Day 38. No one can serve 2 masters

Luke 16:1-13 The Unjust Servant

During the time when Jesus was ministering on earth, he often confronted the religious leaders of the day. The Pharisees were one of two prominent groups of religious leaders in Israel. They were devout in their religious practice, however they had made up many written and oral rules to add to the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Their devotion to God became aesthetic, only in appearance. In our modern society, we are often times very much like the pharisees. The Bible and the teachings of Christ take a back seat to Christian catch phrases and assumptions about how we ought to live. The Pharisees believed specifically that man could and should be devoted to gaining wealth and devoted to God, however Jesus turned this notion on its head. The very fact that Jesus ministered to the poor was not only a fulfillment of prophecy about the Messiah, but also was condemning to the pharisees.

Directly before Jesus talks about the rich man who was in Hades and a poor beggar named Lazarus who was in Heaven in Luke 16 we find Jesus' parable of the unjust servant. As we read it is important to remember that Luke also organized this passage placing it directly after the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son. The focus of these parables is God's grace and active pursuit to rescue sinners. In the parable of the unjust servant we see God's expectation for His people to be about the same pursuit rather than gaining riches. In the parable there was a rich man who had a servant in charge of his finances. When people bought grain or oil, this man would keep the books and collect payments. However, he was apparently in some way wasting the master's goods. Perhaps he was treating himself to some unwarranted gifts or simply doing a bad job of keeping up with his responsibilities. Regardless, he was about to get fired. He was afraid of the shame that would come from begging, and he was too weak to do manual labor. So he allowed people to who owed the rich man to pay a portion of their debt and be cleared of the rest. By doing this all the people were in a way indebted to him, and the rich master praised him for it. Jesus when on to say this statement regarding the parable.

Luke 16:8b "...the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light."

What is he saying? Most unbelievers are wiser in the ways of the world than believers are in the ways of God. Worldly people are better at using worldly wisdom than Christians are at using Godly wisdom.

Luke 16:9 "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings."

We as Americans live in perhaps the most wealthy country in the world. Jesus is not saying we should use our wealth to buy off people or to lure them with bribes. He is instructing his followers on how to view money. Money is a part of this unrighteous world which is passing away. We should use wealth to further the kingdom of God not to further our kingdom on earth. Imagine, a family in need has a heating bill, but no oil to warm their house. I pay the heating bill. Will they be more or less receptive to hearing about a God of mercy if I do so? What if I reject the idea of paying the bill, even though I easily could cover the cost, because I want to get a newer I-pod. What does this reveal about me? Am I more concerned about my image, my pleasure, and my position in this world? Or am I more concerned about my opportunity to use my worldly resources to influence someone else by Loving them and sharing the Good News about Jesus.

Imagine this. A church sends money, or people, or Bibles to support missionaries sharing the Gospel in an impoverished country instead of getting the latest style of carpet even though the old carpet still has plenty of usefulness. Will this use of wealth do more or less to further the kingdom of God? A churches priorities are either earthly in focus or not. If the main focus is on the building and not on the building up of the people, it appears to be unjust in the sight of God.

You have the opportunity to get a supersized value meal and a frappe at McDonalds or you can get a more meager meal, and get something for the boy or girl at school or in your neighborhood who doesn't have any friends. Which use of money has more potential to further the kingdom? Money invested in yourself alone or money invested in others as well?

Luke 16:10 "He who is faithful in little things is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much."

Even our smallest decisions about wealth, reveal big motives in our heart. Jesus says that the way we use our money demonstrates our faithfulness and trustworthiness with the eternal things of the kingdom of God. "No one can serve two masters." (16:13a) Don't love money, Don't despise Christ.

Day 37. Thoughts on God, nature, us.

Genesis 1:1 states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” What is God up to these days in this creation?  Some people don’t believe God is working unless they can experience firsthand a miraculous interruption in a natural process or reversal of a negative circumstance. Others think that nature itself is god and god is in all of nature, so then nothing really counts as miraculous since god is everything. The Bible, however, teaches that God is not part of creation, rather He is apart from created things. However, God does actively sustain all things. For a way over-simplified example, I can pick up a ball and hold it in my hand. If I stop holding it? You are brilliant. Yes. It will fall. What if nothing material existed? No atoms. No elements. No gases. No solids. No Planets. No Water. How would something come into existence? Re-read Genesis 1:1.

Just like a ball cannot resist the force of gravity, our universe does not show any evidence of being able to come into existence without some initial cause. Likewise, just like a ball doesn’t hover above the ground without something (or someone) holding it up, the universe is sustained by God. Colossians 1:17 says this about Jesus: “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” All things are held together by Jesus, aka God in the flesh. Amazing. God became part of His creation by taking on flesh, while having the power to hold His creation together, or keep the ball from dropping if you will. God sustains life. We are existing why? Because He says so. Hebrews 1:13a says [Jesus] “is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.”

You think you have a lot to keep track of during the day? God is infinite wisdom. He is infinite power. He is everywhere present, not in creation, but rather sustaining His creation. God is not in all nature and all of nature is not god like Hindus and other pantheists believe. God did not light a fuse and walk away to let chance determine the outcome of a big bang either. A personal God, personally created. An orderly God, suffered disorderly people. A patient God, patiently acted to bring about His plan of redemption in Jesus. God came in the flesh and conquered sin in the flesh to oay the price of punishment in the place of sinful people. Nature is only part of God’s creative activity. The miracle of the incarnation (God becoming fully human as well as fully God) of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus are not just part of nature, these miracles allow all of nature to one day be perfected along with every person who trusts in the Personal, Patient, Perfect Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. God is working. Miracles can happen. But even when we don’t see them, God is working by sustaining the universe, even you! God is working in the hearts of men. God is working through the speaking and hearing of His word. In the beginning God created. In the meantime God is sustaining and saving.

Day 36. Loving others on the road of life.

I was traveling down a two lane highway the other week when I was passed by a small car traveling at a very high rate of speed. Ironically, the young man driving this car pulled in front of me at the same moment we passed a white cross on the right hand side of the road. Sometimes when we are young, we don't think about how fragile life on this earth can be (or when we are older for that matter). With a lack of respect and healthy fear life's fragility, also comes a willingness to make decisions that don't regard the safety of others. Granted, I'm sure all of you reading this are safe drivers, or at least you plan to be when you finally reach your sweet 16. But consider other areas of your life which require consideration for others. We all have hopes, goals, dreams, plans, whatever you want to call them. Whether something simple, like planning to get something out of the fridge a moment after your brother or sister do the same thing. Or maybe we plan to take the afternoon to loaf, but Mom or Dad are busy working at something around the house. Whatever the case think about this: Isn't the second greatest command to "love our neighbor as ourself"? (Mark 12:31). And didn't Jesus say that others would be able to identify His disciples by their love for one another? (Mark 12:31) Perhaps today, you can look for opportunities to live and travel on your road of life thinking of others above yourself, loving others as much as you love yourself, and by doing so bring another cross into view for those around you traveling down the road of life.

Day 35. It's truth Gangsta.

Today we have a simple apologetic lesson courtesy of Christian rapper, Lecrae. 

 Don't like rap?

Well, let me be real with you - this is a most excellent set of lyrics. Think about the words. Enjoy.

"Truth"

[Spoken:]
Bring it drums (Yah)
This song right here
Is for everybody out there looking for truth
Who says, you know
We all in the same boat
Yeah, Christians and Muslims, everybody like that, huh
Yo, you lookin' for truth
Oh, I've got some answers man
So good to be
Ah, let's get into it
Let's go
Night and Day I ain't scared to say that we different
They play the prostitute but they like to say they just intimate
And Idols in their heart, they can't seem to lose their grip on it
See them walkin' in the direction that canned and crippled them
Our World is different like Whitley and Wayne man
They say we look the same but we ain't chasin' the same thing
It all boils down to they think everything's relative
Jesus might as well be a South American president
Very evident, they say that Jesus was heaven sent
They lifestyle reflects they worship themselves instead of Him
They don't acknowledge the Christ if they did they wouldn't worship themselves by the way that they live
All these rappers say they got guns that spray off 16
I've got a Luke 9 that can take all 16
That's the Bible the one they prop
But they don't care about the author they think he's a joke.
[Spoken:]
"Man, It's just some folks say, "All truth is relative, it just depends on what you believe." You know, "hey man, ain't no way to know for sure who God is or what's really true." But that means you believe your own statement; that there's no way to know what's really true. You're saying that that statement is true. You're killing yourself. If what's true for you is true for you and what's true for me is true for me, what if my truth says your's is a lie? Is it still true? Come on man! "
I promise everybody is asking the same questions
"Who am I? What is my purpose and my direction? "
Y'probably believe that you exist for no other reason
Than Self-satisfaction, hedonism and pleasing things
Life's about you getting' yours and bein' happy
Even if it means a divorce and switchin' families?
Your job, your house, your car, your spouse
It's all for the glory of you, Elsh-u-ou
You go to school get y' degrees and get a job
So you can make a whole lotta' g's cause' lifes hard
You never thought of livin to please a real God
And that's the reason he made you
See, he gave you breathe to breathe the chest to breathe it.
So you can taste and see He's the best, believe it
He made us for His glory and not for your own homey
Our God is Holy. You should repent and die slowly
[Spoken:]
"See, there's this thing called "Secular Humanism", it says man is the source of all meaning and all purposing. You know what I'm saying? We're just the result of a big cosmic explosion. We don't really have a purpose or meaning, so we just come up with our own purpose. We're the source of our meaning and our purpose. How can a man, which is the product of chance, a finite being be the source of purpose and meaning? You can't! You're created with purpose man! Get with The Creator yo! "
Man, everybody got a problem with God
And when you mention the Christ
Then they really get to turning the nod
But some say they roll with Christ
But some rappers made it seem like He was cool
With all the sin in their life
NO!
But then some say "How can God exist when
All this evil stuff in the world keep persistin'?
Wrong question. Ask again.
"How come God ain't' let you feel the wrath from sin? "
What you thought last night deserved a first class flight
To Hell where God doesn't dwell. You got that right
But He bought back life, on a cross that night
Christ died, you ain't know that he crossed that price?
All of God's anger put on His son
Then together, through all of eternity. Now He was shunned.
Praise God for the life that was won for us
Ain't got a beef with God because the son was crushed
[Spoken:]
You look man, "Some people say that God ain't real 'cause they don't see how a good God can exist with all this evil in the world. If God is real then He should stop all this evil, 'cause He's all-powerful right? What is evil though man? It's anything that's against God. It's anything morally bad or wrong. It's murder, rape, stealing, lying, cheating. But if we want God to stop evil, do we want Him to stop it all or just a little bit of it? If He stops us from doing evil things, what about lying, or what about our evil thoughts? I mean, where do you stop, the murder level, the lying level, or the thinking level? If we want Him to stop evil, we gotta be consistent, we can't just pick and choose. That means you and I would be eliminated right? Because we think evil stuff. If that's true, we should be eliminated! But thanks be to God that Jesus stepped in to save us from our sin! Christ died for all evilness! Repent, turn to Jesus man! "

Day 34. Good Slaves

Ephesians 6:5-8

Slaves, be obedient to those who are your ^[a]masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; ⁶ not ^[b]by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the ^[c]heart. ⁷ With good will ^[d]render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ⁸ knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

Back in the first century Roman empire, slavery was a common practice. It was not completely the same as our understanding of slavery here in the United States though. People from any country or nationality could be slaves, and you could if desired even “sell” yourself or become a slave by choice. Many people who were slaves of influential men were very influential themselves and often represented their masters position or authority when doing business on his behalf. Slaves were still owned by another person though. They were dependent on the other person for food, shelter, clothing; every physical need really. This is why our life in Christ is considered a JOYFUL form of slavery. If we are Christians Jesus bought us (1 Cor 6:20), and He is our Master (John 13:13-15), so therefore we are His slaves (Eph 6:6). 
In our modern western culture, slavery is taboo and considered wrong. While the Bible does not condemn slavery, it does exult an ideal of equality of worth among people. However, total submission and obedience to a master isn’t a bad thing for us to grasp, but instead it is the type of relationship we ought to have to our Perfect, Good Master - Jesus Christ. 

Another application we can make regarding the passage in the United States and most other countries is our relationship to our employers or boss’s. We essentially sell our time, skills, and labors for money at a job. The main difference here and now is that we can technically quit at any time if we choose to while a slave cannot (at least not without being hunted down). Still, the application of Ephesians 6:5 fits pretty well in our modern context. Here’s a little contextual rewrite. You decide if it is true for us as it was for Paul’s original audience (Believers who were slaves in Ephesus). 

Employees, be obedient to those who are your boss’s according to the flesh…

As Christians we should be good employees. We should do what is asked of us. We shouldn’t be lazy, late, undependable, etc. Why? Because when we serve or work anywhere for any reason, we are still servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says we should act as “slaves of Christ” not “eye pleasers.” Basically, don’t just smooch your employer or try to impress Him when he’s around. Don't do well for the praise of other people. Do well when he is looking and do well when he is not, because this is pleasing to God, and we ought to obey God from our heart. God will reward us for being obedient to Him.

Day 33. His and Hers

1 Timothy 2:8-10

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; ⁹ likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, ¹⁰ but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.

Boys are from Mars & Girls are from Venus. No just kidding.

From the beginning, God created man and made woman from man's side. She was from him, beside him, with him, as a compliment and completion. God made Adam intending him to lead by submitting to God with his beloved wife Eve at his side. What a nice picture. Eve was perfect for Adam, she was desirable. Think about this Boys. As we come of age we have this desire to find a woman, one we can pursue, one who will receive our interest, one who is desirable. But, as Christians our first pursuit is always to please our Master, Jesus Christ. So we must be obedient to God in every other pursuit as well. Girls, your turn. You probably have that deep down desire too, for a strong loving man who makes you feel wanted, you desires you. Where does this come from? Simple, you were made this way. And, God in his goodness made the PERFECT place for all these desires to be fulfilled. It is called marriage. Problem is we have this pesky sin nature. We are tempted to try to fulfill these desires through our own ideas and pursuits and fail to pursue God’s will in faith in the process.

Now we will find in our passage 2 general principles to help us pursue these desires properly.

Men: “Pray, lifting holy hands”

This is an act of dependence and submission. Dependence in prayer is vital for every Christian man. When we are depending on God by making petitions and requests, we are aware of our desires. Think about it men, if you know your desires are out of line, are you really going to go to God and ask him to fulfill them? No way. Dependence in prayer does something else for us. It cures our anxiety and anxiousness. Restless wanderers need to find rest. But Paul says if we present our requests to God he will guard our hearts with His peace. Men we can’t go out into the world looking for ways to satisfy our hearts, instead we must go out into the world with hearts satisfied in Christ. With dependence comes submission. To submit means to be subjected to another authority. This does not come naturally to us men! By the grace of God and the Holy Spirit's power in us as believers we can submit to the the commands of Christ. Submit to Jesus and depend on him to meet your needs today.

Ladies: “adorn yourselves … with what is proper”

Paul instructs Timothy to tell women of faith not to get all glammed up. Why the buzz kill on our style points Paul? Think about this. After Adam and Eve sinned, they needed to be covered. They realized their nakedness and felt shame. First fig leaves, then animal skins were applied. Do you realize that the very reason we wear clothing is that we have shame in nakedness? If clothing came because of shame, does it make sense to have pride and vanity in what we are wearing? I think this is the crux of Paul’s instruction. Don’t be self-absorbed. Don’t be desirable for the wrong reasons like showing a little skin here or raising the hem a little higher or spending all your time looking perfect. Instead be desirable through your good works like loving others, compassion for the weak, serving others, teaching and sharing your faith. These are desirable qualities in a beautiful godly woman. These are the qualities that men who are dependent and submitted will be looking for, so be desirable.