The FEC Daily

Matthew 5:43-48

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Here again, we see Jesus raising the bar to the point that pushes us to deal with the source of the problem—our heart. To do what Jesus is asking us to do in this passage, we can only do it by an actual heart change that drives us to seek the power of God to help. In this life, people will wrong you, shorthand you, and stab you in the back. Do I need to remind you that we haven’t reached heaven yet? We still have to deal with challenging people and complicated situations, and one of the most complex situations is when people or circumstances have wronged us. As Christians, we need to respond in a way that shows we are walking with Jesus and have been changed from the inside out.

To love and even pray for those who persecute you or wrong you is such an extreme ask for the flesh that it is nearly impossible. But we know that through Christ, we can do all, including praying and hoping for the best for those who have wronged us. I remember growing up how often there were fights at school because if one person pushed it too far, there had to be a retaliation of some sort, and it always ended up bad for both parties. We inherit this feeling of trying to justify when we are wronged because of the sinful nature we have inherited from birth. We must crucify our sinful nature along with Christ and become new in our ways through Christ, and we must love how Christ loved, which is a love without boundaries. Even when it’s hard, even when the world says you are justified in your anger, we must remember the words for Christ and go as far as to pray for those who persecute us. We must push the boundaries, look to God for strength, and remember who we represent and what we are called to do as Christians. 

Do you have unresolved anger or grievances affecting your relationships or spiritual connection with God? I encourage you to take it further by praying and showing love to those who have wronged you, just as Jesus would have done. By doing so, God will bless you and see improvements in your relationships.

– Tyler. 

Matt 5:38-42 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

The Lord shared some hard truth in these verses. Most of us have heard the phrase an “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” It is so easy to want to retaliate in the same way we are mistreated. The call to turn the other cheek is as familiar to us as it is hard. When someone wants to sue us to take something from us it is not normal for us to just let them have not only our tunic, but, our cloak as well. Giving and loaning to others comes easy for some, but, much harder for others. There is a lot in these verses that we could look closer at today, however, I feel led to focus my thoughts this morning on verse 41 “And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.”

The phrase going the second mile has found its way into our modern vernacular. Its roots are found all the way back to the first-century. The Romans had conquered most of the Mediterranean world. One of the marvels of their conquest was a vast system of super highways that they had built for travel to and from their conquered territories. There were more than fifty thousand miles of these Roman roads throughout the Empire. At each single mile was a stone marker. These mile markers pointed directions and determined the distance to the next town as well as to Rome itself. Hence the common phrase “All roads lead to Rome.” By law, a Roman citizen or soldier could compel a subject from one of the conquered lands to carry his load for him for one mile, but, one mile only.

Jesus and His hearers were both very familiar with this mandated mile that was required of the Jews. Jesus called upon His hearers to do what was required of them and then some. The second mile is only made possible by being obedient to the first mile. Think about how this played out in real life. Imagine a first-century Jew working at his trade. A Roman soldier comes by, calls to him and demands that he carry his backpack for one mile down the road. Understand that this command interrupts the man’s whole day, takes him away from his work and he has no choice in the matter. Imagine also that this Jewish man takes up the Lord’s call to be a second miler. He and the Roman soldier approach the one-mile marker and instead of putting down the pack and heading back home in frustration he volunteers to go an extra mile with the soldier. Then along the way he asks about the life of the soldier, his family and his needs so he can pray for him. Here we are reminded that a person who willingly journeys on the second mile with people has an opportunity to lighten the load of those they travel with.

Those who go the extra mile with people have a great opportunity to influence others. It only takes one second miler in a home to change the entire environment. It only takes a few second milers at the factory, office, team, classroom, school or church to do the same. Extra mile people are at their best when motivated by the love of Christ. I suggest to you that going the extra mile with people has a way of brightening our own road as well. It is the road less traveled, but, a worthy road to pursue.

As you reflect on this verse today, I want to encourage you to join me in thanking God for the second milers He put in your life over the years. The extra mile people who did the extra things to make your life better and influence you much in your walk with Christ. Let’s also consider all the ways we can go the extra mile with and for others. Going the second mile when done in the love of Christ has a way of impacting people that few other things do. Commit with me today to be an extra miler for God until He calls us home to heaven.

Tim

Matthew 5:33-37

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

Good morning !

I hope you all have had a great Memorial Day weekend thus far. Today, we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so you and I could live in a country where we can worship God freely!

This week, we are continuing through the Sermon on the Mount, and what we’re seeing is the greatest sermon ever preached! This section of the sermon is jam packed with cultural context, and it’s vital that we understand it in order to see what Jesus is teaching.

When Jesus states, “you have heard that it was said to those of old,” He isn’t directly quoting a specific passage in the Old Testament, rather He is summarizing a general theme that shows up in several passages. For example, Leviticus 19:12 states, “You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.” Notice in the passage, the law says you should not swear “by my name.” This parallels what Jesus is stating in today’s passage about “swearing falsely.” Here’s how… In the ancient near east, it was custom to make vows and oaths in the name of a god and if one were to swear falsely or break the oath, it would “profane” the god in which the oath was taken.

However, when we get to the time of Jesus, many traditions had begun about which oaths were binding, and which ones were not. Many Jews would take oaths with intentions of creating a loophole in the system. For example, they would swear by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, and so on, and since they didn’t directly take an oath in “God’s name,” they would often betray their oath. Jesus recognizes the broken system and comes to bring an end to this…
Jesus teaches the crowd the proper way of taking an oath. The answer? A simple “yes” or a simple “no.”

Jesus recognizes the tradition of trying to find loopholes to not have to keep an oath. Jesus’ goal is for His followers to be men and women of integrity. Men and women who tell the truth. Men and women who do what they say when they say they’re going to do it. The reality of it is this: it doesn’t take much to be a person of integrity. Unfortunately, it’s still uncommon.

For us as followers of Jesus, let’s make it a habit to be intentional about doing what we say we’re going to do. When we say “yes,” let it mean yes, and when we say “no,” let it mean no! Being a person of integrity is as simple as yes and no.

Happy Memorial Day!

-Taylor

Matthew 5:31-32

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Good morning!

Today’s topic is not the easiest subject in the world to discuss. Why? Because so many have dealt with the effects of divorce… The unfortunate reality in our country is that nearly 50% of marriages will end in divorce. I feel extremely confident that not one of these marriages planned their divorce during their wedding preparation. I’ve never heard someone say, “I chose a good one for my first spouse. I wonder who the next lucky person will be?” It just doesn’t happen; however, here we are…

In this passage, Jesus references Deuteronomy 24 and then clears up the muddied subject. Believe it or not, divorce was a highly debated subject in Jesus’ time. There were 2 schools of thought on divorce. The school of Shammai was the “conservative” teaching, which Jesus echoes in this passage, arguing that divorce was only permissible due to adultery. However, the school of Hillel was the more progressive school of thought which allowed divorce for any trivial reason. If a man’s wife were to overcook a meal, didn’t respond properly, saw someone he felt was more attractive, or what have you, divorce was always an option if they so choose.

There is so much we could explore in this passage; however, I want to focus our attention on the compassion and protection that Jesus is offering in His teaching. The reality of marriage is this: marriage was designed by our creator and should operate under certain confines, and when we as humans violate God’s design, it leads to brokenness, pain, and can cause much harm.

Most of us have experienced the repercussions of divorce in some way or another. Even if we haven’t dealt with it personally, we know someone who has. It sounds like were discussing cancer, doesn’t it? With that said, we understand the pain divorce brings and the emotional and relational brokenness that comes alongside.

Again, Jesus isn’t trying to withhold pleasure or give us a bunch of rules to live by. Instead, His instructions offer compassion and wisdom for the purpose of protecting His people. And here we see that Jesus is a God of faithfulness and oneness, and His desire is always reconciliation.

Maybe you and your spouse are going through a tough season of marriage right now and your thinking of throwing in the towel. I want to encourage you to persevere. Don’t let your pride keep you from seeing a counselor. Begin to seek the Lord together. Offer grace and forgiveness. Let the past be the past… in other words, fight for your marriage!

Enjoy your weekend!

-Taylor

 Matt 5:27-30 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”

“You have heard” is a phrase Jesus is going to use much throughout the Sermon on the Mount. He is going to share what the crowd has heard and then challenge them with deeper truth. The people knew the seventh of the ten commandments was the command not to commit adultery. Now Jesus tells them if they even look on a woman with lust they have already committed adultery with her in their heart. This gets right to where the sin of adultery occurs first. That being in the heart.

This issue of our eyes looking where they should not is more a challenge for men than women, but, it can happen to anyone. It affects people of all ages, all races, white collar, blue collar, famous, not famous, church goers and those who do not attend church. The opportunities for trouble have increased significantly with the online activity we all have access to with our computers, laptops, tablets and smart phones. The devil has made sure of that. We not only need to be on guard where and how we look at people we come in contact with throughout our day, but, also when we are online.

Jesus made clear that this sin of lusting with our eyes will send people to hell. He even said it would be better for us to gouge out our good eye or cut off our good hand if they are causing us to sin rather than going to hell with them. This shows us just how horrible Jesus knows hell to be. I suggest everyone who struggles with what they look at to stay away from the problem places and people where possible. I also encourage anyone struggling with this issue to put protections in place on your internet devices and televisions. Based on what Jesus said, it would be better to get rid of them than allow them to cause us to commit this sin and end up in hell.

Please know God does forgive this sin. He also can help anyone find victory to overcome any sin or vice including this one. Seek Him if struggling and you will find much needed grace and help.

Tim

Matthew 5:21-26

21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. 23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. 25 “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 If that happens, you won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.

Good morning!

As we continue our walk through the Sermon on the Mount, we see Jesus address a struggle we often fight in this life. If not dealt with, anger can be detrimental to our relationship with God and others around us. Jesus is showing us through the scripture today that he is raising the bar to the point that it causes us to look inwardly at our hearts to deal with it at the source!

I’ve heard and seen situations where once close friends and even family members write each other off in a moment of anger, resulting in a distant broken relationship. It’s not God’s calling for us to live this way; this passage proves it! Jesus is showing us in each example given here that we must deal with our anger and settle our differences quickly lest we face the consequences of not doing so. He teaches us that we must exceed the law by fixing the problem at the source…. Our heart. See, Jesus is showing us that a heart-level transformation needs to take place for us to truly overcome and move past anger and hatred in this life.

Let me give you this illustration. Imagine someone who never curses or yells at other people. They wouldn’t dare strike someone. They wouldn’t even throw up a traffic gesture when upset. But every time someone even remotely offends them, they are filled with resentment and bitterness. Their mind is so occupied by how wronged they are that it is the only thing they think about for hours, sometimes days, and even years. Jesus is showing us that this isn’t the experience of genuine righteousness. Rather than following a list of rules as the Pharisees did, let’s follow Jesus’ teaching on handling anger and by dealing with it at the heart. Don’t be fooled into bottling up anger and resentment by not dealing with it; it’s a trap that can turn into a spiritual cancer eating you from the inside out. Jesus calls us to fix the problem at the root by looking at our hearts.

Is there an area in your life that has some unforgiveness or anger? Don’t let it eat you up; handle it the correct way that God calls us to before it’s too late.

-Tyler

Mt. 5:17-20 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen (not one jot or tittle-nkjv), will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

What exactly are “the Law and the Prophets”? It was a way of referring to what was then the entirety of God’s revealed will. The Law consists of the first five books of our Old Testament. It is in these books that we find the initial revelation of God’s nature and His revelation concerning the life He desired for His people. The Prophets consisted of the books we term “history” books (Joshua-2 Kings) as well as the books of “wisdom” (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) and the books of the prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve shorter prophets (Hosea-Malachi). The Prophets were viewed as commentary on the Law…an explanation of how to live out the life God desired.

What does it mean to fulfill something? Webster defines fulfill as “to carry out something promised; to do something required; to satisfy a condition; to complete.” To fulfill also means to bring to a state of completeness or to an intended goal. Jesus did all those things and more when He came to this earth over 2,000 years ago. When Jesus said He came to fulfill the law and the prophets He was not just talking about the prophecies concerning His birth, life and death that were fulfilled just as predicted. Jesus was also confirming that the whole of the law and prophets had one aim and that was to point to Him.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets and also that you and I would find our fulfillment in Him. We can make all the outward changes we want, but, if we are still the same on the inside we will never find fulfillment in this life and will miss out on finding eternal life as well. This need in our life can only be fulfilled through a relationship with Jesus Christ. What you and I need is a change on the inside. This needed change is described in 2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone, the new has come.” A few verses later Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” This is how our righteousness will exceed that of the Pharisees. Have you allowed Christ to make you into a new creation? I hope you have. If not, I pray today would be the day you place your hope and trust in Jesus Christ.

Tim

Matthew 5:13-16, “

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[b] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

“Nothing is more useful than salt and sunshine”- Pliny the Elder

Good morning!

Let me set the scene for us this morning… Jesus has begun His public ministry and is in the middle of preaching the most famous sermon ever preached. I can see it now… crowds of outcasts gathered around, the 12 disciples sitting on the front row, everyone soaking in these revolutionary and life transforming teachings. Now, the crowd that just heard how “blessed” they are is hearing about their role in the “kingdom.” Wow, what a day!

In this passage, Jesus tells the crowd they are “salt and light.” For you and me, salt and light are so prevalent that they may not seem very significant. For instance, we usually don’t think twice about grabbing a shaker of salt or flipping on a light switch; however, in this culture, they understood the importance of the imagery of salt and light.

There are differing opinions on what aspect of salt Jesus was referring to. Some theologians believe He was noting the preserving nature of salt, while others seem to lean towards its flavor aspect; however, one thing I think we can all agree on is- salt is good! Whether it’s to preserve or to flavor, salt is important. Salt is distinct. Salt is noticeable and useful and this is exactly what Jesus call His followers to.

The same goes for “light.” I think we can all agree that light is necessary and good. Here is the call- be light in this dark world! He is telling them they are going to be the light that Israel was supposed to be… Isaiah 42:6-7 states, “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” Everything that Israel was supposed to be is now coming true through Jesus and His kingdom! And now…. the group that follows Him can partake in His mission of flavoring, preserving, and illuminating His kingdom here on earth. What a privilege!

We could spend all day discussing salt and light, but the one thing I believe is vital to see is that their presence makes an impact. Likewise, it’s clear when their presence is lacking and needed.

If you are a follower of Jesus, allow me to remind you as we begin this upcoming week- you are salt and the light to the world! Don’t let your salt lose its flavor or hide your light under a shade, but instead, let Jesus work in you and through you. I pray your life changes the “flavor” of your work place… I pray your life “lightens” up every room you walk in today… So again, go be salt and light wherever the Lord may lead you!

-Taylor

Matthew 5:11-12- “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Good morning!

As we wrap up this week’s devotionals, we are finishing up the first section of the Sermon on the Mount called the Beatitudes. Throughout this past week, we have seen Jesus call groups of people blessed, and if we’re being honest, blessed would be the last way we’d think to define such groups. However, in the “kingdom of heaven,” these groups are blessed beyond measure.
The reason we have a hard time seeing these groups as blessed is because of the culture we live in. The groups Jesus mentions represent an outlook radically different from our world. For instance, the world praises pride, not humility… The world endorses sin while mocking purity… The world tells us to get ahead by any means possible, even if it is at the expense of others… In other words, the world’s teachings are at odds with God’s.

Today as we conclude with the Beatitudes, Jesus teaches His followers that they will be insulted, persecuted, and people will speak all kinds of false evil against them because of their connection with Him. I’m sure we have all seen this happen in our lives. The world has a strong disdain for those who are truly seeking Jesus. Though we don’t usually experience the persecution like other countries, it’s clear that our culture is against followers of Jesus. Christians are oftentimes mocked for their beliefs, portrayed as uneducated, and so on… I want to remind and encourage you today, this type of insulting is to be expected. Jesus was clear that this will happen to all of us who truly follow Him.

Yes, it’s tough. We all know that the saying, “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me” is complete nonsense. Words hurt…They’re personal… and it’s hard not be upset when we know our intentions are pure. However, rest assured, when someone speaks insults and evil against you because of your faith in Jesus, you are blessed! In fact, Jesus tells us to “rejoice and be glad” and that we’re in good company. Talk about being “counter cultural” …

Jesus was 100% transparent and clear that we will experience persecution because of our faith! However, you are blessed! How? Because this is not all there is… The kingdom of heaven will outlast the things of earth…
Maybe you find yourself in one of these groups that Jesus is speaking to in this section. If so, I pray one thing has been made clear: you are blessed, and your reward is in heaven! My encouragement today is to continue to seek Jesus with all you heart! This world may knock us down… they may count us as “down and out”, but in the kingdom of heaven, we are blessed!

Have a great weekend!
-Taylor

Matt 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus made clear His followers would suffer persecution. Paul said something very similar in 2 Tim 3:12 “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” He did not say some. He said all. If we are striving to live a godly life we will face some push back and persecution for our walk with God. A good check up to do on our walk with the Lord is to see if we are facing any persecution for doing right. The Bible says we will and we should expect it.

Christ emphasized the one who suffers is blessed only if they are persecuted because of righteousness. We aren’t being persecuted for righteousness if we are not doing what is right in God’s eyes. Some are suffering, but, it is from doing wrong. That is not persecution. That is reaping what we have sown.

Christ says we can be blessed and happy when we face persecution. At first thought we do not expect that to be the case. I do not enjoy suffering the slings and arrows that on occasion come my way for taking stands for Christ and His Word. Still, it is true that we are blessed because heaven awaits all of us who are not ashamed to stand up for Christ when called to do so.

We are abundantly blessed concerning this issue in our country compared to many places around the world. Most of our persecution consists of being made fun of by people, being mocked by the media elites and being belittled by those in higher education. By contrast, there are many places in the world where people suffer greatly because of their relationship to Christ. Many face the loss of homes, livelihoods and even their lives.

I fear if we do not have revival in our country that Christians here may face much more persecution in the days ahead. Many describe the times we are living in as Americans as Post-Christian. Tony Evans describes these days in America as Anti-Christian. I agree with him. Still, there is a faithful remnant in this great land and we are blessed to be a part of this group. Let’s stand up for Christ no matter the consequences today and all the days of our lives. We will be much blessed and rewarded by our great God for staying true to Him.

Tim