DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OFFENSE

OFFENSE

Matthew 13:36b-39, 41-42

“And His disciples came to Him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.’ He answered and said to them, ‘He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels… The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of the kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.’ ”

The word “offend” translates the Greek word scandalon which means a trap, a snare, or a cause of stumbling. Satan hates the sons of the kingdom, and he uses anything he can to entrap and ensnare God’s people and cause them to stumble in their faith. We are not ignorant of his devices (II Corinthians 2:11), but we need to be alert to them. Jesus said, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through which they do come” (Luke 17:1). Satan uses people to entice other people to stumble, but woe to those who cause offense. They will receive much suffering in eternity. Oh, Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I have caused offense, and help me to not be an occasion for stumbling.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Offenses are sure to come, and the Believer needs to be alert to Satan’s tactics.

[end]

Have an “offense free” day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE LEAVEN OF HEAVEN

THE LEAVEN OF HEAVEN

Matthew 13:33

“Another parable He spoke to them: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.’ ”

When I was a young child, my mother baked bread several times a week. She would measure the flour and other ingredients together, finally adding the yeast. Then she would let the dough sit while the yeast made the dough “rise.” Then she would knead it to get the air bubbles out of the dough and let it rise again. Finally, she would put in in the oven. Ah, the aroma that filled the house as the leavened dough baked. God’s people are yeast in this world. As we are involved in our culture, we are leavening – the leaven of heaven. We are not called to be isolated from the world around us. Rather we are called to affect the culture our presence. Jesus called us to go into all the world and preach and live the Gospel. Jesus said we are in the world but not of the world. That is, we are to influence the world without being influenced by it. When we are being yeast, ah, the aroma that fills the culture. We get to instill a little bit of heaven in this ungodly world.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: God’s people are called to influence their world without allowing the world to influence them.

[end]

Have a leavening day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SMALL BEGINNINGS

SMALL BEGINNINGS

Matthew 13:31-32

“Another parable He put forth to them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in a field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than all the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and rest in its branches.’ ”

Everything has to start somewhere. Even the mighty oak tree, which provides shade to man and a home to birds, began as a small seed. The marvelous human body began as a single seed that cannot be seen with the naked eye. So it is in Christ’s kingdom. The Church of the Lord Jesus had in inauspicious beginning with only twelve men in the tiny nation of Israel, but grew into a world-wide fellowship with millions of redeemed people who have been a great blessing to this world. Faith itself begins as a small seed but grows when given the right soil. The lowly insignificant seed may not get much attention, but it has the potential for great blessing. So, as God said to Israel when the temple was rebuilt, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT).

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE:  Every seed, however small, has the potential for great things.

[end]

Have a growing day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TYPOGRAPHICAL CORRECTION

In the "Today's Principle,"  it should read "lest" instead of "lets."   Sorry about that error.   Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- REMOVING THE TARES

REMOVING THE TARES

Matthew 13:27-30

“So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No lest while you gather up the tares, you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the time of harvest, and at that time of harvest I will say to the reapers , "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' ”

There is coming a time of separation of the good from the bad. Until then, Jesus said to let the weeds grow in the field along with the wheat. In any church there are weeds, that is, those who attend but are not truly born again. There are passive tares and do not cause problems. To root them out would cause harm to other believers. This does not mitigate removing weeds that are causing damage to the rest of the field. Jesus gave instructions regarding church discipline, and it sometimes demands excluding bad seed from the fellowship (Matthew 18:15-17). Paul gives examples in his epistles of banning people from the church who were a bad influence and would not repent (I Corinthians 5:1-13; I Timothy 1:20). But only God really knows the hearts of people, and if the weeds do not hinder the growth of the rest of the wheat, they should allowed to remain among the congregation. God will make the final separation at the end of the age as He will do with the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:32-33).

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Great care should be taken the removal of tares from the field, lets the wheat be damaged in the process.

[end]

Have a careful day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WEEDS IN THE FIELD

WEEDS IN THE FIELD

“Matthew 13:24-26

“Another parable He put forth to them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while he slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.’ ”

Satan hates the Church because the body of believers is the Kingdom of God on this earth under the Lordship of Jesus. So Satan attacks the Church by planting weeds in the field – people who sort of look and act like Christians but are not true believers.   They are planted among the true seed in order to bring disrepute to the owner of the field by diluting the purity of the crop, and hindering the growth of weaker seed. They are sometimes hard to identify as tares until they have grown, but their fruit identifies them as weeds. The Church needs to be alert and not asleep to these weeds that have been planted in the field.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: In any Church, weeds spring up among the good seed – the true wheat – that affect the purity of the crop.

[end]

Have a discerning day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FRUSTRATION

FRUSTRATION

Matthew 13:13, 16-17

“ ‘Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand … But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.’ ”

As a parent, teacher, preacher, and husband, I can imagine Jesus’ frustration when He tried to teach people who did not understand. Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah who identified people who had dull hearts, hard of hearing ears, and closed eyes (vss. 14-15). I also get frustrated when I try to convey my thoughts to people who are dull or asleep, or simply do not understand what I say. God must get frustrated with me when He tries to teach me some truth and I just don’t get it, or my heart is dull, or I sleep through the lesson. But He must rejoice when I do listen and learn. As the hymnist wrote: “Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth Thou hast for me….Open my ears and let me heart voices of truth Thou sendest clear.”

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: We learn when we have an alert heart, listening ears, and open eyes.

[end]

Have a learning day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GROWING IN FAITH

GROWING IN FAITH

Matthew 13:10-12

“And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ He answered and said to them, ‘Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.’ ”

This is a natural principle: wise stewardship of what you have will bring increase; poor stewardship will bring poverty. This explains why there are rich people and poor people. Rich people are good stewards of the resources they have; poor people do not use their resources wisely. The old saying is true: “Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.” The same principle applies to spiritual truth. Growing in the knowledge of God is based on what I do with the knowledge I have. Everyone has the basic natural revelation of God through Creation. But if a person rejects that revelation, he will never understand the special revelation of God’s Word and the incarnation of Jesus. Romans Chapter One says of those who don’t believe the revelation of Creation, God will turn them over to uncleanness. So the wicked will become even more wicked. The basic faith that God is is the foundation for any other spiritual understanding. “He who comes to God must believe that He is” (Hebrews 11:6). The Jews had the Old Testament scriptures of the law and the prophets. Some believed in Jesus based on that knowledge and they grew in their faith. But some rejected the witness of the Old Testament revelation concerning Jesus, and their knowledge of Jesus was taken away because they did not believe. The growth of my own faith is based on my acceptance of what God has already revealed. If I am a good steward of that revelation, God will reveal more. If I misuse that revelation, I will not grow as a Christian. “But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: What has already been revealed Is the foundation for more revelation and spiritual growth.

[end]

Have a growing day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE FRUITFUL LIFE

THE FRUITFUL LIFE

Matthew 13:3b

“ ‘Behold, a sower went out to sow.’ ”

This story that Jesus told of the sower and the fields (vss. 3-5) and His explanation of the parable (vss. 18-23) is a favorite of mine because it is such a vivid picture of how people respond to the Gospel. It answers the question of why some people are strong Christians and others do not flourish in their faith. Some people who have been so trampled by life they have become hardened and cannot receive the truth of the Gospel – like the seed sown along the pathway. Some people receive the truth of the Gospel but do not clean the stones (habits and wrong attitudes) out of their lives, so there is no soil for their faith to develop. Some people allow blackberry vines and brambles – “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches” or materialism (vs. 22) to choke their faith. But there are those who fertilize the soil, clean out their lives, and keep the blackberries under control, and they become fruitful in their walk with Jesus. The seed – the Word of God – is good seed, and will grow and be fruitful in the proper conditions, but the Christian life takes some effort on my part. It is the goal of my life to become more and more fruitful and grow in my faith.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Faith in Christ is like a garden that must have good soil and be weeded in order to flourish and produce fruit.

[end]

Have a fruitful day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SPIRITUAL MEANING

SPIRITUAL MEANING

Matthew 13:1-3a

“On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables…..”

A parable has been described as an earthly story illustrating a heavenly truth. The word “parable” comes from the Greek word parabole which means “to place beside.” So Jesus told natural stories to convey spiritual truth. Many of the people who heard the parables did not understand them because they only understood the natural meaning of the stories. People who live in the natural do not understand spiritual truth. “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:14). That is why many people say they do not understand the Bible. They only understand the natural meaning, and miss the spiritual application. Life itself is a parable, with the natural and the spiritual. People who have not been born again by the Holy Spirit live in the natural, and do not understand the spiritual significance of things that happen in their world and in their lives. The world events reported on the television have spiritual significance. The problems, pain, and suffering in my life have spiritual significance. Life itself has no meaning apart from the spiritual. But I will not understand their meanings unless I view them with from a spiritual perspective. I want to be alert to what God is saying through the natural events of this world.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: God speaks spiritual truth to us through natural events.

[end]

Have a “spiritually minded” day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OUTSIDE

OUTSIDE

Matthew 12:46-50

“While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him …. But He answered and said to the one who told Him, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And He stretched out His hand toward the disciples and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers; for whoever does the will of the Father in heaven is My brother and sister and brother.’ ”

Why were the family of Jesus “outside?” One would think that they would be in the inner circle of His followers. The fact is that they did not believe in Him as the Messiah. He was just their kid brother. Relationship with Jesus does not happen by natural birth. I am not a Christian because I was born into a Christian family or culture. It happens by spiritual birth into God’s family. How many people who call themselves “Christian” are still standing outside? It is not until people obey the Heavenly Father and come to Jesus in faith that they are “inside.”

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Relationship with Jesus is by spiritual birth, not natural heritage.

[end]

Have an “inside” day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- EMPTY

EMPTY

Matthew 12:43-45

“ ‘When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it be with this wicked generation.’ ”

This is probably why secular programs for drug and alcohol addictions, are not successful. Another example is incarceration; the recidivism rate is very high. People may go through withdrawal and be “clean” for awhile, but if the spirit is not filled with God, they remain spiritually empty and eventually go back to their addiction – often worse than when they started. Teen Challenge, AA, Prison Fellowship, and other faith-based ministries are successful because they lead people to Jesus and the Holy Spirit takes up residence and dwells in them. We will not remain a vacuum. That is why it is so important to be filled with the Spirit, so that there is no room for other spirits of demonic oppression to find a place to occupy.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Our spirit will not remain empty; it will be filled with something or Someone.

[end]

Have a “spirit-filled” day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GREATER

GREATER

Matthew 12:41-42

“ ‘The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. … and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.’ ”

Even though the Lord Jesus is the greatest person in all of history, our generation does not have much respect for Him. The greatest Person who ever lived is counted as nothing except a convenient swear word. But as the song goes, “He is more than just a swear word, more than just an idle care word, He’s the precious Son of God.” When people stand before God on that great judgment day, they will be judged by their works (Revelation 20:12). But the real issue will be, “What did you do with Jesus?” The writer to the Hebrews caught a glimpse of the greatness of Jesus when he wrote that Jesus was better than the angels, better than the old covenant with its sacrifices, who brought better promises, better hope, better resurrection, and a better country (13 “betters” in all). The Jesus I love and serve is greater and better than anything in this world. Even though this generation considers Jesus as nothing special, eternity will declare His great majesty.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Even though many people do not acknowledge the greatness of Jesus, eternity will reveal how wonderful He is.

[end]

Have a “great” day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE SIGN

THE SIGN

Matthew 12:38-40

“Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.’ ”

What kind of sign were the scribes and Pharisees expecting? Jesus was performing many great and mighty miracles. What more could He do to satisfy them? Many unbelievers say, “I prayed and God did not answer my prayer, so I don’t believe,” as though God had to prove Himself to them. Would they believe if God did some great miracle for them? Probably not, because miracles don’t often lead people to faith. God does many miracles every day and people call them coincidences. Even after the Resurrection of Jesus, many of these scribes and Pharisees did not believe. Nor do people believe today. It is the acknowledging of sin by the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the awareness of the need for a Savior that brings people to faith. There is only one great sign that Jesus is God and that is His resurrection from the dead. The Resurrection is the bedrock of the truth of the Gospel.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: If people do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, they will not believe other signs.

[end]

Have a convinced day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- IDLE WORDS

IDLE WORDS

Matthew 5:35-37

“ ‘A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned.’ ”

The word idle means “lazy” and has the inference of beings “unprofitable” – of no value. Some people cannot stand silence so they fill the air with palaver (prolonged and aimless discussion). A man of few words can say more in one sentence than a person who rambles on and on (Dad’s Ramblings?). It is said that President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address after another orator spoke for an hour. Which speech do we remember? Jesus may have had the words of the Wise Man in mind: “Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God [note the correlation of mouth and heart]. For God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2). And James wrote at length about taming the tongue (James chapter 3). It is wise to think before I speak and not be like the man who “put his mouth in motion before his brain was in gear.” I truly want my words to be profitable and bring forth good treasure. I am accountable for what I say.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Words are important because they reflect the treasure in my heart.

[end]

Have a profitable day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOOD FRUIT-BAD FRUIT

GOOD FRUIT – BAD FRUIT

Matthew 12:33-34

“ ‘Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.’ ”

This applies to everyone, but politicians are a prime example They can speak good-sounding words, but their unguarded utterances, when they are off-camera and they think the mikes are off, reveal what is really on the inside – their true motivation. You can’t expect good apples from a rotten tree, nor can you expect good things from a rotten heart. Unless the inside is changed, it will all be bad fruit. Lord Jesus, keep changing my heart. I really want to produce good fruit.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Good fruit can only come from a pure heart.

[end]

Have a good-fruit day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- NO PLAN B

NO PLAN B

Matthew 12:31-32

“ ‘Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.’ ”

This is commonly called “The Unpardonable Sin” – the only sin that God will not forgive. People can curse God and take the name of Jesus in vain, and still be forgiven. But anyone who rejects the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). That conviction leads a person to repentance. To say “no” to that conviction of sin leaves no other option for forgiveness. That is why it is important to keep a tender conscience and quickly confess our sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). That is Plan A. There is no Plan B.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: The unforgivable sin is rejecting the conviction of the Holy Spirit that leads to repentance.

[end]

Have a “Plan A” day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- ACCEPTING FELLOW BELIEVERS

ACCEPTING FELLOW BELIEVERS

Matthew 12:20

“ ‘He who is not with me is against Me, and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad.’ ”

Either I am with Jesus or I am against Him. There is no middle ground. But this reminds me of the time that John saw someone casting out demons and wanted to stop him because he was not a part of their “group.” Jesus told him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side” (Luke 9:49-50). This does not deny that there are cults that preach a spurious Gospel. Paul warned about those who preach a different Gospel and “want to pervert the Gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:7). They should be rejected because they are not of Jesus’ side. But those who declare the true Gospel – that Jesus is God who came to die for our sins and rose again – should not be shunned nor criticized just because they have some doctrinal distinctive. They should be embraced as fellow believers because they are on Jesus’ side. Paul had the proper perspective: “Whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice” (Philippians 1:18).

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Anyone who believes that Jesus died and rose again is on Jesus’ side.

[end]

Have a “Jesus’ side” day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHO GETS THE CREDIT?

WHO GETS THE CREDIT?
Matthew 12:26-29

“ ’And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast the out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.’ ”

For the Pharisees to attribute the good works of Jesus to Satan is absurd. Satan has never done a good work since he became the god of this world. The only thing he does is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He would certainly never release anyone from his bondage voluntarily. Only if Someone greater than he delivered them would he relinquish his control. That Strong Man is Jesus. He has power over all the forces of hell – everything is under His feet and dominion (Psalm 8:6). So all the credit for any good thing belongs to Him. If there is any good that has been accomplished through my life, all the glory belongs to Him. As the songs says, “All the glory belongs to Jesus; all the praise belongs to Him.”

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: All the credit for any good thing in this world belongs to God.

[end]

Have a praising day for all His good works. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CIVIL WAR

CIVIL WAR

Matthew 12:25-26

“But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?’ ”

The truth of this saying of Jesus is apparent when we see nations engaged in civil war. The havoc and destruction in Syria is a prime example. But we can also see it in America where the fabric of our nation is being ripped apart by the various factions wanting power and control to advance their own agenda. Jesus said this applies to homes and marriages that are destroyed by inner conflict. It also applies to churches that suffer from disunity, and the writers of the New Testament stress being of the “same mind.” Even in myself, I see this precept at work as my flesh and my spirit wage war against each other. In casting out demons, Jesus was taking control over Satan’s domain. Satan is the author of rebellion, being cast out of heaven for his attempt to gain control, and he sows rebellion wherever he can. When I am rebellious, I am under Satan’s domain.  The question is:  Who is going to be in control?  The answer to civil war – in the nation, in the home, in the church, or in myself – is submission to God and to His kingdom.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Division in a nation, a home, or a church brings destruction; unity bring peace.

[end]

Have a peaceful day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS LABOR DAY ADDENDUM

From my daily through the Bible Reading:  "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (I Corinthians 15:58).

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- LABOR DAY

LABOR DAY

John 9:4

“ ‘I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.’ ”

Today is Labor Day when we celebrate the work ethic. There is value in work – not just the pay check, but the sense of accomplishment when the work-day is finished. Jesus had a job to do, an assignment given by the Father, and He fulfilled that task. I believe that God has a purpose for each life – a work to do. My job is to do what He has given me to do with all my heart.  "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going" (Ecclesiastes 9:10).  When my job is finished, He will call me home. The night will come when I hang it up and go home.  I will rest from my labors (Revelation 14:13), and He will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:23).  “But until then, my heart will go on singing, until then with joy I’ll carry on, until the day my eyes behold that city, until the day God calls me home.”

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Every person has a God-given work to do until the day ends and he goes home.

[end]

Have a great Labor Day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THEOLOGICAL SOPHISTICATION

THEOLOGICAL SOPHISTICATION

Matthew 12:22-24

“Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, ‘This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.’ ”

This is a reprise of the incident in Matthew 9:32-34 where a mute demon-possessed man was healed and delivered. In both cases, the crowds marveled and were amazed with the miracles, but the Pharisees assigned them to demonic forces. The religious teachers, with all their theological training and religious knowledge, could not accept God’s working of miracles. Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of David, is still healing and delivering people. It is sad that that so many preachers I hear on the radio, with all their biblical knowledge, denigrate miraculous healings, saying they are not from God. That leaves only one other option – that they are the work of Satan. May I never become so theologically sophisticated that I cannot recognize, rejoice, and be amazed by the miraculous works of God.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Theological sophistication can sometimes cause unbelief and rejection of the miraculous.

[end]

Have an “amazing” day. Love you.

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- NOT DISCOURAGED

NOT DISCOURAGED

Matthew 12:19-21

“ ‘He [the Messiah] will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust.’ ”

This quotation by Matthew from Isaiah Chapter 42 has always been an enigma to me. I’m not sure I understand its meaning, but it seems to explain the nature of Jesus’ ministry. Although He spoke harshly against the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders, He did not quarrel or argue with people, nor lead protest marches against the evils of His day. He simply declared the truth of the Gospel. With the common sinners in the streets, He was gentle. He spoke the truth without breaking the bruised nor throwing cold water on smoldering faith. Isaiah spoke another word which Matthew did not include: “He will not fail nor be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth” (Isaiah 42:4). Jesus does not give up in discouragement. Surely his heart must be grieved by the rejection of the people He wants to save, but He tenderly keeps on reaching out to them until He comes again to establish His kingdom of justice and righteousness on the earth. I’m so glad that He did not give up on me.

TODAY’S PRINCIPLE: Jesus did not argue nor protest, but simply declared God’s truth with gentleness without getting discouraged.

[end]

Have an encouraged day. Love you.