LEARNING DAILY

 

Hebrews 13:8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

 

The book of Hebrews begins by telling readers that Jesus Christ never changes (Ch. 1,v. 12); it finishes the same way (v. 8 above). James 1:17 tells us “every good gift comes from above from God with whom there is no variation”. The psalmist writes in Psalm 102:25-27 “You (God) are the same and Your (God’s) years will have no end.” The Scriptures are consistent throughout about this truth. God and His Son Jesus Christ never change! He has promised to save us, provide for us, be with us through every trial and temptation we encounter and empowers us to endure until He takes us to be with Him in His kingdom. Our responsibility is to be faithful and trust in Him allowing Him to be responsible for the results (Tony Dungy).

 

What does “yesterday” mean? Consider who created the world, who blessed the world through Abraham, and who went before and after the Hebrews as they left Egypt and who parted the Red Sea allowing them to cross on dry land. I want you to think who was with Joshua as he led the people of Israel into the Promised Land and who was with the various judges as they led God’s people. Consider the promised Messiah through King David and who was foretold about through the prophets. Think about the “Word made flesh” who walked as a man among the people, crucified for their sins. If He was with the Old Testament saints, revealed Himself to the New Testament apostles, helping and guiding them, He will do the same for those who are called by His name today.

 

Let’s make it more personal. The nature of Jesus Christ has never changed. As He was guiding and helping Bible characters, He is doing the same for each one of His people, you and me. today. He is involved with every aspect of our lives today – right at this very moment. He knows our thoughts, what we are doing, our joy, our trials, sees every tear and knows every anxiety. The amazing part of this is He continues to love each of us like He does. Matthew 28:19-20 is called the Great Commission. In verse 20, the Lord Jesus Christ promises He will be with each of us until the end of the age. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Jesus is with you and me right now because He said He would be and because He never changes. “Always” means always -- which means forever! In eternity, in God’s kingdom, He will continue to be with us and love us; there is never any worry that He will ever change His mind about us.

 

This means we can always know God will love us through all things we face in this life.  He will not change his mind about any of us and we can depend on His commitment to each of us. You can do so even when you do not feel or see His presence with you. When the world is changing and when people all around us are changing, Jesus never changes! “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Knowing that helps me to stay on the narrow way that leads to eternal life in His Kingdom! Be encouraged!

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Hebrews 2:14, 18, Because God’s children are human beings – made in flesh and blood – Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. (18) Since He Himself has gone through suffering and temptation, He is able to help us when we are being tempted.

 

The Bible tells us there has never been a time when Jesus Christ was not with God. He created all things and that He sat at the right hand of God the Father. The verse above tells us He left His position of power and authority and “became flesh and blood by being born in human form”. Take your time and let the meaning of that sink in. He left the comforts and splendor and position in heaven to become like us in this sin filled, unrighteous earth. Each day He faced the unbelief from those who did not accept Him. He was mocked and lies were told about Him. He faced temptation after temptation. Why would He do this? It can only be answered by the love He had for you and for me.

 

He came to redeem mankind; because those He came to redeem are flesh and blood, He had to become a human being. “Only as a true human being could He qualify to redeem the human race from sin and Satan’s power” (LSSB). He endured the lies said about Him, endured a terrible physical beating, wore a crown of thorns, and was crucified on a cross for all who would believe. In doing so, He defeated sin, death, and the power of the devil. There is not one who has believed in Jesus Christ since that time who has to jump through any hoops, has to run down any aisles or jump over any pews, or has to do anything to be saved. In fact there is absolutely nothing anyone can do to be saved except believe through Faith that Jesus is God’s Son who came to die for humanity.

 

Go back to the above verses and reread verse 18. This is important to understand as you and I walk the narrow way to eternal life in God’s kingdom. The Lord Jesus Christ has returned to sit at the right hand of the Father. Think back to the page of the blog about Jesus as our High Priest. Because He became flesh, because He triumphed over every temptation known to man, He promises to give us strength when we are tempted. He gives us grace and strength to resist temptation and sin. Don’t tell me you are not tempted! All of us go through temptation every day – many times throughout the day. Our responsibility is to draw near to our Savior, our Lord in those times. It is His responsibility and it is His promise to give us the help in every time of need!

 

We are going into the time when Jesus went through His last days on earth. Join me as I seek a closer walk with Him because He is worthy of our praises and our continual thanksgiving for what He has done for all believe!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

James 1:26, If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. (New Living Translation)

 

When I read this verse, I could not help but think of some of the videos I have watch lately of former NBA stars Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. Both were great basketball players, fierce competitors, and great trash talkers. They were so good that they would tell those trying to defend them, what moves they were going to use against them and then do it. When someone tried to really guard them, they would just laugh at them, tell them how many points they were going to score against them that night, and then, do it.

 

“Trash talk has been accepted in sports culture as ‘part of the game’, but there’s no such thing as trash talk in God’s view. You are responsible for everything you say, and what you say goes a long way in defining who you are.” writes Tony Dungy. Some days I just shake my head at what comes out of my mouth or what I write in a text. You know what its like to say something while at the same time trying to take back everything being said. Some days I get criticized for not responding to something said or done right away because I am thinking, trying to measure the words I want to respond with. I have to be slow to respond, at times, because I know things I say cannot be taken back.

 

I want everyone to know I stand for Jesus Christ. But to do that, my talk and walk need to match. I want to model Christian love through the things I say; that can be a difficult task for me. There are plenty of times the things I say or write are perfectly clear to me but not so clear to others. They are even misconstrued or misunderstood. Sometimes I am trying to be funny; but my humor is not always understood. I remember being told if I didn’t have anything good to say at all, don’t say anything-. Sometimes, that is great advice. Sometimes, I need to think before I speak. At all times, it is important to speak truth in Christlike love.

 

Jesus is always to be the example for each person calling themselves an example. He always spoke truth. He was pretty straight forward in the things He said to the scribes and the Pharisees. Read Matthew 23 to see how He addressed them. You have to notice He focused on the hypocrisy and behavior of these people. He identified their root problem – they wanted their followers to be impressed with their knowledge about God’s Word in order to secure their power and elevate themselves. Jesus addressed the issues of their hearts. The heart needs to be cleansed through faith in Him; when people do, they bring joy to Him and blessings to other.

 

In Matthew 12:34b, Jesus states, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Whatever is in the heart eventually will come out of the mouth. That’s Jesus speaking, not me. Some of you might be old enough to remember this saying, “garbage in, garbage out”.

Apply that to what you put into your heart each day. Do you put God’s Word into your heart or things of the world? Do you glorify and honor God with the things you say or not? It is a daily desire. Jesus still has a lot of cleansing to do in my heart! I want Him to!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Daniel 12:4, But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. “ (the bold type is my emphasis)

 

Yes, I have written on this verse before. I refer to it because I am constantly amazed at the knowledge there is in the world. Most of you know my passion for reading and some times I read things that just send those shivers up and down my back. I have mentioned the book I just finished in another page of the blog; I will give you the name again in case you want to read it -- The Final Fight for Freedom, How to Save Our Country from Chaos and War. Sounds menacing, doesn’t it!? Let me share just a few things the book explains that are in our world today.

 

The first thing is known as CRISPR (or CRISPR-Cas9) which is gene therapy that aims to add, delete or correct genetic material in order to treat a disease. That sounds like a great advancement to treat some terrible diseases many people have to live with.  According to the authors of the book this works by “using a collection of proteins that can be programmed to do one thing: identify a particular sequence of DNA molecules (as determined by the scientist), and to remove the particular DNA from the cell. After the undesirable part of the genetic blueprint has been removed, CRISPR then fills the gap in the DNA sequence with whatever piece of genetic code it was loaded with by the scientist.” This is not something on the horizon, genetic alterations are already being done in vegetables. Scientists in China are already using CRISPR with monkeys and genetic code responsible for human intelligence. The authors did mention something about the movies Planet of the Apes! The frightening thought here “is the application of this technology is limited only by the creativity of the person who designs them”.

 

Let me just mention the technology that has developed with cybercrime. We have seen more and more stealing from people by those who use cyber technology. These people are very intelligent and can quickly counter any attempts by law enforcement to find them. Take this to a greater level and think about other nations who are using extremely advanced techniques to steal secrets of all kinds from our government. We cannot fool ourselves in to thinking this is not being done by those countries who want to see our country’s downfall.

 

Think about the advancements of artificial intelligence (AI) and how much faster AI can do the work humans can do. Those of you who have or have played with drones need to know how they are being used. There is not enough space in this page of the blog to explain nor am I smart enough to explain what is being done with them. All I know is that drones are able to form clusters, “feed” off each other to become more intelligent. From the book: “The key to effectiveness of drone swarm is what is called collective consciousness, or shared organization, or the hive mind: the ability of AI-controlled machines to make individual decisions based on collective consciousness and the shared sensory input of the entire swarm, and then to carry out the mission based on an intelligent assessment of the situation.”

 

This is just some of the information in this book. It has certainly opened my eyes and made me think of the verse from Daniel above. But let me share some encouragement. Psalm 56:3-4 says, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His Word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?” I have spent a lot of time writing on placing our trust and our faith in the Lord. The things we see happening all around this world must occur before the Lord Jesus Christ returns for His Church. Look to Him as the “author and finisher” of your faith. Do not fear!  Let me close with more encouragement from The Revelation 22:20, “He who testifies to these things says “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus.”

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

2 Timothy 1:13, Hold fast the pattern of sound teaching which you have heard from me (Paul), in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

 

After the last page of the blog, it seems to me the verse from 2 Timothy is pretty good advice to follow. Hold on to sound teaching! Paul knew he was not going to live much longer. In the verse 12, he states that even in the persecution he was facing, his hope and joy in walking the narrow way with Jesus Christ never wavered; he knew the power of Jesus Christ to faithfully walk him into the kingdom of God and eternal life there.

 

I hope I was clear yesterday about the deception all around us, about those who want to tell us what to think, and truth no longer being important to those in the world. “Sound doctrine is the original and fundamental revelation of Jesus Christ and the apostles, the doctrines taught to Timothy by Paul” (LSSB).  Paul was making sure Timothy knew he must “hold fast” to these teachings in “faith and love” for Jesus Christ and never depart from them or compromise them. He was to do this even if it meant persecution, being rejected by people, or worse. The notes in the DJSB tells us “the gospel must be guarded as a treasure”. That is because the words of Scripture are given to us by the writers who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write what they did (2 Timothy 3:16-17). They are not to be added or taken away from. They are be used to help us walk the narrow way to eternal life in God’s kingdom.

 

In the times we live, sound teaching is a must. Knowing what the Bible says, knowing doctrine is so important. But it is not just about knowledge. The knowledge of doctrine must affect our behavior. As one learns what the Bible says, there must be a desire to live by the faith and love the Lord Jesus Christ extended to us through His life, crucifixion, and resurrection. Paul told Timothy and us that mere studying the Word of God and then not following its instructions was not good enough.

 

Paul’s words are instructions to us today. Be careful about who you listen to or read. Make sure Scripture is not being “watered-down” so that it can be socially accepted or be politically correct. I would never attend a church where this is done. I would not read any blog where this is done just to get readers. The truth can never be compromised; it must be shared by faith and in love. Paul shares in verse 14 that the way to do this, the way to guard the truth is by the help of the Holy Spirit. Go back to 2 Timothy 3:16 and see that the Holy Spirit is the guide and defender of all truth.

 

You and I must not just know “sound teaching”, we must let it transform our lives to be who God wants us to be and to stay on the narrow way. I believe it is more important than ever today. Be encouraged! Stay in God’s Word! Do all you can to walk on the narrow way and keep the faith and trust Him to keep you in the days ahead.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

John 18:38, Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.”

 

The Lord Jesus standing before Pilate testifying to the truth and pointing people to it. I find it interesting that people are still asking that same question in March 2022. I find it interesting that there are ministers today that “compromise the gospel and sound doctrine, mess up the clear meaning of Scripture and promote their personal agenda at the expense of Biblical faith”. That is a quote from the notes in the LSSB. This has been happening since Biblical times. These people are leading people into deception, teach false doctrine, and are causing people to be unable to distinguish between right and wrong.

 

That leads me into today’s thought. I have written before about the problem of knowing who is telling the truth to us and who is telling us lies or only part of the truth. Again, this is not something just happening; it is an ongoing happening. But today knowing truth seems to be different. Let me explain by asking if you have thought about the amount of information that is thrown at us each day. There is so much information given to us that it is impossible to sift through. There are news channels that give us information 24 hours, 7 days per week. We can get before a computer and look up information on any given topic at any time. There are even newspapers still around that can be read. Oh, and we cannot forget about the different social media that too many get their information from.

 

Have you been following how the different “news outlets” have stopped people they do not agree with from sharing their opinions? Or, when such people are allowed to, they are subject to ridicule. It seems that truth no longer matters and it has been replaced by half-truths, propaganda, and open deception. Let me quote from a book I have found; the title is The Final Fight for Freedom. I believe it will open your eyes like it did me. It should also cause you to become angry!

 

“But the core reason for the lack of truth is really fairly simple. And also frightening. Those who control the media see our nation, our culture, and our future in a different way than most Americans do.  They think our nation is so deeply flawed, so racist, so unfair and arrogant that it needs to be fundamentally rebuilt. They think that half of Americans are rubes: backward, racist, homophobic, sexist, anti-science, closed-minded religious zealots who are too dumb to know what’s good for them. So, they have to tell us what is true and good. No not just tell us; they have to jam it down our throats until we join them or cry out for mercy. (My emphasis). And truth dies in the process of forcing us to convert to their vision of America.”

 

Think back over what has happened in this country in the last few years. Riots that are not called riot. Statues taken down in the name of something. Deception about a virus. Our country’s history being rewritten. Changes being made to school curriculum. Divisions of all sorts. It goes on and on.

 

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6). You and I can know truth; it is found in Jesus Christ and in His Word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” When we read and study His Word, the Holy Spirit leads us to discern what is true and what is false. Pay attention when you just do not think something is right. That’s the Holy spirit nudging you to be alert, to be aware that something is wrong, that something is not true.

 

We are in a battle to know truth. Do not let anyone or any media outlet define it for you!

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Mark 4:39, Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

 

The storm is raging all around them; it is so bad that even the experienced fishermen feared for their lives. Where was Jesus and why wasn’t he doing anything? That was the question. He was there but he was sleeping. He had told them their destination was the other side of the Sea of Galilee but He did not tell them the sailing would be smooth getting there. The only thing they knew to do was wake Him up and ask Him if He cared they were in the storm and going to perish.

 

Jesus has promised He is the “door” to heaven, “Good Shepherd” who gives His life for the sheep (John 10:6). He has promised all who believe in Him that their destination is eternal life in God’s kingdom and we get there by walking on the narrow way. But, as the disciples in the boat experienced the way might get rough. We are going to get to that destination but along the way we are going to experience problems – trials and temptations – because our enemy, the devil and the world and our flesh causes us to stumble. And, like the disciples we want to know where Jesus is and why the way is not easier. We cannot forget that Jesus is always with us!

 

The disciples woke up Jesus and, in a few words, the winds died down and He calmed the sea. I am in awe of this. He did not call out for help from angels or get any help at all. With just a few words, the storm goes from a raging sea to complete calmness. Only God can do this! He has promised to get us to His kingdom and eternal life regardless of the storms we face. Our fears or storms will want us to do just like the disciples in the boat – to fear the worst will happen. But our faith in Jesus Christ will tell us God is in control and to put that faith into action. That is the Jesus you and I serve!

 

Jesus got after His disciples wanting to know where their faith was. Did they not believe He could get them out of their situation? I wonder how often we are like the disciples in the boat who wonder where Jesus is when we are going through problems in life. As Christians, we are not immune to difficulties brought on by storms. Do we wonder where He is when we face difficulties like death, broken dreams, relationship difficulties and just going through spiritually dry periods. Have you ever cried out wanting to know where Jesus was and why He did not just take all the difficulties away? Yet, isn’t it through these times that our faith can grow as we cry out just the opposite. When we cry out for Him to be with us, to see us through the storm we face, we give Him the opportunity to calm the storm. When we do, we grow a little closer to Him and our faith conquers our fears.

 

You and I can be just like the disciples. We wonder why the storms arise around us. Some are more serious than others and we wonder where Jesus is, why He allows things to happen. But, we have to remember He is in the boat with us encouraging our faith in Him to be strong. He desires us to grow in our faith and trust Him. The real test comes when He is still and quiet.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Mark 4:37-38, And a great windstorm arose, and the wave beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, ”Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

 

Over the years I have enjoyed watching football on television.  A good football game has even been known to find me with my eyes closed enjoying a little nap. Its funny how that happens. In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus is in boat with His disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee to go into Gentile territory. The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by mountains where storms can occur suddenly. That’s what happened; a storm arose that was pretty severe – “the waves were coming in the boat”. When the game got exciting, the disciples found Jesus napping. Ok, I mean when the storm got exciting!

 

I must admit my wife has nudged me awake several times to ask if I was enjoying the game. And the disciples woke Jesus up so He could calm the storm. Let me draw your attention to several things in this story. When they left the shore, Jesus knew a storm was coming and He did not stop it. He could have done that but instead He allowed the disciples to experience it. After all, He would be with them. Why not prevent the storm from happening at all? He allowed the storm to occur in order to build their faith.

 

I also find it interesting because of the fear the storm caused for the disciples. I can understand the fear for the city boys. But even the “professional fishermen” (Peter, James, John, and Andrew) were very afraid, afraid they were going to die. Obviously, this storm was more severe than anything they had experienced. We have discussed fear on more than one occasion; it can be paralyzing. So they did the only thing they knew to do – they awoke Him and said to Him, ”Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” The notes in the DJSB state this, “Safety, however, is not the absence of trouble but rather, the presence of Jesus.”

 

Are any of you facing a storm right now? Are you like the disciples who wanted Jesus to wake up and take control of their storm? Christians, it is important to believe that Jesus is in the boat with you during your “storm”. You might think He is sleeping and does not know you are going through something that scares you terribly. He allowed the disciple’s storm to teach them a lesson, to increase their faith. When He did, He was present with them and was in total control. Nothing about your situation is a surprise to Him. Just like He taught the disciples He was with them to overcome their fear with their faith, He wants you to use your faith in the storm you are in or may be about to walk into. When you do, you can learn that Jesus can bring peace into your situation – no matter how difficult the storm might be.

 

More on this tomorrow.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Colossians 3:1-2, Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights (seek) on the realities of heaven (the things above), where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. (New Living Translation)

 

I have put in parentheses the descriptive words found in the New King James Version. In the last page of the blog, we mentioned that the eye was extremely important in our walk on the narrow way. Remember that Jesus said “when your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.” Our vision is influenced by how we see the world (Tony Dungy). In the verses above the Apostle Paul gives strong instructions to “set our sights (seek) on the realities of heaven (things above)”.  One of my favorite verses is found in Matthew 6:33 and it fits perfectly here, “But seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” What things? Everything we need to live our life.

 

 Look up! Keep focused on the things above. What does that mean? It means “we focus our will and emotions on the spiritual reality of heaven and letting that control our motivations, rather than getting caught up in earthly concerns” (DJSB).  We can live this way because our lives are in Christ who is seated at the right hand of God, the Father, in heaven. Because our life is in Him, we walk on the narrow way that leads to eternal life in His kingdom; as Christians we set our minds and our attitudes on the “things above”. We don’t walk around with our eyes on the ground absorbed by the things right in front of us. No! You and I must “evaluate everything from an eternal and heavenly perspective. That means our goals and pursuits should center in Jesus Christ” (LSSB).

 

For the Christian, this should be a lifelong pursuit because the spiritual graces, power and blessings are with Christ in heaven. He gives these things to those who sincerely and diligently pursue Him. We diligently pursue Him by reading and studying and applying His Word to our lives. Staying in His word renews our mind (Romans 12:1-2), reminds us to put on the spiritual armor He gives us (Ephesians 6:10-20), and make the faithful be triumphant over temptation.

 

This, in turn helps us to die to our old life and live for Christ. We must always keep our fellowship with Christ and our love for Him at the very center of our lives. Scripture points to the One who supplies everything our hope in Him expects and that is every Christian’s calling in Jesus Christ. When you are experiencing difficulties, look up! When temptation comes, look up!

“Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth.” That is a pretty good word for each of us today!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 6:22-23, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness?”  Jesus

 

I have mild glaucoma; I put an eye drop in each eye every morning. I am also at that age when cataracts start to grow and are causing my vision to be cloudy; I squint a little more to read. I am both thankful the glaucoma was diagnosed while in the early stages and I would like the cataracts to be removed so I can see clearly again.

 

This just leads into today’s thoughts. The eye is extremely important for a person to gain information. It is also one way the enemy uses to tempt us. I cannot help but think about the cruelty of those in history would put out the eyes of captured opponents because this was considered a way to destroy their power. I think of the example of Samson in the book of Judges. I must admit that whole thing is painful to me!

 

The purpose of the eye is to enable us to see our way. It must be focused and be clear in order to do this. It is quite interesting to see that Jesus talked about the heart just before He talked about the eye. He said where our treasure is our heart would be there also. Jesus was saying the same thing about the eye – what we focused our eye on and where our heart was is, there we focus our attention. Jesus said we can have eyes that are good or they can be good.

 

The people of this time believed the eye was the window to the soul. Warren Wiersbe wrote, “what one allows into his or her thought-life produces desires, which in turn produces action and it is one’s action (or conduct) that reveal who a person truly is.” When the eye is good or clear it enables a person to see their way through life. A bad eye will cause a person to focus on the wrong things. Jesus was clearly speaking about how a person sees material wealth. A bad eye will focus on material wealth and possessions; it is possible this person might be trying to focus on God at the same time. Jesus is saying you cannot do both because this causes “double-vision”, so to speak; you cannot serve both God and mammon. To focus on wealth causes a person to be stingy and covet money and produces spiritual darkness in their life.

 

Jesus said, “If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.” If your eye is properly focused your body can move properly, it functions in its movements as it was made to do. “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” An out of focused eye results in unsteadiness and stumbling. If one’s goal is material wealth, it will mean darkness within the person.  Sadly, that darkness can grow darker as the desire for wealth and things grows. Their concern is to get all they can regardless of what it means to anyone else. But if one’s desire is to serve and glorify God, there will be light within so that others see that light. Those with this light evaluate things properly because “stuff” is put in proper perspective.

 

Let me close today with some thoughts written by Tony Dungy. “Our vision is influenced by how we see the world. Do we see it through the lens of hope and joy that our faith in Christ brings? Do we see it through the lens that know we’ll be in heaven for eternity, that our potential in God’s hands is unlimited, and that the challenges of the moment are but a blink of an eye in eternity? Or do we see the world through the lens of fear and despair and see our potential as limited. I pray not. What is your vision? Can you see a clear path God has set before you? Can you see past the distractions to where God is directing you.  May your answers be yes, but make sure you have regular checkups.”

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Jesus

 

I remember many years ago just after I had given my life to the Lord, I was leading a Sunday School class. These verses were the topic of conversation and all I remember is I got their meaning all messed up and got called out on it. I will not make that mistake this morning. A casual reading of what Jesus said might cause the reader to believe that you need to forgive others in order for God to forgive you. But to believe that would come in conflict with a variety of Scripture. To believe this, you believe that you earn your forgiveness by forgiving others. The question to be asked, then, is why would we need a Savior? Why would Jesus need to die for our sins? Salvation is God’s gift to us as seen in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” (The emphasis is mine). If these verses do not mean we get forgiveness through forgiving, what do they mean?

 

In the Lord’s Prayer, we are taught to ask for forgiveness. If He has already died for every sin we will commit, why does He teach us to ask to be forgiven? Perhaps thinking about an example would be helpful. Someone in your family does something that is hurtful to you to some degree. How do you react? Do you throw them out of your house or shut them out of your life or does something else happen? Probably not. But your relationship certainly is affected. Are you remembering something that you have experienced like this?

 

The same thing happens when you do not forgive. As a Christian, God does not kick you off the narrow way to His kingdom; but your relationship is certainly affected. One who does not have a relationship with Christ through His offer of salvation may not care about their relationship with others. That comes only with the understanding of the forgiveness that comes through Jesus Christ.

 

If I do not forgive others, my peace with God in interrupted. I lose my joy because I am not acting like I know He wants me to. There is tension everywhere because I have not confessed my feelings about what someone has done. But when I forgive or ask for forgiveness all that changes. Actually, when I confess that I need forgiveness or need to forgive, joy floods in because I have stopped arguing with God. What does that mean? It means God has been wanting me to deal with whatever, forgive, and move on and I have not wanted to. Let me tell you that I am speaking from experience – not only once but many times!

 

 As Christians confessing our sins, forgiving others, does not create a relationship with God but it does nourish it. It does not change our position on the narrow way to His kingdom and eternal life, but it does allow us peace as we walk on it. For one who needs to find Christ as their Savior it allows Jesus Christ to come into their heart, forgive their sins and give them the joy and peace to know they can walk on a narrow way that leads to eternal life in God’s kingdom.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Hebrews 2:1, So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. (New Living Translation)

 

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews is giving a strong warning that the message of Jesus Christ be taken very seriously. He is writing to those who have accepted salvation through His sacrifice on the cross to be diligent about walking on the narrow way to God’s kingdom and eternal life with Him. If this is not done there is the possibility of drifting away from truth. One must look at the previous verses to understand the writers meaning to this verse; he was responding to those who were teaching that Jesus, the Messiah was an angel and not equal to God. The intended audience was to Christians that had a Jewish background.

 

The concept of drifting away has a nautical implication, as when a ship is drifting past a harbor to become shipwrecked (from notes in LSSB). Or you might think of a small boat that has not been secured to the harbor which no one notices it moving away with the current. The writer’s warning is for Christians to pay close attention to Christ’s teaching, to take them seriously so one does not drift away from them. As with the illustration of the boat not secured and slowly drifting away without notice, the suggestion is those people not securing their faith in the Word of God could slowly allow their walk on the narrow way to erode.  Neglect or apathy can be fatal! The Word is neglected, truth becomes blurred and, if we are not careful, we find ourselves confused and swept up in the cares of the world; we find ourselves drifting away from truth.

 

Perhaps it is human nature to be too busy so we do not take the time to read and study God’s Word. Maybe we think we know enough and there is no need for it. Or, perhaps we believe there is nothing new in it for us. So, we just drift away. We can do so without realizing it! This must not happen. You and I must keep God’s Word fresh and we must keep a deep interest in it, continually allowing it to direct our lives.

 

I have often written about the deception of false teachers in the world today. You and I must know truth in order to know false teaching when it comes (It is already here, by the way!). There are many thoughts and opinions about the Word of God today. You and I have to know truth to combat the opinions of man. Man’s opinion means little if the person has not studied the Word; it is just an opinion without support. The writer of Hebrews is giving us a warning about neglecting or being careless about our salvation and life in Christ for fear that we drift away.

 

Do not be careless about God’s Word. My prayer is that each of us spend more time – that we make time – each day to be in God’s Word. Read it and study it, be diligent about doing so. It will transform your life!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Hebrews8:1-2, Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected and not man.

 

Stay with me today by opening your Bible to Hebrews 8 in order to follow along. Once Jesus Christ had victory over death and sin, He entered into heaven as the Great High Priest to serve in the presence of God on behalf of all who would believe in Him. No longer would people have to go to the priest with their animal sacrifices to be forgiven of their sins. He had become the perfect sacrifice for each person who confesses their need to be forgiven, recognizing that the shedding of His blood and dying in the place of each sinner (each of us) is sacrifice enough (the meaning of the verses above).  This is the new covenant.

 

This is significant because the old covenant known as the Mosaic Covenant could not be kept by anyone. Exodus 19:5 “If you obey and keep My covenant, then you will be a special treasure to Me” is an if you do this I will do that statement. The Mosaic Covenant consisted of commandments revealing God’s will and regulated the religious life of Israel (from the DJSB notes). Read verses 8-13. The Mosaic Covenant was never meant to be permanent; God promised a second covenant that would replace it.

 

These verses contrast the old covenant with the new. Through the old covenant a sinner could never fully and finally be forgiven. “Through this covenant, salvation and a relationship with God came through a faith expressed by obedience to His Law and its sacrificial system” (notes from LSSB). Sins could not be fully removed because these sacrifices did not produce an inward change for individuals. The sacrifices required pointed to a greater sacrifice; Christ’s perfect sacrifice for the sins of the human race. What Jesus Christ did when He took your rightful place and my rightful place on the cross was forgive every sin you and I have committed, do commit, and will commit. That’s the Good News for whosoever will ask Him to forgive them of their sins, give Him their lives, and ask Him to change them. No one can be good enough, follow enough rules, give enough money to earn their way into heaven.

 

Jesus Christ is now our High Priest in heaven before God, the Father. What does that mean? It means He is not only Savior but He is doing the work of the priest who made the sacrifices under the old covenant. Because Jesus is our High Priest we have access to God who hears our prayers. It means that He gives the grace of God to those who believe in Him. When you and I are being accused by Satan of being sinful and no good, Jesus Christ is our Advocate reminding that you and I believed in Him on such and such a day. And God’s forgiveness is poured out on us. Being our High Priest means that He knows every temptation we face and provides the strength we need to walk on the narrow way to His kingdom. And it means He is providing for every need we have to bring our salvation to fulfillment whether that be when we die or when the rapture of His true Church occurs.

 

Everything the old covenant pointed to, Jesus Christ fulfilled. I am so glad He is not only my Savior but my High Priest before the Father!  

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.  I have added Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible to be referred to from now on as JSESB.