"Now the Tax Collector..."---Lk.15:1

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.”—-Lk.15:1 It is easy to ascertain the folks back then considered the word tax-collector and sinner as synonymous. It was such as these that were drawing near to hear the sweet words of Jesus. Meanwhile, the Pharisees and scribes couldn’t believe that Jesus would speak to them, much less get that close to “sinners.” Knowing their hearts, Jesus shares a couple of parables teaching them that just as, they look for lost things—-so does God. People lost in sin have lost their way, and Jesus has come to bring them back. “Just so, I tell you, there is a joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (v.10) When one person comes to faith in Christ, there is a party in heaven!—-Jesus said. —- As we grow in our personal faith, we too can become accidental Pharisees (thinking too highly of ourselves, forgetting that we too came out of sin). Maybe there are people around you that are in deeper to sin than you ever were. Remember that Jesus came for them also.

“Now you shall see….”—Ex.6:1

So the people went from hopeless to “hopeless-er.” They were excited that God had heard their cry and sent a Deliverer (Ex.4:31). But they were upset when Pharaoh got mad and made life even more miserable on the Hebrew slaves. —-It was at this lowest point that God tells Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”-Ex.6:1 God follows that up with seven “I will” statements. This should have been most encouraging to these people as they had reached the lowest low, because when God wills something, it is going to happen. (But maybe they didn’t quite know God like that, yet!) Also God told Moses that he appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; but they didn’t know Him like all of the people were about to know Him. God had made a promise to their ancestors (an “I will”), and He was working towards getting them to the land of promise. However, their descendants were about to know God in a way that the world had never known Him. God is constantly revealing more and more of Himself to mankind. On earth this ultimately happened with the incarnation of Christ Jesus. The grand finale will be when we see Him face to face. But in the here and now, we can know that when we are at our lowest point, and we cry out to God; He will intervene. Sometimes it seems like He lets it get to the lowest point so that we are absolutely positive that it was Him. —-May we trust the promises of God today as we live joyously for Him even through tough times.

Creeking And Deuteronomy

So to break up my regular time of devotion during the week, I am meeting with a group of guys and we're just reading through the Bible together. It's kind of like "creeking," which is something I tried this past weekend for the first time. Creeking involves outfitting oneself with waders and just walking up a creek and taking on the stumps, fallen trees, debris, etc. occasionally getting out of the water when the path is almost completely blocked. It is a worshipful experience just enjoying God's Creation with challenges of the wild in front of you. ---So we're reading through the book of Deuteronomy (their choice, not mine. lol), and I am doing it without notes or commentaries, just reading as we read it together tackling whatever comes into our path. Occasionally, we do go around something knowing that we'll figure it out eventually. ---Today was interesting as we barely made it through chapter 12 in one hour. As I retreated to my study haven I dialed back into one verse: You must not worship the LORD your God in their way.---Deut.12:4 God was adamant that Israel remove all the idols and even the remembrances of the idols that the pagans, who had previously inhabited the land, worshiped. ---God did not want them to worship Him the way the rest of the world worshiped their false gods. Even today, we want to have it our way in worship. It does not matter how technology advances or how our culture changes, God never changes. God wants worship the way He wants worship. It was not a suggestion, it was a command. God was trying to keep His people focused so that when He sent the Truth (Jesus Christ) that the people would be in tune to the Truth. Jesus came in the exact image of God. Jesus is the God-way to worship. He came and fulfilled the Law. All the little lessons God was teaching in the Old Testament were pointing to Jesus. The world will water down the Gospel and will dilute Jesus from being less than deity, and consequently cause people to not worship the LORD your God another way, their way. ---Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except by me." One-way Jesus! Do not fall for the counterfeits. It literally is God's way or the highway. Get right or get left.

Caulk Makes It What It Ain't

One size does not fit all. People fall through the cracks. Whether it is life in general, or life in community of a church these are quaint sayings that deal with the frustration in relationships. First of all, we are not all alike. It would be good for all of us to accept that and appreciate the differences; but it doesn’t usually work that way. Positive relationships is what strengthens people. People that rise out of poverty or escape the bondage of addictions have good support systems. Yet not all people have such networks of friends to support them. The church tries very hard to do this through small groups. Most churches will have a motto for their small groups to encourage doing life together, because we know it can be difficult. The problem is that not all people are alike, and inevitably someone gets left out. This is not to discount people that do not fit neatly into the 18-22 or the 30-35 married or 30-35 single groups for example. What about the 54 and handicapped? What about the 19 not married and pregnant? What about the 49 and just got out of jail? On and on it goes. —- So how do we help those that do not fit the pre-made models or just have a little tougher time coping with group dynamics? It takes caring individuals to notice, that to no fault of the group or the individual necessarily, that someone is straggling behind. When someone is spotted falling through the cracks, it calls for a solution not a complaint. There is no quick-fix. It will take time, and it will call for going outside the box. —- The very best builder has to use caulk. When it is time to finish all the wood working, the base-board, cabinets, etc. in a house there will be these little gaps between walls and boards, no matter how skilled the workers are. The skilled cabinet maker and the carpenter have done their best, but everything didn’t fit perfectly. It rarely does. The same goes for our connecting together in relationships. Every single person does not fit neatly into their age group for whatever reason. —-When it comes time to finish the building of the house, a construction worker walks every room with the caulk gun to fill in the gaps, because “Caulk makes it what it ain’t.” Whether in church or life in general, we have family and friends fall through the cracks, because there are gaps. Since everyone does not fit neatly into a group, blaming the group is a waste of time. It is usually the natural reaction, but instead it is time to step up and fill in the gap, and make it what it ain’t. —- The next time you see someone being left out, go get them. Bring them in. Don’t judge the group that they didn’t fit in. God pointed them out to you to fill in the gap. The truth is that somewhere or sometime we have been in that awkward spot of not fitting in. Praise the Lord for that person that reached out to us. Isn’t it about time that you reach out? If you don’t have a group to bring them into, have you considering mentoring someone? Oftentimes, it takes just a little coaching or encouragement to help a brother or sister connect. Make a difference in someone else’s life, because doing life alone stinks. We were built for community.

“…Now will I praise…”—-Gen.29:35

“And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, ‘Now will I praise the LORD:’ therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.”—- We need to place this in context to understand. Leah was the wife of Jacob whose name would be changed to Israel for he would be the father of the twelve tribes. Jacob had been deceived by his father-in-law, and tricked into marrying the “ugly” sister Leah before he could marry the one he loved and betrothed to, Rachel. — God saw that Jacob was showing love to Rachel and not Leah. When God saw this He opened the womb of Leah, and He closed the womb of Rachel (temporarily). So, yeah, add that to the list of things God can do. She has three boys, one right after another, and each name had significant meaning. All dealt with her pain of feeling unloved by her husband. In her heart she thought the ability to bare children would draw Jacob to love her, as Rebekah continued to be shut out. —- In the end, she realized that it was God who loved her, as she had the fourth son and named him “praise” (Judah). We can look for the love and praise of men, but God is the source of love. Look to Him first, He is always the right place to find love.— Footnote: of the eventual twelve sons that Jacob’s wives would have, Leah only had four, but two were the most prominent (Levi and Judah). The Messiah came from the lineage of the ugly sister. —- God knows your heart. Take your gripes to Him today.

“Now after the Sabbath…”—-Mt.28:1

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.—-Mt.28:1 Reading this for the upteenth time, I remembered it was one of those things that I have read way too fast. The ladies go to the tomb, obviously expecting to see a dead body. Instead they find the evidence of heaven intersecting with earth, as an angel caused an earthquake as he rolled back the stone that blocked the entrance to the tomb. And then he just sat on it. It describes the angel as having an appearance like lightning with clothing white as snow. Those seasoned-veteran guards, no doubt , were getting a little overtime pay by making sure a dead-man escape the tomb. What a cush job! However, they were stunned, frozen at the appearance of the angel. —- Do you know who was not scared? These two women. The angel quickly explains the situation putting them at ease. Probably just hearing the name Jesus did it for them. He was the one they knew who calmed the seas, shut down the winds, and satisfied appetites. The angel doesn’t chastise them for coming expectantly to see a dead man. No. The angel reminds them, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come see the place where he lay.”(v.6) Earthquake, angel, frozen soldiers are part of the story, but two obedient women steal the show as they go and tell of the reason Savior. —- This story did not die with them, and it will not die with us. Go and tell. Jesus came back just as he said he would. *For this reason, 2000 years later, believers still celebrate the first day of the week! The resurrection of Jesus is the epic story. —- There was an earthquake. They saw an angel. Jesus was resurrected. Do not let the world water down the epic story of hope.— How can this story put a skip back in your step today? Never forget.

Getting Through One Hour

Failing marriages, people giving up on life, yielding to unhealthy habits, flailing in hopelessness—-these are just some of the circumstances that folks in the church are troubled with. How can this be? People go to church for years, and then all of a sudden they do something that is totally against what they had been taught, and totally against what they would say they stand for. Could it be that for a lot of folks it is “just going to church?” People are not going to church for life transformation. Instead they are going because they always did or don’t want to feel guilty or some other reason. —- Once the Word of God is presented to you, the onus is on you to apply the Word to your life. If the change that you commit to God in that moment does not leave the parking lot, then you can go to church fifteen years unchanged! That is a travesty, and I believe we see the evidence all around us. You see, we can get through one hour, and leave unchanged if we’re not involved. This is a problem. Many folks take up space in churches, and do so without getting involved. Committed would be a better word. The truth is that people do not get committed, because they like to be unaccountable. It is this unaccountability that allows our friends to fall into the crapper. —- This leaves a heap of scraps that we end up measuring by statistics. Please do not just go to church. Get committed. We do not want to see you among the fallen, lifeless, unhealthy, or hopeless. —- Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. When you are truly worshiping, going to church isn’t like going to the dentist…you know, something you’re just trying to get through. True worshipers cannot wait for church to start. In fact, they start worshiping ahead of time.