What Hasn’t Changed Since the Election

Sunrise

The United States has just gone through an unpredictable and divisive Presidential campaign season. Our society has changed a lot over the last few decades and more changes are surely coming – whatever those changes might be. Yet there are certain things that have not changed since the election and will not change. In this article, we are going to consider six things that this election has not changed.

Note: This article was written before the election. This was done deliberately. I wanted to be sure to focus on what is true regardless of what the results might be and not react to whatever might have happened in the election. With that being said, let us consider six things that have not changed.
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The Laborers in the Vineyard

Parables like the one we will examine in this article help explain the nature of Christ’s kingdom and the responsibility of its citizens. Let us notice the parable of the laborers in the vineyard:

Parable of the Laborers in the VineyardFor the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’ When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’ But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ So the last shall be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:1-16).

In this article, we will briefly examine six lessons we can learn from this parable.
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Making Wise Investments (Part 3): The Pearl of Great Value

Making Wise Investments (Part 3): The Pearl of Great Value

In the previous lesson, we considered the value of the truth – the word of God – and why we should buy it and not sell it. In this lesson, we will consider something so valuable that Jesus talked about the wisdom in one selling everything that he owned in order to buy it. The thing which He said was so valuable was the kingdom.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).

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Lessons from the Limited Commission

We often remember the “Great Commission” in which Jesus told His apostles, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). However, prior to this, Jesus gave His apostles what we may call the “Limited Commission.” They were to “go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6).

Though we are living in the time since the giving of the Great Commission, there are still important lessons we can learn from the earlier Limited Commission that apply even today.
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Seek First His Kingdom

Matthew 6:33

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned against one dividing his allegiance to God. He said that an attempt to do this could not possibly be done with the Lord’s approval.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matthew 6:24).

Jesus specifically mentioned wealth here as an object that would distract one from wholeheartedly serving God. But this principle is not limited to wealth. His point was that we must not allow anything to distract or hinder us from our service to God.
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What the Thief on the Cross Understood (11/13)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Luke 23; John 18-19.

There are several lessons to be learned from the thief who was crucified next to Jesus. Notice what Luke recorded in his gospel:

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, ‘Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!’ But the other answered, and rebuking him said, ‘Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’ And he was saying, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!’ And He said to him, ‘Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise’” (Luke 23:39-43).

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“Not One Stone Will Be Left Upon Another” (11/6)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Mark 13.

As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down’” (Mark 13:1-2).

It is common for man to be impressed with the beauty and greatness of physical, man-made structures. This was the reason for this disciple’s remark on this occasion. As they left the temple, the disciple noted the impressive buildings that surrounded them. There was nothing necessarily wrong with this. But Jesus wanted to be sure that His disciples kept the proper perspective about such things.
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