Category: QuietTimes

“”Show me [Jesus] the money used for the tribute [Tax to Caesar].” And they brought Him a denarius, and Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and title are these?” They said, “Caesar’s”. Then He said to them, “Pay therefore to Caesar the things that are due to Caesar, and pay to God the things that are due to God.”” Matthew 22:19-21 ->me: When I read this passage today it was the first time that I applied what Jesus said to all things I might need to ‘render’ to any organization or person.  Jesus did not see a conflict in paying taxes and giving God what is His.  Now you might take the comment that Jesus stated (give Caesar what is Caesar’s….) as being nonsense because God’s claim is that above Caesar; but Jesus, without reducing the demands of loyalty to God, indicates that political allegiance even to a pagan state is not incompatible with it. This is not a rigid division of life into the ‘sacred’ and the ‘secular’, but rather a recognition that the ‘secular’ finds its proper place within the overriding claim of the ‘sacred’.  I can work at Microsoft, a very worldly environment in which I render effort and get paid for the work I do there, but God owns my heart and that I give freely to Him.  I have been bought with a price.  Everything good in me has been created by God; my strengths, talents, patience, mercy, etc.  Anything I [the new man] have to bring to the table is God’s and should be rendered to Him.

“…when the king came in to view the guests, he looked intently at a man there who had on no wedding garment.  And he said, Friend, how did you come in here without putting on the [appropriate] wedding garment? And he was speechless (muzzled, gagged).  Then the king said to the attendants, “Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the darkness outside; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”” Matthew 22:11-13 ->me: This sobering parable is a lesson to the self professing Christian who has not exhibited the ‘new creature-ness’ of their conversion; therefore calling into question the genuineness of their conversion in the first place.  They are the person who sits in Sunday services, sips coffee and talks about the goodness of God with others in the foyer…but then goes home to live a life steeped in sinful behaviors; void of the lifegiving water the fear of God brings.  My cousin Teague and I have a heart for these lost souls who will have this jarring experience at the Throne of God on Judgement Day.  Teague, let’s make it a goal this year to share our testimonies in such a way that these souls may be won for the Kingdom of Heaven!

“And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity, but he who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:12-13 ->me: Today I was listening to John Piper and his sermon on the “Passion for the Supremacy of God”.  He referred to an analogy he has used about the Glacier and the Torch.  The Glacier is the ‘people will grow cold’ in the passage above but we can be the ones holding a torch high.  Think of that picture, standing tall, holding a torch high above your head, melting a hole in that glacier and the glory of God pouring down through that hole.  If there are enough of us in the church holding our torches high, we can (through the power of God) melt a bit of that glacier before He returns to take us home.  I love this picture -> the brightness and heat of my torch of ministry is directly proportionate to the quality time I spend with my Almighty King.

“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:19 ->me: This last year has taught me my limitations. Just like I learned what my pain threshold was when I had a kidney stone, I now understand the limits I need to hold to when it comes to the things of this earth ‘under the sun’. This next year will be different; a year spent seeking more time with God, more time with family, and more time living the love of Christ while I am here on this sphere. Will you partner with me in seeking your own path to glorifying God this next year?  This text is the beginning of another year of daily quiet times. I will try to keep my thoughts short and concise to what God is leading in me for the day. I can’t tell you how excited I am to see what God will do through all of us!!

“The baptism of John—from where was it? From heaven or from men? And they reasoned and argued with one another, If we say, From heaven, He will ask us, Why then did you not believe him? But if we say, From men—we are afraid of and must reckon with the multitude, for they all regard John as a prophet. So they answered Jesus, We do not know. And He said to them, Neither will I tell you by what power of authority I do these things.” Matthew 21:25-27 ->me: This passage is from when Jesus came back to the Temple in Jerusalem to teach right after the ‘Fig Tree Incident’.  The Sanhedrin was questioning Jesus’ authority and from Whom He received it.  2 big points I take away here.  1) the Elders/Chief Priests were more concerned about their idol of public sentiment than the truth that John the Baptist and Jesus had the same ministry -> the Messiah is here and His name is Jesus. [there are too many churches that operate with this same idol in their midst] 2) the Elders/Chief Priests hated the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus because it took away the exclusivity that was ‘the Chosen Children of Israel’.  Just because you were born of Abraham no longer meant that you were secure.  Now that Jesus had come meant that even if you were not born of Abraham, you had an opportunity at Eternity with the Almighty God.  Life application questions:  Am I guilty of feeling exclusive in my ministry?  Do I try to conform God’s word to the culture and social norms of our society?

“…and Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done.  And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.”  Matthew 21:21-22 ->me: Today I read about Jesus withering the fig tree that had produced no fruit.  Remember, this is the morning after 2 days of seeing the perverting of the temple courts and scribes/chief priests questioning Jesus on the children singing “Hosanna, to the Son of David” [Calling Jesus the Messiah].  Jesus was probably down right sick and tired of religiosity without godliness.  Now He comes to a fig tree that has bore leaves but no fruit, so He withers it right there in front of the disciples.  Do the disciples ask why He withered the tree? No, they essentially were in awe of the power to do such a thing.  They were missing the point -> when you have a righteous person, full of faith and no doubt, that person will have God’s power in his hand to do God’s work.  This is important – just like my life verses say [Psalms 1:1-3], {paraphrased} Blessed is the man who delights in the word of God, dwelling on His word day and night; that man will bear fruit in his season and his leaf will not wither…in everything he does, he prospers.{/paraphrased}  When I am so close to God through His word by knowing His character, I will know how He is moving and I will respond to His voice.  It is HIS power in me that can chuck mountains into the see and it is HIS character and will alive in me that prays the right prayers.

“But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did and the boys and the girls and the youths and the maidens crying out in the porches and courts of the temple, Hosanna (O be propitious, graciously inclined) to the Son of David! they were indignant. And they said to Him, Do You hear what these are saying? And Jesus replied to them, Yes; have you never read, Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have made (provided) perfect praise?” Matthew 21:15,16 ->me: I love how, time and time again, Jesus responds to His detractors with a simple reference to scripture.  I believe this is harkening back to Psalms 8:2; in which case He is calling out (again) that He is in fact God.  The other thing that is awesome about this passage is that the verse before (14) talks about how Jesus was healing the blind and lame right after He had cleansed the temple of the money changers and vendors.  Does Jesus go and brood over the anger He had for these ‘robbers’ in the temple? No, He immediately went out and healed the sick; serving the people.  Top 2 takeaways today: 1) Scripture is powerful [the Word of God].  Liberally use it in my daily walk to ward off both earthly and spiritual enemies.  2) Don’t let my righteous anger turn into something sinful like resentment, bitterness, or brooding.  It is ok to be upset and angered by child trafficking or terrorism, but put the emotion to work in acts of service by helping others.

“And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” Matthew 21:12-13 ->me: For Passover, people would come from far away to worship in Jerusalem but they needed an animal for sacrifice and the sellers of the animals only accepted ‘temple coins’.  There were money changers on hand to take foreign money in exchange for the ‘temple coins’ which it is likely that these money changers were charging huge exchange rates, taking advantage of people who had no other choice.  Not only that but these vendors and money changers were clogging up the temple courts making it hard for people to get in and worship.  Jesus became upset about the compromising of His Father’s Temple as a House of Prayer.  As I was reading and trying to apply to my own life, I recognized that my body is, in fact, a temple unto the Lord.  Is it possible that I am perverting the use of “God’s House” when I compromise my prayer walk?  This was very convicting as my prayer walk has not been what it should.  I can’t remember the last time I prayed my prayer cards I made after reading “A Praying Life”.  Ugh….Thank you God for always giving me the prodding I need through Your Word and Holy Spirit.

“The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them (the cloaks). Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” Matthew 21:6-8 ->me: [This is yesterday’s QT notes.  I will send today’s later in the afternoon.] This picture of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem hit me in a new way today.  The laying of cloaks on the Donkey and Colt as well as the road in front of Jesus is a note for my life and how I move forward in fellowship with Him.  The people were laying down whatever they were wearing.  Some had been traveling with Jesus for some time and their coats would have been dusty, sweaty, and dirty; but it is what they had.  What was impressed on me is how I can bring whatever I have to worship my King.  Whatever I have chosen to clothe myself today can be laid before Him as an act of signifying Him as the Lord of my life.  As a life group leader and man of God I set the example for others (just as the disciples did) by laying my cloak down first.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”  Zechariah 9:9 -> me: This wonderful passage is one of which Jesus was fulfilling in scripture when He rode into Jerusalem on the Donkey.  The other passage is Isaiah 62:11.  My reading this morning was actually Matthew 21:1-5 but this reference really had an impression on me.  Over the last week I have whipsawed through emotions and attitudes.  Work has been challenging as I have provided some pretty critical feedback to my management chain although with respect and integrity.  But I ask myself – was I modeling my Savior in being humble, lowly, meek, kind, and patient?  Maybe some, but not totally.  I, like Jesus, must come into every situation with a meek and lowly agenda.  Agendas from which flow a kindness and peace that come from a place of true love.  There are trials that I, and my family, are in the midst of right now that will call on us to come to the table with these attributes of Jesus.  I am confident that If we do, we will not only be making our Lord and Savior proud we will be reflecting Him to those involved in our circumstances.