God of the New Year

We have been anxious to get this past year over with. Goodbye, 2023! Good riddance! But there’s something else that has caught my eye. I noticed all over the book of faces that we are asking God to bless 2024. Now this may be semantics, but that isn’t quite biblically correct. Do you remember what Jesus said in the prayer He taught to His disciples? “Give us today our daily bread” (Mat 6:11). Just what I need for this 24-hour period.
Please understand, I’m not chastising anybody. It is good to seek God’s favor and blessing anytime and if you have prayed those “bless this year” prayers you are seeking a good thing. But don’t forget about the daily prayers and the daily needs. Don’t forget to seek God for Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and – well you get it. We need God daily – minute-to-minute even. We need Him for every breath we draw.
The past year has seen so many hard days for me. I prayed for God’s presence and power and provision and protection. And He always came through. In the worst of it, I prayed every morning as I drove to work, crying and pleading for God to intervene in some big, heavy things. When I got to work, I drew a deep breath, wiped my face, and said, “Lord, would you please help me pull myself together before I walk into my office? Would you hold me up for the next eight hours?” And He did. And I got through the day. The next morning the cycle would start all over again. But He was faithful to help me day by day, minute by minute, step by step. I’m still counting on Him that way.
I also witnessed God’s provision for literal “daily bread.” Every time the pantry was bare, I prayed for help and somebody had extra food to share. When my gas tank was dry, I would find money tucked into my purse in answer to my prayers. When a large sum of money was urgently needed, God provided to the penny. Some of you were His conduit of provision.
I tell you all this because I want you to know that He is not just willing and able to bless your year, He cares about you every single day. He cares about your hurting heart, your empty pantry, and your empty gas tank. He cares about your patience with your toddler. He cares about the decisions you need to make. Rest assured, Beloved, your Father cares about you. He is God over the next 366 days of your life.

Acts: Funny Money

Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. Blogs. Articles. Books. Everyone has an opinion, and we all want to be heard.  Whether it’s politics, childrearing, fashion, or religion, the world is quick to share its thoughts on any given subject. And yes, I’ve added my own declarations to that loud cacophony of voices. How do you know who to believe? How can you know who is telling the truth?

One of my mantras in 20-plus years of teaching the Scriptures is “Take it back to the Bible.”  If a “truth” cannot be supported by the Word of God – meaning more than one verse taken out of context – then it probably isn’t the Word of God. And it isn’t true. Another you will hear me say frequently is: “You can’t recognize a lie if you don’t know the truth.”  When banks train tellers to recognize counterfeit money, they don’t try to teach them all the ways a bill can be counterfeited, instead, they train them in every little detail of a real bill so that when the fake crosses their path, they can spot it immediately.  If I am immersed in the true Word of the true God then I am less likely to be fooled by a “fine-sounding argument.”

Let’s be honest – we get mentally and spiritually lazy – accepting as truth whatever we are told without bothering to examine the matter for ourselves. The advertising world depends on that. So do politicians. So do false teachers. Jesus said, “Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Shrewd means “wise, sensible” and its root meaning is “thinking, understanding.” Jesus said to think and understand and then make a wise and sensible determination about what you are hearing.

We need to be Bereans. Luke said the Bereans “were of more noble character” than believers elsewhere – not because they gave more money or spoke more eloquently or behaved better than the other churches. It was simply because they “received [Paul’s preaching] with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). Paul was teaching that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God. They didn’t just take his word for it. They “took it back” to the Word of God as given to the prophets.

Beloved, you and I must wake up our dulled minds and think about what we hear – in the world and even in the church – and take it back to the Bible to see if it is true.

God, Taxes, and the Imago Dei

Church and politics are often at odds with one another. Some Christians want to bring godliness to the nation’s rule and some want nothing to do with it at all. God was the one who established municipal order. He taught Moses about civil rule (Ex 18). He set His laws in stone so the people would understand how to live holy lives (Ex 20).  And He decreed offerings and sacrifices to support the community. There were financial civic obligations for every Israelite, just as there are today – AKA taxes. Why am I writing about taxes today? Because Jesus addressed them and so must we. But hang with me because this is about more than a Form 1040.

When Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees about paying taxes to Caesar, He knew that they were trying to trap Him. (Read Matthew 22:15-22.) They – and pretty much all the Jews –resented having to pay taxes to the hated Roman government. And they hated Jesus too. If He were to say paying taxes was right, the Jewish people who loved Him so would change their minds. Jesus called for a denarius coin that was the required tax. He asked, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” (v. 20). They replied, “Caesar’s” (v. 21). To which Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s . . .” In other words, because the coin bore the image of Caesar it should be given to Caesar, it was his rightful due.

But the point of this exchange came next. Jesus then said “. . . and [give] to God what is God’s.” I always thought that this was referring to the “temple tax” – the one-half shekel per year for every Jewish male over 20. But when I slow down and consider the context, I see something different. What bears God’s image? What is God’s that should be given to Him? Man. You and me.

Man was created in God’s image (Gen 1:27) and bears the Imago Dei. The name of our Creator is written in our DNA. We belong to God. We are His “rightful due.” Those who deny this truth will shake their fists at Him and turn away, but some will believe. They will receive the gift of grace through Jesus Christ. And they will honor their Creator.  Beloved, you belong to God. Not just your money or your time, but your life, your heart, your mind, your soul, and your body are all His. Come to the Lord today. You will never fulfill your purpose until you give it all to Him.

Acts: I Cannot Tell a Lie

What sets the church apart from every other organization? Consider all the benevolent organizations in the world that are dedicated to good causes. What makes the church different?  I see two things in today’s Scripture – grab your Bible and read Acts 4:32-5:11. Luke wrote, “All the believers were one in heart and mind” (Acts 4:32). Unity is the first point that stood out. Their focus was caring for one another and proclaiming the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (v. 32-33). The first is at the heart of today’s Scripture lesson, but the second, declaring the gospel, was – and still is – the mission of the church and we’ll see that as we continue through Acts and into the history of the church.

The first believers were selfless and “shared everything they had” so that “there were no needy persons among them” (vs. 32, 34).  We’ve been through some very tough times financially, but God put us on someone’s heart and they met our needs with gracious plenty. I am forever grateful for their compassion and the Lord’s provision.

Not only did the believers share out of their own supply, but they often sold property and brought the money to the church for distribution. And this brings us to another distinguishing mark of the church: integrity. A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold some property and brought some of the money to the apostles as an offering. But he told them it was the full amount. The Lord was not pleased – not because of the sum of money given, but because of the lie. Peter told Ananias that the money was his to do with as he chose. He would not have been at fault for bringing a portion of the money – if he had been honest about it. Peter said, “You have lied to the Holy Spirit . . . you have not lied to men but to God (v. 3, 4).” His wife confirmed the same lie. Both Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for their deception.

That seems pretty extreme, but we have to understand that dishonesty is an ugly stain on the church. It harms the reputation and the mission of the Body of Christ. When a person is known for deceitfulness, we disregard everything they say. When a representative of the church is dishonest, even their testimony about Christ is in doubt.  Simply put, nobody trusts a liar, even when they are speaking the truth. When a church member is untrustworthy in their business or their marriage or their relationships, nothing they say is worth believing.

The Bible is clear: “God does not lie” (Nu 23:19; Titus 1:2; Heb 6:18). Nor should we. For the sake of Christ and the gospel, we must be people of integrity. Beloved, you were made in the image of God – speak in His image too.

Hebrews: Money, Money, Money

I always heard that the Bible says “Money is the root of all evil,” but that’s a misquote, and you know how I hate misquotes of Scripture. Paul actually said, “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tim 6:10). The writer of Hebrews agreed: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have . . .” (Heb 13:5). The love of money – not money itself – is the problem. I used to believe that I didn’t have an issue with money mostly because I’ve never had any. I thought Jesus was speaking only to the rich – I can’t possibly be materialistic on my pitiful budget. But look again at what Hebrews 13:5 says: “be content with what you have.”

Philippians 4:13 is one of those favorite “pull-out” verses for believers – especially weightlifters and football players, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” But do you know this verse in its context?  It really isn’t about physical strength at all.  Check out the verses that come before: “I have learned to be content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want . . .” (Philippians 4:11-12).  Paul was in prison – and 1st-century prisons were nothing like our modern American facilities. There were no cots, no pillows or blankets, medical care, and no meals provided. Prisoners slept on hard floors and were at the mercy of others for their basic needs. This “strength” verse comes as Paul assures them that, despite his situation, he is not in despair.  Rather, Paul is content.  How? Let’s go back to Hebrews 13:5.

“ . . . be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Paul was in prison because of his testimony about Jesus Christ. But listen to this: “The following night the Lord stood near Paul . . .” (Acts 23:11). Jesus was with Paul in a dark, dank, miserable prison cell. He encouraged him and reminded him that He had called His once former enemy to be His greatest witness – and the Lord wasn’t done with him yet. “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Heb 13: 6). Man threw Paul in prison, but Jesus set Paul’s spirit free.

There are only a handful of wealthy people in the world in terms of material wealth. I am not one of them. I expect you are not either. But money doesn’t buy contentment. The contented heart looks to Jesus at all times for all things – big and small. If He is with you, Beloved – and He promised that He is – you have the greatest treasure in heaven and earth.