Tag / grace

by The Monahans

A Den of Thieves

road-man-lights-legs    In Jesus’ day, it was customary for every devout Jewish male over the age of 12, to make the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. Men traveled great distances to offer sacrifices at the temple. Because of the great distances many of the men traveled, it was inconvenient for them to bring their sacrificial animals with them. Further, the money in circulation at the time was the Roman coin, but temple worship required Jewish coinage. These logistical issues provided the occasion for opportunistic individuals to capitalize on the situation.

Tables were set up outside the temple where sacrificial animals could be purchased, often at exorbitant prices, while Roman coins could be exchanged for the proper Jewish currency for a nominal fee. With thousands upon thousands of Jewish people coming for worship each year, business was very good, and extremely profitable. And, as we all know, when large sums of money are involved, corruption is often the net result. It was no different with the “money changers”.

“For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

The basis of true worship lies first in our recognition of who God is. We always start from the awareness that God is the Creator of all there is; He is holy, infinite, sovereign, powerful, with knowledge so vast and complete we cannot even begin to comprehend it. He is kind, compassionate, loving, slow to anger, forgiving. He is a father who guides us, teaches us, provides for us, and yes, at times, he cares enough to discipline us. God is big. Very big.

And we are small. And this is the next thing we remember in worship. This is not to say we are insignificant, quite the contrary. We are God’s special creation, made in his image, unique among all living things and each and every human life is of incomparable worth. But we have that worth because God ascribes it to us. We are valued because He first valued us. So our worship must recognize our special place as those ordained to steward God’s creation; unique among living things but, where God is perfect and holy, we are imperfect and fallible. Even rebellious.

“You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” (Psalm 51:16-17)

When we approach God in recognition of who He is, and who we are, we sense our frailty and contrition starts to enter our hearts and souls. We begin to understand our need for forgiveness because, in the knowledge of His supreme excellence, we can comprehend our imperfect, fallen nature. And it is in this context that true worship can be experienced. We feel the desire to be in His presence and the fear of our judgment commences to fade away. We stand exposed before the one, true God, and we feel the comfort of His gentle and loving forgiveness. And we begin to mirror back to Him our love and devotion.

This is true worship. Jesus saw that temple worship had become nothing more than a physical routine and money making enterprise. So he drove the money changers out in no uncertain terms. He did this twice. Once at the beginning of his ministry (see John 2:13-18) and a second time near the end of his earthly ministry (see Matthew 21:12-17). Jesus said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of thieves.” (Matthew 21:13) You can imagine the stir this caused among the religious leaders of the day. But Jesus wanted to lead us into true worship.

True worship is first reflected back to God from deep in our hearts and souls as we come to understand our relationship to Him; then it becomes apparent in our actions as we begin to change how we live and how we treat others, and finally, songs of praise are offered as we strive to express our adoration and appreciation back to our Creator. A wise friend once taught me that worship isn’t something we get, but rather something we give. It took me a long time to truly understand what that meant, but it is becoming clear to me now.

Jesus drove out the money changers to turn hearts back to true worship. Today Jesus remains our path to direct communion with God.  Jesus said of himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) If you have not yet made the decision to follow Jesus, may you do so right here and right now. And if you are following Jesus, may you experience true worship in spirit and in truth.

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

To stay current on Reign Drops, like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReignDropsBlog/

Or follow us on Twitter: @ReignDropsBlog

by The Monahans

Where Does Truth Come From?

child-945422_960_720  One thing has become very clear, across our society we have very differing views on morality. There are even moments where it seems as if our differences might tear us apart (though American society is far more resilient than our political squabbles might make it seem). Serious moral concerns fuel activism on all sides of the spectrum, but it seems few can agree on any absolutes.

This is not surprising, actually, given the decline in Biblical literacy in our country. According to a 2014 report by the Barna Group and the American Bible Society, a majority of adults in the US said they consider themselves highly, moderately or somewhat knowledgeable about the Bible, yet less than half were able to name the first five books of the Bible. In a 2013 study, only half the adults surveyed knew that John the Baptist was not one of the twelve apostles.

Yet it is the Bible that provides the framework for right and wrong for all people. Without a solid foundation rooted in the knowledge of our Creator and the book He wrote to us, we soon find that no one is right and everyone is right, all at the same time. Without a foundation in Biblical truth, right and wrong are merely abstracts that vary to suit the individual as he or she might decide based on their immediate needs or circumstance.

Certainly most societies have developed laws and norms that are meant to apply as the rule of law, but without a bedrock of Biblical belief, those rules and laws are subject to change based on the whims of various people groups and their immediate felt needs. Morality becomes a flexible band that is stretched and relaxed to suit the impulses of any specific group that makes the most noise at a given moment. And each individual is compelled to obey only as it suits his or her fancy. Individual circumstances always pose the potential for a particular person to decide the risk of disobedience outweighs the pain of compliance.

The Bible, on the other hand, offers us the truth of our Creator. It is His revealed Word to guide us on our journey through life and it is the promise of the eternity that comes after we leave Earth. Through the Apostle Paul we are instructed: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2Timothy 3:16) And the book of Psalms opens with this promise: “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2)

It seems today that the idea of moral absolutes is distasteful to many and, indeed, we find this is a fulfillment of Scriptural prophecy: “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.” (2Timothy 4:3-4) But I want to encourage you to rise above the din of modern society and make your personal choice to pursue Biblical literacy.

I am not asking you to take my word for it because I am confident that the Bible stands on its own and that if you would only commit yourself to improving your personal Biblical literacy, you will soon recognize that the Bible is God’s inspired Word and his Holy Truth. You will discover that when God says “don’t” he means “don’t hurt yourself” and you will find the reality that Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, gave his life so that your sins would be forgiven.  I am confident you will come to know that God’s Word is “a lamp to guide your feet and a light for your path” (Psalm 119:105).

Becoming Biblically literate starts with reading the Bible, of course, but the following resources can help you in your journey.

A good study Bible is essential and you can find one here: Zondervan Study Bibles

A Bible dictionary is also very useful: Compact Bible Dictionary

A Bible commentary will help you, especially if some passages seem difficult: Bible Commentary

A good Bible atlas is also invaluable:  Bible Atlas

Of course, all the above cost money to buy, and if money is an issue for you now, Angel Ministries provides free on-line Bible study resources, and here is a handy link to click: Free Bible Studies

We wish you the best of luck in your quest for Biblical literacy. We’d love to hear how your journey is going, please feel free to write us at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

To stay current on Reign Drops, like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReignDropsBlog/

Or follow us on Twitter: @ReignDropsBlog

by The Monahans

More Than the Sum of Your Parts

math-1547018_960_720 Not all of us are good at math, but most of us can manage the simple calculations of life. Adding up the pennies in our pocket, for instance, or subtracting the dollars from our wallets when it’s time to pay the bills. But it seems most people miss one truly simple calculation – one equals two.

That’s right….one equals two!  It’s very simple math, really. Since I grew up in the era of “show your work,” pencil-on-paper mathematics, I’ll write out the equation for you: 1H=2P.  Still don’t get it? It’s easy: one human (1H) has (=) two parts (2P). Get it now?

Assuming you are alone, when you look in the mirror you see only one being, right? But deep inside that being lives a soul. Everyone has one. And while they are joined as one right now, eventually the body will cease to exist and the soul will live on. The Bible says: “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7)

And Jesus clearly drew the distinction between body and soul in this statement from Matthew 10:28, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” This is a very interesting distinction, too, in that Jesus draws a comparison between man, who only has the ability to destroy the body, and God, who has the unique ability of being able to destroy both.

And the Apostle Paul, points out that the soul is either in the body as we are today, or with the Lord: “We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)

And our earthly striving for success is profitless if it destroys our soul: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36) Think about that for a moment. What are you trying to achieve right now? Success at work? Money for retirement? Fame and notoriety? Is what you are seeking worth your soul?

Our soul is eternal. The body is not. Many people these days spend a lot of time focusing on their body. It almost sounds sinful when we learn of someone who isn’t visiting the gym regularly or running a marathon or otherwise pursuing fitness with some amount of passion. And it’s probably safe to assume people who work out on a regular basis are more fit than ever. But there’s a dirty little secret about people who are faithful in fitness: they’re all going to die anyway.

But when we “die” what is really happening is our soul is being liberated from our body. And our body, no matter what shape it was in just moments earlier, will instantly begin to decay. But our soul lives on and it is there that we will face our eternal reward. It is there we will give an account for every word, thought, and deed. For it is appointed to man to die once and after that comes judgment (ref. Hebrews 9:27).

It is there, when we are free from our mortal body and standing naked before our glorious Creator giving account for ourselves, that we will truly realize the value of our soul. But God already knows the value of your soul: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)

So while many seem to believe God only wants to restrict, confine, or condemn; we see He really sets us free. For the person who accepts the love of Christ is free indeed: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

Have you recognized the true value and eternal nature of your soul? Do you desire to be truly free at last? Why not make today the day you ask God for His free gift of life? There’s no magic formula for this….just talk to Him….honestly.

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

To stay current on Reign Drops, like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReignDropsBlog/

Or follow us on Twitter: @ReignDropsBlog

by The Monahans

Eventually, You Will Do This…

man-1394395_960_720  Connor had a dilemma on his hands. He took on a side job, helping someone with a building project. It wasn’t his normal line of work; he normally worked in a small company in shipping and receiving. But his dad was a building contractor and Connor had grown up in the business so he knew a thing or two about construction; and it wasn’t unusual for him to take on a few small side jobs; a little trim work here or there, perhaps. But this job was bigger, much bigger.

He wouldn’t have taken the job at all, but it was for a friend’s parents and it was originally going to be just a small addition. But one thing led to another and it turned into a much larger project. Nothing Connor couldn’t handle, though, and even working only evenings and weekends he managed to complete the work quickly enough to earn a bonus on top of his original quote. And just like that, Connor suddenly had a lot of cash in his bank account.

But when tax time came, Connor didn’t feel he should have to pay taxes on the money he earned from his side project. He had worked for cash, after all. And he had given up his nights and weekends for more than three straight months. Talking it over with Peter, his friend and coworker, Connor put it this way, “It’s my money. I earned it. I deserve to keep it. Besides, I spent most of it on that new truck of mine and the rest I put down on my house.”

“But it’s the government, Connor, they have ways of knowing these things,” Peter pointed out

“They sure do,” chimed in Sally, who couldn’t help but overhear the conversation.

And, indeed, the government did know about the extra money he had earned. They knew in two ways; the couple he had done the work for filed forms claiming tax deductions for the energy savings they would realize from the project; listing Connor as the contractor, of course. And financial records indicated that Connor could not afford his fifty-thousand-dollar new truck on his meager income as a shipping and receiving clerk.

So while Connor firmly and sincerely believed he should not have to pay taxes on this side project, the law said he did and the government soon sent him a letter stating just how much tax they calculated he owed, plus a small fine for paying late. But Connor ignored the letter, being so firm in his belief that he did not owe them a thing.

He eventually received another piece of correspondence from the government, this one a bit more emphatic than the last. The fine was bigger this time, too, raising the total he owed to a truly eye-opening amount. And again, despite the warnings of his coworkers and friends, Connor ignored the letter, sure that he did not owe them a thing.  And then something happened that Connor could not ignore. He went to buy groceries after work and his card was rejected. And when he went out to his shiny new truck, it was being hauled away on a flatbed.

Having called Peter for a ride, he arrived at home and found the notice on his door. The government had seized his home and all its contents. And as he sat down on the stoop in utter shock, the federal officers arrived with a warrant for his arrest. At least the jail would be someplace warm to spend the night. Turns out, tax evasion is a pretty serious offense, and though Connor didn’t believe it, he was now in the throes of some rather harsh consequences.

And so we see, despite Connor’s firmly held belief to the contrary, he was guilty of tax evasion and there was a penalty to be paid. In his case it was a severe one, and his disbelief didn’t in anyway change that reality. And so it is when it comes to Jesus, what we believe or don’t believe doesn’t change reality at all. Many people choose disbelief, ignoring the historical reality depicted in the Bible and rejecting the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. This isn’t all that surprising, actually, for Jesus said, “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

But the reality is that you will acknowledge Jesus is Lord, whether you choose to do it now, willingly, or later, posthumously. For God has told us that He “gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

We all inherently know we are not perfect, that we have done wrong. Our conscious convicts us of that fact, whether we will admit it to others or not. We are being disingenuous if we deny this. And there is a penalty to be paid for our wrongs, whether we want to admit it or not. But if we walk through the small gate and accept the redemptive work of Jesus, our penalty is paid in full. Are you ready to take the narrow road?

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or drop us an email at: ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

To stay current on Reign Drops, like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReignDropsBlog/

Or follow us on Twitter: @ReignDropsBlog

<ahref=”http://www.blogarama.com/Religion-Blogs/376239-Blog&#8221; title=”Blogarama.com – Follow me on Blogarama”>Follow me on Blogarama</a>

by The Monahans

Sunday’s Coming!

Sundays Coming 3 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.  Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.  (Matthew 27:65-28:15 NIV)

There are a couple of aspects of the Easter story that warrant deeper examination. Starting with verse 27:65, let’s understand that the Jewish leaders understood perfectly well that Jesus had predicted he would rise from the dead on the third day. They didn’t believe he would really rise, but they understood this was what he said and they feared a conspiracy that would incite the people even further. If you missed our blog on conspiracy theories concerning Jesus rising from the dead, you can review it by clicking here.

The Sanhedrin was so concerned that they sought relief from Pontius Pilate. Pilate thus orders Roman guards to seal the tomb and to guard it closely. Now one simply has to ask, what kind of stone sealed Jesus’s tomb? Was it the ultra-rare (for the time period) disk-shaped stone or the more common cork, or square-shaped, stone? We do not know for sure, but since the tomb Jesus was buried in was borrowed from Joseph of Arimathea, a common man, it is most likely the stone was of the square variety. You can read more about this in an article published by the Biblical Archeological Society; click here.

Now either way, round stone or square, it would have been a very heavy object and thus quite difficult to move, but since it was likely the square variety, all that much more difficult, requiring several men. But before they could even think about the tools and effort required to move the stone, they would have been confronted by the Roman seal. The seal was a sign of authentication that the tomb was occupied and the power and authority of Rome stood behind the seal. Anyone found breaking the Roman seal would suffer the punishment of a very unpleasant death, quite probably upon the cross just as Jesus had died. And we can imagine that those who may have wished to steal Jesus’ body would have just observed for themselves the agonizing way in which he was killed. It is reasonable to hypothesize that this would certainly have acted as aversion therapy for any would-be grave robbers.

And then there were the Roman guards. The Roman “guard” was typically a sixteen man unit that followed very strict rules. The guard members could not sit down or lean against anything while they were on duty. If a guard member fell asleep, he was beaten and burned, but he was not the only one executed, the entire sixteen man guard unit was executed if only one of the members fell asleep while on duty. Applying some rational logic, it is easy to conclude two things: 1) it would likely take more manpower to overcome a Roman guard than even to move the square stone. A battle like that would not have gone unnoticed and would have resulted in casualties and loss of life, none of which are reported. 2) This elite and well-trained military unit would not have simply fallen asleep as such a dereliction of duty carried far too great of consequence.

So it is quite easy to see that both logic and reason compel us to the conclusion that something miraculous occurred, just as the Bible describes. People today do not seem to like to consider the possibility of the supernatural when it comes to Christianity, though they might watch ghost stories on TV in deep consideration of the possible reality they represent. Yet here we are, with every known detail begging the conclusion that Easter Sunday represents exactly what the Bible proposes. That an angel of the Lord came down, rolled the stone away while simultaneously striking terror into the otherwise fearless Roman guard, and then delivered to the disciples and the two women named Mary a message about where to find the resurrected Jesus.

So with Easter time upon us, shouldn’t this be the year you accept God’s free gift of salvation by admitting your wrongs and confessing faith in the resurrected Savior, if you haven’t already done so? And if you have, I hope these words provide yet another reason to pursue your faith with renewed vigor and purpose, for the mission field is vast, and the workers are few. But Jesus has promised to be with us until the end of the age, and He has commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations. It is certainly our privilege and honor to do so.

May you have a blessed Easter season, secure in the hope and love of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Risen Savior!

If we can be of assistance in helping you deepen your spiritual journey, please contact us at ReignDropsBlog@gmail.com

Please remember to like us on Facebook to get regular updates from us:  https://www.facebook.com/ReignDropsBlog/