Live And Love In The Truth

God's Truth lives in us.
Let us live and love in God's Truth.

- 2 John 1:1-2 -

God Is Trustworthy

God is true to His word.
God can be trusted.
God promised that He would never destroy the earth with a flood again.
He set a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise.
For thousands of years, God has been true to His word.

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Sometimes we get discouraged during the tough times in our lives.
Let us recall the promises of God.
Let us remember the rainbow.
God is trustworthy.
He is always true to what He has said.

Remember The Rainbow

Live In Peace And Holiness

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy;

without holiness no one will see the Lord.
(Hebrews 12:14)

The Parable Of The Wicked Vine-Dressers

Matthew 21:33-46

Passage

This parable was about the Jewish nation who had enjoyed the special care and goodness of God for centuries.

God had given them good laws. God had favored them above other nations. But they still rejected Him.

God had sent the Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist to them. But they tortured and killed them.

God then sent His Son to them. But they did not respect His Son! They murdered the sinless Savior!

God finally rejected the Jewish nation. The Kingdom is given to other nations! It was given to the Church!

Response

Let us respect the Son of God by obeying Him, and by giving Him first place in our lives.

Prayer

Oh God, help me submit to Your Son, and serve Him only! Amen.

By God's Authority!

Matthew 21:23-32

The chief priests and elders confronted Jesus in the temple and questioned Him about His authority. – “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?”

Jesus told them that He would answer their question if they first answered His question.

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His question was about the ministry of John the Baptist. – “John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They refused to answer Jesus.

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They knew that if they acknowledged that John’s ministry was from God, Jesus would ask them why they had refused to believe him.

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John had pointed the people to Jesus.

He had told them that Jesus was the promised Savior.

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The chief priests and elders knew that if they denied the validity of John’s ministry, they would incur the wrath of the people who acknowledged John as a prophet.

They refused to answer Jesus’ question.

So Jesus refused to answer their question.

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Jesus then told them a parable of 2 sons.

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The father told his 2 sons to work in his vineyard.

The first refused.

But later he put matters right with his father, and went to work in the vineyard.

The second appeared to obey his father, but failed to do so.

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Jesus asked the chief priests and elders, “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

They answered correctly, “The first.”

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Jesus then took up His question about John that they had refused to answer.

He told them that the tax collectors and the prostitutes were entering the kingdom of God before them, because they believed John the Baptist. They were like the first son!

But those who had plenty of outward religion were like the second son. They did not believe John the Baptist, and they refused to repent of their sin!

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How about us?

Are we like the first son, or the second son?

Do we gladly submit ourselves to the authority of the Lord Jesus over our lives?

Or are we just outwardly religious and lost?