Episodes

  • The Widow’s Mite and Sacrificial Giving (Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:41-44)

    The Widow’s Mite and Sacrificial Giving (Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:41-44)
    Sep 29 2024
    We can learn much about sacrificial giving from the account of the widow's mite in Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:41-44. The widow's mite teaches that giving is much bigger than the gift. The gift is an iceberg above the water, and below the surface is the sacrifice that went into it. The gift is a tree, and the roots in the ground are the sacrifice that went into it. Read or listen to this material from Your Finances God’s Way to learn more. https://youtu.be/nLCGb0opbIk We can learn about sacrificial giving from the account of the widow's mite in Luke 21:1-4 and Mark 12:41-44. Giving is bigger than the gift. Table of contentsThe Widow's Mite Shows Sacrifice Is More Important than the AmountThe Widow's Mite Is a Window Into Eternal RewardsOur Sacrificial Giving Is WorshipThe High Priest, Priesthood, Temple, and Sacrifices Under the New CovenantWe See Sacrificial Giving with AbrahamWe See Sacrificial Giving with Animal SacrificesWe See Sacrificial Giving with DavidGive According to Your IncomeWhat About American Christians' Giving?Give Because Our God Is a GiverFootnotes When Katie and I were part of a home fellowship early in our marriage, a couple joined the group soon after being released from prison. Even though they hadn’t been Christians for long, their affection for the Lord was evident. They were thankful that He had forgiven them, that He would want a relationship with them after their actions, and that He would allow them to begin new lives in Christ. Because of the decisions that led to their incarcerations and the burned bridges with most, if not all, family members and friends, it wouldn’t be too much to say that our home fellowship was just about all the relationships they had. They were part of our group when Katie was pregnant with Rhea. Everyone was excited for us, but perhaps because this couple had no children or grandchildren, they seemed more excited than anyone else. They desperately wanted to give Rhea a gift when she was born, but as you can guess, they didn’t have much. They settled on a dirty, smelly blanket, which they put in a torn plastic bag. They were smokers, so we had to put the blanket on the sanitary cycle on our washer quite a few times, but we still couldn’t get rid of the smell. While the blanket didn’t cost much and was never helpful to us, the gift was significant. Why? Because they had so little, we knew the sacrifice that went into the gift. Giving is much bigger than the gift. If I can use two analogies: The gift is an iceberg above the water, and below the surface is the sacrifice that went into the gift. The gift is a tree, and the roots in the ground are the sacrifice that went into the gift. Everything behind the giving is more important than the gift itself. The premier example of this in scripture is the account commonly called the widow’s mite: Luke 21:1 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. There’s a lot in commentaries about how much – or how little – she put in. I could bore you with a discussion of the different coins of the day, but I don’t think it’s necessary. You get the point that she put in a tiny amount. The shocking part of the widow’s mite is that she had only two mites and gave them both. She might have kept one coin for herself, and no one would have blamed her if she had. Instead, she gave both with staggering generosity. Luke 21:3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. Jesus called His disciples to talk to them about what He saw. The parallel account in Mark 12:41 says, “Many rich people put in large sums.” Jesus wasn’t impressed with the large sums the rich people contributed. Instead, He drew their attention to the widow's mite. Although the ESV doesn’t include the word “how” in Mark 12:41, most other translations – such as the NASB, Amplified, NKJV,
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    24 mins
  • Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go and Go That Way Too (Proverbs 22:6)

    Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go and Go That Way Too (Proverbs 22:6)
    Sep 28 2024
    Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go," but as parents, we must ensure we go that way too. As Christian parents, we want our children to see the Gospel in us through our lives and parenting, which means we must strive to live it out before our kids. https://youtu.be/ZkX-q8H6YZ4 Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go," but as parents, we must ensure we go that way too. Table of contentsDavid's Sins in His SonsAmnon's Evil without David's DisciplineAbsalom's Evil without David's DisciplineAdonijah's Evil without David's DisciplineTrain Up a Child in the Way He Should Go to Avoid Seeing Your Sins in Your ChildrenWhy Didn't David Punish His Sons?Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go Regardless of Past SinsThe Command to Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go Is Not Conditional on Our PastsBut Isn't It Hypocritical To...Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go By ExampleSin In Our Children's Lives Is Sin in Our LivesOur Children Act Like UsKatie's Best Friend Who Committed ApostasyModeling What We Want to SeeWhy Do Pastors' Kids Commit Apostasy?Tell your Children You're a SinnerThe Two Ways Children Find Out Their Parents Aren't PerfectModel Accepting ResponsibilityChoosing to Be Proud or Humble David's Sins in His Sons David suffered a lot in his lifetime: the rebellion of his sons, the many sons who were murdered, and the betrayal he experienced from friends. But I wonder if anything was worse for him than seeing his sins in his children. Amnon's Evil without David's Discipline David had a son named Amnon, who lusted after his half-sister Tamar. She resisted him, but he overtook her and had his way with her. Here's how David responded when he heard the news: 2 Samuel 13:21 But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. David got very angry, but that’s it. He didn’t do anything. Consider this happened to his daughter, but there’s no record of him punishing Amnon. According to God’s Law, David actually should’ve executed him. Tamar felt violated and alone. You would expect her to go to her father, David, for help and consolation, but instead, she went to live with her brother, Absalom. I suspect she knew David wouldn’t do anything. Absalom's Evil without David's Discipline While Tamar was with Absalom, you can guess how furious he became toward Amnon because of what he did to his sister. I’m not making any excuses for Absalom, but because David didn’t punish Amnon, Absalom decided to take matters into his own hands. He got Amnon drunk and had him murdered. David learned what had happened, so Absalom ran away: 2 Samuel 13:38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And King David longed to go to Absalom. For he had been comforted concerning Amnon, because he was dead. After three years, the pain of Amnon’s murder subsided, and David wanted to be reconciled with his son, Absalom. There’s only one problem: guess what David doesn’t want to do? Punish him! David’s indulgent attitude toward Amnon is now being repeated with Absalom. David and Absalom are finally reunited: 2 Samuel 14:33 So Joab went to the king (this is David) and told him. And when he (this is David) had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Absalom. This signified David’s reconciliation with his son, but there was no punishment. This failure caused terrible problems. Absalom is back in David’s good graces. He wanted this precisely because he had a plan he couldn’t fulfill while exiled from the land. So next, he steals the people's hearts and turns the nation against his father. David has to escape the land, and Absalom takes David’s wives for himself. Then, in one of the lowest moments of David’s life, his men had to battle against his son. Don't View Your Children Too Sentimentally This would’ve been unimaginably difficult,
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    55 mins
  • Six Ways to Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn (Job 2:11-13)

    Six Ways to Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn (Job 2:11-13)
    Sep 16 2024
    Over the last few months, while a man in our congregation was dying of cancer, I developed a burden to equip the church to minister to those mourning. Job's friends set a great example in Job 2:11-13. Read on to learn six ways to provide biblical comfort for those who mourn. https://youtu.be/Z8p6MIINBTo Learn six ways to provide biblical comfort for those who mourn. In Job 2:11-13, Job's friends set a great example at first. Table of contentsFirst, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Being Like Job’s Friends (at the Beginning)Comforting without Saying Anything?Second, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Taking the InitiativeThird, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Dealing with Silence WiselyFourth, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Being EmpatheticDistinguishing Between Sympathy and EmpathyBeing Empathetic Is Incredibly DifficultFifth, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Recognizing Some Can Comfort Better than UsChildren Comforting ChildrenThose with Similar Experiences Comforting Each OtherA Woman Who Also Lost Her Brother to a Drug OverdoseThe Bauskas Comforting the OrdwaysFeeling Inadequate ComfortingWhy Everyone Must Be Involved in ComfortingSixth, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Making Yourself UncomfortableWedding, Births, and DeathsPerfect Comfort Is Not Until the Next Life The previous post, Learning to Weep With Those Who Weep, was about what we should not do when what we shouldn’t do when comforting those who mourn. This post is about what we should do. Here are six ways to provide biblical comfort for those who mourn. First, Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn By Being Like Job’s Friends (at the Beginning) I know Job’s friends are the proverbial bad friends. When you want to tell people they are bad friends, you tell them they are like Job’s friends. So you might look at this lesson and wonder if I made a mistake. But Job’s friends started off well. Look at Job 2:11: Job 2:11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. Notice three things about Job's friends: Each man came from his own separate place. They didn’t live near each other. They made an appointment to meet to travel to see Job. This is the ancient world before people had cell phones or cars to drive. I don’t know how far they lived from each other and then how far it was to travel to Job, but I’m sure this was no small thing. They wanted to do two things. First, they wanted to show him sympathy, and second, they wanted to comfort him. We’ll talk about sympathy later. For now, let’s see how they comforted him: Job 2:12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. They wept with him. Romans 12:15 says, "Weep with those who weep." Job’s friends are a great example of this. First Corinthians 12:26 says, "If one member suffers, all suffer together." They suffered with him as well: Job 2:13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. Job’s friends continue to impress! We tend to read verses quickly, but think about what this says because it is incredible: they sat on the ground for seven days and seven nights and didn’t say a word! Comforting without Saying Anything? Verse eleven says they were going to comfort him. If we were asked what it means to comfort someone, wouldn’t we think it involves saying something? But they comforted him without saying anything, and we’re told the reason why: because they saw that his suffering was great.
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    57 mins
  • Learning to Weep With Those Who Weep (Romans 12:15 and 1 Corinthians 12:26)

    Learning to Weep With Those Who Weep (Romans 12:15 and 1 Corinthians 12:26)
    Sep 9 2024
    Every believer is expected to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15; see also 1 Corinthians 12:26). When we mourn with those who mourn, we should avoid certain things, such as trying to cheer people up, competing with them by sharing our own stories of grief, or being false prophets by telling them things will get better. https://youtu.be/vi8cWm5JMII Every believer is expected to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:1). When we mourn with those who mourn, we should avoid certain things. Table of contentsWe Must All Weep with Those Who WeepI Wasn't Equipped to Weep with Those Who WeepFirst, Don’t Try to Change the MoodAn Entire Book About WeepingSecond, Don’t “Pour Vinegar on Soda”Elkanah's Insensitivity to His Wife, HannahThird, Don’t Try to CompeteFourth, Don’t Be a False ProphetLearning from Job's FriendsPeople's Responses When My Brother Passed AwayWhy We Can Weep with HopeJob Wept with Hope If I had to choose one verse to summarize my ministry, it would be: Ephesians 4:12 [pastors are] to equip the saints for the work of ministry. We tend to think pastors are the only ones in ministry, but the Bible says pastors are supposed to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. In John MacArthur's sermon, “The Foundation for Fifty-Five Years of Ministry,” he wrote about the need for everyone to minister: “I understood the church had to be a place of mutual ministry, fellowship, spiritual gifts in one another. We have gifts that we minister to others. I have a spiritual gift for you. My gift is not for me, it’s for you. You have spiritual giftsspeaking gifts, serving gifts…Every one of us fits into the body of Christ in a way that the Spirit of God has designed for us to have a ministry that is critical to the life of the church. Grace Church has always had that. In the early years, the first article ever written on Grace Church was…titled ‘The Church with 900 Ministers.’ We had 900 people at the time. And what struck him was these were not spectators; these people were really caring for each other. He picked that up on his own. That article got a lot of traction because people didn’t think of churches in that sense. But we were heavily on a bent on giving instruction on the mutual ministry of God’s people to each other in a church so that we’re not spectators. Things that go on around here, you could never ever imagine that I did them. When I come here, I’m as shocked as you are at everything. Who does all this? This church has always understood fellowship, mutual ministry, caring for each other.” I have the same desire for Woodland Christian Church. I’m thankful so many serve because each person plays a vital role in the church family. Part of the ministry you should be equipped for is visiting the hurting. I will cover this in two posts. This post covers what we shouldn’t do when weeping with those who are weeping, and the other post, Six Ways to Provide Biblical Comfort for Those Who Mourn, covers what we should do. We Must All Weep with Those Who Weep Scripture contains verses for specific people, such as husbands, wives, children, single people, widows, older people, and younger people. Scripture also contains verses for everyone regardless of their season of life. Romans 12 is one of those chapters written to anyone and everyone. The chapter begins with familiar verses appealing to us to present our bodies as living sacrifices. It is followed by the command not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by renewing our minds. Then verses 3-8 encourage us to use God's gifts. Finally, in verses 9-21, Paul has a section titled “Behave like a Christian” or “Marks of the True Christian.” These verses are written to every Christian, and Romans 12:15 says: Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. If people have the gift of leadership but not the gift of service, they can’t say, “I’ll be in charge, but don’t expect me to serve.
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    50 mins
  • Christ Is Whose Son? (Luke 20:41-47 and Matthew 22:41-46)

    Christ Is Whose Son? (Luke 20:41-47 and Matthew 22:41-46)
    Aug 26 2024
    Christ is whose Son? Jesus asked, "David says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord.”’ David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” (Luke 20:41-44; see also Matthew 22:41-46 and Mark 12:35-37). How can David call the Messiah “Lord” if the Messiah is also his Son? How can the Messiah be both David’s Lord and Son? https://youtu.be/ZFUfdbyV40Y Christ is whose Son? How can David call the Messiah “Lord” if the Messiah is also his Son? (Luke 20:41-44 and Matthew 22:41-46). Table of contentsThe Jehovah's Witnesses Deny that Jesus Is GodThe Jews Didn’t Think the Messiah Was GodThe Paradox of the Messiah Being the Root and Offspring of DavidThe Majority Knew the Messiah Is the Son of DavidHow Can Jesus Be David's Son and Lord?Jesus Showed the Messiah Is GodJesus Showed There Is a ResurrectionTruth Brings AccountabilityOur Accountability When I was an elementary school teacher, an aide in my classroom was a Jehovah’s Witness. She was a sweet old woman, and we enjoyed each other. We had many of the same values. She not only helped me when I taught academics, but she also tried to reinforce the lessons on character that I taught. We would have pleasant conversations about our theological differences. I would share my questions about Jehovah’s Witnesses. Sometimes, she would respond. Other times, she would tell me she had to look into it, and then she would return with a copy of The Watchtower, the Jehovah’s Witnesses magazine. She must have told her husband about me because he came to my house with another Jehovah’s Witness one day to talk to me. We jumped right to a discussion of who Jesus is. It resembled this morning’s passage. In the parallel account in Matthew 22:42, Jesus asked the religious leaders, “What do you think about the Christ?” In answer to the question of who Jesus is, the man opened his New World Translation, the Jehovah’s Witness translation of the Bible, pointed to a verse in Matthew and said, “Jesus is the Son of God. See right here?”I said, “But you don’t think He’s God, do you?He said, “No. It says right here he’s the Son of God.” The Jehovah's Witnesses Deny that Jesus Is God The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that when Jesus said He was the of God, He wasn’t claiming to BE God. But the Jews in Jesus’s day understood that when Jesus claimed to be the Son of God or to have God as his father, He was claiming equality with God: John 5:17 Jesus [said], “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” 18 This was why the Jews were SEEKING ALL THE MORE TO KILL HIM, because…he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. They wanted to kill Him because they thought He was committing blasphemy, and this was the punishment for blasphemy: Leviticus 24:16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. Here’s another example: John 10:30 I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews PICKED UP STONES AGAIN TO STONE HIM. 32 Jesus [said], “For which [good work] are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Think about when Jesus healed the paralytic’s sins: Luke 5:20 [Jesus] said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 The scribes and the Pharisees [said], “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Because only God can forgive sins, to claim to forgive sins was to claim to be God, and that was blasphemous. John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him. Pastor Nathan has made fun of me for years for correcting people’s grammar. He even got me one of my favorite sweatshirts, identifying me as part of the grammar police. I correct my kids’ grammar all day, which they love. They always say to me, “Daddy,
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    54 mins
  • What Happens to Married Couples in Heaven? (Luke 20:27-40)

    What Happens to Married Couples in Heaven? (Luke 20:27-40)
    Aug 19 2024
    Because marriage is a big part of this life, a common question is, “What happens to married couples in heaven?” We learn the answer when the Sadducees tried to trap Jesus with a hypothetical question about levirate marriage (Luke 20:27-40, Matthew 22:23-33, and Mark 12:18-27). https://youtu.be/0-9P0JcJBsc Marriage is a big part of this life, so a common question is, “What happens to married couples in heaven?” Jesus answered in Luke 20:27-40. Table of contentsThe Context for Jesus Teaching What Happens to Married Couples in HeavenThe Sadducees Rejected the SupernaturalThe Sadducees' Question About Marriage in HeavenThe Next Life Is Different Than This LifeWe Will Be Equal But Not Identical to AngelsMaking Idols Out of BlessingsHeaven Is Primarily About ChristGod Doesn’t Rule Over Nonexistent PeopleRespond with ScriptureWisdom That Couldn't Be Argued WithBeing "Worthy" to "Attain" HeavenFootnotes On September 11th, Islam received lots of attention because the 19 hijackers were Muslims, and people wondered why they would fly planes into buildings, killing themselves and thousands of others in the process. We learned that they believed that if they did so, they would immediately go to heaven and receive 72 virgins to satisfy them for all eternity. Mormons believe in celestial marriage, also called eternal marriage or temple marriage. This doctrine teaches that marriages can last forever in heaven if the couple is wed in a Mormon temple. The website, Why Mormonism, records: “When a bride and groom are married in the temple, they are sealed together – they are married not only for this life, but for the life after. Jesus Christ taught that ‘What God has joined together, let no man put asunder’ (Matthew 19:6). The idea of eternal marriage informs the Mormon’s view of deaththat death is a temporary separation of loved ones; they can be together again in the eternities. [Mormon] Elder James A. Cullimore said, ‘Marriage in the temple for time and eternity should be the goal of every member of the Church.” God promised the Prophet Joseph Smith in a revelation, ‘If a man marries a wife by…the new and everlasting covenant…by him who is anointed…it…shall be of full force when they are out of the world.’ Therefore, those sealed in a Mormon temple have the promise that their relationship will continue on forever. An eternal marriage not only blesses the husband and wife, but their children. The couple is sealed together, and any children they have are sealed to them.” Katie and I celebrated our 18th anniversary earlier this month. We’ve had ten children together, or, to be more accurate, at least thirteen if we count the miscarriages we’re aware of. Most of these 18 years have been in ministry together, with all its blessings and trials. We have experienced more together than most of the relationships in my life combined. Nobody knows me as well as she does, and I can’t imagine being as close to anyone as I am to her. I have joked with Katie that we should have gotten married on the playground in elementary school when we were growing up together. I share all this to make the simple point that marriage in heaven sounds good. I would love to continue my relationship with Katie into the next life. The problem is that Jesus taught otherwise. The Context for Jesus Teaching What Happens to Married Couples in Heaven The religious leaders have been trying to trap Jesus. The first time was in verses 1-8 when they questioned where He got his authority. In Luke 20:9-18 Jesus preached the parable of the vineyard owner, declaring that the vineyard owner, representing God, would execute the tenants, representing the religious leaders, who murdered His Son. This infuriated the religious leaders: Luke 20:19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. They wanted to arrest Jesus,
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    52 mins
  • God’s Care for Widows Through Levirate Marriage in the Bible (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)

    God’s Care for Widows Through Levirate Marriage in the Bible (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)
    Aug 12 2024
    God's care for widows is shown in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. Levirate marriage in the Bible commanded men to provide a son and carry on the name and inheritance of a deceased brother by marrying the widowed wife. https://youtu.be/z9BSqZmGdqQ Levirate marriage in the Bible (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) commanded men to marry their deceased brother's widow to provide a son. Table of contentsLevirate Marriage Cared for the WidowLevirate Marriage Carried on the Deceased Man’s NameLevirate Marriage Carried on the Deceased Man’s InheritanceThe Humiliating Ceremony If a Brother Refused to Fulfill His ResponsibilityWhen Onan Refused His Responsibilities with TamarBoaz and Ruth's Levirate MarriageLevirate Marriage Looks to Christ’s RedemptionFootnotes Our nation provides many services to widows. Here are five, but there are more: Hope for Widows helps financially and strives to build a community among widowed women worldwide. Wings for Widows provides coaching and education to help widows achieve financial wellness. Modern Widows Club provides in-person and virtual support groups, clubs, and travel opportunities. The Widow Connection provides skill training for widows to build economic independence. The Sisterhood of Widows is an online site offering compassion and encouragement for widows. None of these services can replace losing a spouse, but they are intended to help financially, mentally, socially, and emotionally. The ancient world was a cruel place to live. They didn’t have the social services we have today. Women, in general, had it bad. Widows had it worse. And widows with no sons to care for them had it worst of all. They were the picture of helplessness and vulnerability. God expressed His heart for widows and commanded His people to care for them: Psalm 68:5 Protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Psalm 146:9 The Lord…upholds the widow. Isaiah 1:17 [God says to], “Learn to do good [and] plead the widow's cause.” Levirate Marriage Cared for the Widow God commanded levirate marriage in the Mosaic law to care for widows: when a man died, his brother married his wife. This is also where the word “levirate” comes from: it has nothing to do with the tribe of Levi. The word comes from the Latin levir, which means “a husband’s brother.” When I first learned about levirate marriage, to be honest, it seemed pretty weird to me: a man is commanded to marry his dead brother’s wife. And if we’re all honest, we would probably admit this isn’t the only part of the Mosaic law that seems weird. We look at other parts and say, “Why would God command this?” But as I studied levirate marriage this past week, it made sense to me. If we lived in the ancient world, we would see that levirate marriage was compassionate toward both the widow and her deceased husband. When we encounter something in the Old Testament that seems weird or troubling, often it’s because of two things. First, we don’t live in that culture. If we did, the things we read would make more sense. Second, we aren’t familiar enough with what we are reading. If we study Scripture enough, we often see that what God did was wise and beneficial. And with that, let’s take a look at Deuteronomy 25:5-10, which are the verses commanding levirate marriage: Deuteronomy 25:5 “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. Notice God said it is the living brother’s “duty” to do this. God commanded Israelite men to care for Israelite women in this way. John MacArthur wrote, “Obviously, this required that the [living] brother be unmarried.”16 There are two requirements for levirate marriage. The brothers must dwell together. This doesn’t mean they share the same house,
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    54 mins
  • Give to Caesar What Is Caesar’s and to God What Is God’s (Luke 20:19-26)

    Give to Caesar What Is Caesar’s and to God What Is God’s (Luke 20:19-26)
    Aug 5 2024
    The Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Jesus with this question: “Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” (Luke 20:22; see also Matthew 12:13-17). If Jesus said they should pay the tax, it looked like He supported Rome, but if he said they should not pay the tax, He would be considered a traitor to Rome and arrested. He responded, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what Is God's” (Luke 23:25). Just as the coins with Caesar’s image belong to Caesar, people with God’s image belong to God. https://youtu.be/hBa0C7r0pUw Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what Is God's; coins with Caesar’s image belong to him, and people with God’s image belong to Him. Table of contentsShould Christians Use American Currency?The Pharisees and Herodians Tried to Trap JesusBitterness Unites PeopleThe Pharisees' and Herodians' HypocrisyWhy the Jews Hated the Poll TaxChristians Give to Caesar What Is Caesar's Because We Have Earthly CitizenshipPaul (and Peter) Taught that We Should Submit to GovernmentWe Can Have Clear Consciences When We Give to Caesar What Is Caesar'sPaul Affirmed We Should Give to Caesar What Is Caesar'sChristians Give to God What Is God's Because We Have Heavenly CitizenshipGiving to Caesar What Is Caesar's Is not Disloyal to GodWhat It Means to Give to God What Is God'sFootnotes Our one-dollar bills contain many images. Some are easy to understand, such as the picture of George Washington or the capital B for the Federal Reserve Bank. Other images are more challenging to understand. For example, the Department of the Treasury's seal shows balancing scales. You can probably guess they don’t represent a balanced budget. Instead, they are supposed to represent justice. But I think some might argue that’s not an accurate representation either. Under the scales are thirteen stars, representing the original thirteen colonies. A key, signifying official authority, is under the thirteen stars. On the back of the bill, there is an eagle with the following: A shield in front of it with thirteen bars Thirteen stars above the shield One talon with a branch with thirteen leaves on it The other talon holds thirteen arrows There are three Latin phrases: Above the pyramid reads “annuit cœptis,” which means “God has favored our undertaking.” Under the pyramid is “novus ordo seclorum,” which means “a new order of the ages.” The eagle's banner reads “e pluribus unum,” which appears on most U.S. coins and means “out of many, one.” There is also the pyramid, and the more I studied it, the more obvious it became that there are many opinions about it. Here are a few: The missing top of the pyramid is a sign that the country wasn’t finished yet The Western face of the pyramid is in a shadow while the front is lit, indicating the nation hadn’t explored the west yet An eye above the pyramid looks like its top because it is in a triangle. Instead, the all-seeing eye encased in a triangle is an ancient symbol of divinity. Some believe the pyramid and the eye are cultic images reflecting the influence of Free Masonry on our early government because Benjamin Franklin, who helped design the seal with Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, claimed to be a Mason. To some, the eye above the pyramid is evidence of plans for a new world order. The Freemasons plan to take over themselves or work with European bankers and the Illuminati. Should Christians Use American Currency? As Christians who don’t want anything to do with Freemasonry because of its unbiblical teachings, should we refuse to use dollar bills? If we use currency that has unbiblical, or even worse, occultic imagery, are we being disloyal to God and perhaps even sinning? I have good news: we don’t have to worry about using our currency. The currency in Jesus’s day was downright blasphemous, but not only did Jesus NOT discourage people from using it, He even told them what to do with it,
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    54 mins