Bunny Trail

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

In my last blog, I found myself reading  about the reign of King Jehoshaphat, which led me to wonder where the phrase, “Jumpin  Jehoshaphat” came from.

It was another one of my many trips down what I call “Bunny trails.”   Just ask any of the ladies in my Monday morning Bible class. We have been going verse by verse through the Book of Genesis, and in two years of study we still have 19 chapters to go!

 

Given the state of our culture and even in the church, most of these bunny trails (topics) are worth examining,

 

One of the good things about bunny trails is the rabbit usually leads the hunter on a giant circle, and  eventually  back to the topic on hand.

 

We have some good lessons coming our way from the story of Jehoshaphat and we will get to them I promise. But before we move on, I want to spend another day talking about “minced  oaths,” and pseudo swear words.

Our world today is being overwhelmed by a tsunami of profanity and even many professing Christians join in the unholy song. 

 

I want to give a shout out today to Dave who commented on my last post with these words, ““profanity is a device that makes ignorance audible.”

 

Talk about hitting the nail on the head, that’s bumper sticker worthy! But be careful it might also serve as an invitation to get you flipped off or your car may be keyed.

 

Words matter, and we would all do well to heed  Col 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Jumpin Jehoshaphat!

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

So this morning as I was preparing my blog, I found myself in 2 Chr 20, and learned about a king of Judah named Jehoshaphat.  Ever hear someone say, “Jumpin Jehoshaphat?”  I am one of those people who cut their teeth on Saturday morning Looney Tunes and we often heard Yosemite Sam exclaim  Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat!

 

The expression originated  in the united Sates in the 19^th century as a “minced oath, or pseudo swear words.

In other words a way to replace profanity with inoffensive words.

 

A way to clean up language.

 

Lord knows, these days  we need to clean it up more than ever! F bombs are commonly used by people of all ages,  It seems no one can express themselves with out swearing! Even the name of Jesus Christ escapes from many a pair of angry lips. The name of the One who died for our sins spews out with inflexion that are clearly full of disdain!

 

Christian writer and pastor, Max Lucado tells of the time a revivals happened early in the twentieth century in Wales. One hundred thousand people came to Christ in less than a year. Almost-empty bars were closed for lack of business.

 Magistrates saw their courts emptied of criminals. Miners even had to retrain the mules that worked in the coal mines – many of the animals had been trained to respond to vulgar commands. But when the men got cleaned up, their language did as well, and the mules had to learn a new vocabulary.

Has the Holy Spirit been working on cleaning up your language? Jumpin Jehoshaphat. That’s good news!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Stay On Track

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

Ps 119: 32 I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.

 

She was just  150 meters away from winning the 2023 Peachtree 10 kilometer road race when Senbere Teferi,  the defending champion followed a motorcycle off course, costing her the win and thousands of dollars in prize money.

The Bible  likens the Christian walk of faith to a race. And there’s a lot more at stake than money.

Our race is not a sprint, it’s a marathon that requires endurance to the finish line.

 

Heb 12:1b “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

 

We enter the race by the grace of God, the hour we first believed, and the course that He sets before us are marked by His  Ten Commandments.

 

If someone were to ask you to name  The Commandments, could you do it? If not,  how then can you expect to stay on course and finish! Believe me, this race has many distractions along the way ,

 

Ga 5:7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?  8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you!

No, this persuasion comes from the devil, our flesh, and the world.

By now, you and I should recognize that we need the enlarged heart that the Psalmist speaks of in Ps 119:32. An enlarged heart speaks of greater love for God, a love that gives us the desire to serve and obey Him. Obeying the commandments won’t get you to heaven, but they will keep you on track for the race that God has set before you.

 

Review them often, confessing your wrong turns along the way, receiving His promised forgiveness, and then thank Him for getting you back on track again.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

The Matter of Rape and Incest

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

 

2 Ch 25:3 Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established for him, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king.

 4 However he did not execute their children, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, "The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall die for his own sin."

 

The year is 796 B.C. King Amaziah began to reign in the southern kingdom. His father (Joash) had been assassinated, and one of the first things Amaziah did was execute judgment on those who had murdered his father. This was in accordance

with God’s Word given to Noah in  Ge 9:6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.

 

However, Amaziah, also  in compliance with the Word of God given to Moses, spares the lives of the children of the murderers.  De 24:16   "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.

 

God’s perfect justice is on display here for all to see. Over 66 million unborn children have been executed in America since the Roe v wade decision of 1973! Would someone please tell me what crime they have committed?

 

Did the unborn child rape? Did the unborn child commit incest?  These are terrible crimes, and quite frankly need to be dealt with in severe fashion. A strong message needs to be sent to the convicted rapist and the one who sexually violates a family member!

 

But rather than go after the perpetrators we take it out on the unborn child, and allow for abortion in these cases. Virtually every piece of pro life legislation has this exception, and in the spirit of compromise the legislation will allow for abortion to take place at various times of development. (6 to 8 weeks seems to be the most popular.)

 

These exceptions deny the biblical truth of when life begins. CONCEPTION! Even before conception as God told Jeremiah, Jer 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."

 

We need to have compassion for the women impregnated against their will, but eliminating the unborn child only adds fuel to the fire of guilt. It is a 9 month long (sometimes longer)  cross to bear, but God will help you through it. There are several Christian ministries that deal with this topic. Seek them out and find help for you!

 

And remember, there is no sin that Jesus didn’t pay for  on the cross.

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

Put On Christ

 Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

Re 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

 

It’s judgment Day! No one escapes it! Small and great men will stand before God. The criteria for all men is the same. It comes down to what have you done with Jesus? Joh 12:48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words , has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.

 

On that day, there will be two sets of books. One set, consisting of many books listing all the deeds (good or bad) the other not a set, just one book, called the Book of life. No deeds in that Book, just the names of those who put their trust in Christ.

 

V15 of Revulsion 20, is blunt, but it’s that cut and dried!  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

 

Again, I take you back to the parable of the sheep and the goats! Mt 25:31-46

 

The sheep (believers) frantically looking in the books of deeds for the good they have done. “Lord, when did we do these things, it’s not here in the books of deeds!

 

The goats (unbelievers) arguing that they did all these things and more! They were in black and white in the books of deeds for God and all to see. And the sad reality of Isa 64:6 comes to bear: But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

 

And deeds, good and bad will serve as a witness against the goats (unbelievers) on that last day. But the sheep (believers) have put on Christ and are judged solely by His righteousness’s. Eph 4:24 reminds us to put off the old man and all his deeds and put on Jesus.  24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. How do we do that? By faith and by baptism.

Ga 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

 

Clothed in His perfect righteousness and His gift of persevering faith, we are ready for that Last Day!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.

The Necessity of a Loyal Heart

 

Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word.

2Ch 25:2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a loyal heart.

 

The “he” in this verse refers to King Amaziah, He was 25 years old when he began his reign in the Southern Kingdom and he reigned for 29 years. He did much good in line with God’s Word, but he lacked the most important thing. A heart loyal to God! But how do you define loyalty? It is a personal  pledge of allegiance to Jesus. When I say something like, “I’ve given my heart to Jesus,” I am declaring my loyalty to Him come hell or high water. That kind of loyalty catches the eye of God the Father!

 

2 Ch 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

 

This loyal, sold out heart to Jesus is more important than we like to think.

 

Consider the parable of the sheep and goats. On judgement day the sheep are likened to the righteous believers. They are commended for their good works that flowed from a loyal heart. Faith in Jesus is the engine that leads the way, pulling the box cars of good works.

 

The goats on the other hand did the exact same good deeds, But they did them in the spirit of Amaziah, they lacked that sold out heart of loyalty. They had the box cars, but lacked the engine of God granted faith.

 

King David had seven brothers, and they were paraded before Samuel as possible successors to Saul. But was God looking for outward appearances or the inward condition of the loyal heart?

 

1Sa 16:7b,  . For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

 

We all know people who do such good things, but they have no relationship with Jesus,  Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Todays Living Word.