Asking God Why

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Matthew 27:46

When we suffer, I think it’s human nature to want to ask why? Why me? Why now? Why didn’t God prevent this from happening? But sometimes I hear people say, “I know I’m not supposed to ask ‘why,’ but...” Who told you that? Who told you that you aren’t supposed to ask ‘why?’ In the book of Psalms alone the various psalmists ask God ‘why’ nearly twenty times! And more to the point, Jesus Himself put this question to God the Father in the midst of His own suffering. 

I think that  means that it's okay for you to ask God ‘why.’ But understand that you may not get an answer right away. There's no record of the Father answering Jesus in that moment on the cross.

In the same way, when you face suffering and cry out to God to ask ‘why?’ ... understand that it may be weeks, months, or even years before God’s purposes are made plain to you. In fact, God may not tell you why on this side of Heaven at all. You may have to wait for eternity to fully understand God’s purposes for your pain.

But look at Jesus’ cry here in Matthew 27:46. He cries out to God wanting to know why… and yet, even as He asks the question, Jesus reaffirms His relationship and His trust in the Father. He cries out, “My God, my God.” Jesus isn’t crying out to some far off God that He doesn’t recognize or believe in. He is crying out to His own God. The God He knows and trusts. Even in His suffering… even when He asked why… even when He felt forsaken… He trusted His heavenly Father. And that’s what you should do as well.

Are you willing to trust God in your suffering? It’s okay if you feel the need to ask why, but you need to understand that the answer may be slow in coming… and it may not come this side of Heaven at all. And if you’re going to follow Jesus’ example, then you’ll keep on trusting God anyway… even though it costs your very life.

Remove the Plank

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Matthew 7:3

This is such an interesting, humorous picture that Jesus gives us. You have a plank (a log, a beam, or joist) sticking out of your eye. It’s clearly a major problem. Right? And yet, you pay no attention to it. You completely ignore it. You pretend it’s not there. And then... you want to point out someone else’s (much, much smaller) problem?! (Right? I mean a speck of sawdust is much smaller than a plank of wood.) And even though your vision is clearly obstructed by this plank of wood, you want to perform a delicate procedure on someone’s else’s eye to try to get the sawdust out for them?

Jesus is using hyperbole. He’s exaggerating for effect. One study Bible I read this week called it a “ridiculous exaggeration.”* And I thought, but is it ridiculous??? I mean it is, but we do that don’t we? It seems ridiculous to think that a person could walk around with a plank sticking out of their eye that everyone can see, but they refuse to acknowledge it or deal with it… buuuuuuut… many of us have done that with the sin in our lives. 

It's easy for us to make excuses for our sin... isn't it? We tell ourselves that it isn’t that big a deal. It doesn’t really matter. Let me tell you, sin matters to God. If Jesus died for it, then it’s a big deal. Don’t make excuses for your sin. Don’t sweep it under the rug. Many of you know exactly what major sin is in your life; you just simply refuse to look at it. You are not willing to address the elephant in the room. You would rather pretend that it doesn’t exist than deal with it… so that’s what you do.

Be brave enough right now to be honest about your sin. Fight the urge to make excuses or explain it away. Fight the urge to make little of your sins and much of everyone else’s. Most of us spend far too much of our time looking at other people’s sins and far too little time dealing with our own. So, make today the day, you remove the plank.

* Barry, John D., Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R. Grigoni, and David Bomar. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016.

Do More for Jesus

The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Matthew 25:40

Jesus makes this astonishing statement in the parable of the sheep and the goats. Yes, we minister to the needs of the lost as well so that we might lessen their suffering and have an opportunity to share the gospel with them, but it isn’t love for the lost that is our identifying mark as Christians. It’s our love for other believers. True sheep love other sheep. This reminds us of what Jesus says in John 13:34-35. 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

People should be able to look at us and judge our Christianity based on our love for other believers. And that’s exactly what Jesus does in this parable. He identifies His sheep by their love for other believers.

Now, this isn’t talking about earning salvation. We aren’t saved by loving believers. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. No, this is evidence of our salvation. When we are saved, we become a part of the family of God. And one of the marks that God places on us is our love for that family. Those who love Jesus, love His children. Thus, our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ marks us out and sets us apart as members of the family of God.

This a test of salvation that you can apply to your own life. Do you love God’s people? Do you love the church? Is their evidence of that love in your life? Are there any believers anywhere who are better provided for or ministered to because of you?

Find ways to love on Jesus by loving on and serving His people... His church. Give generously to your church. Invite the new person at church over to your house for a meal. Visit those who are homebound or in the hospital or in a nursing home. Take meals to the person who just had a surgery or a death in their family. Pray faithfully for them. Weep with them when they weep, and rejoice with them when they rejoice. 

When you do these kinds of things for other believers, Jesus takes that personally! He says, “whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you do for me.” I want to encourage you to start thinking about it like that. When you minister to another believer or to the church, don’t think of it simply as doing something for them… train yourself to think of it as doing something for Jesus. Let's do more for Jesus!

Faithful Servant?

"His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’"

Matthew 25:21

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Matthew 25:23

In the Parable of the Talents, two servants receive the same word of commendation from their Master. Words that every Christian hopes to hear from their Lord one day. "Well done, good and faithful servant!" What did they do to receive such an honor, and what must we do to receive the same?

First, it's important to note that when Jesus returns, there will be a settling of accounts. You will have to give an account of how you have used what He has entrusted to you. You will stand before Him and answer for how you served Him… and how you didn’t.

Second, hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant” isn’t just about believing. Being saved will get you into Heaven, but it won’t get you a “well done.” This commendation is reserved for the faithful... for those who work tirelessly to serve the master and grow His kingdom... for those who faithfully steward what He has entrusted to them.

Third, the two servants who received this commendation were equally faithful but not equally productive. One servant earned five talents for his master; the other earned only two. That's less than half of five. But both were equally faithful in that they doubled the amount they had been entrusted with. This proves that it isn’t about scale but faithfulness. You don’t have to compare yourself to or try to outdo other believers. You just have to be faithful with what God has entrusted to you. 

Lastly, these servants were not only commended but also rewarded with more responsibility and a higher position. The master says, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” Those who prove themselves faithful in the master’s absence will be entrusted with more when He returns. Though every believer will be saved, we will not all hold the same position in Heaven. There will be work to do in Heaven. There will be things to manage and to care for to the glory of God. And I understand this parable to teach that God, who does all things rightly, will divvy up responsibilities in the kingdom based on how we have proven ourselves here on earth. God rewards faithfulness! 

So, be careful to faithfully use what God has entrusted to you to grow His kingdom. Live in such a way that you will hear your Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!"

We Need a Better King

...and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife...

Matthew 1:6

When Matthew mentions Bathsheba in Jesus' genealogy, he doesn’t refer to her by name. Instead, he goes out of his way to remind us that she "had been Uriah’s wife.” Why?

I think Matthew wants to remind us of David’s greatest failure, before he tells us the story of Christmas. Matthew wants us to remember that even King David was an adulterer and a murderer! The greatest king in Israel’s history… the man after God’s own heart… the man who defeated Goliath and conquered God’s enemies all around… couldn’t conquer the sin within his own heart.

This is a subtle, but powerful reminder that we need a better king. Matthew is helping us begin to understand that the Messiah he is about to introduce us to isn’t just another King David. No! We need a Messiah who surpasses even David. We need a king who won’t fall into sin like David did (and even like his son Solomon did). And that is exactly what God gives us in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Jesus passed the test that David failed! And that’s why He can save us. For Jesus to be the perfect King who could make us righteous He had to be sinless, and that’s what He was. And that’s what He is.

Thank God that Jesus passed the test that David failed! Thank God for sending us a better King. But that raises a very important question. Is Jesus your king?

I think that sometimes we have a tendency to fix our eyes and our loyalties on great men like David. Sometimes we build our faith on a pastor, a parent, a teacher, a family member or friend who appears to be a giant in the faith to us. And then, when they fail… like David did… it shakes our faith greatly.

Make sure that your faith isn’t founded on any man but Jesus. Not a pastor or parent or anyone! Only Jesus is worthy to be your king. Only He passes the test. Everyone else will disappoint you. Build your faith on Him.

W.o.W. Rewind: The Providence of Christmas

 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 

Matthew 1:18

Over and over again the gospel accounts of Jesus' birth go out of their way to impress upon us that Jesus’ birth happened in the fullness of time, according to plan, to fulfill God’s promises. Nowhere is this more clear than in the gospel of Matthew. From the very first verse, Matthew takes great pains to tie Jesus’ birth back to the ancient promises of God. In the first two chapters of his book, Matthew points to four different Old Testament prophecies to show how God providentially ordered all the details of Jesus’ birth in accord with His plan. 

So when you think of all the details of the Christmas story that God worked out to fulfill prophecy... when you think of Jesus being born of a virgin, in Bethlehem, and of the line of David, be reminded that God is in control and He is working all things out according to His plan.

This is true not only of the big events of human history but also of all the small events of your life. History isn’t careening out of control. The circumstances of your life aren’t wholly random. God is in control and He is directing everything toward His desired end. Isn’t that comforting? 

So, as you celebrate Christmas this year, celebrate that God knows how the story ends. Celebrate that the world isn’t out of control. Celebrate that God is working all things (even your life) out according to His plan and moving us all toward His end for His purposes.

Fear Not the Persecution of Men

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:29-31

The ESV Study Bible tells us that “sparrows were customarily thought of as the smallest of creatures, and the copper coin that is rendered into English as ‘penny’ here was one of the least valuable Roman coins…”* The point here is that “if God does not overlook the death or injury of even the most insignificant birds,” then surely He does not overlook the suffering or death of His beloved children.** 

I like the way the CSB Study Bible puts it. “The God who has numbered even the hairs of your head has also numbered the days of your life. His plan for his disciples cannot be cut short by persecution.”*** 

If God doesn't let the sparrows fall apart from His will, then neither will He let you fall apart from His will. The Bible doesn’t guarantee that you won’t suffer. It doesn’t even guarantee that you won’t die. In fact, many Christians have died for their faith. But it does promise that God will watch over you and that nothing will happen to you apart from Him.

This is why Christians shouldn’t fear persecution. Because we have nothing to fear from men. They don’t hold our fate in their hands. God the Father does. And God does not forget His children. No harm can befall you apart from His will. You can be in the worst possible situation and not fear, because you know that God’s got you! So, faithful believer, don't live in fear of men!

*Wilkins, Michael J. ESV Study Bible note on Matthew 10:29 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2001), 1841

** A. Boyd Luter, “Luke,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1632

*** Charles L. Quarles, “Matthew,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1517.

He is Risen!

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.

Matthew 28:6

‌

On the first Easter morning the women came to the grave looking for a dead man, and the angel is only too happy to tell them that Jesus isn’t in the grave anymore. He is risen! Jesus had predicted it, and Jesus always keeps His word.

‌‌It occurs to me though that many Christians still look for Jesus in the grave. He’s not there anymore. Jesus isn’t on the cross and He isn’t in the grave. He’s on the throne, at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.

But that is much less comfortable for us. You see, everyone likes a dead Savior. Everyone likes a man who loved you enough to die for your sins so you could be forgiven. That makes us feel all warm and cuddly. That doesn’t pose a threat to us or our lifestyles in any way. You know why? Because a dead Savior makes no demands of us…none that He can enforce anyway. He loves us. He dies for us. He forgives us. But He can’t command us....not if we leave Him in the tomb of our minds.

We are much more comfortable with Jesus on the cross or Jesus in the tomb than we are with Jesus on the throne. But the message of Easter is undeniable. He is risen! Jesus is alive and He has been appointed “the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:4)

The Apostle Peter put it this way in his sermon on the day of Pentecost. He said, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:36)

Jesus is both our Savior (the one who forgives our sins) and our Lord (the one who commands our obedience). And He can’t be your Savior without being your Lord, because He is risen. He is alive, and He has plans for your life. Submit right now not to love a dead Savior, but to obey a risen Lord!

Peter's Prayer

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Matthew 14:29b-30

Many sermons have been preached on this passage of Scripture focusing on Peter’s faith, or Peter’s doubt or Jesus’ ability to walk on water. But I want to focus on Peter’s prayer.‌‌ 

It’s so short, and so unlike how we normally think of prayer that it's easy to miss. But verse 30 tells us that beginning to sink, Peter cried out “Lord, save me!” A three word prayer. Yet, an effective prayer. A prayer that God heard and answered. It says that “immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.”

There isn’t much to parse out or dissect in a three word prayer. We don’t need to look at the original language or see how any of the words function in the sentence. Yet there is a powerful principle of prayer here for you if you will receive it.

‌‌Consider Peter’s situation. He is sinking. Now, it doesn't take a grown man long to sink in water, so Peter had very little time to formulate a perfect prayer. Peter didn’t have time for impressive words or arguments. He had to get a prayer out quick! And he did. And it worked.

‌‌What I want you to see is that prayer doesn’t always have to polished. It doesn’t have to be eloquent. It is perfectly acceptable for you to simply cry out to God for help. In fact, that is exactly what some circumstances call for. There are certain situations in life that call for immediate prayer... a prayer of the moment. Sometimes you can’t afford to wait until you get back home to your prayer closet to pray about something. Sometimes you have to pray right now!

There will be times in your life when you will only have a few seconds to pray, or times that you will only be able to pray in your mind as someone is talking to you. Times when all you have time to pray is “Lord, save me” or “Help me, Lord!” And I want you to know that God hears those prayers!

As a parent I know that whenever one of my children has yelled “Help!” my wife and I both came running. That “help!” was an incredibly effective way of getting our attention and getting a quick response out of us. An entire paragraph of well-reasoned requests for assistance could not have gotten us there as fast as “Help!”

So, don’t discount the power of that type of prayer in a moment of crisis. Don’t discount the power of crying out to God for help.

How Jesus Started His Prayer

This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven...

Matthew 6:9

These four little words, "Our Father in heaven," start the Lord's prayer off with an important balance. They are like training wheels, teaching us to balance two important principles in prayer. 

First, Jesus teaches us to address God as ‘Father.’ That word, ‘Father,’ grabs hold of the All-powerful, Eternal, Creator of the universe and brings Him close. ‘Father’ is a relational word. It reminds us as we pray that God isn’t a god who is far away, He is a god who is close by... a god who loves us.

‌‌But then come the words “in Heaven,” which balance God’s closeness as a Father with the truth that He is high above us. Yes, God is our Father who loves us, but He is also the one who sits on the throne of Heaven. He is both near to us and highly exalted and beyond us in every way.

‌‌These two truths must be balanced and held in tension in your prayers. Your prayers should be personal and intimate like a conversation with your Father, but they should also be respectful and worshipful because you are talking to the King of Heaven. Your prayers shouldn’t err too much on either side but should strike a balance between humble adoration and childlike closeness.‌ When you pray, pray with an awareness of both these truths.

Leaves & Fruit

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

Matthew 21:18-19

Jesus' is acting symbolically in this passage. He's acting out a parable, a warning for those who look like they are producing fruit but in fact are not. You see, many of the religious leaders of Jesus' day were all leaves and no fruit. They fasted twice a week. They prayed three times a day. They gave to the poor. But they did all of this to be seen and honored by men (Matthew 6:1-18). None of it was for God. As Isaiah prophesied about them. "These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me" (Isaiah 29:13 & Matthew 15:8). Such "religion" brings God's judgment.

This kind of religion is just as common today as it was then, though. There are Christians today who go to church every week and who can answer all the questions in Sunday School but whose hearts are far from God. They have no fruit! They haven't lead anyone to the Lord. They don't have any good deeds for the Lord to rejoice over. Their lives are full of secret sin. The only righteousness they care about is the kind that other men can see. They are not peacemakers or reconcilers but slanderers and gossips. When Jesus comes by looking for fruit in their lives, He will be disappointed. 

Don't let that be true of you. Inspect your tree now. Make certain you aren't all show and no fruit. Because there will come a day when our Lord will come inspect you and look for fruit. You may be able to trick people now with a lot of leaves but your false religion won't trick Him! Don't get caught up in the leaves of the faith. Focus on the fruit.

From So Very Right to So Very Wrong

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven...

Matthew 16:15-17

In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was. Peter, ever the spokesman of the group, boldly proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah. This was a big step of faith for Peter. It seems to me that the disciples all hoped Jesus was the Messiah. They may have even believed that He might be the Messiah. But they seldom said it out loud. So, even though it may seem obvious to us now, at the time I believe Peter was taking a big step of faith to so boldly declare that Jesus was the Messiah. And Jesus responds to Peter's faith the way He always responds to faith, He blesses and affirms it. 

But what I find interesting is that so very soon after Peter got it right he managed to get it really wrong. In verse 21 of the same chapter, we read that Jesus began explaining to His disciples that He would be rejected by the chief priests and would be killed and would rise on the third day. But Peter cannot imagine that the Messiah will suffer, so in verse twenty-two Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes Him saying, "Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” Continuing in verse 23 "Jesus turned and said...to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.'”

Peter went from bold faith to opposing God's plan in record time. This is instructive for us. If Peter can go from being so very right to being so very wrong in such a short span of time, then so can we. We must be careful!

If you are reading this, then chances are that you have spent a considerable amount of time in church. You probably think you are getting quite a bit about your faith right... and you very well may be. But don't think for a second that you can't be wrong. Don't think for a second that you can't fail spectacularly. 

We need to understand that we can be very right about a lot of things in the faith, and still be terribly wrong about others. We see examples of this every time a pastor of note falls into doctrinal or moral error. They had so much right that we thought it couldn't happen to them. But it did. And it can happen to you as well. So be humble. Guard against thinking that you have everything figured out. Don't you dare believe you can't fall. Make time to sit at the feet of Jesus and His Word every day. And as you do, submit yourself to God's truth letting it guide you and keep you on the right path.

Born to be King

Matthew begins his gospel with a genealogy which probably isn't the best way to start a bestseller, so why does Matthew do it? Matthew 1:1 tells us why. It says, "This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham." This genealogy establishes the fact that Jesus was a descendant of David and was therefore eligible to be the Messiah. 

Messiah is a Hebrew word that simply means “anointed one.” You may remember that David was anointed as king many years before he actually became king. In the same way, when God revealed that one of David's descendants would reign forever over a kingdom that would extend to the ends of the earth, God’s people began to think of this descendant as having already been anointed king. They were just waiting for him to take the throne.

When we read the Christmas story we find this emphasized over and over again. Jesus was born to be king. This is overwhelmingly clear in Luke's birth account as well, but for the sake of space let's stick with Matthew's gospel. 

Matthew 2:1-2 says that "Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?'" The wise men came looking for a king! And in the rest of chapter 2 Herod set out to kill not just any baby but a king. 

If we fast-forward through the gospel, we find the same emphasis many years later at Jesus’ death. Matthew 27:37 says that as Jesus was crucified, “above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” So, that phrase, the "King of the Jews" hangs over both Jesus’ birth and His death in the gospel of Matthew. It was the king of the Jews that the Magi came searching for at His birth, and it was the king of the Jews that the Romans crucified at His death.

And yet somehow, today Jesus has been robbed of his kingship. Churches present Him as a Savior and a friend but never as a king. Certainly Jesus is the only Savior and He is our closest friend, but not until He is first our King! So, this Christmas let’s not just kneel before the manger in wonder at the baby. Let’s not just kneel before the cross in awe of the Savior. This Christmas, let’s also kneel before the throne and swear allegiance to the King.

Christmas Obedience

...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins...” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Matthew 1:20-21 & 24

Joseph was a devout Jew. He had it in his mind to follow the law and quietly divorce his fiancée that had turned up pregnant; but the Lord had other plans. So, God sent an angel to tell Joseph not only that he was to take Mary as his wife but also that the child who would be born of her had been sent to "save his people from their sins."

In other words, Jesus' birth, Christmas itself, is about people being saved from their sin. That includes not only people coming to place their faith in Jesus for forgiveness of their sin, but also people turning from their sins to obedience to God. And even though Joseph wasn't turning away from sin, we do see him turning toward obedience in the next verses. Verse 24 tells us that after his divine dream, Joseph woke up and obeyed God. In this way, he sets an example for all of us to follow. 

Purely by coincidence I happened to read Romans 16 right before I read Matthew 1 tonight. And a certain phrase at the end of Romans 16 caught my attention. "so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith" (Romans 16:26). It is probably the reason I noticed this minor theme of obedience in Matthew 1. Having that phrase stuck in my mind helped me realize that a lot of emphasis is placed on faith at Christmastime and very little on obedience. But there's something wrong with that, because there is an obedience that comes from faith. And I have no doubt in my mind that the kind of faith that God desires is the kind that leads to life change and obedience. 

So, this Christmas don't just place your faith in the baby in the manger...obey Him. Wake up on Christmas morning and do what He has told you to do. And then, even after Christmas is over, try to make it your daily practice to wake up and obey just like Joseph did.

Cain's Sinful Heart

For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

Matthew 15:19

Sin doesn't originate outside of you (with temptation) but from within your own wicked heart (compare James 1:13-15). So, you can't blame anyone else when you sin because the battlefield on which you win or lose the battle against sin is inside yourself.

In Greek the word for 'heart' in Matthew 15:19 doesn't just mean the emotional part of yourself, but your passions, desires, and thoughts as well. It could be translated as 'soul.' That means that you lose the battle against sinful thoughts, attitudes, and feelings long before you lose the battle against sinful acts.

 

I believe we find this illustrated in the first murder. Genesis 4:8 says, "Now Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let’s go out to the field.' While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him." The text doesn't explicitly say that Cain's act was pre-meditated, but that seems to be the clear implication. It certainly reads like Cain intentionally lured his brother out to a remote place with the intention of killing him and hiding his body. 

Who knows how many times Cain thought about killing his brother before he actually did it? Who knows how many different ways of murdering Abel he considered before landing on a specific method? Or who know how many times Cain played the murder out in his mind before he acted on it? We don't know. But unless we're to believe that Cain spontaneously killed his brother after inviting him out to the field for no particular reason, we have to assume that Cain thought this through. If this is true, then Cain gave in to sin and indulged in sinful and murderous thoughts and attitudes towards his brother long before he ever raised his hand against him. 

What a powerful example of the truth Jesus teaches! When you are angry, be very careful what you allow yourself to think on or fantasize about. Be careful what thoughts you fill your mind with. Be careful what feelings you indulge or dwell on. Because sin begins in your heart and in your mind. If you lose the fight against sinful thoughts, desires and feelings, then you will never win the battle against sinful actions.

Why?

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew 27:46

On the cross Jesus cried out in pain. Physical pain? Yes. But emotional and spiritual pain as well. When we suffer, it isn't just the physical pain that is difficult to bear. It's also the pain of feeling that God has abandoned us in those moments. It is painful to come to the reality that a good and loving God has allowed our suffering. And even when we don't put words to that feeling, we often cry out from the depths of our souls in anguish over it. 

Jesus, however, did put words to this pain when He cried out from the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" In Jesus' case there is an irrefutable answer to that question. Why did God forsake Him? For us! It was for us! He was given over to suffer the shame and torture of the cross for you, so that you might be forgiven of your sins. He was rejected so that you might be accepted. He was abandoned that you might be adopted. He was forsaken that you might be brought near. His punishment brought you peace.

I am convinced that it is often the same with our suffering, that our suffering is often (at least in part) for the benefit of others. So, the next time you cry out to God asking why He has forsaken you, try looking around yourself to see who is about. Who knows who God might be blessing through your suffering today? Who knows what amazing change of heart and mind He might be working in someone else because they are seeing your faith in the face of struggle. Thankfully, Jesus shows us that it is still okay to cry out in the anguish of our souls in these moments, but like Jesus we can trust that God does have a reason...even if we don't know it yet.

Storing Up for Winter

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

Romans 2:5

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Matthew 6:20

I live in a parsonage that's owned by the church that I work for. One of the previous pastors planted a nice Rose of Sharon tree next to the house with a Hosta on either side. Underneath one of these Hostas lives a little brown chipmunk. My wife and children are quite taken with him. So much so that they have taken to feeding him by placing piles of birdseed next to the Hosta that conceals the entrance to his burrow. Over the course of several days the little seed pile will dwindle and when it is all gone, they will feed him again. Undoubtedly as autumn arrives their little friend will start going through their seed piles much faster as he begins storing up food for the winter.

I started thinking about our little chipmunk tonight, because I realized in my Bible reading time this morning that every one of us is like him in this way. We are all storing something up for the future. I don't mean in an earthly sense, though we very well may be doing that also, but in a heavenly sense. Scripture reveals to us that every human being is storing something up for eternity. Either we are storing up treasures for ourselves in Heaven (Matthew 6:20) or we are storing up wrath for ourselves in Hell (Romans 2:5). The day of judgment will reveal what you have accumulated. 

Stubbornness and unrepentance, along with every kind of evil act that men engage in, store up wrath. Faith in Jesus and submission to His leadership in your life, along with every good and righteous act that Christians engage in, store up treasure. Be careful that you don't lose yourself in all the activity of life and begin to think that one kind of store is as good as the other. It is easy to argue now that your lifestyle is as good as any other, but the day of judgment will reveal it for what it was. 

So, evaluate your life. Evaluate your stores. How prepared are you for the coming Winter of God's Judgment? 

Heart Matters

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." 

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Matthew 23:25-28

Far too often we have been guilty of the same sin as the Pharisees. We have focused on cleaning the outside of the cup and have left the inside untended. We are like white-washed tombs. Crisp and clean on the outside but the inside is rotten and decaying. Far too many of us harbor secret sin in their hearts. We have perfected the outward show while remaining full of sin inwardly. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be!

The condition of your heart matters to God. At least 25 times in Scripture we are told that God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). He probes the heart (Psalm 7:9). He weighs the heart (Proverbs 21:2). He tests the heart (Proverbs 17:3). And why does He do this? Why does God care so much about your heart? Let me give you three reasons God cares about the condition of your heart and why you should too.

1) God cares about your heart because it’s what directs your life

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Biblically speaking, your heart is the wellspring of your whole life. Everything you do begins and ends there. Your life is directed by what you love and what you hate, what you set your heart on and you take to heart. All these things have a profound impact on you.

Proverbs 27:19 puts it this way, “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” Your entire life...everything you do... is just a reflection of what's in your heart. Whatever is in your heart will eventually come out of your mouth or come out in your actions. So, when you guard your heart, you guard your life.

2) God cares about your heart because it’s where sin begins

Mark 7:21–23 says, “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” All these things begin in the heart! If you want to stop adultery or murder or sexual sin, or any sin you must fight and win the battle there!

What sin has taken up residence in your heart? Don’t you think it’s time you kicked it out?

3) God cares about your heart because it’s also where obedience begins

The first and second greatest commandments start with the heart. Matthew 22:37–40 says, “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The two greatest commandments in all of Scripture are about feelings. If you love rightly, if you get the heart at right, everything else will fall into place easily. In fact, Scripture teaches that God doesn’t want obedience that doesn’t come from the heart. In the OT and the NT God indicted His people saying, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Isaiah 29:13). God wants obedience from the heart. 

It's time to take a long, hard look at your heart. In what ways is it directing your life? Are you hiding sin there? Or have you given your heart to God? Do you love Him above all else? Are you obeying from the heart or are you just going through the motions?

The Providence of Christmas

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 

Matthew 1:18

Over and over again the gospel accounts of Jesus' birth go out of their way to impress upon us that Jesus’ birth happened in the fullness of time, according to plan, to fulfill God’s promises. Nowhere is this more clear than in the gospel of Matthew. From the very first verse, Matthew takes great pains to tie Jesus’ birth back to the ancient promises of God. In the first two chapters of his book, Matthew points to four different Old Testament prophecies to show how God providentially ordered all the details of Jesus’ birth in accord with His plan. 

So when you think of all the details of the Christmas story that God worked out to fulfill prophecy... when you think of Jesus being born of a virgin, in Bethlehem, of the line of David in keeping with God's promises, be reminded that God is provident. Be reminded that God is in control and He works all things out according with His plan.

So as we begin to prepare for Christmas this year, let the Christmas story remind you that God has a plan and a purpose that He is working out, not only for our lives but for all of human history. History isn’t careening out of control. The circumstances of your life aren’t wholly random. God is in control and He is directing everything toward His desired end. 

Doesn’t it make you feel better to know that you serve a God who knows the end of the story? Isn’t it comforting in 2020 to be reminded that God is in control of all the madness going on? So, as you celebrate Christmas this year celebrate that God knows how the story ends. Celebrate that the world isn’t out of control. Celebrate that God is working all things out according to His plan and moving us toward His end for His purposes.

Lord, Lord

"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Matthew 7:21-23

Notice, these people have done some pretty impressive things. I haven’t driven any demons out of anybody. I’ve never performed any miracles. And yet Jesus tells these people with these impressive resumes that they won’t get into Heaven. Why?

Look at verse 23. They may have accomplished a few big and impressive things, but the day-to-day fruit of their live must not have been very good because Jesus calls them evildoers. You see, salvation isn’t something you can earn. It’s not about doing a few big things that you can put on your Christian resume. It’s about having a relationship with Jesus that so thoroughly changes you that it shows up in how you live- not just in a few, big impressive ways here and there but in the day-to-day fruit of your Christian life.

We see this illustrated in the life of Judas. He was one of the twelve disciples. He had done some pretty impressive things. Matthew 10:1-3 tells us that he (along with the other disciples) was given authority to cast out demons and heal every disease in Jesus’ name. Can you claim to have accomplished more in the faith than Judas? Probably not, but none of us expect to meet him in Heaven. Why? Because we know his faith didn’t prove true. In the end he proved to be an evildoer by his actions. He never knew Jesus in a saving way.

Sometimes, just like Judas, people hide behind big, impressive accomplishments that appear to be the fruit of a Christian life when in fact they have no relationship with Jesus at all. Being a Christian isn’t about what you have accomplished; it’s about what He has accomplished on your behalf. It doesn’t matter how many people know you and are impressed with all you’ve done for the Lord. What matters is this: Does He know you? Is your name written in Jesus’ Book of Life. Has He changed you? Has He made you a new creation, so you might live for and obey Him? That’s what matters. 

It’s truly terrifying to me that Jesus says there will be “many” people who will be shocked to learn they aren’t saved on that final day. What a troubling thought that many people think they stand on solid footing before the Lord, many people think they are headed for Glory when in fact they will end up being cast into Hell. What a terrifying thought!

It may be cliché, but you really do need to make sure that you are ready! Be SURE of your salvation. Don’t put it off until later. Don’t leave it up to chance. Don’t count on a resume of a few impressive accomplishments. “Lord, I went on mission trips for you. Lord I was a church member. Lord, I gave thousands of dollars to the church.” All of these are good things, but they won’t save you. 

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? Does He know you? Has He changed you and given you a new heart? Is that showing up in the day-to-day fruit of your life? If not, then stop kidding yourself…you aren’t saved.