Blog post 6th March

March 6th 2019

EXODUS 23:14-25:40

Matthew 24:29-51

Psalm 30:1-12

Proverbs 7:24-27

Jesus again exposed the religious impure motives. The teachers of the Law received no pay so they depend on hospitality. Some of them used this custom to exploit people, cheating the poor out of everything they had and taking advantage of the rich. We can see this in todays world as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

We see in Mark 12:38-13:13 that Jesus warned against trying to make a good impression. These teachers of the Law were religious hypocrites who had no love for God. True followers of Christ are not distinguished by showy spirituality, reading the Bible, praying in public, or following church rituals can be phony if the motive for doing them is to be noticed or honored. Let your actions be consistent with your beliefs live for Christ, even when no one is looking.  Jesus admires generous and sacrificial giving. As believers we should consider increasing our giving. Whether of money, time or talents to a point beyond convenience or calculation. Jesus gave prophetic pictures and warns his followers about the future so they could learn how to live in the present. Many predictions Jesus made in this passage have not yet been fulfilled but to help us remain spiritually alert and prepared at all times as we wait for his return. Jesus taught the kind of attitude we should have when we must take a stand for the gospel. We don't have to be fearful or defensive about our faith because the Holy spirit will be present to give us the right words to say.

To believe in Jesus and stand "firm to the end" will take perseverance because our faith will be challenged and opposed. Severe trials will sift true Christians from fair-weather believers. Enduring to the end does not earn salvation for us, but marks us already saved. The assurance of our salvation will keep us going through the times of persecution.

 There is no way for a person to buy eternal life with God. Only God can redeem a soul. Don't count on wealth and physical comforts to keep you happy because you will never have enough wealth to keep from dying. The rich and poor have one similarity when they die, they leave all they own here on earth. At the moment of death both rich and poor are naked and empty. In Psalm 30 we see security had made David feel invincible, although he knew that his riches and power had come from God, they had gone to his head, making him proud. Wealth, power, and fame can be intoxicating, making us feel self-reliant, self-secure, and independent of God. But this false security can easily be shattered, let us not be trapped by the false security of prosperity. Let us depend on God for our security and we wont be shaken when our worldly possessions occur.