July 22, 2021 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

The Series: Becoming the People of God

Warnings, Wisdom & White Robes

It is important that we learn about and even pattern our lives after Biblical figures. However, we sometimes do not ‘get the point’ the Bible story is making. We interpret the actions of the Biblical figures in such a way that we fail to make a personal connection or the ability to be like a particular figure. This series, ‘Becoming the People of God’ will help you identify with the characters of the Bible and hopefully strengthen your faith and deepen your ability to believe in Jesus by ‘taking Him at His word’.

Rule #1. Much too often we think we got God all figured out, however, this is never the case. Whenever we think we understand what God is doing, He takes another direction, a path we do not expect. The wisdom in following God is to follow Him even when it does not make sense or knowing where we are headed. Whenever God does something new (God is always full of surprises) we do not know the way and often we do not see it in the Bible until we have followed God, then we see it in Scriptures. This will be the case more and more before Christ returns (which will happen sooner than you think).

Take these two Biblical examples, the two ministries of John the Baptist and then with Jesus. Both ministries had the Jewish religion guessing and both men were not accepted by those in authority but rather irritated the ‘powers that be’.

First comes John, dressed like a homeless person, doesn’t eat right and says you must be baptized in water for God to forgive you. What? This is not in Jewish theology nor does it make sense to Jewish Rabbis. He also said, “the Messiah is coming!” How could he know? He has never met the Messiah and he does not explain what He will be like and where He is coming from. All of this must be a lie and for sure ‘God is not in any of what John is saying’, the religious leaders were saying. Oh, how wrong they were, and they thought they knew what God would be doing before the Messiah was to arrive.

Then came Jesus, the Messiah, the one the Jewish culture was waiting for. However, He (Jesus the Messiah) did not come as they believed how He would come and acting like a non-Jewish person. They knew how God worked (what God has done in the past) and when Jesus arrived, He was nothing like what they knew how God worked, and nothing like what God has done in the past and what God promised for the future. Jesus came from Nazareth, He had no formal training, he threw out of the Temple people that were making money from ‘being religious’, and last of all, He was healing people and doing miracles without Jewish permission. All of this was ‘hypocrisy’ to what Jewish theologians were saying about the Messiah. “The Messiah would have to be supportive of Jewish traditions, not criticize them; support Jewish laws and traditions and bring the Roman authority to their knees—not allow Romans to invade their county.” This man Jesus got all this wrong!

Every time, we have God figured out (the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit) I can tell you with confidence—we have it wrong. God does all things new and different. He gets all the glory, honor, and praise; we do not deserve anything—we must only obey with humility.

So be careful of teachers, prophets, and religious people in the last days (as the Bible states) because people will be deceived and mistaken when God does a new thing or anything that is not what He has done in the past…Jesus said, “Beware.”

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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