Kenneth Winter's Blog, page 3

You’re Not Alone

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

Have you ever felt completely alone on this journey of life? Have you ever been overwhelmed by the challenges surrounding you? If so, there’s a lesson we can learn from the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness.

The Israelites were, as you will recall, descendants of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, whom God renamed Israel after they wrestled by the Jabbok brook.(1) The Amalekites(2) were the descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau, who was Israel’s brother and also a grandson of Abraham. It had been approximately 440 years since the families of Esau and Israel had last met.

During those years, while the descendants of Israel were enslaved in Egypt, the descendants of Esau (the Amalekites) had established their territory in the southern part of the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel by God. You will recall, Esau had given up his birthright,(3) and had been despoiled of his blessing.(4)

The land the Amalekites now inhabited was in fact the birthright of their cousins, the Israelites. But these were not “kissing cousins”. The Amalekites knew all too well about the birthright they had lost and were determined to retain through battle what they had lost many years earlier through birthright. The warriors of the Amalekite branch of the family tree had come to Rephidim to defeat and destroy their Israelite cousins. So Moses commanded Joshua to call the Israelites to arms to fight the army of Amalek.

Moses then called Aaron and Hur to go to the top of a hill that overlooked the field of battle, where the descendants of Abraham—Israelite and Amalekite—would battle one another. It was appropriate that Moses asked Aaron and Hur to join him. Aaron was the older brother of Moses, ordained by God to be Moses’ spokesperson. Hur was Moses’ brother-in-law; the historian Josephus tells us that Hur was the husband of Moses’ sister Miriam.

God led Moses to stand at the top of the hill with the staff of God in his hand and promised that as long as the staff remained upraised, the Israelites—God’s chosen people—would have the advantage. God didn’t promise they wouldn’t have to fight their cousins; rather, He assured them of victory if they followed His instruction. But it wouldn’t be accomplished by any one person individually. It would involve the whole family.

God surrounded Moses and the people with family members through whom He desired to equip them for His purpose. God knew Moses couldn’t keep his hands upraised by himself and provided brothers to stand on either side to hold up his hands until the task was completed. God knew Joshua couldn’t defeat the army of Amalek by himself and provided an army of brothers to fight alongside him.

i am mindful that God does not intend our journeys through life to be a solitary event. He has raised up family members—both those by birth, as well as those by rebirth—to walk with us, hold up our arms, fightalongside us, and encourage us on the journey. Never think for one moment that God has sent you out alone.

Yes, it is God who is leading us and strengthening us—but watch for the family that He brings alongside you to accomplish His purpose. And never think that your journey is just about you; it’s God’s journey … and He does not intend for you to make it alone.

* * * * *

You can read about the Israelite’s encounter with the Amalekites in the seventeenth chapter of the Book of Exodus.

This post is taken from chapter 20 of my book, The Journey Begins. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Genesis 32:28

(2)  Exodus 17:8-13 (NLT)

While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek came to fight against them. Moses commanded Joshua, "Call the Israelites to arms, and fight the army of Amalek. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand."

So Joshua did what Moses had commanded. He led his men out to fight the army of Amalek. Meanwhile Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of a nearby hill. As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites gained the upper hand. Moses' arms finally became too tired to hold up the staff any longer. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side, holding up his hands until sunset. As a result, Joshua and his troops were able to crush the army of Amalek.

(3)  Genesis 25:33

(4)  Genesis 27:36-37

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Image generated using Midjourney

Disciples Who Make Disciples

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

Imagine the surprise of the Jerusalem church when Saul, the persecutor, showed up in the city professing to be a follower of Christ. They were filled with fear and disbelief.(1) They thought his claim was a deception designed to entrap them. They knew him before he left Jerusalem over three years earlier and that he had gone to Damascus in order to arrest the believers there. They knew what he was capable of. There was no way he could be a follower of Jesus! And what’s more, he was claiming to be an apostle. Even if it was true that he was now a follower of Jesus, how could he possibly make claim to be an apostle? He hadn’t walked with Jesus—or so they thought. No, there was no way they were going to accept him into their fellowship!

That is, until a believer named Barnabas took action. Luke tells us that Barnabas “was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith.”(2) He demonstrated his selflessness and generosity by selling his property and giving all of the proceeds to the church.(3) He was quickly seen within the newly-developing church as a leader—but this “son of encouragement” was more than that—he was a leader-maker. He was willing to take a risk for the sake of the Kingdom. He was willing to take the risk and sell his property, and he was willing to take the risk and reach out to Saul. He was willing to put his riches and his reputation on the line for the cause of Christ. He not only reached out to Saul; he put his arm around him and drew him close.

If you have followed my blog or podcast for a while, you have probably heard me speak of a man by the name of Bryan Evans, who was a Barnabas in my life for a number of years. God brought Bryan into my life to be a part of the journey that led to my salvation in Christ. He reached out to me as a friend and a discipler. Initially, because of the place where i was walking, i saw him as somewhat extreme in his relationship with Christ, but i never questioned the genuineness of his faith.

When, as a new believer, i was seeking God’s direction for my life, Bryan volunteered to meet with me each morning before the crack of dawn to pray together. As i followed the Lord’s leading to enter into pastoral ministry, he was there to pray for me and encourage me every step of the way. When, as a pastor, i needed someone to lead through some challenging projects, he was there to stand in the gap with me and lead. i rarely saw Bryan when he wasn’t surrounded by several men in whom he was pouring his life. Bryan, like Barnabas, was a leader-maker—and though time and distance now separate us, i’m sure he still is!

Barnabas convinced Peter and James (the half-brother of Jesus) to meet with Saul. Saul tells us in his letter to the church in Galatia(4) that he did not meet with any of the other apostles at that time. But over a fifteen-day period, he told Peter, James, and Barnabas about the work that God had done in his life over the previous three years from the moment of his salvation until the current time. In particular, he told them about the time he had spent walking with Jesus in the wilderness of Arabia.

Bear in mind, there is no indication that Jesus appeared to him bodily or in any way other than how he appeared to him on the Road to Damascus. However, Jesus discipled Saul—in whatever way He chose to do so—in the truths that He had taught the other apostles, and in the truths that the apostle He was sending to the Gentiles needed to know. By the conclusion of Saul’s time with Peter and James, they were convinced of the veracity of his testimony the genuineness of his transformation, and his apostleship.

Saul accompanied some of the leaders of the Jerusalem church—at least, Peter, James and Barnabas—as they went all around the city, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. Many of the Jews, especially the Hellenistic Jews who had engineered Stephen’s trial and death, recognized Saul. They began to debate with him, and he may have felt a need to take up Stephen’s witness, in whose death he had been complicit. The Jews soon began to formulate a plan to murder him, but God had other plans for Saul.

He tells us through Luke, “I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance. I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t accept your testimony about Me.’ ‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You. And I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.’ But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’”(5)

Knowing the threat against Saul, the believers helped him make his way to Caesarea so he could sail to his hometown of Tarsus to tell his family and friends about Jesus. Though Scripture is silent on the point, i would conjecture that Barnabas was right there with him every step of the way—when the Jews were debating with him and accompanying Saul to the docks in Caesarea. Barnabas didn’t “make leaders” from a distance. He was there with him—with his arm around him—walking with him through “thick and thin”. Such was this son of encouragement!

Upon arrival in Tarsus, the city became Saul’s “base of ministry” as he began to carry the gospel to the Gentiles. He evangelized in the regions of Syria and Cilicia,(6) planting churches as he went.(7) It is very likely that some of the trials Saul writes about in his second letter to the church in Corinth(8) occurred during this period, including at least a half dozen beatings at the hands of the Jews, as well as the Romans (at the urging of the Jews). He apparently was shipwrecked twice during that period. Those seven years were anything but a “cakewalk”. Through those years, the gospel was being preached and the Kingdom advanced among the Gentiles long before he and Barnabas were reunited seven years later in Tarsus.(9)

Though Barnabas and Saul were apart for those seven years, God used Barnabas in the Lord’s perfect timing to encourage and help strengthen Saul in his faith. He introduced him to the apostles, enabling Saul to go out with the endorsement of the Jerusalem church. He had been the friend and companion Saul needed in that season—and he would be again.

That’s a good reminder for us: a “Barnabas” may not walk with us permanently, but his/her efforts on our behalf will always have a lasting impact. Everyone needs at least one Barnabas in their lives. Thankfully, often God brings more than one. And He, in turn, gives us the opportunity to be a Barnabas in others’ lives.

Be that Barnabas that God has equipped you to be, and called you to be. Step up boldly and courageously as He brings that one across your path, being that friend and that encourager who “sticks closer than a brother” or a sister.(10) God has ordered each of our journeys to prepare us as a Barnabas, and to bring that one across our path who is in need of a Barnabas. Let’s be alert and not miss the invitation!

Though the seven years that followed, while Saul was in Tarsus, Syria and Cilicia, was a time of “peace” in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, it wasn’t a season of complacency. The church grew and strengthened. God raised up new workers to continue the work. Barnabas was there in Jerusalem to encourage those new workers as well.

God is still raising up new workers today—workers for us to encourage! And He will continue to do so… until He returns.

* * * * *

You can read about how God used Barnabas to disciple Saul in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Acts.

This post is taken from chapter 27 of my book, Until He Returns. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Acts 9:26-31(NLT)

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus. So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him.When the believers heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown.The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.

 

(2)  Acts 11:24 (NLT)

(3)  Acts 4:36-37

(4)  Galatians 1:18

(5)  Acts 22:17-21 (NLT)

(6)  Galatians 1:21

(7)  Acts 15:41

(8)  2 Corinthians 11:24-36

(9)  Acts 11:25

(10) Proverbs 18:24 (NLT)

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by Erika Persson on Lightstock

No Detail Is Too Small

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

It was the fifth day of the week – Thursday – and the 14th day of Nissan on the Hebrew calendar. The Passover Festival was to begin at dusk with the Passover Seder and continue for seven days, as it still does today. In preparation for the festival, all leavening (Chametz) was to be removed from the Jewish households. Leaven symbolized corruption or sin, so for the seven days of Passover, Jews ate only unleavened bread.(1) Often, any Chametz remaining in the household the day before Passover was removed and destroyed by burning. That morning in Jerusalem the pungent odor of burning Chametz would have permeated the air in and around the city. Every household was completing its preparations.

The preparations were so important to Jesus that He sent His two most trusted disciples:(2) Peter (the one upon whom He would build His church)(3) and John (the one to whom He would entrust the care of His mother).(4) Notice that when Jesus instructed them to go and prepare the meal, they wisely asked Him for specific instructions. Both men would have known what preparations were required under the Law. Both had traveled to Jerusalem many times before for the observance of Passover. Both were leaders. It would have been very easy for them to receive instruction from Jesus to “go” and then head off to do what they believed was right. How often do we attempt to go off and do God’s work in our own way? How often do we fail to ask Him the “how” question? How often do we make our own plan and ask Jesus to bless it instead of asking Him for His plan, so we can join Him in His activity?

Gratefully, Peter and John asked. And Jesus had all the details already worked out. i wonder how much time and energy Peter and John would have needlessly wasted if they had failed to ask. As we take up the cross that Jesus has called us to carry, let us not forget to continue to ask Him the “how” question. Peter may have had his shortcomings as the day progressed, but he started the day well by wisely asking Jesus “how.”

Just as Jesus had arranged for a donkey and its colt to be available for His entry into the city on the first day of the week, it appears that Jesus had made prior arrangements for the Passover meal. Apparently, during His previous visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication in the winter,(5) He had made these arrangements. Remember, the record crowd in Jerusalem would have made it very difficult to find a room in the city—but Jesus had already taken care of that detail. He had left nothing out of His planning, as reflected by the detailed instructions He gave Peter and John.

As they entered Jerusalem:

There would be a man waiting to meet them.

The man would know who they were—in a crowd of over one million people, no less!

The man would be carrying a pitcher of water so that he could be identified by them.

They were to follow him.

As the man entered the house, they were to follow him in and speak to the owner.

They were to ask on behalf of the “Teacher” where the room was that they would be using for the meal.

The owner would take them to the room that had been reserved and was of sufficient size for all of them to gather.

It was there that Peter and John were to make preparations for the meal so that everything would be ready when Jesus and the other disciples arrived.

Bear in mind that Jesus knew He would be betrayed and arrested that night. He knew it that morning when He gave Peter and John these instructions, and He had known it back in the fall when He made the arrangements. He wasn’t distracted by what was about to occur. On the contrary, His planning and preparation were complete to the most “minor” detail—because nothing in God’s providential plan is minor! Don’t lose sight that our God is God over all the details. There is nothing in our path—or in our lives—that escapes His notice or foreknowledge.

Imagine if you knew exactly what the stock market was going to do tomorrow. You could buy or sell today and tomorrow in a way that would maximize your financial gain because it would all be mapped out for you, down to the very detail. You would know the exact time and manner to execute your strategy—and there would be no guessing involved. Well, we serve a God and follow a Master who knows exactly what tomorrow holds—and His designs are much greater than anything that will happen in the stock market! And He has a perfect plan and path for us—including the most minor detail, if we will but ask, heed, and follow His plan!

The Seder was typically conducted in a family home or, as pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem, in a room set aside for that purpose with a gathering of family members or friends. There would have been a table large enough for Jesus and His disciples to gather around. There would have been pillows for everyone to be seated on the floor in a reclining position. The menu would have included an unleavened flatbread called “matzo,” bitter herbs called “maror,” dipping bowls of salt water, and red wine to drink (symbolizing the lamb’s shed blood). The Gospel accounts do not reference other elements that would have been common to the Seder meal, so i will not include them here. However, it is very probable that other elements were a part of their Passover Seder that night. Peter and John were charged with the responsibility to make sure that every detail was in place, and they found everything as Jesus told them it would be.

The same Lord who directed the angel of death to “pass over” the homes whose door posts were stained with the blood of the lamb so many years prior,(6) and who directed the people through Moses to observe the Passover each year,(7) was now going to lead His disciples through one last remembrance. And the Lamb of God made certain that every detail was in place—just as He had told them.

As we take up the cross to follow Him, we can be confident that everything will be ready, and every detail needed will be in place in order to accomplish His plan and purpose. Trust Him and heed His word—just as He has told you!

* * * * *

You can read the instructions Jesus gave His disciples in the twenty-second chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

This post is taken from chapter 28 of my book, Taking Up The Cross. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Exodus 12:15

(2)  Luke 22:7-13 (NLT)

Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.” “Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked Him. He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters,   say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with My disciples?’ He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

(3)  Matthew 16:18

(4)  John 19:26-27

(5)  John 10:22

(6)  Exodus 12:13

(7)  Exodus 12:14

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by LUMO-The Gospels for the visual age on Lightstock

If You Will, You Can

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

The Bible is filled with many people who face impossible situations beyond their control. They include Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when faced with the fiery furnace, and Daniel in the lions’ den. They also include an unnamed leper we encounter in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke who faced the hopelessness of his terminal disease.

i believe the omission of his name is purposeful. As a part of the nameless crowd, he could be any one of us, free from any of the preconceived notions that might come with knowing his background.

Allow me to tell his story in the first person as if i were him—because parts of his story may truly be mine … and perhaps you, too, share in his story.

* * * * *

Leprosy is known as the “living death” among my people. Many believe that lepers are being punished by God for our sins, which makes us feel ashamed. That shame made me get as far away from the city I used to call home as I possibly could.

Those of us with the disease are considered unclean and we are not permitted to come within six feet of another person. As a matter of fact, on a windy day we aren’t permitted to be any closer than one hundred fifty feet. I wanted to put an even greater distance between me and my friends and family because I didn’t want to see their look of pity mixed with fear.

Our disfigurement causes our appearance to be a warning to others to stay away. We are cast out of our homes and our villages to live solitary lives until we die – or until somehow, by the grace of God, we are miraculously healed. I was not holding out for a miracle.

It is a hopeless existence. Since lepers are unable to work, we have no way to provide for our needs. We depend on the generosity of family members or those who show us compassion. As a result, more lepers die of starvation than they do the disease. And leprosy is no respecter of persons or position. It afflicts the affluent and the poor equally.

One of the things lepers like me long for the most is the simple act of physical touch. We are acutely aware that we will never again be able to experience the tenderness or warmth of an embrace or the assurance of a handshake. As the months of my affliction passed, my condition continued to deteriorate. I knew the signs, and I knew my death was imminent.

One morning, I was staring blankly off into the distance. My eyesight had worsened to the point I could no longer distinguish features, just shapes. I saw what appeared to be a Man walking in my direction. As best I could tell He was surrounded by a large group of followers. Those walking with Him were asking Him questions, and He was answering them. He obviously was a teacher of some sort. As they got closer, I heard someone address Him by name—Jesus!

Even there in the middle of nowhere, I had heard of a Man named Jesus. People said He was possibly the promised Messiah, and that He had the power to heal. At that moment, I knew what I had to do. I didn’t think about it. I didn’t hesitate. I just started running toward Him! I don’t know where my strength came from. For weeks now I had barely been able to walk. But suddenly I was running!

Imagine how strange—and frightening—the sight of a leper running toward them must have been to the crowd who was accompanying Jesus. As I think back, I wonder if any of them picked up sticks or stones to throw at me to keep me away.

As I approached Him, I stopped and bowed my head. I am sure everyone was astonished that I dared to come near Him. But I didn’t even see them. I knew there was only One in their midst who could possibly heal me. I could barely speak, but somehow I was able to whisper, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.”(1)

Then Jesus did the unthinkable! He walked right up to me, not keeping the six-foot distance, and He reached out … and touched me! I could not remember the last time anyone had touched me. I heard an audible gasp from the crowd. What had Jesus done? He had now made Himself unclean by touching a leper! Why would He do that? He could have simply spoken, but instead He touched me!

Then Jesus said, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, “I will; be clean.”(2)

You’re not going to believe this, but instantly I knew I had been healed. Strength that had been gone for years entered into my body. My eyesight became clear. My numbness was gone, and feeling had returned. My skin was clear. Every blemish was gone! All within the blink of an eye! When the sun rose that morning, I had thought it was the day I was going to die. But instead, it was the day Jesus gave me new life! I was healed!

Everyone around us stood in silence. I fell to my knees. The strength had returned to my voice and I wanted to thank Him. But the words that came out of my mouth did not carry the weight of the gratitude I wanted to express.  As I knelt before Him, Jesus looked down at me and told me not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”(3)

As I rose to my feet, I instinctively reached out and embraced Him. The crowd gasped for a second time – but their gasps turned to silence when Jesus smiled and returned my embrace.

As I stood there with His arms wrapped around me, He said, “After you have seen the priest, go and be restored to your family. They have prayed to the Father on your behalf. Tell them that the Father has heard and answered their prayers. Go and be declared clean, for what I have made clean can never again become unclean!”

Then He let go of me and stood directly in front of me smiling. It had been a long time since anyone had smiled at me. The members of my family had stopped smiling at me long ago. Strangers looked at me with fear. Fellow lepers looked at me with despair. But Jesus smiled at me! So, I basked in His smile, just like I had basked in His embrace.

Soon He turned and continued on His way northward. I turned south and began my journey home. I had left my home downhearted and in despair. I never anticipated I would be able to return. But now, here I was – and I could not wait to get there. My pace was brisk, and my heart was full to overflowing.

* * * * *

The leper’s words were simple: “Lord, if You will, You can.” Jesus’ response indicates that the man’s faith further communicated, “… but if not, i will still trust You!” The first statement shows he believed Jesus was able; the second demonstrates he had faith that Jesus knew what was best. The first communicates belief; the second, conviction.

Jesus’ half-brother, James, writes that even demons believe.(4) However, faith trusts Him even when He doesn’t answer the way we expect, or prefer. Faith acknowledges He is God and we are not. He knows what’s best, and we don’t. That’s hard to accept when we’re in a desperate situation, but sometimes it takes a desperate situation to bring us to that realization. Sometimes we need to come to the end of ourselves.

Are you in a place like that? Then it’s time to take it from a leper who had come to the end of himself: Lord, if You will, You can … but if not, I will still trust You!

* * * * *

You can read about the leper in the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.

Portions of this post are taken from the story “Lazarus – the friend” in my collection of short stories, The One Who Stood Before Us. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1) Matthew 8:2 (ESV)

(2) Matthew 8:3 (ESV)

(3) Matthew 8:4 (ESV)

(4) James 2:19

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by LUMO-The Gospels for the visual age on Lightstock

Plucking the Grain

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

i’m about to show my age. i remember when i was a kid, the only establishments open for business on Sunday were restaurants and emergency services. The opening of the restaurants must have come about because everyone knows that good food—particularly the gospel bird—is essential for good fellowship and rest on the Lord’s Day. My family tells me that when i was a child, i would often say “Chicken on Sunday is what keeps you flying all week!” i’m not quite sure where that came from, but it gave a little boy a lot of laughs. I’m also not totally sure how it was that restaurants were the permissible business to be open, but someone somewhere had made that “pronouncement” and given them “special dispensation.” Chick-fil-A didn’t yet exist back then!

i can remember going to the cafeteria located at our local indoor shopping mall, and it was the only storefront open. People would walk around the mall’s interior after their Sunday dinner, looking in the windows of the seventy-plus closed storefronts. Sunday didn’t look like any other day of the week. It was set aside for going to church, staying at home, being with family, and resting. Those Sundays are fond memories of simpler days. Interestingly, that Sabbath rest was not just enjoyed by churchgoers; it was enjoyed by everyone across our nation. It was a weekly Sabbath for everyone (except for those who worked in the restaurants and emergency services). It was a “national” observance of a weekly Sabbath that thousands of years prior, God had given to one nation—the nation of Israel.

God gave the Sabbath to the people of Israel right after they came out of their bondage in Egypt.(1) The Sabbath was a gift from God, intended for the blessing of His people. It was given as an expression of freedom. But over time, religious leaders had turned this blessing from God into a crushing burden by heaping on traditions and restrictions that equated to nothing more than religious bondage. A day intended for rest and worship had become a day of confinement and duty. The religious leaders of the day had long since turned from leading the people to worship the Lord of the Sabbath, and had become the “Sabbath enforcers”—determining what could and could not be done on that day—and making sure that everyone abided by their mandates. It had changed from being a day of rest into a day filled with rules. In many respects, the Sabbath was no longer about worshiping the Father; rather, it was more about the religious leaders and obeying their rules.

On one particular day, as Jesus and His disciples were walking through a grainfield, the religious leaders accused Jesus and His disciples of an act of “Sabbath defiance.”(2) You may recall another kerfuffle Jesus stirred up by healing a crippled man at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath.(3) Now, as they walked through the grainfield, His disciples were “wantonly disregarding the rules” by plucking off the heads of grain, rubbing them between their hands, and eating the grain.

Thus we see the clash—one that continues today—between the religious traditions of men and an authentic relationship with a Holy God. God is surely more concerned with bringing glory to His Name than He is with protecting religious tradition. The religious leaders had their priorities confused. So Jesus told them to get their priorities right: “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”(4)

Was Jesus saying disregard the Sabbath? Of course not! He told them that He is Lord, even over the Sabbath. The Sabbath was created for the rest of man and the worship of God, not for the worship of Sabbath. Jesus was admonishing them to strip away everything they had added to the Word of God in their practices and expressions of worship—including the oppressive rules they had added to Sabbath!

However, the Pharisees are not the only ones who have developed traditions and placed them above the Word of God, whether it is about Sabbath, worship, or our day-to-day walk with the Master. We, too, have created our traditions and given them an exalted place in what it means to worship and be a follower of Christ. You see, those traditions demonstrated across our churches, such as what style of clothing is acceptable to wear when we gather to worship, what style of music is acceptable to sing in worship, how and how often we observe the Lord’s Supper, and on and on. And that’s just the beginning. On top of that, we have added programs and events and practices that have become such a part of our lives that we would consider it heresy to strip them away. And that’s not just true of long-standing traditional churches; it’s also true of more recently planted churches that have also developed newly formed traditions and practices that are dangerously close to eclipsing the very gospel itself.

As missionaries prepare to be sent overseas as church planters, an important part of their training is to help them strip away from their idea of “church” every element that we in the West have added—from the place that we worship, to the way it is appointed, to the order and style of our worship, and so on. We need to be careful that we don’t add anything that would prevent people from “plucking” the grain of the gospel and feeding on His Word, and worshiping our Lord authentically with their whole heart, soul and mind.

We must turn our walk from being about what we are against to Who we are for—from being about a list of do’s and don’ts, to being followers of Jesus and lovers of our neighbors.

As you walk with the Master today, be sure to pluck some grain off the stalks if you’re hungry—physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Also, make sure you don’t set any rules or elevate any traditions that keep others who are hungering or thirsting for our Father from doing the same.

* * * * *

You can read about the accusation of the Pharisees in the second chapter of the Gospel of Mark.

This post is taken from chapter 21 of my book, Walking With The Master. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Exodus 16:29-30

(2)  Excerpt from Mark 2:23-28 (NLT))

One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, His disciples began

breaking off heads of grain to eat. But the Pharisees said to Jesus,

“Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”

…Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

 

(3)  John 5:1-10

(4)  Mark 2:27-28 (NLT)

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by Polonio Video on Lightstock

Whose Counsel Will We Seek?

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

Though the term “fake news” was coined in the late 1800s and the birth of the digital age has greatly multiplied its prevalence in our day-to-day world, the reality is that it dates back to the Garden of Eden. Satan was the original editor-in-chief of “fake news,” and he still is! That’s why there is only one reliable source for all that we need to know in making our decisions.

Fake news can appear to be very authentic. Since its editor-in-chief is the master of deception, he knows just how much truth to sprinkle in to make it appear to be fact. He knew how to appeal to Adam and Eve’s eyes (the beauty of the fruit), their soulish appetite for greater understanding, and their selfish ambition for greater ability and power. So, instead of seeking counsel from the One who created all things, they bought the lie without hesitating and paid the price—and destined us to do the same.

A great example of succumbing to fake news shows up in the Book of Joshua.(1) We read about a place called Gibeon, which literally means “hill place.” It stood at an elevation of about 2400 feet, towering over most of the other cities of Canaan. It was a fortress city dating back to the days soon after the flood. It had existed for almost 1000 years because it was easily defensible. But the leaders of Gibeon were not going to take their chances against a nation they were confident would destroy them.

They didn’t band together with their cousins who lived in the hill country, the western foothills or along the sea. However, they did learn from their cousins in Heshbon, Bashan, Jericho and Ai. They learned that the LORD God of Israel was greater than any other, and that He had promised His people all of the land of Canaan and to destroy all of the people living in it. They had learned that the obstinance of the king of Heshbon, the gigantic size of the king of Bashan, the superior defenses of the king of Jericho, and the bold attack of the king of Ai had not served them well; rather, it had led to their utter defeat and destruction. Thus, they were not going to rely on their fighting skills or their fortress; rather, they chose to turn to their cunning.

The Gibeonites opted to use the weapon of deception—and they were very good at producing fake news—down to the last detail. They loaded their donkeys with patched wineskins and weathered saddlebags. They loaded their packs with dry and moldy bread. They dressed themselves in ragged clothes and worn-out, patched sandals.

Remember that God had provided the Israelites with fresh manna every day throughout their wandering, and their clothes and sandals had not worn out for forty years.(2) They had not experienced mold, patches or ragged clothes in their long travels. So the Gibeonites must have presented a very strange appearance to the Israelites, but obviously one they believed to be authentic.

The Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the LORD.(3) Joshua and the Israelite leaders had apparently not learned from their experience at Ai. Because for the second time in recent days, they relied on their own ability to assess the situation and come up with the best course of action. They were thorough in their analysis—down to the moldy breadcrumbs—but totally negligent where it really mattered. Their first failure at Ai had resulted in death and defeat; this failure had resulted in deception. Both of which had been totally unnecessary, if they had “consulted” the LORD.

Therein is the lesson for all of us. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.(4)

1. Trust Him completely. Interestingly, the Gibeonites demonstrated this quality much more genuinely than the Israelites did in this case. Though they went about it differently, they demonstrated the same faith in God that Rahab had. They had heard about the God of Israel (His mighty works). They had heard about what He could do (His defeat of the other tribes). They had heard what He said He was going to do (His promise of Canaan to the Israelites). And they had acted confidently, knowing that what He said, He would do. Now i am not applauding their deception, but i am applauding their understanding and confidence in Jehovah God’s ability to do what He says He will do.

2. Do your diligence, but don’t depend on it. Be careful with this one, because too many have used this principle to be negligent. i spoke to a pastor a while back who told me that his church had voted to send out one of their members as a missionary to another country. The church was sending and financially supporting this young woman directly. But as we spoke further, it became obvious that the church had no idea what this young woman was going to be doing, who she would be working with, where she would be living, what support system was available if any difficulty or emergency arose, and much more. In short, they knew nothing, and yet they were fully funding her and “sending” her out. That’s not faith; that’s recklessness! But the reverse would be just as wrong. Attempting to know the answer to every question and every detail, and trusting on those answers without a clear word from God is presumptuous on our part.

3. Seek Him in everything. This is where the Israelites kept missing it, and this is where you and i too frequently miss it. We fail to seek God—and a clear word from Him. Sometimes we do so because we think it is small enough for us to handle on our own—that it is “too small to bother Him with.” That was the mistake at Ai. i have made that mistake more than i care to admit. Other times we fail to seek Him, because deep down, our will or our flesh wants to do it our way—even if God doesn’t want us to. Or we have sought Him, and we have His answer, but we don’t like His answer.

4. Take His path. This most often is where that step of faith will come in. You know you have a clear word of direction from the Lord, but the step is way outside of your comfort zone. Trust Him. Take the step—or the leap—whichever the case may be.

Whatever your role and whatever your situation—seek the Lord’s counsel! That’s not just a word of wisdom for leaders —it applies to all of us! Avoid the defeats at Ai and the deceptions at Gibeon. Don’t listen to the fake news. Walk in the confidence and assurance that the Lord’s counsel will surely bring.

* * * * *

You can read about the deception of the people of Gibeon in the ninth chapter of the Book of Joshua.

A portion of this post is taken from chapter 23 of my book, Possessing The Promise. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Excerpt from Joshua 9:1-27 (NLT)

But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy. …So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the LORD. Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath.

 

(2)  Deuteronomy 29:5

(3)  Joshua 9:14 (NLT)

(4)  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by Kevin Carden on Lightstock

No Matter Where We Are

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

Two Israelite men, Eldad and Medad, were part of a group of seventy elders that God had directed Moses to assemble.(1) We don’t know from which tribe these men originated. There is no further information about them other than this one reference in Scripture. For some unknown reason these two men, who were probably brothers, had not gone to the Tabernacle with the rest of the elders; they were still in the camp. However, when the Holy Spirit came upon the elders, He came upon all of the elders, including these two who weren’t in the tabernacle. Oh, and isn’t it interesting that theirs are the only names we know out of that group of seventy? Perhaps the Lord has a lesson for us to learn from these two men.

Well, anyway, they, like the others, began to prophesy. They began to speak the truth of God, under the anointing of God, with the power of God. Up until this point, the people had only heard Moses and Aaron speak with that kind of anointing. Thus the people in the camp marveled at the boldness and authority with which these men spoke. Joshua, Moses’ protégé, who was a young man at the time, ran to tell Moses what was going on. He himself was probably one of the seventy elders.

He demanded that Moses order them to stop, having falsely assumed that only those gathered in the tabernacle were anointed to speak. He believed that only those under the direct purview of Moses were given that ability, and therefore allowing them to continue was an affront to Moses, the elders, and even the Lord. But Moses wisely saw that there was jealousy in Joshua’s motivation, albeit perhaps a jealousy on behalf of Moses; and he wisely squelched that jealousy right there.

First, Moses knew what we too must realize: God does not operate under our limitations or our restrictions. God’s Spirit will fill whomever He chooses, wherever He chooses, and whenever He chooses. In those days, before the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, God’s Spirit would fill those that He had anointed for a specific time and purpose. For example, these elders, many believe, were only able to speak with this kind of anointing for this one day. God’s Spirit did not remain upon them continuously, as He did on Moses.

Bear in mind that you and i, if we are followers of Jesus, have God’s Spirit dwelling within us. If we are saved, we are indwelt by His presence – He does not come and go from our lives. We are, however, to continuously seek the filling of His Spirit.(2) And our Lord commands us to be cleansed vessels suitable for His filling and His use.(3) We do not need to be in a specific place to be filled, but we must be in a specific posture—we must be postured as that cleansed vessel.

Though Eldad and Medad were not in the Tabernacle, their absence was apparently not a result of any disobedience on their part, because God would not have filled them with His Spirit if they had been postured in disobedience. Moses wisely understood that God had chosen them right where they were for that precise time.

The same principle holds true for us. If you know that God has led you to the place where you are right now, you can be assured that He has done so for His purpose. The fact that He has led you is indicative that He has called you and chosen you; and He will fill you with His Spirit, if you will remain in a cleansed and usable posture.     

Second, Moses’ response to Joshua is also a lament. “I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his Spirit upon them all!"(4) God desires to fill all of His people all of the time. He has saved us that we might be His instruments for the accomplishment of His purpose for eternity throughout this world at this time. It is not His intent or His plan that only some of us be filled with His Spirit; and it is not His plan that we only be filled with His Spirit some of the time.

Why is it that 80% of the work is done by 20% of the church? Why is it that 80% of the financial resources given for the Lord’s work are given by 20% of God’s people? Why are we, like the Israelites, content to sit in our camps and complain, when our Lord desires for us to be filled with His Spirit as champions of His Kingdom? The LORD desires to put His Spirit upon us all, all the time.        

Third, Moses’ response to Joshua is a testimony and a testament to the fact that there is to be no jealousy among God’s people. God has chosen to accomplish His work through His people for His purpose and for His glory. We don’t write the script, we don’t direct the scene, and we don’t control the outcome. The only jealousy that needs to exist within the body of Christ is an increased jealousy for the glory of God—a passion that nothing and no one act in any manner that would distract or detract from His glory.    

Today, no matter where you are physically, you are His tabernacle—His earthly dwelling place. He desires for you to be filled with His Spirit. Let’s learn the lesson from Eldad and Medad, no matter where we are, and remain in a posture that we are fillable. And, oh yes, it will be conspicuous to those around us!

* * * * *

You can read about Eldad and Medad in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Numbers.

This post is taken from chapter 13 of my book, The Wandering Years. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Numbers 11:26-29 (NLT)

Two men, Eldad and Medad, were still in the camp when the Spirit rested upon them. They were listed among the leaders but had not gone out to the Tabernacle, so they prophesied there in the camp. A young man ran and reported to Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!" Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' personal assistant since his youth, protested, "Moses, my master, make them stop!" But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his Spirit upon them all!"

(2)  Ephesians 5:18

(3)  2 Timothy 2:21

(4)  Numbers 11:29 (NLT)

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Image by Midjourney

Put to the Test

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

Every student knows that once you have been given instruction, you will be given an opportunity to apply that instruction or demonstrate how well you have retained it by putting it to the test. Those tests come in a variety of forms.

There are pop quizzes—a few short questions placed before you unexpectedly to test your grasp of an idea, principle, or fact soon after it has been presented to you.

There are tests—periodic exams given at the conclusion of a defined period of teaching, i.e. weekly, end-of-chapter, etc.

And, there are exams, including the mother of all exams—the final exam—through which you are tested on instruction you have received over an extended period, i.e. a semester or academic year.

The teachers i always appreciated the most were the ones that forewarned, “This is going to be on the test. You need to know this!” There was no doubt you needed to study and remember that principle and be able to apply it. There were no surprises; you either heeded your teacher’s admonition or you did not. If you did, you had a much greater probability of passing the test. Those who did not heed the warning often suffered the consequences.

The Israelites had been gone from Egypt for a month. They had seen God part the Red Sea, providing their way of escape from the advancing Egyptian army. He had turned bitter waters into sweet at a place called Marah. Then He had led them to a refreshing oasis outside of Elim. Through it all, God had more than proven Himself to be capable of leading them through the wilderness to the land He had promised them.

The people now found themselves on a piece of desert between Elim behind and Mount Sinai ahead.(1) God was continuing to teach His children. He was teaching them who He was. He was teaching them His character. He was giving them truth to live by; truth on which they could stand firm.

As every successful teacher knows, good teaching includes verbal instruction, visual reinforcement, practical application, personal application, and repetition. You see this pattern repeated throughout Moses’ writings to the Israelites. You see it repeatedly demonstrated throughout the Gospels as Jesus taught His disciples. He would teach a truth, demonstrate its application by use of a parable, give them an opportunity to apply the truth to a specific situation, and take them through the process again.

On this particular day in the desert, God said, “I’m going to rain down food. Go out each day and pick up what you need for that day. And on the sixth day, pick up a double portion. And, by the way, I’m going to test you in this to see if you will follow My instructions.”(2)

Consistent with the pattern that He had already set at the creation, God was instructing His people to set aside a day of rest each week—a holy Sabbath to the Lord—a day which would be set apart from all the others unto Him. To free them from having to spend that seventh day gathering food, He was giving them a double portion of food on the sixth day in order to provide for that Sabbath.

So how did the people do with the test? Well, some of them throughout the week tried to horde food from one day to the next. They FAILED—their effort resulted in maggots and decay. Others decided that they would ignore God’s instruction and take advantage of less competition being in the fields on the seventh day. They too FAILED—their effort yielded absolutely no harvest.

And though i’m sure that both of these groups did not intend for the others to know of their disobedience and failure, the stench of decaying manna or the sight of them wandering around the desert on the day everyone else was resting did not go unnoticed. God had given instruction so that through it, He would be glorified. And the saddest result for those who failed the test, was not the shame and embarrassment of their disobedience; it was their failure to honor the One who is worthy of all honor.

Along our respective journeys, the One who is leading us will also allow us to be put to the test. He is teaching us who He is, His character and His Truth. If we follow His instruction—His Word—we will pass with flying colors. And He will get the glory! After all, that’s why He has us on this journey to begin with!

* * * * *

You can read about how God put the Israelites to a test in the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Exodus.

This post is taken from chapter 16 of my book, The Journey Begins. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Exodus 16:4-5, 21-23, 27 (NLT)

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Look, I'm going to rain down food from heaven for you. The people can go out each day and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether they will follow my instructions. Tell them to pick up twice as much as usual on the sixth day of each week." …The people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need. …On the sixth day, there was twice as much as usual on the ground -- four quarts for each person instead of two. The leaders of the people came and asked Moses why this had happened. He replied, "The LORD has appointed tomorrow as a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. On this day we will rest from our normal daily tasks. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.” …Some of the people went out anyway to gather food, even though it was the Sabbath day. But there was none to be found.

(2)  Paraphrase Exodus 16:4-5

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by The Visual Folk on Lightstock

Love Your Neighbor

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew and Mark both write that this was Jesus’s response when the expert in religious law asked Him which was the most important commandment in the law of Moses.(1) Luke writes that the expert in religious law told Jesus that they were the most important commandments in response to Jesus’s question, and He affirmed him. If the Spirit of God impressed all three Gospel writers to include this dialogue, it is well worth our paying attention.

Interestingly, Luke goes on to include the continuation of that conversation between the lawyer and Jesus.(2) Knowing that he was to love God without  limitation and love his neighbor to the same degree that he loved himself, the lawyer found the need to define who his neighbor was. i believe there are two reasons why he sought that clarification.

First, the lawyer was standing before Jesus as a representative of the Pharisees. On their behalf, he was seeking to catch Jesus in a misstatement regarding the law. They were looking for any error on Jesus’s part in order to malign His character and reputation. It was a fool’s errand. There would never be any fault to be found.

The second reason is one of which i believe we are guilty—he was looking to justify his own actions. He knew there were people he did not love for various reasons and was attempting to exclude them as his neighbors. Perhaps they were people against whom he held a grudge because of something they had done to him in the past. Or perhaps they were people against whom he held prejudice, not because of something they had done, but because of their race, ethnicity, or beliefs. He was looking for a definition of “neighbor” that included everyone he felt comfortable loving and excluded those he did not.

Is that starting to sound familiar? i would venture that you and i have at some point divided those around us into “neighbors” and “non-neighbors.” Because if we can place those people who we don’t want to love into the latter category, then we can justify our action of not loving them. We will have solved our problem of being disobedient to Jesus’s command because they are “non-neighbors.”

That’s why Jesus’s example of the Good Samaritan is as relevant for us as it was for the scribe that day. Interestingly enough, Jesus never said that this story was a parable. It could well have been the report of an actual occurrence. It could well have been an occurrence in the life of one or more of the people that Jesus was addressing at the time.

In that day, a story that made the Jews look bad and the Samaritans look good, at best, would have put off the Jews from hearing the truth Jesus was communicating. At worst, it would have been dangerous, offending all the Jews who were gathered and inciting them to defend their honor. Thus, it was very risky to tell a story like this hypothetically. But don’t forget, Jesus knew everything about everyone who was within the sound of His voice. The same Jesus, who had written in the dirt the secret sins of the religious leaders who had brought forth the woman caught in adultery, was able to use actual events in the lives of some of these to teach a truth. Perhaps it was an experience straight out of the life of the religious expert himself. Perhaps, if you’ll allow, it is an experience straight out of one of our lives!

Several years ago, i had the opportunity to visit the treacherous path between Jerusalem and Jericho. From a topography standpoint, the route isn’t much better today. It’s a narrow, winding path through a rocky and barren landscape. Back in the first century, it apparently was also a “high crime” area that neither the Roman soldiers nor the Jewish leaders cared enough to police.

The first persons to come upon this Jewish man who had been robbed, beaten and left for dead were a Jewish priest and a Levite. The priest had been serving God at the temple all week, and he was anxious to get home. He had put in enough time ministering to others for one week. Surely there was someone else who could take care of this poor fellow. (i’m ashamed to admit that i can relate to him.) Also, perhaps the robbers were hiding out just waiting for the next person to stop. He didn’t want to take that risk. Anyway, the man was not a member of his synagogue. So he left it for the next person coming along to help him. Then the Levite did exactly what the priest did – nothing!

The fact that the “hero” of the story is a Samaritan made the point of the account so much more poignant to the Jews. It would have been one thing if a Jew had stopped to help a Samaritan, but in this case, a Samaritan stopped to help a Jew that two Jews had already passed by. The Samaritan was showing love to someone who hated him. He was risking his own life and spending his own money. And he wasn’t seeking any credit or honor for himself. Instead, he felt compassion and “showed him mercy.” There was no earthly reason for him to do what he did—giving of his time and his resources—without expecting anything in return.

The religious expert had wanted to have an intellectual discussion about who his neighbor was. It would keep the conversation academic and impersonal. Jesus forced him to consider the person in need. How easily do we talk about abstract ideals and never personally provide any practical help? Getting involved personally will require getting our hands dirty. It will require allowing ourselves to be inconvenienced. It will definitely cause us to step out of our comfort zones. And there’s a good possibility that our efforts won’t be appreciated. The lawyer wanted to make the issue philosophical; Jesus made it practical!

This week i am releasing a novel titled A Belated Discovery, a story which at its core deals with this very issue. This second book in The Parables series applies Jesus’s teaching in a more contemporary setting. The story occurs in the 1940s in the European theater of World War II and the years following the war here in the U.S.—specifically in the cities of Williamsport, PA and Richmond, VA. In the story, the main character becomes acutely aware that he has never considered people of another race to be one of his “neighbors.” Since he didn’t believe them to be one of his neighbors, he didn’t consider himself to be under any obligation to love them. The story follows his awakening to the truth, as well as the awakening of those around him.

Returning to the biblical account of the Good Samaritan, we see that ministering to the Jewish man on the side of the road cost the Samaritan two silver coins and some time, but not helping him cost the two Jewish religious leaders much more. It cost them the failed opportunity of investing their time and resources with which God had entrusted them. It cost them the failed opportunity to be better men and caring neighbors. They could have been a good influence in a bad world, and yet they chose to be a bad influence. The Samaritan’s deed of mercy, on the other hand, has inspired sacrificial ministry across centuries… and across the world.

We, too, would do well to consider who our neighbor is. Who have we knowingly—or unknowingly—excluded? What opportunity is God giving us to love that neighbor in a very tangible and genuine way? What adjustment do we need to make to no longer pass our neighbor by “on the other side of the road?”

Today is the day to love your neighbor as yourself. Let’s not put it off!

* * * * *

You can read about this exchange between the religious expert and Jesus in the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

Portions of this post are taken from chapter 47 of my book, Walking With The Master. For more information about the book, click here. Information about my newly released book, A Belated Discovery is also available by clicking here.

 

(1)  Matthew 22:35-39; Mark 12:28-31

(2)  Luke 10:25-37 (NLT)

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking Him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”   Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

 

The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”   Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by LUMO-The Gospels for the visual age on Lightstock

The Power of God Can’t Be Bought

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

Four years had passed since the Holy Spirit had been given to the Jews.(1) “A great wave of persecution” had begun on the day that Stephen was killed.(2) It swept over the church, causing many believers, except the apostles, to scatter throughout Judea and Samaria. Despite this dispersion, the church continued to grow. The apostles remained in Jerusalem for a season to shepherd the still-growing church through her infancy, despite threats from the religious leaders and the persecution directed toward the other believers. It is very possible that the initial persecution was primarily aimed at the Hellenistic Jewish believers, as was the case with Stephen.

Philip, the second of the seven Hellenistic Jewish leaders selected to minister to the widows, was directed by God to go to Samaria.  Jesus had previously prohibited His apostles from going there.(3) However, now the Lord was inviting Philip to enter into the labor He had begun about seven years earlier through His encounter with the woman at the well.(4) Philip was not only to declare God’s Word but also to demonstrate God’s power through miracles.

Sadly, wherever God sows His true believers, Satan will eventually sow his counterfeits. This was as true in the first-century church as it is today. It was true in the ministry of John the Baptist,(5) Paul,(6) and even Jesus.(7) The enemy seeks to devour, and if he is unsuccessful at that, he will turn his attention to deception. In this case, Satan’s instrument was a sorcerer named Simon. The people were amazed by the “things” Simon did, and as a result, they believed the “things” he said.

Training in the identification of counterfeit currency always begins with studying the real thing. Recognizing counterfeit faith is best accomplished in the same manner. Genuine truth and works will always align with God’s Word and glorify Him. The enemy’s counterfeit actions and lies will always bring attention to self. Simon relished in being called “the great one” by the crowd.

When Simon witnessed the miracles performed by Philip, he did not demonstrate faith in the Word of God; rather, he placed his faith in the miracles themselves. His belief was like that of many people who witnessed the miracles of Jesus but refused to acknowledge His Word. Simon’s “belief and baptism” were not the result of true repentance; they were part of his attempt to manipulate and deceive in order to gain favor and power.

i can relate to that. There was a time when i was going through the motions of belief. My motivation was more to win the heart of the woman i was pursuing than to pursue Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

Let’s take a momentary side road. Simon had not truly repented and believed, but there were many who had—and they were baptized by Philip. Luke tells us that these believers had not yet received the Holy Spirit,(8)even though they had trusted in Christ. Paul, writing to the church in Ephesus, tells us, “… when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago.The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people.…”(9) So, if God gives us the Holy Spirit when we believe in Christ (like Paul says(9)), why didn’t the Samaritans receive the Holy Spirit immediately upon believing in Christ (like Luke says(8))? It would seem to be a contradiction—and that’s the reason for this side road.

In these beginning days of the church (Acts chapters 1 through 10), we see God working in ways that were unique to that time period. The two elements we need to understand are these. First, before Jesus ascended, He told His disciples that they would receive power and then they would tell the Good News in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.(10) There was an initial order to the spread of the Gospel that applied at the start, but no longer applies today—first to Jerusalem, then to Judea and Samaria, followed by the ends of the earth.

Second, Jesus told Peter, in the presence of His other apostles, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”(11) Jesus very specifically gave the “keys to the Kingdom” to Peter, granting him the unique privilege of opening the door (loosing on earth and in heaven) to the release of the Holy Spirit. Peter was the one who preached on the Day of Pentecost, opening the door to the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea. We see here that Peter (and John) laid their hands on these new believers, opening the door to the Samaritans. Later in Acts 10, we read that God used Peter to open the door to the Gentiles (the ends of the earth). Once these doors were opened, they no longer needed to be reopened. The truth Paul wrote to the Ephesians applies to us today: we are immediately identified and indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the point of our salvation.

Let’s come back to Simon. There is a word in the English language today—“simony”—which means “the buying or selling of something spiritual.”(12) Its origins are in this very passage. Peter confronted Simon for his sin in thinking he could buy the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. This attitude still exists today. People attempt to gain positional or spiritual favor from God and/or recognition from man through “good works” or by giving financial gifts as a “quid pro quo.” As i mentioned earlier, i attempted to impress and receive favor through my own disingenuous actions. Within the church, we may want to “more spiritual” than we truly are in order to gain favor or position, but that fake façade often quickly falls away, revealing our true hypocrisy.

Regrettably, there is no indication that Simon ever truly repented. He was “sorry” and asked Peter to pray that he would escape the judgement of God, but he stopped short of turning from his own way and turning to Christ. He sought power and recognition but never sought the Savior.

There are those today who attempt to spiritualize their circumstances in an effort to “buy” sympathy or recognition. They believe God owes them something, or the church owes them something. Their focus is on themselves and what they can “get” through the journey—not on the promises and faithfulness of God even in the midst of the trials and the hardships. An attitude surfaces that God “owes” me—based on what i have done or what has happened to me. i sometimes see that attitude expressed through comments on my blog posts. But here’s the reality—just as it was for Simon—the power of God is not for sale! It’s not earned. It’s not deserved. We can only witness and experience the power of God working in us and through us when our hearts are turned and surrendered to Him—and even then, only for His purpose and glory. The power of God isn’t about us—it’s all about Him. And it can’t be bought!

* * * * *

You can read about Simon’s deceit in the eighth chapter of the Book of Acts.

This post is taken from chapter 21 of my book, Until He Returns. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Acts 8:9-24 (NLT)

A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One – the Power of God.” They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic. But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!” But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive your evil thoughts, for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.” “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!”

 

(2)  Acts 8:1

(3)  Matthew 10:5-6

(4)  John 4

(5)  Matthew 3:7

(6)  Acts 13:6; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4, 13-15

(7)  Matthew 23:15, 33; John 8:44

(8)  Acts 8:15-16

(9)  Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT)

(10) Acts 1:8

(11) Matthew 16:18-19 (ESV)

(12) Britannica

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by LUMO-The Gospels for the visual age on Lightstock