Why is Yoke Living So Contagious?

Dr. Mike Bible Life Questions ,
Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? Acts 15:10 ESV.

yoke 1

We live in a country of doers. Whether in business, sports, or entertainment, we live in a culture that has trained us to work hard toward a prize. The concept of receiving something for nothing is against most of our puritan upbringing. There is “no such thing as a free lunch” has been ingrained within us from our youth.

There are basically three ways we can receive anything: work for it, receive it as a gift, or steal it. Capitalism teaches one to work for it. Philanthropy opens the door for gift giving. And Satan pushes the concept that stealing is justifiable.

The concept of grace goes against capitalism. In capitalism, you work hard to receive your reward. Nothing comes free. There is a price to pay for everything. It may cost you money, health, or relationships, but the end result is going to be the prize you seek.

The concept of stealing because you deserve it or want it is the reason God had to include it in one of the ten commandments he gave to Moses so the Israel nation may learn how to prosper as a community. I am still amazed at the many ways the human mind can justify harming anyone else for its own gratification.

The concept of giving however goes against the grain of working or stealing. Giving has to do more with others than with the self. Working and stealing is more about pleasing me and less about satisfying others.

When it comes living life the way God intended it to be from the beginning, grace abounds rather than law living. Adam and Eve didn’t live under a multitude of do’s and don’ts. They had only one “do not” and one generally prime “to do.” Do not eat from that one tree of knowledge of good and evil was the one “do not.” Manage the garden was the “to do.” Life couldn’t be more simpler.

Ever notice how people go from one extreme to another when correcting a problem? From the error in judgment at the garden, to Jesus’s time period when 613 statues directed a person’s way of life, we have gone from the simple to the complex. People have become more focused on performance rather than abiding. The religious goal was to work at climbing the “do and do not” list to lift oneself up closer to God. Instead of our relationship with God becoming a place of joy and celebration, it became a job and duty to perform.

When the apostles finally came together in Jerusalem to discuss whether or not the gentiles must keep the Jewish Law(s), the disagreement between Jewish and Gentile followers was strong. However at this council meeting, the decision to let the Gentiles live outside the Jewish law won out. Today we may still agree with the outcome but we sometimes fall back into the religious trappings of living under the performance mode rather than the grace-filled life that God created us to experience.

Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. God doesn’t expect us to work our way to him. Instead He made a way through Jesus Christ. Jesus saves us and has poured out His grace upon us all. We only have to accept it. When we do and begin abiding in Him, we become the recipient of living under the umbrella of God’s fatherly favor. As a child of his, he likes to spoil us in ways we don’t yet fully understand. But one day we will. Until then, quit playing religion. Ask our heavenly God to open the doors of heaven so you may experience life the way he originally intended for all of us. As he stated and is now written in Matthew 11: 28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Does a Friend need some Encouragement…Share Today’s Message!

How Long Must You Wait?

Dr. Mike Bible Life Questions

 

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? Psalm 13:1 ESV.

 

waiting 2

 

We have all been there. We have just reached a point of diminishing return where we recognize our problem is much larger than we first realized.  The challenge is bigger than you or I. We now know we need a miracle.

So we turn to God in prayer asking for help. We wait, but nothing changes. We continue in prayer each day. Still nothing happens. We pray three times each day. Nothing is happening. We pray every day for a month. Each month turns into year. Still no change. How much longer Lord must we wait until you respond?

We may begin to question whether or not there is a God. Maybe we have been blinded by chance and circumstances in the past. Maybe this is some great illusion that we trapped ourselves into. Or maybe something greater is taken place than just my little problem and God is not going to intervene this time on my behalf. Questions that lead to doubt, anger, and helplessness begin to appear. Our faith is being tested.

So why does God make us wait on Him?

There are probably a multitude of reasons that we may never know this side of heaven. But this we do know. That God is a natural, loving and generous Being that enjoys revealing Himself to us through answered prayer.

If he doesn’t answer right away, you can be assured there is a valid reason. You may need to learn some patience. Or maybe, you need to explicitly learn to trust God no matter the place, time, and response. Then again, maybe there are other people in your world that need to learn who God is and so they are watching how you and God respond to each other.

So hang in there. God is good. He has your best interest in mind. Lean on Him more through your ordeal. Praise Him. Rejoice with Him. You may be pleasantly surprised by the outcome as He reveals more of Himself to you as you both walk together through your difficulties.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Does a Friend need some Encouragement…Share Today’s Message!

 

 

How Do You Measure Faith?

Dr. Mike Bible Life Questions ,
“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit… All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” I Corinthians 12:7-11 ESV.

 

faith 6

 

Sometimes what I hear spoken among my fellow brothers in the Lord makes me cringe. Take the concept of faith. Every time I hear someone desire more faith, (like faith is a commodity sold at the church gym), I find myself jumping into a situation that I would rather not.

Jesus had a similar situation with his disciples. In Luke 17:5-6, they approached Jesus asking him to increase their faith. Jesus reply was straight to the matter.  In today’s vernacular, he may have said something like “If you had only a little faith, you have enough.”

Paul wrote in I Corinthians 12:7-11 that faith comes from God as He apportions. Some people he gives a large amount of faith (the gentile Centurion whose daughter was healed in Luke 7:9) and other times He apportions a little amount of faith (Romans 14:1 is an example of a brother with low faith as it pertains to eating meat versus only vegetables.) We all have enough faith. It comes down to whether or not we exercise it.

What is so awesome about God is He rewards us according to what he has given us. If he gives us a large portion of faith, he will expect a return on his investment. Likewise, if he allocated a small portion of faith, he likewise will expect a return on his investment. Whether one starts off with a $1,000 or $1,000,000, a 100% return is a 100% return.

Humanity generally tends to look at the dollar amount and recognize the million dollar investment and return a better deal. However, God looks at the $1,000 return on a $1,000 investment with the same level of justice. In fact, he may even lean more towards the smaller value because to double the smaller amount may take more work and effort. Only he knows where a person truly started in life and the growth that came from the process. Human’s measure only from the outside. God looks at the total picture: inside-out and outside-in.

So instead of measuring ourselves with others, maybe it is better to look at yourself in comparison with Jesus. Even when we look at where we came from to where we are today, the glory and reward is His. We only did the best we could with what we have been given. How about you?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Does a Friend need some Encouragement…Share Today’s Message!