Years ago, I was in a relationship, and like all of my romantic relationships, it ended. Fortunately, it didn’t end badly. It even looked like we were going to continue our friendship, which would be a good change of pace for me. Until, of course, I did something to mess it up: something inconsequential and so minute that it couldn’t possibly have caused the problems it did.
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I realized something today about the expression, “Shake the dust off your feet.” It’s what Jesus said to the Twelve, but not to the 72.
In Matthew and Mark, Jesus says:
If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.
Matthew 10:14 (NIV)
“And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
Mark 6:11 (NIV)
Even in Luke, Jesus said the same thing:
“If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
Luke 9:5 (NIV)
But when Jesus sent out the 72, He said something else:
View full article »Once again, it’s time to demolish a false notion about the devil.
Today, we’re looking at Luke 8:12.
Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
Luke 8:12 (NIV)
In case you missed it, this is Jesus explaining part of the Parable of the Sower. Verse 5, in fact.
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.”
Luke 8:5 (NIV)
Sadly, there’s a very popular but misguided teaching which claims that Jesus meant Satan personally, physically, and directly micromanages this theft in real time for every unyielding hearer on earth. As if the devil himself “takes away the word” from some of those who don’t believe.
See for yourself:
Try searching “Luke 8:12 the devil takes the word away” (no quotes) on Google (other search engines should work too), then examine the results. From churches I’ve never heard of to people I respect like John Piper, Ellicott, Barnes, Gill, Matthew Henry, Bengel, and so on, everyone seems to agree that the devil takes a personal interest in snatching God’s word from people’s hearts.
Oh, what shall we do?
View full article »I began my study of Ezra today when I noticed something “new” in the first verse:
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
Ezra 1:1 (NIV)
The Lord moved Cyrus’ heart. This is remarkable considering that Cyrus was a pagan. Still, I shouldn’t think it that remarkable, considering we were all pagans of one sort or another before we came to Christ. A few verses later, God moves more hearts:
Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.
Ezra 1:5 (NIV)
I don’t know about you, but I didn’t expect this verse. At least, I didn’t expect the part about God moving Israelite hearts. Judah had been in exile for about seventy years, so you’d think they’d want to return home. I guess some needed their hearts moved, so God moved them. Considering that some Jews stayed behind, I guess it was necessary.
After Ezra chapter one, I continued my reading with Psalm 84, noticing this verse:
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