April 26 - Heaven is for Real

 Read today’s texts first: 2 Samuel 1; Psalms 140; Matthew 13

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY
Heaven is for real, but it is not really for everyone. 

I remember watching the film sensation, Heaven is for Real (and more recently from the same producer, Miracles from Heaven). This morning I read through Matthew 13 and would like to add, heaven is for real, but it is not really for everyone. Unlike some Christian critics, I enjoyed the movie. Colton’s memories of heaven are believable and consistent with other near death accounts, but there should be more to the story.

The story in the movie is limited, one-sided. Taken by itself, it creates the impression that everyone goes to heaven when they die. I wish Pastor Burpo (that’s his real name) actually delivered sermons in the movie based on Scripture instead of just his son’s visit to heaven. That’s the danger with books, movies, and preachers who interpret God’s Word based on experiences instead of interpreting experiences based on God’s Word.

The truth is, heaven is for real, but Jesus made it clear that not everyone will spend eternity with Him there. The parables we read today speak of the day when there will be a separation of the wheat from the weeds (13:39-43), the good fish from the bad (13:47-50). We know from earlier in the chapter and from other Scriptures that the terms “good” and “bad” do not refer to our works, our ability to earn a place in heaven. The parable of the sower helps us understand that the comparison is more like good or bad soil (13:18-23), spiritual acceptance of God’s Word, the gospel message of a free gift of salvation paid in full by our Saviour, Jesus, who died in our place. Accepting Him and his forgiveness is what makes the possibility of heaven real for us!

“Lord, thank You for Your promise that you have gone ahead to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-3). Like Colton Burpo, I’m not afraid of death, or anything for that matter, because heaven is for real, and really for me!”

April 25 - The Law of Love

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Samuel 30,31; 1 Chronicles 10; Matthew 12

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 If you want to understand the Spirit of the Law,
get to know the Lawgiver.

Jesus encountered them all the time, and so do we: people who love the law, but fail to realize the law of love. Most of the religious rulers in Jesus’ day had become so preoccupied with the law, expanding it, explaining its nuances, that they lost sight of the reason for it.

To explain the fourth commandment, remember the sabbath day by keeping it holy (Ex. 20:8), the rabbis had identified, in the Mishneh, 39 prohibited activities, along with hundreds of applications for each of those activities. When Jesus (the Son of God, the One who wrote the law) arrived on the scene, the religious rulers constantly criticized Him for violating the Sabbath. In our reading today, Jesus allowed His disciples to glean grain on the Sabbath and He healed a man with a shrivelled hand. While the Pharisees piously gasped in shock, Jesus reminded them of Hosea’s words, for I desire mercy, not sacrifice, which is followed by, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings (12:7; Hos. 6:6). I love this section of Hosea, which took on new life for me in the 70s with the chorus “Let's Press On to Know the Lord” (Hos. 6:3).

When we take the time to know Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath (Mat. 12:8), we will start to understand the reason for the law. Jesus summed up the entire law with two commands: love God and love others. Most of the Pharisees missed it. They had pressed on to know the law, but they didn’t know the lawgiver. They didn’t really love God and they certainly didn’t seem to love people. 

The contrast between Jesus and the Pharisees is similar to the one between David and Saul. Saul, who became more and more infatuated with himself, learned the hard way how self-destructive a self-centered life can be (31:4). David, on the other hand, pressed on to know and love God, which became evident in his compassion for those less fortunate. David’s parallel to Jesus healing the man with the withered hand was his feeding of the abused Egyptian slave. That seemingly random act of kindness was rewarded with information that led to David rescuing his family and restoring everything his enemies had stolen from him and his men.

“Lord, I want to press on to know and love You, and to fully love the people You bring into my life today!”

April 24 - Choose Prayer

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Samuel 28,29; Psalms 109; Matthew 11

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
Does God choose us or do we choose Him?
The answer is yes! 

Does God choose us or do we choose Him? The answer is yes, to both questions! Some would say that God’s choice alone is determinative, that He has predetermined some to be saved and, by logical extension, some to be damned. But if that were true, it would violate God’s nature. God is love and love requires choice. For God to love us He must choose us, and if we are to love God we must choose Him.

Our readings today reflect that tension of mutual choice. Saul and David had equal opportunity to choose God, to choose a life of prayer, of intimate relationship with a loving God. But for Saul, prayer was the means to tell God what he wanted, not to hear what God wanted. God was not his friend, his lover; in Saul’s mind, God was his good luck charm, his secret amulet to help him win battles and the praise of his subjects.

Unfortunately, because he consistently chose to disobey God, God stopped talking to Saul (28:5,16-18). So desperate was he for God’s help, he consulted a spiritist, a medium, after rightly banning them from Israel. Mediums are forbidden because they use deception and demonic power as a counterfeit for God, but in this case, the witch of Endor freaked out when the true God intervened (28:12). God allowed Samuel (the spirits of believers are not ghosts who roam the earth, but they do live forever with God) one more opportunity to remind Saul of the consequences of his choices to ignore God’s will (28:19).

David, on the other hand, was a “man of prayer” (109:4). David and God were so close, God provided him a way out of a difficult dilemma (29:6,7). David was put in the position of having to fight against his own people to protect his family and to prove his loyalty to the Philistines who had kept him safe from Saul. But because David consistently chose to love God with all of his heart, soul, and strength (a.k.a. integrity), God protected him in that moment and throughout his reign over Israel (Psa. 25:21; 1 Kings 9:4,5).

We also see the tension of mutual choice in the words of Jesus. God chooses to reveal Himself to all those who choose to come to Him (11:27,28). “Lord, I choose to come to You today, and to be yoked together with You for the rest of my life. I want to learn from You, from Your gentle and humble heart, and to find rest for my soul” (11:29).

April 23 - Sheep Among Wolves

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Samuel 27; Psalms 141; 1 Chronicles 9; Matthew 10

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 We must learn, and help our children to learn,
how to be the influencers instead of the influencees!

Again, there is a common thread in our readings today: David moved his family into enemy territory to escape from Saul (1 Sam. 27), his psalm was a prayer for protection from evil influence (Psa. 141), the last of the genealogies records the generations who survived captivity in Babylon (1 Chr. 9), and Jesus sent His disciples out into inevitable persecution (Mat. 10). Each of these accounts has clear application to us and the world we live in today.

Jan and I just had a discussion with some good friends on the challenges parents face in protecting their children. We now have the perfect storm of immorality coming at us from all sides: from drug pushers targeting younger children, to graphic pornography accessible to anyone at the touch of an iPhone, to public school teachers endorsing homosexuality, to celebrities selling sin as the American Dream. What’s the answer: Christian schools, home schooling, communes, fortresses surrounded by moats infested with crocodiles? How do we keep ourselves and our children safe from evil influence?

The truth is we can’t. We live on a sin-polluted planet and the sooner we learn, and help our children to learn, how to be the influencers instead of the influencees, the better. Jesus said to His disciples, which includes us: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard (10:16,17). We don’t have to be afraid because His Spirit will be with us, even giving us the words to speak when we face persecution (10:19,20).

This truth of God’s presence and protection applies even to our children. There may be setbacks and we may make some serious mistakes, but God is good all the time. We can trust Him, for ourselves and for our children. We may be sheep but we always have the Good Shepherd with us. We must believe like David when we pray: my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge - do not give me over to death. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety (141:8-10).

April 22 - Leaders Listen

Read today’s texts first: 1 Samuel 25, 26; Psalms 63; Matthew 9

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 Good leaders are confident enough to make executive decisions and humble enough to listen to better ideas. 

We are coming to the end of Saul’s legacy as a leader and there’s at least one obvious observation: he was not a good listener. He heard the words of those who questioned his rash choices, but he consistently rejected their advice. David, on the other hand, while confident enough to make executive decisions, was also humble enough to listen to better ideas. Today’s story of Abigail’s intervention shows David’s ability to set aside emotional impulses and listen to sound advice.

Abigail’s husband, Nabal, refused to give out of his abundance to take care of David and his men, even though they provided protection for his workers. It was expected in those days that wealthy landowners would offer food and shelter to the men who had left their own homes and risked their lives to keep them safe. In Nabal’s case, he heard directly from his own servants how David and his men had protected them without touching their livestock, but Nabal was not a good listener!

David was so incensed by Nabal’s ingratitude that he prepared his men to attack. But Abigail intervened with such compelling wisdom, David remarked: May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day (25:33). He was also perceptive enough to sense God speaking through Abigail (25:34), and learned a lesson that would characterize the rest of his life. He learned that vengeance belongs to God alone, and this truth would guide him in his ongoing struggles with Saul.

Not to sound sexist but David was not only listening to a stranger’s advice, he was listening to a woman, about military matters of all things. In that day, such openness was remarkable. But David’s heart was soft, no doubt because he was so careful to worship his God every day (Psalms 63 captures his prayers during this time). He could sense God’s voice, even when he heard it through the lips of a woman. I have heard your words and granted your request (25:35).

“Lord, my prayer today echoes David’s: Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me (63:7-9). I hear Your words to me today: I do not have to defend myself; You are my defense against those who would do me harm.”

April 21 - Crocodile Tears

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 8; Psalms 57; 58; Matthew 8

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 Pride, selfishness, hypocrisy, meaningless tears, can
overtake any life that stops recognizing God’s authority.

If you are ever eaten by a crocodile, let’s say while vacationing in Florida, you may feel better knowing that the croc is crying at the same time. You won’t feel better, though, after learning there is no remorse behind those tears – it’s merely an emotionless, physiological reaction. Hence the term, “crocodile tears” - applied to hypocrites who say they feel bad but their behaviour doesn’t change.

Saul provides several classic examples. He had so many God-given opportunities to turn his life around. Samuel, his son Jonathan, his own soldiers, and now David, all confronted Saul, some more than once, about his self-centeredness, to no avail. Almost every time, there was apparent repentance (15:24,25; 19:6; 24:16-21), but no change. In our story today, when David refused to retaliate against Saul when he inadvertently mistook David’s cave for a porta-potty, Saul was so overwhelmed by David’s mercy that he “wept aloud.”  But the tears were a “croc” and a few days later he went out with 3,000 of his best men on another search and destroy mission, with David as his target.

I’m not sure we can say that Saul never felt remorse, but we can say that he seldom acted on that remorse. True repentance requires change. It literally means “to change one’s mind for the better,” to stop going one way, turn around, and go the other way. Saul illustrates what James was talking about: For if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like (James 1:23,24). He later explains that faith without works is dead (2:20, 26).

Some who dismiss free will might say that Saul was never a believer and his true colours surfaced later in his life. I believe the Bible suggests otherwise. Saul started out after his anointing as a humble, teachable man of God, at one point filled with God’s Spirit and prophesying. But human pride hardened his heart and twisted his thinking. It can happen to any one of us, and it can happen to me. Pride, selfishness, hypocrisy, meaningless tears, can overtake any life that stops recognizing God’s authority.

I love the emphasis of Christ’s authority in our NT reading today. Leprosy, paralysis, fever, windstorms, even demons are subject to the power of Jesus. If we forget that we too are subject to Jesus, and start serving ourselves instead of Him, pride will begin to pervert our hearts, minds, and actions. “Lord, that’s why I spend time each day in Your Word and at Your feet. Keep my heart soft and my tears real!”

April 20 - Do Unto Others

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Samuel 23; Psalms 31; 54; Matthew 7

 MAXIMize YOUR DAY
The world says “do unto others what they do to you”
but Jesus says “ “Do unto others as you would have
them do unto you.”  (Sorry, Don Cherry!) 

Basic human justice sets a fairly low standard: “do unto others what they do to you.” The civil law of the Hebrews was similar: “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Ex. 21:24; Deut. 19:21). According to Don Cherry, the same should apply to good Canadian boys in rock’m sock’m hockey!

It certainly would have been justifiable for David to retaliate against Saul’s repeated attempts on his life. But in the chapters to come, we see “a man after God’s own heart.” He had several golden opportunities to strike back, including a vulnerable moment when Saul was relieving himself in the very cave where David was hiding from him (24:3,4). Talk about catching a man with his pants down! But David refused to “touch the Lord's anointed” (24:6,10). He was already putting into practice the standard Jesus would introduce to His followers: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (aka: the Golden Rule - 7:12).

I remember taking care of the grand kids for a whole week when they were on their best behavior. Their parents’ point system (with points equal to actual dollars) may have been a contributing factor. But one breakdown happened while Zack and Katie were supposed to be sharing a scooter between them. Injustice over time on said scooter led to complaints to Papa. I know better than to arbitrate a “he said/she said” civil case so I simply empowered them to work it out themselves or they would be confined to the house. When they couldn’t resolve things on their own I brought them in for a crash course on the Golden Rule and sent them out with a second chance to put it into practice.  Shockingly, it worked! They got more points and I gave myself a gold star for excellence in grand-parenting.

Jesus “taught as one having authority” (7:28,29) because He put every word He spoke into practice. The Easter season we have just come through reminds us of the moment when He took the punishment of death that we deserved, according to human justice, and paid it Himself, modelling God’s higher standard of unconditional love. “Lord, the way I can honour what You have done for me is by doing the same for others. Help me reflect Your love by practicing Your standard of doing for others what I would want them to do for me!”