Prepare For Your Journey

And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; and He instructed them that they were to take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt—  but to wear sandals; and He added, “Do not wear two tunics.”  

And He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet as a testimony against them.”  

And they went out and preached that people are to repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.

Mark 6:7-13

When Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs to preach, He instructed them not to load themselves up with things they did not need, because God would provide for their daily needs.  

We know that this was a simpler time and many people only possessed one change of clothing or even only the clothes they were wearing.  

When the disciples came to minister, they were like those who they ministered to in that they did not show any possessions more than a few necessities.  

As we minister to others we can take this into consideration that we should not appear flashy with expensive clothing or eating expensive meals, but rather live humbly so that people will not be distracted by our worldly possessions, but will hear the message of the Gospel.

And, we can also heed Jesus' words that if we are not received to move on, knowing that perhaps another will come after us preaching the Word and it will be received.

Prepare for your journey. 

An Anchor Of The Soul

 

In this same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:17-20

The hope set before us is that we too shall not sleep, but shall rise to meet God in heaven.  God fulfilled His promise to make a way for all people when He sent His Son, Jesus, to die once and for all sinful men and women.  This being done, all that is left to us is to receive this great gift of salvation and acknowledge Jesus as our Lord, Master and Savior. 

And, this hope is an anchor of the soul.

A Strong Foundation

 “Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?  Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when there was a flood, the river burst against that house and yet it could not shake it, because it had been well built.  But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; and the river burst against it and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” 

Luke 6:46-49 

Jesus tells us that we not only need to know what the Bible says about how we should live but that we should also live it.  That means we need to consider the long term consequences of our actions.

If we say we are Christians, and act in a less than Christian manner, then we are in danger because we cannot continue in sin without being found out and that will destroy our witness as Christians.

Remember, weigh you motives and your actions, and see that they reflect the teachings of Jesus, so that your faith foundation will be strong.   

You Are Doing Well

My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.  For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?  

 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: did God not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?  But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?  Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you have been called?

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

James 2:1-8 

I have seen this happen at church.  New people show up driving an expensive car and wearing fancy clothes and the pastor goes out of his way to befriend them.  I could almost see the dollar signs in his eyes because he was thinking they would bring a cash windfall to the church.  Which maybe they did give a substantial gift once, but then they being irregular church goers became, irregular givers.  The same pastor payed little or no attention to a couple who had two small children and volunteered at the church.  Little did he know that they were very generous givers and it was only when they departed for another church did he want to engage with them, but it was too late.  

James' point is that we should not favor wealthy people over poor people.  We should love them all the same and respect their gifts.  Where a wealthy person may bring big cash offerings to the church, the poor person may bring their willingness to volunteer to do the work of the church.  And, God loves the rich and the poor.

We then are to remember Jesus' commandment: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  And, if so, you are doing well.  

 

Birds Of A Feather

 

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.  When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with tax collectors and sinners?”

But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.”

 

"But go and learn what this means: "I desire compassion, 'and not sacrifice,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Matthew 9:10-13

 

My Mother warned me that "birds of a feather, flock together" meaning I should not make friends with kids who got into trouble, lest I become like them.   

 

However, as Christians, these are exactly the people who Jesus tells us to minister to.  I ask, "How is this supposed to work?"   

We are sometimes intimidated by people who are openly sinful.  We may think they are dangerous or we may be afraid that their sin will pollute our lives.  Both are legitimate fears.  However, we can minister to these individuals by following Jesus' model. 

We can take a friend or two along and meet in a public place.  We can stick to our message:  Jesus, Lord, Master and Savior.  We can offer prayer, no matter how the discussion goes.   

 

And, if things start going in a direction that does not look good to us, we can leave and go home.   

 

Jesus associated with sinners but did not imitate them, and so can we.

Fishermen Fish

Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”  

Simon responded and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”  

And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear;  so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, to the point that they were sinking. But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”  For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; and likewise also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. 

And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear; from now on you will be catching people.”

Luke 5:4-10  

When we read this Bible passage we can understand how keenly interested Jesus is in all aspects of our lives.  The disciples were career fishermen.  That is how they made their living.  So, when they told Jesus the had caught nothing, they were stating that there was nothing to catch, but they still did what Jesus said, and they caught a boat load of fish.  

What this tells us is even if we think we have done everything we can and failed, that God can direct us to do something different to achieve success.  

So, when you are ready to give up, look to God for direction - and follow His leading.  We never know what God has planned and we may be surprised and amazed.   

An Attitude Of Gratitude

When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”  And as they were going, they were cleansed.

Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him.  And he was a Samaritan. 

Then Jesus answered and said, “Were their not ten cleansed?  But the nine – where are they?  Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”

And He said to him, “Stand up and go, your faith has made you well.”

Luke 17:11-19

All Jesus asks for all He does is that we say “thank-you.”  We do not need to burn candles or beat pots and pans; all we need to do is humble ourselves and acknowledge His power in our lives. 

An attitude of gratitude can extend into our daily lives. We can give thanks to God, and we can give thanks to people who serve and help us – like the teller at the bank, the clerk at the gas station or a teacher who takes a few extra minutes with our child. 

Giving thanks cost nothing, and does much to further the Gospel.

Be the one to say thank-you.

 

God Is Still Working Today

 

“Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God and that You have turned their heart back again.”

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water in the trench.

When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.”

1 Kings 18:37-39

God sent Elijah with a message to His people to stop worshiping idols and return to Him, the true God.  Elijah spent a whole day watching as people called upon idols to light the fire for the offering and nothing happened.  Elijah mocked them and teased them.  Then when the people were exhausted from their efforts Elijah raised his hands to heaven and called upon the One True God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to send the fire from heaven, and He did. Read 1 Kings 18 to get a more complete look at the day's events.

Elijah was not a showman, he was a prophet of God and the miracles which he performed were by the power of God.  Elijah did as he was directed by God, and God answered his prayers and the Israelites returned to God and bowed before Him. 

God, who sent the fire from heaven when Elijah called upon Him, is alive and working in the world today and He wants us to call upon Him.  Take your cares and problems to God. Stretch your hands up to Him and prepare to be answered in a mighty way.         

Comfort Those Who Grieve

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the news about Jesus, and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he himself has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip.  For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”  Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet.

But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.  And after being prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.”   

And although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths and his dinner guests. He sent word and had John beheaded in the prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 

John’s disciples came and took away the body and buried it; and they went and reported to Jesus.

Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself....

Matthew 14:1-13

When John the Baptist was killed, Jesus took time to grieve his death.  This demonstrates to us Jesus' humanness.  

This also is an example to us that people need to have time to grieve the loss of a loved one.  We as Christians sometimes short change the importance of this because "Hey, they are in a better place." We may be critical of people who we perceive as taking too long to process the death of a loved one.  For some the grief process may be a few days, for others it may be years, but we need to respect their sorrow and allow them to grieve in peace without criticism or pushing them to "get over it,"

When we comfort those who are grieving we share the love that God has for everyone.   

 

 

Wise Up

 

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so, be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.  But be aware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.”

Matthew 10:16-18

Jesus warned the Apostles against thinking everyone was on their side.  Everywhere they went they made friends as they preached the Gospel, but they also faced opposition and threats.  And, often they were locked up because of their faith.  

Today, we may not be put in prison because of our faith, but we face people who harass and torment us because of our faith.  

Jesus cautions us to keep our eyes open for signs that some people may not be as they seem, and like wolves wait for an opportunity to wreak havoc on our lives and testimony.   

So, as Jesus said, we should wise up. 

Who Is Blessed?

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, “ Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."  

“Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth." 

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." 

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy." 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Matthew 5:1-12

Jesus teaches us that God does not view the human condition the same way humans view it.  While humans think that to be blessed is to have enormous wealth and power, with no limits to what one might do the achieve earthly success, Jesus points out that the ones who actually are blessed are those who recognize their human condition and are humbled before God.

So, when we, or someone we know, is hungry or hurting or being picked on because of their gentle spirit, we can bless them by helping them and in turn we too will be blessed.  

 

 

If There Is Any Good Word

Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.   

All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice.

Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you 

Ephesians 4:29-32 

We all have times when we are angry and speak words which we soon regret.  We have seen this happen in the Church over sometimes insignificant matters - like someone cleaning the kitchen and tossing out all the expired stuff in the refrigerator. 

Paul points out this is something we must free ourselves from so we can maintain the fellowship of the church.  

Rather than stomp out mad, we are to be kind to one another and forgive one another, because God has forgiven us. 

And, if there is any good word, let us say it. 

Faith and Works

What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace,be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?  In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

James 2:14-18

James points out that being a Christian involves demonstrating our faith by our works.   

Our works reveal a lot about our faith.  Some, may say, "I do not have much, so I cannot help others."  But at the same time, everyone has time and we may though financially poor, be able to help others through service - like mowing the neighbor's lawn or helping a stranded motorist change a flat tire or delivering food for the local food pantry or giving cooking tips to another customer at the grocery store or in any of hundreds of other ways.

Our works show our faith to the world.  And, showing our faith is how we bring others to know Jesus.    

Managing Human Relations

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.  But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.”

“If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you a Gentile and a tax collector.”

Matthew 18:15-17

Jesus was a master of managing human relations.  He spoke about the fellowship of the church being disrupted and damaged by those who continued to sin.  Jesus calls us to speak privately with someone regarding their sinful behavior and failing that to have others in the church join in helping the offender bring his/her lifestyle into line with the teachings of the scripture.  

Jesus also acknowledged that this can fail spectacularly.  And, even sometimes result in having to ask a person to leave the church.  It is not an easy thing to do, but sometimes it must be done to preserve the fellowship and integrity of the Church.  

So, when we are called to do the hard stuff, we may not enjoy the process but we can take comfort in knowing we did the right thing.      

 

Made For Good Works

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the free gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. 

 

Ephesians 2: 8-10

Our salvation through Jesus is the free gift of God.  All we have to do is acknowledge Jesus as our Lord, Master and Savior.  Because we have received this great gift, we want to do things which reflect the love of Jesus in our lives.  We do not do good works to be redeemed; we do good works because we are redeemed. 

So, the next time, when out of the blue you get the urge to do something nice for someone, like mowing your neighbor’s lawn or paying for the food of the person behind you at a drive up window, go ahead and do it, because you are made for good works.  

 

An Ox In The Well

It happened that when He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching Him closely. And there in front of Him was a man suffering from edema. And Jesus responded and said to the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they kept silent. 

And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away. And He said to them, “Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” And they could offer no reply to this.

Luke 14:1-6 

We would all like to have Sunday off from work and time to go to church and be with our families.  But for many people this is a luxury they do not have.  We should not make them feel guilty because they have jobs which mean they cannot attend church or spend Sunday resting. 

Jesus said, "When you ox falls into a well...."  The Pharisees all knew what He meant: The law is flexible to allow people to do the things that needed to be done.

So, if you must spend Sunday at work, instead of at church, know this - God loves you and understands your obligations.   

Paul On Paul

For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

1 Corinthians 15:11-14 

The Apostle Paul was aware that people were suspicious of his ministry because he had previously persecuted Christians.  He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen.  His reputation was so bad that God gave him a new name - Saul became Paul.  

Through all this Paul's faith and ministry grew and he proclaimed, "By the grace of God I am what I am..."

That is the way it is when we come to Christ.  We are no longer who we were but we are transformed by the grace of God and become new.

And, we are equipped by God to proclaim Christ to the World. 

No Other Name Under Heaven

 

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.”

“He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:8-12

Because Peter and John healed a beggar outside the temple, the temple officials arrested them.

And, what did Peter do when he was given an opportunity to speak?  Did he try to smooth over the situation and make peace with his accusers?  No.  He preached the Gospel. 

We should be so bold when we are questioned about our work for Jesus.  We need to stop apologizing for delivering the message of salvation through Jesus along with food, medical help and services to people who are hurting. 

We work for God and we should unashamedly say so.

There Is A Time To Judge

 

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 

 

Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 

 

Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 

 

2 Corinthians 14-16

 

As Christians, we need to carefully consider with whom we develop personal and business relationships.  While a person or company may seem to operating in a manner that reflects Christian values, it sometimes is all a show to lure people in so they can take advantage of others good reputation and money.

 

I  say this because the internet is full of scammers who seek to lure lonely people with sad stories or promises of friendship and romance, and fake churches and ministries who plead for money to help people or offer blessings for money.  In this same deceptive boat, are fake businesses and investment companies that promise big profits on investments to people and then rob them of their savings to support their own lavish life styles.  

 

And, sometimes the deception boldly creeps into the church. 

 

Paul warns to not be bound with unbelievers, and we should heed his warning. 

 

This being said, there is a time to judge and it is now. 

 

I Owe You

 

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8

I had a friend who whenever anyone did anything to help him out would say, “I owe you one.” 

This was so wrong!  This man would do anything he could to help anyone who asked him.  He would drive twenty miles out of his way to take someone home.  He would buy lunch for the guy who was short on cash.  He would come over in the middle of the night to fix a neighbor’s furnace. 

He was kind and generous.  Yet, he was humbled by actions of kindness shown to him. 

This is what we owe each other as the Apostle Paul said, “To love one another.”  

Let Your Light Shine

 

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus does not speak passive words to us; He speaks words that call us to action.

Jesus challenges us to live in a way which demonstrates our Christian beliefs by doing what is good and right. It is easy to sit by and complain about the state of the world, it is more difficult to get up and do something. When we help people we demonstrate God’s love. We may think we are only saying encouraging words or feeding a few poor people and debate what difference our actions make. But the truth is when we step out in faith and do something, we unleash the love of God upon the world.

Light up your light so all may see God.

Peter Was Famous For Messing Up

 

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.”

John 18:25

The Apostle Peter was famous for messing up. He was the guy who cut off the Roman soldier’s ear in the garden and who denied Christ three times in one day. Peter was not perfect, but he was forgiven and he became one of the most dynamic evangelists in the world, bringing thousands to know Jesus. So, awe inspiring was Peter’s ministry that he is the model for the Pope of the Catholic Church. 

With this in mind, we need to consider how we judge one another and ourselves and understand this:  No one is perfect - but all can be forgiven.  We all mess up. We all sin. We can beat ourselves up for our shortcomings and have a regular pity party. Or, we can ask God’s forgiveness and get on with the mission God has assigned us – to take the Gospel to the world.

Forget your sin because God has forgiven you, and get on with your awe inspiring ministry.  

Attitude and Gratitude Adjustment

 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Colossians 3:15

Don’t you hate it when you are restless and agitated about something over which you have no control? Flopping around in bed at night, with a brain full of stuff that you can’t resolve and then facing the next day with a less than pleasant attitude is not the way it is supposed to be. The next time this happens rather than getting all bent out of shape, try doing an attitude and gratitude adjustment.

When we trust in God, it means that we trust God to take care of all our problems. All we have to do is pray and surrender our problems to God, and feel the rush of His peace fill our hearts, and then be thankful.

Rest For Your Soul

 

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:28-29

I have noticed that so many people work all the time.  They have jobs which often require that they work twelve hour days, seven days a week with only a couple of days break every few weeks.  They have no time to do anything but eat, sleep and work.  

To say they are weary is to put it mildly.  They resent not having time for their families and friends.  They are worn out physically and emotionally.

Here Jesus acknowledges this exhaustion and says, "I will give you rest."  

When we pray for relief and answers, we can trust that God hears us.  This may come in the form of more time off from work, or an opportunity to get a job with a less demanding schedule.   

So, if you are feeling over worked and exhausted, take heart that God cares for you and you will find rest for your soul.   

You Can't Go Home Again

Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man learn these things, and what is this wisdom that has been given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are His sisters not here with us?” 

And they took offense at Him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not dishonored except in his hometown and among his own relatives, and in his own household.” And He could not do any miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He was amazed at their unbelief. 

Mark 6:1-6 

Jesus had a difficult time ministering to people who knew Him as the carpenter's son.  We would think that His reputation would have preceded Him and people would have known that He was a great minister and healer of men by the power of God, because He was the Son of God.

But that is not what happened, Jesus was dismissed by those in his home town because they thought they knew everything there was to know about Him - that being that He was just the son of a carpenter.

This still happens today.  We should not be surprised if family or friends throw at us what they consider to be our sins from long ago and fail to recognize that we have changed. 

Maybe, we can't go home with the Gospel, but there is a big wide world full of people who need to hear the Gospel and need prayer and understanding.

Go boldly and share the Good News. 

More Than Lilies

 

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" 

 

"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

 

"And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ..."

Matthew 6:25-29

Several years ago a friend told me that the first years her husband was in the ministry they had little money to spare.  Her daughter was starting school and she was worried about where they would get the money to buy her clothes.  The church parsonage where they lived had an old treadle sewing machine.  She said something to one of the women at church about needing clothes for her daughter and the lady said, "Why I have lots of fabric leftover from sewing projects and I have patterns for girls clothes from when my daughters were young that you are welcome to."  

 

My friend said, "I don't know how to sew."

 

The lady said, "I will teach you."

 

And, she came to the house and worked with her to make the first dress on that old treadle sewing machine.  After that my friend made four more dresses for her daughter.   

 

That is the way it is with God.  When we don't see an answer to our problems, He sends the answer because He cares for us.

 

Have faith you are of more value than the birds and lilies. 

The Ministry of Righteousness

For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.

2 Corinthians 3:9 

How about that?  

There are those who specialize in preaching hell fire and damnation sermons, thinking they can scare people into becoming Christians.  It works sometimes. But  Paul speaks of the ministry of preaching righteousness.  It is the idea that people respond to a positive message - that is, when you come into the church you are coming into a righteous community and you, too, can become righteous as you leave your old life behind and embrace the teachings of the Gospel.  The ministry of righteousness is a message of God's love and forgiveness. 

This appeals to our higher aspirations - that we want to be better people. 

And, isn't that the heart of the Gospel? 

 

Not Out Of Luck

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

Job 2:20-22

Job had more troubles than anyone could ever imagine. He lost his children and all he owned. His wife told him to “Curse God and die.” And, his friends suggested that he must have done something wrong to have so much bad luck. But Job remained faithful to God. He continued to praise God and be comforted by God’s love.

When we face hard times, we can remember Job. Everything we possess on earth is temporary. And no matter what happens, we can take comfort in God’s never ending love for us and that He cares for us.

We are not out of luck, we are in luck - in God's hands. 

 

We Do What Is Necessary

And it happened that He was passing through the grain fields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain.  The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 

And He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry;  how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?   

Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:23-28 

Jesus understood that people do what is necessary to survive.  In this case, His Disciples picked grain from the field to eat on the Sabbath.  It was an action that hurt no one, but seemed to break the religious law against working on the Sabbath. 

Jesus did not say that they had not broken a religious law, but pointed out that even David, who was highly esteemed by the Jews, had taken liberties with the laws of the Sabbath. 

Jesus indicated that doing the right thing out weighs following religious customs.  This being said, we can consider when we take actions to which some might object, if the action is a violation some of man made religious customs and, if so, does the violation matter or not?  

Then we do what is necessary. 

A Noise Like A Rushing Wind

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a noise like a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different tongues, as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out. 

Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together and they were bewildered, because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language o which we were born?"

Acts 2:1-7 

On the day of Pentecost the Apostles and followers of Jesus were all together and hiding because they were afraid the Jews would kill them.  They were praying, and when God sent the Holy Spirit, they began to speak in other languages which they had never learned. This caused confusion among the Jews and those who heard them speaking.  

The arrival of the Holy Spirit gave renewed life to the believers' faith.  And, at this time  Peter boldly preached to the crowd and many new Christians came into the Church. 

We too can share in this boldness of the Holy Spirit by seeking the gifts of the Spirit and bravely sharing the truth of the Gospel.   

May you experience the coming of the Holy Spirit into your life.  

Wings Like Eagles

 

Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.

They will mount up with wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow tired.

They will walk and not become weary.

Isaiah 40:31

We can wear ourselves out trying to hurry things along.  Yet, here we are being told to wait on the Lord and be renewed. 

So, when you are feeling overwhelmed by life's demands, remember this scripture and take time to rest and be renewed, knowing that the Lord is on your side.