Daily Bible Devotionals

“For it is just like a man going on a journey. He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them. To one, he gave five talents; to another, two; and to another, one – to each according to his own ability.” Matthew 25:14-15

In most circles, the words “gifted” and “talented” are synonymous. While gifts and talents are both attributed to grace, each has a unique purpose.

“GIFTS,” or “spiritual gifts,” are ABILITIES the Lord bestows to all people. (See the lists in Romans 12, Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 13-15, and elsewhere.) Each person is created to glorify God uniquely. God desires everyone use their gifts for His glory. Sadly, most people don’t attribute their gifts to God. They simply choose to think of themselves as extraordinary and seek to use their gifts to glorify themselves.

Gifts come in combinations. Like the contents of a piñata, everyone’s gift set is varied and unique. Still, one gift usually dominates the others.

I consider a “TALENT” as an OPPORTUNITY in which to invest your gift in God’s Kingdom. When the Lord gives a talent, He always matches the opportunity with your ability: Gift & Talent. Perhaps, you have heard the phrase, “Where God guides, He provides.” I would add, “When God provides a spiritual gift, He always guides us to a place to invest that gift.

Those who follow His leading, with the intent to invest their gifts, see an INCREASE. The increase is directly proportional to the talent/gift combination. Increase is measured in 1) Kingdom impact and 2) your personal growth. Your faith broadens as others are discipled by you seizing the opportunity to invest your gift(s) in their lives. As your faith grows, the Lord gives you greater opportunities. It all spirals upward.

“To whom much has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” Luke 12:48b

Let’s say you ignore God’s “talent.” Maybe, you’re scared or unsure. The Kingdom doesn’t grow, and nor do you. “Burying” your talent negatively impacts your faith. You never give the Lord a chance to build your faith by showing His increase. Instead of stretching, you shrink. The Lord may send someone else to accomplish what you refused to begin, and they (along with the person/people invested in) will reap the increase.

Everyone is gifted. Every believer has the privilege & opportunity to labor in the Kingdom. Let’s be sensitive to how God leads us today, and let’s invest the gifts (He has given us) in the opportunities He presents, thus reaping the rewards of the faithful!

“Then Jesus replied to them, ‘Watch that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name saying ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many. You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed because those things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these things are the beginning of birth pains.’” Matthew 24:4-8

When my wife Misti was pregnant with our first child, some friends threw us a baby shower. Although she was several weeks away from her due date, by the end of the evening, Misti announced she was in labor. I drove like NASCAR to the hospital!

Two hours later, I was driving Misti home, staring out the window, neither of us talking to each other. Chalk it up to first-time pregnancy, but sometimes, false labor feels like the real thing. When in doubt, trust the doctor. We ended up having two false alarms before her water broke and ushered in actual labor.

Reading the Bible and looking around the World, it seems we are living in the last days. I believe Jesus’ return is imminent. War, natural disasters, and rank immorality are all signs of the end times. How will one know the difference between the “birth pains” and the actual “day of deliverance?” It will be as evident as a pregnant woman’s water breaking!

I say it often; there are two things that confound a fool: 1) How slow God is to act, and 2) How quickly He shows up!

Where is Jesus?

“In My Father’s house are many rooms. If that were not true, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:2-3

So, why has He delayed His return?

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

Rabbinic Judaism teaches that Messiah has not yet come. Some even go as far as to acknowledge Jesus as a prophet, but His followers misunderstood him. Don’t allow yourself to be led astray. Listen to what Jesus said and make sure you are following the right WAY, the TRUTH of the gospel, so that you may enter into the LIFE promised to all who would believe!

“I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no man comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6

“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophet’s blood.’ You, therefore, testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ sins!!” Matthew 23:29-32

When I was a teenager, I had a list of things I would never say when I grew up and had children of my own. Guess what? I say MANY those phrases to my kids, and they’ll probably say them to their kids! Like it or not, we are products of our upbringing.

The Pharisees and Sadducees had commendable zeal. They were willing to suffer for what they believed. The problem was that they were sincerely wrong in certain crucial theological conclusions, mainly in that they did not recognize Jesus as Messiah.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day loved to work for the Lord, but their works were ultimately deemed ineffective for the Kingdom because they had been taught attitudes & opinions that were contra to God’s heart. When the foundation is flawed, the structure built upon it is jeopardized. Israel’s spiritual leaders had mostly traded the solid foundation of the TANAKH (Old Testament) for the unsteady foundation of the rabbinical opinions & judgments concerning the Old Testament. The practice of learning rabbinical tradition had largely replaced personally seeking God’s revelation, His Word.

Religious leaders became so consumed with the “How” that they lost the “WHO.” Forms of worship overshadowed the object of worship, the Lord.

What’s worse, these leaders believed they had evolved beyond the righteousness of their fathers, who had rejected the prophets. Jesus gave a simple exhortation: Like Father, like son.

To that end, they remind me of some church leaders in our generation. Indeed, some preachers believe today’s society has evolved beyond the Bible. They scoff at conservative believers who suggest that we should take the Bible literally regarding various issues like homosexuality, church leadership paradigms, and abortion. In doing so, they elevate their opinions above those of Moses, the Apostle Paul, or even Jesus!

We mustn’t accuse our fathers without recognizing we have inherited many of their well-intended, yet sinful, attitudes about God. The only way to break sin patterns is to humble ourselves, repent, and ask God to reveal the truth of His WORD to us. We must then commit ourselves to living within that truth, even when uncomfortable or unpopular.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Matthew 22. Click the links below to watch or listen.

“Jesus went into the temple complex and drove out all those buying and selling in the temple. He overturned the money changers’ tables and the chairs of those selling doves. And He said to them, ‘It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a den of thieves.’” Matthew 21:12-13

I’ve tried to imagine Jesus clearing the temple within the context of all the other images of Him that exist. There is the simple wisdom of “country-come-city” Jesus...almost an Andy Griffith type. Don’t forget the cartoonish Sunday School “felt board” Jesus. And of course, you’ve got the image of the vulnerable blond-haired, blue-eyed frail “Jesus” portrayed by renaissance European Stained glass and fine artists. “Clearing the temple” Jesus foreshadows the returning King redeeming His bride (the Church-at-large) and judging the World.

Jesus announced a new era when he cleared the temple. He sent two emphatic messages to the ruling elite:1) The temple is His inheritance, and 2) There is room in the covenant for all the nations.

Jesus claims ownership of the temple by quoting Isaiah, “MY house…” This was personal. He didn’t say “Your” house, “Our” house, or “God’s” house.

A more in-depth look at the context of the Isaiah quote reveals why Jesus chose this particular passage. Isaiah 56 sends a message of hope for all people. Jesus’ statement: A relationship with God has never been (nor would it ever be) an exclusive Hebrew thing. It has always been (and will forever remain) a “by grace, through faith” thing. Ephesians 2:8-9

“And the foreigners who convert to the Lord, minister to Him, Love the Lord’s name and are His servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it, and who hold firmly to My covenant – I will bring them to My holy mountain and let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Isaiah 56:6-7

Jesus told the temple establishment, in essence, “I am restoring My house to its original intent: WHOSOEVER turns to Me, may worship me here!”

“For God so loved the World, He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Note that Isaiah did NOT prophesy, “Whoever converts to Judaism,” rather, “Whoever converts to the LORD.” What worship had become in Israel had strayed from God’s Word; Jesus was restoring a proper understanding. I pray that the Lord gives you clarity and correct understanding of His Word by the revelation of His Spirit so that you can walk rightly before Him and rightly divide the truth when men claim to be speaking on His behalf.

“While going up to Jerusalem, Jesus took the 12 disciples aside privately and said to them on the way: ‘Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death. Then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, flogged, and crucified, and He will be resurrected on the third day.’” Matthew 20:17-19

For several summers, my wife and I traveled to Israel with a tour geared for college students. I am looking forward to our next trip! One of our goals is to assist Israeli Messianic congregations in sharing the truth about Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus).

Most of the time, the Israelis are receptive to conversations about Jesus. But they always bring up three eras in Western history as defenses against following Him: The Crusades, the Catholic Inquisition, and the Nazi Holocaust.

In all three instances, millions of Jews were persecuted and killed in the name of “Jesus.” Of course, Jesus would never have approved of such treatment. Jesus came to earth as a Jew, and He continues to love and redeem Jewish people, along with anyone else who would come to Him by grace, through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

One of the arguments that errant Christian leaders have given to justify Jewish persecution is that God cursed the Jews for having killed Jesus. That rationale is entirely false on two accounts:

1. God has not rejected the Jews (Romans 11:11)

2. The Jews did not execute Jesus.

Jesus addressed the 2nd false rationale in today’s passage. Yes, the Jews beat and condemned Jesus, but it was the Gentile Romans who ordered the near-death-inducing “cat of 9 tails” flogging and oversaw His crucifixion. Perhaps one of the reasons he allowed those particular circumstances to surround His crucifixion is that Jew & Gentile would be collectively guilty of His death. In today’s passage, Jesus tells His followers EXACTLY how His crucifixion will play out.

The GOOD NEWS is that Jesus rose on the 3rd day! As Jew & Gentile share the guilt of His death, we also share in the hope of His mercy & grace!!

Pray for our efforts in Israel as we continue to seek opportunities to share the truth of Messiah Jesus. Also, pray for the Shalom of Jerusalem and that restoration through Jesus would come to the Jewish people and all Nations.

“‘If you want to be perfect,’ Jesus said to him, ‘go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.’ When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving because he had many possessions.” Matthew 19:21-22

Growing up, I heard the gospel many times. I considered myself a follower of Jesus, but I was never really sold out. Matthew tells the story of a successful young man who considered himself a follower of the Messiah. He addressed Jesus as “Teacher,” and he traveled to the Judean desert just to ask Jesus one question: “What good thing must I do to have eternal life?” He was about to learn the difference between genuinely following Jesus and merely following Him around.

This young man’s question defined his personal theology. He truly believed eternal life could be achieved by human effort, but he was not overcome by the total depravity of his sin. He wasn’t a beggar looking for food. He was the exact opposite. He was confident in himself, and he believed he was capable of living a perfect life.

Jesus was gracious. He questioned the young man the way any other rabbi would question a potential disciple. The young man was impressive. He would have aced any Fortune 500 interview, hired on the spot. Then, Jesus threw him a curveball that rocked his success paradigm. “Sell all you have, give it to the poor, and then follow me.”

Can’t you just sense this man’s thoughts upon hearing Jesus’ instruction? “Sell my possessions? That’s not success! That’s the opposite of what all the other rabbis told me. You’re a good teacher, Jesus, but that’s too extreme.” I get a sense this young man was so gung-ho that if Jesus had told him to scale Mt. Everest in a Speedo, he would have done it! But Jesus went to the core of this man’s sin: His possessions.

Jesus never said that charity earns eternal life. He simply revealed the obstacle that hindered this particular young man from being a true follower. He laid out the truth and let the young man choose. Sadly, the young man walked away.

There is a difference between “hanging around” Jesus and genuinely following Him. Following Him means we have forsaken all others, turned from our sin, and committed to trusting His leading, wherever, whenever, and however He leads. It’s easy to proclaim that Jesus is Lord. It’s a whole other thing to obey Him as Lord.

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven.” Matthew 7:21

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.” Romans 10:9-10

“If your hand or your foot causes you downfall, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, rather than to have two eyes and be thrown into hellfire!” Matthew 18:8-9

History tells of scores of people who overcome severe physical disability to reach inspiring heights, folks like quantum physicist Steven Hawking or artist Joni Earekson Tada. Many of these folks’ contributions to society have proven invaluable.

In the days of Jesus, the disabled were considered outcasts, possibly demon-possessed. The religious leaders of Jesus’ time were too concerned with their images to risk being identified with (or defiled by) the disabled. Interesting, it was the “disabled” who received healing from Jesus…both the physically and spiritually disabled!

Image has always influenced human culture. People are still preoccupied with projecting an image that is bigger than reality. Why are we so afraid to simply be ourselves? In a culture that preaches, “image is everything,” is it any wonder that so many people are afraid to admit they need a Savior? Some folks would rather go to Hell with a good reputation than confess their sin and receive salvation.

The problem with projecting a false image is that you’re living a lie. It promotes fear and fosters anxiety because we will never measure up to the image! Even if people buy into the image, it’s not because they love you for who you really are. They love your IMAGE. I believe the most prevalent form of idolatry in the world is our worship of the images we create of ourselves.

Jesus looks past the exterior and focuses on the inside. First, He chooses to love us despite our spiritual deformities. Then, He offers to trade His righteousness for our corrupt flesh. He sees past our images and accepts us, not just as we are, but also as we WILL BE, once He has completed what He begins in us. No wonder His atonement is also known as His “covering.” He completes what our images could never accomplish. He covers the reality of our shame.

You receive the covering of Jesus by first admitting your sin. That is, you acknowledge the fact that you are not perfect. (Perfection is God’s standard and impossible to attain by our own merit.) Next, you turn from your sin and turn to face Jesus. (Jesus and sin travel in opposite directions.) Then, receive His atonement for your sin, His free gift of life. Simply pray, “Lord, I believe Jesus is the only Way. I accept His free gift of atonement. Now help me with my unbelief!”

Why spend your time and resources building an IMAGE of perfection when Jesus offers the REAL thing…for free?

“When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the double-drachma tax approached Peter and said, ‘Doesn’t your Teacher pay the double-drachma tax?’  ‘Yes,’ He said.  When he went into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, ‘What do you think, Simon?  Who do earthly kings collect tariffs or taxes from?  From their sons, or from strangers?’  ‘From strangers,’ he said.  ‘Then the sons are free,” Jesus told him.  “But so we don’t offend them, go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and catch the first fish that comes up.  When you open its mouth, you’ll find a coin.  Take it and give it to them for Me and you.’” Matthew 17:24-27 (HCSB)

A “double-drachma” wasn’t a wrestling move.  It was a tax established in Exodus 30:11-16.  The tax’s original purpose was to atone for any mortal sin that an Israelite soldier might commit in battle.  The tax was utterly unnecessary because Israel didn’t have an army!  It was even more unnecessary that Messiah, the One who would Himself atone for ALL sin, should pay the tax.

King Herod had greatly expanded the temple complex.  Part of this expansion included the building of a marketplace.  It was Herod’s version of Walmart.  It is suggested that Herod re-imposed the double drachma tax to pressure the public to pay for his construction projects.

Jesus would not have sinned by ignoring the tax, yet He paid it.  The temple was the house of the Lord, and Jesus detested what it had become.  Herod’s expansions were designed to extort worshipers.  Now, Jesus, God’s Son, was asked to pay for unwanted additions to His Father’s house!  Jesus had plans to take a whip and clear Herod’s merchants from the temple complex, but that would be another day.

Jesus still had ministry to do around Galilee.  Paying the tax kept Him and His disciples on the good side of the religious Jews in the area.  He chose His battles wisely.  He was winning souls as well as saving them.  That’s a lesson for us all:  Keep the main “thing” the main thing.

By asking Jesus and Peter to pay the double drachma, the tax collectors prove they didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah.  They treated Him as a common stranger in God’s house instead of its inheritor.    

Finally, observe Jesus and Peter didn’t have money readily available.  Perhaps Jesus was showing Peter he would eventually be supported by a byproduct of evangelism: offerings.  Fish symbolize evangelism.  This community support system is observed in Acts 2, where early Messianic believers committed “all they owned” to the community of believers, laying their belongings at the apostles’ feet.  Even today, the Church is supported in this manner by the generous support of Kingdom-minded believers.