Tag: Matthew

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Taxes – Yuck

I finally did my taxes last night – which by the way is an interesting way to account for your year.  I entered all the data provided for me by my financial institutions and employers in the nice little boxes.  I scowered my online checkbook looking for deductions.  Alas, I could not get the red number to turn to green and gave up the fight with a dreadful result:

Federal Tax Due - Yikes!
Federal Tax Due - Yikes!

Yes, I owe.  It’s times like this that real challenges can sit in front of you.  Paying is of course one of those, but not really the challenge that crossed my mind today.  The challenge is how you look at this bill.   I am not a big fan of taxes, but I do understand the “give to Caesar what is Caesar” thing.  The real question is do I understand the give to the Lord what’s the Lord?  I am going to be resentful and frustrated?  I am going to be filled with anxiety over this money?  Or alternatively, am I going to trust that there is a reason that I will be separated from so many portraits of dead presidents?

Last night, I started out thinking, man, all the things I could do with this money.  I could have bought a chaise lounge for my back porch, or I could have padded my bank account, or I could have taken a trip back to West Virginia to see the championship trophy ( oh, that’s right, scratch that one!)  But you get my idea and my lament  – oh,  all the things I could do with that money.  But then this morning I stumbled across an underlined verse in my old college Bible – which I have been using quite often lately – from 2 Peter.

19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 2 Peter 2:19

Hm, Money can be a dangerous master.  Maybe, its becoming my master?  So, that’s the way I am trying to think about this little dent in my check book.  Am I a slave to money? Or am I going store up my treasures on spiritual things – like relationships, and contentment and joy.

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 16:19-20

Can we look at things like this that happen to us in life as a gift from God as well?  Maybe sometimes, we need to have gentle reminders of what we are slaves to?  What has mastered you?  What should you give away?

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The Veil Was Torn

Hey!  Its Good Friday.  What a day.  Lots of you get a day off today.  It officially summer in the South (over 80 today).  The Mountaineers are in the Final Four tomorrow. All of our sins are nailed to a tree and the veil is torn!  Most Excellent!

Yes, The Christ was nailed to the tree for our faults, and the veil that protected the Holy Of Holy’s in the Temple was torn in two – signify a new relationship with God.  We Are Free from the Law, we are free from sin, we are free to speak to God ( through our new high priest the Christ).  This is one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible.  The Veil is Torn!  Wow!

50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. Matthew 27:50-51 (New International Version)

This is good stuff.  Take advantage of this free gift today and give away to others just as freely.

And check out these two videos this weekend as well – and remember He may have been crucified on Friday, but on Sunday – He’s Alive He’s Alive!

This one:

and this one

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Fools and Humility

Well I was trying to come up with some good April Fools’ joke,  after I introduced a friend of mine as his brother last night in front of a whole gaggle of people, I think I better stop with the jokes.  However, one of the guys I was with told me that last year he didn’t go to work on April 1, intentionally.  When his boss finally called, he told him that some one had told him they did not have to come in on that day.  Thinking he had been tricked his boss laughed it off and told him to get into work.  After his arrival at the office, his boss ask him who had called him.  That was when the joke was played, as he told his boss that no one called, it was just a big April Fool’s joke.  The bossman was not happy.  Can you top that one?

Anyway, as we continue to march (er April) through the week towards the great events of the weekend, its hard to pass over a quick look at Jesus washing his follower’s feet.

14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. John 13:14

A really amazing example about leadership, and humility.  The Master places himself in a role of a servant to show the humility that his followers should demonstrate.  Boy, this is another of those difficult things isn’t it. Really, talk about an April Fool’s joke,  I mean, look, I am, well, ME.  and you are, well, of course, YOU.  Doesn’t everyone understand who WE are?  Like the t shirt from the 70’s “Its hard to be humble when you are perfect” or something like that.  (I still remember some girl in elementary school wearing that shirt.  She was not perfect!! )

But as followers of the Christ, we are given an example in humility with the footwashing and then later in the week with his humble submission on the way to the cross.  I mean look at the constraint he uses:

52“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”  Matthew 26:52-54 (New International Version)

And so we are told to mimic this model, and to put others in front of ourselves.  Today, maybe, try this with one person and see how that impacts your relationship with them.

1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.  — Philippians 2:1-11

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Betrayal

14Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. Matthew 26:14-16 (New International Version)

Yep. Judas, the traitor.  The one who demonstrated his selfishness on the worlds stage.  This is the day where is seemed that Judas sealed the deal the “hand over” Jesus.  We give Judas a really hard time some times, because we know that we are so perfect!  But really, I was thinking this morning about “What are willing to give me if I hand him over?”or maybe “What am I wanting to get that makes me hand him over?” Don’t we find ourselves asking that question some times?

It may not be thirty silver coins, the price of a slave, but it may be something just as cheap.  Or it may be something of more “value” – a job, a thing, a pleasure, a moment?  Its a daily battle for us to continually balance the value of our “stuff” versus the value of freedom from Christ.  I personally find it rather easy to hand over Jesus for “stuff” , as much as it pains me to admit it.  We just have to remember that if we stick with him, we will get all that we ever want.

10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:10-11 (New International Version)

So today, don’t trade Him in.  Stick with him!  Complete your Joy!

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Full Moon Fever

Its a full moon, and I think I have full moon fever!  Or maybe its just that spring is in the air ( and the Mountaineers are in the Final Four!!! ( did I mention that already?).  But whatever it is it I am pumped and ready to tackle the days ahead.

Its Monday in the week leading up to Easter.  Today was the day Jesus cleared out the temple and cursed a unproductive fig tree.  Some may think that he was a little crazy for doing that, and it seems a little odd, however this was a symbolic action tied directly to his acceptance in Jerusalem.  Anyway what is even more interesting is what he says when his followers stand in amazement of the withered tree. ( I mean really, when is the last time you saw someone tell a tree to wither and poof, it withers away?)

21Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:21-22 (New International Version)

Right, he says if you have faith and don’t doubt you can tell the mountain to jump into the sea?  Ok,talk about full moon fever.  He also says if you believe it will happen and if you forgive it will be forgiven.  This is a challenging set of statements all the way around.  I often wonder what it takes to have a faith that has no doubt.  I really wonder what that person looks like.  Do you think that we might find that person a little odd – someone with full moon fever?  I dunno, but I really wish I could be that type of person.  And I think that you get there one day at a time.

This was the second time Jesus told his followers about the power of a small amount of faith.  In Matthew 17, he tells them that all you need is faith like a itty bitty little mustand seed and nothing will be impossible for you.   So today I will think about how much he loves us and the events of the coming weekend and mustard seeds, and moving mountains and becoming a mountaineer, and catching full moon fever!  What do you think?