A Shot to the Temple

In boxing and ultimate fighting, there is nothing as devastating as a shot to the temple.  A well-placed punch to the side of the forehead usually crumples your opponent into unconscious heap.  

Knock out.  Lights out.  

Here, Stephen concludes his testimony before the ruling Jewish council with a shot to the temple (Acts 7:44-53).  He reminds the Sanhedrin of their misplaced worship of the man-made temple.  

It was a knockout punch.

Stephen wraps up his Spirit-filled, sermon-on-the-fly before the Sanhedrin.  He's walked through the OT describing how Almighty God worked in and through an unending parade of misfits, murderers and malcontents to bring about salvation through Messiah Jesus (Acts 7:2-43).

They have originally charged Steve with slandering and blaspheming God, Moses, and the holy temple (Acts 6:11-14).  The high priest demanded that he answer these charges (i.e. "How do you plead?").  

Finally, in these verses, the church's soon-to-be first martyr answers his accusers.

Stephen once again reminds the council of the history of the temple.  He recalls, "Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness" (v44).  

Before the temple was the tabernacle.  Instead of a brick and mortar building, God camped in a tent among His people.  This was just the way He wanted it (Ex 25:8-9, 40).  

He commanded Moses EXACTLY how to put together this one of a kind, portable sanctuary-on-the-go.  God's Tent contained the Ark of the Covenant, the great reminder of God's everlasting promise to His people.

Moses built the tabernacle because God told Him to.  This is God at work.

Steve goes on to remind the Sanhedrin of the critical role the tabernacle played as God's people came rolling into the Promised Land.  

Joshua was God's handpicked successor to Moses.  He led the charge into this land of milk and honey.  

Notice the specific phrasing of the sentence.  "They dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers" (v45).  

The children of Israel played an active role, but it is God who drove out those living in the land (Josh 18:1; 23:9).

Just as God instructed Moses to build His tent, He also was the One who drove out the enemies of His people as they conquered the land.

Next, Steve recalls "the days of David" (v45-46).  He reminds his hostile audience that the great king was nothing until God showered him with grace.  

The phrase "found favor in the sight of God" can just as easily be translated as David "found grace in the sight of God."  That’s because the Greek word translated here is χαρις/charis, which can mean grace, kindness, mercy, goodwill, favor.  

God used King David only because He blessed him.  David did nothing on his own.  This no doubt includes the gracious promise the Lord made to David that one day his Descendant would sit on the throne of Israel forever (2Sam 7).  

That's what scholars call the Davidic Covenant.  Jesus is that direct Descendant and the fulfillment of that promise.

So let's recap.  God was the One who commanded Moses to build the tabernacle.  God was the One who drove out Israel's enemies in the Promised Land.  God was the One who placed David under His waterfall of blessing.  See a trend?

King David badly wanted to build Yahweh a permanent temple.  Instead, God chose his son Solomon for the project (v47).  The Scripture goes into great detail about this massive undertaking (1Ki 6; 8:17-21; 1Chr 22:7-10).

There's just one problem about temple building.  "The Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands" (v48).  

Solomon understood this irony of constructing a man-made temple for an uncontainable God.  

"Who is able to build Him a house, since heaven, even cannot contain Him?  Who am I to build a house for Him, except as a place to make offerings before Him?" (2Chr 2:6).

Stephen understood what Solomon did.  The temple might be great, but God is greater!  

He quotes Isaiah 66:1-2, where God Himself mocks the idea of trying to limit His presence to brick and mortar.  This is the same thing that Jesus shared with the Samaritan woman.  

Christ Himself announces that the time "is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth," not in any kind of a building (Jn 4:21-24).

Stephen finishes his sermon by swinging haymakers.  He accuses his accusers of being "stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit" (v51).  POW!!  

He says they have rejected God just like their fathers before them.  Israel was following in their fathers' sinful footsteps.  BANG!!

Stephen said that their fathers made sure they persecuted every prophet that God sent (v52).  They killed every last one of God's messengers who had announced "the coming of the Righteous One."  They batted 1.000.  CRUNCH!!

Steve has them on the ropes and goes for the knockout.  He finishes this wicked (and TRUTHFUL!) combination by accusing them of murdering Messiah.  KAPOW!!!!!!!

A shot to the temple.  From a standpoint of salvation, the Sanhedrin was out cold.  Stone cold.  All thanks to Stephen's Spirit-filled shot to the temple.

©2011

Jay Jennings 

A Second Trial

 Here we go again.  In these verses, Luke gives the account of the apostles second trial before the Sanhedrin.  

The first time, the council basically gave them a warning ticket (Acts 4:18).  Peter and John told the Jewish leaders this wasn't going to stop them from telling others about Jesus (Acts 4:19-20).  

These religious big wigs toss the apostles in the clink a second time for continuing to proclaim the Gospel (Acts 4:17).  But this time God sends an angel to bust them out of the joint and continue preaching the Good News (Acts 4:19-21).

When the high priest and the Sanhedrin reconvenes the following day, they send for the 12 prisoners (v21).  There's only one problem.  They are not there (v22).  

And they are stunned at what they do find.  The cell block is still locked tight.  The guards are still standing at each cell door.  "But when we opened them we found no one inside” (v23).  

That left everyone scratching their heads (v24).  What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on?  

Suddenly, someone runs in to report that prisoners are actually "standing in the temple teaching the people" (v25).  They immediately send out the temple security detail to bring them in.  

But the cops don't make a big scene.  They don't use force.  But this has very little to do with civility and everything to do with public opinion.  "They were afraid of being stoned by the people" (v26).

It is interesting to note the difference in the reactions of the apostles and the captain of the temple guard.  

The Twelve didn't care that the council would most certainly arrest them.  They were going to obey the Lord.  They feared God.  

On the other hand, the temple cops worried about the people's reaction to putting the apostles in a paddy wagon.  They feared man.  

The Apostle Paul had the right priorities.  "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?  Or am I trying to please man?  If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Gal 1:10).

Once the hearing gets underway, the high priest reminds them of the warning ticket he gave them just the other day.  

What particularly ticked him off was that these men were teaching the people that the Sanhedrin played a central role in Jesus' execution.  "You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this Man's blood upon us” (v28).  

Clearly, the Gospel is turning the city on its head.  It's all the buzz.  

As they have done many times before, Pete and the boys boldly accuse the Jewish leaders as being culpable in the death of Christ (Acts 2:23, 26; 3:15; 4:10).  The apostles pulled no punches.

As leader of the Twelve, Pete responds.  And the Sanhedrin's not going to like what he has to say.  "We must obey God rather than men” (v30).  He says they really have no choice.  

When the ruling authority demands a follower of Jesus to sin in disobedience, there is but one godly response.  Obey God.  

We've come to call it civil disobedience.  A better term would be godly obedience.  This call to obedience was such a burden for Martin Luther King that he led the American Civil Rights movement.  

Throughout the Bible, we read of God-fearing individuals thumbing their noses at sinful authority (Ex 1:15-17; Dan 6:4-10).

Pete goes on to proclaim Jesus' resurrection before the council.  "The God of our fathers raised Jesus” (v30).  

Let's be clear on this.  This is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who brought the Rabbi/Carpenter back to life.  

This is OUR God!  This is the God these Jewish leaders claimed to follow.

Then the fisherman drops the hammer and accuses the Sanhedrin of murdering Messiah.  "Whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree” (v30).  

And the Greek word used here is διαχειριζω/diacheirizo.  It means to lay hands on violently, to seize and kill, to murder.  

Pete doesn't want the high priest to miss his point.  Yes, Jesus' blood IS on his hands!

But it didn't end with simply a risen Jesus flaunting the council's failed plot to eliminate Him from the scene.  "God exalted Him at His right hand as Leader and Savior” (v31).  

Jesus has returned home to heaven.  And His Dad was saving a chair for Him.  It was the throne of authority at the Father's right hand (Ps 110:1 Lk 20:41-44; Acts 2:34-36; Phil 2:9-11).

God has given His Son the authority "to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins" (v31).  We often think of the forgiveness of sin as a gift, but how about repentance?  

Peter is teaching that repentance itself is a gift of God.  The Lord doesn't have to let us turn back to Him.  Our holy God could simply damn us to hell for a single sin, no questions asked.  

But He doesn't.  He grants us the gracious gift of repentance.  We should take full advantage of this wonderful gift each and every time it is needed.  For me, that is all too often.

Peter goes on to testify that the followers of Jesus "are witnesses to these things" (v32).  And they aren't the only ones.  “So is the Holy Spirit” (v32).  

God's Spirit also testifies to the truth of the Gospel.  And God gives His Spirit "to those who obey Him” (v32).  What a marvelous promise!  

And notice the appearance of the Trinity here in these verses.  The Father is at work.  The Son is risen, ruling and reigning.  The Spirit testifies.

In essence, Pete tells the council that if they make the apostles choose whom to follow, they will follow Jesus every time.  

How 'bout you?  

©2011

Jay Jennings

Rocky III

 Here in Acts 4:5-12, Luke describes the first part of Peter and John's trial before the Sanhedrin.  The religious authorities broke up Pete's sermon in Solomon's Porch and tossed the two apostles in the pokey for the night.  

"On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem" (v5).  These are the positions that made up the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, including the high priest.  

The Roman government allowed these 71 men to handle all things Jewish among the people, in particular, matters regarding the temple.  This same group oversaw the conspiracy and manipulation of the system to execute Jesus.  

Dr. Luke tells us that our old friends "Annas the high priest and Caiaphas” were in attendance, as well as two men named "John and Alexander, and all who were in the high priestly family" (v6).  

The Gospel accounts seem to go back and forth in telling us who the high priest was during Christ's crucifixion.  The entire high priesthood during these years centered on Annas.  He held the office from AD 6-15.  

His son-in-law Caiaphas was the current high priest when this all goes down (AD 18-36).  Several of Annas' sons also served in the position, including Jonathan ("John" mentioned above? Hmm, could be.) in AD 36.

Annas clearly wielded great power and influence.  He had an iron-fisted grip on the high priesthood.  

Roman authorities had removed him from the position, but he was able to manipulate the system to get his puppets into place.  

Annas was more like a mafia boss still running his empire from prison than the God's high priest.  More godfather than God lover.

Annas and his toadies pound the table and demand Peter and John to tell them what was going on (v7).  The room had to be thick with tension and threat.  

These same men conspired to crucify Christ.  Certainly these two bumpkins from boondocks would face a similar fate.

At this point, Pete testifies.  Well, not so much testifies as preaches.  He begins his third sermon in the opening chapter of Acts (Acts 2:14-40; 3:12-26).  

The man Jesus called Rocky answers the bell and begins throwing haymakers.  Let's call this "Rocky III."

God had filled him with the Holy Spirit.  Pete wasn't just baptized in the Spirit.  God had filled him to the brim.  

Remember, while Peter was the leader of the disciples, he was continually tripping over himself.  One moment he's declaring Jesus is Messiah and the next moment Jesus calls him Satan.  

Just some two months prior Pete denied Jesus three times!  When the Spirit fills ordinary people, they do extraordinary things.

This is a reminder that while God's Spirit indwells all believers, He completely fills others.  The thing that keeps most of us from being filled with the Spirit is that we are full of it.  

In other words, we are full of ourselves.  Full of sin.  Full of self.  Jesus is our example.  We must empty ourselves in humility (Phil 2:1-11) in order to be filled with His Spirit. 

Jesus had actually predicted, promised and prophesied this moment.  "And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (Lk 12:11-12).  

And that's EXACTLY what (or should I say "Who"?) was happening to Peter.  God's Spirit had filled and empowered him.

Rocky pulls no punches and comes out swinging.  He tells them that this "good deed done to a crippled man" (v9) was done "by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified" (v10).   

He immediately turns the tables on the sinful Sanhedrin and puts them on trial for murder!  

Yeah, we healed the guy.  And we did it in the name of Jesus!  Now what in the world are you going to do about it?  This is Spirit-filled boldness!

Rocky swings with a two-punch combination.  He first charges the council with killing the Christ.  BAM!  

He unleashes the second punch by testifying that "God raised (Jesus) from the dead!" (v10).  POW!!  

Again, the resurrection of Jesus is central to the proclamation of the Gospel in the book of Acts.  Clearly these early disciples saw the empty tomb just as important as Calvary's cross.  

Pete tells them that it's by the name of Jesus, the One who killed and the One God raised that "this man is standing before you” (v10).

First Rocky uses the clear evidence of the once disabled man for proof, he now flips back to the OT to support his charges even further.  "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone" (v11).  

He quotes Psalm 118:22, a verse quoted and reference many times in the NT as being about Jesus (Lk 20:17; Eph 2:20; 1Pet 2:4-8).

The verse from Psalm 118 speaks of the massive construction project of Solomon’s first temple.  According to Jewish tradition, masons quarried and cut enormous stones for the temple miles from the project because no hammer was to be heard at the construction site.  

The first stone that arrived, the cornerstone, didn’t match specifications.  It wasn’t what builders expected.  They rejected it and put it aside (some even say they rolled it over the side of the cliff into the Kidron Valley below).  

It was only later that project managers realized this was exactly the stone they should have used to start the project!  

Jesus is saying that this rejected cornerstone in Solomon’s temple that the psalmist wrote about foreshadowed His arrival as Messiah.  Christ was rejected because He wasn’t the kind of stone they expected.  

The people want a king.  A REAL king.  A warrior king.  But what they didn’t realize was that Christ is EXACTLY the kind of king they need.  

The builders (religious leaders) may reject Him, but Jesus that doesn’t change the fact that He is indeed the THE Cornerstone. 

Pete is drawing a line in the temple sand.  Jesus is Messiah.  He has been sent from God the Father.  Either accept Him or reject Him.  And once you’ve made your choice, prepare for the consequences. 

With the Sanhedrin wobbling on the ropes, Rocky goes for the knockout.  "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (v12).  

He boldly tells the council that God's salvation is found only in Jesus.  In other words, everything God tells us about salvation in the OT is about Christ. 

Pete makes it VERY clear.  Christianity is VERY exclusive.  But it is also VERY inclusive.  Jesus is the only way (Jn 14:6).  But anyone may enter through Him.  

This is an EXTREMELY unpopular thing to proclaim in our world today.  We must pray for Spirit-filled boldness to stand up for this truth.  

"Rocky III" is over quickly.  This fight does NOT go the distance.

©2011

Jay Jennings

Seeking the Spotlight

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow up?

Remember when you were a kid and people would ask you what you wanted to be when you grow up? For me the answer wasn’t a baseball player, an astronaut, or a firefighter.

I wanted to be famous. It didn’t matter what I would do. I just wanted fame. I wanted people to recognize me. I dreamed of the day I would walk down the street and folks would ask me for my autograph.

I loved me some me. And I wanted everybody else to love me too!

Famous for Being Famous

Yeah, I know. Pretty shallow stuff. But it’s true. One hundred percent true. Decades before the Kardashians and everybody who’s famous for just being famous, I had career goal of being a celebrity.

That’s exactly why Jesus’ teaching here in Mark 12:38-40 is like a dagger piercing my still bloated ego. Christ calls out the religious celebrities for their love of the spotlight. First, watch them. Second, watch out for them.

Not Just Any Tuesday

Before we zoom in on the details of the Lord’s dialogue, let’s pull the camera back for context. It’s Tuesday. But not just any Tuesday. This is Tuesday of the last week before His betrayal and brutal murder. 

The place is Jerusalem. Specifically, the temple courts. That’s where Jesus did a little housecleaning by driving out the various vendors who were making a quick buck on worshipers through a nasty system of exchanging currency and officially licensed sacrificial offerings. And you thought prices were bad at the airport!   

A Series of Confrontations

The temple courts are also where Christ faced a series of confrontations with all sorts of religious big shots (Mk 11:20-12:36). The chief priests. The religious teachers. The senior Jewish leaders. The Pharisees. The Herodians. The Sadducees. 

He took them all down. Every. Single. One. And the huge crowd in town for Passover went bonkers (Mk 11:37)! That will all change on Friday, but that’s a story for another day.

Back to Teaching

It’s at this point that Jesus gets back to teaching, you know, what He was doing before He was so rudely interrupted. He does so by using one of the groups who has just tried to ambush Him as an example of what NOT to do.

The Son of God says, “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces” (v38).

Teaching the Teachers a Lesson

Ah, the teachers of religious law. You may remember them from just getting their collective butts whipped after poking their fingers in the chest of Jesus. He ends up teaching the teachers a lesson they will never forget.

So just who are these guys? The phrase “teachers of religious law” we see here is the Greek noun γραμματευς/grammateus. It’s where we get our word “grammar.”

Word Nerds

It generally describes anybody who deals with the written word. A clerk. A writer. A scholar. A word nerd. In Acts, Dr. Luke drops this term when talking about a local government bureaucrat (Acts 19:35).

But more often that not, it’s talking about a recognized expert in Jewish law. Think of a seminary grad or a theologian. You know, those folks who are your lifeline when you can’t figure out some confusing passage in Scripture.

Illiterate Idiots

Interestingly, some of these very same Hebrew honchos throw Peter and John under the bus after Jesus’ resurrection by calling them “ordinary men with no training in the Scriptures” (Acts 4:13). 

Most translations go easy on their trash talk and call them “unschooled” (NIV) or “uneducated” (NASB). But the original language here literally says they are “illiterate” (Gr. αγραμματος/agrammatos) “idiots” (Gr. ιδιωτης/idiotes).

I’m NOT saying education is a bad thing. But considering what Jesus is going to say about the cockiness of these religious hot shots, let's be careful not to think we’ve got it all going on just because we’ve got a couple of degrees on the wall.

On High Alert

Now that we know who the Lord is talking about, let’s taking a closer look at what He says about them. Spoiler alert. It’s not good.

He tells the big crowd to “beware” of these goobers. The original language uses a verb (Gr. βλεπω/blepo) which means to look at carefully, take notice and consider, or be on high alert while watching out for danger.

Danger, Will Robinson!

Picture one of those caution signs telling warning us of a slippery floor, an angry dog, or even a biohazard. When you’re around these religion experts, be VERY careful. Watch them VERY closely. 

It’s a lot like that famous warning from the robot on “Lost in Space”…Danger, Will Robinson! 

Bad Examples

So what makes these “teachers of religious law” such a threat? Jesus says one big reason is the bad example they set. Just watch how they “like to parade around in flowing robes and receive greetings as they walk in the marketplaces” (v38).

Don’t miss just how much they get off on everyone’s attention. Would you allow me to nerd out in Greek one more time? Ah, you’re the best!

The One in the Mirror

Check out the word the NLT translates here as “like” (Gr. θελω/thelo). It means to truly enjoy or take so much pleasure in something that you’ve just gotta make it happen.

They wake up in the morning thinking about it. They plan their whole day around it. They’re so focused on the one in the mirror that helping others never crosses their mind. 

These guys absolutely love getting all gussied up just to be seen in public. I mean, they are obsessed with it. Can’t you just see them standing in their walk-in closet carefully choosing their outfit. Hmm, I wore that robe yesterday. And that one is so 25 AD.

Hoping to Get Noticed

The language here makes it clear that these teachers don’t simply do this occasionally. No, they are preoccupied with it. And when they put on their best, they make sure they’re seen.

They constantly “parade around” (v38). They don’t just go to the busiest places in town which have the most people. They walk up and down, back and forth. Hoping to get noticed, looking for recognition. Nobody loves a parade like these teachers love their parade.

The Red Carpet

These dudes are constantly walking the red carpet. Their life is an extended photo op. Can’t you just see some First Century cable show dedicated to which theologian wore it best?

It seems to me that long before there was ever an internet or social media, these religious teachers were the original influencers. Let’s be blunt. When someone calls themselves an influencer, it’s usually a desperate plea for attention and fame.

The Best Seats in the House

Jesus tells the crowd at the temple how these Jewish celebrities are constantly angling for the best seats in the house. “And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets” (v39).

One commentator points out that there was a bench at the very front of every synagogue that faced the rest of the people. These are the seats they want. And it’s not so they have a good view. It’s so others will have a good view of them.

Looking for the Limelight

Think about that for just a second. When folks gather to worship God, these religious scholars are looking for the limelight. Here’s a pro tip: God refuses to share the stage with anyone or anything else.

Mind if I ask you a question? Why do you sit where you sit when you go to church? Is it to be seen? Is it so that others will know what a super saint you are? No, I didn’t think so. Where would I get such a ridiculous idea?

These scribes also seek to score the best tables at the restaurant. Anytime there’s an event, it’s important for their ego to sit up front. The closer to the speaker the better. 

A Truth Bomb 

What Jesus says here is a truth bomb that busts the bunker of my ego. For most of my life, I wanted to be famous. I wanted to be noticed. I wanted the attention. 

I’m fairly confident that I would have been a charter member of the religion scholars club if I lived during the days of Christ. Shiny new suit? Check. High traffic location? Check. Luxury box at church? Check. Best table at the trendy restaurant? Check.

Fear of Man

It hurts to type these words. But it’s the truth. I struggle with a little something-something called Fear of Man. The quick explanation is that I’m WAY more concerned about what others think of me than what God does.

The Holy Spirit has done some serious heavy lifting in my life over the past few years when it comes to this. I’m far from finished but grateful for what He’s done.

The Audience of One

A guy named Paul wrote something that the Lord has used to help turn things around. “I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant” (Gal 1:10).

Pleasing people versus pleasing God. What’s it gonna be? It’s a choice I’m faced with just about every single moment my eyes are open. For me, the audience for which I perform is the Audience of One.

An Overwhelming Relief

What an overwhelming relief I found when I stopped trying to impress everyone and get the world to like me. I could stop being something I wasn’t. I could simply be the real me. The One who made made me not only knew me but loved me.

I didn’t need to dress to impress God. I didn’t need to go anywhere special for Him to see me. It didn’t matter where I sat in church or whether I sat at the kid’s table at the party.

Misdirection

Meanwhile, back in the temple courts, Jesus tells the big crowd what these religious teachers are REALLY up to while putting on a show. They may project a slick image but there’s something else altogether different going on.

These experts want you to look over here at their impressive activities. That will distract you from what’s really going on. Magicians call it misdirection. It’s that little trick of calling our attention over here so they can pull off the sleight of hand over there.

Stealing from Widows

So what exactly are they trying to do? I’ll let the Lord tell you. “Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property” (v40).

The scribes use their leverage to put the squeeze on those who can’t protect themselves. In First Century culture, widows were an easy mark. They had few rights and very little protection. 

Looking out for the Most Vulnerable

Apparently their strategy for building their real estate portfolio by running roughshod and basically stealing property from single women. No late night cable infomercials on how to flip houses for these guys. All they had to do was hoodwink a woman who’s lost her husband. 

A couple of thousand years later, has much really changed? Grifters and con artists are still target the elderly and single moms as their prey. As the followers of Jesus, we need to look out for those who are the most vulnerable.

Smokescreens and Flowery Prayers

Christ points out one of the favorite tactics used by the religion teachers. At the same time they’re cheating the powerless, they “pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public” (v40).

They throw up smokescreens with flowery prayers when the crowds are around. Jesus sure seems to indicate there’s not a whole lot of praying going on when they’re alone. As the divine Son of God, He should know who’s really talking to God and who’s not.

Flying Solo in Prayer

Here’s another moment when the Lord’s words hit a little too close to home for me. Don’t get me wrong, going to God in prayer with other followers of Jesus is an awesome experience.

But what’s my prayer life look like when I’m flying solo? Do I pray as passionately and frequently when I’m alone as I do when I’m around others? Asking for a friend.

Getting What They Deserve

The radical Rabbi/Carpenter wants us to know that these religious phonies won’t get away with it. “Because of this, they will be more severely punished” (v40).

He knows they will get what’s coming to them. Maybe not on this side of eternity but God ensures they will get what they deserve. 

How can Jesus be so sure? Because He’s the One who will do it! “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body” (2Cor 5:10).

Making God Famous

Which brings me back to the whole “what do you want to be when you grow up” thing we started with. Like a I said before, what I wanted was to be famous. What I wanted was to be liked. What I wanted was to be the center of the attention.

Little did I realize at that time that my career goal was to be a religious legal eagle. A phony who was only concerned with my image but had no real substance when you peeked behind the curtain. As they say in Texas, “All hat and no cattle.”

While I’m far from perfect, I’m so incredibly grateful that Jesus has saved me from that. That He saved me from MYSELF! My life is so much so more fulfilling now that my goal is to make God famous.

©2020

Jay Jennings