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July 6, 2008
Our Friend and Helper
Read Romans 8:26-30
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.”
Romans 8:26
Friends are a wonderful gift from God! They are there to pick us up when we are down. They are the ones who offer to us unconditional love when we feel most unlovable. Friends are the only ones who will listen to us when we really need to talk. And some of our friends are bold enough to pray for us and even bolder to pray with us. Where would we be without our friends? They help us in so many ways.
The Holy Spirit is described as the paraclete in John’s Gospel. Paraclete is translated as helper and that is what the Spirit does; helping us to understand the mysteries of Christ; helping us to profess faith in a living Savior; and helping us to grow into our full potential as a member of God’s Kingdom. In that way, the Spirit is a friend to us.
The apostle Paul writes of another important thing that the Spirit helps us with. When we need to pray and do not know how, it is the Spirit who “intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.” There have been many times when I have been with people going through the darkest hours of their lives, and have not known what to pray. There have been times in my own life, with my own challenges, that I have not known how to pray. And there have been times in your life when you have hurt and ached and the words would not come. Thank goodness we have a friend and a helper. One who prays with us and one who prays for us. One who takes our deepest and most earnest prayers and presents them to the Father, who hears and who acts; always on our behalf and always for good.
Why? Because that is what our God is all about. He “works out all things for good.” But only through the Holy Spirit, our friend and helper, can we ever begin to understand that.
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June 22, 2008
Offering Grace
Read Matthew 20: 1-16
“Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?”
Matthew 20:15
I wonder how many of us, if asked to compare the Kingdom of Heaven to someone in our lives, would actually think to compare this great and future reality to our boss? According to Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to an employer; to a landowner who goes out and hires people to work in his fields.
Upon reading this parable, I wonder how many of our type-A, results oriented, 60-hour a week, get paid fairly sense and sensibilities were offended by this. If offended is too strong a sentiment, we at least are empathetic to those first employers. Many of us might agree it just doesn’t seem right that those who “have borne the heat of the day,” who have worked long and hard all day, should receive the same wage as those who have barely broken a sweat.
It’s just not fair.
However, this parable isn’t one concerned with fairness. In fact, the only way that we can truly understand this parable is when we read it as a parable of Grace!!! That is what we recognize in the employer. He chose, in all accounts, to go out looking for those who would work for him. Some he found early in the day and some much later. But to each he paid a very fair daily wage, regardless of how long or hard they worked. Why would he do this? That was the question of those first workers. Perhaps it is your question as you read this passage. The employer’s only response, his only argument, was to respond by saying….
“Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?”
So it is with God. God is the one who comes searching for us. When he finds us he offers us the grace of his amazing salvation. It is his grace to offer as he chooses. This is why this parable is one of grace. Grace offered only by God to you. It is not something that is earned by working long and hard. Not by bearing the heat of the day. No. Our faith teaches us, Jesus teaches us, that Grace is given, because it is God’s to offer, and because he will do what he will do with it.
Our response is to accept it and to give thanks!
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June 8, 2008
Giving It All Away
Read Matthew 16:21-28
“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me…’ ”
Matthew 16:24
Jesus’ message regarding his crucifixion was a hard message for the disciples to hear and understand. You can even imagine them scratching their heads and looking puzzled. Even Peter, who seemed so in tune with Jesus’ ministry and who had just correctly affirmed that Jesus was the Christ, didn’t get it. Maybe the message was so devastating that he couldn’t. He tried to convince Jesus that things could be different and Jesus called him Satan.
The gospel message has not changed and it is no easier for us to hear in the 21st century than it was for Peter and his friends. In fact it might be harder because we have the luxury of so many creature comforts around us. It is hard because it still involves a rugged cross. It still requires a crucified Jesus. It still speaks to us of a God who gave away his only son for you. It is a hard message to receive. It is also hard to live out. The gospel requires that those who would follow this crucified Savior must give away all that comes in between them and him, including the life that we have always known. That life, and our lives, must be crucified on an old rugged cross if we are ever to be raised up anew with Christ.
But the good news of the gospel is that when we give it all away, when we pick up the cross and carry it, we are released from our hold on all things earthly, and are able to finally receive fully the life that the Savior has died to give to us.
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June 1, 2008
God Sent
Read Acts 8:26-40
“And he said, ‘How can I understand (what I am reading) unless someone guides me?’ ”
Acts 8:31
We are told that the “angel of the Lord” moved Philip to go south towards Gaza. As is the case with us on occasion, Philip was sent without knowing fully the purpose or reason. That would soon become clear to him, for on his journey he encountered the Ethiopian Eunuch who was in his chariot reading from the prophet Isaiah. It was there, by the side of the road, that Philip took time to explain to the Ethiopian what he was reading. The Ethiopian believed and asked Philip to baptize him. He became the first Gentile convert.
This story is an important reminder to us that faith occurs in community and not in isolation. We are not able to come to faith on our own. In fact, we can’t. We need others to help us with our understanding. We need others to explain, by their words and by their actions, the message of Jesus Christ and all that he has done for us. It is in this community called the church that we move from no faith to faith. And it is in this same community that our faith begins to grow towards maturity each and every day.
Of course, this means that the church must always be open to those God “sends”, those wonderfully kind, caring, and instructive folks who are filled with the Spirit of God and who help us grow in our understanding and love for Jesus Christ. The other challenge in life is to be open and available when God calls us to go and be that friend and helper for others. Because the one thing you can be sure of, is that just as God sends helpers into your life, so will he send you to be that for others, even when you, like Philip, aren’t really sure where he is sending you. Never forget--there is always purpose in being sent by God.
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May 25, 2008
Living Fully…
Read Luke 10:25-29
“But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ ”
Luke 10:29
It is one thing to know what is right and quite another to do it. We deal with that each and every day of our lives. The speed limit may be sixty-five but who pays attention to that? So we go in excess of the limit because we are late for a meeting or, better yet, everyone else is doing it. The express lane at the grocery store says twenty items or less, but what is it going to matter if you have just a few more. Who is going to care? Besides, the other lanes are full and you have places to be.
If you reverse the roles, it is a different story. If someone is tailgating you down the highway you are probably quick to yell the speed limit out, as if the person behind can hear you. And how many times have you stood behind someone in the express lane and counted the number of items in their buggy? In your head you think; “The sign clearly says twenty items or less.” We are good at bending or adjusting the rules, or living by them, whichever helps us the most.
In the same way, it is one thing to know what scripture says to us about how we are to live. It is quite another to actually live fully by those commands. The lawyer in this passage reminds us of that. He asks Jesus about eternal life. Jesus doesn’t answer him. Instead, Jesus asks the lawyer to tell him what he knows to be true. The lawyer answers flawlessly, “Love God and love my neighbor as myself.” Jesus tells him that he is right and that if he will do those things he “will live.” But instead of walking away proud of his knowledge and encouraged to live rightly the lawyer asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” “Who, exactly, do I have to love?” “How often do I have to drive sixty-five?” “How many items over twenty are too many?”
Luke tells us that the lawyer was trying to “justify himself.” He couldn’t possibly be expected to love everyone. There must be a better definition for who his neighbor was. Like the lawyer, we can be pretty good at doing this. Instead of simply knowing and living fully as Christ calls us to live, we try and adjust his teachings to fit our life. When we do that, we never fully live as Christ desires for us to live. When we do attempt to live as Christ has commanded, we experience the blessing of living fully, not for ourselves, but for him.
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May 18, 2008
Tough Love
Read Proverbs 3:11-20
“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves… ”
Proverbs 3:11
Do you remember breaking any of the “laws” or “rules” of your home and having your father or mother discipline you accordingly for your transgression? Honestly, we have all been there and done that. During the course of the punishment we might even have heard our parents say something along the lines of, “This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.” There is no way that makes sense until you are older and maybe not even until you have children of your own.
In reality, when handled correctly, punishment is handed down not just because it is deserved, but because the parent loves the child. That is why it is truly so hard on the parent. Again, it takes years and wisdom to truly understand this, but sometimes it is that tough love, as we often refer to it, that is necessary to get children back on the right track.
Proverbs is simply full of wonderful instruction and wisdom for how to live this life. In it we find both moral and religious teachings that are good to pay attention to. It even addresses the idea of tough love. When commandments were broken, when laws were disobeyed, there were consequences for God’s people. These consequences were seen as the Lord’s discipline. Like our experience with our parents, sometimes the outcome might have seemed severe. But here is the key; if God did not love his children, then he would neither care what they were or were not doing, nor would he bother with trying to correct or reprove them.
The wonderful reality that all of Scripture affirms, is God’s amazing love for his children, which thankfully includes you. There are still going to be consequences for our sins. But thank goodness we worship and serve a gracious God. The Psalmist reminds us that God “is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” He loves us so fully in Jesus Christ that even when we make a mistake, or even when we really mess things up, his love for us, sometimes tough love, never wavers.
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May 11, 2008
What Comes First?
Read Matthew 9:27-34
“Then he touched their eyes, saying ‘According to your faith be it done to you.’ ”
Matthew 9:29
There is a timeless and intriguing question that we learn at an early age. What comes first; the chicken or the egg? Has anyone ever really answered that question definitively? It seems you could argue that from either side and be right. Likewise, the same might be said about seeing and believing. What comes first? Do we see and then believe? Or do we believe and then see? Is there really a definitive answer?
When it comes to faith in Jesus Christ there is a definitive answer. The story of the two blind men shows us that answer. They cannot see Jesus. Maybe they have heard about Jesus and all that he has done, but they cannot see him. Yet with no physical ability to see, they place their faith in him and they call out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When Jesus asked if they believed he was able to heal them, they said, “Yes, Lord,” and with that affirmation of faith Jesus touched their eyes and they were healed.
Faith in Jesus Christ always leads to sight. This should make sense to us, considering the fact that none of us has physically seen Jesus. We don’t see Jesus first, and then decide to believe. That puts it all on us. Instead, we believe that God works out this faith in our hearts, and in doing so we are led to a place of faith that cries out to the Son of David. In doing so, our eyes are open to finally see the risen Savior who is present in so many ways before us.
It is at that point that there is, at least according to these newly healed men, only one response; to go and tell others about the one who has given you your sight.
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:29
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May 4, 2008
Power and Promise
Read Luke 10:17-24
“And Jesus said to them, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven...’ ”
Luke 10:18
God gives to each of us gifts that are to be used for life and ministry. Some of us are gifted with proclamation while others are gifted with music. Some have the gift of compassion and others with hospitality. There are numerous other gifts and they are all to be used for good and for the glory of God. When faithfully put to use, these gifts have great power to not only bring about change in the lives of those we encounter, but to tear down evil and injustice.
We see this with the seventy-two followers that Jesus sent out into the world. When they returned to Jesus from a very exciting and successful mission trip, they marveled at the good work they had been able to accomplish. They said with great joy, “Even the demons are subject to us in your name!” There was power in what they were doing and they were thrilled to see the results. The power was not in their gifts, but in the using of those gifts in the name of Jesus. Jesus even said to them that this power would enable them to tread on “serpents and scorpions.”
But in all of this, Jesus did not want them to lose sight of what was most important. “Rejoice not over the power you have over demons, but because your name is written in Heaven.”
Jesus continues to send his faithful followers out into the world. That is where we are called to go. We are not sent empty handed, but with the Spirit and with gifts that are to be used to help bring others to a knowledge of the Jesus we love and serve. When we see lives changed and the evils come crashing down, we will rejoice. How could we not? But we must always remember that our greatest rejoicing is in Christ. And in Christ, those who believe have been promised that their names are written in Heaven. Let us stand upon that promise and upon that promise let us indeed rejoice!
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April 27, 2008
Short and Sweet
Read Psalm 117
“Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love towards us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!”
Psalm 117
In our much too fast-paced society, we like to get things quickly. Fast-food establishments not only keep us from having to cook, but they usually keep us from having to wait too long to get our food. Emails provide us with the opportunity to communicate almost immediately with someone, rather than the old process of writing letters by hand and then taking the time to mail them. When it comes to news, we like for that information which is important to us to be provided in a quick fashion. In fact, the media has figured this out about us, and has come up with the wonderful invention of the “sound byte.” Sound bytes are those short clips that we see or hear when a politician, actress or actor, sports star, or preacher makes a wonderfully profound, inane or outrageous comment. It then gets played for the next 24 hours, over and over again, until the next infamous sound byte is recorded. Of course, these recorded clips are most often times more superficial than they are substantive.
Psalm 117 is short. It is only two verses long. In fact it is the shortest of all of the Psalms. It is a “sound byte” of David’s Psalter. Just like we like it. But do not miss the substance of this Psalm. Though it is short, it is clear in its message that we are to always lift up our praises, with all the nations, to the one and only God. Why? Because this Psalm, in its brevity, is also clear about one other thing; and that is the message of God’s enduring and faithful love towards us.
And that is what we, in this fast-paced world in which we live, need to hear. Thankfully, it is what we will always hear if only we will have ears to hear it. It is a sound byte that will never lose its promise or its power. And just like we like it, it is short, but oh how sweet!
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April 13, 2008
Conflict Resolution
Read Matthew 5:21-26
“But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment…”
Matthew 5:22
Jesus’ teaching on anger comes as part of the Sermon on the Mount. That said it should come as no surprise then that this teaching would seem so difficult. His entire sermon is one that challenges the preconceived notions of the time and people. When Jesus spoke of the weak, the persecuted and those who grieve as being the blessed, he was saying something new, and that made about as much sense to those listening as did his teaching that they should go and be reconciled to their brother, then come back and worship. This is Jesus’ understanding of conflict resolution.
Conflict. Many of us avoid conflict at all cost. More than that, if we find ourselves in conflict, we avoid a resolution of that conflict even more than the conflict itself. But Jesus says no. That is not right. We are to go and make amends. We are to offer love and forgiveness to that person, just as Christ has offered the love and forgiveness of God to us. We are to seek reconciliation with those we have hurt or who have hurt us. Jesus is the perfect example of this. His ministry was to reconcile the world unto himself.
We were not created to live in conflict. Sin has led us to that. Wars are waged because of that. But in Christ, there is a better way. There is a more loving way. We may not all agree, and we will most definitely hurt others and be hurt. But Christ’s love can reconcile us one-to-another and help us leave behind the anxiety and struggles that conflict often brings into our lives.
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April 6, 2008
Just Different
Read Matthew 3:1-6
“Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.”
Matthew 3:4
Matthew goes to great lengths to paint for us a very vivid picture of John the Baptist. In the end, most would say that he was quite successful. What we realize almost immediately is that the character he describes is different. From his unconventional sense of style, if you could call it that, to his rather unorthodox diet, John was just different. He was one of those folks who stood out in a crowd. In fact, it is doubtful you could miss him, even if you tried.
I think the reality is that the same should be said about us modern-day Christians. We don’t have to dress necessarily in the same attire as John. That would have folks noticing us, but for all the wrong reasons. And we don’t have to follow the same diet, though some of us are on diets that seem just as crazy. But as those who have been imprinted with the image of God, and who have been called by Christ to be his disciples, we are unique. We do stand out. And as it was with John, the world sees us as being different.
We are different because, like John, we aren’t consumed with pointing to ourselves, or trying to get folks to notice us. Instead, we stand out because in every way our goal is to live our lives in such a manner as to point others to the life and ministry of our Lord, Jesus Christ. While so much of the rest of the world will be consumed by ego and self-centeredness, we are to be different. We are to point to Christ. We are to live for him. We are to decrease, so that our Savior may increase. In doing so, we end up being different. We stand out. And that is ok, because that is what we are called to do.
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Running to Easter!
Read John 20:1-18
“Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and he reached the tomb first.”
John 20:3-4
Run…run…run. It seems as if that is all that we ever do. From the moment that we wake up in the morning, until the moment that we collapse from exhaustion into our beds at night, we run. We run to school, to the office, to the grocery store, to soccer practice, and even to church. Some of us, as has been the case this Holy Week, take time out from the running around here, to run to the beach or to the mountains with our families, and then back to town, where less than 24 hours later we pick up the race again. There is purpose in all of this running to be sure, but sometimes that purpose seems less than clear, while at other times it can become totally lost in the effort and energy that we put into the “run” itself.
That is why I like John’s account of that first Easter morning. There is a lot of running taking place, which means that we can relate. Mary Magdalene runs from the tomb with the news that it is empty. Peter runs to the tomb to see what Mary has reported, only to be outrun by the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” Mary is running to tell. Peter and John are running to see. Each of them running to Easter.
We are not told, but it is probably safe to imagine that Mary Magdalene ran back to the tomb just behind Peter and John. She was there when they went in and inspected the tomb and “believed.” She was there when they left for home. And it was there that she encountered the risen Christ!
Where are you running? Is it to Easter? Is it to the miracle of the empty tomb and new life? Is it to family and friends that you might share with them what you have experienced of the risen Lord? Or are you just too busy or preoccupied with the race you are running to stop and pay attention to the most important event in history?
This year, run to Easter! Run to the tomb! Experience the risen Lord! Then run and tell!
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March 16, 2008
Second Chances
Read John 13:36-38
“Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the cock will not crow, till you have denied me three times.’ ” John 13:38
Peter is such a good example when thinking of our own faith. There were times in his life when he was overflowing with faith. He would walk on water, boldly proclaim who Jesus was when the other disciples could not, or lay down his life for Jesus. But then there were times when Peter’s faith would falter, like it did the night of Jesus’ arrest.
We know what that is like. There are times in our lives when faith seems to come so easily. Sometimes it is when all is well. Other times, our faith is lived out boldly in the midst of very challenging days. Then there are those days when faith seems to be far away. We want to be faithful, but we find it difficult. It is the curse of being human. We are not perfect. Our faith will, given enough time, falter. And we will, like Peter before us, fail Jesus.
The important thing is to not let these failures of faith get us down. Peter certainly grieved his denial, but look at what God did with and through him in the Book of Acts. His life and ministry continued and his faith strengthened and matured. Why? Because Peter knew the love and forgiveness of the risen Savior.
This is what you and I have been invited to know and experience as well. Easter tells us about failure and forgiveness. It reminds us that out of the death of our bad decisions, comes the possibility for new life. This is so because Jesus doesn’t count our failures. He just counts us worthy of his love, his forgiveness, and salvation. It is why he went to the cross. And on that Easter morning, when Peter ran to the empty tomb, what he found was a new beginning, a fresh start, and an opportunity to live again. God, it would seem, never runs out of second-chances for his people.
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March 9, 2008
Grieving Our Sin
Read Psalm 130
“If thou, O Lord, should mark our iniquities, Lord, who could stand?” Psalm 130:3
Each Sunday when we gather together for worship we take a moment during our time to offer a corporate prayer of confession. Corporate means that we all join together to do it. We do this because if we know anything about our lives, and about our God, it is that we have sinned against him. That should be clear to any who have eyes to see. We are like David, who in an earlier Psalm wrote, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”
So we confess our sins together. But I often wonder if our confession is void of something. While it is important to acknowledge and confess our sins, it is also important to be contrite. Our sins should not only be apparent to us, but they should break our hearts. We should grieve our sins, for if we know anything about the God that we serve, it is that He certainly does. God grieves our sin, because our sin brings separation. Thankfully, God does something about that. He calls us back to him, offering forgiveness to all who both confess and grieve their sin.
This means that our grieving inevitably leads us to great rejoicing. For our God is a God of steadfast love and He is a God of plenteous redemption. He will forgive you, and he will always forgive us of our sins, if only we will confess them from the depths of our hearts.
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March 2, 2008
Your Spiritual Gift
Read I Corinthians 12:1-11
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.”
I Corinthians 12:1
If you are like me then you may find that it is much easier to identify the spiritual gifts in others than to claim your own. I am not sure why this is the case. Maybe it is because we view these gifts as being only for the most devout and pious of believers. Maybe we think these gifts are reserved only for the spiritual elite or the super Christians. Whatever the case, our struggle to see our own gifts keeps us from some very important business.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth that he did not want them to be “uninformed” when it came to spiritual gifts. The Corinthians must have struggled with this just like us. Paul wrote with the goal of assuring them that not only had God provided His Holy Spirit to them, but that through that same Spirit they were each given a spiritual gift. That gift could have been wisdom, speech, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy and so on. But to be sure, each one was provided with a gift. And the same is true for us. We have each been provided with God’s Spirit, and through that Spirit, a gift that we are to use for the common good.
So what gift have you been given? In what way has the Holy Spirit uniquely strengthened you for service to the Kingdom of God? The only thing more fulfilling and gratifying than being able to identify and claim your spiritual gift, is actually using that gift in service to the Lord who has given it to you. When you claim it and use it, God will do wonderful things in the lives of those around you.
So what are you waiting for? It is time to put your gift to use.
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February 24, 2008
Seeking Out A Savior
Read Mark 5:21-43
“…My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ And Jesus went with him.” Mark 5:23-24
On two occasions in this particular passage, Mark tells us of a person who is in need of the healing care of Jesus. Both of these individuals, as so many before them, seek out Jesus with the hope that he will provide a certain healing. The first is Jairus. His daughter is lying on her deathbed. He comes to see if Jesus will come with him and care for her. The second is the woman who has been sick for a long time. She senses Jesus passing by in the crowd and she reaches out to touch his cloak. Both come to Jesus, literally reaching out to him for his healing, one for his daughter and the other for herself.
Both of these individuals have come to Jesus in faith and perhaps even a little desperation. Both are met with the Savior’s attentiveness, care and his eventual healing. The interesting thing that you don’t want to miss is the manner in which these healings occur. Jairus reaches out to Jesus on behalf of his daughter, but it is not until his daughter has died that Jesus makes it to her to heal her. The reason he doesn’t make it to her sooner is because the woman who has been sick for years reaches out to him. The result is that after struggling for years, she is immediately healed. Of course the good news is that they are both ultimately healed.
This story is an important reminder to us that it is only Jesus who holds the power and ability to heal, and that it will come only in his time. It does not come in our time. Our time is skewed. His time is perfect. Sometimes our healing is immediate. Oftentimes it seems as if it is delayed. This may mean that you have to deal with something for a number of years. It may even mean that you have to die. But the good news is that eventually the healing you desire will happen. That is what Mark reminds us of. God’s healing always, always comes to those who are seeking out the Savior.
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February 17, 2008
Tough Love!
Read 1 Corinthians 5:1-8
It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans… I Corinthians 5:1
When we think of the care of souls we most often think of the love and nurture that we provide for those who are not well. This takes place through the visits we make to the hospitals to bring cheer to a friend there. Through the phone calls or emails of encouragement to those who are struggling. Care is extended by way of delicious casseroles and cakes baked with love. These foods often nourish a sad soul. The church does these things very well and it is important that we continue, for the care for souls is part of our calling.
There is another type of care that the church is called to exhibit that is more difficult. It is the care of someone’s eternal soul. This care affirms the goodness of a person’s life and faith, while also graciously correcting their missteps. Of course, Paul didn’t have much to say about being gracious. He spoke of “removing” the immoral one from the church. This wasn’t to be mean or vindictive, or even because Paul thought the church should give up on him. It was hoped that this action, as harsh and difficult as it might seem, would eventually help bring the man back. This is a lot like the care of a parent, who after waiting up anxiously all night because their child broke curfew, gives that child a big hug when they are safely home, but then sentences them to house arrest for the next month. That’s tough love. That, Paul writes, is the love that we are to offer to each other when necessary.
It was this care of souls, or tough love, that Jesus modeled for us with the woman who was brought to him with the charge of adultery. He loved her. He even sent those who were judging her and trying to trap him away. But he did not let her go without saying one last and important thing. “Go and sin no more.” Jesus loved her. He cared for her soul. He would ultimately give his life for hers. But he could not let her continue in her sin.
Jesus loves and cares for our souls. He has died for them. And he calls us to walk away from the things that we know we should not do, the sin of our immorality, to walk towards him and the new life he offers us. He expects that we will care enough about the people we love to show them that same tough love.
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February 10, 2008
Calling All Sinners
Read Mark 2:13-22
“And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’ ”
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