Ps 119:10-20
10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
17 Do good to your servant, and I will live; I will obey your word.
18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
19 I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.
20 My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.
(NIV)
Do you remember when you first fell in love? Everything in your world shifted. When the phone would ring it had a whole new meaning. You would rush to answer it hoping it was that special someone. Then you would try to act like your not out of breath from running down a flight of stairs and jumping over the couch to catch the phone before they hung up. You would sit around thinking of an excuse to just go and stop by to see them. When you stand eye to eye you feel your palms sweating and you have to remind yourself to breath. The things they say about you, you remember and repeat them in your mind again and again. There is a skip in your walk and every song you hear you sing it with that person in mind. Anywhere that person wants to go you will go there just because you want to be in their presence. If they ask you to bake a chocolate cake you will make the best chocolate cake you ever made. You are consumed with that person and desire to be with them every second.
With love there are no set rules. No set rules on how you are to express your love or what type of person you are to love. Love is not selfish, it is selfless! It is what can I give to this person, not what can I get from this person. Think about God, what does he benefit from loving us? God is love and he expresses his love to us on an individual bases. We are individually unique and have different ways of expressing our love to God. David expressed his love for the Lord in this Psalm. I use this Psalm as an example of how my love should be towards Jesus. When I first fell in love with my wife Kristi I had to continuously pray that I would not love her more then God. That was difficult at times. But from past relationships and personal situations I have learned that whenever I love something more then God it is only going to result in a disaster. For me to be the best man for my wife I knew that I had to love the Lord with all my heart. When you truly love someone you want the best for them.
Our first responsibility to our spouses and family is to love the Lord Jesus with all our heart. We have to constantly ask ourselves “What do I love the most on earth? What do I think about that more then I think about my relationship with God? Am I more excited about your earthly love then my love for God?” These are tough questions but the reality is what we love the most will be our god. David's heart was consumed with a longing for God at all times not just some of the time. Love the Lord your God with all your heart.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Sanctified
1Thes 4:3-8
3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;
4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,
5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;
6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.
7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
(NIV)
One night I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and the kids wanted to watch TV. We rarely watch anything on TV because of the content of the shows. Well I gave in and said OK. After a couple of minutes I heard Donovan saying “That’s gross, why are they showing that. I don’t want to see this.” Donovan had turned around and buried his face in a blanket. And replied, “Tell me when it is over.” I quickly looked at the TV and it was a woman’s underwear commercial that was very provocative. I have to confess my son (9 years old at the time) had a stronger will then I did. He inspired me to look away and imitate his heart. I hope he has the same heart five years from now. To him that was not desirable. I guess that’s part of what Jesus meant when he said that we must become like children to enter the kingdom of God.
It is Gods will that we learn to look away from lustful things. Our children need to see us control our bodies in an honorable fashion. What we see goes into our mind and then into our heart. If we even fantasize about unholy things we are guilty of doing them. It is our personal integrity that is at stake. What will you exchange for your integrity? Is any sin really worth the pain? No one can take our integrity from us. Only by free will do we surrender our integrity and exchange it for sin. Next time you are confronted with temptation just imagine Satan standing in front of you with his hand out as to make an exchange with you. He has sin in one hand and is asking you to put your integrity in the other. Resist him and he will flee! Victory always taste better then defeat! “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Mt. 5:8)
3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;
4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,
5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;
6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.
7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
(NIV)
One night I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and the kids wanted to watch TV. We rarely watch anything on TV because of the content of the shows. Well I gave in and said OK. After a couple of minutes I heard Donovan saying “That’s gross, why are they showing that. I don’t want to see this.” Donovan had turned around and buried his face in a blanket. And replied, “Tell me when it is over.” I quickly looked at the TV and it was a woman’s underwear commercial that was very provocative. I have to confess my son (9 years old at the time) had a stronger will then I did. He inspired me to look away and imitate his heart. I hope he has the same heart five years from now. To him that was not desirable. I guess that’s part of what Jesus meant when he said that we must become like children to enter the kingdom of God.
It is Gods will that we learn to look away from lustful things. Our children need to see us control our bodies in an honorable fashion. What we see goes into our mind and then into our heart. If we even fantasize about unholy things we are guilty of doing them. It is our personal integrity that is at stake. What will you exchange for your integrity? Is any sin really worth the pain? No one can take our integrity from us. Only by free will do we surrender our integrity and exchange it for sin. Next time you are confronted with temptation just imagine Satan standing in front of you with his hand out as to make an exchange with you. He has sin in one hand and is asking you to put your integrity in the other. Resist him and he will flee! Victory always taste better then defeat! “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” (Mt. 5:8)
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Desire
James 1:12-15
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
(NIV)
As a growing young teenager I would eat almost anything that I could find. Actually I still do today. When hunger sat in I could get very creative, even when the food in the pantry was slim pickens. There was one thing that would break me of hunger and I would rather choose starvation. Brussel Sprouts! Just the smell of them would make my skin crawl and nausea would set in. One thing for sure is nobody can make me eat Brussel Sprouts! Now if Brussel Sprouts were sin I would be walking on water!
Think about it, the Devil can not make us sin. No one can make us sin. They can only tempt us to sin. There is no “Genetic Sin Strand” there is only temptation. Sin is a choice, just as much as righteousness is a choice! Therefore we are truly without excuse. Now if you put a slab of Baby Back ribs, hot off the grill, dripping with BB-Q sauce, in front of me I am going to devour every bit of meat off those bones and lick them clean because I love BB-Q ribs. So it is with sin and righteousness. We can not stay away from that which we love, because what we love we are going to be addicted to. If we love sin we will not stop sinning. If we love righteousness we are not going to keep sinning. For our souls sake we must love righteousness more than sin. We have to fall in love with Jesus and love the things He loves and hate the things he hates. What we love we will be committed to. If we love Jesus we will hate sin and love holiness, righteousness, and purity.
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
(NIV)
As a growing young teenager I would eat almost anything that I could find. Actually I still do today. When hunger sat in I could get very creative, even when the food in the pantry was slim pickens. There was one thing that would break me of hunger and I would rather choose starvation. Brussel Sprouts! Just the smell of them would make my skin crawl and nausea would set in. One thing for sure is nobody can make me eat Brussel Sprouts! Now if Brussel Sprouts were sin I would be walking on water!
Think about it, the Devil can not make us sin. No one can make us sin. They can only tempt us to sin. There is no “Genetic Sin Strand” there is only temptation. Sin is a choice, just as much as righteousness is a choice! Therefore we are truly without excuse. Now if you put a slab of Baby Back ribs, hot off the grill, dripping with BB-Q sauce, in front of me I am going to devour every bit of meat off those bones and lick them clean because I love BB-Q ribs. So it is with sin and righteousness. We can not stay away from that which we love, because what we love we are going to be addicted to. If we love sin we will not stop sinning. If we love righteousness we are not going to keep sinning. For our souls sake we must love righteousness more than sin. We have to fall in love with Jesus and love the things He loves and hate the things he hates. What we love we will be committed to. If we love Jesus we will hate sin and love holiness, righteousness, and purity.
Monday, September 25, 2006
The Winning Team
Heb 12:2-4
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
(NIV)
How spiritually tough is your faith in God? How strong is your offense? Now imagine that your faith was a football team. What would the score be? Could you imagine if you went to a football game and the other team did not show up and they went ahead and played the game. They kick off, run down the field pick up the ball and score. Then they do the same thing again and again. How much fun would that be? Who would stay and watch? There are times where we expect our walk with Christ to be that way. We don't want any opposition, no problems, no trials; everything should be creamy and perfect. When a problem comes our way we get mad at God and say "How could you let this happen to me?" That is like a football player on the field going up to the coach saying "Did you see that guy run into me and knock me down?"
The best games are the close games; the games in the mud; the games where one team scores then the other team comes back and catches up. The crowd is riding on the edge of their seat one minute it looks like they are losing; then a great play is made and they score! They are in the lead again. Have you ever seen a team quit in fear of losing and just walk off the field? Our faith in Jesus is very much like a football game. We are the offensive team striving toward the goal of heaven. The ball is our soul. The play book is the Bible. Our Pastor is the coach. Jesus is the team owner. Satan is the defense. You make a good play and gain some yards. Satan reorganizes his defense waiting for you to hike the ball and hits you harder to drive you back a couple of yards. The closer you get to the goal line the tougher the defense is going to be. He wants to break us, make us feel defeated, drive us backwards, and the whole time he is trying to intercept our soul. God owns the stadium and at any time you can wave at him and he will reset the scoreboard 0 to 0. That is why Satan tries to make us feel like when we sin that Gods is mad at us and he is not going to listen to our prayers. The truth is God bought the stadium so he can reset the score at anytime. He enjoys pushing that reset button even more then you would enjoy pushing the button for your favorite team when they fall behind in the Superbowl. The joy set before Jesus is us making the touchdown and wining the game. When we are on God’s team Victory is assured every time and in every situation!
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
(NIV)
How spiritually tough is your faith in God? How strong is your offense? Now imagine that your faith was a football team. What would the score be? Could you imagine if you went to a football game and the other team did not show up and they went ahead and played the game. They kick off, run down the field pick up the ball and score. Then they do the same thing again and again. How much fun would that be? Who would stay and watch? There are times where we expect our walk with Christ to be that way. We don't want any opposition, no problems, no trials; everything should be creamy and perfect. When a problem comes our way we get mad at God and say "How could you let this happen to me?" That is like a football player on the field going up to the coach saying "Did you see that guy run into me and knock me down?"
The best games are the close games; the games in the mud; the games where one team scores then the other team comes back and catches up. The crowd is riding on the edge of their seat one minute it looks like they are losing; then a great play is made and they score! They are in the lead again. Have you ever seen a team quit in fear of losing and just walk off the field? Our faith in Jesus is very much like a football game. We are the offensive team striving toward the goal of heaven. The ball is our soul. The play book is the Bible. Our Pastor is the coach. Jesus is the team owner. Satan is the defense. You make a good play and gain some yards. Satan reorganizes his defense waiting for you to hike the ball and hits you harder to drive you back a couple of yards. The closer you get to the goal line the tougher the defense is going to be. He wants to break us, make us feel defeated, drive us backwards, and the whole time he is trying to intercept our soul. God owns the stadium and at any time you can wave at him and he will reset the scoreboard 0 to 0. That is why Satan tries to make us feel like when we sin that Gods is mad at us and he is not going to listen to our prayers. The truth is God bought the stadium so he can reset the score at anytime. He enjoys pushing that reset button even more then you would enjoy pushing the button for your favorite team when they fall behind in the Superbowl. The joy set before Jesus is us making the touchdown and wining the game. When we are on God’s team Victory is assured every time and in every situation!
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Lost Kitten
Luke 15:4-7
4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
(NIV)
One time we had a couple of new additions to our family. My Sisters cat had four kittens. We managed to find homes for three of them, but one of the kittens still remained in our home. One day no one could find the kitten. We feared that it had gotten out of the house and that its life might be endangered. The search was on! Donovan heard a feeble meow in the kitchen. He looked all through the cabinets, the pantry and even in the dryer. He heard the meow again and it sounded as though it had come from the refrigerator (we have a side-by-side freezer/refrigerator). Donovan opened the refrigerator door and there was no kitten. He then opened the freezer door and there was a very cold kitten inside! It turned out that Austin (3 years old at the time) for some unknown reason had put the kitten in the freezer! (Don't worry the kitten is fine.)
It is important to remember that at one time we were lost and that Jesus came looking for us to bring us home. To put this in perspective consider this; the divine creator and supporter of all life, who keeps the planets and stars in their place by the power of his word, at one time searched the earth for a noble and worthy heart that could be trusted with residence in heaven. His eyes fell upon you, he called you by name out of billions of others, He wrote your name down in the Book of Life, and then He put into effect a plan for your life that He helps you day by day to fulfill. When you tend to stray from His will, He is there picking you up and turning you around in the right direction. This is all because God loves each one of us specifically. Besides running heaven and the universe God is there next to us loving us and listening to our prayers.
Remember when you came to the point of salvation? There were other disciples there teaching you the truth, loving you, serving you, and praying for you as well. Very rarely will someone come out of the blue and say, "Hey I am Lost can you teach me about Jesus?" We need to return the favor by always looking for lost sheep that we can help bring home with us.
4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
(NIV)
One time we had a couple of new additions to our family. My Sisters cat had four kittens. We managed to find homes for three of them, but one of the kittens still remained in our home. One day no one could find the kitten. We feared that it had gotten out of the house and that its life might be endangered. The search was on! Donovan heard a feeble meow in the kitchen. He looked all through the cabinets, the pantry and even in the dryer. He heard the meow again and it sounded as though it had come from the refrigerator (we have a side-by-side freezer/refrigerator). Donovan opened the refrigerator door and there was no kitten. He then opened the freezer door and there was a very cold kitten inside! It turned out that Austin (3 years old at the time) for some unknown reason had put the kitten in the freezer! (Don't worry the kitten is fine.)
It is important to remember that at one time we were lost and that Jesus came looking for us to bring us home. To put this in perspective consider this; the divine creator and supporter of all life, who keeps the planets and stars in their place by the power of his word, at one time searched the earth for a noble and worthy heart that could be trusted with residence in heaven. His eyes fell upon you, he called you by name out of billions of others, He wrote your name down in the Book of Life, and then He put into effect a plan for your life that He helps you day by day to fulfill. When you tend to stray from His will, He is there picking you up and turning you around in the right direction. This is all because God loves each one of us specifically. Besides running heaven and the universe God is there next to us loving us and listening to our prayers.
Remember when you came to the point of salvation? There were other disciples there teaching you the truth, loving you, serving you, and praying for you as well. Very rarely will someone come out of the blue and say, "Hey I am Lost can you teach me about Jesus?" We need to return the favor by always looking for lost sheep that we can help bring home with us.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Babies
I just wanted to put a post and let everyone know that my sister had her baby yesterday. It is a healthy little boy, 6lb 6 oz and 19 inches long. I am so amazed at how much God has blessed our family. Not only did my sister just have her second child, my brother-in-law is going to be having twins in a couple of months. He and his wife had been trying to have a baby for several years with no luck. They are now going to be having twins, a boy and a girl! I will post pictures of my nephew when I have a chance. I am hunting with my son Donovan and some of the guys from church this weekend. Hope everyone has a blessed weekend.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Fulfilled Desires
Ps 145:14-21
14 The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.
(NIV)
As I was reading this I was taken back to a time in my youth. I was seventeen when I confessed Jesus as my Lord and dedicated my life to serving him. About a year later I was invited to go to an outdoor Christian concert called Cornerstone. I was really excited to see a Christian band play and to be together for three days of prayer, praise, and worship. I had never known there were so many different types of Christian people. There were people of all nationalities and backgrounds. There were even Christian Harley riders. When I first saw them pull up on their motorcycles I thought "Oh no! The hells angels are here to crash the party." I looked at this one huge guy with a beard and tattoos getting off his motorcycle and saw on the back of his jacket "I love Jesus." That is pretty bold. Have you ever gone to work or the mall with a huge sign on your back saying "I Love Jesus?'' What do the Hells Angels say to this guy when they drive by him on the highway?
Anyways with my great financial skills on day two I had spent all my money and was busted as well as getting hungry. It was getting dark. I sat down, bowed my head, and silently prayed "Lord, I am hungry I need something to eat. Please help me....." I didn't get to finish my prayer because this girl interrupted me. "Excuse me." I looked up and saw this girl standing there with two huge cookies in her hand. She said "Would you like a cookie? Something told me to buy two and give the other one to someone." I was totally blown away! Tears came to my eyes when I realized that God had answered my prayer before I had even prayed it. Coincidence? The next day the people in the tent next to me said they were leaving early and asked if I wanted their food. Being the quick guy that I am I said "yes, thank you." They brought over a cooler with sandwich meat, bread, mayo, mustard, cheese, and more. I left with more food then I came with!
The LORD is near to all who call on him, and he gives us food at the proper time! What is your food from God that you need today? God knows our needs whether it be financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, God knows our needs and our greatest desires. It is our responsibility to pray about everything and be faithful. When we pray specifically we can see specific answers. God delights in answering our prayers, meeting our needs and fulfilling our righteous desires. Whatever you are wrestling with today let go of it and let God take care of it, thank God and praise him in advance for taking care of your situation. Then live as though it was so!
14 The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.
(NIV)
As I was reading this I was taken back to a time in my youth. I was seventeen when I confessed Jesus as my Lord and dedicated my life to serving him. About a year later I was invited to go to an outdoor Christian concert called Cornerstone. I was really excited to see a Christian band play and to be together for three days of prayer, praise, and worship. I had never known there were so many different types of Christian people. There were people of all nationalities and backgrounds. There were even Christian Harley riders. When I first saw them pull up on their motorcycles I thought "Oh no! The hells angels are here to crash the party." I looked at this one huge guy with a beard and tattoos getting off his motorcycle and saw on the back of his jacket "I love Jesus." That is pretty bold. Have you ever gone to work or the mall with a huge sign on your back saying "I Love Jesus?'' What do the Hells Angels say to this guy when they drive by him on the highway?
Anyways with my great financial skills on day two I had spent all my money and was busted as well as getting hungry. It was getting dark. I sat down, bowed my head, and silently prayed "Lord, I am hungry I need something to eat. Please help me....." I didn't get to finish my prayer because this girl interrupted me. "Excuse me." I looked up and saw this girl standing there with two huge cookies in her hand. She said "Would you like a cookie? Something told me to buy two and give the other one to someone." I was totally blown away! Tears came to my eyes when I realized that God had answered my prayer before I had even prayed it. Coincidence? The next day the people in the tent next to me said they were leaving early and asked if I wanted their food. Being the quick guy that I am I said "yes, thank you." They brought over a cooler with sandwich meat, bread, mayo, mustard, cheese, and more. I left with more food then I came with!
The LORD is near to all who call on him, and he gives us food at the proper time! What is your food from God that you need today? God knows our needs whether it be financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, God knows our needs and our greatest desires. It is our responsibility to pray about everything and be faithful. When we pray specifically we can see specific answers. God delights in answering our prayers, meeting our needs and fulfilling our righteous desires. Whatever you are wrestling with today let go of it and let God take care of it, thank God and praise him in advance for taking care of your situation. Then live as though it was so!
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Showing Mercy
Ps 119:33-41
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.
41 May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise;
(NIV)
In Mat 9:9-13 Jesus said "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." Here Jesus called Matthew to follow him. A little background on Matthew: 1. he was a Hebrew. 2. He was a tax collector. 3. He was employed by the Romans (enemy of Israel at the time) 4. Most of the tax collectors at that time had unethical business practices and were not liked by many people. So why would Jesus chose to have dinner with such a sinful person? This really got the Pharisees fired up that Jesus would be in company with "sinners". At that time one of the most intimate things you could do to befriend a person was to eat a meal with each other. It was viewed as you are becoming one with the person you are eating with because you are eating of the same food. Therefore the food that is in me is also in you so we are now bonded together and are one.
For the Lord of creation to come into a mans home and sit with him and allow the man to serve him dinner is mercy. The truth is man deserves eternal separation from the Lord because of his sinfulness. Mercy is not receiving the punishment of your sin that you deserve. This is where the Pharisees fall short. They were administering judgment and forgot they were sinners also. By their judgment of Matthews’s sinfulness they are rejecting the mercy of Jesus. The Pharisees had made many sacrifices, they fasted, they tithed, they faithfully went to synagogue, ect. All these anyone can physically do at any time. But to love an imperfect person and spend time with them and accept them as a friend not every one can do that, because we have pride and tend to think of ourselves as better then other people. Even as a Christian it is easy to look at a person as such a sinner and say things under our breath like "Look how they are dressed, or Can you believe they did that?". Jesus didn't die on the cross to create a group of people that look down on every one and judge them of their sins. He did die on the cross to show us how important we are to him and to extend His mercy to us so we can extend mercy to others.
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness.
41 May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise;
(NIV)
In Mat 9:9-13 Jesus said "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." Here Jesus called Matthew to follow him. A little background on Matthew: 1. he was a Hebrew. 2. He was a tax collector. 3. He was employed by the Romans (enemy of Israel at the time) 4. Most of the tax collectors at that time had unethical business practices and were not liked by many people. So why would Jesus chose to have dinner with such a sinful person? This really got the Pharisees fired up that Jesus would be in company with "sinners". At that time one of the most intimate things you could do to befriend a person was to eat a meal with each other. It was viewed as you are becoming one with the person you are eating with because you are eating of the same food. Therefore the food that is in me is also in you so we are now bonded together and are one.
For the Lord of creation to come into a mans home and sit with him and allow the man to serve him dinner is mercy. The truth is man deserves eternal separation from the Lord because of his sinfulness. Mercy is not receiving the punishment of your sin that you deserve. This is where the Pharisees fall short. They were administering judgment and forgot they were sinners also. By their judgment of Matthews’s sinfulness they are rejecting the mercy of Jesus. The Pharisees had made many sacrifices, they fasted, they tithed, they faithfully went to synagogue, ect. All these anyone can physically do at any time. But to love an imperfect person and spend time with them and accept them as a friend not every one can do that, because we have pride and tend to think of ourselves as better then other people. Even as a Christian it is easy to look at a person as such a sinner and say things under our breath like "Look how they are dressed, or Can you believe they did that?". Jesus didn't die on the cross to create a group of people that look down on every one and judge them of their sins. He did die on the cross to show us how important we are to him and to extend His mercy to us so we can extend mercy to others.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Judgement
James 2:12-18
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
(NIV)
A family was on vacation and was staying at a nice hotel. As they walked out to the parking garage, they thought that they heard a baby crying. They stopped and listened, but there was complete silence. With excitement of the day’s activities ahead, they quickly walked to their car. They were parked on the fifth level and actually had a nice view as they looked out their car window. As they proceeded to leave the parking garage, they approached level four. They saw in a corner a man and a woman holding a newborn baby. They were sitting on the concrete floor of the parking garage. There were some blankets lying around, and some suitcases leaning on an old rusted car covered with dirt, as though they had just driven a long distance. The father slowed down to get a better look at the situation. The mother gasped” Oh my goodness, those poor people’’, and locked the car doors. The kids in the car popped up and said, “Dad, let’s take them to breakfast with us!” Dad replied, “You just don’t know about those kind of people. They might rob us or even kill us and steal our car. Besides, we are on a family vacation and not a mission trip.” They passed by the couple and turned the corner when the father saw three gentlemen in suites approaching the couple. He stopped the car and said, ”See, here is the hotel management. They are going to tell them to leave, because this is a private parking garage for hotel guest only.” As he watched, one man started writing out a check and handed it to the couple. The next man pulled out a shining gold box and opened it, showing only the couple its contents. Then, the third man handed them several strings of pearls and diamond necklaces. The observing father watched in total dismay. He saw them talking, and one gentleman reached down and picked up the baby. The father quickly rolled down his window to hear what they were saying, while trying to remain inconspicuous. He heard the gentleman holding the newborn baby ask, “What is his name?” The mother looked at him with a gleaming smile and replied, “An angel named Gabriel appeared to me and told me to name him Jesus. So that is what we named him, Jesus.”
Almost every situation is not as it seems. Jesus was born in a homeless situation and died as a homeless person. We all have our preconceived ideas and our prejudices. Just as I can’t say, ”All politicians are corrupt” I can’t say that all homeless people are hopeless drunks either. Have you ever wondered why God chose his son to be born in an animal stall (parking garage, today’s equivalent)? It is because God is a god of humility and compassion. He opposes the prideful and those who think highly of themselves that believe they are too good for certain people. God is not interested in our physical appearances, but is interested in our heart. He looks at you and me as souls and hearts, not CEO or homeless man. He blinds the proud and opens the eyes of the humble. God has given us mercy and he expects us to do the same. To show mercy to others is to look at them through the eyes of Jesus and love them the same way you want Jesus to love you. No one is hopeless. No one is a lost cause. Mercy triumphs over judgment! Do you want to escape God’s judgment? Don’t judge people by their outward appearance. Show mercy to everyone you come in contact with and look at them as a soul and a heart in need of a savior.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
(NIV)
A family was on vacation and was staying at a nice hotel. As they walked out to the parking garage, they thought that they heard a baby crying. They stopped and listened, but there was complete silence. With excitement of the day’s activities ahead, they quickly walked to their car. They were parked on the fifth level and actually had a nice view as they looked out their car window. As they proceeded to leave the parking garage, they approached level four. They saw in a corner a man and a woman holding a newborn baby. They were sitting on the concrete floor of the parking garage. There were some blankets lying around, and some suitcases leaning on an old rusted car covered with dirt, as though they had just driven a long distance. The father slowed down to get a better look at the situation. The mother gasped” Oh my goodness, those poor people’’, and locked the car doors. The kids in the car popped up and said, “Dad, let’s take them to breakfast with us!” Dad replied, “You just don’t know about those kind of people. They might rob us or even kill us and steal our car. Besides, we are on a family vacation and not a mission trip.” They passed by the couple and turned the corner when the father saw three gentlemen in suites approaching the couple. He stopped the car and said, ”See, here is the hotel management. They are going to tell them to leave, because this is a private parking garage for hotel guest only.” As he watched, one man started writing out a check and handed it to the couple. The next man pulled out a shining gold box and opened it, showing only the couple its contents. Then, the third man handed them several strings of pearls and diamond necklaces. The observing father watched in total dismay. He saw them talking, and one gentleman reached down and picked up the baby. The father quickly rolled down his window to hear what they were saying, while trying to remain inconspicuous. He heard the gentleman holding the newborn baby ask, “What is his name?” The mother looked at him with a gleaming smile and replied, “An angel named Gabriel appeared to me and told me to name him Jesus. So that is what we named him, Jesus.”
Almost every situation is not as it seems. Jesus was born in a homeless situation and died as a homeless person. We all have our preconceived ideas and our prejudices. Just as I can’t say, ”All politicians are corrupt” I can’t say that all homeless people are hopeless drunks either. Have you ever wondered why God chose his son to be born in an animal stall (parking garage, today’s equivalent)? It is because God is a god of humility and compassion. He opposes the prideful and those who think highly of themselves that believe they are too good for certain people. God is not interested in our physical appearances, but is interested in our heart. He looks at you and me as souls and hearts, not CEO or homeless man. He blinds the proud and opens the eyes of the humble. God has given us mercy and he expects us to do the same. To show mercy to others is to look at them through the eyes of Jesus and love them the same way you want Jesus to love you. No one is hopeless. No one is a lost cause. Mercy triumphs over judgment! Do you want to escape God’s judgment? Don’t judge people by their outward appearance. Show mercy to everyone you come in contact with and look at them as a soul and a heart in need of a savior.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Encourage
1Thes 5:11
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
(NIV)
One day I was at the bank making a deposit. I had walked in and the teller had not noticed I was there, because she was busy talking to the other teller about the customer in the drive through. Apparently, the person at the drive through window was their waitress that they had at a restaurant the other night. They were not happy with the service and complained to the restaurant manager. Now they were both embarrassed because this waitress was also a bank customer. After I cleared my throat, I got her attention and made my deposit. Well, I am sure that that waitress is going to get excellent service at the bank, because once she realizes that her bank tellers were also her complaining customers, she might be tempted to even up the score. Why is it is so easy to find things to complain about and so hard to find things to encourage about?
In this passage of scripture the Apostle Paul is charging everyone in the church to be an encourager. It is a daily responsibility of every Christian to encourage and build up those around us. Here is a good question to ask ourselves, “How often do I encourage others?” When was the last time we encouraged our Pastor or a minister of the gospel. When was the last time we encouraged our spouse, friend, or co-worker? No one wants to listen to someone who just complains about everything all the time. Jesus has appointed us as encouragers of the people. It is easy to encourage another person. Write a note of thanks and leave it on their desk. If you’re grabbing yourself a soda at work grab two and give one away. Verbally compliment someone on their clothing or haircut. Buy a gift or bake something for another person. Instead of going to lunch by yourself invite someone to go with you. The bottom line is that it does take effort to encourage others and it is a matter of denying our selfishness, taking up the cross, and considering others needs before our own needs. It is a lonely business being a complainer and it is a joyful life being an encourager.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
(NIV)
One day I was at the bank making a deposit. I had walked in and the teller had not noticed I was there, because she was busy talking to the other teller about the customer in the drive through. Apparently, the person at the drive through window was their waitress that they had at a restaurant the other night. They were not happy with the service and complained to the restaurant manager. Now they were both embarrassed because this waitress was also a bank customer. After I cleared my throat, I got her attention and made my deposit. Well, I am sure that that waitress is going to get excellent service at the bank, because once she realizes that her bank tellers were also her complaining customers, she might be tempted to even up the score. Why is it is so easy to find things to complain about and so hard to find things to encourage about?
In this passage of scripture the Apostle Paul is charging everyone in the church to be an encourager. It is a daily responsibility of every Christian to encourage and build up those around us. Here is a good question to ask ourselves, “How often do I encourage others?” When was the last time we encouraged our Pastor or a minister of the gospel. When was the last time we encouraged our spouse, friend, or co-worker? No one wants to listen to someone who just complains about everything all the time. Jesus has appointed us as encouragers of the people. It is easy to encourage another person. Write a note of thanks and leave it on their desk. If you’re grabbing yourself a soda at work grab two and give one away. Verbally compliment someone on their clothing or haircut. Buy a gift or bake something for another person. Instead of going to lunch by yourself invite someone to go with you. The bottom line is that it does take effort to encourage others and it is a matter of denying our selfishness, taking up the cross, and considering others needs before our own needs. It is a lonely business being a complainer and it is a joyful life being an encourager.
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