Ouch and Amen!

Luke 2:15-16 - So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord  made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. I have a confession. I don’t enjoy celebrating Christmas like I used to. Whaaat? 

It has grown more and more commercialized and less about Jesus. It’s been this way for awhile. Oh, it’s a time of year when love is extended by giving gifts, like the Magi gave to King Jesus. But what did the humble shepherds have to give? Might I say their gifts of worship and praise were what were befitting this Child? 

The shepherds were first to be notified! Not the Magi. The lowly before the grand. Look at it this way, too. Jesus came humbly into the world, not in some grand manner. He also came to become our Shepherd. If Jesus humbled Himself both in birth and in death, shouldn’t this be our example? This is what the Bible tells us about humility:

• The meek shall inherit the earth. 
• The proud will be humbled
• The humble will be raised up
• With the humble comes   wisdom
• The foolish and weak things of the world bring shame to the wise and mighty

We are to come to Christ as little children, in anticipation and trust, seeking Him and less self-seeking. 

Our pastor had a very good message for Christmas Eve. It was based on the Luke 2 scriptures above. The shepherds made haste. They heard the good news of a  Savior, Christ the Lord, being born. Imagine...they also were the first types of evangelists:

Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. (Luke 2:17-18,20) 

These shepherds had no gifts to bring but they carried away with them and shared what they had seen about this Child who was and is the greatest gift of all. \

So the verse above, Luke 2:16, shares that the shepherds made haste to see this Child. They made haste. They didn’t drag their feet or decide to wait till they felt the time was right. They were called and went quickly to see what God had told them about. 

I wonder how many have heard the good news but have failed to receive it and Him? That’s the “ouch.” The “amen” goes to those who have and love what has transpired. 

God still is in the business of telling the world about this Child, His Son Jesus. He’s still in the business of sending His Holy Spirit to open eyes, ears and hearts to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. He uses others to do as the shepherds-evangelists of that day/John the Baptist/the disciples/pastors/evangelists, any and all who have made haste (and sometimes not so hastily) to meet this Child-King. Here’s another verse so well known and so well spoken by the prophet of Isaiah...

Isaiah 55:6 - Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.

Hebrews 3:15 - ...Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

A Heart Issue

Ezekiel‬ ‭36:26-27‬ ‭- I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

I say this a lot! Coming to Christ is not about anything we can do. Our works, the Bible says, are as filthy rags. Our church or denomination can do no more than point us in the right direction. It is purely something that takes place between you and God by the absolute power of God. He initiates it.
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. (John‬ ‭15:16‬)

It’s a heart issue He deals with. He changes them to turn to Him and receive Him. He then is able to  teach the truth.His power to do this is amazing. Thinking about Jesus’ ministry, His preaching touched some people’s hearts. Then again those religious leaders who knew the laws of the Old Testament would not be changed. They could not humble their hearts to the truth that Jesus preached. So stubbornness can linger in some and prevent God from doing a better thing in those lives.

I was doing a Bible study recently and two things I was reading and something posted on Facebook that morning were all on the same subject...the change of heart by God. It has little to do with us but a lot to do with God.

• ...His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue... (2Peter‬ ‭1:3‬)  
• This power is not given us apart from Christ, but it is in the knowledge of Christ, in our union with Christ, in our communion with him…that we have these privileges and blessings secured to us. - Hudson Taylor
• On Facebook:  https://youtu.be/38yMUYoX38w    (an excellent video)

The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love Him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! (Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:6‬)

If this all sounds uncomfortable, giving your heart over to Him to change that you would follow Him, know this: sometimes we can fight against this all we want, but sometimes He can break through even a stubborn heart. He did that with me in a split second and I knew without a doubt it was Him because I was resisting terribly until that moment. He did that with the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus.

Many suggest that leniency for illegals or stricter gun control or a pro-choice option will help change situations. Some causes definitely are good but the root of evil will always be a heart issue and is one which we all have to start out with in life. But Jesus came to change all that. He came to allow us to be born again...it starts with a change of heart to receive Him in the most intimate (not sexual but spiritual) way. We might think we know Him but many really do not because their heart has not changed. Some don’t want to change. I get it. But I’m certainly glad mine was because I can be assured of a life after this physical life is over.

Let me ask this question: Are you absolutely sure you will go to heaven? Remember, you have to remove those works that are as filthy rags from the equation. And if what Romans 3:23 says is true, that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, what is left? Think about it.

Psalm‬ ‭51:16-17‬ ‭- For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.

Nothing But a Vapor

Psalm 35:9 - Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah

None of us as adults want to be thought of as a child but God sees us only as His children. We can be called, sons, daughters, kings priests of the Most High God, but we are still just His children. This was a statement similarly said a few times one Sunday at separate, unrelated  times. It struck me, though, how it’s as if God wanted a point to be made and instilled within me. Praise Him!

The Bible tells us more than once we are no more than a vapor in time. In the grand scheme of eternal life, we occupy very, very little space. We also tend to think we are really something, important pieces in this space we occupy. And in a way some are...if one is in Christ. However, we are not to think more highly of ourselves...God says we are nothing apart from Him! So there you have it! David and Job knew their place when they said they were but worms. 

But I am a worm, and no man... (‭‭Psalm‬ ‭22:6‬a)

How much less man, who is a maggot, and a son of man, who is a worm? (Job‬ ‭25:6‬)

Do a search on these two men to explain how devoted to God they were, yet one sinned greatly and one endured huge loss. Their trust had to be in God.

This puts substance to times when we think highly of our roles, how much we can puff ourselves up to feel important. It’s why we are told humility is a good thing, not pride. Man’s nature is all about pride. God shows us the truth, though, often why some opt not to follow Him but self or the ways of man. 

...whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

‭‭(James‬ ‭4:14‬)

Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.(Psalm‬ ‭144:4‬)

No matter how successful or good or kind one is, we are but worms in the grand scheme of things. It’s good to remain humble.

So, being a child of God...like I said, none of us as adults like being considered children. We’re big and “important” now. But where is our trust? Do we trust in selves, jobs, money, prestige, goodness? We are still worms!! God is still and always will be greater than any man. He is called the Ancient of Days. 

I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; ‭‭(Daniel‬ ‭7:9‬)

He has been around since before the beginning of time. His wisdom is far greater; His will and plans will always win out. We don’t always want to believe this, but: 

A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. (Proverbs‬ ‭16:9‬)

He cannot be swayed by our decisions, though if we are humble, seek Him, and allow ourselves to be guided by Him, we will be rewarded greatly someday, but not on earth. 

If we are His and humble ourselves, seek His face, scripture tells us, He will forgive and heal (the land). (2Chronicles 7:14) Walk in His ways as His children, trust Him. We may have setbacks or failures along the way, but He will see us through. He is the Ancient of Days. He knows what we need. 

Psalm 90:2 - Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

Total Gospel

Job 19:25-27 - For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

There’s a yearning in my heart...to see my Redeemer. It will be either upon my death or when He returns. I can’t imagine....

Dwelling on a sermon our Pastor preached and how it so ties in with a recent post. I’m so amazed at how this God of ours is so great. He never ceases to surprise me. My thoughts being in tune with His or others’.

Twice in one week I either posted on Facebook or wrote a blog and shared or published with a hint of trepidation. I fear being way off base in my thoughts or offending, yet Jesus’ Words often offended those who did not want to hear. Sometimes pastors, those whose desire is only to show people the truth of the Word, will offend too. In one instance what I posted was well received. The blog was confirmed that morning after I posted it!

The post of July 15, 2018 spoke of humility. Having a humble heart before the Lord. It’s the only way we can come to Him and probably why so many will not receive Christ. Pride gets in the way. The number one sin. 

In Sunday school in the Book of Job, the scriptures above, we see a picture of Jesus. This is Old Testament. They didn’t know about Jesus. But the manner of His life and death was beginning to emerge. Here, our Redeemer would be resurrected, which means He had to have died, and would live on for all to see. 

Many churches preach on having a good life now, taking in all we can before our time is up. Bucket lists come to mind. Checking off all the things we’d like to do before we go. What if we go next week? Or never wake up in the morning? Was knowing Jesus ever on that list? He should be the first thing on that list...then the list would be meaningless!!! You’d have all you need. 

We got to talking about churches preaching the total Gospel. What is that? A lot of churches today only preach the love of God and how we are saved by grace and good works. But there’s something missing. The thing churches avoid so as not to offend...our sin. Why do we need a Redeemer? Because of our sin. But I’m a good person. In your eyes you might be, but we’re all sinners just the same. God says so! We’re born into sin. We live in that sin until we repent of it and turn to Jesus for forgiveness. 

Our sermon was called Activating the Remedy. The remedy for what? For sin. What is the remedy? The blood of Jesus. The previous Sunday a guest preacher spoke on sin and how only...only...the blood of Jesus can cleanse us of our sin.

That means humbling ourselves before the Creator of this universe, ridding ourselves of stiff necks and turning to Him. Only.the.blood.of.Jesus. His death on that old rugged cross.

A song we sang (Nothing But the Blood) says this: 
Nothing can for sin atone: 
nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
Naught of good that I have done: nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
There you have it. Nothing.but.the.blood.of.Jesus.

So someone in Sunday school described the Total Gospel message. It started just after creation with life, then death when sin entered in. We see it all around us daily, seasonally, politically and physically, this birth, life, then death. It continues. Jesus was born, lived, died then resurrected and still lives today. Our eternal life is only through Him. Because He lives we can live along side Him. Our old lives must die so a new spiritual life can be birthed that we might live in Christ forever. We must humble ourselves, though. That can be the hard part. The hard heart must be softened and stiff necks against God loosened up. 

One last thing that I jotted down that really didn’t seem to fit here but now I see it does! Job went through some horrendous trials. We can ask ourselves why we go through some of the things we do. Illness, loss, doubt, insecurity. It was said: God never takes us to a place where He is not (if we are in Christ). That can also apply to receiving Christ. He will be there and will stay if your heart is truly turned to Him. You won’t be taking that step of faith without Him as a safety net. You will be safe! He will never leave or forsake us.

Without Jesus we will die. Like I've said many, many times. This is not head knowledge of who He is but a heart attitude for Him. There is no heaven for those who are not right with the Lord. You are still an enemy, as I mentioned one time. The road to destruction is very large but the road to eternal life is very narrow, and growing narrower today as many of us have noticed. But listen to what God will do...from the Old Testament. This is written many times in the Word.

2Chronicles 36:12-13 - He did evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and did not humble himself... And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning TO the LORD God of Israel.
2Chronicles 12:12 - When he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and things also went well in Judah.

What Are You Falling For?

Isaiah‬ ‭14:12-13‬ ‭- “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north."

‭‭

I heard the question above and it stirred up thoughts!

We think ourselves more highly than we ought. We think we can do a better job with our lives than God can. Guess again! Look what it did for the devil above.

We know we have an enemy of our souls, the devil, satan, Lucifer, Beezelbub...whatever name you want to call him. His job is to steal, kill and destroy mankind. (The opposite of God who wishes none to perish.) He preys upon us all. How? By lying to us. He will make us believe what is good is evil and what is evil is good. In the world we have very relaxed views on so many issues: marriage and divorce, sexuality, meaning of life (abortion, murder), human rights, government, politics...oh, and offending. 

Not too much of it is looked at from God's point of view anymore. I didn't look at it that way once either. It was my life and I was going to live it any way I wanted. It didn't affect anyone else, did it? Whatever made me happy. And, sadly, in the world it continues. But as frustrating as it is, I now know that this is the way the Bible tells us it will be...then Jesus will return to exact judgment. Just when you think this is the worst the world can get, it gets worse. I noticed that on the news this week.

As a friend emailed me one day...I seem to be at peace with my religion and I seem to take pleasure in it. Well, yes, I do! That can only come from God. Except it's not about my religion; it's about Who I know. It's about my relationship with Jesus. He brings that peace and pleasure. Yes! 

So, back to Lucifer! He became very proud in his status as an angel. He thought so highly of himself, he thought he could be like God, maybe even better. And God had a decision to make...kick him out of heaven. Pride caused Lucifer to fall. 

What are you falling for? The thought raced through my mind, like Lucifer fell from God's graces, so can any person whose pride in believing they can go through life, living their own way, without any regard for God. This is one of satan's lies. Are you falling for it? Shrugging one's shoulders at or thinking it's they way the culture is changing regarding to major issues today is compromising with the devil.

Those who stand with God and His Word and abide in Him will always be questioned. Some will go so far as to scorn. It's to be expected as a follower of Christ. 

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (2Timothy‬ ‭3:12‬). But...The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. (‭‭Psalm 34:18‬)

What are you falling for? I fell for the lies for more than half my life. When the truth was shown to me I took a stand for Christ. I am not ashamed of the Gospel! It is by this Gospel that my life was saved, glory to God alone. I was not trying to prove anything to God. In fact, I was opposed to Him. I believed in God and Jesus. I just saw no need for Him in my life; I was doing okay. Or so I thought. One day, at my wit's end, God revealed Himself to me and that was it. I knew I needed Him. And He knew it also and changed my heart in an instant. 

What makes my heart ache is those who feel as I felt. I think about how some day, if they continue to avoid Christ, the truth will be revealed and they will regret having done so. What comes to mind is the story of Lazarus, a beggar, and the rich man. In a nutshell, both had died; Lazarus, the beggar, went to heaven; the rich man to hell. The rich man saw Lazarus in a good place and realized his mistake and pleaded that Lazarus be allowed to tell his family to not make the same mistake, which could not (and cannot) be done. Think about it. Lazarus was about as low as one could get; humbled by his lifestyle, believing in God. The rich man had everything, no doubt with some pride, with no need for God, yet those riches meant nothing at death. 

It's never too late to receive Christ nor is it too late to question God about the validity of it all. If one seeks, with all his heart, God will respond. Don't fall for the lies that a relationship with the God of heaven is not possible. I'll tell you, I had done many sinful things and probably hit every one of the Ten Commandments, yet God reached me. He had placed people in my life to help, though I wasn't very happy about their insistance at the time. God's timing was perfect. Whatever pride I might have had in my determination to live without God, fell. 

Are you falling for the lies of the devil or falling before the feet of Jesus? Falling for the lies is pride; falling before the feet of Jesus is about as humble as one can get.

Isaiah‬ ‭66:2‬ ‭- "For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,” says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.

‭‭

Humble Yourself

Luke 14:7-11 - So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  

Don’t know why the thought of humility came to mind this morning. It just did.

Jesus was all about humility. He didn’t need to be grandiose in His preaching. ...but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:7) He knew who He was. One of the messages He preached was humility, as did God in the Old Testament.  Remember, He was so humble and cared so much for others He chose to die for our sins. That is the greatest act of humility. To die to self. What we are called to do daily when we choose Christ. 

Being in a humble place in life may not always feel good if our pride gets in the way. We can, however, become humbled but if we are humble to start out we can be raised up. If we are children if God we may not see this raising up until way in the future but it shouldn’t stop us today. Waiting on God is one of the things we do most! 

Do we think of others before ourselves or is it all about us? Do we shove that grocery cart down the aisles cutting people off or go barging through a store as if no one else exists? Do we take the prominent seat at a table and leave the lesser seats to guests? I’ve been guilty at times. Though nothing may happen at the moment, God sees. 

Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the place of the great; for it is better that he say to you, “Come up here,” than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.

(Proverbs 25:6-7)

Being humble is not being walked over. It is a choice we make. Oh, there are times when it can feel irritating, especially if we are with someone who is always first to do. There are times it’s nearly impossible to beat them to the punch!

This humility is our being Christ-like. We are called to use Jesus as an example. This is for me too! Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. (Philippians 2:3) It is not debasing ourselves to prefer someone else over us. It’s humility, a trait God prefers! Even if we might be in a greater position in life or job or church. 

I look at our pastor...he may be the shepherd of the flock but he’s always available to fix a roof or even a church toilet, both, and certainly more, of which he’s done. 

It does not hurt to be humble, except it can hurt to have one’s pride besmirched. Shove that pride in a back pocket sometime and see how it feels. You might be surprised. Just as Jesus humbled Himself for us, we are asked to do the same...not only for others but for Him. 

Philippians 2:8-11 - And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Cleanliness and Goodness

Jeremiah 2:22 - For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before Me,” says the Lord GOD.

As I read this verse I thought about cleanliness and goodness. These things do not occur because we think so about ourselves. They are gotten only through salvation and a relationship with Christ.

God doesn’t look at the outside of a person but at their heart. (1Samuel 16:7) That should scare most people! We can fool man (and even ourselves) with our outward appearance and demeanor but God knows the motives of our heart, whether we are honest, truly kind, or putting on airs to make ourselves look good to others. He also knows whether we are right or wrong in our thinking. Do we know what truth is? With all the ideas in the world, some day everyone will know the truth. For some it will be good; for others not.

I’ve said this many times...because it is so true in God’s eyes...we can do no works of our own to receive the grace of God. We must receive His Son Jesus. It’s not about a religion but a relationship. It’s not about the rituals but the sacrifice...of our old lives and thoughts for new ones. I read this somewhere and must have jotted it down: Christianity is not religion. The Latin word from which the English word "religion" is derived means "to bind up." (Those are the rituals.) Jesus did not come to bind us up in rules and regulations or rituals of devotion, but to set us free to be man as God intended. (This comes with a relationship with Jesus.) - James A. Fowler

As was mentioned by a speaker at our annual church women’s retreat a couple weeks ago, sometimes we might think we are searching for God but it is actually He who is searching for us by His Spirit. Sometimes our hearts are opened to receive Him. Sometimes not. It is our choice to make. (I remember turning Him down a few times over the course of a few years. I turned down invitations to go to church. Ugh, what did I need church for?) Do we want to know the truth or do we want to live believing the lies? Remember Pilate questioning what truth was? 

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” ... (John 18:37-38) Truth stood right before Pilate and he missed it. The truth of who He was. Yes, a King; yes, could even have been Pilate's Savior. 

Jesus is also the way and the life. Our way, to life. The way of righteousness. The truth of God's Word...Jesus THE Word. I could go on with more...

So, rituals are the works that do not save. A truth. No amount of bringing sacrifices in the Old Testament could save Israel. They still had to come repeatedly to present their sacrifices to atone for their sins. Today no amount of good works, apart from hoping He will accept us, will save us! We must come with nothing to offer but ourselves, broken, filled with humility, needing His help, seeking His forgiveness and repenting of our sins. Then we can be saved. 

We've had several baptisms take place in church recently (and no doubt another one in the near future!). These are not infant baptisms. These are adults or children of the age of reason choosing to live for Christ. Some are just that, children. They have come as little children. The adults have all admitted lifestyles that were taking them down the wrong roads, heading into destruction. They realized a need for Christ to save them, not some 10-step program or psychiatric care or hospitalization. They wanted the healing that only Jesus can bring. They didn't want to just wash the outside, but the inside as well. Physical and spiritual. So they laid their burdens down at the cross.

Jesus seeks us. He doesn't want anyone to perish in their sin. But I know not all will heed His call. I know some so truly believe that they are good without God. This is a lie; probably the biggest lie the devil spreads. "Did God really say...?" (Genesis 3:1)  I pray hearts would soften and take in the words of God.

Matthew 23:27 - Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.

What Do I Do?

Matthew 22:37-39 - Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

We are asked to love our God first and foremost...and then love our neighbor. How do we do this? Who is our neighbor? God loves us unconditionally, which will never change. We are called to be like Christ and that includes loving others.

So what do I do? How do I do it? What outlet has God built into me that will allow me to be like Him? How can I be His heart to love, His hands to heal, His feet to carry His word, His eyes to see, His words to speak? I'm sure we all have some form of compassion within us. But do we reach out farther or do we turn a blind eye?

What do I do? We are asked to pray as individuals and for ourselves corporately. There is a need in this world, but even more closely, a need in our own community. What can we do? What can I do?

To become more like Christ we must undergo a transformation. The butterfly and the cocoon is an example. The butterfly goes through a transformation, a metamorphosis, where it once was a not so beautiful creature, but it morphs into this creature of beauty.

See more in this...a caterpillar is lowly, crawls around in it's little world on earth, barely seen. Then by nature it encapsulates itself in this cocoon, a sort confinement, a place like we may find ourselves at some point in our lives that we desire to be free from. This caterpillar is then transformed within that cocoon. To become free it must struggle to release itself but the struggle is well worth it. Out emerges this beautiful butterfly and isn't it amazing how we associate freedom with flight!

What do I do? Having to do something requires change. It requires prayer and faith. Maybe a lot of faith because we don't see what is taking place.

We are called to reach out to the lost. We are called to be disciples. We are called to love God first then our neighbor. Our neighbor is anyone. Remember the story of the woman at the well? Jesus reached out to this Samaritan woman, one Jews did not normally associate with. Recall the story of the good Samaritan...now we see the reverse. A Samaritan reaching out to a person he also did not normally associate with, a Jew. The barriers were down. As they should be.

We need to be willing to let go of preconceived ideas, attitudes, and pride to reach out to help someone in need. Are we willing to step down from our seemingly lofty places? Of course we must have wisdom in all circumstances and maintain a certain amount of caution that we are not in harm's way. But if you see a person in need of food and their appearance is unsettling, are you willing to step out of your little world to help them? Are you willing to help even someone as close as your own neighbor in need?

To do what He wants us to in this world means humbling ourselves. Jesus came in humility in every aspect...birth, life and death. He came not to be served but to serve. Think about it...did He stop serving? He healed, He taught, He guided, He had compassion on all people. He spent three years roaming the countryside receiving both rejection and acceptance. He had no home to call His own but I'm certain He thought a lot about His Kingdom in heaven. He knew the eternal destiny of all was in His hands and only through Him could they be saved. This was why He came to this earth. He came to seek and save the lost. He asks us to do the same.

C.S. Lewis said: "There are no ordinary people. You have never met a mere mortal [one subject to death]. You have either known an immortal horror or an immortal eternal splendor." We all have an eternal destiny and this is what I believe he was talking about. We have a choice to make today. Whichever way we go it's for eternity. The important choice should be Jesus Christ for eternal life or we will be that immortal horror!

Gentility and humility should be our standard. If this is what Jesus did, so should we. That means being humble. Only a humble heart can take that step to help one who is needy.

In order to know what we are to do we need to know the One who created us. Then we need to seek His guidance. He's involved in our lives so we should be involved in His...with our hearts, hands, feet, eyes and mouths. We should love our neighbor, seek those who are lost, no matter who they are, no matter if they reject our words or actions.

Matthew 5:43-47 - You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you... For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 

Oh, What They Did!

Genesis 33:3 - Then he [Jacob] crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

Oh, the forgiveness and grace of our Lord. Oh, the humility.

Jacob and his brother Esau were at odds with each other as young men. Jacob fled for fear of losing his life to his brother's hand, even though Jacob had initially deceived Esau. But now many years later, after Jacob had been deceived (what goes around comes around?) by his father in law, God told him it was time to go back home, to his land and his brother; He would deal well with him when he did. 

So, despite trepidation and some precautions, Jacob did return. Despite God's words, His promise that all would be well, Jacob had some fear of the unknown. And when the time came he bowed in total humility before his brother. And his brother was no longer angry.

Isaac, the brothers' father, had unknowingly blessed Jacob, the second son with the inheritance Esau should have had as the first son. Part of that blessing was that Jacob's brother Esau would be a servant to him. So, in this case of deception, older would serve younger. 

I think about Jesus and how He came, the King of kings and Lord of lords, to serve us through His humiliation, mocking and death on the cross...for those who would call on His name to be saved. He came not to be served but to serve. This is our Lord. Once we have gotten to that place of understanding Him as our Lord and bowing before Him, then it is our duty to serve Him and let His story be told. When we bow in total humility before Him, His forgiveness envelopes us. 

It's all about Him, serving and obeying and trusting in Him. We can do nothing in this life on our own, but in Him we can do all things. Later in Genesis we will see how God uses Jacob, whose name by now has been changed by God to Israel. Israel...God's land and His people. 

Matthew 20:26-28 - Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Assuredly, I Say

Matthew 6:2,5,16 - Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

Three times Jesus tells His disciples these words. He has been sharing with these men how to act with humility and how to remember that God sees not only our acts but our heart's motives. 

The first time He mentions these words is in regard to charitable deeds. It is better to quietly do or give rather than openly. He says, ...do not sound a trumpet...that you might receive glory from men...do not let your left hand know what your right is doing...

Then Jesus tells these men: ...your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 

Likewise when praying it is not necessary to do so with fervor, flowery words or repetition to draw attention to self. It is to be done humbly, often in a quiet place, alone. Again, your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

And then when fasting it is not good to have the appearance of one who is. It draws attention to the individual. He says, yet a third time ...your Father who sees in secret will reward you. All we do in the quietness of our inner selves is what He sees and rewards. 

Remember, Jesus came humbly into this world and He lived a humble life. He left this world in a tragic manner yet humbled Himself even then by not speaking up to defend Himself. He is to be our example of humility. I believe pride is the root of all our sin. It is not all about us but all about what our Father does in and through us and whether what we do is for self or for Him. We seem to have a problem with this pride, all of us.

Later in this chapter of Matthew Jesus is talking about where our treasures are, there's where our heart is. Is it all about Him or all about us? Are our hearts set on Him or our achievements and accomplishments? Do we give Him any glory for what He has done through us? Do we give Him any credit at all? Do we want recognition or do we want God to be seen in us? Do we shine His light or our own?

Jesus concludes by telling the disciples, as a teaching also for us, that we are not to worry about our lives because God's got a handle on it all. He's got the control if we allow Him. If we believe we must be in complete control, we've no faith in our Father in heaven. I look at the vitriol after this last presidential election. We need to understand that God is in control and He knows just what He is doing. If it means one side determined to go after the other, who knows what it might bring about in God's plan. Some will have faith in God, others will believe He has nothing to do with anything. 

This God is the only means to life. We cannot do any more ourselves to bring life. He has complete control of our lives, even the number of hairs on our head, the number of our days. It is suggested we turn to Him and trust Him for that life. If we follow Him all our needs are met. Even if we do not have much, He supplies the necessities...the first being salvation of our souls with the end result being life everlasting. It's that life that is most important.

Apart from God we do not have this. Apart from God we will have our own reward, which amounts to very little. With God, we are secretly rewarded...a better reward than that which we receive from our own means. 

Matthew 6:32-33 - For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

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The One Jesus Loves

John 13:23 - Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

John 13 shows us how Jesus was a servant to all. It discusses the washing of feet, a custom in those days. It was done for any guest in any home. Usually a servant would be the one to do the work. 

However, at Passover, Jesus' last supper, there was no servant available and when none of the disciples stepped up to the plate (pride or did they just not think of it?), Jesus removed his outer clothes and did it Himself. 

There was a hub bub when Peter said he would not allow Jesus to wash him because he did not think it was right. He was His servant. Jesus insisted. He did this as an example for two reasons: He may be the King of kings and Lord of lords, God come down from heaven, the highly exalted One, Messiah, but He was also a humble Servant. He came down from His throne in heaven to live among us just so He could die for all of us. We are not to think more highly of ourselves, always placing others ahead of ourselves and love on them. 

The disciple John called himself the one whom Jesus loved five times in the Book of John. The question we can ask is if we think he was being arrogant. It could seem as though he were. As children of God (and Jesus called these disciples His children in verse 33), we should unabashedly say the same thing! I think John just had a much deeper understanding of who Jesus was than the rest of the group. He hung on His every word. He worshiped Him in a way the others might not have.

We are all the ones whom Jesus loves if we have submitted our lives to Him. Foot washing was a dirty, humbling job, cleaning a very dirty part of the body. How many really like the idea of someone else washing our feet!? Eeeewwww. 

Maybe that's what Peter felt. No, Lord, you will not wash my feet. That's beneath you and I'm not worthy of it. Oh, but we are worthy if Jesus, who first chose us, wishes to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. He's the One who made it possible for all the filthiness of our sad lives to be washed away. 

What we must remember is if Jesus was willing to love us so unconditionally, we should do the same for others. Remove the planks from our eyes and humble ourselves to accept others for who they are. This can sometimes be hard. Love on them. Forgive their weaknesses. Don't think more highly of ourselves. Be servants to all (a lesson for me!). There is a phrase often used. It's not biblical but it is part of a truth: Jesus loves us just the way we are. It doesn't stop there, though. He might love us just as we are, but He loves us too much to allow us to stay in that place. He changes us. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Reminds me of this verse from a hymn called Man of Sorrows. We are born into sin, unrighteousness, filthy and He came to wash away the sin and guilt by His precious blood:

      Guilty, vile, and helpless we; 

      Spotless Lamb of God was He; 

      "Full atonement!" can it be? 

      Hallelujah! What a Savior! 

There are people who cannot receive Christ because they believe He could never love them as they are...like Peter. That's just not true. He loves us all so much. But there's a condition. receiving Him. Living apart from Him, not knowing or receiving Him...doesn't take His love away, but it saddens Him that there are those who are too ashamed, too proud, too much in control of their own lives, to look up to Him.

Remember, we are all the ones whom Jesus loves if we have received Christ. Let us lean on His bosom. Let us let Him cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Only He is able and He's not too proud to come and wash your feet, so to speak.

Romans 5:8, Galatians 5:20, Romans 8:37 - but God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us...therefore...It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me...and...in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

The Lord Hears, Delivers and is Near

Psalm ‭34:17-18‬ ‭- The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Do you hear this? The LORD hears, delivers and is near...to those who are righteous, having broken hearts and contrite spirits. Righteous means to be right, cleansed. Contrite means broken, crushed. We cannot come to God with vanity and pride. It just won't happen. 

Jesus' whole message to us was to come to Him, the only true Way. He begins by pricking our hearts and spirits that we may recognize our need for Him, but then we make a decision to go to Him. We recognize Him as greater than we, we fall before Him and ask for His forgiveness for our sins. We humble ourselves and repent of them. 

We cannot think or believe that our goodness in this life is what Jesus will honor. The Bible tells us this. If we do, we are boasting in ourselves and our abilities. We humble ourselves before the Lord. We come to Him with broken hearts and contrite spirits. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:8-9‬)  Ohhhh...it's a free gift! He requires only our humility and submission to Him. Do you see how wonderful this is? Nothing we can do, but all that He has done on the cross. He shed His blood that we might be cleansed and made righteous by the blood of the Lamb...when we come humbly to Him...asking for forgiveness. 

Then...He will hear, deliver and be near us. But...Proverbs 15:29 says The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. Sounds pretty harsh. We are all considered wicked until we become righteous by the saving grace of Jesus.

There's that word righteous again...being right (with God) and cleansed (by the blood of Jesus). Coming humbly before Him, asking forgiveness, turning from sin, following Christ. Sharing Christ with others.

When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil... To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me? says the LORD. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs or goats. Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me... Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD, Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.  (Isaiah‬ ‭1)

Only one sacrifice, that of Jesus, can wash us clean. When we believe this, submit to this truth, come humbly to Him, will we be righteous and cleansed. Before we understand this we try to do it on our own. Our offerings or sacrifices--our self-prescribed goodness--is not what He desires. He wants us! In relationship with Him. 

This is relationship:

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea‬ ‭6:6‬)  Knowing God vs. sacrifices.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (‭‭John‬ ‭15:5‬) Abiding together.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name... (John‬ ‭1:12‬)  Relationship

There's a lot of scripture here. His Word is truth and it will never return void (be useless or vain). There's a word here for someone, including me! He will hear if you humble yourself and turn to Him. Ask for forgiveness of your sins. Maybe you haven't done any major crimes or physical murders. Maybe you don't know what your sins might be. That's okay. He will show you. 

I asked initially for help. In absolute weakness I humbly responded to Him for His help. All the rest of my knowledge came because of my initial humility. He changed me rather than the trial. He brought life to me when I was so low. Just where He wants us. Low. Humble. Unable to do in our own strength. Needing help, needing a Savior. So in my heart, in my weakness, I cried out and He heard, delivered and became near to me. He will do the same for anyone.

Psalm ‭145:18-19‬ ‭- The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.

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Sacrifice of Our Lips

Hosea‬ ‭14:2‬ ‭- Take words with you, and return to the LORD. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.”

There you have it in a nutshell. Just as Israel repeatedly turned away from God who called them His children, who saved them from captivity,  provided for them, and kept taking them back after they had forgotten all these things, it is what He desires for us to do. Have we, too, forgotten all the good God has done for those who love Him? 

This one verse shows what God desires. I have read this before, but it stood out so vibrantly this morning! It says to take words to Him, not going to Him and showing how good we perceive ourselves. The only true sacrifice is of our lips. 

I hear frequently people will not receive the free gift of salvation because they believe they are not worthy. They want to clean themselves up first, make themselves presentable before the Lord. It doesn't work that way. He wants us to come just as we are and He will do the miraculous act of cleaning us up, changing us from the inside...starting with the heart...out. 

We can only receive Christ when we humble ourselves before Him. Jesus came humbly to this earth. He humbly took the beating, spitting, mocking for His honest claim that He was the Son of God. He did this for each of us. Who do we think we are if we believe we can take our perceived goodness before Him and expect Him to receive that? I'm speaking also for myself here. The Word says none of us is good or righteous in ourselves.

If we humbly go to the Lord and take words with us, words of humility, not pride, this is what He will receive. This is non-negotiable this to come humbly. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:17‬)

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah‬ ‭6:8‬)

On another note, imagine an entire country that would do this...

Lord, let us all come boldly before you, no matter where we are in our walk with You, even if we are not walking with You, and let us plead our case: Take away all iniquity; receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. We are so unworthy, but You will receive us through Your grace and mercy if our hearts are honest with You. Praise You, Lord, for Your goodness and mercy toward sinners like us. Praise You for what You have done for us. Thank You, Lord.

Hebrews‬ ‭13:15‬ ‭- Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

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Perfection

Daniel‬ ‭1:3-4 - Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

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The King of Babylon invaded the land of Judah. God allowed this. They had turned away from God. As you can see, this king only wanted unblemished, good looking, gifted, knowledgable people to learn of their ways.

Hmmmm, sounds familiar. Good figure, no handicaps or unusual features. Beauty is of utmost importance. Talented individuals are looked up to, idolized, like sports figures, musicians, artists. Those with higher IQs, having knowledge in science or philosophy are looked up to also. So gifted. And if we're not? Then what? Where does it place us?

What does God look for? 

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1Samuel‬ ‭16:7)

"For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist," says the LORD. "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word." ‭(Isaiah‬ ‭66:2‬)

Add to these those characteristics listed in the Beatitudes: poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted for righteousness' sake. I am reminded of the scripture which says that God uses the foolish things to confound the wise. 

David was a boy who slew a giant with no more than a sling and a stone. God pared down Gideon's large army to 300 to gain victory over an enemy's army of thousands. Many mocked Noah for building this huge ark for the rain they had never known before and his small family were all that was left of a corrupt world to repopulate. It's all to prove the power of this amazing God. Nothing is impossible with Him. Imperfect men and women became His disciples and followers. He ate with sinners. He changed their lives!

God doesn't need perfection. He needs a person willing to empty himself and learn the things of God. He will perfect us imperfect beings as much as we will allow. That perfection only comes through Jesus Christ. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (Colossians‬ ‭1:28‬) If we feel we need to do for God's approval, we are wrong. He wants submission. But this submission is not the way the world thinks of it; it lifts us up to a godly standard, not an earthly one.

We have an amazing God who so wants the best for us. But His ways and His blessings aren't always in ways we think they should. He knows best what each of us needs. Sometimes what we think we want might be the very thing that would hinder our knowing Him more deeply. Lean on His understanding. Trust Him. He's working to perfect us if we have received Him as Lord and Savior.

Hebrews 10:12,14 - But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God... For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

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