November 14

Luke 23
John 18-19
Just before He dies, Jesus fulfills His duty toward His mother, by appointing John to be her steward, thus, setting the example that He had earlier reprimanded the Jews for not doing.  He had convicted them of their hypocrisy by demonstrating that they were not honoring their parents.  So, in this final act, Jesus honors His mother by providing a caretaker.  During my parents final years I was separated from them by distance.  It gave me great comfort, however, to know that they had caretakers.  My dad’s wife faithfully looked after him until his death, and my brother did the same for Mom.  In our present era, the fifth commandment is often overlooked.  Instead of honoring parents, people often revile them, or simply ignore them.  Unfortunately, this even happens in the church.  Lord, help us to fulfill all your commandments!

November 13

Matthew 27
Mark 15
The crucifixion was a gruesome affair.  And to make it worse, the leader of the people, Pilate, knew Jesus was an innocent man!  However, he bowed to the people and allowed the Lord to be beaten, mocked, and crucified.  I think we often forget that those calling for His execution were the religious people of that time.  These were supposed to be the people of God!  When those who are supposed to be the ambassadors for God act in such a manner, is it any wonder that those in the world find it difficult to believe in a loving God?  And, before we start casting stones at the Jews, consider the crusades, along with all the other wars that have been fought using the Lord as an excuse to kill and maim our fellow man.  It is extremely important that we help others to understand that those who do such things are not true representatives of the one, true God.

November 12

John 14-17
“If you love me, keep my commands.”  Grace is truly the only way any of us can ever have salvation.  When judgment day comes, I want mercy, not justice.  However, we obtain that grace through our loving the Lord faithfully.  If we flaunt His commands, our love is a lie, and our salvation is a joke!  Some have been fed a false doctrine that leads them to believe they can live life on their own terms, just so long as they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  The word of God rebuts that teaching.  If we are to enjoy the grace of the Lord, we must obey His commands.  This is not a works-based salvation.  It is the reality of our love, or lack thereof, of the Lord.  Those who willingly go against the Lord’s commands are living in delusion if they believe they will continue to receive the grace and mercy of God!

November 11

Luke 22
John 13
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  This quote from the Lord should cause every Christian to take pause.  Most would read this and say, “Of course, we love one another!”  However, love is more than a four-letter word.  It involves action.  How do we treat one another?  Are we always kind to each other?  Is our love evident when the other doesn’t agree with us?  What happens when our brother or sister offends us?  Do we still display love toward them?  Over the past year, during the presidential campaign, I have witnessed many Christians using language toward their brothers and sisters in Christ that is very difficult to interpret as love.  In fact, it would be much more honest to say that they have demonstrated the very opposite of love!  We should be able to differ in opinions without being hateful.  Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him, but He still called him, “friend.”  He was still kind to His enemies, even when they weren’t to Him.  Your brother or sister may be wrong in the offense, but if you respond in kind, you are just as wrong.  One wrong doesn’t justify another.  Lord, help us to be more diligent in our love toward one another.  Amen!

November 10

Matthew 26
Mark 14
The last day before the Lord's crucifixion. He leaves His disciples with a sacrament to help them remember what was about to take place, His death, burial, and resurrection. We refer to this as the Lord' Supper, or Communion. For several centuries following this event the church observed this sacrament every Sunday. I don't know why some churches moved away from this tradition. The only reason I've ever been given is that to observe it weekly makes it too common. My response to this is, does praying or giving weekly make them too common? Such a wonderful sacrament as the Lord's Supper should never be taken lightly, or become common.

November 9

Matthew 25
This is one of the scariest chapters in the entire Bible for me.  Jesus says that at the end times He will separate the sheep from the goats.  His judgment will be based on whether or not we have fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and sheltered the homeless.  I must admit that I am seriously lacking in these areas.  To balance benevolence with good stewardship is a tricky business.  However, I think we would be much better off erring on the side of compassion, even when we are being taken advantage of.  While there are those who either cannot be helped, or are promoting a scam, unless we can know with certainty, it is better that we offer our help.

November 8

Matthew 24
The primary point of the Lord’s message concerning His return is that we must be ready.  The Lord’s return will come for any of us when we die.  Very few of us know when that day will come.  Even with a terminal illness, doctors predict how long we will live with a high degree of inaccuracy.  The old saying that we should live every day as if it were our last, is good advice.  If we knew that Jesus was returning today or tomorrow, how would we live our lives?  How would we treat each other?  What would we do with our possessions and wealth?  Jesus is telling us that He could come today or tomorrow, and we need to live our lives accordingly.