Braden Blosser

🚨Best rebuttal with the truth I have heard against reparations.

T.G.I.F. - Today God is First E.D.G.S.B.F. - EVERY DAY GOD SHOULD BE FIRST SECOND CHANCES ..."I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity." Jonah 4:2 Have you ever gone through a time of disobedience with God? Jonah was a prophet of God who decided he didn't want to prophesy for the Lord. God wanted him to deliver a message to Nineveh to warn them against impending destruction if they didn't turn from their ways. Jonah had developed a hardened heart toward the people of Nineveh. He didn't really care if they repented or not; so rather than travel to Nineveh and deliver the message, he hopped a boat in the opposite direction. You probably know the rest of the story. He was eaten by a fish and spent a few days thinking about his decision. There is a place where we all will obey. What circumstances must take place for us to become obedient? For some of us, it requires a good shakeup. For Jonah, it required a big shakeup because he was God's man to save 120,000 people. He was chosen by God to be used by God, and God didn't give up on him. God understands our disobedient heart. He sees what we really are; yet He gives second chances. God gave Jonah a second chance. He gave the people of Nineveh a second chance. It is a lesson of love from a heavenly Father who specializes in second chances. Have you blown it? Have you disappointed someone close to you? God is the God of second chances. All we have to do is acknowledge our waywardness. He will restore. He will give grace. Ask Him.

Tabletalk Devotions with R.C. Sproul Duration: 365 days The Seriousness of Sin Matthew 18:7–9 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!” (v. 7). Jesus was largely a traveling preacher of the kingdom during His earthly ministry. Thus, He taught many of the same lessons again and again to different crowds. As such, we ought not be surprised to find that He used similar, though slightly different, analogies to convey the same truths, tailoring the metaphors to each specific audience and situation. For example, His warning about leading others into sin in Matthew 18:6 is remarkably akin to 5:19–20, wherein our Lord warns those who might teach others to relax God’s commandments. Even more striking is the similarity between 18:7–9 and 5:27–30. What was earlier said about lust in the Sermon on the Mount is now applied more broadly to all manner of sins. Graphically, Jesus tells us it is better to enter the kingdom of heaven without a hand or foot than to keep what inclines us towards wickedness and find our whole bodies in hell (18:8–9). Again, as we said in our study of Matthew 5, Jesus does not commend self-mutilation here. It is possible to cut off a limb and still lose the battle with transgression. Instead, Christ is using a powerful analogy to encourage us to cut off sin before it overcomes us. Depending on our situation, this may mean moving to another town, taking another job, or making some other righteous, but difficult, life change, if that is what it takes to escape the wickedness in our lives. Matthew Henry comments, “We must think nothing too dear to part with, for the keeping of a good conscience.” Leading others into sin is particularly grievous, as John Calvin exclaims in his commentary on 18:5–6: “What dreadful vengeance then awaits those who by offenses shall bring ruin on their brethren!” Yet it also horrible to lead one’s own self into evil by refusing to put to death the sin in one’s life (vv. 8–9). Whether we cause others, or ourselves, to stumble, Jesus pronounces a great woe upon us (v. 7). It is necessary that trials come — they are a consequence of this fallen world that God, as part of His plan, uses to produce in us endurance and wholeness. But His sovereign permission does not absolve us of the guilt of our actions. We must never assume that our sin is the Lord’s fault because He allows it; sinners alone are culpable for their evil decisions (Acts 2:23). CORAM DEO: LIVING BEFORE THE FACE OF GOD Dr. John MacArthur echoes Jesus’ somber warning in Matthew 5:29: “Sin must be dealt with drastically because of its deadly effects” (The MacArthur Bible Commentary, p. 1,131). Refraining from speaking privately with a certain person might be what keeps you from gossiping; throwing away your computer may be the right course of action if you struggle with looking at pornography. Whatever it takes, all of us must do what is needed to flee sin and temptation.

Case For Christ Bible Duration: 365 days WAS JESUS’ TOMB SECURE? Matthew 27:62–66 It is important to know how secure Jesus’ grave was from outside influences. The tighter the security, the less likely the body could have been tampered with. Archaeologists have been able to determine from excavations of first-century sites how Jesus’ tomb was probably constructed. There was likely a slanted groove that led down to a low entrance and a large disk-shaped stone was rolled down this groove and lodged into place across the door. A smaller stone was then used to secure the disk. Although it would be easy to roll this big disk down the groove, it would take several men to roll the stone back up in order to reopen the tomb. In short, it was quite secure. In addition to the physical weight of the rock at the tomb’s entrance, guards stood watch around the tomb. In fact, Matthew reports that when the guards reported Jesus’ resurrection to the chief priests, the Jewish leaders paid them to say that they were sleeping while the disciples moved the large rock to steal the body (see Matthew 28:11–15). Adapted from interview with Dr. William Lane Craig

T.G.I.F. - Today God is First E.D.G.S.B.F. - Every Day God Should Be First Beware of the Thief "But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into." Luke 12:39 What are the times when you and I are most vulnerable to being caught off guard by the enemy of our souls? One of those times is just after you've had a great victory. Consider Jesus when He was baptized and was about to begin His public ministry. He was taken away into the desert to be tempted by satan. Leisure time is another place in which satan seeks to take us off our normal routine of personal quiet times. In the normal routine of life, our senses are tuned to the need to draw upon God's Spirit to see us through the activities of each day. However, when we get away from our routine and go on vacation, we can often drop these routines. We wrongfully think that we do not need to spend time with the Lord during leisure times. This is a grave mistake. The vacation becomes a test of character. During vacations we turn freely to what we love most. It reveals to us what is at the core of our existence. A teacher in a large school reportedly said, "The greatest difficulty we encounter is the summer vacation. Just when we have brought a student to a certain discipline and place in their study habits, we lose him; when he comes back we have to begin all over again." It is the same in our spiritual lives. It only takes a small crack in the door of our heart to lose our spiritual focus. This summer, be on guard when times of retreat are made available to you. Use these times for spiritual refreshment, not just physical refreshment, and you will keep the thief from entering your house.

BUTTER

Tabletalk Devotions with R.C. Sproul Duration: 365 days A Somber Warning Matthew 18:5–6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned” (v. 6). Just as the Holy Spirit inspired Moses to write five books of the Bible (Genesis through Deuteronomy), so too did He move Matthew to group Christ’s teaching into five major discourses so that we might recognize Jesus as the new and better Moses, mediator of a new and better covenant. The first of these sections, the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7), highlights kingdom ethics and the true meaning of God’s law. Chapter 10 is sometimes called the “Missionary Discourse” because it focuses on principles for preaching the Gospel in a hostile world. Matthew 13 is the third major discourse, collecting many of Jesus’ parables about the kingdom of heaven, and discourse number five in chapters 24–25 speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem and the final judgment. Relationships among God’s people in the church are emphasized in our Savior’s fourth discourse recorded in Matthew 18, the subject of our study over the next week. In verses 1–4 we are ordered to become like children — who are absolutely dependent on their parents for survival — and admit our complete dependence on the Father. Today’s passage develops this analogy to clarify how Christians are to relate to one another. Jesus is not only talking about children in verse 5; He is also referring metaphorically to His own people. Above all, we must welcome other believers and “show hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9). To do so is to be hospitable to Jesus Himself, for, as the church father Jerome explains, “whoever lives so as to imitate Christ’s humility and innocence, in him Christ is taken up” (Commentary on Matthew 3.18.5). We respect our Lord when we respect other believers. Contrariwise, to hate fellow Christians is to hate Jesus (Matt. 10:40–42; 1 John 4:20). If we fail to welcome Christ when we do not welcome other believers, how much worse off are we if we lead other professing Christians astray? So horrible is the fate of those who lead others into sin or who do all they can to demolish the faith of others in the church that it would be better to be drowned than to make another stumble (Matt. 18:6). Let us honor Jesus with our words and deeds that we might never cause crises of faith in others. Coram deo: Living before the face of God One commentator says that leading others into sin can be done in ways that do not involve false teaching. Failure to provide adequate pastoral care, for example, can make us unable to see trouble in the lives of others, leading us to overlook the need to rescue a sheep in danger of going astray. To one degree or another, Jesus has made each believer accountable to every other believer. We honor the Lord who bought us when we care for one another.

His Higher Purpose by MaxLucado No moment, event, or detail falls outside of God’s supervision. God is the one who “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45 NIV). He isn’t making up this plan as he goes along. Daniel 5:21 (NKJV) says, “The most high God rules the kingdom of men, and sets over it whom he will.” So if God is in charge, why does he permit challenges to come our way? Wouldn’t an almighty God prevent them? Not if they serve his higher purpose. The ultimate example is the death of Christ on the cross. Everyone thought the life of Jesus was over. Jesus was dead and buried, but God raised Him from the dead. God took the crucifixion of Friday and turned it into the celebration of Sunday. Can he not do a similar reversal for you?

THIS SHOULD BE READ BY EVERY PATRIOT Dr. Ben Carson on Muslims I want adults and children to understand this regarding MUSLIMS. CAN MUSLIMS BE GOOD AMERICANS? This is very interesting and we all need to read it from start to finish. And send it on to everyone. Maybe this is why our American Muslims are so quiet and not speaking out about any atrocities. Can a good Muslim be a good American? Theologically - no. Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon god of Arabia . Religiously - no. Because no other religion is accepted by his Allah except Islam. (Quran,2:256)(Kora Scripturally - no. Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran. Geographically - no. Because his allegiance is to Mecca , to which he turns in prayer five times a day. Socially - no. Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews. Politically - no. Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America , the great Satan. Domestically - no. Because he is instructed to marry four women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him. (Quran ) Intellectually - no. Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt. Philosophically - no. Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic. Spiritually - no. Because when we declare 'one nation under God,' The Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in the Quran's 99 excellent names. Therefore, after much study and deliberation... Perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. They obviously cannot be both 'good' Muslims and 'good' Americans. Call it what you wish, it's still the truth. You had better believe it. The more who understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future. The religious war is bigger than we know or understand! Footnote: The Muslims have said they will destroy us from within. SO FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.

T.G.I.F. - Today God is First E.D.G.S.B.F. - Every Day God Should Be First Expectations "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death." Philippians 1:20 Have you ever had expectations that did not get fulfilled? Perhaps a coworker let you down. Perhaps you were trusting God for something in your life that never materialized. Perhaps you became devastated by an unmet expectation that you felt you were entitled to. Expectations can be a difficult trap for each of us if we are not fully committed to God's purposes in our lives. Paul wrote this verse from prison to the people of Philippi. He had an expectation that his life would bring glory to God, whether through his continued ministry or his death. His joy in living was not based on his expectations getting fulfilled, but on remaining true to the purpose for which God made him. When we react to circumstances with bitterness and resentment as a result of unmet expectations, we are saying that we know better than God, and that God has made a mistake in not meeting our expectations. The process of resolving unmet expectations may require full disclosure to the individual who was the source of the unmet expectation, and of how the unmet expectation made you feel. This is not to make the person feel obligated to meet the expectation, but simply to share your feelings about it. If God was the source, then it is important to share this with the Lord. However, once we have done this we must let go of the situation and allow God to work in our hearts the grace that is needed to walk in freedom from the pain of the unmet expectation. If we do not do this, we will allow the seed of bitterness and resentment to enter in. This seed of bitterness will create leanness in our soul and eventually will spread to others. Ask yourself today if you have any unmet expectations. How have you responded to them? Have you processed this with the Lord and others who may be involved? These are the steps to freedom from unmet expectations.

Tabletalk Devotions with R.C. Sproul Duration: 365 days Kingdom Greatness Matthew 18:1–4 “Calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said…‘Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven’” (vv. 2–4). Once again the disciples display their knack for missing the point when they ask Jesus: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Mat. 18:1). This question, the other gospel writers tell us, results from an argument between the disciples over who will have the highest status in the kingdom (Mark 9:33–37; Luke 9:46–48). The analogy our Lord made earlier between God and the kings of the earth (Matt. 17:24–27) may be what has spurred the disciples to talk about the kingdom again, but the way in which they are viewing the kingdom of heaven is the problem. Christ has just emphasized the reality of His death and that His followers must likewise suffer (16:21–28; 17:22–23), but these images of powerlessness have had little impact on the disciples’ values. They are grasping for power and status in the kingdom of heaven. Our Savior’s answer refutes the ungodly attitude of the disciples. Greatness, He says, belongs only to those who humble themselves like a child (18:2–4). Jesus is not saying that children are naturally humble; experience teaches us otherwise. He is emphasizing the objective reality of childhood. Children rely almost entirely on adults to survive, and they have not lived long enough to claim lasting success or merit for themselves. Christians must cast off dreams of power or status and like a child admit their ultimate dependence on God for all things. Rather than seek status in the eyes of men, they should rely more and more on the Father. It is not wrong to seek church office (1 Tim. 3:1), but we must desire leadership only to serve others, not to grab status or power for ourselves. John Calvin says the humble person “neither claims any personal merit in the sight of God, nor proudly despises brethren, or aims at being thought superior to them, but reckons it enough that he is one of the members of Christ, and desires nothing more than that the Head alone should be exalted.” Such principles are entirely at odds with the world’s way of doing things. The non-Christians around us are motivated by a desire to get ahead of the next guy. Our profession of Christ is wanting when we as individuals or a corporate body seek to lord our authority, power, or status over others (Matt. 20:20–28). Coram deo: Living before the face of God Matthew Henry writes: “The humblest Christians are the best Christians and most like to Christ, and highest in his favor, and fittest to serve in this world, and enjoy him in another.” Humble believers have an honest assessment of their own abilities and are examples of what it means to have regard for Jesus’ honor, not their own. We will point others to Jesus if we possess these qualities. Consider the humble people you know and imitate them as they imitate Christ.

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Case For Christ Bible Duration: 365 days What Do We Know About Nebuchadnezzar? 2 Kings 24:1–20 Nebuchadnezzar II, one of the greatest and longest-reigning monarchs of Mesopotamia, ruled Babylon from 605 to 562 B.C. He is mentioned some 90 times in the Old Testament, more than any other foreign king. The Bible records his campaigns against Jerusalem in 605, 597 and 586 B.C., culminating in the captivity of Judah. The first four chapters of Daniel detail events in Babylon during Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. Outside the Bible we have many contemporary records from Babylon, as well as later writings extolling Nebuchadnezzar’s accomplishments: hundreds of contracts, several inscriptions, detail from classical historians and the Babylonian Chronicle, which documents Nebuchadnezzar’s accomplishments from his first through his eleventh year. However, there are still large gaps in our knowledge about his reign. Nebuchadnezzar distinguished himself while still crown prince by defeating the Egyptians at Carchemish (southern Turkey) in 605 B.C. (see Jeremiah 46:2). He boasted that he had conquered all of Syria-Palestine at approximately the same time, significantly reducing the Egyptian sphere of influence. After returning briefly to Babylon to claim the throne upon receiving news of his father’s death, Nebuchadnezzar resumed the consolidation of his control over Syria-Palestine. Jehoiakim of Judah served as his vassal for the next three years (see 2 Kings 24:1), and Ashkelon, which would not submit to the Babylonian king, was attacked and left in ruins (see Jeremiah 47:5–7). Over the next few years Nebuchadnezzar also invaded Arabia, forcing its people to pay him yearly tribute. In 601 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar once again routed the Egyptian forces. Pharaoh Neco II, however, imposed such heavy casualties on the Babylonian army that Jehoiakim took the opportunity to revolt against the weakened empire. Babylon and her allies retaliated against rebellious Judah during the following year (see 2 Kings 24:1–2). Then in 597 B.C. Jerusalem was conquered; the temple was looted; Jehoiakim’s son and successor, Jehoiachin, was deported to Babylon, along with thousands of other captives; and Zedekiah was appointed king (see 2 Kings 24:10–17). These events are mentioned in Nebuchadnezzar’s own records. When Zedekiah himself rebelled in 589 B.C. the Babylonian army devastated the land of Judah. Jerusalem was ransacked and the temple destroyed in 586 B.C. (see 2 Kings 25:1–17). Another massive deportation was carried out at this time, with yet another in 581 (see Jeremiah 52:28–30). Outside of the Bible we lack records for years 11–43 of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, but later historians describe a siege of Tyre that lasted for 13 years, as well as another campaign against Egypt. Apart from his military campaigns, during the course of which he consolidated control of virtually the entire ancient Near East, Nebuchadnezzar set about to transform Babylon into the greatest city in the world. Desiring to leave a lasting legacy, he erected his structures with kiln-fired bricks, as opposed to the sun-dried bricks normally used. The “blazing furnace” of Daniel 3 was undoubtedly one of the many brick kilns in Babylon that were needed for Nebuchadnezzar’s aggressive building program. Many of the bricks were stamped with the king’s name and titles. He constructed fortification walls, gates, palaces, temples, roads, bridges and a ziggurat (temple-tower) and is said to have designed the famous “hanging gardens” for his wife, Amytis, daughter of the Median king Astyages, to remind her of her mountainous homeland. Through his military might and building enterprises, Nebuchadnezzar established Babylon as the most powerful empire of its day. Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 B.C. and was succeeded by his son Awel-Marduk (Evil-Merodach in the Hebrew), who released Jehoiachin from prison and provided him with a regular allowance (see 2 Kings 25:27–30). Adapted from the Archaeological Study Bible

Rejoice Always by MaxLucado Paul urges us to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). Not just on paydays, good days, or birthdays, but rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoice in the Lord always? “Yeah, right,” mumbles the person from the hospital bed. “How?” sighs the unemployed dad. “Always?” questions the mother of the baby born with a disability. It’s one thing to rejoice in the Lord when life is good, but when the odds are against you? It’s not easy, but it is possible. Lay claim to the promise of God in Colossians 1:7. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Rejoice in the sovereignty of God. His thrown is still occupied, his will is still perfect. Rejoice in the Lord always. God uses everything to accomplish his will.

T.G.I.F. - Today God is First E.D.G.S.B.F. - Every Day God Should Be First A Faithful Man "A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished." Proverbs 28:20 There is a distinct difference between the workplace believer who operates based on living in the Promised Land versus the one who operates in Egypt. In Egypt, the workplace believer sweats and toils to generate an outcome. The final objective is foremost in their mind. Outcome is everything. In the Promised Land, we learn that obedience is the only thing that matters. We are called to execute, and leave outcome to God. Sometimes that outcome is very positive, yielding a return. In other cases, we may not yield a corresponding return. We may even get a negative outcome. The difference is that we know that we have been faithful to what God has called us to and we yield results to God. God often blesses obedience beyond what we deserve. If God brings wealth to your life, it should come as a by-product of obedience, not an end in itself. God may call each of us to be obedient to situations that may not yield immediate, positive results. It is in these times that our faith must be obedience-based versus outcome-based. What if Jesus had considered the immediate ramifications of whether he would go to the cross? Based on the immediate outcome, the decision would have been an easy one. Who wants to die on a cross? However, for Him there was a higher purpose in that obedience. We are called to this same kind of obedience. This means putting our own flesh on the line daily, dying to our own self-will. This is what it means to be a faithful man. Pray that God will make you a faithful man today.

Tabletalk Devotions with R.C. Sproul Duration: 365 days Jesus Provides a Shekel Matthew 17:24–27 “Go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel” (v. 27). Continuing His march southward to Jerusalem, Jesus returns to Capernaum, the home base for much of His ministry (Matt. 17:24; see 4:12–17). Here our Lord will give the fourth of His five major discourses (in chapter 18). Before Jesus does this, however, He discusses the temple tax. Today’s passage likely takes place in Peter’s house, which is in Capernaum (8:5–17). We assume this to be the case because “the collectors of the half-shekel tax” approach the apostle outside the home to inquire of Jesus (17:24). First-century Jews felt it improper to approach another person’s guest directly, it was polite to speak instead with the visitor’s host. When God revealed the plans for the tabernacle to Moses, He established a half-shekel tax on all Israelite males aged twenty and older as a ransom to redeem their lives and pay for the upkeep of the sanctuary (Ex. 30:11–16). Scholars are unsure whether this tax was to be collected annually, but by the first century, many devout Jewish men paid the tax once a year even though the religious authorities required it only once in a lifetime, at the age of twenty. Even then, certain priests and rabbis were exempt. Interestingly, Matthew is the only evangelist to record this episode, which is fitting because a tax collector would be interested in such records. In any case, Jesus’ teaching on this occasion reveals that He and His followers are free from the requirement. Earthly kings do not tax their own families; similarly, Jesus and His disciples need not pay the temple tax because they are sons of God, who is king over all, including the temple (17:25–27). Christ, who is greater than the temple and fulfills its intent, has come (12:6). Worship of the Creator will be centered around Him, not Mount Zion; thus, there is no more need to pay the tax. Yet Jesus pays the tax because He does not want to offend others unnecessarily and create a barrier to the Gospel where one may not otherwise exist (17:27). This is the principle of Christian liberty that Paul later explains in more depth (Rom. 14). In Christ we are free to do a great many things, but we must never use our freedom in a way that makes less mature Christians stumble. Coram deo: Living before the face of God In Paul’s day there were some who were weak in the faith and would eat only vegetables because meat was often sacrificed to idols. These weaker brothers were not to denigrate the meat-eaters. At the same time, the stronger brothers who ate meat were advised to refrain in the presence of those whose consciences would be offended (Rom. 14). Clearly, we must live in a way that does not cause undue offense to other Christians. Does your life reflect this principle?