Wedding, Funeral, or Neither

What is your preference? Do you prefer a somber, repentant worship service? Do you prefer an upbeat, joyous worship service? Do you prefer a more traditional worship service? Do you prefer a more contemporary worship service? Do you reject one or the other?

We see worship services that span the spectrum from the extremely somber to the extremely celebratory, and anywhere between. We see worship services that are very traditional, following a liturgy that has been handed down over generations or seemingly spontaneous outbursts of joy.

Unfortunately, we too often despise, degrade, or turn our noses up at worship services we do not care for. We may even believe the people who participate in them are not truly worshiping God. We have forgotten lessons Jesus taught about worshiping God. It is not about the actions but about the heart. It is not about following a set of man-made rules but about faith in Jesus.

Jesus is frustrated with the Jews when He speaks the parable in today’s passage. He tells them they rejected John when he was speaking of judgment coming. His message was the funeral dirge that called people to repentance. The people did not accept his message. They did not mourn their sin and repent of it.

On the other hand, Jesus speaks of a joyous celebration, a wedding dance. The people reject the possibility that it could be so easy as participating in the wedding celebration to gain the rewards God is ready to provide. They reject the gifts of hope and salvation. They refuse to participate.

The people wanted Jesus and John to fit their preconceived notion of religious rules. They wanted them to fit the traditions the rabbi’s and priests had dictated. Have we fallen into the same beliefs and behaviors? Are our expectations much the same, that Jesus must fit in our box?

I pray we worship God in whatever setting we find ourselves. I pray we do not reject different types of worship activities. I pray each one of us come to worship service to worship God rather than man-made rules. Worship God. Worship in spirit and truth. Accept all manner of worship activities. Celebrate the coming Christ.

Mathew 11:16-17 “But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 

‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; 

we wailed, and you did not mourn.’”

Positive In Jesus

What is your assessment of yourself? How do you view your actions, behavior, attitude? Do you compare yourself to others? Do you compare yourself with the commands of God? Is your assessment low? Is your assessment high? Have you given thanks to God?

We make assessments of ourselves quite often, whether we realize it or not. We compare ourselves to others. We revisit and assess our actions, behavior, and attitude, comparing them to how we think we should act or how others acted.

Our self-esteem is built as much by how we view ourselves as to how others view us. Our own assessment, many times influenced by others, determines what we think of ourselves. We hear all manner of messages about the power of positive thinking and how we are to ignore the negative comments by others. Though those may help us, there is a more powerful way of thinking that can have a far greater impact.

When we compare ourselves to God’s commands and realize how far short we fall, we can be downtrodden and depressed. Yet, our thinking can be turned to positive with one more quick thought and action—giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ.

God demonstrated his love for us by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior. Jesus loves us so much that He died for us. Yes, we fall short. No, we will never be perfect on our own. But through Jesus we are perfected in the sight of God. Through Him we can feel the love of God. Through Him we can have a positive outlook on life. The reason most don’t is they don’t really know Jesus…they simply know of Him. For a real positive outlook on life, we must get to know Jesus intimately.

I pray we all recognize who we are. I pray we know that God loves us. I pray each one of us will seek to know Jesus intimately and see our attitude become a positive one. See yourself for who you are. Know that you fall short. Know that God loves you. Be thankful for Jesus. Be set free in Him.

Romans 7:24:25a Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Stay With The Herd

How easy it for you to be convinced not to do something good? Does it take a lot of convincing or is it easy to be sidetracked? Do you have an internal conversation about the merits of doing good? Does it come down to what it may cost you?

Doing good may cost us something, though many times it is not financial. I’m talking about the daily decisions to do what we know we should within our families, our work, and our churches. We know we are to do the best we can, as though we were doing it for God (Colossians 3:23).

Despite knowing we are to do good, to work hard, to put our best foot forward, we sometimes do not. We may simply be tired. We may not have the time. We may think about the cost to us. We may be selfish, refusing to do the good we know we should do. All of this plays out in our mind, whether we acknowledge it or not. We allow worldly concerns to convince us not to do the good we should do. Our minds are the battle ground. Perhaps that is why we are told to renew our minds (Romans 12:2).

Paul warns us, through his own confession, that when we want to do good, evil is close at hand. Satan wants to stop us from doing good, whether it is being kind to family and friends, giving something to someone in need, or attending worship services or Bible studies every time the church doors are open.

Satan tells us we must put ourselves first, not God. He wants us to believe we are the most important person on this earth, not the risen Christ. He wants us to be a loner, unwilling to meet with other Christians. Satan is trying to steer us away from the body of Christ like a wolf steers the young calf away from the herd.

The only way to combat him is to ask the Holy Spirit to be our guide. We must be disciplined enough to follow Jesus. God allows us free will. However, when we come to him for help, he is always there. It is only by relying on God that we can truly do the good we know we should.

I pray we all recognize Satan’s tricks to cull us away from God. I pray we choose to follow Jesus. I pray each one of us will ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in all situations, at all times. See Satan for who he is. Recognize Satan’s tricks. Ask God for help. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Choose to follow Jesus.

Romans 7:21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.

Doing What You Don’t Want

Do you sometimes do the things you don’t want to do? Do you not do what you know you should do? Have you lost the battle within when fighting against the sin that haunts you? Do you know you are not alone? Have you turned to the One who can remove it from you?

We all do things we know we shouldn’t some time or another. We may even be battling a particular sin that we continue repeating, even when we are striving desperately against it. We may feel as though it is a lost cause. But there is One who can help.

We may try to do what we know we should. We may lose that battle as well. Even with the best of intentions, we sometimes fall short. Yet, we are not alone. Even the great Apostle Paul struggled in this battle. He fell short at times. He writes to the church in Rome about it. He confesses that he struggles, fails, and yet knows that God continues to bless him.

However, we should not mistake his account for condoning continued sinning. No, Paul does not condone sin, rather he merely states the realistic state of our current situation. There is a war going on for our souls. There is a battle for our minds. There is skirmish after skirmish going on for our faith in Jesus. Satan knows he cannot simply tell us to stop believing in God and expect us to do so. Therefore, he creates these little skirmishes and minor battles to whittle away at our faith.

Paul lets us know, even when our fleshly bodies fail, we are to continue to hold on to the grace of God in our spirit. He informs us that sin has no hold over us. If sin has no hold over us, neither does Satan. We may need to remind ourselves of these facts regularly — hourly, daily, or weekly. Do not allow Satan to whittle away at your faith. Even in failure, continue to believe in Jesus and trust in His word.

I pray we all continue to strive against sin. I pray we ask Jesus to fight the battle with us and for us. I pray each one of us will continue to hold on to our faith, even if we fail from time-to-time. Confess your sin to Jesus. Ask Jesus to help you. Hold on to your faith. Trust Jesus. Trust God’s Word.

Romans 7:15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Giving Blessings

Do you like weddings? Do you like to see the bride dressed in a beautiful gown? Do you like seeking the groom all dressed up and anxiously awaiting his bride? What parts of the ceremony are you favorites? What do you remember of your wedding?

Weddings can be very beautiful. We see the bride looking as beautiful as model in a magazine. The groom is handsome in his tuxedo or suit and would wring his hands if it weren’t for being told a million times not to do that. The young couple want to both enjoy the ceremony and for it to be over with.

Unfortunately, some of our weddings have become more about the pomp and circumstance than the couple. We put more effort into ensuring all the decorations are just right than ensuring the couple is prepared for marriage. Add to that the reception that is all about celebrating, while giving no blessing.

When Rebekah agreed to go with Isaac’s servant to be his wife, her mother and brother first ensured she was willing to go. Once they were sure, they blessed her. It was no mere, “Go with our blessing.” It was a blessing that she would be the mother of a nation and that her offspring would overcome their foes. In other words, they blessed her with a blessing of extreme bounty and prosperity. It was not some frivolous blessing, but a blessing that was well meant and well thought out.

Weddings are not the only time we should bless our children and siblings. We should bless them every opportunity we have. We should think about what blessing they need and how to give that blessing to them. Blessing others can have a significant impact on both those being blessed and those giving the blessing.

I pray we all look for opportunities to bless others. I pray we think through giving a blessing. I pray each one of us bless our family members and receive a blessing ourselves. Look for opportunities to bless. Bless your children. Bless your siblings. Think about blessing.

Genesis 24:58 And they called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will.”

Welcome

What does it mean to be welcome? Who do you welcome into your home? Are you welcome everywhere you go? Is the church a welcoming place for visitors? How can we be more welcoming?

I’m sure many of us have heard the saying, “So-so has worn out their welcome.” We may have said it ourselves. It may have been said about us. But what does that mean? Being no longer welcome can be a harsh reality we face.

In one respect, Jesus is saying that those who welcome us are welcoming Him. That means the other person is welcoming God along with us. But is that always true? That is a question each of us should wrestle with.

The reason we need to wrestle with it is we may not be Jesus’ representative, or at least not a good one, at all times. We may be seeking retribution, repayment, or retaliation. However, if we are representing Jesus well, His statement is true.

Jesus was stating this to His disciples after having defined to them what it meant to be a disciple. He knew His disciples well and knew they were going into the world to be His representatives. He knew their hearts were in it. He knew they would not purposely misrepresent Him. We are to conduct ourselves in such a way as to have Jesus put His confidence in us the same as He did His disciples.

I pray we all represent Jesus well. I pray we strive to be His ambassadors in the best way possible. I pray each one of us are welcomed by those who greet us and they are blessed for having welcomed us. Be a welcoming person. Represent Jesus well. Be someone others welcome.

Matthew 10:40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.”

Rewards

Do you like rewards? Do you participate in shopping rewards programs? Do you have a credit card that gives you rewards for using it? If you had a choice, what types of rewards would you choose? Do you know God provides rewards for those who do his will?

Most of us like rewards. Many of us have credit cards that provide rewards. Some of us participate in shopping rewards programs. We like our rewards. We use them in many different ways. Sometimes they pay off in a big way.

I have a rewards Visa card. As I make purchases with it, I receive points that can be used to purchase numerous things. We used those rewards to buy plane tickets for our family to take a vacation in California back in 2019. By using the points, it only cost us fifty dollars to purchase five round-trip plane tickets to Los Angeles. I was very thankful for those points.

Jesus tells us there are rewards, not just in eternity, but in this life when we do as God leads us to do. When He talks about welcoming, He is not merely speaking of saying “Hello.” He is talking about hospitality. A prophet is what we might call a preacher today. A righteous person is not some high-ranking Christian but simply someone who is doing their best to follow Jesus. A little one is anyone who has accepted Jesus as their Savior. In other words, Jesus is talking about welcoming our brothers and sisters in Christ.

A cup of cold water would have been very welcome in the heat of the summer in Israel. It also was not common. Think about it. There were no freezers or refrigerators. Ice had to be hauled from northern mountains, which was expensive. So, this means that our welcoming of one another should be unexpected, something a little out of the ordinary. All of this should be done out of the love we have for God and our brothers and sisters.

I pray we all seek the right rewards for the right reasons. I pray we seek to do what God desires us to do. I pray each one of us will welcome one another in unexpected ways. Seek to do God’s will. Seek God’s rewards. Welcome one another in love. Welcome one another unexpectedly.

Matthew 10:41-42 “Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Free in Christ

Are you free or enslaved? Are you sure you know the answer to that question? Do you feel oppressed by the weight of bad decisions? Have you sought to leave them behind? Are you seeking to follow God’s plan? Have you awakened to your freedom from sin?

We often are enslaved without knowing it. There is a sin that has a hold on us that we just can’t shake. Maybe we recognize it, maybe we don’t. If we recognize it, it can weigh heavily on our mind. It can cause depression. It can be a dark cloud hanging above our head.

How do we free ourselves from our enslavement? We can’t on our own. We must turn our sin over to God. We must come to understand, not cursorily, but deep in our heart that Jesus has set us free. It can be a significant challenge to turn it over to God and ask him to remove it from us.

We may have accepted Christ as our Savior, but not turned everything over to Him. We may go to church every Sunday but continue to hold on to our guilt. We may pray regularly but fail to submit to God’s will for our lives. Only when we fully submit to him and turn our lives over to him will we finally experience the freedom of Christ.

Make no bones about it, it takes time. It is a maturation process. It requires us to continually go to God in prayer, asking for his help, asking the Holy Spirit to guide us. Following the path God wants us to follow and truly being free is difficult, but only because we want to be in control. Yet, it is when we give up control that we are truly free.

I pray we all recognize what enslaves us. I pray we turn everything over to God. I pray each one of us will continue to pray that God remove the sin that enslaves and experience the freedom of Christ. Recognize your sin. Give to God. Submit to God. Ask God for help. Experience true freedom.

Romans 6:22-23 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Overcoming Weakness

Do you sometimes feel as though you are being controlled by something else? Do you have sudden urges to do things you know you shouldn’t do? Have you tried to stop yourself and been unable? Have you sought the power of God to overcome them?

Living in this world brings many temptations to us. Those temptations come in every variety imaginable. When we stumble and fall prey to them, we feel guilty. We may commit to not allowing that to happen again. We may pray that God forgive us. Neither may make us feel better.

How do we overcome these temptations? As we read through today’s passage, the Apostle Paul gives us sound advice. First, he tells us not to present ourselves to the temptation. That can range from standing firm and refusing it to not putting ourselves in a position for it to be presented to us. Staying away from situations where the temptation can come before us can be difficult, but it is easier than standing firm against the temptation. Most of us do not have a strong enough will to resist it.

Second, Paul tells us that sin has no dominion over us. This wonderful news! We no longer live by the law. We live in God’s grace. That means we can trust God to forgive us. Therefore, there is no need to feel guilty when we stumble. However, this can be a slippery slope. We can then take advantage of God’s grace and continue in our sin.

What are we to do? The best we can do is lay our lack of resistance at Jesus’ feet. We need to ask Him to remove the temptation from us. We need to ask Him to strengthen our will with His will. We may need to do this several times before we are truly willing to accept His help. Even so, we should continue to lay it as His feet until we have overcome sin with Jesus’ strength.

I pray we all recognize the temptations put before us. I pray we see our weakness in resisting. I pray each one of us will lay our weakness at Jesus’ feet and accept His help in overcoming sin. Overcome temptations. Lay your weakness at Jesus’ feet. Sin has no dominion over you. Live in God’s wonderful grace.

Romans 6:13-14 No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

God Knows

Do you wonder what is coming around the next corner? Are you currently facing an uphill battle? Are you facing opposition right now? Have you thought surely it cannot get any worse? What are you trusting in? Have you put your trust in God? Are you holding on to it?

It may seem as though we face challenges every day. But there are times when those difficulties are much more daunting. They can be financial, health, relationship, or job related. It can seem as though the entire world is against us. We can begin to lose heart.

It is in the difficult times that our faith can be tested. We may wonder if God has abandoned us. That is certainly the thought the Psalmist was wrestling with in Psalm 13. He starts the Psalm asking where God is. He wonders if God has turned his back on him forever. He cries out to God for help. But he ends this short Psalm with an affirming statement. He will not give up trusting in God.

We can learn a lesson from the Psalmist. When we face uphill battles or extreme challenges, it is alright if we cry out to God. It is alright if we ask God where he is. God knows our anguish. He knows what we are facing. And, because Jesus lived as a man, he also knows how we feel.

Yet, at the same time, we should continue to hold onto our faith. We should affirm our trust in God. We must remember that he is in control, and he has a plan for us. We can remember the good things God has done for us in the past. Struggles and challenges will come, but God will never abandon us. He will be with us as we go through them.

I pray we all voice our feelings to God. I pray we cry out to him when we are facing struggles or challenges. I pray each one of us will hold onto our faith and trust God to carry us through. Cry out to God. Voice your feelings to him. Hold onto your faith. Trust God to carry you through.

Psalm 13:5-6

But I trusted in your steadfast love; 

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 

I will sing to the Lord, 

because he has dealt bountifully with me.