Testament prophets foretold!

And at that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all nations of the earth will mourn (meaning all those who refused to believe).

Why? Because they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with great power and great glory and they will know that they were wrong!

They chose to remain on the wrong side. And God will send forth His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four corners of the earth, and from one end of heaven to the other, meaning He will miss none!

The more we know of God, the less likely we are to deny His truth and accept others’ false claims.

So what are you doing to stay connected to God and the truth of His Word?

Are you remaining diligent in studying God’s Word, allowing Him to lead and guide and mold you into the person He desires you to be? Or are you constantly resisting His Word and remaining unfaithful to His desires for your life?

We must learn what He says and then we must do as He instructs us! We must live out our greater hope and not falter on this world’s false promises or hopes!

God promises us that though heaven and earth may pass away, His words will never pass away. The truth of God’s Word and His promises will stand the test of time!

What about you? Will you, with God’s help, stand for His truth, though everything around you crumbles and falls? Will you stand for Jesus?

He has, and is, and will stand for you! That’s a promise you can bank on.

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Lessons from Matthew 24: Signs of the Coming Days

  Signs of the Coming Days

Matthew 24:15-35

In these verses, Jesus described a particular time within the period when there will be intense stress. And since Jesus was speaking directly to the disciples, it would seem that He was referring to the most immediate fulfillment of judgment. The destruction of the temple would be revealed through a series of signs.

But along with these signs would come the abomination that causes desolation and it would stand in the center of the holy place. Jesus referred them to the words of Daniel the prophet, who foretold what would take place. Daniel prophesied not just once but three times, in Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11.

So what is this abomination that causes desolation? We are not told all the details. Whatever it is, it is a horrendous event, a sacrilegious act against God and God’s people!

Daniel himself speaks of an invasion from the north by an army that defiles the temple. Most scholars agree that this referred to the desecration of the temple in 168 BC by Antiochus Epiphanies. He was a Syrian who discounted Jewish worship, built his own altar on the altar of God in the temple in Jerusalem, and placed swine and other unclean animals on it who were sacrificed. This led to the Maccabean Revolt.

Yet Jesus was implying that the desecration of 168 BC was but a mere shadow of the event to follow. He was likely referring to the desecration of the temple in 70 AD. During the siege of Jerusalem, the Romans destroyed the temple and killed more than one million Jews.

But also, the final fulfillment of the “abomination” will be as Daniel predicted–as the Antichrist sets himself up to be worshiped in the place of God. And yet the prophets promise that these events precede the glorious return of Christ.

When the Lord’s beautiful sacred feet will come down and rest on the Mt. of Olives in victory!

And in verse 21 Jesus promised His people that though this time will be unlike any other, unequaled from the beginning of the world, He promised it will never happen again. Because of His elect, God will cut these days short!

So those who are alive at this time are to hang on. Know that the God who created you, the God who counts the very hairs on your head, the God who has inscribed you on the palm of His hand will not let you suffer longer than necessary!

This too shall pass. Have faith that God is in control, trust Him to see you through, and know that He will be victorious over the evil that arises.

And do not, for heaven’s sake, believe in those who come in His name, for many false Christs will come, spreading false doctrine in the hope of leading you astray. In fact, they will even be empowered by their father the devil to perform many great signs and miracles.

But these are only done so that the elect may be deceived–verse 24 says–if that were possible!

But Jesus said instead, stay rooted and grounded in His truth, trust Him to see you through. For in His Word He promises to never leave you nor forsake you, no matter how difficult things may get!

Those who are sold out for Christ, remember He was sold out for us first! And He has the power and authority to see us through, even if we His people are still here at such a horrific time!

Because of His love for us He will cut these days short. We can find comfort even in that!

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Lessons from Matthew 24: Signs of the Times

  Let’s continue today with our discussion of judgment.

The first judgment came because of Israel’s unwillingness to embrace the Savior. The second will come because of the nations’ unwillingness to embrace Jesus as the Christ, the one and only way to God the Father.

And though these verses include some of the judgments we all face here on earth, there will come a greater judgment. It will be a final judgment, of which Jesus Himself said He knows neither the day or the hour. But as surely as He said it, it will happen!

Jesus knew, because of Israel’s unbelief and our own, Satan would use many others to come and claim to be the Christ. But Jesus warned to not be deceived by such people. They are false, they are phonies, and the truth they teach is a lie. Don’t be deceived!

Signs of the Times

Jesus also told them that there would be wars and rumors of wars, but not to be alarmed. These things must happen in order for the end to come. Jesus predicted that nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There would also be famines and earthquakes, all of which go hand in hand (Matthew 24:8).

Jesus said all these are the beginning of birth pains. In other words, these things would happen in order to bring deliverance. Deliverance of good over evil. That which is holy over that which is not!

And many earthquakes did occur in Asia Minor in 61 AD, Italy in 62 AD, and also in Jerusalem in 67 AD. Matthew also mentioned one at the time of Jesus’s death (Matthew 27:51), and Luke in Philippi in Acts 16:26.

There was also a worldwide famine that occurred during the reign of Emperor Claudius around 46 AD (Acts 11:28). These things are still happening today.

As long as there is sin in our world, and until the last day, these things will continue to happen. There is nothing new under the sun. So they should not lead us to panic or lead us to place our faith in some political hope of deliverance.

Let us not place our faith in something or someone other than God Himself who rules and reigns in heaven above over all people and all things!

Yet Jesus also told them that they would pay a price for their allegiance to Him. Jesus predicted that they would be handed over to be persecuted. That, of course, did happen. Most were put to death because they associated themselves with Jesus and the cross and resurrection.

He said you will be hated by all nations because of Me. But He promised in verse 13 that those who stand firm to the end will be saved–saved to eternity!

That is the good news of the gospel in its entirety. Though we know we are not saved because we stand firm. Instead, we stand firm because we are saved!

God’s just judgment will fall on the wicked and save the righteous!

So the question is, are you ready? Are you counted among the righteous, not by any works of your own?

For there is no work except the work of Christ on the cross that can gain us entrance into heaven. Salvation comes by faith alone, in Christ alone, through His grace alone.

Have you experienced this life changing gift of God through Jesus Christ, His Son? If not, won’t you do so today? Won’t you make today the day of your salvation by accepting His free and indescribable gift of forgiveness? Won’t you be clothed in His righteousness and saved from your sin, Satan’s grip, and eternal destruction?

Steps to Assurance

Jesus also predicted that as a result of all of this chaos and upheaval, the Word of God would go out and be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations.

And then the end will come!

We see this happening today. The word of God is being spread to all nations. Churches send out missionaries to fulfill Jesus’s call in Matthew 28 to go out into all the world and share the truth of His Word!

And yet there is a cost to many who do this work. For some it will cost more than others.

It’s important to remember that persecution and martyrdom is still happening in our world today. Though not many of us here today will be murdered for our faith, there are many today who are. There are many in other countries who suffer daily, whether by persecution or death.

They risk and give their lives so that others might hear the word of God and receive the same gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We are so blessed and so fortunate to have the Word of God freely in our hands, to sit here together in the open, not under cover. We can discuss what His Word says with each other. But many are not so fortunate, and yet they risk their lives to give it and others to receive it!

Since the beginning of time and to the end of time Christians will be hated by the world.

In fact, Jesus predicted an acceleration of such things–an acceleration in hatred, in persecutions, in murders. And He predicted that all nations will be involved, thus predicting worldwide chaos. Where those who were once true to one another will turn against one another and betray each other. He said that all peoples–husband and wives, parents and their children, and nations–will be torn apart because of lack of loyalty.

Yet Jesus said, even in all of this, stand firm and don’t give way to false hope in false doctrine!

And the way we do that is by:

staying rooted and grounded in our relationship with Him

the study of His Word

coming together as the body of Christ

encouraging each other, especially as we see these things and signs of the times approaching

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Lessons from Matthew 24: Final Judgment

  Jesus had already predicted the destruction of the temple in Matthew 23:38: “Look, your house is left to you desolate.” This meant the temple would one day be desolate, empty and demolished, as a result of the Jews’s disobedience and rejection of the reason the temple stood. And that was to worship and honor God, and therefore Jesus as well.

But they failed.

Therefore, the temple would be destroyed and the people, those who refused to believe, would lose their lives. God’s just judgment would fall on the very people He loved and grieved over because they refused to believe in Him. They refused to believe in Jesus Christ, the unique Son of God and their deliverer!

Apparently these words of Jesus kept the disciples quiet, for it was not until after they had crossed over the Kidron Valley and climbed to the top of the Mt. of Olives that Peter, James, John, and Andrew (Mark 13 tells us) raised two questions about when this event would take place.

The Mt. of Olives was opposite the temple and, as I mentioned, across the Kidron Valley. It sat above Jerusalem to the east. And from its slopes a person could look down and see the city and its temple. So it is there that these disciples asked Jesus, “When will this happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

A Firm Warning

And Jesus answered their questions with a firm warning. He knew that though He would soon leave this place, one day He would indeed return just as it was prophesied in Zechariah 14:1-4.

Zechariah tells us that when the Messiah, King Jesus, returns He will stand on that very mountain and set up His eternal kingdom. But sitting with His disciples at that moment, He said,

“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming I am the Christ, and they will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5).

Jesus here seemed to be prophetically referring to multiple fulfillments. One is before the other and the first is a picture of the later.

The first would the judgment of the temple in 70 A.D.–about 6-7 years after Jesus’s departure, which stood in front of them and yet behind us. And the second judgment, which refers to “the end of the age,” is still future to us.

Final Judgment

The phrase “the end of the age” is mentioned six times in the Greek Scriptures and five of them are found in Matthew. These references always look to the final judgment, the end of all things as we know them!

It will be a time of great upheaval universally, but also with a glorious ending for those who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!

Therefore, it would appear that Jesus was speaking of both judgments here in this portion of Matthew. The first on a much smaller scale, and the second, the final judgment of all!

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Lessons from Matthew 24: Judgments

    As humans, we have a natural bent to want to know things. Especially if those things pertain to us or our family members or friends.

For instance, if someone close to us announces that they are getting married, or going to have a baby, we want to know when and we inquire about the details. Or if someone is moving or changing jobs, or having surgery, we want to know when as well as what is going to happen.

We want to know so that we can prepare ourselves for what is about to take place.

In today’s lesson, Jesus gave the disciples important information that they needed to know in light of the times they lived in. That information is also for us today. It is how we (as Christians) are to live and act in order that we might be prepared for Jesus’s return to earth.

Most people would like to skip this subject matter altogether. And others would like to believe or even act as if this won’t ever happen at all. But the truth of the matter is that these things will happen, we can rest assured, because they came out of the mouth of God.

One out of every 20 verses in the New Testament speaks about or concerns Christ’s return. And since God is a promise keeper and because He cannot tell a lie, we can trust that what He says He will do.

We just don’t know when or exactly how all these things will take place.

But the one thing we can be sure of is that they will happen on His time table. Our responsibility is be ready, watchful, and prepared because we do not know the day or the hour that this glorious event will take place! But we can be sure that it will!

Jesus’s promise to return should cause His people to watch and be ready!

Matthew 24:1-14

After the events of chapter 22 and 23, Jesus and His disciples turned and left the Temple. Jesus, I’m sure, was deeply grieved for Israel and their religious leaders. And He was concerned for these disciples that He would be leaving soon, as the cross was drawing nearer day by day.

Mark 13 tells us that as they were walking away, one of Jesus disciples said to Him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

The Glorious Temple

The temple at that time must have been quite an awesome sight. Though not completely finished, it is said to have been considered one of the great wonders of the world at that time.

About 15 years before Jesus was born, Herod the Great had begun to remodel and rebuild the temple with and for the Jews. It had stood for nearly 500 years since the days of Ezra (Ezra 6:14-15). Herod, himself, had invested much time (about 40 years in total by the time it was completed in 64 AD) and money into the temple’s beautification.

From what we are told it was a magnificent sight to behold.

The stones themselves that the temple were built with were of great proportional size and how the people achieved their placement is still a mystery to archeologists. The weight of those stones weighed in the area of more than 100 tons. So to cut and move the stones was quite an amazing engineering feat.

The temple was built of white marble and was overlaid with gold and it stood on the top of Mt. Moriah. Josephus, a Jewish historian, wrote about it, “Being covered on all sides with massive plates of gold, the sun was no sooner up than it radiated so fiery a flash that persons straining to look at it were compelled to avert their eyes, as from the solar rays.”

The temple and its brilliance was a great physical reminder to the Jewish people, and to Herod, of God’s great favor over His people.

But they wanted God’s favor in the way that they desired it, not in the way God had prescribed it!

God’s Just Judgments

They failed to get the point of the temple structure; it was to bring them to God, not cause them to turn away. But they refused to come to God through His means of Jesus Christ. So the people would pay dearly for their lack of belief and rejection of Jesus.

And sadly, Herod had helped the Jews rebuild their temple, not to honor God, but rather to elevate himself in the eyes of the Jewish people. To win their favor and his position.

I am sure that this knowledge and the events of the past few days were weighing heavy on Jesus’s heart and mind. As the disciples were discussing the magnificence of the temple, Jesus interrupted their conversation and said to them, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2).

Jesus was making the point that the disciples should not be deceived by the greatness of this grand structure. It was temporal and but a shadowed symbolism of a greater reality to come!

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Lessons from Matthew 22: Parable of the Wedding Banquet

Formal Wear Required: Parable of the Wedding Banquet

Matthew 22:1-14

Next, after Jesus told the parable of the vineyard, we find a parable about a wedding feast. I have described this last division as the call for formal wear. It was Jesus’s last plea for repentance before these religious leaders moved forward with their appalling plans.

In the parable, Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. We know this king to be God the Father. He will one day prepare a wedding banquet for His Son, Jesus, to gather with His beautiful bride, the body of Christ. All who place their faith in Jesus, the Son of God will be attending.

But until that day, there is still a call going out. It’s an invitation to come and place’s one faith in the Promised Son, and to have fellowship with Jesus.

In the story Jesus told, verse 3 says that they refused. The Jewish religious leaders and many others were invited over and over again to repent and be baptized. They had heard to call through John the Baptist and others. But most importantly, they had been invited by Jesus Himself.

Yet verses 5-6 tell us that those who had been invited paid no attention. Some just ignored the call by going on with business as usual. There were others who seized the servants, mistreated them, and even killed them.

This is still true today. There are many who have forsaken it all to spread the gospel message and extend the call of God to those in the darkness of sin. Many are being mistreated for their message of hope and faith and love. And some have and will give their very lives for these truths–just like John the Baptist, James and John, and dear sweet Stephen.

Because of their refusal to come, the king was enraged. We could say He was full of righteous indignation, for He had given His all. He had sacrificed the life of his Son and they could not be bothered; they could care less.

In fact, they would murder Him–their greatest offense in trying to get rid of Him. And so the king would send out His army and destroy those murderers, a reference to the last days and the final judgment.

In the meantime, the banquet was ready and there were no attendees. So the king turned away from these and opened his invitation up to those once not on the guest list.

And that, my dear friends, is you and me and every other man and woman who will not only hear but respond to the call and receive the invitation to come to God the Father through Jesus His Son. He invites the good and the bad, and He fills the banquet hall with the most unlikely guests, like you and me!

He takes our filthy rags and exchanges them for clothes of righteousness.

Verse 11 tells us that as the King went out to greet His guests, He noticed a man who was not dressed in the appropriate attire. He was still clothed in his street clothes, meaning he was still dressed in his sin. And the king asked how he got in there dressed like that and where were his wedding clothes.

The man was left speechless. He had thought he could pull a fast one and get in on his own merits or make his own way.

And so the king had the attendees tie the intruder’s hands and feet and throw him outside into the darkness, where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

You see, Jesus was well aware of what these religious leaders were about to do to Him. He basically told them that as they treated Him, so they too would be treated. For the only way to heaven, the only way to God, is through His Son.

Acts 4:12 says:

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

And John 14:6:

Jesus answered, ‘I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’

Therefore those who refuse the invitation of the bridegroom lose their right to come to the banquet feast.

Christ has provided the wedding garment of His righteousness for everyone. But each individual must make the choice to accept His gift of forgiveness and grace in order to enter the King’s banquet–eternal life.

Have you been reconciled to God the Father through the precious gift of His Son?

No one can do it for you. You must deliberately choose Him for yourself, by recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. and when you do, He exchanges your filthy rags for His robe of righteousness.

And then He calls you and I to bear fruit for His kingdom, and to continue to do so until the day of the wedding feast of the lamb.

We must remember that God’s Word never changes. He in consistent and His love in unfailing. His power is unshakeable and His rule is permanent. God always tells the truth; He always keeps His promises. He always does what he says He will do.

God reveals who He is and what He is like throughout the Bible. He will always be all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving and ever-present. He will never change and therefore can be trusted. God is immutable!

This is the God we serve; this is the God we worship.

Won’t you trust Him and do that thing He is calling you to do? You never know whose life might be hanging on the line, whose life depends upon your courage to stand for the truth. Who needs you to trust God to move the mountain of doubt or fear and see that on the other side He is more than you could think or imagine?

Who might need to hear these words? Maybe it’s yourself. So preach the gospel to yourself. Or maybe it’s another. So preach it to them. Time is short. And remember, Jesus said, “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” So do your part and leave the rest to Him.

There is an open invitation, but we must be ready in season and out of season to give a reason for our hope while the time is still available!

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Lessons from Matthew 21: Parable of the Vineyard

Parable of the Vineyard

After the parable of the father and his two sons, Jesus went on to tell another parable. He told of a landowner who planted a vineyard, and after doing so placed a protective wall around his vineyard.

And in it the landowner place a winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.

When it came time to harvest the crops, the landowner sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. But the tenants seized the servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.

Do you see what happened here?

Jesus clearly painted a picture of God the Father (the landowner), the Jewish nation (the vineyard), and the servants (the prophets of old). But the Jews rejected their messages and even killed them for it!

And then Jesus prophesied what they were about to do to Him (Matthew 21:37). Last of all, He (God the Father) sent His son (Jesus Christ) to them, for He trusted them to respect Him. But when the tenants (the religious leaders) saw Him, instead of respecting and honoring him, they refused to recognize Him for who He was.

They rejected His teachings. And, in fact, they were so hostile towards him that they plotted to kill Him just as they had done to the others.

So, Jesus asked, when the owner of the vineyard returns, what should he do with those tenants?

Again the religious leaders responded correctly, in essence casting judgment on themselves. They answered by saying the landowner has a right to bring those wretches to a wretched end. He can then rent the vineyard to other tenants. These “other tenants are the Gentiles, and any other person willing to repent of their sin and believe in Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah.

And then Jesus pointed them to scripture and asked them if they were familiar with what it says. A truly in-your-face moment of truth. Jesus referred to Himself as “the stone the builders rejected” (Psalm 118:22-23).

That stone has now become the capstone–the One on whom everything hinges or is held together.

Jesus concluded this section by telling them that the kingdom of God would be taken away from them, the Jewish religious leaders, and given to another people. The Gentiles and anyone else who would receive it and produce the fruit of the kingdom because of it!

Why? Because again the leaders refused to believe. Instead of Jesus being a stepping stone of faith, they stumbled over Him and His message of salvation. Therefore they would be crushed by judgment. God’s just judgment would fall on them and every other non-believer in Jesus Christ.

Matthew tells us in 21:45 that when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’s parables, they knew He was talking about them.

But instead of humbling themselves before Him in repentance and confession of faith, they again rejected Him and looked for a way to arrest Him. They were afraid of the crowd, however, because the people believed He was a prophet.

Unfortunately, it’s the same today. People reject the truth about Jesus, and some try to ignore Him by avoiding His people and conversations. Others do everything they can to try to stop and destroy and kill His message by making it what they want it to be. They want to clear their conscience and go on living their lives in rebellion and sin.

But there will come a day when they must face the truth. And unless they face that truth while there is still time, they will face the just judgment of God for eternity. They will forfeit heaven by their rejection of Jesus, and be thrown out of heaven and all that it has to offer.

Not so with those who have chosen to repent and live for God through His Son, Jesus Christ!

Those who refuse God’s gift of His Son will face eternal judgment and separation!

There is only one way to heaven, though Satan and this world would like you to believe differently. That way is through Jesus Christ the Son of the living God.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life!

John 3:16

Who is it that needs to hear this good news of the gospel? Won’t you go and tell them the truth about Jesus before it’s too late?

Time is short. Jesus is ready and willing to reap His harvest. Are you making yourself ready and available to be used by Him?

I will tell you that there is no greater pleasure or sense of fulfillment than to follow the will of God and do what He has prepared for you to do! And to watch others lives be transformed right before your eyes!

May we, like Jesus, be about our Father’s business of reaping souls for heaven’s sake while we still can!

What is it that God is asking you to do for Him today? And why are you reluctant?

Place your faith and trust in Him. He will never leave you or forsake you! He will carry you through to the end if you will continually seek His power and enablement through prayer and humble submission.

Won’t you surrender yourself, your time and your pleasures, and do the will of God?