Rich Man vs. Poor Man

“But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.”

~Luke 16:25

Luke 16:19-31 tells the story of “a certain” rich man, and Lazarus, a poor man who both died. The rich man had a life of luxury, while Lazarus suffered his entire life with some sort of disease that made him unable to work and had to beg for food. They both died and verse 22 says that Lazarus was carried away by angels, while the rich man was buried and tormented in Hades. Lazarus, on the other hand, was comforted by Abraham. The rich man could see that Lazarus and Abraham had quite a different afterlife than he did, but no matter how he tried to bargain, the rich man could not cross over to Abraham. He could not change his fate. He finally tried to convince Abraham to allow Lazarus to be raised from the dead in order to tell the rich man’s five brothers what awaited them in death but that wasn’t allowed either. “He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead (v. 31).’”

Although wealth does not preclude one from going to Heaven, and poverty does not guarantee Heaven for anyone; I was struck by verse 31 for one reason, someone did rise from the dead—Jesus Christ. He was seen by hundreds of people and walked the earth for 40 days after He rose from the dead, yet people still refuse to believe the Bible as truth for their lives, both then and now. We have the evidence of Creation all around us. We have the Word of God, we have churches everywhere, and TV and radio stations full of gospel broadcasts, yet people continue to scoff at the idea Jesus Christ can change their lives and eternal destiny.

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse (Romans 1:20).”

We are without excuse when it comes to salvation and eternity. We have all the evidence necessary to know and understand who God is and what He did on the Cross through the body of Jesus Christ. We make the choice for Heaven or hell every day by choosing whether we will follow Christ or go our own way. For many of us, we were absolutely convinced that our way was not working, and we had only one choice, choose Jesus or die. For others, perhaps the choice is more difficult because they do have money that allows for their bad behavior, allows them to get out of whatever trouble they find, and allows them to go on through life as if their behavior has no real consequences. It does seem that way when we read the news about celebrities or politicians getting away with things that a normal person would be in prison for.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).”

Our hearts are our moral compass. Whatever direction it’s pointed to is where our lives follow, and it’s sad to think that while Creation praises the work of God’s hand, His greatest Creation – us – continues to deny Him.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in Heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in Heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:15-20).”

Read 2 Chronicles 1-5

©2018 Marie McGaha

Memorial Day

“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

~Romans 5:7-8

I have been absent this past week because I went with my husband, who is a truck driver. We don’t get to spend a lot of time together, so I am always grateful for the times we do, and especially when I get to ride along with him; and now we are enjoying a great, albeit, busy, Memorial Day weekend together. However, I thought of the above verse and was prompted to post today despite the sunshine calling to me.

We live in the greatest country in the world because of the men and women who have given their lives to ensure our freedom. My own family history in America goes back to Captain John Files who fought, and died, in the American Revolution, along with his sons. Perhaps that is why I am such a huge American history buff. I am very proud of my family history and all the family members that includes my dad, brothers, youngest son, countless cousins, and grandparents, who have served in the different branches of the service. Freedom has never been free, it was bought with the blood of patriots who laid down their lives so that this country will remain the land of the free. While most of us will never know the sounds of battle or the horror of war, we can take a moment to be thankful for those who have taken that burden upon themselves, and be grateful that such men and women exist.

Remember those who gave their lives and pray for those who continue to serve.

God bless our military.

God bless America.

The Law of the Lord

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

~ Psalm 19:7-11

I love these verses because of the way they separate God’s laws from the laws we currently have. The law of the Lord is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, enduring, true, and righteous. I don’t think I would describe any of the laws we have right now by any of those words. While I don’t find it difficult to follow laws, after all, most are common sense and keep us from danger, but I do find there are way too many laws, and most are redundant. I don’t think I would describe any of our laws today as pure, clean or righteous, and I wouldn’t say they are desired more than gold or are they sweeter than honey. That’s the difference between God’s laws and man’s laws. Man’s laws are designed to be followed under penalty of fines or imprisonment, God’s laws are designed to be followed out of love and for blessings. However, I see the reasoning and necessity of man’s laws, and until everyone is under the subjection of Jesus Christ, those laws will continue to be a necessity.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith (1 John 5:3-4).”

We don’t obey God because of fear of penalty but out of love for what He has done for us. Those of us who lived a life of sin, who have been on the wrong side of man’s law, know that following the Lord is easy in comparison. When we accept Christ as our Savior, His laws are written on our hearts and put into our minds by the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:16). We don’t have to try to obey, we don’t have to try and be “good”. We are brought into a life lived out of love and joy because we know where we were, and where we were headed, before we knew the love and peace of Christ. If you are having a hard time keeping up with the laws of man, give your life and heart over to the Lord, His burden is light and easy to bear (Matthew 11:30).

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men (Romans 14:17-18).”

Read 2 Kings 21-23

Weekend Reading 2 Kings 24-25

©2018 Marie McGaha

The Last Days

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people."

~2Timothy 3:1-5

There is no doubt we live in perilous times. Every day, war in the Middle East looms closer. Terrorism, violence, crime, and all types of evil surround us. Those things, however, have always been with us. We are a people of war, and since Cain killed Able, we've continued that vein. We've gone from sticks, rocks, and swords to some pretty impressive weapons. Our ability to kill each other one-on-one has reached new proportions, but our ability to kill millions with the push of a button has been a real and present danger since WW2 when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed. Our nuclear capabilities are endless. As a people, we are self-destructive. As a race, we are ruthless, murderous, and treacherous. As individuals, we are selfish, self-centered, egotistical, and there is no good thing within us (Romans 3:10).

"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out (Romans 7:18)."

Our fleshly desires lead us astray. We are like monkeys who see something shiny and have to have it. We chase after impossible goals in search of happiness that we never find. We throw away relationships, marriages, and children because something better and more exciting comes along. We want instant gratification and if we don't get what we want, we have no problem throwing tantrums over it or knocking someone in the head to take it. We live from the outside in, thinking external gratification will bring internal peace. Living externally only brings strife, anger, and unhappiness. We must learn to live from the inside out. No thing, no person or object, can make us happy. Happiness, contentment and peace come from within. When we learn to be happy and content, we have peace. True peace is only found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. All else is glitter. 

"Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil (1 Peter 3:8-12).”

We are living in the last days, both physically and metaphorically. No one knows when their last breath will be, no one knows when the Lord will return. We can know the time is approaching by the signs we see. If we have heart problems, we can know a heart attack may be imminent; if we constantly drive like we’re on a racetrack, we can know a wreck is in our future; if we drink excessively, we can know our liver is going to give out; there’s ways and means to know if we are living dangerously or excessively. There are also ways and means to know that the Lord is going to return. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when.” Rest assured that no matter when or how you die, you will stand before the Lord God Almighty and answer for how you lived on Earth. The only answer is to be ready at all times.

^“Therefore, God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).”

Read 2 Kings 16-20

©2018 Marie McGaha

The End

"But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. When they came back and told him, he said, 'This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘In the territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel, and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.'"
~2 Kings 9:35-37

If you've been following along with the daily reading, we have been reading about God's continuing love for Israel and the people's continuing rebellion. For some, it wasn't just disobedience but downright spitting in the face of God. Jezebel was one of the worst. She worshipped false gods, practiced witchcraft, and used sex as a weapon to get her own way. Not only that, she also encouraged the people she ruled over to do the same. When she met her end, it was pretty gruesome. I can see the parallels between the kings and queens in the old testament and some of the leaders in our modern era who have also led the people astray; Hitler, Stallin, Clinton, Obama. There are many more of course, but all of them had one thing in common with Jezebel - they abused their position for personal gain, power, and gratification. Throughout the Old Testament, these greedy rulers meet an untimely end. God does not suffer fools forever. 

"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,  envy,
drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21)."

All of these things practiced by Jezebel, and by us, are of our own fleshly desires. We make decisions every day, and when we choose desires of the flesh over rational, common sense, over what we know is right in the eyes of God, we are bringing on our own gruesome end. The only answer is repentance through the blood of Jesus Christ. 

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)."

"And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit' (Acts 2:38)."

There will be an end one day. Our lives do not go on forever. We will die and step from this life into the after life. We will stand before God Almighty, sinners and saints alike. Whether we believe in God right now or not, we will all become true believers one day. The problem is, if we wait until we stand before Him, it's too late. Our fate is sealed the moment we exhale our last breath. Don't wait until the end.

"Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance (Luke 15:7, 10)."

Read 2 Kings 11-15

©2018 Marie McGaha

70x7=490

"Then Peter came to Him and said, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'"

~Matthew 18:21-22

Some versions of the Bible translate the number of times as 77, but I like this version of 70 times 7, which comes to 490 times per day! In other words, no matter how many times someone does something to hurt us, we are to forgive them. Even though forgiveness can be difficult, it is possible to forgive even the most horrendous acts against us. Especially when we keep in mind all of the things Christ forgave us for. 

When we fail to forgive, we continue to carry the pain of the offense wherever we go. It colors everything we do, and often destroys new relationships before they even get started. Unforgiveness makes us bitter, resentful, and angry. And it keeps us focused on the past. You cannot move forward in Christ if your focus is behind you.

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14)."

We must forget what lies behind us in order to reach the goal before us. No one wins a race by watching those who are behind. A race is won by concentrating on the finish line ahead. We will not attain our prize in this life, but we won't reach it at all if we hold on to the things that hurt us. Continuing to allow our past, and the people who betrayed us, to remain in our heads and hearts allows defeat. It makes us race in vain (Philippians 2:16). Forgiving those who have wronged us is not saying what they did was okay, instead, forgiveness releases the offenses to God and allows healing.

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:14-15)."

Read 2 Kings 6-10

©2018 Marie McGaha

Grow Up!

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

~Ephesians 6:1-3

Yesterday was Mother’s Day and it always makes me a little sentimental as I think about how quickly the years flew by and my kids grew up. Even though it’s the order of things, as parents, we don’t realize how quickly time flies until our kids are out of the house and on their own. I miss the days when my kids were little. I miss the handprint drawings and papier mache flowers. I miss being the only woman in my sons’ lives and I miss being the only comfort for my daughters. I miss the sound of giggles and footsteps and fingerprints on the walls. I miss all of that, but I realize that I also seem to have forgotten all the fighting, screaming, yelling, arguing, and the beds that were never made, laundry never put away, garbage never taken out, and all the other things that also go with being a parent. We tend to romanticize the past once it’s actually the past and not our every day life. There’s a lot to be said for growing up too.

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways (1 Corinthians 13:11).”

We are all expected to grow up. Even God expects us to grow up in Him. We don’t expect our children to stay in the infancy stage, the toddler stage, or the teen stage. We want them to grow, learn and mature, and eventually, be on their own and start their own families. God wants the same type of growth in us. When we come to Him, newly saved, unsure of our first steps in Christ, He gives us His Holy Spirit as a guide, and directs us to church, to pastors, to teachers, and others who can help us grow in His word and His ways. It is our path in life to grow and spread the gospel to others, to lend a hand to help others grow in God, and to become mature Christian men and women. Just as we expect our children to grow and leave behind their youthful pursuits and immaturity, God expects us to do the same (2 Timothy 2:22). Growing up isn’t easy but that’s why there are parents and grandparents to help us along the way. Once we are grown, however, we are expected to act accordingly. We are expected to earn our own living, pay bills, raise our own kids, and to act responsibly as mature adults. God expects nothing less.

“But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).”

I miss the children my kids used to be, but I am madly in love with the men and women they’ve become. They are no longer children subject to the whims and careless pursuits of youth. They no longer base decisions on what their friends do, or what they think they can get away with if mom doesn’t know about it. They have grown up and act accordingly. When we, as children of God, continue to act as though we have no direction, or pursue things contrary to God’s word, then we are not growing in Christ but are instead, hanging on to the things of the world; to the things of the past that made us feel good or gave us a sense of worth – even if that really wasn’t the case. We must put away our childish whims and grow in the Lord, becoming like Christ and being set apart from the world.

“And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,  until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,  so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes (Ephesians 4:11-14).”

Read 2 Kings 1-5; Ephesians 4

©2018 Marie McGaha