Author: coachdkeith

Clarification is required for all of us that can easily muddle up the commandments left by Moses. Jesus was sent for many things, clearing up our perversions of the law is one of them…

Mark 12:28-34
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[f] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[g] There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

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

One of the bright spots in the many conversations between the teachers of the law and Jesus is this particular instance. It seems that is was not time for Jesus to instruct harshly or rebuke, but rather it was time for teaching. It seems, at least in this account, that they were receptive.

Being “closet to the Kingdom of God” is what we should all strive for. When Jesus says this, He is referring to the fact that this man was able to quote directly from the Bible and therefore spoke with truth and love. The Pharisee was agreeing with Jesus in public, which confirms the fact the Word of God was living in the man’s heart. Jesus could see his heart, and therefore confirmed that fact for him and all who were listening.

We all have the ability to grow closer to the Kingdom of God. How? Read His Word. Pick up the Bible and read it. If you have an app on your phone or IPad or tablet that’s fine too, but read. The words will begin to seep into your heart and souls, and they will change you from the inside out. Just the way that had changed this teacher of the law.

The Greatest Commandment is Love. It is the most powerful action that anyone can perform, and it is free, and it requires no special training. It only requires that you stop trying to love by yourself, and ask God to help you to love. He will show you. #JesusSaves

I love you all. I pray for you this day that you receive today’s bread. I pray that you receive His revelation and His will is fulfilled in your lives.

Amen.
DK

The human experience…

Mark 12:18-27
18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection[c] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[d]? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

We have a tendency to worry and toil over the mundane and meaningless. However, it seems to be a good question, particularly if you have had many wives or husbands. Who will be married in Heaven?

About the only thing good in this question is that at least the person asking the question is asking a Kingdom question. The problem is that the question involves worldly titles and gain in Heaven from what is not done for the Father here on earth.

The answer is that it doesn’t matter. When you get there, all of the worldly nonsense will slip away, and chances are you will want to praise the Lord for all of eternity in His presence.

What matters is what God wants you to do in your life, not what you can do with it. Give it to Him. #JesusSaves

Amen
DK

Jesus is fair and righteous!

Mark 12:13-17
13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax[b] to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

And they were amazed at him.

Awe and wonder are the very first steps of belief. True belief. If you are not moved to awe when you read of not only Jesus’ miracles, but His teachings and answers, then a major part of faith is missing. You must be amazed. Even the Pharisees who sought to discredit Him were amazed.

Time and time again our Creator has shown us that even as man, as mortal man, the miraculous is possible when faith is present. The answer given to those who were intent on trapping Him is nothing short of amazing. He told them not to quarrel about worldly things. To do so would only detract from your faith and assured growth with the Father. And growth is promised once you seek Him. It’s guaranteed and promised.

Let’s do something today for Him. Find somebody closest to you and tell them one thing about Jesus. Tell them that He amazes you every time you hear of Him. Tell them a story about how he told those who had never sinned to cast the first stone, or how he told those that sought to ensnare Him to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. In doing so, you will have shared your faith. Then ask them if they know Jesus. Then tell them how you know Him, and ask how they know Him.

That sounds like a fantastic lunch conversation. It’s the perfect season for it. The birth of our Lord and Savior is upon us. God be with you today as you share Him with others. Do not be afraid. #JesusSaves

Amen
DK

This is Jesus letting them know that He knows…

The Parable of the Tenants
12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
11 the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?”
12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

Fear of man… That is what the Pharisees were afraid of…man! Wow! I’m not saying that they should’ve killed Him immediately, after all Jesus knew by the direction of the Father what was to happen.

So, Jesus lets them know that He is the cornerstone rejected. That is the message that we need. We all need to know that when He came, legalists rejected Him. He then became not just the Messiah for the Jews, but the Savior of the entire world. It opened the door for us.

When I first read the Gospel, I was mad at the Pharisees, but now I feel like I owe them a huge thank you. What they did by not listening and not believing is provide access to all of us. All Gentiles now had access to all the gifts originally reserved for the Jews. Jesus changed it all. He came for all of us. #JesusSaves

Amen.
DK

Jesus was a man, but with an extraordinary ability to see what was coming. Every move carefully planned by the Father…

Mark 11:27-33
27 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

29 Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”

31 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)

33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

In this amazing question and answer session with the legalist Pharisees, Jesus asks them a question about the last Old Testament prophet to come.

In this way Jesus was able to flip the very question they asked Him back to them. Believe it or not, He was teaching. Teaching all of those legalists that were questioning Him, teaching His followers, and now teaching us. For if Jesus were to tell them who He was publicly, He knew that the reason He was sent would not happen. The temptation to do so must have been great.

Thank you Jesus! #JesusSaves

Amen
DK