Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Mark 8: 15

Jesus spoke on two different types of spirits that can affect the body of Christ. I wrote about the Leaven of Pharisees in the last two devotionals, and in this devotional I’ll share about the leaven of Herod.

In addressing the leaven of Herod, Jesus was speaking about political spirit. Political spirit is looking for power and position. Its strategy is to divide and conquer. It aligns itself with those in power and tries to eliminate those who seem threatening to its power base. Political spirit is partial and seeks out loyalty with those who are like-minded.

During Jesus’ ministry years, Herod Antipas, who was the son of Herod the Great, was in power. John the Baptist spoke out against Herod divorcing his first wife and marrying his brother’s wife (Herodias), so Herod Antipas imprisoned John the Baptist. Following a beautiful dance by Herodias’ daughter, Herod gave an open offer for anything she desired.  Herodias manipulated her daughter and prompted her to ask for beheading of John the Baptist. Herod was obligated to follow through with his promise and gave orders for beheading of John the Baptist. (see Matthew 14:3-12). 

John the Baptist was being perceived as a threat to Herod and to his unlawful marriage because John the Baptist called them to accountability. According to some records, Herod and his wife were seeking the title of king and queen. This was out of jealousy of  Herod’s brother (King Agrippa) because he had this title. Herod and his wife were not successful in getting the title; they actually both thrown into prison due to the choices made in trying to get the title (according to Brittancia.com).

In the next devotional, I will continue with the subject of leaven of Herod (Political spirit) and how it manifests itself in today’s church.

Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Mark 8: 15

Jesus told his disciples to be aware of the leaven among them because He knew the insidious nature of leaven and its subtle impact on His disciples. Jesus spoke clearly and in much detail about the leaven of Pharisees in Matthew 23:1-28. In the last devotional, I shared a few points from this passage. This devotional is the continuation on the leaven of Pharisees.

• Verse 5 (Show offs): Their motive was visibility not service. They were not doing things as unto the Lord; they were doing it to get the applause and honor of man. Why do we do what we do? If no one ever finds out about what we did, would we still do it?

• Verse 6 (Honor seeking): They enjoyed places of honor. They enjoyed people looking up to them and calling them by their titles. Do we find our significance in how people perceive us ? Do we need a title to feel significant or spiritual?

• Verse 13 (Twisted gospel message): Jesus told His disciples that the  Pharisees had no place in heaven, and they were stopping others from entering because they were self-righteous. In our society, this would translate into legalists and the lawless religious groups. Those who are legalistic, make people focus on the works and rules rather than a relationship. People can follow the rules and still not have a relationship with God. There is also the spiritually lawless group that focuses on compassion and grace apart from repentance. They do not teach the entire Bible and only give people partial gospel message. Both groups are self-righteous. One group is proud to do work for God and the other group is proud to be compassionate towards man apart from God’s standard. Both of those approaches are self oriented which will neither save people nor set them free. These type of religious people don’t have a real relationship with the Lord, and they are hindering others from being saved as well.

  Are we self-congratulatory in our efforts and zeal? Do our efforts produce true fruitfulness or  just making us feel spiritual? Do we portray grace as a cheap commodity?  Do we convey Jesus to be a desperate man looking for any kind of follower without a true commitment to Him?

•  Verses 15 (New bondages): Religious people can get excited about seeing people saved and freed up. However, they begin putting new expectations on people causing oppression and offense in a new believer’s life. The religious people, who are supposed to help free up the believers, can create new man-made rules and expectation and place them under a carnal yoke!  Do we create rules for others that are not necessarily based on the Bible rather than on our preferences and convictions?

  Let’s be aware of the leaven of Pharisees by knowing our Bible and not getting influenced in a toxic atmosphere.

Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Mark 8: 15

Leaven for the most part was considered evil. Jesus warned his disciples about the leaven of Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. By using this analogy, He taught his disciples to be discerning of the insidious nature of these two spirits among them. 

In our modern day, one use of leaven is to make sour dough bread. Leaven becomes the starter or the instigator, and eventually permeates and ferments the whole though.

Jesus was referring to the fact that leaven has the ability to subtly poison people and gradually move them in a negative direction without one’s awareness. While the Pharisees and the Herod were not people’s role models, they still had the potency to influence people negatively. 

Jesus, in referring to the leaven of Pharisees, was speaking about a religious spirit that has a spiritual look. He was concerned for His disciples as well as all His followers, so He warns us not to influenced by this religious spirit and recognize it when we see it. Jesus shared some of the characteristics of this religious spirit in  Matthew 23:1-28

• Verse 3 (Actions not words): The pharisees’ words and actions did not match. They may have been great orators but considering how they conducted their lives, it did not hold up to their professed faith. Do our lives profess of our faith that we verbally proclaim?

• Verse 4 (Oppressive rules): By their man-made rules, they created burdensome religion for others. However, they were not willing to lift a finger or hold themselves accountable to the same rules. They had a double-standard. Is it possible to that we perceive other people’s sin much harsher than our own sins?

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

The topic of justice is a tough one and with no easy answers. It is one of those subjects that can cause great conflict and turmoil in soul and body. The desire for justice is in our nature because God has placed that desire in our hearts, and it does not go away when we are born again. The more we know about good and evil, the the issues of justice become more obvious. We can see more clearly when things are out of alignment with truth and justice. However, the scripture tells us to refrain from judging a situation prematurely.

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God. 1Corinthians 4:5

If  injustice goes unchecked for long periods of time, it causes great turmoil and even rebellion in our hearts. People can lose their sanity trying to make sense out of tough situations in the world. Unless eternity is kept at the forefront of unjust situations, there will be a great strife in relationship to God and with one another.

This does not mean that evil can go unbridled forever; God has institutions such as church and civil governments to deal with the issue of evil appropriate to their sphere of responsibility. The church government has the responsibility to oversee the spiritual health of the body by holding its members accountable to their sinful lifestyle. The civil government is responsible for holding people accountable to the laws of the land and ensure that they are not violated to protect the safety and security of all the people. Therefore, the sphere of judgment is relegated to those who are in appropriate positions to judge the situation and have the authority to understand all sides of the issue before they render a judgment.

The intent of addressing evil with church government or civil government is not in establishing perfect justice; it is only deterrence of evil and establishing order.  The truth is that a person can be a church member or  a law-abiding citizen but still commit sins that are against God’s holy word and His commandments. No one  is capable to bring about perfect justice on this earth because man is sinful and not omnipotent. God has reserved true justice only for His son because He is the only one deserving and capable of rendering perfect justice!

Lord, give us insight into the injustices we see in the world and help us to know how we can be part of the solution for reconciliation.

The Lord has much to say in the area of justice. The Bible is full of scriptures that speak about this issue. However, when I looked at the word “justice” in my New King James Version (NKJV) Bible, I found that there is no mention of the word “justice” in the New Testament. I only found words  such as  “judging” and “judgment” in the New Testament.

There is a big difference between judging a situation and establishing justice. When we judge a situation, we determine the degree of good or evil of an action. However, justice is about dispensing a just sentence in a particular situation.

You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. John 8:15-16

In the New Testament, the scripture primarily points to mercy instead of judgment. Jesus, fought the injustices of His day in the opposite spirit of those who came against Him, and He finally went to the cross for it. His mercy overcame the injustice by forgiving the sinners who crucified Him. Jesus in several places spoke about coming to save the world and not to judge the world. 

Injustice is an abomination to the Lord, and there are serious consequences to being unjust according to scripture. God expects His people to be impartial and to act justly, but he does not ask any of us to render justice. He doesn’t call us to kill and punish the evildoers in order to please our God as some religions do.

Lord we pray that you would give us the courage to act justly and to not show partiality towards people. We rebuke the spirit of fear, prejudice, and pride, and we declare that you have given us a Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind to respond in the opposite spirit. Thank you Lord. Amen!

3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
4 Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

6 When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
7 Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
8 My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.

9 But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall fall by the sword;
They shall be a portion for jackals.

I had written a different devotional for this week, but after the tragedy of last night, I decided to change my blog for today. In times like this, we need to go before the Lord and ask for His mercy and grace upon the land. Psalm 121 is a good place to start. We need the Lord’s hand of mercy to keep evil in check or no human institution would be capable of protecting all people. Please keep our nation, France, and all those who are hurting or grieving losses in your payers.

Some will disagree with the fact that democracy must be established on Biblical principles in order to survive as a healthy system of government. They would argue that if Christianity is the basis of American democracy, then people are forced to follow Christian morality. They would contend that you cannot legislate morality. That is a true statement. However, man in his nature is a moral being and has to continually decide between good and evil. Many times people are not against a moral decision per se but rather they are against a morality that is based on faith. They deem religious morality as  irrelevant and outdated; they would rather have a morality that is based on people’s personal ideas or preferences than  one’s faith regardless of what that morality stands for. 

Every one of us has a value system that is based on our view of the world, hence, we all have a set of morals. The challenge is that if our morality is based on our humanistic thinking or preferences, it is continually subject to change because we live in an ever changing world with many new and old challenges. If we our morality is not based on Christianity, it will get downgraded to become a situational morality based on the convenience and the desires of the moment. That is a shaky ground for individuals and for all of us as a nation.

Christian morality is based on a set of beliefs that are not always easy to follow even for those who are willing. This morality is based on how God expects His children to behave in a hostile world. Jesus spoke to believers about injustices and persecutions, and He encouraged them to keep loving in the midst of the battle because he has overcome all evil in the world. If we don’t hold on to this morality, when the pressure comes, we will return to our old nature which is self-preservation. It will become an “eye for an eye” situation and will perpetuate hatred in the atmosphere.

Democracy still gives room for individual’s voice to be heard but Christian morality allows a restraining factor to be present where not every vain imagination gains equal value to the tried and true ways that have been tested over the centuries and have kept people and cultures healthy according to God’s word.

While Christianity has given room for everyone to have a voice in this amazing governmental system, unfortunately, it now gets the brunt of resistance from some people. If we forget where have come from, we will despise the very foundation that this nation was built upon. A faulty foundation will work towards its demise as a free and democratic nation for all. Let’s be thankful to God for this beautiful nation which is still one of the best governments to live under but work towards making it better for all. 

One of the basic principles of democracy is the dignity and the value of human beings. This is a very important concept, and it is the reason why people are able to vote and exercise their choice for religious beliefs.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26

Man in his natural state does not have a desire to share power or control with others. He/she would rather be in charge and define the terms of engagement. The idea of the dignity of human beings did not originate from man but from God who created each person in His image. It is also God who gives people a free will to choose how they shall live.

The Founding Fathers who were Christian and understood these principles, had the conviction to build a democratic government that honored and valued people. In addition, democracy allows people to have much individual freedom so long as it is not taking others’ freedom and prosperity away from them.

Unfortunately, we have a dark stain from slavery in American history that seems to refute all those ideals that American democracy holds true. It is a sad part of the history of this nation which still impacts this nation. Praise God for people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who were able to utilize democracy and peacefully advocate justice for all. 

We all must pay attention to the past mistakes and learn from them. We need to have the integrity and the courage to examine ourselves and ensure that we live out our ideals in every area of our lives. In order to enjoy the freedoms we have been given, we must hold ourselves as well as others accountable for the welfare of public good.

Democracy founded upon Christian values is still the best system of government possible that can lead to peace and prosperity for people. 

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

It is a great privilege to be the citizen of the U.S. and be part of this amazing nation. 4th of July commemorates the independence of this nation as a separate entity from British Empire. This nation was formed by brave people who had a vision to migrate to this nation and gain the opportunity to worship their God freely apart from systematic and governmental regulation of what they left behind. In addition, the Bill of Rights gave every American Constitutional protection from unnecessary governmental intrusion. This allows every American to be free from within and without.

When we read the historical documents of individuals such as George Washington, our first president, and Alexis de Tocqueville, a French historian, one gains a better understanding of the genius of American government. Christianity was the foundation of this amazing system.

George Washington in his Farewell Address, admonished people to not call themselves patriots if they are not willing to uphold religion and morality as the firm props for their government. Washington cautioned people to avoid thinking that morality can be upheld without religion. At the time, the religion would have been Christianity which was comprised of various sects. He understood that Christianity is the foundation to our Constitutional and democratic system and it cannot survive without it.

Alexis de Tocqueville, came for an assignment to examine the prison systems in the U.S. in 1831. During that time, he began to take notice of the amazing governmental system that the Americans enjoyed. His book Democracy in America is a description of his observations and his analysis of what he found. He was intrigued by the unity in the U.S. under the umbrella of Christianity while people still enjoyed their own sects. All Americans were united because they followed the Bible as the basis for morality. He also found that religion did not impose itself in public square out of tradition. On the contrary, the faith that he detected was  a living and breathing entity that fueled Americans’ souls. He understood that freedom in this nation was possible because people had a restraint on their behavior and were submitted to God rather than man.

While de Tocqueville astutely observed the inseparability of religion and politics in American government in 19th century, in our current culture, we seem to question it greatly. In the last few decades, in the name of “separation of church and state”, Christianity has lost much ground in political arena. When the Founding Fathers penned the First Amendment, they never meant for the church to stay out of the business of government, but for government to stay out of the business of regulating Christianity.

Some will argue why can’t we just legislate good moral laws without talking about religion? The reality is that morality is not a stand alone unit, but it is established on a set of beliefs. Our beliefs and worldview will shape our morality. If I am a Christian, I will derive my morality from what God states in the Bible. However, if I am not a Christian then my morality is either based on other set of beliefs, or it is based on my subjective evaluation of what is in my best interest at the moment. 

What are the basic principles that make this nation great and where did they come from? I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.