This is Why I have Come

I have a problem with starting a project and then get distracted by something else that takes me away from what I started. It can lead to frustration and discouragement because it can leave me going in too many directions and being ineffective and not completing what needs to be done. If we are not careful, the same thing can happen in our spiritual life. We can become consumed with chasing after many things in life and not give attention to our spiritual growth.

I like Jesus’ response to His disciples when they came to Him to tell Him, “Everyone is looking for you!” Read the encounter below.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Mark 1:35-38

There almost seems to be a hint of exasperation in the words of the disciples, “Everyone is looking for you.” Why are you out here alone? Don’t you know there is a crowd of people waiting to see you.

Jesus knew the intent of the crowds and turns the attention of the disciples toward His purpose for being here. He punctuates it by saying, “That is why I have come.” Do you remember the words from Isaiah 61 -- “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor?”

Don’t lose focus on our call to “go and make disciples.” Grow in your knowledge of Christ. Pray for opportunities to make Him known to others. Grow in your love for one another. And don't get distracted!!!

Have a blessed day.

The Worth of a Single Soul

How many times have you felt of little worth because of some bad choice you made? We have all been there. There are times we want to hide our face, we want to stay in bed or we just want to run away. We can sometimes feel like we have nothing good to offer anyone. One of the things that Christ did when He came into the world was to impart worth and value to humanity.

First of all, the simple fact that God, the Creator of the universe and Sustainer of all living things, would enter into a sinful world speaks volumes of the kind of compassion and worth that He has toward mankind. Secondly, Jesus invested in people that many times were rejected or looked down upon by society. He called out fishermen and a tax collector to be His disciples, He invited children to hang out with Him and He touched those with leprosy as He healed them, along with many others who were sick. (In Jesus day it was believed by many that blindness and disease was often the result of sin in the person’s life or in the life of the parent.)

Jesus attributed value in the woman’s life that was caught in the act of adultery. The woman’s accusers brought her to Christ publicly for all to see. Jesus said, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Christ extended forgiveness to one that others were ready to stone. Read the entire story—John 8:1-11. Jesus’ action shows the worth that He placed in a single soul.

Fruitful outreach will require that we recognize the worth and value that God has placed in those we are called to reach out to. The simple fact that God sent Jesus to die for “whosoever will believe in Him” tells us how important each person is to Him.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for the times I have devalued the life of another person. Open my eyes and my heart to see and to love them as You do. Amen

Hope for the Hopeless

This week our thoughts will focus on the passion that Christ had for those He came to bring life and hope. There are two times in the Bible when it is recorded that Jesus wept. He wept as He stood at the tomb of Lazarus and as He stood outside of Jerusalem looking down upon the city as He approached at the Triumphal Entry.

At the tomb of Lazarus Jesus does identify with the grief of Mary and Martha at the loss of a brother but His words also remind us of the sorrow He feels over the unbelief of the people. Jesus came to bring hope that goes beyond the grave. The scene outside of Jerusalem gives us a good look into the heart of Christ as to the burden that He carried for the people.

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes. Luke 19:41-42

I did a quick word search in the Bible for “wept”. Numerous times throughout scripture it is recorded that people wept over the sense of hopelessness that had a hold on them. When Christ came to this earth He was the HOPE that cancels hopelessness. He wept because the eyes of people were blinded. The need is still with us today.

As we spend time focusing on outreach, strive to understand the heart of God for humanity that is revealed through Jesus Christ. Will the same passion for the lost that led Jesus to weep drive us to our knees weeping over the state of hopelessness that grips the lives of those around us?

Prayer: Lord, we want to be channels of Your grace to bring a message of HOPE to all who live in constant HOPELESSNESS.

...as working for the Lord

I heard a Labor Day sermon yesterday reminding us that our labors are to be done in the spirit of, "As to the Lord and not to man." When all of our labors are done with a focus on honoring Christ, it will be noticed by those around us that we work with.

The sermon went on to highlight the example of Onesiphorus noted by Paul in his letter to Timothy as one who went beyond the call of duty. While everyone else seemed to be bailing out in their ministry to Paul, imprisoned in Rome, Onesiphorus came to Rome and "searched hard until he found Paul."

There are plenty of people around us the display that spirit of, "You owe me..." In the midst of that kind of world let's follow the admonition from Colossians 3:17:

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Have a blessed Labor Day

Lessons from the Life of a Child

Another group of people that Jesus stepped outside of the box with was children. Parents often brought children to the Rabbis of the day to have them bless the children and to pray for them. Although children in Jesus’ day were deeply cherished, they were thought in some ways to be negligible members of society: their place was to learn, to be respectful, and to listen. It is possible that the number of children being brought to Jesus seemed a bit excessive in the eyes of the disciples.

Little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. Matthew 19:13-15

In an earlier chapter Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” What are the life lessons that Jesus wants us to learn from the life of a child? Maybe it is the total dependence, the full trust, the honest openness and the complete sincerity. Thoughts of what someone else is going to think or say about them is not an inhibitor. Wow! I feel convicted, even as I write. Once again Jesus moves outside the norm of the day in order to teach a valuable lesson to those who were there. It is a lesson that bears repeating over and over in our own lives as we grow up in Him.

Take some time today to think about the lessons that God may want to teach you from the life of your own child, or the children around you if you do not have children of your own. As you prayerfully seek the heart of God over those lessons He has for you, take some time to pray for the children that God has placed around you. Pray for ongoing protection over their bodies and their minds as they grow up in Christ.

Take some time to read Matthew 18:1-6; Luke 18:15-17 Share your insights with someone else and ask them to pray for you as well as you praying for them.

Mercy, not Sacrifice

“Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.” (Matthew 9:9) Jesus took another step outside of the box when He invited a “Tax Collector” to be one of His disciples. As we read on we discover that Jesus went to Matthew’s house for dinner and many tax collectors as well as sinners were there for the meal.

The Pharisees must have had scouts on every corner because they knew where Jesus was eating that night. They were incensed that He would eat with such scum of society. Tax collectors often collected more than required to pad their own pockets. The Romans really didn’t care as long as they were getting their share.

Jesus’ response to the Pharisees inquisition was, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Pharisees were diligent on daily prayers, offerings and sacrifices but negligent in their level of love, compassion and mercy for the lost, the hurting and the rejected of society. This episode builds on yesterday’s story of the Samaritan woman. But the statement for us to contemplate today is, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Does our mercy and compassion for the lost at least equal or surpass our sacrifices to God? (Giving, going to Church, spending time in the Word, etc.)

Things that matter to Christ ought to matter to us as well. Christ clearly cared about the lost. Let’s follow His example!

No Holding Back

John the Baptist captured the attention of Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem as he began his ministry of preaching and baptizing. As the number of disciples following John and his teachings grew so did the interest from the Jewish leaders. At some point after the start of Jesus’ ministry the number of followers that He gained was surpassing the numbers of those following John the Baptist. The “spiritual cops” (Pharisees), heard about this new wave of interest. In response, Jesus headed back north to the region of Galilee.

On His way north, the Gospel of John says, “He (Jesus) had to go through Samaria.” Here is where Jesus steps outside of the box. Most often the Jews would cross to the east side of the Jordan River to travel north in order to avoid going through the region of the Samaritans. The Samaritans were a mixed-blood people from marriages with Gentiles following the exile of the Northern Kingdom. Jews that were left behind by the Assyrians married Gentiles that were moved into the area. Out of necessity in Jesus’ mission, He “HAD TO GO THROUGH SAMARIA.”

Jesus grew tired and sat down by Jacob’s well while the disciples went into town to buy some food. A SAMARITAN WOMAN came by to draw water while Jesus was there. Jesus began a conversation with her. To give you an idea of the stigma that existed, John 4:27 tells us that when the disciples returned they were surprised. She was a Samaritan and a woman.

You can read the entire story in John chapter four. But the point that stands out as a challenge for us today is; where has the church, our society or just the people around us drawn the lines that keep us from reaching out with the love of Christ to those who are hurting? Whether it is social, racial, gender or economic lines, when we possess the heart and the eyes of Jesus those lines will fade away. We will not be able to hold back.

Prayer: Lord, help me today to have a heart that is willing to move outside of the box that others have tried to place me inside of, in order to effectively touch the deep needs of those that live around me. Amen

“You have heard it said…”

Jesus did not minister inside the boundaries of the box for ministry that had been set at the time He came to the earth. This week we will look specifically at ways He served outside of the box in connecting with the people that He came to serve. For today let’s first consider the framework that Jesus established for His ministry here.

Near the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” He went on to tell us that as long as there is life here on this earth nothing will change in the law that has been given. He said, “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.”

Over time the teachers of the law had redefined and added to the law so much that it became a heavy ball and chain that followers carried around with them. Their focus was heavily on outward conformity to the law and all its “added” requirements, while Jesus taught inward conformity (the spirit of the law). Jesus came to bring a change in the lives of people, from the inside out not the outside in. He taught that “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Through the rest of the fifth chapter of Matthew we find a formula repeated several times, “You have heard it said… But I tell you…” Jesus’ use of that formula paints a contrast of the outward and the inward working of the law in our lives.

Take some time today to reflect on the words from Matthew 5. Be ready to respond to what His Word is teaching you today.