Arrogance Versus Humility

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Mark 12:38-44

Mark 12:43-44

And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. ⁴⁴ For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

(ESV)

This election year in the United States is shaping up to be one of the most contentious in the nation’s history.  Never before has someone ran for President under impeachment.  This coupled with weak candidates running in opposition to the impeached incumbent means the opposition party has little to do but run negative campaigns attacking each other and the incumbent president.  Fortunately, in the United States the final determination of who will lead lies in the hands of the voters and why I urge all reading this in the United States to be sure they are registered to vote in both their primary elections and the general election this year so their voice is heard at the ballot box. 

As we observe the attitude of elected officials and those running for office, there appears to be no lack of arrogance and little humility.  Officials and candidates arrogantly present themselves as the final arbiter of wisdom and what is best for the nation and its citizens with no humble consideration of voters who determine their election to office.  In this election, voters must elect candidates that not only say they have the interests of constituents in mind but have demonstrated the ability to deliver on those promises.  As we reflect back on the accomplishments of the last three years of the Trump Administration, we have to admit he has delivered on his promises of a thriving economy, more jobs, and making America great and why my intention is to not only vote for his reelection but to vote for a representative and senator that supports his agenda. 

In Mark 12:38-44, Jesus provides two examples that contrast arrogance and humility, illustrating the superiority of an attitude of service and humility over a noisy and arrogant attitude.  Unfortunately, in a world of social media and 24-hour news, the noisy arrogance receives most of the attention.  Fortunately, a quiet and humble person receives Jesus’ attention and will receive a greater reward.  Jesus views arrogance and humility as,

1)      Arrogance (Mark 12:38-40) – Jesus is nearing the time of His crucifixion.  During His ministry, he has had numerous confrontations with the religious leaders of His time (Mark 2:6-12; 7:1-8; 8:11-13; 10:1-12; 12:13-17).  However, in Mark 12:38-40 Jesus provides insight into the source of these confrontations, arrogance in the hearts of these religious leaders.  Jesus points out how the scribes like to parade around in their robes, be honored in the marketplace, and have seats of prominence in the synagogue and feasts.  These scribes are more interested in receiving glory than giving glory to God.  As one of these religious leaders, the Apostle Paul understood the destructiveness of one having religious arrogance due to having extensive knowledge of Scripture leading to his acceptance of his “thorn in the flesh” as God tempering any religious arrogance in his life (2 Corinthians 12:7). 

2)      Humility (Mark 12:41-44) – In contrast to the arrogance of the scribes, Jesus points out the humility of the widow.  While the widow's gift was small in number, it was large and loud in worship and sacrificial love for God.  Jesus did not hear the loudness of the giver's arrogance in her gift but the loudness of a heart of humble and sacrificial obedience to God.  This widow worshipped God with her giving, worshipping in spirit and truth.  Her worship was in the spirit of the sacrificial love of God based upon the biblical truth of giving cheerfully to God (2 Corinthians 9:7; John 4:24). 

During this election year in the United States, I urge citizens to remain prayerfully diligent by praying for leaders and for civility during the contentious election process.  We must be prayerfully diligent in praying for each other that we remain strong physically, mentally, and most important spiritually during this process.  I especially urge Christians in the United States to take up their shield of faith because in these contentious times there will be no shortage of fiery darts fired at Christians for their beliefs that expose the darkness of the world (Ephesians 6:16; Romans 13:12-14).  However, as we let the light shine in our dark world, we must not become like the scribes parading about in arrogance but instead, be as the widow by living and speaking the truths of God’s Word and bringing its light to a dark world by pointing the lost to salvation in Christ (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20; Psalm 119:105).  If you are reading this and have not accepted Jesus as your savior, inviting the Light of the World into your life, I invite you to do so now by praying with me.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Congratulations, the light of Jesus Christ is now present in your heart.  Those that just prayed and those that have been believers for some time are encouraged to fan the flame of the light of Christ in their lives by prayer, study, and meditation on the truth in God’s Word, humbly applying it to our lives.  My prayer is that this fanning of the flame of God’s grace in the lives of believers will bring light to a dark world.  May God bless everyone reading this. 

Identity in Christ: God’s Masterpiece

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Ephesians 2:10

Ephesians 2:10

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

(ESV)

I must confess that when it comes to creativity and the ability to create a work of art, I am lacking.  Because of this lack in my life, I have great admiration for those that have the talent to create works of art and blessed to have a wife and son that have this gift.  As I am writing this, I see a ceramic eagle made by my son and two angels made by my wife.  Not only are these works of art something I can admire for their creativity and workmanship, but they also serve to remind me of how much I love them both and remind me to pray for them. 

While God blesses some with creativity in their lives while others lack creativity, we all lack the ability to force ourselves into obedience to God leading to our salvation from sin.  This is because our default nature is one of disobedience to God and obedience to the spirit of disobedience (Ephesians 2:1-2).  So ingrained in our nature is this spirit of disobedience that God gave us His Son Jesus in human form and with Jesus giving up His life to make a path towards righteousness for humanity.  After choosing this new path of righteousness, our life purpose changes from conformity to the world system we once followed to transformation through the conviction, counsel, and empowering of the Holy Spirit as we pray, study, and meditate on God’s Word (Romans 12:2). 

Thankfully, our justification and righteousness, or right standing with God, is not because of our works but because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross and our choosing to believe and accept what Jesus has done (Ephesians 2:8; John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10).  However, our belief in the redemptive work of Christ on the cross must grow from a self-serving belief to receive eternal life to a loving and transformative belief based upon a realization of the depth of God’s love for us.  So deep is this love for fallen humanity the God did not hesitate to give His only Son Jesus who as God knew no sin and yet willingly took the cup of wrath for humanity on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 3:16; Matthew 26:39).  In the eyes of God, we are all a masterpiece of His creation and worthy of the price of sacrificing His son Jesus for our redemption. 

As I look at the ceramic pieces created by my wife and son and admire their beauty, I also recall the work they put into creating these masterpieces.  Each of these pieces began as greenware which is very fragile and contains rough edges.  The first step in transforming the greenware into a masterpiece involves cleaning the rough edges.  This requires the use of a knife with care taken not to break the fragile piece of greenware while removing the rough edges.  When an individual accepts Christ as their savior, they are like a piece of greenware that has the shape of the masterpiece it will become but with rough edges.  Removal of these rough edges comes through undergoing the knife of trials in our lives understanding that the trials are tools in the skillful hand of God and are designed to remove the rough edges without destroying us (Jeremiah 29:11). 

After cleaning, the greenware goes into a kiln where heat transforms the fragile greenware into a strong ceramic piece or bisque.  This is a picture of how the Lord can use trials and struggles in our lives to not only remove the rough edges in our character but also produce perseverance and strength (James 1:2-4).  These trials and struggles also produce endurance, character, and hope (Romans 5:1-4). 

The last step in the creation of a ceramic masterpiece is painting the piece to transform the piece from a boring piece of white bisque into something beautiful.  A life made strong through enduring the struggles of life should be a fruitful life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).  Like a beautifully crafted and painted ceramic piece, the world needs more fruitful believers that have undergone the knife scraping off rough edges of character and the fire of trials producing strength of character. 

Everybody experiences struggles and trials in life.  Our choice when a struggle or trial comes is to either become bitter or become better.  For Christians, the struggles are part of God’s plan for their lives and designed to remove the rough edges of character and produce strength of character (James 1:2-4; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 5:1-4).  When viewing the struggles in life from this perspective, they are not something we should be bitter about but something making us better.  I pray that those reading this would become stronger through the struggles in life and view them as part of the transformation process of Romans 12:2 that brings from conformity to the world through obedience to Christ and His Word.  May God bless everyone reading this. 

Whose Son Is the Christ

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Mark 12:35-37

Mark 12:37

David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.

(ESV)

In what could be a script for a Jerry Springer or reality show, the genealogy of Jesus can be confusing.  In Psalm 110:1, David declares Christ as his Lord and yet scripture also tells us that a descendant of David will sit on the throne of Israel for eternity, a reference to the Christ being David’s son (Isaiah 9:1-7).  It is this confusion regarding His lineage that is the source behind Jesus’ question in Mark 12:37.

The resolution to this confusion surrounding the lineage of Christ lies in the miracle of the virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:26-38).  The virgin birth of Jesus means his only biological connection to humanity comes from His mother’s side.  The confusion is in the supposition that Joseph was Jesus’ father (Luke 3:23).  This would have made Jesus a descendant of David.  However, David’s calling Jesus his Lord indicates there is more than just a familial relationship here, resolved by the virgin birth that establishes a divine lineage with Jesus being both human through a biological connection from his mother and divine as the Son of God. 

With Joseph’s decision to marry, and not divorce Mary, when he discovered she was pregnant, Joseph was legally adopting Jesus as his son (Matthew 1:18-25).  This had the effect of establishing Jesus as a descendent of David legally meaning Jesus as King of Kings fulfills God’s promise of a descendant of David eternally on the throne in Jerusalem.  This is also why David could claim Jesus as both his descendent eternally on the throne in Israel and as his Lord as the Lamb of God forgiving sin. 

The real question posed by Jesus in Mark 12:35-37 is not a legal one, but one asking us whether we understand who Jesus is and a question we all must answer.  The Greek word believes in John 3:16 is pisteuo which means to believe or entrust.  Its usage in scripture can either indicate a secular or sacred belief depending upon the context of the word’s usage.  Used in a secular context, the word indicates a self-serving belief that expects to receive something in return.  However, used in a sacred context, the word indicates a belief in something emanating from God that one can place their trust in, receiving eternal life as a benefit.  The context of John 3:16 is a theological conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus (John 3) and while it does promise the reward of eternal life for one’s belief in Jesus, the sacred context indicates this is not the primary reason for one expressing a belief in Jesus but instead a benefit received as one reaches out to Christ out of love for the sacrifice He made to forgive their sins.    

It is easy when reading John 3:16 to focus on the reward of eternal life but the sacred context of the verse as part of a theological conversation requires viewing belief mentioned in the verse as a deep belief that is not self-serving but a deep belief in God.  The verbs or action words in this verse are loved, gave, and belief.  Focus on these words unlocks the deeper meaning of John 3:16,

1)      Loved – God loved humanity even though he could have rejected them for their rebellion.  The first mention in scripture of the depth of this love is in Genesis 3:15 where God promised a savior to crush the head of the serpent that deceived Adam and Eve.  God could have destroyed Adam and Eve for their rebellion but instead promises to provide a savior to reconcile His relationship with humanity.  David was looking forward to that reconciliation when he declared the future Messiah as his Lord (Psalm 110:1).  Believers today have the benefit of hindsight and can look back at the finished work of Jesus on the cross as a demonstration of the love of God towards humanity

2)      Gave – God loved humanity so much, He did the unbelievable, He gave humanity His Son.  This act of giving is what differentiates Christianity from other religions for it does not require humanity coming to God, but that God came to humanity.  This means that God became flesh (John 1:14) in the person of Jesus.  While this is unbelievable, the most unbelievable part is that God took our sins upon Himself in the person of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:8).  However, the story does not end there for Jesus resurrected from the dead in victory over death and sits at the right hand of God as our advocate (1 John 2:1).  When one’s belief in God rises to the level of thankfulness and worship of our loving God that gave His son to cover our sins, belief becomes transformational and nut just transactional. 

3)      Believe – Belief can either be transactional a belief focused on receiving some self-serving benefit, or transformational or a belief based upon a transformation in one’s life.  This is the level of belief mentioned in John 3:16 and something every believer in Christ should aspire to achieve. 

Back to the question posed by Jesus in  Mark 12:35-37 regarding who’s son Jesus is, the answer is the Son of God through the virgin birth and David’s descendant through adoption by Joseph, a descendant of David.  We too have become adopted children of God through adoption due to the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  If you have not already experienced adoption into the family of God, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me. 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

You now have adoption into the family of God.  I encourage you now to allow your belief in Jesus as your savior to go beyond a transactional belief with the reward of eternal life to a deeper belief in God who loves us and gave His Son as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins so we can have a reconciliation with God.  May God bless everyone reading this and join me in finding a deeper belief based upon the love and gracious gift of salvation in Christ. 

God’s Coworkers

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  1 Corinthians 3:9

1 Corinthians 3:9

 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

(ESV)

The NFL world was shocked this year by the elimination of the New England Patriots from the playoffs in the first round to the Tennessee Titans.  And just to prove it was not a fluke, the Titans went on to defeat the Baltimore Ravens in the next round, advancing to the AFC championship game.  The Titans are a team working together towards a common goal, which in this case is winning a Super Bowl, something the team is one game away from having a chance to do. 

As Christians, we are part of an even greater team, the team of the Body of Christ.  Instead of winning a Super Bowl, the goal of this team is bringing the Gospel message to a world that desperately needs it and making disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20).  To accomplish this goal, Christians must establish an identity as God’s coworkers, God’s field, and God’s building. 

1)      God’s coworkers – Coworkers are people working together towards a common goal.  Paul’s reference in 1 Corinthians 3:9 to Christians being God’s fellow workers indicates that while we come from a diversity of backgrounds, Christians are to work together towards the common goal of spreading the Gospel message.  This unity in Christ, however, is not something forced upon believers through some legal mandate but something a believer does out of love.  I do not serve Christ to earn His favor but serve Christ in response to His loving grace that saves me from my sin (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 5:8).  This desire to serve must come with going in participatory faith and not spectator faith (James 2:20).  My identity as a believer in Jesus Christ creates in me a desire to live in obedience to God’s Word as a coworker in all that I do throughout the day. 

2)      God’s field – The identity of Christians as God’s field is in reference to the seed of the Holy Spirit planted by God into the life of all professing Jesus as their savior.  This deposit of the Holy Spirit places God’s seal and guarantee on our lives (2 Corinthians 1:22).  This deposit of the Holy Spirit in the life of someone indicates God’s intention to follow through on His promise of eternal life with Him, similar to an earnest deposit on a house, indicating a buyer's intention to follow through on purchasing a new home.  However, this deposit is not something sitting dormant in the life of a believer but also serves as a power source for serving as witnesses for Christ (Acts 1:8). 

3)      God’s building – When someone mentions the Church, it is common for people to picture a building.  However, the Bible describes the Church as the body of Christ comprised of many diverse people (Romans 12:5).  The reference in 1 Corinthians 3:9 to believers as God’s building is our identity as stones in the building of the Church, not a building comprised of physical stones but individual believers in Christ.  The church is comprised of living stones that work in unity to bring glory to God (1 Peter 2:5).  These living stones have power when they work together in loving unity for which is how the church shows the world they have an identity in Christ (John 13:34-35). 

A dark world needs to see the light of the Gospel lived out in victory through Christians who identify as God’s coworkers who have within them the power source of the Holy Spirit functioning in loving unity with Christ.  This is the identity the early church had when it turned its world upside down (Acts 17:6).  The church is in a battle and must march into battle as an empowered and unified force.    

Making the Complex Simple

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Test:  Mark 12:28-34

Mark 12:34

And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

(ESV)

Jesus’ mission on earth is about to come to a dramatic climax.  However, like a movie mystery, the ending is uncertain with some believing this will end with Jesus marching in to take over, kicking the Roman occupiers out in some demonstration of power from God.  For the religious leaders in Jerusalem, the anticipated and hoped for ending is proving Jesus is a fraud which is the motivation behind the attempts to entrap Jesus by asking potentially entrapping questions regarding payment of taxes and the resurrection  (Mark 12:13-27).  However, like any mystery, the solution lies in the evidence in scripture that Messiah must suffer to crush the serpent, Satan (Genesis 3:15).  Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 prophetically describe death by crucifixion which did not exist at the time of their writings, foretelling how Satan will bruise the Messiah.  However, the good news is that Jesus will conquer death and be able to ask death where its sting is because Jesus has conquered the enemy of death that was the greatest punishment brought upon humanity for their sins. 

The size and scope of the biblical narrative can be intimidating indicating that it is complex and only understandable by an elite few.  The scribe approaching Jesus in Mark 12:28 would have been familiar with the complexities of scripture because his duties as a scribe involved transcribing scripture to make copies for others to use.  In the digital age where text is easily available with the push of a button, it is difficult to imagine one tediously writing each letter of a text by hand.  While the text does not provide the reason for the Scribe’s approaching Jesus with a question like it did with the Sadducees and Pharisees, but Jesus’ direct answer to the question indicates Jesus discerned his question as genuine. 

The question of the scribe is which of the commandments is the most important.  This scribe may have transcribed the 10 Commandments portion of scripture many times leading to him wondering which of the ten was the greatest.  The lesson from this text is making the complexity of ten commandments simple to understand and obey by laying a foundation of two commandments that build a foundation upon which the other ten can firmly rest.  Let us look at the other commandments and how they rest on the foundation of putting God first and loving our neighbors as ourselves. 

1)      Idolatry, taking the Lord's name in vain, and honor of the Sabbath (Exodus 20:4-11) – One honoring the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength will not practice idolatry or take the Lord's name in vain for God has a prevalent place in their hearts.  However, honoring the Sabbath is something that provides confusion with some claiming Saturday is the only day reserved for honoring God, with others honoring God on Sunday for it is the day of Jesus’ resurrection, and others claiming every day is a day to honor God.  The Levitical law of the Old Covenant forbids doing any work on the Sabbath, meaning Jesus may have violated this law by healing on the Sabbath (Luke 4:31; Mark 1:21).  In two instances Jesus asked the religious leaders seeking to make accusations against Jesus if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath (Luke 14:3; Matthew 12:10).  The solution to the dilemma of honoring the Sabbath is found in it representing a symbol to old covenant believers testing their obedience and illustrating the need to take time to find rest in the Lord daily and not just one day of the week. 

2)      The last six commandments relate to interactions between people Exodus 20:12-19 – The Israelites who had lived under slavery for 400 years were now free.  However, this freedom could become disastrous for the community if there were no laws in place to govern societal behaviors. The last six of the 10 Commandments provide the foundation for the laws that would govern the nation.  So powerful is this foundation that it still provides the foundation for laws governing civilized societies today.   However, Jesus makes it even simpler by telling the scribe to love his neighbor as himself.  One loving their neighbor will honor those in authority over them, especially their parents.  They would not murder a neighbor they love.  They would not commit adultery against one they love for that would bring emotional harm to them and their spouse.  They would not steal from a neighbor they love but instead ask if they could borrow something they need and then promise to pay them for it or bring it back when finished.  They would not lie to the neighbor they love but be honest and transparent with them.  They also would not covet what their neighbor has for that could lead to stealing it.  A foundation of loving one’s neighbor makes obedience to the last six commandments something one wants to do and not something they have to do. 

The scribe in this text is indeed close to the kingdom of God with his understanding the simplicity of the Gospel message by acknowledging the importance of putting God first in our lives through receiving justification for sins by accepting Jesus’ substitutionary taking our death penalty for sin on the cross (Romans 3:23; 6:23).  The response to this extension of grace from God should be a life of transformation to godly thinking (Romans 12:2).  There should also be a demonstration of love for our neighbors by sharing the message of the Gospel both in what we say and most importantly in how we live.  Imagine the change that would occur in the world if people put God first and loved their neighbors as themselves.  I pray believers in Christ would live lives of submission to God and loving service to neighbors out of godly love for them so godly living becomes contagious bringing transformation to our society.  May God bless everyone reading this. 

Significance in Christ: God’s Personal Witness

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15

Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

(ESV)

When we find a good restaurant, we do not hesitate in telling our friends about it.  However, when it comes to telling others about what Jesus means to us, we can often clam up and remain silent.  With Jesus’ final words before ascending to be with God the Father being a calling to all believers to spread the message of the Gospel and make disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20), we must determine why we remain silent when the opportunity presents itself to share the Gospel.  Some obstacles to being a personal witness for God are,

1)      Having someone ask a tough theological question (1 Peter 3:15) –  It does not take a great theologian to be a witness for the Lord for the Church turned its world upside down with a group of twelve non-theologians (Acts 17:6).  This proves that it is not the eloquence of speech or great biblical knowledge that attracts people to want to know Christ, but the change they see in our lives because of our relationship with Christ.  Peter experienced a radical change in his life going from denier to bold evangelist in 50 days (Acts 2:14-41; Matthew 26:69-75).  Others saw this transformation in not only Peter but others and wanted what the disciples had.  Peters later writing in 1 Peter 3:15 is no doubt a result of seeing how people witnessed the transformation in his life wanted to experience the same transformation in their lives.  The role of theology in a believer’s life is as a catalyst for bringing life transformation that shines as a light of witness to a dark world and not something to use pridefully bringing attention to ourselves.  Theology becomes powerful in a believer’s life when it becomes something lived by and not just academic words. 

2)      Feeling weak and insignificant (Acts 1:8) – The life transformation of the Apostle Peter from one denying Christ (Matthew 26:69-75) to one boldly standing before a crowd (Acts 2:14-41), some of whom called for Jesus’ crucifixion, is a threefold process.  First came repentance of his denial of Christ (Matthew 26:75).  Peter then professed his faith in Jesus three times, once for each denial, when he encountered the risen Lord receiving full justification with the Lord (John 21:15-17).  Peter then, along with 119 others, received empowerment through the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-12).  Like Peter, believers in Christ must experience all three parts of the process for empowerment in their lives to be witnesses for Christ.  However, the controversy over the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a source of controversy within the Church, causing some to skip this step in the process creating feelings of weakness and insignificance.  Jesus cautioned His followers against skipping this step in the process in Acts 1:4.  We should look at the baptism of the Holy Spirit as one sitting in a room with a wall socket, holding some electronic device in their hand.  If they do not plug the device into the wall socket, the device does not have the power to operate.  Those that have repented of their sins and received justification by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8) have the message of the Gospel in their hands with a calling to spread that message (Mark 16:15).  However, if they do not plug themselves into the power source of the Holy Spirit in their lives, they will be weak and ineffective.  It is this weakness and ineffectiveness that leads to feeling insignificant.  I urge all believers reading this to plug into the power source of the Holy Spirit in their lives so they can become powerful and effective witnesses for Christ in how they live and what they say.

3)      Fear of rejection (Psalms 118:5-6; 2 Timothy 1:7) – Rejection is a fact in life but fearing rejection is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7).  Jesus is familiar with rejection, even by God the Father (Matthew 27:46), and yet fearlessly went to the cross to forgive our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21).  One thing believer’s in Christ can depend upon is that God will never reject them for the Lord has promised never to leave us (Hebrews 13:5).  Fear is not from God and God has promised never to leave us so there is no reason to fear rejection from people (Psalm 118:5-6).

We live in a dark world full of conflict and immorality.  This is why it is imperative for believers in Christ to be like Peter and allow God to transform them and embolden them by the power of the Holy Spirit so they, like Peter, can boldly stand up for godliness.  However, this is not just about speaking out for being a witness for Christ is more about how one, as a Christian, lives their life.  The world needs to see godly people living godly lives that provide an example to follow, using words when the opportunity presents itself.  1 Peter 3:15 speaks of being ready to defend the hope we have in Christ as this indicates someone wanting to have that hope themselves.  However, to have that hope we must prepare through repenting of sins, accepting Christ for justification, and most importantly, allowing the Holy Spirit to empower us.  Please continue to pray with me for revival to sweep across this world as believers in Christ allow the light of the Gospel to shine and be a witness in their lives.  May God bless everyone reading this post. 

Resurrection Power

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Mark 12:18-27

1 Corinthians 15:13

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.

(ESV)

The NFL playoffs have begun meaning that Super Bowl Sunday is coming soon.  In the United States Super Bowl Sunday has become an unofficial holiday with its many celebrations and parties.  While it is good to take time to have fun over a football game, for Christians there is another Sunday coming that has a life-changing reason for celebration.  This time of celebration is Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday for it is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ that conquers sin and death and gives us eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). 

The term being saved is common in the Christian vocabulary to the point we often use the terms with those outside the faith without defining what we mean by being saved.  For me, the term being saved brings pictures of one throwing out a life preserver connected to a lifeline so one caught in the torrent of a raging river is saved from drowning.  For some, it may be a picture of one lending a hand to someone who has fallen or is about to fall over a cliff.  However, Romans 10:9-10 reminds us that to be saved from the death penalty of sin requires one making a public profession of their belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

The text of Mark 12:18-27 records an encounter between Jesus and the Sadducees who do not believe there is a resurrection.  This represents a serious flaw in their theology for not to believe in the resurrection means leaving Jesus in the grave.  This demeans Jesus to just another prophet or teacher, and not the Messiah.  The nature of this encounter with the Sadducees, like Jesus’ previous encounter with the Pharisees over the payment of taxes (Mark 12:13-17), an attempt to trap Jesus in His words by using a hypothetical situation, so as to have reason to accuse Jesus of blasphemy. 

Jesus once again does not simply give an answer to their question but using scripture points out the error in their theology.  Jesus points out the Sadducees,

1)      Lack of knowledge of scripture (Mark 12:24) – This represents a major rebuke of the Sadducees for along with the Pharisees, the Sadducees viewed themselves as the chosen guardians of Scripture.  This lack of knowledge of Scripture has led to the erroneous theology that there is no resurrection.  Not unlike the religious leaders of Jesus’ time, disciples in the church have a calling to guard the message of the Gospel in the Bible and share it with others, making disciples (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20).  As such each believer has an obligation to know Scripture with the power of interpretation from the Holy Spirit living within each believer, serving as lighthouses of truth and ambassadors for Christ (Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Matthew 5:16; 2 Timothy 2:14-19).  Let us pray the Church understands the power of the resurrection of Christ and ministers empowered by this power (Romans 8:11). 

2)      Acknowledges the existence of a resurrection (Mark 12:25) – After acknowledging the lack of knowledge of Scripture on the part of the Sadducees, Jesus answers their question.  Hs answer acknowledges the existence of resurrection by telling them that after the resurrection from the dead there will be no need for marriage for people will then be like the angels.  The Sadducee's lack of knowledge of Scripture is they believe those resurrecting from the dead will be like they were before their death.  Instead, those that resurrect from the dead at the return of Christ will be changed and have glorified bodies that life for eternity (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).    

3)      Acknowledges that without a resurrection, God cannot be the God of the living (Mark 12:26-27) – The Israelites that lived in slavery in Egypt were familiar with gods of the dead as the Egyptians believed their leaders could take their possessions with them when they died and explains why they were buried with them.  If there were no resurrection from the dead then God telling Moses at the burning bush that he was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would have been proclaiming He was the god of the dead, making Him no different then the gods of Egypt.  Jesus reminds them of this making the Sadducees think about how God is not like the gods of the world and the God of the living.  Therefore, the resurrection is real and sets God apart from the other gods of the world.

Scripture does not elaborate on whether the Sadducees changed their minds regarding their belief on the resurrection, but what we do know is that Jesus would in a few days become the first to resurrect from the dead.  The empty tomb stands as an example of the power of the resurrection.  The good news for us still living is that the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us, giving us the power to minister in this world.  For those reading this that have not made a profession of faith in Jesus as their savior, I urge you to pray with me and make this profession,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

You now have the same power that raised Christ from the dead within you but must learn how to tap into this power.  To do this you must begin studying the Bible, pray or talk to God, and find a church teaching the Bible where you can learn how to study the Bible, pray, and tap into this incredible resurrection power in your life.  This profession of faith also means you have eternal life and will be changed at the resurrection so you can live a glorified life eternally with Christ.  May God bless everyone reading this post. 

Security in Christ: Protection Against Evil

By Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Jeremiah 29:11; Hebrews 13:5-6; Proverbs 3:5-6

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

(ESV)

It is normal for New Year’s resolutions to lie on the trash heap of good intentions about this time of the year leading to asking the question, how is everyone doing on their New Year’s resolutions?  The following is a list of the 10 most popular New Year’s Resolutions,

1. Exercise more
2. Lose weight
3. Get organized
4. Learn a new skill or hobby 
5. Live life to the fullest
6. Save more money / spend less money
7. Quit smoking
8. Spend more time with family and friends
9. Travel more
10. Read more (1)

If some of these are your New Year’s resolutions, I wish you the best at keeping them and not having them end up on the trash heap of failed resolutions.   However, if you have already broken some of these resolutions, it is not too late to pick up broken resolutions and not necessary to wait for the next New Year’s Day.  The greatest news, however, for believers in Jesus as their Savior is that there is security in Christ and protection from the evil one whether we keep our New Year’s resolutions or not.  This is because,

1)      God has a plan for each person’s life, a plan for their good and not their destruction (Jeremiah 29:11) – While this promise brings comfort, we struggle with security in Christ for we do not know the specifics of God’s plan for us and how it will unfold in our lives, requiring us to accept it in faith (Hebrews 11:1; Proverbs 3:5).    

2)      God never abandons us (Hebrews 13:5-6) – While God called His creation good in Genesis 1, there was one thing He stated was not good, Adam being alone (Genesis 2:18).  However, abandonment by others is something that occurs in our fallen world and since it is not good for us to be alone, it brings emotional pain to our lives.  Thankfully, God promises never to leave us, even though it may seem so as we experience the struggle of God’s plan for us unfolding in our lives (Hebrews 13:5). 

3)      God is trustworthy (Proverbs 3:5-6) – Abandonment by others throughout the course of our lives creates trust issues as we build up walls of distrust.  Unfortunately, these walls of distrust also create a lack of trust in God.  While we may say we believe God’s plans for us are for our good, the pain of the struggle as God’s plan for our lives unfolds can cause us to construct these walls of distrust, causing us to depend upon our own reasoning. 

4)      God protects His children from the evil one (1 John 5:18) – Those who have been born of God through acceptance of Jesus as their savior have protection from the evil one.  However, one that has been truly born from God will not continue in the habit of a sinful life but instead, seek to live free from sin.  This combination of being born again and seeking transformation through nonconformity to sin and transformation to godly thinking is what places and keeps us under the protective umbrella of God. 

5)      God brings abundance to our lives and not destruction (John 10:10) – Under the umbrella of God’s protection is abundant of life.  However, this abundance of life is not an accumulation of material wealth but an abundant life of love, peace, and joy.  Like the Apostle Paul, those living under the umbrella of God’s protection can have contentment even in dire circumstances (Philippians 4:11).  While the life of a believer in Christ may not appear to be a life of abundance on the surface, the inner peace and joy of one under God’s protective umbrella is abundantly able to provide joy in the struggles of life (James 1:2-4). 

6)      God transfers us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Jesus (Colossians 1:13-14) – Security in Christ is not due to our works but it is something one gains through the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 5:8).  This is good news for prior to our rebirth in Christ, our minds confirmed to the darkness of a world dominated by the kingdom of darkness.  As such, we were not capable of forcing behavior modification that would have satisfied God’s requirement to receive His justification.  Thankfully, Jesus, who knew no sin became sin in our place so we could receive righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).  It is this work of grace and substitutionary death by Jesus that provides eternal security and transformation in the life of anyone choosing to believe in Jesus as their savior (John 3:16; Romans 12:2).    

7)      Jesus has disarmed the rulers and authorities of darkness (Colossians 2:15) – As children of God we have security in knowing that Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities of darkness and when Jesus returns, He will once and for all lock Satan up (Revelation 20:1-3; 7-10). 

The greatest New Year’s resolution one can make is to make Jesus his or her savior.  If you have never done so, I invite you to unwrap the gift of salvation provided by God through His son Jesus and pray with me now, 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

For those that just prayed, you now live under the umbrella of God’s protection, but this does not mean a carefree life free from struggles and instead, a life with eternal security.  To remain under the umbrella of God’s protection and security one must study God’s Word, the Bible, pray or talk to God, and associate regularly with like-minded people that believe as you now do.  May God bless everyone reading this post.

1. Zomick, Brad. Top 10 Most Common New Year's Resolutions (and How to Follow Through on Them). goskills.com. [Online] Goskills. [Cited: January 1, 2020.] https://www.goskills.com/Soft-Skills/Articles/Top-10-new-years-resolutions.

Good Question, Wrong Motive

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Text:  Mark 12:13-17

Mark 12:13

 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.

(ESV)

Happy New Year everyone, or for those reading this that live in the United States, happy presidential election year.  Yes, it is another presidential election year in the U.S.  This means the inundation of the airwaves with continuous campaign ads that slam opponents and tout candidates as saviors that will save the world.  There will also be countless debates that are not true debates over issues important to a majority of voters but opportunities for candidates to make soundbites they will use in advertisements or something used by opponents to win the nomination in their party.  It is at these so-called debates that moderators and candidates ask questions that may appear good at first but have a political motive and agenda behind them. 

Mark 12:13-17 describes an encounter Jesus had with the Pharisees and Herodians.  The text begins with these people approaching Jesus with the purpose of trapping Him in His Words (Mark 12:13).  It is ironic that the very people given the responsibility to guard the Word of God are trying to trap the author of scripture in His words.  However, they do not believe Jesus is who He says He is, and have an agenda to publicly expose Jesus as a fraud using an issue impacting the lives of everyone, taxes,  They ask a good question about whether it is necessary to pay taxes to Caesar but they have the wrong motives for had Jesus answered with a simple yes or no, they would have used His answer against Him.  Had Jesus answered yes, they would have questioned why he condones paying taxes to sinful Romans and possibly even accused Jesus of colluding with them by dining with them (Matthew 9:10-11).  However, had Jesus answered with a no, they no doubt would have accused Jesus and his followers of planning to overthrow the Romans, leading to Jesus and his Disciples’ arrest and execution for treason.    

The question the Pharisees and Herodians ask Jesus is a gotcha question or a question designed to make someone give an answer that entraps them no matter how they answer it (Mark 12:14).  The answer to the question is a simple yes or no but Jesus, knowing the motive behind the question does not fall into the trap of giving a yes or no answer but instead answers the question with a question (Mark 12:15-16).  In essence, Jesus asks them a gotcha question revealing their real motive and exposing their history of robbing God (Malachi 3:8; Mark 12:17). 

Jesus as the Son of God and God Himself had a perfectly centered focus on His heavenly father and was not about to fall into the trap of those trying to entrap Him with a gotcha question.  However, we must maintain our godly focus so as not to fall into any traps due to gotcha questions or false teaching.  The extremes of doctrines of moralism or liberalistic theology prevalent in the Church today are false doctrines that lead to one potentially falling into a gotcha question trap.

1)      Moralism (Romans 12:2-3) – Once one makes a profession of faith in Jesus as his or her savior and receives justification and forgiveness of sins, they enter the sanctification process where they lose conformity to the world and its manner of thinking and are transformed (Romans 12:2).  Romans 12:3 however, is a warning against becoming overly moralistic as this transformation process occurs in our lives.  While this transformation is a miraculous process of the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life, it does not cause God to love them more than he did when He justified them.  The greatest love anyone can have for another is to lay down his or her life for them (John 15:13), something Jesus demonstrated by laying down His life to rescue us from our sins (Romans 5:8).  One professing a Gospel of moralistic superiority runs the risk of falling into the trap of a gotcha question with the exposure of some sin in their lives. 

2)      Liberalistic theology (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 6:1-4) – However, while we receive justification and forgiveness of sin by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8), we must not use God’s grace as an excuse to continue sinning.  This is the word of caution offered by Romans 6:1-2, for to continue sinning believing that our profession of faith provides blanket forgiveness of any sin we may want to commit is, in essence, using God.  Jesus did not die on the cross to provide an excuse to sin but to rescue people from the death penalty of sin (Romans 6:23).  Liberalistic theology tarnishes one’s witness for Christ because a non-believer sees no change in the life of someone professing Jesus as his or her savior and sees no reason to make such a profession of faith. 

3)      Balanced Gospel (Ephesians 2:8; Hebrews 5:12-13; Romans 12:1-2) – A balanced Gospel that does not fall into the trap of moralism or liberalistic theology presents the best defense against falling into the trap of a gotcha question.  A balanced approach to the Gospel understands that all have sinned and need a savior and that one only inherits eternal life through the grace of God and the love of Christ demonstrated on the cross (Romans 3:23; 5:8).  However, the calling of the Gospel also involves making disciples which requires one becoming a disciple themselves (Matthew 28:19-20).  Discipleship occurs through the worship of God and the study of the Word of God both personally and listening to the teaching of the Word in Church or a Bible study group.  However, as a disciple of Christ grows in his or her knowledge of the Word of God, they must guard against pride or thinking more highly of themselves as God brings transformation to his or her life (Romans 12:3).  A balanced approach to the Gospel allows one to react to a gotcha question by pointing the questioner to Christ and His Word, disarming the trap of the gotcha question.

My prayer for those reading this is that they have a happy and safe new year and that they would grow in the knowledge of the Word of God.  I also pray for wisdom to handle any gotcha questions and avoid falling into any traps by using the opportunity of engaging one asking a gotcha question by pointing them to Christ and the Word of God.  May God bless everyone reading this.