Words of Jesus Podcast - Things Are Not Like We Think

Episode Date: November 29, 2024

Some effort is required to see beyond the present earthly circumstances in the teachings of Jesus. Obedience in tithing, no matter how small the gift, gains the attention of God. Offerings cannot be given to God until the tithes are paid. Jesus said tithing "mint and rue" should be done but not as the fulfillment of the law. Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with your God - too. Don't rob God. Give not to get but as a loving child. Jesus covert mission in the earth was not vindicated by large crowds or military style conquest. The murderous plans of the rebellious religious leaders toward Jesus interfered His original plan to be a willing sacrifice. We thwart God's plan when we operate on our own wit, rather than being led by the Spirit of God.IMPORTANT! Keep the commandments. Take time every day to hear the voice of God. Never, ever violate your conscience. ***99: Jesus Praises SincerityMark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4JESUS STOOD in the temple watching rich men place gifts of money into the temple treasury. He saw a poor widow cast two mites, amounting to one farthing, therein.            Jesus said:            “Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all. For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God, but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.”***100: Jesus Once More Speaks Of His Death And ResurrectionJohn 12:20-50Certain Greeks had arrived at Jerusalem for the feast days. They went to Phillip of Bethsaida in Galilee, saying:            “Sir, we would see Jesus.”            Phillip told Andrew of the request and both Phillip and Andrew went to Jesus with the message. Jesus replied:            “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, ‘Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone.’ But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be. If any man serve me, him will my Father honor. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour; but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name.”            Then a voice from Heaven was heard, saying:            “I HAVE BOTH GLORIFIED IT, AND WILL GLORIFY IT AGAIN.”            Some of the people who heard the voice said it thundered. Others said:            “An angel spake to him.”            Jesus answered, saying:            “This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”            Thus Jesus signified how he was to die.            The people asked him:            “We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth forever. And how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up?’ Who...

Think Red Ink Ministries presents The Words of Jesus series with Don C. Harris Hello my friends, I'm Don Harris, Think Red Ink Ministries by Town, New Mexico. You're in tune to the Words of Jesus series again, I hope, and I'm glad to have you here with us. Our goal is pretty simple here. We're just trying to reinforce Christianity, not with something new, not with some weird revelation from the backside of the desert. Just the words of Jesus. Do you know what he said?

Do you know what he told us to do? Do you know what he said? And how he lived and his life and how it was based on his relationship to his father. We're going to look at his ministry and things that he said and things that he told us to do, and we're going to make changes accordingly. We will do that, won't we? Sure we will. All right, we're in chapter 99 of our little book called The Words of Jesus, and this is where Jesus praises sincerity. Of course, that's the title of the little book here. Let's just see how accurate they are. Jesus stood in the temple watching rich men place gifts of money into the temple treasury. He saw a poor widow cast in two mites, mounting two, one farthing.

Jesus said, Of a truth I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all. For all these have of their abundance cast into the offerings of God, but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. I don't know where they got the title for this particular chapter 99, Jesus Praises

Sincerity. I don't know, I don't understand, I can't follow the logic there. But Jesus was, I think he was making, you know, the huge point, the obvious point here is that the size of the gift has little to do with how society feels about the size of that gift. And Jesus was saying that these things are all relative, they're all graded on the curve

of how much people have. If a person walked into that treasury and cast in two million dollars, for example, if all they had was two million dollars, I don't know that Jesus could have made the example of saying of all right this guy throws in two million bucks of his penury he's cast in all the living that he has it really kind of goes backwards from our uh our way of understanding these things doesn't it

because first of all that's a lot of money second um if it was all he had it was praiseworthy somehow but um it couldn't it just wouldn't make the example that Jesus was trying to make here. It's hard to look at a guy that first of all has two million bucks to be able to throw into the temple treasury and still label him with the adjective or at least describe what he's done as giving of his penury. So, is it the same thing?

I don't know that it is. We live in a society where money essentially rules. I hate that, but it does. And people are excited about or at least impressed with large sums of money, no matter how or how they come or where they come from or anything that has to do with it. It's like the amount has a whole lot of weight when you're talking about money. And when you get down to two mites, when you get down to nothing, and you're casting in of your penury, it's got a lot more effect. It has, well it just has

there's different ramifications involved. I'll give you an example. I know of a minister that has a ministry of helping people get out of debt. I appreciate that. I do that for people myself because I think that debt is one of the worst slaveries that, well, unknown slaveries in the world today. The people who buy things with money that they simply do not have and do so on credit are really, wow, they're just binding their hands.

They're tying their hands. They're putting themselves into slavery for the rest of their lives. Well, that happens to be the economy in which we live. And I've noticed that the more people are enslaved to debt, well, they seem to work hard, but their focus becomes getting out of debt. But they're doing it with a love of money, which becomes a horrible, vicious circle that you're just never going to get out of. Well, this particular ministry,

the testimony is that, you know, so-and-so was in $5 million debt, and he was able to get out of that debt. Well, that's interesting, and that certainly is quite an accomplishment. But what I have found is that sometimes it's more difficult for people to get out of $20,000 debt than it is to get out of $5 million worth of debt. Those of you who are having money trouble are nodding your head and saying, you know, that's got to be true. And I'm afraid that it is. But leaving this parable, I don't know that we want to miss the fact that when it came down to the last two mites,

this widow woman didn't buy something to eat. She gave to the treasury of God. Now, in the atmosphere that we live in today, in Christianity, with the ideas of prosperity and giving to get and hundredfold return and all the rest of this stuff, do you think in your wildest imagination that this woman gave these two mites so that she could

receive more i i don't believe that for nothing in the world i think that the impressive thing about this woman to the point that she impressed the father to mention to jesus he was just walking into the temple and he saw people giving gifts and for the lord our father god to say to jesus christ hey hey don't miss this look at there and he turns around and looks and he sees two little mites fall into the joy of the box he says i want you to know that was the last two mites fall into the Jehoiada box. He says, I want you to know that was the last two mites that woman had. Well, that impressed Jesus tremendously. Now, was he glad that the coffers of the temple were, you know, two mites more valuable

than they were, you they were two seconds ago. I don't think that was it at all. This woman was saying without words saying that there are just some things in life that have value in my life. There's a certain expense involved. There is such a thing as a temple tax.

There is such thing as an offering that is made to the Lord. And this is as much a part of my life as anything else that I could spend this money on. People are sometimes surprised that I have such a, well, a stringent opinion on giving because our ministry really doesn't involve themselves in begging and asking and selling goods and services and all the rest of this stuff.

We don't do it. We won't do it. And because of my convictions in that area, I think people are a bit surprised sometimes when I so stringently and so ardently preach on tithing and giving to the Lord. This really should be something in your life. It should be that what we are called to do as Christians, as men and women of God who fear the Lord, His kingdom should be as much a part of our life as our, as David says, that it should be as much a part of our life as our as david says that uh it should be as much a part of our life as our

necessary food but i'm afraid that it's not look i understand you know you're running out of money uh yeah okay um so uh why are you out of money well i could barely pay my cable bill this month. I can't tithe. I was shocked just with a brief investigation of what people actually pay for television to be, you know, the Hollywood sewage to be pumped directly into their living room. But they actually do. Get your checkbook out.

Get your quicken up on the computer and let's take a look. And let's just see where the Lord ranks. Add up what you spent for restaurants. Add up, which is absolutely unnecessary, and not very good for you, by the way. Add what you spend at Starbucks, what you spend at the cable company, what you spend on the RV payment. Now let's look over here and see what we've given to God's work.

Listen, I'm speaking from experience. This happened to me. I remember when Quicken first came out, you know, I was all excited about something because I was going to be able to do my books for me. I'm not very good with books. I know how they're supposed to be done. How's that? And I had trouble keeping up with them.

I was excited about Quicken. And they give you the opportunity to name and to categorize every expenditure that you have. And boy, oh boy, when I realized that I'd given more to Shoney's or Denny's or whatever restaurant you're familiar with when i when i realized that i was that i had actually done more business with just absolutely superfluous things in my life um all of a sudden you know i mean we comparing that with what i've actually put toward the preaching of the gospel and the ministry, making sure that the truth is being spoken somewhere, broadcast somewhere, recorded in a book somewhere, in a tract or missionary work or whatever. I don't just throw it all into one category.

I still felt like that certain things that had to do with you know with with my happiness had to do with my satisfaction they've so far outweighed what i was actually giving that uh wow you know what came in my mind well I was just learning in those days to think red ink. Sometimes it's not very pleasant because the red ink that, you know, printed itself across the little monitor in my brain where a man's treasure is, that's where his heart will be also.

Now, you know, we read that and we think that has to do with our savings that has to do with our with the you know the uh discretionary funds that has to do with what's left over that has to do with our bank balance that's our treasure friend you might be looking at this wrong where do you spend your money now look you have an obligation to take care of your family and if you and if you give more to a ministry and some people do give more to well usually they're just making up what other people don't give but they give more to the ministry than they do in taking care of

their own family. Look, that, you know, the idea of tithing is that 90% of your income, actually, it's not 90, but we'll deal with that perhaps at another time. But, you know, the money left over after our tithing, that money is already earmarked as to take care of the needs of your family. So there's no virtue in, you know, somebody saying, you know, I give 40% of my income. Well, you can snap your suspenders if you want to and feel all snooty about that if that's what you want to do, but you're not doing the right thing. You see, he knows what he expects, and he's perfectly capable of telling us so. So he told us, why don't we just do what we're told? I don't know why we don't do that.

Look, I understand giving an offering. I don't understand people who think that they're giving an offering who don't tithe. I really don't understand that. Look, I understand giving an offering. I don't understand people who think that they're giving an offering who don't tithe. I really don't understand that. I don't know what you're thinking, but you can't give an offering to somebody that you owe to. You know, the Lord spoke in these terms, you know, very vigorously and even to the point of being unkind that it's not like you forgot to pay your tithes. No, he said, you robbed me. And we say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. How is this supposed to be the storehouse of God?

How are we supposed to offer this bread and enough to spare? How are we supposed to do that if people don't do what they're supposed to do? Well, I thank God we have people at TRI that do understand this and they do care and they do tithe. And it's a wonderful thing when it works correctly. I also happen to know that you could pretty much divide the segment of people who tithe and who don't tithe as people who do not have money problems,

that have a good outlook toward money, that have a life that is not led and pushed and guided by the making of money with the people who don't tithe that just don't ever seem to have enough. That dividing line is broad and wide and just absolutely indelible. And so I don't understand, you know, looking for a hundredfold return when you don't even do your particular part that, you know, that he asked us to do. All right, so I just, I want you to see in this

that what was impressive about this widow was that she placed her duty to the Lord God about her increase she placed that into an area that it's obvious. I mean we don't know that that was the money left when she got back from Safeway. We don't know that. We don't know that but was the money left when she got back from Safeway? We don't know that. We don't know that, but I assure you that for some reason this act on her part got the attention of our

Father God, who obviously told Jesus at that point, you know, pay attention to that situation right there. And Jesus made an example of that very thing. All right, let's move to chapter 100. Jesus speaks of his death and resurrection. Certain Greeks had arrived in Jerusalem for the feast days. They went to Philip in Bethsaida in Galilee saying, Sir, we would see Jesus or we would like to see him. Philip told Andrew of the request, and both Philip and Andrew went to Jesus with the message.

Jesus replied, The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it. He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me. And where I am, so also shall my servant be if any man serve me him will my father honor now is my soul troubled and what shall i say father save me for this hour i came into the world father glorify thy name now again we have a non-sequitur

that it's a situation where i mean these things don't make sense unless you understand, unless you think red ink. What in the world was Jesus thinking? Man says, you know, we'd like to see Jesus. And so Andrew and Philip, known as disciples of Jesus, they tried to set up a meeting. So they went to Jesus, told him what the man said, and then Jesus launches into this? He doesn't even acknowledge the fact that somebody wants to socialize with him? It's really, it's confusing almost.

I mean, if you read it, you know, like, you know, in some other way other than in Sunday school fashion, you know, it's confusing. I'm thinking, why are you ignoring this request? Why not just look at the guys and say, look, you tell him, you know, things are changing here. There's all kinds of stuff going on here. I don't have time to see him. I don't know. Did he not have time? Or was it that some things are more important than other things. Was he saying all this in answer to that man?

Was he saying all this to Philip and Andrew so that they would carry this back to him? No. He was talking to Andrew and Philip. Hey guys, what are you doing? Well, this guy came to us and said he wanted to see you. Do you realize what time it is? Do you realize what's going on here? He was actually scolding his disciples for even entertaining this idea.

He wasn't speaking to the man. He was speaking to his disciples. The hour is on us, boys. Do you understand what's going on here? And so we have Philip and Andrew thinking perhaps we did something wrong. Yeah, you did. You're not focused.

You're not focused in what's going on here. Do you understand how important this is? I don't think you do. We're not on a political campaign. We're not on a publicity tour. We're not looking for a photo op. Things are about to happen. Well, at this particular point,

a voice from heaven was heard saying, because Jesus had at the end of this speech to Philip and Andrew, he he looked and said my soul is troubled and what shall i say father save me from this hour but for this cause came i unto this hour he's he's convincing himself as much as he's convinced as much as he is speaking to his father and then he resigns himself to the obvious to the inevitable that you know we're going to have to make this work this is the quandary that jesus lived in in the last portion of his life when he realized that the mission for which he came

was failing miserably john saw it years ago and jesus says i'm doing the best i can he obviously held out hope that things were going to be changed as time went on surely these people are going to see who i am surely these people are going to understand what I'm doing here. They never did. They got worse and worse and worse and now his murder was being plotted. And he said, my soul is troubled here. And so what should I say? Father, save me. Save me.

This is the reason I came. He came to give his life a ransom for many. His purpose was to give his life and his blood on the altar in the temple of God. And he saw that that was not going to happen. Oh, he was going to give his blood on the altar in the temple of God. And he saw that that was not going to happen. Oh, he was going to give his blood all right, but not as a willing, innocent sacrifice. He was going to be murdered. And this is when the trouble in his own soul started.

And the Father said from heaven, he says, because he said, Father, glorify. He said, for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. The Father answered and said, I have both glorified it, and I'll glorify it again. Here, I hear in this

okay, I realize our message has failed. I realize that what I sent you to do is not working out so well. So I have pursued this plan to glorify my name, and it's pretty obvious I'm going to have to do it again. Here you see it. It's starting to come together that they're going to have to make some kind of changes

so that the murder of Jesus Christ is going to be counted as a willing sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And it is absolutely ingenious the way he has done it. We're going to talk about it as it appears. Nobody gets to read ahead. All right. We'll continue here in chapter, we're already in 100. We'll continue here next time we get together. We're out of time today. Sorry about that. Hey, I'd like to ask you to

do something. I would love to hear from you. We have questions or comments about the broadcast. I'd love to get those in an email and you can do so. When you write me the email, I'd also appreciate knowing who you are. And if you as you send an email address, we'll be glad to put you on the

mailing list and you'll know exactly what's going on here. And you'll receive our what we call our rle zine red letter edition uh electronic magazine and um and if you'll do that send your questions and your comments to along with that to don at thinkreading.com and when you're at thinkreading.com if you should go there let us know what we can do for you all right time is gone for now and we'll catch you right here next time until i see you again

think red ink ministries C. Harris of Think Red Ink Ministries. Email don at thinkredink.com. That's thinkredink.com. Join us again for the next episode in the Words of Jesus series. you