Thursday, April 29, 2021

Matthew 21 Devotions by Stephen Taylor

Matthew 21:12,13

Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” He said to them, “’My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Christ cared about the state of that Temple, and He cares about the state of ours! The Bible teaches us that our bodies are Temples of God, one in which the Spirit of God dwells and one we must use to honor Him. But the truth is we often defile our own temples, sometimes without us even realizing it. We can get caught up in sin, self, or sometimes we can even stumble over those things God has given us for His glory. That is why we must be continually asking Christ to cleanse our temples, to do what He did that day and drive out all the things that don’t belong, the things that cause defilement which can lead to destruction.

How merciful and powerful He is to cleanse our temples in ways we couldn’t even imagine. Through this blessed journey with Him, He has healed and cleansed us more and more. There were things that were damaged, broken, and lost in us that He has healed and restored. He is faithful to do it!

I’m sure that the people back then could rationalize the need for selling things in the Temple. I’m sure that they made peace with it in their hearts but the truth of the matter is just because we accept sin or defilement as normal or acceptable doesn’t mean it is. God is merciful and will cleanse our temple; but will we surrender to His will and His ways?

1 Corinthians 6:19,20- Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

God bless! I love you all, but His love cleanses the temples He gave us! Praise, glory, and honor now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!

 

Matthew 21:28-30

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.”

Which son are you? It’s easy to say we will do something, but it’s a whole different thing to see it through. Are we amen-ing on Sunday and then living wild and wicked on Monday? Jesus makes a clear and powerful point here. That yes, our words hold weight, but ultimately, it’s our actions that speak the loudest. And to be honest with you, I have been both of these at one time or another in my life.

To me, one of the most encouraging truths I find here is that the one son flat-out rejected the call and yet was still allowed to go in after the fact. Thank You, Jesus, for Your loving kindness, patience, and mercy! He wasn’t stuck with his foolish, lazy, or prideful answer but was allowed in once he changed his mind and his actions. They go hand in hand here; he didn’t just change his mind but his actions matched as well. We too must be like this first son who had rejected the offer but then repented (changed his mind and actions) and went and served in his father’s vineyard!

After these verses, Jesus then responds with a truth that should encourage and awaken us all:

Matthew 21:31- “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God ahead of you.”

Jesus is telling us that it’s not as much about how you start as how you finish. Jesus is telling us that all who turn to Him will be saved, regardless of how sordid a lifestyle they have lived. Will you turn as they did and be found in Him today and live with Him forever?

Acts 3:19,20- Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.

God bless! I love you all, but His love has cleansed us and brought us into His family! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ the King, and the Holy Spirit!

 

Matthew 21:28-30

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

Which son are you? Each of us has been called to follow Christ into the Kingdom and serve Him there, but do we actually go? The Lord is teaching us many things here, but one of the first ones I think of is that lip service isn’t enough. That no matter how much we claim to love Christ, it falls short without the actions to prove it. Not that we are saved by works, but that saved people are known by their works just as unsaved people are known by theirs. Jesus teaches us that a tree is recognized by its fruit, not by what it claims to be or what it promises to produce later. We, too, must produce His Kingdom-fruit today, fruit in keeping with repentance and the fruit of the Spirit. These pieces of evidence need to be apparent to all but, most importantly, to the God who sees our hearts. We can fool man, but no man can fool God.

The second son was in the right family, at the right time, and received the right call and yet still refused to go. Will we fall into the same trap, or will we be like the first son who swallowed his pride, confessed his sin, and went to work in the Father’s vineyard? The invitation has been given, the price has been paid, and the offer still stands; will you receive and go today?

I love how the first son flat-out says no but then goes. It reminds me a lot of my own story, and the beautiful thing is that just like the first son, I found acceptance when I decided to go, and so will you!

Matthew 21:31,32- “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

God bless! I love you all, but His love is calling. Will you answer? Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!

 

Matthew 21:44

“Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” 

 

I have never really understood this verse until this morning. To me, they both sound like bad ideas – LOL! But today, as I was reading it, God revealed something to me. If you take a pill and crush it up, there is no way to put it back together. But if that same pill is just broken into pieces, then with the right tools in the right hand, it can be made whole again!!! In both cases, the pill is still a pill but only in the latter is it in the form it was designed to be in!!

 

What I’m trying to say is one day all of us are going to hit the “stone” that is Jesus Christ, and we can either accept Him as Lord and allow Him to put us back together, or reject Him and stay crushed and doomed!! Change is scary – don’t get me wrong – but I promise that Jesus is kind, compassionate, caring, and loving, and the minor discomfort is worth an eternity of joy and peace in the Father’s house!!!! 

 


I feel like it’s a choice to either fall into His mercy or fall under His judgement. His mercies are new every morning, and I promise you won’t be disappointed!!! Broken or crushed, your choice, but it’s happening one way or another!!

 

I love you all, God bless, and Glory to God!!!!!

 

 

 

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