Whether you’re a farm person or not, we’ve probably all heard the verse in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
“Take my yoke upon you” has many implications, like learning from Jesus by bringing our passions and desires under control against the
immoral and ungodly things of the world.
The yoke that draws us towards godly living can seem oppressive to the spiritually immature,
but Jesus says the yoke is easy. The yoke is easy because it brings none of the guilt and suffering that comes with worldly,
immoral actions.
The yoke also forces us to recognize how often we want to fight against God’s ways. The phrase “stubborn hearts” is often used to describe
people who fight against his will, kind of like the folks Jesus addressed in Mark 3. Jesus had called attention to the withered hand
of a man in the synagogue, but the people were ready to condemn Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. Most of us tend have flare-ups with a
stubborn heart that wants to resist the power of God, perhaps because of our traditions (in their case) or our interpretations of Scripture, or
maybe just the fact that living for Christ can be a little uncomfortable. After all, when we think of what a yoke is used for it reminds us of
a naughty word… work. But, it is more of an instrument of discipline rather than work. Therefore, the yoke that Jesus gives us becomes a
powerful guide for our thoughts and actions. And by wearing it, we submit to his reconditioning of our nature to be like his. Hebrews 12:11,
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who
have been trained by it.” Likewise, in time we should be open to see God at work in our lives and in others as well.
The yoke allows us to see things through the eyes of Jesus. That vision makes us concerned for a lost, sinful world, but it also
puts a burden on us to care for the needs of other human beings. The yoke of Jesus is all about heart and mind. It helps shape us in the
image of Jesus so that we become meek and gentle in all our dealings. It helps us bring every thought and every action under the control
of Jesus. It helps us love spiritual things more than we love the world. When we first put on the yoke, it is strangely uncomfortable and
disturbing. But as time passes it begins to feel natural until it eventually seems to be a part of us that we could not function without.
The yoke of Jesus is never forced on us; we have to make the decision to put it on. That decision is the first step to surrendering our will,
our control to God’s higher power. Way too often, we choose not to accept the yoke Jesus offers because we’re already yoked up to the
world. Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in
common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and the Devil? Or what does a believer
have in common with an unbeliever?” Consider His yoke as the guiding and supporting arms of a loving father leading you to the place
that’s best for you.
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Friday, October 19, 2018
The Good Old Days
There’s something about the “good old days” that is comforting. Perhaps it's just because those days connect you with your earliest
memories of life. Or maybe those days represent your prime and your glory days. Either way, it makes sense that the “good old days”
often thought about with favor.
After all, every moment of our past has served as a single brick to build the lives we all live today, so they’re important. Looking back on the past allows us to learn from the successes and failures of others. Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
But it’s important not look too much into the past or keep your mind there for too long. You can easily get trapped there--whether it’s a traumatic experience, a life of sin and selfishness, or simply forgetting to see what’s in front of you now. Paul realized that about himself, as he said in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
It’s been said there are four main reasons that are worth diverting some of our present day focus toward our past.
1) To see how far you’ve come. Sometimes seeing any amounts of progress can encourage us to keep fighting the good fight. 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 describes how their faithfulness through their trials has helped others stay faithful.
2. Helps us to be more empathetic towards people experiencing their own setbacks. Just as Jesus challenged those willing to stone the woman caught in adultery by asking, “He who is without sin should throw the first stone” (John 8:7). That would’ve been humbling.
3. Our memories are our source of Thanksgiving. Ephesians 1:16, “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Or 1 Thessalonians 1:3, “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, [and] your labor prompted by love….”
4. To remind yourself of your mission. There are countless distractions on the high road to heaven, and if we’re not careful, we can be lured in the trap of worry instead of trust. Matthew 13:22, “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.”
Hopefully we can appreciate our past without getting stuck in it so that we can’t live for the future. The Jews got hung up on their past and it kept many of them from seeing Jesus as the Messiah, the promised one of God. Our love of our past never needs to blind us from seeing God’s future.
After all, every moment of our past has served as a single brick to build the lives we all live today, so they’re important. Looking back on the past allows us to learn from the successes and failures of others. Romans 15:4, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
But it’s important not look too much into the past or keep your mind there for too long. You can easily get trapped there--whether it’s a traumatic experience, a life of sin and selfishness, or simply forgetting to see what’s in front of you now. Paul realized that about himself, as he said in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
It’s been said there are four main reasons that are worth diverting some of our present day focus toward our past.
1) To see how far you’ve come. Sometimes seeing any amounts of progress can encourage us to keep fighting the good fight. 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 describes how their faithfulness through their trials has helped others stay faithful.
2. Helps us to be more empathetic towards people experiencing their own setbacks. Just as Jesus challenged those willing to stone the woman caught in adultery by asking, “He who is without sin should throw the first stone” (John 8:7). That would’ve been humbling.
3. Our memories are our source of Thanksgiving. Ephesians 1:16, “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Or 1 Thessalonians 1:3, “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, [and] your labor prompted by love….”
4. To remind yourself of your mission. There are countless distractions on the high road to heaven, and if we’re not careful, we can be lured in the trap of worry instead of trust. Matthew 13:22, “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.”
Hopefully we can appreciate our past without getting stuck in it so that we can’t live for the future. The Jews got hung up on their past and it kept many of them from seeing Jesus as the Messiah, the promised one of God. Our love of our past never needs to blind us from seeing God’s future.
Saturday, October 13, 2018
The Sign of the Tabernacle
Matthew 12:38-42, “Some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him,
‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.’ He answered, ‘A wicked and adulterous
generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet
Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the
Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of
Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they
repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.
The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it;
for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now
something greater than Solomon is here.’”
The Pharisees were constantly looking for a sign, even though the signs were right there in front of them: miracles, fulfillment of prophecies, many things that apparently proved Christ’s deity to even those Pharisees who were willing to see it – Nicodemus (John 3).
To know that God has left us many signs of His power and His plan for salvation is astounding. From the life and union of Adam and Eve as a sign of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:30-32), to the Passover lamb as a sign of the Messiah (John 1:29). Seeing these symbols and events helps us realize how “living and active” the word of God really is (Hebrews 4:12).
Paul said in Romans 1:19-20, “What may be known about God is plain to [us], because God has made it plain to [us]. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
When the Messiah, Jesus, finally arrived there were enough signs out there that people knew to some degree what to look for and where to look (Matthew 2:4-6). One of the most prized possessions in the Jewish culture actually served as a model of the plan of salvation—the Tabernacle (later the Temple).
Consider this: Before you could enter the Holy place, you were to offer a sacrifice (the best you had), and you washed in the basin (Laver) outside of the doorway. Before you are part of God’s temple—the body of Christ—you offer yourself (humbly repent), and are baptized. It is only after you do that can you enter the Holy place where the show-bread, the lampstand, and the incense were located.
Then we can see the significance in the “bread of life” (John 6:51), the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14-16, Revelations 1:20), and the “sweet aroma to God” (Ephesians 5:2, Revelations 8:4). All of these describe the life of a follower of Christ. The only remaining room was the Holy of Holies, which couldn’t be accessed except by the High Priest and only once per year with the right sacrifice. However, Jesus, who is our High Priest, offered the perfect sacrifice which removed the veil that separated us from the most Holy place. Thank God that He cares enough for us that He has left plenty of signs to help us in our faith.
The Pharisees were constantly looking for a sign, even though the signs were right there in front of them: miracles, fulfillment of prophecies, many things that apparently proved Christ’s deity to even those Pharisees who were willing to see it – Nicodemus (John 3).
To know that God has left us many signs of His power and His plan for salvation is astounding. From the life and union of Adam and Eve as a sign of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:30-32), to the Passover lamb as a sign of the Messiah (John 1:29). Seeing these symbols and events helps us realize how “living and active” the word of God really is (Hebrews 4:12).
Paul said in Romans 1:19-20, “What may be known about God is plain to [us], because God has made it plain to [us]. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
When the Messiah, Jesus, finally arrived there were enough signs out there that people knew to some degree what to look for and where to look (Matthew 2:4-6). One of the most prized possessions in the Jewish culture actually served as a model of the plan of salvation—the Tabernacle (later the Temple).
Consider this: Before you could enter the Holy place, you were to offer a sacrifice (the best you had), and you washed in the basin (Laver) outside of the doorway. Before you are part of God’s temple—the body of Christ—you offer yourself (humbly repent), and are baptized. It is only after you do that can you enter the Holy place where the show-bread, the lampstand, and the incense were located.
Then we can see the significance in the “bread of life” (John 6:51), the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14-16, Revelations 1:20), and the “sweet aroma to God” (Ephesians 5:2, Revelations 8:4). All of these describe the life of a follower of Christ. The only remaining room was the Holy of Holies, which couldn’t be accessed except by the High Priest and only once per year with the right sacrifice. However, Jesus, who is our High Priest, offered the perfect sacrifice which removed the veil that separated us from the most Holy place. Thank God that He cares enough for us that He has left plenty of signs to help us in our faith.
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Don't Forget!
Isn’t it easy to use our own “righteousness” as the standard for all people? The sins we get tripped up on are either “not that bad,” or else we praise God for his grace and mercy; however, with other people it can be easy to go on a witch hunt and ready to speak for God the condemnation their actions deserve. But as Paul said about the false teachers in Corinth, “When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” (2 Corinthians 10:12). Instead, they needed to consider his words to the Galatians in Galatians 6:4-8, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load… Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Comparisons can easily become sin, because they lead to the “deeds of the flesh”: “…hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy…” (Galatians 5:20). However, there are healthy comparisons that we teach and preach regularly–living our life to emulate the life of Christ (aka Christian, which means Christ-like). As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
We can even read Hebrews 11 to see an entire list of people who modeled righteousness and faith. Comparing ourselves to those who made it their life’s ambition to love and obey God, isn’t a bad idea. Theoretically, that’s what eldership is designed to do for a congregation: model and teach Godly living by being an example of Godly living and demonstrating wisdom in exercising it.
In a similar way, through the inspired words of God, we see people in the New Testament being compared to people of the Old Testament (often called parallels). For instance, Jesus compared to Adam–both being the first-at-new-life (Romans 5); or comparing Abraham’s faith to the kind we should have (Galatians 3); or comparing Jesus to the priest, Melchizedek (Hebrews 7), or Elijah to John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11-15), and many times the rebellious nature of Israel to our own rebellion.
Consider some of the comparisons between Moses and the apostle Paul. Both began their ministries after seeing a bright light (burning bush–Moses, road to Damascus–Paul), both received the best education (Acts 7:22–Moses, Acts 22:3–Paul), both had “thorns in their flesh”, both had the great burden of trying to get people to follow God, both loved God. We can easily see that both of these men had a burden on their heart to help people remember God’s will. Hopefully, we see that as a trait worth modeling our life after–people who want to do, and promote, the will of God. But just like those two men suffered a lot of heartache–trying to get people to love God rather than selfishness–we too must stay with it; we must keep on encouraging, “bearing one another’s burden–thus fulfilling the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
Let’s consider the need to remember the great examples of our own past and learn from the examples in Scriptures. After all, they’re there to serve that purpose–“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
Comparisons can easily become sin, because they lead to the “deeds of the flesh”: “…hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy…” (Galatians 5:20). However, there are healthy comparisons that we teach and preach regularly–living our life to emulate the life of Christ (aka Christian, which means Christ-like). As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
We can even read Hebrews 11 to see an entire list of people who modeled righteousness and faith. Comparing ourselves to those who made it their life’s ambition to love and obey God, isn’t a bad idea. Theoretically, that’s what eldership is designed to do for a congregation: model and teach Godly living by being an example of Godly living and demonstrating wisdom in exercising it.
In a similar way, through the inspired words of God, we see people in the New Testament being compared to people of the Old Testament (often called parallels). For instance, Jesus compared to Adam–both being the first-at-new-life (Romans 5); or comparing Abraham’s faith to the kind we should have (Galatians 3); or comparing Jesus to the priest, Melchizedek (Hebrews 7), or Elijah to John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11-15), and many times the rebellious nature of Israel to our own rebellion.
Consider some of the comparisons between Moses and the apostle Paul. Both began their ministries after seeing a bright light (burning bush–Moses, road to Damascus–Paul), both received the best education (Acts 7:22–Moses, Acts 22:3–Paul), both had “thorns in their flesh”, both had the great burden of trying to get people to follow God, both loved God. We can easily see that both of these men had a burden on their heart to help people remember God’s will. Hopefully, we see that as a trait worth modeling our life after–people who want to do, and promote, the will of God. But just like those two men suffered a lot of heartache–trying to get people to love God rather than selfishness–we too must stay with it; we must keep on encouraging, “bearing one another’s burden–thus fulfilling the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
Let’s consider the need to remember the great examples of our own past and learn from the examples in Scriptures. After all, they’re there to serve that purpose–“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).