Year: 2019

Ignore the Hypocrites

Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?” Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”
Matthew 15:12‭-‬14 NLT

I read this and laugh.

Men of flesh and blood, sitting in the presence of “God come in the flesh” and they ask Him, “Do you realize…”

And we could stop right there and chuckle, knowing from our vantage point today that there is no happenstance or mistakes or luck with God, but that He is all knowing and every word and action fulfills a perfect plan and purpose.

So yes, He realizes. In fact, it was His full intention for it to play out exactly the way that it did.

Yes, the Pharisees were offended that the appearance of personal holiness they had been painting of themselves in front of others was not covering up the stench of death and sin and darkness underneath the surface when Jesus spoke plainly and clearly in front of everyone on an equal level. These Pharisees did not like being under the same scrutiny that they regularly subjected others to — and they were not humbled and repentant in the face of Truth, but they were pridefully resistant.

This is true of all who are perishing: They hear the parts of the Word of God that shine light on how their own lives don’t line up with God’s will and ignore it — while trying to find things instead that they can use to grumble about others.

I’ll say it again for agonizing who missed it —

This is true of all who are perishing: They hear the parts of the Word of God that shine light on how their own lives don’t line up with God’s will and ignore it — while trying to find things instead that they can use to grumble about others.

Christ was not offended or surprised by what the Pharisees said, and He didn’t react in offense to what they were accusing His disciples of.

And the Pharisees weren’t even saying this of Him, but of His disciples!

Christ simply explained the truth of this principal to them with an authority they did not have and were not familiar with — the light was shining in the darkness and the darkness could not comprehend it.

So Christ, the one truly in authority — demonstrated to them that if they used the law to pour out judgement and condemnation upon the people, that they could only expect the Lord to measure unto them the same judgement and condemnation for their own failure to meet the requirements of the law.

But Christ didn’t even stop there and instead demonstrated the true height of the bar of God’s righteous requirement — which wasn’t just ceremony and tradition and rote practices, but was true holiness that was beyond their grasp.

He reminded them of the types of things that are “filthy” and “nasty” in the eyes of God — which has to do with a man’s soul and not with certain particles of God’s creation upon a man’s hands or passing through his body. Defilement or sanctification of a man’s soul has eternal consequences, while what passes through the digestive tract is quickly proved to no longer be a part of the man.

They knew that washing their hands alone did not purify a priest so that he might enter into the holy of holiest, but even more importantly, his sin must be covered. This should have been a clear warning and call for repentance and awe and fear of God, but these Pharisees were more interested in how they looked before men than how they were going to stand before God.

He quoted the very verse about hypocrisy from Isaiah on this topic that we can see now speaks clearly through the OT prophets of this NT covenant principal — that demonstrates clearly that it is not only about outward appearances, but has always been about being in partnership and relationship with God (or being in opposition to Him):

‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
Matthew 15:8‭-‬9 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.15.8-9.NKJV

This comes from a passage in Isaiah about those Lord has made blind and illiterate to the things of God and who have said to themselves and others very foolish things about God:

Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. For the Lord has poured out on you The spirit of deep sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.” Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord , And their works are in the dark; They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?” Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?
Isaiah 29:9‭-‬16 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/isa.29.9-16.NKJV

All of this might also bring to mind verses on hypocrisy such as this from Amos:

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord ! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion, And a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him! Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it? “I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.
Amos 5:18‭-‬24 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/amo.5.18-24.NKJV

I wonder how often we hear the Word of God and find ourselves offended instead of humbled? I wonder how many times we have denied our own consciences and sought after what wr knew was not holy in the eyes of God Almighty?

I wonder how often we have longed to have our ears tickled with whatever fits or own comfortable understanding that doesn’t require any pruning or growth or sacrifice or self- control or dying to ourselves — instead of longing for sound, bold preaching that would have us fearfully in awe of God Almighty, wondering “how powerful and wide and all encompassing His grace must be to save a sinner such as me!”

Lord, forgive us. Grant us repentance. Do not let us remain offended and hard hearted like the Pharisees we have been in the past. And cleanse our hearts from all unrighteousness and teach us to walk upright in your path — with you closer than a friend. Amen.

Win, Don’t Keep Score

In a football game, is it the score keeper that wins the game, or the team that executes their own plan and purpose mostly excellently, efficiently, and forcefully?

“Christian” –

If I even dare use that term instead of beginning with “Get the behind me satan!”

**Wow, that escalated quickly**

What is it to you that someone doesn’t love you back in the way that you would expect them to — doesn’t reach out to you first, doesn’t like your posts on Facebook? Is it all about you?!! Or is it supposed to be all about you showing the love of Christ to an undeserving world that will hate you just like it hated Him?

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
1 Corinthians 13:4‭-‬5 NLT

“Minister”, “Leader”, “Disciple” –

Again, if I even dare use those terms instead of beginning with “Get the behind me satan!”

What is it to you what the Lord chooses to (or chooses not to) do in and through another?

I see prideful, so called “spiritual people of God” quick to keep score and grumble of what “other church people around me are or aren’t doing”. Yes, I see you in the mirror as well, Harold Ballinger, you are not exempt from the Lord’s discipline and the need that He grant you repentance in this area either!

And it should be a horrible shame to those complacent, worldly “Christian by name only” folks to be a such a stumbling block to the actual laborers, the actual disciples, the actual children in the image of their heavenly Father.

But what danger it poses to keep score of such things such as those who are either dead trees sitting in ornamental pots inside the church to never bear fruit because they are not alive — or they may be alive but are so wild and undisciplined and unpruned that it is a wonder if they will not be empty of any fruit when the Lord comes like the fig tree He found barren and touched and it withered and died immediately. How much of a dangerous distraction it can be for the people of God to seek to number and measure and count one another like David’s sin in numbering Israel?

Better to remember the warning to Peter, “What is it to you?”

Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?” Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?” Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”
John 21:20‭-‬23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.21.20-23.NLT

Fearfully Blessed

Suggested Reading:

Genesis 42

Genesis 43

Matthew 14:22-36

How often does the blessing come through something that appears fearfully dangerous?

Whether it was Joseph’s brothers casting him in the pit and selling him off, Joseph being falsely accused and imprisoned, a famine coming upon the land and forcing Joseph’s brothers to travel to Egypt for food, Joseph’s brothers being accused of being spies, a scary sight of something approaching upon the water that the disciples could not yet recognize, or the waves and wind around Peter as he was walking upon the waves — without going through these unexpected and even “fearful” circumstances — that seemed unfortunate and uncomfortable and may have even stirred up whispers from the enemy that this is “unfair” to sow seeds of doubt in each instance — the real blessing within the trial would not have been received.

It is easy to think of blessings in the form of things you can touch — because it is a thing clearly tangible and present. And even those unseen things that trigger taste, seeing, hearing and smelling, we learn at an early age are not just figments of our imagination. But are these things that will rot and rust and one day no longer exist more, or are the actually less substantial and real and eternal than the things of our soul?

What about those received blessings of wisdom, faith, and repentance — those gifts from God that mold and shape our very character and nature and desires? Aren’t these the greatest treasures of the Kingdom of God, even above comfort, health, honour among men, or a fattened belly?

Isn’t the treasure of being conformed to the image of Christ worth going through the flame? And hasn’t He brought us through every time before? What an amazing way He takes those whi walk with Him — along the treacherous valleys and the awe inspiring mountaintops! Too few times do we keep our eyes upon Him instead of looking at the circumstances and sink like Peter, but how wonderful His grace and mercy is displayed in our weaknesses. Yes, that Christ be glorified and not ourselves. Amen!

Perfect Provision

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.” Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.” This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”
Genesis 41:14‭-‬44 ESV

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 14:13‭-‬21 ESV

God gives and He takes away, and all is for His perfect purposes. Whether we are in a season of life where we are active, healthy and beautiful or we struggle to walk, struggle with chronic illnesses, and grow wrinkled and grey haired — God has a plan and purpose. We will either gratefully appreciate that He is in control and knows best, and trust Him and listen to Him — or we will forget and grumble when it doesn’t match or own expectations and demands of how things “ought to be”.

Lord, help us to trust you, whether faced with 7 years of abundance or 7 years of famine — whether in a place of abundance or desolation — you provide for our needs and you lead our steps to be wise and discerning and profitable for your Kingdom — regardless of the seasonal circumstances. Amen.