Daily Reading

Acts 3:1-26; Psalm 36:1-12; Proverbs 10:1-2

So, yesterday I sent out the reading: Acts 2:1-47; Psalm 35:17-28; Proverbs 10:1-2. But I did not have an opportunity to post the reading online. Sorry. For those of you who don't get the text update - here's a recap:

The disciples obeyed Jesus & waited in Jerusalem until the day of Pentecost. Did you know Pentecost is an Old Testament festival? It had been celebrated every year since the days of Moses. Pentecost represented the giving of the law to Moses at Mount Sinai. By giving His law to the people, God reveals Himself & His nature to the people. So Pentecost is a celebration of revelation. Now, just as with Passover, Jesus is fulfilling the new covenant with this festival. For on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit filled believers, writing the law on their hearts. Interesting isn't it? What was given to the Jewish people on a national level has now been internalized and given on a personal level.

Since this was a pilgrim festival, every male in the Jewish nation was in Jerusalem. So many witnessed the incredible change that came over the disciples. In fact, they heard the disciples speaking in their own languages! Many were intrigued, others used the opportunity to mock, but Peter - bold Peter - stood up & gave an incredible sermon full of power & understanding. This sermon led 3,000 people to be saved! Notice, these people were baptized and brought into the group. They became part of this new movement & they devoted themselves to learning, prayer, & their new church family. Becoming a Christian is more than a religious choice. You are brought into a FAMILY that spends time together building each other up, helping each other with their needs, & drawing closer to each other & to God. Are you a part of your family? Do you spend time with your brothers & sisters in Christ? Are you sharing, learning, do you fellowship? Or have you isolated yourself from the group?

Our reading today continues the story of the early days of this new movement that will eventually be called Christianity. Peter & John are continuing the ministry of Jesus Christ - healing & teaching. Notice their boldness & confidence. Where did this come from? Well, a complete & unwavering faith in the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ. AND the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Each one of us has this confidence & boldness at our fingertips. The Holy Spirit resides in each of us. You have been given the same tools that these apostles have through the Holy Spirit. Start relying on Him. Start trusting Him. And most importantly - start listening to Him.

Psalms & Proverbs both speak of wisdom today - the wise obeys the Lord, the foolish make up their own way. Which do you want to be?

Daily Reading

Acts 1:1-16; Psalm 35:1-16; Proverbs 9:11-12

The book of Acts picks up after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It tells us that Jesus spent a period of forty days with His disciples after His resurrection. The disciples were concerned with the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. Jesus, however, was still concerned with personal relationships. He tells the disciples they are to stay in Jerusalem to wait for the Holy Spirit. While Jesus is on earth, He is able to teach & guide the disciples, but once He ascends to heaven, the Holy Spirit will come to be their teacher & helper.

Jesus then simply ascends into the sky. The disciples are obviously dumbfounded by this sight, but two angels tell them that this is the way Jesus will return some day. Remember this prophecy! There will be many who will claim to be Jesus - but you will know the true Jesus by the method in which He returns to earth.

At this time there are about 120 devoted followers of Jesus. However, Jesus had appointed twelve to be the leaders or apostles of the group. Since Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus, the disciples prayed for a replacement. Matthias was chosen. Notice they asked the Lord for the replacement. They didn't vote, or discuss it - they left it up to the Lord. How about you - how do you make your decisions? Are you leaving it up to the Lord?

Notice even our psalm leaves it up to the Lord. The psalmist lays his troubles at the Lord's feet & trusts Him to fix it. It's that simple - rely & trust in the Lord. He will fight your battles for you. Yes, this means giving up control. But what does control really do for you? If you truly love & trust the Lord. If you believe He has your best interest at heart, then why not give Him control over your life. Stop struggling & start trusting.

Daily Reading

Matthew 28:1-20; Psalm 34:11-22; Proverbs 9:9-10

Praise the Lord, He is risen today!! Due to the holiday weekend, we will not have a reading for this weekend. Spend time meditating on the resurrection of Jesus Christ this weekend.

On the third day the women followers of Jesus went to the tomb in order to prepare Jesus' body for burial. Why didn't they do this prior to His burial? Because Jesus was buried on a high holy Sabbath day - Passover. In Jewish tradition, touching a dead body made a person unclean for a specific number of days. If you were unclean, you could not participate in any religious celebration. So it was common to wait until after the Sabbath to prepare a body. Remember our reading yesterday - the women watched to see where Jesus was buried, so they could come back & prepare His body after the Passover was complete.

As they arrive at the tomb, there is an earthquake & an angel rolled away the stone. This event was so impressive that the guards fainted dead away. (They were later bribed by the chief priests to deny what they saw.) The angel then gives the women a message to give to the disciples - meet Jesus in Galilee. The women believe & obey, as they are on their way to deliver the message, Jesus appears to them.

The disciples go to Galilee & meet Jesus there. He then gives them the Great Commission - preach all that Jesus taught them to everyone, everywhere. This is still our commission, our job as Christians, to share the message of Jesus Christ with everybody.

For some really good information about the crucifixion & resurrection of Jesus Christ, read Lee Strobel's "A Case for Christ."

This reading finishes up the book of Matthew. While all of the gospels give us good information about the life of Jesus, we are going to skip ahead to Acts & continue the story of the risen Jesus Christ & the work of the disciples.

I am reminded of two great lessons in our psalm & proverbs readings:
1. Watch what you say - controlling your words will avoid many difficulties & troubles.
2. A relationship with God is the basis & foundation of life. You want wisdom & understanding, start with God.

Daily Reading

Matthew 27:35-66; Psalm 34:1-10; Proverbs 9:7-8

Notice the amount of people who watched Jesus die & their attitudes: the Roman soldiers treated Him like any other prisoner; the chief priests, robbers, and other bystanders hurled insults at Him - watching to see if any new miracles would be performed; His mother & followers quietly supported Him. It reminds me once again of the relationship Jesus was always teaching about. Those that loved Him grieved for Him with dignity. Those that were jealous of Him enjoyed watching Him suffer. Do you fear for the hearts of those that can mock a dying man?

Crucifixion is one of the most horrible ways to die. It is intensely painful - the stakes through the wrists & feet crush & destroy nerves, sending waves of pain every time the victim moves; the scourging left the back open & raw, which grates against the rough wooden post every time the victim moves; the weight of the body pulling on the staked arms slowly pulls the arms out of socket every time the victim relaxes his body. So why does the victim move? Because he is slowly suffocating. Hanging on the cross impedes the ability to inhale, so the victim must push up again the block of wood placed below his feet in order to lift himself high enough to take in a breath. This horror continues to happen until the victim is too tired to continue to lift himself up and he suffocates. It can take hours, even days for the victim to die, Jesus was in such bad physical shape from the beatings & scourging that he died relatively quickly.

While He hung on the cross, the sky darkened. When He died - the curtain that separated the holy place from the holy of holies tore from the top to the bottom. This curtain was in place to separate the people from the presence of God. The tearing of the curtain symbolized the redeeming work of Jesus' death. His sacrifice opened the door for a renewed relationship with God Himself, for Jesus' sacrifice once & fore all provided us forgiveness of our sins & brought us back to a place of fellowship with God. At the same time, a great earthquake shook the land & many godly people came back to life. Pretty incredible. The chief priests & other bystanders wanted to see Jesus perform one last miracle - hmmmm . . . I would say His death brought many miracles. In fact, these miracles were so convincing that non-Jewish soldiers recognized the importance of this event.

These miracles were so convincing that the chief priests started to doubt . . . they remembered His prophecy that He would come back to life. So they got permission to seal His tomb & post guards to ensure that no one messed with the tomb.

As we continue to edge closer to Easter Sunday - please take time to meditate on the incredible gift Jesus gave us through His sacrifice.

Daily Reading

Matthew 27:15-34; Psalm 33:12-22; Proverbs 9:1-6

Pilate was a very wise politician - he was easily able to discern the true heart of the matter. So, why did he still sentence Jesus to death? Because he was a wise politician. He gave the people what they wanted to avoid a riot. Balancing the rights of the people with the right choice is not always a cut & dry decision for the politician because he must weigh each choice according to what is best for the country & not necessarily for the individual. But notice something very important here, he washed his hands of the whole matter & proclaimed himself innocent of this murder. The people replied, "His blood be on us & on our children!"

This statement gives me chills because that is exactly what they needed. See the wages of sin is death. Up until this point, the Jewish people sacrificed perfect, blemishless animals as a way of obtaining forgiveness for their sins. The blood of the sacrificed animal was splashed on the altar as a symbol of that forgiveness. By accepting the blood of the perfect, sinless Jesus upon their heads they were symbolically accepting the sacrifice of Jesus. No longer must we sacrifice animals in our place to seek forgiveness for our sins. Jesus became that sacrifice for us - all we need to do is accept it.

After Jesus was sentenced to death, he was taken & whipped. This process was a scourging of 40 lashes with a whip made of leather, metal bits, & bone. The lashing not only torn off skin, it destroyed muscles & even some internal organs. Then the soldiers mocked him & beat him. Jesus was in such poor physical shape that he was unable to carry His own cross to Golgotha.

Tomorrow we will discuss the mechanics of crucifixion more in depth, but for today I want you to think about the horror that Jesus has already been through - He has been beaten twice & scourged, spit upon & mocked. He did this all for you because He loves you. We throw that word "love" around a lot without really stopping to understand its full meaning. Jesus showed us true love by putting our needs ahead of His own. He gave up everything that we might be saved. Wow, have you ever experienced true love like that before?

Daily Reading

Matthew 27:1-14; Psalm 33:1-11; Proverb 8:22-36

Remember in our reading yesterday when the chief priests decided Jesus must be sentenced to death. Well, they had no power to actually carry out the sentence since they were ruled by a foreign country - Rome. So faced with this dilema, they decide to send Jesus to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Jerusalem. Once Jesus arrived before Pontius Pilate, he agreed that He was the Messiah. However, He remained quiet when the chief priests where making their accusations. This intreged Pilate because an innocent man has no need to defend himslef, but a guilty man will proclaim his supposed innocence to anyone who will listen. So Jesus said more in His silence than the Chief Priests said with their shouting.

Meanwhile, Judas Iscariot has had some time to think about what he has done. See, he never intended for Jesus to die, so he goes back to the chief priests & trys to undo what he has done. Unfortunately, it's too late & Judas, in his despair, throws the money back at the priests & storms away. From reading the accounts given in the other three Gospels, we read that Judas hung himself in a field, committing suidice. When he was cut down, his body split open. Grusome, I know. In the meantime, the priests deliberated on what to do with the money. Notice the hypocracy here - they know they can't return the money to the treasuries because it is BLOODMONEY - money paid for murder. Why would they call this money bloodmoney? There is certainly a difference between murder & the death pentalty. See, they knew they were sentencing an innocent man to die. They weren't killing a blasphemer, they were murdering an innocent man who was causing them problems. Yikes! Anyway, they decide to buy the field that Judas Iscariout hung himself in. There, they thought, problem solved. Unwittingly, they were just fulfilling more prophecy.

Now, we can shake our heads and think they all should have known better. After all, these were knowledgable men. Why couldn't they figure it out. Well before you get that finger pointing in the wrong direction - turn it around to point at you. How many times have you let greed, selfish ambition, or your ego get the best of you? How often do you make the wrong choice when the right choice is staring you in the face? We so quickly judge others for what they do, but seldom do we examine our own lives with that same microscope. So, today, I want you to examine your life. What areas are you failing in? Where do you need to start focusing on? It's easy to fix others, not so easy to fix yourself.

How awesome God is - if you need a reminder of how incredibly awesome He is - read today's psalm. Write it down & tape it to your mirror. Read it every morning. Remind yourself of the glorious God we serve.

Proverbs is all about making God your best friend. Search for Him, seek Him, spend time with Him.

Daily Reading

Matthew 26:47-75; Psalm 32:1-11; Proverbs 8:17-21 Jesus has now been arrested. Notice that He calls them out for their use of force, saying they could have arrested Him at anytime, but they do it in the cover of secrecy - all to fulfill prophecy. From there Jesus is taken to the high priest. The disciples came back from where ever they had run off to & followed at a distance to see what would happen. The high priest asked Jesus if He claimed to be the Son of God. Jesus answered by quoting prophecy, when enraged the priest. Rather than open his eyes to the fact that Jesus was who He said He was, the high priest used this admission to sentence him to death. At this time, Jesus was beaten and spit upon. Peter, who was sitting in the courtyard waiting to hear what would happen, was recognized by a servant girl. He fulfilled Jesus' prophecy by denying Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. As soon as the rooster crowed, Peter recognized his sin. I love the fact that we are reading about the death & resurrection during this week before Easter. Read it carefully, remember what it tells us! Remember what Jesus went through in order to pay the price for your sins. Remember His sacrifice.

Daily Reading

Matthew 26:14-46; Psalm 31:19-24; Proverbs 8:14-26 So, Judas Iscariot has decided to betray Jesus. Why? Did he lose faith? Was he always corrupt? Some believe that Judas thought Jesus would be forced into becoming the Messianic King that everyone was looking for if he were arrested. The key to remember here is - stop judging things with your human eyes & heart and trust in the Word of God. For whatever reason, Judas took matters into his own hands rather than trusting the teachings of Jesus Christ. We'll see in a few readings how this damages Judas. At the Passover meal, Jesus predicts His betrayal & the one who will betray Him. Then He instituted Communion. This is a pretty big deal because the Passover meal had been celebrated the same way every year for the last 1,000 years. Now, suddenly Jesus is changing a part of the meal to focus on remembering Him. Basically, Jesus is saying these holidays that the Jews have been celebrating for a century are all about Him - they have been preparing for the Messiah. We will be celebrating Passover at church on Monday - if you've never experienced this celebration - come & enjoy. You will be amazed at how prophetic these holidays are. After the meal, Jesus takes the disciples to the Mount of Olives to pray. He tries to prepare them for what will be happening in the next 24 hours, but they refuse to believe that these things could happen. In fact, they are so unconcerned, they fall asleep while Jesus is praying His heart out. Remember Jesus is fully man & fully God. He has chosen to follow the will of God, He knows exactly what is about to happen. Who wouldn't be apprehensive about what is to come? Don't look at this as a man trying to make up his mind. This is a man who knows exactly what is going to happen & now he's spending time in pray, preparing for it. Another psalm pattern - when we cry out to the LORD, He hears our cries and sends help. Notice these psalms often start out in despair & end in joy & gladness.

Daily Reading

Matthew 25:31-26:13; Psalm 31:9-18; Proverbs 8:12-13

Who remembers the two most important commandments?
1. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your strength, and with all your mind.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

These commandments sum up the Law, given to us by the Father. Today, Jesus tells us we will be judged according to how we applied these prophets. It's not enough to know the law, it's not enough to know of the LORD. You must have a relationship with Him & that relationship must spill over into other lives.

See, I know who Tenth Avenue North is - my favorite Christian band. I've seen their pictures, I've heard their music - in fact I can sing a lot of their songs from memory. But I don't know the band members. I know nothing of their lives or their families. I have no relationship to them. We are strangers. Don't let God be a stranger. For if He is a stranger to you, you will be a stranger to Him!

Next, Jesus tells the disciples He will be killed in two days time. The religious leaders are also meeting to discuss ways to kill Jesus - but not during the Passover. Do you know why? Passover is a celebration commanded by God. It is a pilgrimage feast - it must be celebrated in Jerusalem. So, every Jew in the world is making their way back to Jerusalem. Many have seen Jesus & believe Him to be a prophet of great wisdom. To kill Him when every Jew in the world is in Passover would be pure insanity.

Finally, a woman anoints Jesus with perfume. This is a symbolic preparation for His burial. How did this woman know to do this? Those that have a close relationship with the Father know His will. They listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit who whispers instructions in our ears. She faced ridicule & possible uncertainty that Jesus would reject her, but she obeyed the leading of the Father & she was blessed for it. It begs the question - do you have the gumption to follow through with what the Father has for you?

Are you noticing a pattern with our psalms? These writers, maybe the same writer, deals with many harsh trials and depressions. In these dark hours, what does he do? He cries out to the Lord, he puts his trust in God. We should be doing the same.

Now for our proverb. The world tells us that wisdom should be honored, it should bring wealth and power. Proverbs tells us that wisdom hates pride, arrogance, corruption, & deceit. Wisdom is not about worldly or academic knowledge - it is about fear & respect of the Lord. Now, don't let that word "fear" bother you. "Fear" of the Lord is simply an understanding that He is in charge & more powerful than you.

Daily Reading

Matthew 25:1-30; Psalm 31:1-8; Proverbs 8:1-11 We have some more parables about the Kingdom of Heaven today regarding the return of Jesus Christ.

1. Be prepared!! You can't just ride in on the coat-tails of others. No one can give you their faith or share their relationship with the Lord. You must develop your own.


2. Everyone has been given talents (the talents spoken of here are units of money) to multiply for the good of the Kingdom of Heaven. Those that are faithful and ready for the return of Jesus Christ will put to good use the resources God gives us. Those that have no relationship with God will squander their talents.

Pretty simple teaching today - don't put off a relationship with Jesus Christ. Get to know Him today. Then put your God-given talents to work to benefit the Kingdom of Heaven while you are here on earth waiting for His return.

The psalm today is a great prayer. Underline it & remember to pray this when you are experiencing troubles.

What is this wisdom that proverbs keeps talking about? The wisdom of the Lord. Understanding that He knows what is best for you & then making good choices that line-up with His word.

Daily Reading

Matthew 24:29-51; Psalm 30:1-12; Proverbs 7:24-27 Today's reading picks up at event #3 of the end times. To refresh your memory: event #1 encompasses the time between Jesus' Ascension & the tribulation. During this time we can expect to see wars, famines, earthquakes, and persecution of Christians. Yep, that's what's happening now (& has been happening for the last 2,000 years). The "abomination of desolation" starts event #2 - the Tribulation, when the anti-christ gains power over the world. Finally, event #3 - the return of Jesus Christ. The signs for this event are pretty hard to miss - the sun with darken, the angels will give a trumpet blast (which for those who attend Victory Church on Sunday mornings - when Rob plays the shofar, that large rams horn that makes such a wonderful sound my soul quickens, that is the sound that everyone will hear far & wide to signal the return of Jesus. It is a sound like no other & can surely never be mistaken as a normal sound we hear in everyday life.) & then Jesus will return in the clouds. It will be amazing & terrifying, especially for those who have spent their days denying the existence of God, for no one will be able to ignore this. It will be like those cartoons when the light bulb pops on over a head - EVERYONE will suddenly be aware of the perfect, sinless Son of God who died on the cross for THEIR sins. Can you imagine the shear terror those who have been spitting in His face for years will feel when they come face to face with the Son? Jesus Himself says, "there will be a deep mourning all around the earth." So, our LORD says - Be prepared! Don't be caught unaware. For no one knows when this time will come, not even Jesus Himself. Hmmm . . . our psalm, it's just a good reflection of life. We love the Lord, we listen, obey, fellowship with Him. We find joy, and peace, and reprieve. We know we are right where we are suppose to be. And then, we walk away for whatever reason & find ourselves in dark, scary places where nothing seems right. We call out to the Lord wondering why He has abandoned us, forgetting that it was us that abandoned Him. And then, lo & behold, He comes running. As soon as we recognize our need for Him, He is there taking us back to that place of joy, peace, & reprieve. So why, why do we ever walk away? It's simply a matter of letting our guard down & letting that sin nature of ours whisper sweet nothings in our ears. Maybe this is why our Proverbs for the last couple of weeks have been so serious about prostitutes & seduction. Could it be that Proverbs is not only warning of sexual sin, but also of allowing anything in our lives to seduce us away from God, including our own natures? I can do nothing other than praise & thank the Lord for His patience with me. For the fact that He never gives up on me. That He will always be there. I must also pray that I do not take Him for granted & let myself fall for the seduction of my own sin nature. Help me Lord to remember that You truly are the only One that I should be focused on.

Daily Reading

OK - time to get back to our reading. The spring brings a renewed busyness to our lives that I am still trying to get use to . . . but we will continue to soldier on in our reading. Spending time reading the Word of God is vital to my day - life goes so much smoother when I spend time with my Heavenly Father. I pray that you find the benefits of prayer & Scripture reading for yourselves. So, on with the daily reading: Matthew 24:1-28; Psalm 29:1-11; Proverbs 7:6-23. Jesus is talking to His disciples about the END TIMES. It's kind of a scary subject, thinking about the destruction of the world, especially when you read Jesus' words today, but let's break it down a bit: 1) First, Jesus speaks about the destruction of the temple. This prophecy was accurately fulfilled in 70 A.D. when Rome destroyed Jerusalem. 2) Jesus speaks of the end of the world.

1. In between the time of Jesus' ascension & the end of the world, the following things will happen:

• Wars, famines, earthquakes. Hmmmm . . . sounds like what we are experiencing today.


• Persecution of the Christians. Many of the disciples were killed for their faith and many Christians today are mistreated & even killed.


• Christianity will be preached in all areas of the world. We're getting close, but every people group has yet to be reached.

2. Then Jesus speaks of the sign of the coming of the end of the world:

• The "abomination of desolation" is prophesied by Daniel in Daniel 11:31. Basically, this abomination will be an idol that will be placed in the Temple. At this time, a temple does not exist in Jerusalem. Many believe a the temple will be rebuilt. Some time after this temple is built (a time frame is unknown, it could be a year, it could be 500 years) the anti-christ will desolate the temple by placing an idol in the Holy Place of the temple.


• This event will mark the beginning of the end times. Christians who are alive during this time in history should flee - going into hiding for a great tribulation is coming.


• Finally - Jesus will return to earth in a very plain & straightforward manner. Do not be deceived by others who will claim to be the Messiah, for Jesus' return will be obvious.

Tomorrow we will read more about Jesus' return. But I want to take a moment to remind you - don't be overly fearful about the tribulation and return of Jesus. Be aware of the signs, but don't obsess over it. Jesus says that those keeping the faith will be saved. So, focus on your relationship with Jesus. God will handle the rest.

Our psalm today is a wonderful praise of the Lord. It makes a great introduction to prayer. Just read it out loud & watch how it will quicken your heart!

Proverbs is still dealing with sexual sin - flee from it, for it only brings destruction!

Daily Reading

I'm heading out of town for the next few days and may not have access to the web - so I'm going to post the reading for Thursday, April 7 & Friday, April 8. Thursday: Matthew 22:33-23:12; Psalm 27:8-14; Proverbs 6:27-35 Friday: Matthew 23:13-39; Psalm 28:1-9; Proverbs 7:1-5 The religious leaders are still asking questions & Jesus is still giving amazing answers, to the point that the religious leaders have decided to no longer question Him. ('cause He's making them look bad!) Now Jesus launches into a sermon & here's the gist of it: God does not like hypocrites! Don't say one thing & do another. Above all don't force someone to do something you yourself aren't willing to do. And absolutely DO NOT put yourself in a position of power or teaching in the church if you are not willing to be a humble servant of the LORD & ensure that everything you teach lines up with the Scriptures. It's not about looking holy, or even acting holy. It's about BEING holy. And the only way we humans will ever be holy is to fully commit to an on-going, growing relationship with Jesus Christ! You see, we can't do it on our own. Left up to our own devices, we will screw it up every time for God does not look at man the way man looks at man. We judge the outside, God judges the inside.

Daily Reading

Matthew 22:1-32; Psalm 27:1-7; Proverbs 6:20-26 Jesus continues to speak about the religious leaders and the Kingdom of Heaven. Basically He is saying that the religious leaders & Israelites were given the privilege of being God's chosen people. But, they turned away from God and made up their own religion. Remember, God doesn't care about outward appearance, vain speech, or selfish obedience. God cares about true relationship. Since the religious leaders broke relationship with God and refused to repent and turn back to Him, He is taking the Kingdom of Heaven from them and offering it to anyone, Jew or Gentile, who will enter into a relationship with Him. The religious leaders don't like these implications, so they continue to undermine Him with their religious questions. First, they ask about money. Shouldn't the people's money go to God instead of the government. Jesus replies that money is a man-made item, forged and provided by the government; therefore, it should be paid back to the government. God asks for your first fruits - the first portion of your crops or earnings because it is God who has given you life and the blessings you enjoy. The first fruits, or tithe as we now call it, helps to provide an income for the church and the ministers of the church since they have sacrificed their own livelihood to minister to the people. Second they ask a silly question about heaven. If a women marries several men over her lifetime, who will her husband be in heaven? Jesus answers that relationships in heaven will be different than relationships on earth (& I am assuming that when we arrive in heaven, we'll be happy with the arrangements.) He then addresses the real issue - these men don't even believe in resurrection (& therefore life in heaven.) But Jesus assures them that heaven and resurrection are real. They should know this from the scriptures they claim to understand. Now what I like about this portion of Scripture is that some of my own questions are answered. But there is a very important point to understand here. It is OK to question God, to inquire that we might understand and live a better life according to His Scriptures. The questions of an open & honest heart are not only accepted, they are encouraged. Solomon asked for wisdom in order to better serve the people of God. For his open-hearted request, he was greatly blessed by God. But watch out, those that question with an evil intent will get answers that cut to the heart of their wickedness. So, ask away, question, search - but do so with a heart that is open to receiving what the Lord has to say. I love the first 6 verses of the psalm - what a wonder pray of praise and joy!

Bible Reading

Matthew 21:23-46; Psalm 26:1-12; Proverbs 6:16-19 Ah, those wicked religious leaders still have themselves all bent out of shape regarding Jesus' actions of the previous day. See the merchants in the temple had been given permission to be there by the chief priests and religious leaders because they were getting kick-backs on the sales. Forcing temple visitors to purchase "approved" offerings was big money & the chief priests & religious leaders were enjoying the spoils. But then Jesus comes along and ruins all the fun - so they decide to confront him. Now as we have read the previously, they never win these confrontations, nor do they ever trip Jesus up. But these hard-headed men still haven't learned that Jesus doesn't play games, so onto the confrontation. Notice something, Jesus understands the hearts of people; therefore, instead of answering trick questions, He gets right to the root of the problem. Jesus tells the religious leaders two parables, both focused on greed and disobedience. As the religious leaders listen, they instantly make correct judgments concerning these stories, but it takes Jesus pointing out that they themselves have treated the Kingdom of God in such a manner to open their eyes. Sadly, the religious leaders continued to hold onto their hard-hearted ways. Instead of repenting, they grew even more determined to get rid of Jesus. They are just so addicted to their power and wealth that they have blinded themselves to the one thing that will give them TRUE power and wealth. How often do we act like these religious leaders? We have been given the Scriptures and countless books, curriculums, lessons, and sermons on how to live a life that is pleasing to God. Unfortunately, when confronted with our actions, we often dig in deeper rather than admit our weaknesses and repent of our sins. Then we wonder why life isn't working out the way we think it should. I have to ask, is the freedom you think you have - the power, the authority, the material goods you keep accumulating - filling the emptiness inside? I'm going to guess that it's not. It never will. So let it go. Open your heart to Jesus and let Him fill the emptiness. You'll find a power over your own sins and a wealth of joy & peace that you never thought possible. I love our proverb for today. Have you ever heard of the seven deadly sins? Well, that's a man-made list - all sin is deadly. But here is a list of seven things the Lord hates. Notice they all have to do with destroying relationships and they are different aspects of a person's personality:

• eyes that are arrogant - pride, selfish ambition


• a tongue that lies - denying your own wrongdoing


• hands that murder the innocent - destroying others, this includes hating another person


• a heart that plots evil - the heart is your connection with God. A heart that plots evil is a heart cut-off from a relationship with Him.


• feet that race down a wicked track - this implies action. You've turned your heart against God & now you are actively opposing Him.


• a mouth that lies under oath - gossip, rumor, destroying another man's reputation for your own selfish gain


• a troublemaker in the family - destroying relationships between others.

The religious leaders knew this verse & taught it to others, yet they were actively involved in all seven of these sins. What about you? Where are you at on this list? It's a good list to memorize, hold up against your own actions, and then make every effort do the opposite:

• Be humble


• Be honest


• Treat others with compassion and love, building them up


• Focus on righteousness


• Actively seek God


• Put others first


• Be a peacekeeper

Daily Reading

Matthew 20:29-21:22: Psalm 25:12-22; Proverbs 6:12-15 We are reading about the Passion week - Jesus' last week on earth. He knew from the beginning what His mission on earth was and it is now nearing an end. So, what does Jesus do with His last week? The same thing He has been doing for the last three years of ministry - focusing on the people. To begin this week, Jesus enters Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, on a donkey. Why would He do this? Two reasons: One, to fulfill prophecy. Two, in those days, a king would enter a foreign city on a donkey when He was coming in peace & on a horse if He was coming in war. So, Jesus entering the city on a donkey was a declaration of His position and intent - He is the Prince of Peace. Notice, the people recognized this action & honored Him as a king. Once Jesus is in the city, He goes to the temple and throws out the merchants. See, the temple has become a place of corrupt businesses. Visitors to the temple were forced to purchase "approved" sacrifices and exchange money at inflated prices. Jesus restored the temple to it's original purpose - a place to worship the Lord. He then began ministering to the people. This obviously bothered the religious leaders, which points out their hypocrisy. They were not concerned with the greed & theft of the corrupt business men, but praise for a man who healed the sick & taught the Scriptures boiled their blood. The next morning, Jesus performs an interesting miracle. Why would He curse a tree? This was a parable acted out. The particular tree Jesus cursed should not have produced leaves without fruit. The tree is symbolic of the religious people who talk the talk, but never walk the walk. I find it was interesting that the disciples are amazed that Jesus was able to curse a fig tree. He's walked on water, healed the sick, raised the dead, calmed a storm, and cast out demons. How often do we doubt the power & ability of Jesus? Jesus reminds the disciples it's all about faith & prayer.

Friday & Weekend Reading

Matthew 18:23-20:28; Psalm 23, 24, 25; Proverbs 5:22-6:11. We have several readings to complete this weekend. But oh, they are so good! In Matthew, Jesus gives us more illustrations concerning the Kingdom of Heaven: 1) Forgiveness is key!! The blood that Jesus shed on the cross has covered all of your sins. You have been completely forgiven. Therefore, you are called to completely forgive others. Those that accept the gift of salvation, yet refuse to forgive others will be harshly judged by the Father. 2) Everyone who comes to the Father in faith, whether at an early age or on their death bed, will receive the same gift of eternal life. But don't wait, for you don't know the number of your days. 3) It's all about relationships. Position, power, and money have no meaning in the kingdom of heaven. Rather, the humble heart of a servant will be rewarded. Jesus didn't come to this world as a king. He came as a baby. He lived His life serving the people by teaching them, healing them, and finally dying for them. As Christians, we are to follow His example. Within these teachings, we find the pharisees once again questioning Jesus. This time about divorce. Again, Jesus says it's all about relationships. When a person enters into a marriage relationship, they should do so recognizing the importance of the commitment. Marriage should not be taken lightly. The severing of that relationship should only happen if a partner betrays the other in sexual sin. The disciples think, "Well then, it's better not to marry." Jesus lets them know that, just like every other aspect of life, one must depend on God to have a successful marriage. The three psalms today are great prayers. Mark them in your Bibles and pray them when you are in need. Finally, our proverbs hold great council: don't deny Truth, be careful in accepting someone else's debt, & avoid laziness - work hard.