The Big Guns!

Luke 22:3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the
number of the twelve. 4 And he went his way, and communed with the
chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.

Satan was alive and well on the planet when he brought out the bigs guns to wipe out his arch rival, the Son of God. Only three other times in the entire word do we find the head imp himself doing the dirty work by filling someone or something. Usually, he sends his hellish thug underlings.

-He possessed the serpent in the garden to bring the entire race to the bottom. He was successful.
-He filled Ananias and Sapphira to short-circuit the church and its program. They were also destroyed.
-Here, he entered into Judas to destroy the King of Glory. It worked, for a couple of days anyway. He played right into God's plan!
-And someday soon, he will possess the anti-christ to rule the world and wear out the saints. Effective he will be, until he is bound for a thousand years. Poor lil' slewfoot!

Fact is, Revelation 12:12 alerts us to his increased activity in the last days. He knows better than any of us that if he has anything needing done, he'd better get it done quickly, his days are numbered.

So don't be too shocked at the increased craziness in your life. The infernal forces are being mustered for some final drastic attempts to devour God's kids and His work. Remember, the thief's job is to steal, kill and destroy, so be on guard, stand strong, don the holy armor and make up your mind to endure to the end!

Huge Contrast!

Luke 21:4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. 5 And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, 6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Jesus makes a contrast of epic proportions in these few verses. First, He makes the observation of the value of the poor widow's 2 mites, all she had given to help others. Heaven recorded this sacrificial act in the eternal pages. Then He points to the great wealth of the temple and declares that it would all be coming down in a few years. Its grandeur would be brought to rubble. After all, the whole temple thing had been derailed by greed, corruption and power.

It concerns me that we gawk in awe at that which will pass and ignore the things that God memorializes.

I was in a “church” recently that left a very bitter taste in my mouth. It was a monumental affair of finery and grandeur. One couldn't help but gaze in shock and awe at the immensity of it all. Then the program featured children quoting, or rather misquoting Scripture. Twice, the Great Commission was quoted, both times omitting the command to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. This notable omission angered me to the point where I promised myself that I would never, under any circumstances, enter that place again. How dare they blatantly delete one-third of Jesus' last wishes for His church!

I don't wish difficulty on any true work of God, but I have the feeling that Ichabod may soon be written above the doors of any edifice adorned with goodly stones and gifts if they insist on short-changing the Word of the Lord and wresting the Scriptures to their own destruction.

Just give me some simple, poor people like the little widow woman, willing to give their all to move the work of God along. This is what delights heaven. Their works will shine as the stars forever and ever.

Casting it all in

Luke 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. 2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. 3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: 4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

The words used 4 times here are kind of interesting. The words "cast" and "casting" literally mean to throw, by more or less violent action. Nobody really can tell us what the set up for giving was. We are used to ushers passing offering baskets down the rows of parishioners at offering time. Others have the practice of having a locked box in which congregants pass by, dropping their money in the slot in top of the box. Still others place offering plates on the altar and the congregation files by placing their offerings in the plate in front of the pastor's gaze. That's an interesting practice which seems biblical.

But here we have these rich men and a poor woman throwing their money into the collection for the treasury, used to assist the poor. And it was no private affair. It was an opportunity for the rich men to show off their generosity. Note that Jesus looked up to see this giving. Now, we understand that He is looking down, still interested in how generous people are.

The mite was the very smallest coin in that currency. It meant little to the overall need, yet it meant much to the Savior. The rich of this occasion gave a relatively small percentage while the poor widow threw in 100%. When rewards are given at the judgment seat, as all believers will surely witness her return with interest, she will, no doubt, be greatly rewarded above all earthly wealth combined. Think of it, a couple of pennies invested into the work of God, collecting heavenly interest at, say 5% per anum, over a couple of thousand years. Well, let's just say, her days of penury will be long forgotten. Though she warranted the attention of only Jesus and the disciples that day, all of heaven will applaud her sacrifice at the Bema on that great day.

I can’t wait until next Sunday’s offering!

So don't be afraid to cast it all into God's work if you are so inclined, Jesus is still paying attention to what's going into the plate.

Bienvenidos!!!

Blogging from Mexico this week. More specifically, Rosarito Beach. Internet service is spotty. Your patience is appreciated! Gracias!

What are you doing with your pounds today?

Luke 19:12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

The pound was a weight of money, in the Greek, "mna" (Sounds like money to me!). The idea is that the Good Lord has invested in each of us, His stewards, talents to be used for the increase of His kingdom. To some, He gives more and to some less. No one is to brag or complain about that which He granted to us, it is His doing, by His free grace. Our responsibility is to put those talents to use. We are not to glory in that which He has entrusted, but to marvel and get motivated.

Many are content to leave their talent buried because they are paralyzed by the fear that their talent is insignificant. The Lord considers this as wicked. It is an affront to the Gifter when gifts go unopened.

So, I ask you, what are you going to do today with the talents God has invested in you that would increase His kingdom if you would just use them?

I Want to See Jesus

Luke 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

I want to see Jesus so badly I can almost taste it! Heaven holds so many blessings for us that our earthly minds can't even begin to comprehend what is in store for us. What new colors and sounds will we experience? What ancestors will be waiting for us of whom we know little or nothing? What does a transparent street of gold really look like? Rooms or mansions? One tree, 12 different kinds of fruit? Will we be able to travel by the speed of thought? Who will be there? Who won't be there? Am I actually here?

All these and a thousand other questions and longings about heaven. I would love to sit down with little Colton Burpo and interview him regarding his time in heaven. Y0u know about Colton, right? The little 4 year old, his daddy a pastor here in Imperial, Nebraska, who died and spent some time in glory, only to return to tell the story. I do know a few others who have had a similar experience but are honestly reluctant to say anything lest they be judged. They choose not to cast their pearls. Paul was that way for 14 years, you know.

But most of all, I want to see Jesus! Can you relate? If you are born again, bought by His blood, of course you can.

Zacchaeus was willing to go to the greatest lengths to see the Saviour, the Healer, the Prophet from Galilee. He risked his neck and went out on a limb to do so.

Well, now we see through a glass darkly. But the more we open our spiritual eyes and see the Lord in His Word, in His leading in our lives, in His miracles all around us, the more we see Jesus. And, soon enough, He will acknowledge our gaze and say, "Let's go on home together and have some supper!"

Clueless

Luke 18:34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

At various times the Lord called the disciples slow, faithless, perverse, and a few other derogatory descriptors. He said to Peter, "Get thee behind me Satan," among other things. At times we saw the apostles being impetuous, fickle, frightful and doubtful.

And yet, these are the crème' de la crème' of our profession. We look to their writings as our final rule of faith and practice.

Peter suffered from foot in the mouth disease. James and John were aptly named "sons of thunder," partially exposing their tempestuous nature. Yet, they are directly or indirectly responsible for at least 9 books of the New Testament! Countless churches, hospitals, orphanages and other institutions are named after them and inspired by their ministries.

What gives? Why are these flawed individuals the most influential personages of history? The answer comes in one word, RESURRECTION. When Christ rose again in victory over death, hell and the grave, and when the disciples finally got it all put together in their hearts and minds, it changed them so that they were able to turn the world upside-down. It put steel in their backbones and a fire in their bellies that hell could never quench. The resurrection gave way to their conversion. 3 years with the Savior only prepared them for the greater works they would do by the Spirit in the Savior's absence.

I can relate, especially to the former state of the apostles. Wavering faith, divided loyalties, doubtful disposition, waning zeal, and mind-numbing frustration dog the steps of my service. My shame is that I live and serve God post-resurrection. I believe I have a grasp of entering into the power of the resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. I pray for the power of the latter state of the disciples in which the Holy Ghost came upon them and they feared not man and loved not their lives unto death.

O great God, O resurrected Christ, O indwelling Spirit, fill me with power, wisdom, passion and purpose to live each day in the light of the resurrection and of your second coming. Let me serve and preach like Peter the martyr rather than Peter the denier. Allow me to love and encourage like John the Beloved instead of John Boanerges. Amen!