Daily Gospel Devotional: September 6

Matthew 21:12-17 / Mark 11:15-17 / Luke 19:45-46…

Ministry, money, mission…

Near the beginning of His ministry, Jesus went to the temple and drove out those who used the people for the sake of money (John 2:13-22). Here, near the end of His ministry, Jesus once again enters the temple and demonstrates the nature of His kingdom.

The problem for Israel was not Roman oppression, but their abandonment of God. They had went right back to doing all the ungodly and unholy things they were doing three years earlier when He came the first time. And so Jesus once again demonstrated God’s vengeance against false religion and blasphemy.

The religious authorities had been looking to kill Jesus, yet here He shows who has the real authority. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. They weren’t able to stop Him from stopping their enterprise.

In the intervening years between these temple visits, Jesus had seen much injustice, and He will indeed set all these things right when He comes again. But the political, economic, and social issues were not Jesus’ mission. In His first advent, sin was the issue. He must first come as savior, and then as sovereign.

He drives the money out and calls the ministry in. Their corruption is contrasted by His conviction (My house shall be called a house of prayer, cf. Isaiah 56:7) and His compassion (And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them). Their contention (But…the chief priests…were indignant) is met by His correction (Out of the mouth of infants…you have prepared praise, cf. Psalm 8:2). The chiefs were full of wrath while the children were full of worship.

Yes, it takes money to keep a machine going. But it takes the Spirit of God to keep ministry going. While God seems to allow all of this false religion and blasphemy to go on, when He decides it will end, He will end it, starting with the church (1 Peter 4:17).

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Daily Gospel Devotional: September 5

Matthew 21:18-19 / Mark 11:12-14…

Upon closer inspection…

This was not some impulsive act by Jesus. It might not have yet been fig season, but this particular tree had already put out leaves. In the case of figs the fruit comes before the leaves. This is why Jesus said what He did. It was because the tree had put out leaves, and so there should have been figs on the tree. This was a vivid object lesson. The nation of Israel was withering. It had some of the look of a righteous people, but it in fact was headed for destruction, which would happen in 70 AD. Jesus was predicting and proclaiming this.

This lesson also applies to us as individuals. Many hold promise but they have no produce. In other words, many seem to have the fruit of godliness, but only from a distance. Upon closer inspection it is revealed that their produce is in the realm of earthly, worldly graces. It is not evidence of saving faith. It has the look of the leaves but is simply evidence of a false fruit, fools fruit, which can be had by anyone under the sun. It is not born from the Spirit of God but by the heart of man.

Fools fruit, like fools gold, looks like the real thing, but to the trained eye, it is seen to be the worthless fake that it is (Hebrews 5:14). There are many plans, programs, and personalities out there that purport to be Christian, and that promise us freedom and faithfulness, but they are the stuff of Satan and his minions (2 Peter 2:19 / 1 Timothy 4:1).

What about your own life? Is Christianity for you just some sort of reforming movement, or are you truly being transformed? Is there something new in your life, something unmistakably supernatural, as from the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22-23)? The world can counterfeit the fruit of the Spirit; do you know the difference (2 Corinthians 13:5)? Is there real fruit in your life, or are you just becoming “a nicer person”? Do you know what you are looking at?

If you have no fruit you have no future. Not with God, anyway.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Daily Gospel Devotional: September 4

Luke 19:41-44…

Jesus knew…

Jesus knew that His so-called Triumphal Entry was not what many thought. He knew that judgment was coming upon Jerusalem because you did not know the time of your visitation. The people didn’t understand the deliverance that was coming to them. They would refuse Jesus as the Messiah, and rejecting Him as the way of peace led to the destruction that would follow.

As He began to enter Jerusalem, the parade of people seemed to know Jesus was Messiah. However, as He drew closer, we see that Jesus knew that they didn’t actually know the things that make for peace. They were looking for Jesus to fulfill a need they didn’t really need, and were blind to the need they really had. What they needed was not peace with the Romans being overthrown, but peace with God because sin was overthrown.

Unfortunately this same rejection plays itself out repeatedly in the lives of many people. So often, we assume that we will have many chances to respond to the same opportunity. People reject the peace of God by their rebellion, and think that He will be there for them to follow whenever and however they may choose. Some may eventually come to the Lord, or return to Him, but life is short and its length is uncertain (James 4:14), and soon you will be called to account (Hebrews 9:27). Now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

There are many people today who think they know what they need to, but they in fact do not have the true knowledge they need. We forfeit much peace as the consequence of rebellion and earn nothing but heartache after heartache. Some have their hearts become so hardened that they never return to the Lord. Let’s live for Jesus and let our lives not be squandered on what is not peace! Jesus knew the terms of peace. Do you?

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©