Tag: money
Money buys an alibi!
Scripture reading for February 7: Matthew 28
“Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.” Matthew 28:10-15
On the morning of the third day since Jesus was crucified and buried in the tomb, the women, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, went to the tomb. As they approached a great earthquake shook the area and the stone was rolled away by a descending angel who took a seat on the stone. The guards were shaken and became like dead men. Today we might describe this as being ‘slain in the Spirit’ This angel comforted and encouraged the women to have faith and not fear. He instructed them to go to the disciples and tell them to go to Galilee and there they would see Jesus. As they left there in fear, Jesus appeared to them, and repeated the encouragement to not fear but to tell His disciples to meet Him in Galilee.
The guards went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. They assembled the elders and came up with a plan: give the soldiers money to tell people that “His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we slept.” They promised the soldiers protection from the governor. This is the story that was spread around and gave the guards an alibi for their negligence and an explanation for the body of Jesus disappearing.
If you were one of the guards, how would you process these events in light of your own need to escape punishment? In what way do you relate to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary upon seeing the angel and the empty tomb? How does our world view hinder us from a real understanding of Jesus Christ?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your patience in working with Your people to help them shape their world view to accept the resurrection of Your Son. Forgive me for acting in fear and looking for excuses or natural explanations. Continue to expand my understanding of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. Amen.
Divided priorities fail
Scripture reading for January 8: Matthew 6
“”Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. . . .No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”” Matthew 6:19-21, 24
Our world is obsessed with accumulating the ‘treasures’ of this earth. We have basic needs of food, clothing and shelter and should be concerned about those, but our appetites always outpace our basic needs. As I began my life on the farm with a new wife and a degree from a state university, my goal was to become a big farmer and find success. We started out small and began to accumulate land, animals and equipment. Borrowed money was used and debts grew as well. Then the economy took a turn and interest rates skyrocketed. I learned that the borrower becomes a slave of the lender! (Proverbs 22:7) That’s when our Lord revealed to me the truth that I couldn’t serve Him and ‘money’. My heart was tied up in worry about the things and money and not in worship and love for God.
But thanks be to God, He loved me enough to call me to follow Him. He called me to come to Him and learn His ways. He taught me that if I would seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, everything I truly needed would be supplied in my life! (Matthew 6:33) He taught me dependence on Him for my daily bread! (Matthew 6:11)
Where is your ‘treasure’ laid up today? Is your heart divided trying to serve two masters? Have you given all your love and devotion to your true Master Jesus Christ? Are you worried about your daily needs?
Prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hollowed by Your Name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Amen! (Matthew 6:9-13)
Contemporary religion and money!
Scripture Reading for March 14th: Judges 17-21
Religion is man’s attempt to do something that makes him feel good about himself and his own relationship with God. The problem is that there is nothing we can do to improve our relationship with God. We are sinners and God is holy. In the time of the judges, the nation of Israel had slipped away from the Word of God and each person was doing what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6; 21:25) The nation had forgotten God and gotten lost in a self-directed religion of idolatry.
Judges 17 records the story of a man, Micah, from the tribe of Ephraim who had stolen money from his own mother. When her son confessed, the mother forgave him and then took some of the silver he returned and had an idol made for her son! Micah built a shrine, made an ephod, and installed one of his sons as a priest. (Judges 17:1-6) This violated everything that God had established for His people in Israel. (Deuteronomy 12:1-9)
The next turn of events comes as a Levite stopped by Micah’s house and shrine. Micah hired him to be his “father and priest”. (Judges 17:10) Everything seemed good until some spies from the tribe of Dan stopped by Micah’s house. They inquired of the Lord through Micah’s personal Levite. He gave them what they wanted to hear. They soon returned and made this Levite a better deal. Why not be a priest for a whole tribe, rather than a household? The Levite accepted happily because the price was right! Climbing the corporate ladder is not new!
What do we get from this bizarre story that can help us in our walk with Jesus today? First, we must be aware that we can easily slip away from a true relationship with the Lord. Micah and his mother were descendants of Ephraim, one of the sons of Joseph. They had a rich heritage of faith and should have known the laws of God. Second, notice how big a part money played in this story: stolen money, money to buy an idol, money given to appease this rebellious son, money to hire the Levite, and more money to hire him away from Micah’s family! Priests were for sale and God’s blessing were bought with money! When you have no King, you may end up in contemporary religion! Watch out today!
Contemporary Religion
Scripture Reading for March 14: Judges 17-21
Religion is man’s attempt to do something that makes him feel good about himself and his own relationship with God. The problem is that there is nothing we can do to improve our relationship with God. We are sinners. God is holy and has set up a very narrow way of man coming to Him. In the time of the judges, the nation of Israel had slipped away from the Word of God and each person was doing what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 17:6; 21:25) The nation had forgotten God and gotten lost in a self-directed religion of idolatry.
Judges 17 records the story of a man, Micah, from the tribe of Ephraim who had stolen money from his own mother. He heard a curse pronounced by his mother and confessed his crime. The mother forgave him and then took some of the silver he returned and has an idol made for her son! Micah buil a tshrine, made an ephod, and installed one of his sons as a priest. (Judges 17:1-6) This violated everything that God had established for His people in Israel. Only the Levites could be priests and there were to be no idols. God’s people were to go to the place God set to worship, not to any place they chose! (Deuteronomy 12:1-9)
The next turn of events comes as a Levite stops in. Micah hired him to be his “father and priest”. (Judges 17:10) This was more in line with what God desired, but still far from obedience! Everything seemed good until some spies from the tribe of Dan stopped by Micah’s house. They inquired of the Lord through Micah’s Levite. He gave them what they wanted to hear. They soon returned and made this Levite a better deal. Why not be a priest for a whole tribe, rather than a household? The Levite accepted happily because the price was right! Climbing the corporate ladder is not new!
What do we get from this bizarre story that can help us in our walk with Jesus today? First, we must be aware that we can easily slip away from a true relationship with the Lord. Micah and his mother were descendants of Ephraim, on of the sons of Joseph. They had a rich heritage of faith and knew of the miraculous working of God. They should have! Life in the promised land can easily distract us from passing on the faith and teaching about God. Prosperity can blind and distract us!
Second, notice how big a part money played in this story: stolen money, money to buy an idol, money given to appease this rebellious son, money to hire the Levite, and more money to hire him away from Micah’s family! Money seems to be the answer to every problem! Priests here are for sale and God’s blessing can be bought! What a lie from the Devil himself! When you have no King, you end up in contemporary religion! Watch out today!