Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
    By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
    do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
  that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, Lord;
    teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount
    all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes
    as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts
    and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word.  Psalm 119:9-16, NIV

It’s clear that the psalmist had deep love and reverence for God’s Word. This entire passage (Read all of Psalm 119), elevates the Word of God over all other documents and statutes. No other book transforms, teaches, and guides like God’s Word.

God’s Word lights our path, enlightens our mind with truth, and deepens both our love for God and our understanding of his ways.  The more we read, the more likely our thinking and behaving will transform in God’s ways.  The more we understand the character of God, the more those characteristics embody our being!

The key to spiritual growth is not increased church attendance or involvement in spiritual activities. People don’t grow in Christ because they are busy at church. They grow in Christ when they read and trust God’s Word—His message of love, mercy, and grace. 

Jesus makes it clear to “those who have ears to hear and eyes to see” that seeds of faith, deeply planted in God’s Word, who trust and obey what He says, not only thrive in their daily walk but lead others to Jesus, too! 

How deeply planted are we?  What soil?

Luke 8, The Message

8 ^1-3 He continued according to plan, traveled to town after town, village after village, preaching God’s kingdom, spreading the Message. The Twelve were with him. There were also some women in their company who had been healed of various evil afflictions and illnesses: Mary, the one called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s manager; and Susanna—along with many others who used their considerable means to provide for the company.

The Story of the Seeds

^4-8 As they went from town to town, a lot of people joined in and traveled along. He addressed them, using this story: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn’t have good roots. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop.

“Are you listening to this? Really listening?”

⁹ His disciples asked, “Why did you tell this story?”

¹⁰ He said, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. There are others who need stories. But even with stories some of them aren’t going to get it:

Their eyes are open but don’t see a thing,
Their ears are open but don’t hear a thing.

^11-12 “This story is about some of those people. The seed is the Word of God. The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won’t believe and be saved.

¹³ “The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn’t go very deep. It’s only another fad, and the moment there’s trouble it’s gone.

¹⁴ “And the seed that fell in the weeds—well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun.

¹⁵ “But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there’s a harvest.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Seeds of faith, planted firmly in God’s Word, will thrive this good soil and bear a harvest once lost but now found people as they tell about Jesus’ saving grace!

ALL people had a desire to travel with Jesus as they walked from town to town.  Men, women, The Twelve who were chosen to work alongside Jesus as apprentices in His Kingdom work, and now after leaving one town to go to another, townspeople follow the band of believers!  Can you imagine it?  Jesus’ words of life are changing lives significantly.  “I came to seek and to save the lost” mission from God is being accomplished.  But the harvest is great, the laborers are few.  So, Jesus trains The Twelve to train others to lead the lost to salvation which results in exponential growth of seeds planted in God’s Word—the Good Soil.

I like to plant!  I love watching over the seeds planted in the soil that I have prepared. I work hard to keep the soil fertilized with nutrients that will aid growth, as the seeds develop into plants that bear vegetables for the table or bear the beauty of flowers in the yard.  Randy loves to plant, too.  Daily, we look over our seeds which turn to tiny sprouts.  We guard the little plants from animals and insects.  We provide water when they are thirsty, and plant food when they seem to need nourishment. We even pray over our plants for it is God who created them and knows exactly what is needed most to grow.s is exactly how it is with believers of Jesus in God’s Kingdom.  God delights in us and watches over us daily.  He celebrates our growth.  He protects us when we are threatened by those things in life that might destroy us.  He provides exactly what we need when we need it most.  He even sings over us!  (See Zephaniah 3.)

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”  (Zephaniah 3:17)

Stay in the Good Soil of God’s Word.  Cling to His Words of help and hope that provide the nourishment we need to thrive in His love.  There is wisdom that surpasses all understanding in His Word as God teaches us how to live the abundant life—all because of Jesus.

Ready, get set, plant your feet on solid ground in the good soil! 

Believe and be saved.

Lord,

Thank you for another lesson of encouragement for our walk with you.  You do not hide your words of wisdom, compassion, love, mercy, and grace from us.  It is us who need to read what you say and cling to what you tell us so we can grow in your character. Thank you for “checking on us” daily as we transform from seeds to thriving plants that blossom and bear the fruits of your Holy Spirit.  Keep me in the Good Soil, Lord! I believe!

In Jesus Name, Amen

I searched the world
But it couldn’t fill me
Man’s empty praise
And treasures that fade
Are never enough

Then You came along
And put me back together
And every desire
Is now satisfied
Here in Your love

Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You

I’m not afraid
To show You my weakness
My failures and flaws
Lord, You’ve seen ’em all
And You still call me friend

‘Cause the God of the mountain
Is the God of the valley
There’s not a place
Your mercy and grace
Won’t find me again

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

(Graves into Gardens)

Luke 7, The Message

Anointing His Feet

^36-39 One of the Pharisees asked him over for a meal. He went to the Pharisee’s house and sat down at the dinner table. Just then a woman of the village, the town harlot, having learned that Jesus was a guest in the home of the Pharisee, came with a bottle of very expensive perfume and stood at his feet, weeping, raining tears on his feet. Letting down her hair, she dried his feet, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfume.When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him.”

⁴⁰ Jesus said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Oh? Tell me.”

^41-42 “Two men were in debt to a banker. One owed five hundred silver pieces, the other fifty. Neither of them could pay up, and so the banker canceled both debts. Which of the two would be more grateful?”

^43-47 Simon answered, “I suppose the one who was forgiven the most.”

“That’s right,” said Jesus. Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see this woman? I came to your home; you provided no water for my feet, but she rained tears on my feet and dried them with her hair. You gave me no greeting, but from the time I arrived she hasn’t quit kissing my feet. You provided nothing for freshening up, but she has soothed my feet with perfume. Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.”

⁴⁸ Then he spoke to her: “I forgive your sins.”

⁴⁹ That set the dinner guests talking behind his back: “Who does he think he is, forgiving sins!”

⁵⁰ He ignored them and said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The harlot was a woman “of the village” known by her reputation.  She was an outcast, unworthy of greeting, and certainly not welcomed in the home of this pious Pharisee, a religious leader. This caused quite a stir in the household when she entered Simon’s home seeking a rescue.  With mournful tears, she headed straight for Jesus and dramatically fell to his feet, ready to anoint Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume.  She was determined to honor Jesus with all she had to give, including her shame. 

The woman provided a welcome that the Pharisee did not.  She welcomed Jesus into her heart that had been used and abused most of her life.  She asked for nothing but He gave her everything she needed and more—forgiveness instead of judgement, with grace to replace the shame she and others had heaped upon her.  This is Kingdom come.  This is how God works in our lives!  Jesus forgives.  Jesus was her advocate to unbelievers still in judgement of her and to God, the Father who loved her dearly!  Oh, Jesus, there is no one better than You!

Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You

You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes
You turn shame into glory
You’re the only one who can

You turn graves into garden
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You’re the only one who can
You’re the only one who can

The Pharisee was schooled in hospitality by Jesus!  “You didn’t welcome or greet me, you didn’t wash my feet” as was the custom in that day for sandalled feet walking on dusty roads to be rinse off by a servant before entering a home.  “You provided nothing…the woman seeking forgiveness provided all she had.” –Jesus   Wow.  Let that sink in—take all the time you need.

Because Jesus is relentless in love, mercy, and grace, He tells a story to explain what forgiveness means to those seeking it.  But did the story soften the heart of Simon, the Pharisee?  No, Simon was more focused on legitimacy of this man who forgave the woman, affirmed her faith, and set her free while removing her shame.  “Who is He to forgive sins?”  He is Jesus, that’s who.   

Oh, there’s nothing better than You
There’s nothing better than You
Lord, there’s nothing
Nothing is better than You

You turn graves into gardens
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You’re the only one who can …

(Graves into Gardens by Christopher Joel Brown / Steven Furtick / Tiffany Hudson / Brandon Lake)

Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your pursuit of us. Thank you for complete forgiveness that removes sin as far as the east is from the west. Thank you for taking away the shame of our past sins, setting us free to love others like you love us!  Yes, there is no one like you!  There is nothing better than you and your ways of doing life!

Cleanse our hearts, transform our minds to Kingdom thinking, refresh our souls with your new mercies for today and restore the joy and peace of your salvation at work within us with power!  I believe.  I trust you with everything because you are everything to me!

In Jesus Name, Amen

“What did you expect would happen?”

“What were you thinking?”  

These are questions posed by our parents after we disobey and go off the reservation of our upbringing.  I must confess, I was asked these questions and others related to them, many times until I developed greater understanding of life, seeking God’s wisdom skills for living, while learning to think and pray before doing anything.  I surely haven’t “arrived” but I still strive to be and do all God created me to be and do as Paul relates on his journey to knowing Jesus with great expectations of eternal life.  (See Philippians 3) 

I am also learning that to be more is to expect more of God’s character to form within me as I lean on His wisdom and not my feelings.  I am learning to trust in what He says. Is He the One?  Yes, He is!

Luke 7, The Message

Is This What You Were Expecting?

^18-19 John’s disciples reported back to him the news of all these events taking place. He sent two of them to the Master to ask the question, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”

²⁰ The men showed up before Jesus and said, “John the Baptizer sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?’”

^21-23 In the next two or three hours Jesus healed many from diseases, distress, and evil spirits. To many of the blind he gave the gift of sight. Then he gave his answer: “Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard:

The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth
    have God’s salvation hospitality extended to them.

“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves fortunate!”

^24-27 After John’s messengers left to make their report, Jesus said more about John to the crowd of people. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A messenger from God? That’s right, a messenger! Probably the greatest messenger you’ll ever hear. He is the messenger Malachi announced when he wrote,

I’m sending my messenger on ahead
To make the road smooth for you.

^28-30 “Let me lay it out for you as plainly as I can: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer, but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. The ordinary and disreputable people who heard John, by being baptized by him into the kingdom, are the clearest evidence; the Pharisees and religious officials would have nothing to do with such a baptism, wouldn’t think of giving up their place in line to their inferiors.

^31-35 “How can I account for the people of this generation? They’re like spoiled children complaining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk but you were always too busy.’ John the Baptizer came fasting and you called him crazy. The Son of Man came feasting and you called him a boozer. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

The most important question for us today is this,

“Do I really believe that what God says and did through Jesus His Son really real?”

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating,” says Jesus.  In other words, the answer to this question will flow from our hearts and be reflected in our behaviors.  What do we expect in our daily walk with God?  Who do we expect is with us always?  What do we expect when the end of our days here are over?  How do we expect God to help?  Do we expect God to help?  Do we live expectantly?

Paul, who lives expectantly writes with clarity about what and who to expect along with how to respond—

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!” Philippians 3:8-11

Here’s who and what to expect—

“For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.”  –Paul, Philippians 3:18-21

Believe and be saved.  Repent and be free forever. 

Love extravagantly. 

Live generously.

Live expectantly!

Lord,

Thank you for your message of love, mercy, and grace.  Thank you for saving us with the expectation of eternal life.  Thank you for consistently molding and shaping us as we live life here in preparation for our forever home with you.  Cleans our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls, and restore the joy of expectant living—your salvation work in us.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  You are more than life!  You are Life!

In Jesus Name, Amen

^“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 

While an earthly king trusted power politics instead of the power of God; making alliances with enemy leaders while relying on human capacities to keep peace, God gives Isaiah a message of Hope for God’s people.  God will come and dwell among us.

The ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy is in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is “God with us” (see Matt. 1:18–25; Luke 1:31–35). The virgin birth of Christ is a key doctrine; for if Jesus Christ is not God come in sinless human flesh, then we have no Savior.

Jesus had to be born of a virgin, apart from human generation, because He existed before His mother. He was not just born in this world; He came down from heaven into the world (John 3:13; 6:33). Jesus was sent by the Father and therefore came into the world having a human mother but not a human father (John 4:34; 5:23).

“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”  John 1:14, MSG

This is how God with us works—

Luke 7, The Message

A Place of Holy Mystery

7 ^1-5 When he finished speaking to the people, he entered Capernaum. A Roman captain there had a servant who was on his deathbed. He prized him highly and didn’t want to lose him. When he heard Jesus was back, he sent leaders from the Jewish community asking him to come and heal his servant. They came to Jesus and urged him to do it, saying, “He deserves this. He loves our people. He even built our meeting place.”

^6-8 Jesus went with them. When he was still quite far from the house, the captain sent friends to tell him, “Master, you don’t have to go to all this trouble. I’m not that good a person, you know. I’d be embarrassed for you to come to my house, even embarrassed to come to you in person. Just give the order and my servant will get well. I’m a man under orders; I also give orders. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes; another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

^9-10 Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd: “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how he works.” When the messengers got back home, they found the servant up and well.

^11-15 Not long after that, Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd. As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession—a woman’s only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow. When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to her, “Don’t cry.” Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, “Young man, I tell you: Get up.” The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother.

^16-17 They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them. They were quietly worshipful—and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, “God is back, looking to the needs of his people!” The news of Jesus spread all through the country.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus is God with us and is fulfilling all that the prophets said and wrote about Him centuries before his coming to earth.  Jesus has indeed moved into the neighborhood of humanity to be “God at work among them.”  Jesus is the Way to God.  Jesus is Truth about God.  Jesus leads all who believe to eternal Life that has no boundaries of time and space.  These stories of healing that we may have heard in Sunday School or in sermons all our lives go much deeper than the healing but in the glory of God at work!

 Yes, Jesus is the Promise of Isaiah.  Jesus is Messiah, the One who came to save us.  Jesus is Immanuel— “God with us.”  Jesus is with us still.  “And I am with you always…”—Jesus

Don’t you love the response of the people who saw Jesus for who He really was—God with us?  “They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them. They were quietly worshipful—and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, “God is back, looking to the needs of his people!”

God with us at work among us still!  And when God’s glory is seen and heard, we cannot help but worship Him because we were created to worship God and God alone.

Believe and be saved.  Trust and obey.  Worship God alone with grateful hearts!  This is our response to the One who loves us so much He sent His Son to save us.  ALL of us!

Yes, “God with us” is with us still!  Praise God!

Lord,

Thank you, thank you, thank you for turning our attention back to You.  You are Hope when we think all is hopeless.  You are Savior of what we cannot do for ourselves—rid us of the sins that entangle us, block our view of Your glory, and hinder our growing relationship with You. You are Love that is not like human conditional love but relentless and unchanging.  You are Peace—not like the world gives but real peace that settles our souls in the middle of overwhelming circumstances.  You are Joy unspeakable because we can’t explain it—it is eternal, embedded into our being.  You are “God with us” with a Promise to always be with us.  You are Lord of my life because there is no one else like You.  I love you with all that is in me.  I worship you alone. 

In Jesus Name, Amen

The health care community is so excited, aren’t they?  Millions of aging “Boomers” have now arrived in their late sixties to claim their hard-earned social security with maybe a small pension from work to survive on as they age.  But what is of most concern, we are now a “gold mine” for those in the medical community!

There are now billions to be made from boomers with constantly evaluating every part of our physical bodies looking for ways to build their medical practices, grow lucrative insurance agencies, along with other side companies for the “aging”.  Millions are spent on commercials to entice to take more drugs that will keep us healthy.  Drug companies advertise to be the “sure fix” for any problem that might ail us.  I say “us” because I am a boomer.  My husband is a boomer.  We are literally harassed daily by insurance companies, medical laboratories, business people in the health care industry trying to get our “business” because they “care.” Sigh.

Mm, I wonder what would happen in this world if believers paid this much serious attention to what the most important health issue is of all –our spiritual health!  Jesus addresses this issue with a diagnosis:  Work all that I have said to you into your daily thinking and behaviors. Don’t be dumb and act like you’re doing it, seriously do it.  God looks at the heart—we aren’t fooling Him, friends!

Reread all of Luke 6 for the prescription for robust spiritual health!  Here is the “capstone” as Jesus closes his words that give life!

Luke 6, The Message

Work the Words into Your Life

^43-45 “You don’t get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.

^46-47 “Why are you so polite with me, always saying ‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘That’s right, sir,’ but never doing a thing I tell you? These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on.

^48-49 “If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock. When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

THE FOUNDATION

Begin with believing Jesus died to save us from our sins and rose from the grave to defeat death which gives life eternal to all who repent of their sins.  This is the foundation to build on for healthy living.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) NO ONE on earth can provide abundant, robust living that leads to eternal life –no matter how hard this world tries to tell us they can. 

THE ”DO’S”

So many times, the world thinks the emphasis is made only on the don’ts: “don’t do this, it’s for your own good”. Jesus goes beyond what the world considers “good” to what pleases God who is good.  It’s all about God.

We change how we behave, something we cannot do ourselves, but because of who Jesus is in us as His Holy Spirit works on us.  The enticement to do what the world does fades in comparison to living out the words of Jesus.  All of this begins with heart check.  Whatever is in our hearts controls our thinking which results in how we behave. 

Don’t be dumb, says Jesus, be smart!  Work Jesus’ words of Truth into our lives.  It all begins with a new heart and then flows to our minds and fills our souls.  When Jesus guides all we think, do, and say, our spiritual life brims with health!  Our new way of thinking becomes a new way of living.  It becomes a habit to:

• Love our enemies.
• Do good to those who hurt or offend us.
• To gift wrap our best and give that to those who take from us.
• Pray for those who give us a hard time.
• Practice serving more than expecting to be served.
• Do for others without thought of receiving anything in return.
• Live generously. 
• Love extravagantly. 
• Forgive completely as Jesus forgives us.

Lord,

Thank you for reminding us that to know, but not do, is not knowing at all!  Cleanse our hearts, renew and transform our minds, refresh our souls with your new mercies for today and restore the joy that gives peace of your salvation at work within us. Change me, Lord.

In Jesus Name, Amen

I love road trips! The journey is fun. The radio is playing our favorite songs.  We look forward to our destination that has been planned for months.  We can’t wait to get there to see and do all those things we dreamed of enjoying.  Then we see the signs.  They are large and in charge with their bold, black lettering with a florescent orange background.  We abhor them.  They unnerve us.  Our joy is robbed the minute we see them for we know what might happen because of past experiences with these signs that say, “Construction ahead.” 

We know there will be a either a slowdown, detour, or a possible closing of the road we planned to take.  We groan and even get angry when our control is lost and we must do what more signs say that line the road we chose to go.  “Slow down” “Stay in the right lane” “Do not pass” “Detour ahead” “Follow the detour.”  All are warnings to get us safely to our destination.  But, this is not the way we planned!

If we go our own way in unfamiliar territory there will be more trouble ahead if…

Luke 6, The Message

Give Away Your Life

²⁴ But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made.
What you have is all you’ll ever get.

²⁵ And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself.
Your self will not satisfy you for long.

And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games.
There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it.

²⁶ “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.

^27-30 “To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more payback. Live generously.

^31-34 “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

^35-36 “I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

^37-38 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”

^39-40 He quoted a proverb: “‘Can a blind man guide a blind man?’ Wouldn’t they both end up in the ditch? An apprentice doesn’t lecture the master. The point is to be careful who you follow as your teacher.

^41-42 “It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus posts all the warning signs on our journey of life.  Imagine the same bold, black lettering on a bright orange background that says, “TROUBLE AHEAD.” When we go our own way in life, expect detours that will lead to know where as we cling to our “know-it-all” attitudes.

Jesus knows our human tendencies, emotions, and feelings, that drive our fallen behaviors.  So, Jesus schools us with higher thinking along with examples of Kingdom responses to life that are opposite to how we would naturally respond without thinking of the consequences.  Construction instruction:  Read this passage as many times as needed until our behaviors begin to match who we say we believe!

Jesus teaches us to love like God loves us—unconditionally and relentlessly—no matter what people do or say!  We learn from Jesus that there is nothing God won’t forgive in us; so to be like Him, we must forgive like He does.

Jesus defines the generosity of God.  “Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”  Jesus is our standard for generosity and was our perfect example of giving His life for ours.

CONSTRUCTION AHEAD!

We are a work in progress!  In fact, just like our highways, we are continually in construction.  When we think we have it one part under God’s control, then God’s Holy Spirit shows us another area that needs work.  Paul shares his (and ours) state of continual work in him as encouragement to us:

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

There is a completion date—when Jesus comes back!  God only knows that date and time.  So, journey with Jesus!  He is the Way, Truth, and Life that leads us home.

Lord,

You have reminded me that I am a work under continual construction.  You have encouraged me to know that failures are lessons to be learned.  I’m leaving what I know that generally leads to trouble to lean on your wisdom, insight and understanding.  I trust in You, the Master of masterpieces, as you continue your daily work on me. You are God.  I am not.  Do what you must so I will be all you created me to be.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Wait, what?  Which one of these is not like the other?  Blessings do not seem to fit or register with losses, hurts, tears, sicknesses, and grieving but to God it makes perfect sense.  Until we go through challenging times, hurt from others, devastating things of this imperfect world we cannot seem to focus on the blessings of knowing a perfect Savior who wants to be Lord of our lives.  Think about it.  Take all the time you need. Then read our next passage.

Luke 6, The Message

You’re Blessed

^17-21 Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon. They had come both to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed. Everyone was trying to touch him—so much energy surging from him, so many people healed! Then he spoke:

You’re blessed when you’ve lost it all.
God’s kingdom is there for the finding.

You’re blessed when you’re ravenously hungry.
Then you’re ready for the Messianic meal.

You’re blessed when the tears flow freely.
Joy comes with the morning.

^22-23 “Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don’t like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We will not escape times of hurt, pain, and sometimes agony of living on earth.  But blessed are we when all that happens to us works for the good of what God wants to do in us!

Jesus has become very popular on earth for two reasons: 

• He has the power to heal all sicknesses, restore broken bones, and cast out demons. 
• They also are ready and want to hear what He has to say because of these miracles.    

Yes, hungry, hurt, sick, possessed people are now ready to see, hear, and be blessed by God’s message of salvation—the forgiveness of sins.  And we are, too!

We are blessed—

• With an unconditional, relentless love that we have never experienced before knowing Him.
• With His message of mercy delivered by God’s gift of grace when we repent of our sins.
• With being made whole and set free from the bondage of past behaviors.
• When giving all back to the One who created all and owns all—the One who loves us most and wants the best for us. 
• With power and encouragement to keep moving forward, forgiving those who hurt us with sarcastic comments, critical judgements of our behavior, while rejecting Jesus who lives in us.  When people hurt us, Jesus says they hurt Him, too.
• When we ask for wisdom in doing life here.  God delights in the details!
• When we give up our control for His agenda. 
• Knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord of our everything!

When all is lost and we come to the end our ourselves we discover that all we really, ever needed was, is and forever will be Jesus.  Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life!  Jesus is the Promised Messiah sent to save us!  What a blessing! 

God pours out His blessings in a variety of ways according to what He knows we need.  His Word proclaims and explains His blessings from the prophets to the apostles. Here are a few—

Malachi 3:10 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

3 John 1:2 “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”

Acts 20:35 “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Leviticus 27:30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.”

Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”  God wins in the end!  Greatest blessing of all!

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I love this quote from Tim Keller—

“Have you heard God’s blessing in your inmost being? Are the words, ‘You are my beloved child, in whom I delight’ an endless source of joy and strength? Have you sensed, through the Holy Spirit, God speaking to you?

That blessing- the blessing through the Spirit that is ours through Christ- is what Jacob received and it is the only remedy against idolatry. Only that blessing makes idols unnecessary. As with Jacob, we usually discover this only after a life of ‘looking for blessings in all the wrong places.’ It often takes an experience of crippling weakness for us to finally discover it. That is why so many of the most God-blessed people limp as they dance for joy.”

“Count your many blessings, name them one by one…” is not about the material things of this life as much as it is about the spiritual things of God who enriches our lives with His love through believing in His Son.  The blessings we count are the ways God’s character is growing within us.  I am a life that was changed by Jesus.  I am a life that is consistently transforming by the grace of God.  He still has work to do in me!  I have not arrived, but I am blessed by His work that will be completed when I see Him face to face.

Lord,

We are blessed beyond measure by You who saved us from all our sins.  We are blessed to be able to come boldly to your throne and ask for wisdom and help.  We are blessed by the Comforter and Helper you sent to live within us to guide us.  We are blessed by your love, mercy, and grace—so undeserving—yet you pour these blessings out daily.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I am humbled by your rich blessings to me.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Everyone who followed Jesus closely would observe Him leaving the group often.  He would get away by Himself, walking a good distance away, to pray to God, His Father.  It probably didn’t faze the followers when He did this and t’s not surprising to us either who are called to do the work of God.  We get it, right?  Even the most extroverted, whose energy comes from being around people, need to chill.  Those inclined to be introverted can’t imagine life without a place to go where they can be alone with their thoughts as people exhaust them.

But do we really “get it”?  Do we understand what Jesus is really doing in his getaways from the followers?  Mm, I don’t think we do completely.

Luke 6, The Message

The Twelve Apostles

^12-16 At about that same time he climbed a mountain to pray. He was there all night in prayer before God. The next day he summoned his disciples; from them he selected twelve he designated as apostles:

Simon, whom he named Peter,

Andrew, his brother,

James,

John,

Bartholomew,

Matthew,

Philip,

Thomas,

James, son of Alphaeus,

Simon, called the Zealot,

Judas, son of James,

Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn in this short but meaningful passage what Jesus does BEFORE doing anything of significance that will affect God’s Kingdom work.

Jesus, Son of God/Son of Man goes BEFORE God to pray God’s Kingdom come, God’s will be done. 

Jesus spends all night in prayer BEFORE God, as necessary, until Jesus knows exactly what to say, who to call as disciples, along with orders of what and where to go next.  (Did Jesus have conversation about Judas on this night of prayer?  Just wondering.) 

The mission was clearly given and consistently defined from God to Jesus who often declares: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  (Luke 19:10) But it seems Jesus’ mission was clarified and assured with how He will accomplish the work of salvation as He goes BEFORE God on his knees.  Jesus, though tempted to sin, was without sin.  Jesus stayed in close communication with the One who sent Him. 

Jesus did not say or do anything BEFORE going to God.  “For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” –Jesus, (John 12:49-50)

“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.”–Jesus, (John 5:19-20)

Ah, what we thought was merely a getaway from the crowds is really a “go-to” God for what to say and do next.  Do we?  Do we go BEFORE God for everything in our lives?  Or do we think this is not necessary?  The latter thinking seems very arrogant to me now. 

If Jesus went BEFORE God for everything in the Son’s life on earth, from choosing disciples, to healing the broken-hearted, while on his way to ultimately save the world—then who am I to think it is not necessary to go BEFORE God and ask for His will to be done in my life? 

God delights in the details of our lives!  Here’s proof:

• “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.” Psalms 37:23-25

• Since God does not change, He delights in your prayers just as much as yesterday as He does today—as He will forever (Hebrews 13:8). Go to your Father knowing that He is never bored of you or your prayers. He loves them, delights in them, and wants to hear them.

• “The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but he delights in the prayers of the upright.” Proverbs 15:8

• Psalm 147:11- “God delights in those who reverence him and trust him and put their hope in his unfailing love.” God does not delight in strength (v. 10) but he delights in us when we acknowledge our weakness and our need of him.

One of my favorite assurances of His Presence in those who love God and come before God is found in Zephania 3:17: “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”  God is with us, saves us, delights in us, and rejoices over us!  This is the character of God!  This is the everlasting, relentless, amazing, unchanging, unconditional love of God!

Why not go BEFORE God?  BEFORE submitting to a life of details, commitments, and self-made agendas that lead to overwhelming, overthinking, overscheduled, burdensome lives—Go BEFORE God ask Him what He wants.  (“My yoke is light…”) We might even choose what is good, but He knows what is best for each one of us for “such a time as this” in our lives. 

Leaders in God’s work must go before Him.  If you do not then what you do is all about you—MEinstry (all for self on your own limited strength and wisdom) not ministry  that helps others find and follow Jesus with direction from God.

“Lead me, Lord” is heartfelt prayer I learned to pray BEFORE doing anything else: 

• As a young mom of three going to buy groceries on a limited budget.  And God led.
• As a young teacher of a classroom full of first graders.  And God led.
• As a wife who loves her husband.  And God led.
• When buying a car, home, or a loaf of bread.  And God led.
• When choosing friends.  And God led.
• When discerning who among our friends and coworkers was telling the truth.  And God led.
• When deciding to change careers.  And God led.
• When knowing when to speak and when to be silent and wait on God.  And God led.
• Before reading His Word each morning.  And God leads.
• And before writing “Daily Manna” each day.  And God leads!

I’m a detail person.  It thrills my heart to know God wants to hear my details.  Yes, every detail, God wants and delights in hearing from us.  I am a life with praises of proof!

Believe and be saved from sins.  Live life to the full by going to God before doing or saying anything—Be like Jesus and follow in His ways. God can be trusted, believe me!  Better still, believe Him!

Lord,

Thank you for taking us deeper into your word and realizing fully why you “got away” to pray.  Thank you for bending down to hear us, teach us, and delight in us.  Being your child, your beloved, makes all the difference in my life.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms…

Physical hunger nags at the stomachs of the traveling band of disciples.  Without really thinking about what day it is; they grab a handful of grain as they walk through a field.  They use their hands to harvest the sweet grain from the hulls.  The Lord of the Sabbath sanctions this way of feeding his followers for there is more work ahead to be done and they need to be fed.

Later, as the Lord of the Sabbath is teaching at a local synagogue, he sees a man with a withered hand.  Jesus asks the man stand before all who are gathered and says, “hold out your hand.”  The man obeys and right before the eyes of everyone, his hand is made new.

Whether hands are used to satisfy extreme hunger or a hand used to display his authority and healing power from God in Him, Jesus will not hesitate to prove to unbelievers Who He is.  And He still does!

Am I ready and willing to hold out my hands to receive all that He wants to give to show the world Who He is?

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Luke 6, The Message

In Charge of the Sabbath

6 ^1-2 On a certain Sabbath Jesus was walking through a field of ripe grain. His disciples were pulling off heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands to get rid of the chaff, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing that, breaking a Sabbath rule?”

^3-4 But Jesus stood up for them. “Have you never read what David and those with him did when they were hungry? How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? He also handed it out to his companions.”

⁵ Then he said, “The Son of Man is no slave to the Sabbath; he’s in charge.”

^6-8 On another Sabbath he went to the meeting place and taught. There was a man there with a crippled right hand. The religion scholars and Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal the man, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath violation. He knew what they were up to and spoke to the man with the crippled hand: “Get up and stand here before us.” He did.

⁹ Then Jesus addressed them, “Let me ask you something: What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?”

^10-11 He looked around, looked each one in the eye. He said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out—it was as good as new! They were beside themselves with anger, and started plotting how they might get even with him.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Who’s in charge?  Who is Lord?  Good or evil? 

These are the questions with solid answers that Jesus gives his accusers who are being used by the evil one to bring Jesus down for the purpose of destroying His mission from God.  These religious leaders are so taken in by the lies of the enemy that their pride rules their hearts.  They are so fearful of losing their current power over people, that they attempt to control Who God has sent to save them from themselves and their sins. 

The religious without relationship to God do not offer a hand to help or give a hand to welcome.  They do not lift their hands in praise to God for the healing power that takes place.  They only point fingers of hate as they judge every move Jesus makes. 

The Lord of the Sabbath knows that and proves His authority from God who sent Him.

What’s really going on here?  The religious leaders, over generations have added to God’s Law for the purpose of power.  These tedious rules are a burden, hurting with no thought for helping people.  These rules, not in the original law, but merely their interpretations of The Law are used to “lord it over” the people.  In other words, they think they’re in charge.  Jesus comes to fulfill God’s original Law that was intended to help, protect, and nurture His people.  Jesus comes with power to heal.  So, fear sets in to those who think they may lose their manmade power.

The religious leaders are blind. They cannot see God in Jesus standing right in front of them.  

They are deaf.  They cannot hear what Jesus is saying because their ears are no longer tuned to God’s voice.  These leaders are hardhearted and reflect Isaiah’s words to other blind servants of God;

“Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see!  Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send?  Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the Lord?  You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing.”  (Isaiah 42:18-20) 

According to Isaiah, the result of this condition of remaining spiritually deaf and blind are lives lost, becoming plunder for the enemy.  (Read the whole chapter.)

What is our response today? 

We must hold out our hands to Jesus for His healing, ready to receive His salvation.  We must use our hands to get a grip His hands of love, mercy, and grace, holding on for dear life!  We lift our hands to God and cry out for His wisdom, insight and understanding. The Lord of the Sabbath sent from God promises to give what you ask when hearts are sincere, ready to let go of self to gain all that God wants to give. His promises are true.  God cannot and does not lie.

So, be healed of spiritual blindness and deafness.  Guard your heart!  Even we, as God’s people can become spiritually blind and deaf during challenging times in our lives that weaken us. How does that happen? We stop listening to God and his Word and start doing things our own way. We stop paying attention to what God’s doing around us and instead focus solely on our own agendas and our hurt.

God has called us to be light to a dying world. But how can we be light when we are just as deaf and blind as the world is? Avoid being that way.  Let us keep our eyes and ears open to our heavenly Father, as Jesus did. Let us always look at what God is doing in us and around us, and put our hands in His, joining Him in His work.  May we refuse to join the blind and the deaf, but let us go out to them, bringing them out of darkness into God’s light.  That’s what the Lord of the Sabbath tells us to do!  And He’s in charge!

Lord,

You are in charge because of who you are!  You are God.  No one else is God.  There is no one else like You.  You are Truth.  You do not lie.  You love us; the enemy hates us.  You want the best for us; the enemy wants to destroy us. 

So, I lift my hands to you this morning in praise to You.  I also hold out my hands to receive all you want to give to help me on my journey here in preparation for my eternal home with you there.  You are God.  I am not.  I’m yours—heart, mind, and soul.  Show your ways, your agenda for today, and I will follow.

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen

Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Change happens.  Seasons and phases of life come and go no matter where you live in the world. We can’t stop change from happening. Change just is.  It seems the older we get the faster change happens.  Changes roar past us like speeding freight trains, at times.  When we were young, change seemed slow as molasses but when we are older, we not only see rapid changes taking place; we see, hear, taste, feel and touch change that is undeniably occurring daily all around us.  We cannot control change, but what we can control is choosing a life that changes us in the best way, from the inside out, by the One who created us and loves us so much He laid down His life for us.

Jesus changes us by removing what is not of God.  He works from the inside out and outside in with the compassionate love of God!  God created us with uniqueness.  There is no one exactly like us. Who we are, designed by God, is not thrown out but shaped and molded by The Potter.  For this to happen, we as the “clay” must go through radical changes as it becomes a work of art for His glory.  As the changes are made by God’s Holy Spirit, we become a masterpiece of God’s heart!

Luke 5, The Message

Invitation to a Changed Life

¹² One day in one of the villages there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus he fell down before him in prayer and said, “If you want to, you can cleanse me.”

¹³ Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, “I want to. Be clean.” Then and there his skin was smooth, the leprosy gone.

^14-16 Jesus instructed him, “Don’t talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed self to the priest, along with the offering ordered by Moses. Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.” But the man couldn’t keep it to himself, and the word got out. Soon a large crowd of people had gathered to listen and be healed of their sicknesses. As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.

¹⁷ One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and religion teachers were sitting around. They had come from nearly every village in Galilee and Judea, even as far away as Jerusalem, to be there. The healing power of God was on him.

^18-20 Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher. They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus. When they couldn’t find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus. Impressed by their bold belief, he said, “Friend, I forgive your sins.”

²¹ That set the religion scholars and Pharisees buzzing. “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemous talk! God and only God can forgive sins.”

^22-26 Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking and said, “Why all this gossipy whispering? Which is simpler: to say ‘I forgive your sins,’ or to say ‘Get up and start walking’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both. . . .” He now spoke directly to the paraplegic: “Get up. Take your bedroll and go home.” Without a moment’s hesitation, he did it—got up, took his blanket, and left for home, giving glory to God all the way. The people rubbed their eyes, stunned—and then also gave glory to God. Awestruck, they said, “We’ve never seen anything like that!”

^27-28 After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” And he did—walked away from everything and went with him.

^29-30 Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. “What is he doing eating and drinking with misfits and ‘sinners’?”

^31-32 Jesus heard about it and spoke up, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.”

³³ They asked him, “John’s disciples are well-known for keeping fasts and saying prayers. Also the Pharisees. But you seem to spend most of your time at parties. Why?”

^34-35 Jesus said, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to exercise moderation, but this isn’t the time. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. When the groom is gone, the fasting can begin. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!

^36-39 “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put wine in old, cracked bottles; you get strong, clean bottles for your fresh vintage wine. And no one who has ever tasted fine aged wine prefers unaged wine.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“If you want to…”  There was never a more humbled request, expressed by a man with an illness that forced him to be an outcast of society.  Jesus simply responded in kind, “I want to.”  Because the man humbly came to Jesus with a sincere heart, the man was healed. God looks at the heart and know the intent of the soul.  The man was changed from the outside in and inside out! 

When Jesus does the changing, we are compelled to talk about our new life in Him!  Jesus instructed the now clean from leprosy man to first quietly do what the law required him to do so he could come back to live in his community a changed man.  Jesus gave him an extra piece of wisdom and encouragement along with the instruction: “Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.”  This statement leaps off the page for me this morning.  Our changed lives will bear witness to what Jesus has done in us! 

God’s Holy Spirit enters in when we say a heartfelt, humbled yes to Jesus.  God’s Holy Spirit who lives in us is the secret to our changed behaviors that will occur as our Helper renews our devoted hearts, minds, and souls given to Jesus.  This is a decision made daily to trade our very limited, imperfect will, based on what we see in front of us, for knowing God’s perfect and pleasing will that He all-knowingly sees ahead of us.  See Romans 12:1-2

“If you want to …Believe it, God wants to!

Not everyone wants to change, however.  Jesus’ healing power has brought many people with all kinds of ailments seeking His touch. While sitting around in a clustered discussion group, you know the type, the religious leaders come to watch.  The have also come to judge the situation and decide whether to “sanction” Jesus’ actions—or not. They lie in wait, like lions getting ready to pounce, watching and listening to see what He will say and do next with hardened hearts looking for ways to bring Him down.

Everything about Jesus is called into question by those unwilling to believe Him.  The finale comes when Jesus parties in celebration of the newly called, changed life of a tax collector.  Oh my, this is the last straw for the religious leaders who devoted their whole lives to teaching every snippet of the Law without knowing the intent of God who wrote the Law!  Jesus is Kingdom come!  But they refuse to acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah they have read about, talked about and taught to others for generations! Centuries have passed but the Promise of Messiah come has been fulfilled! 

But they missed it.  Their heads were far too deep in the scrolls to see Messiah move about the neighborhood providing what the people needed most—A Savior with authority to heal and forgive.  They missed Jesus who came to show the Way back to God.  They refused the offer for a new life with a forever relationship with God who has loved them from the beginning of creation.  “God with us” was indeed with them, in person, relating to all people in incredibly, unforgettable ways.  But they missed Him.  They missed celebrating the Lord of the Sabbath.  They missed the very One who the empty chair was for that was traditionally placed at The Passover Table each year.  Most of all, they missed a beautiful, loving, compassionate, relentless relationship with our Savior and Lord who sacrificed Himself to pay the debt of our sins.  No, they did not want to anyone to change their hearts and minds.  They did not want Jesus to change their ways of doing life.  Instead, they wanted to kill Him and remain unchanged.

Jesus is still calling out to the lost today.  Don’t be the one who misses His calling out to you.  He loves you more than humans can even imagine.  Because of His love, there is nothing you have said or done that He will not forgive.  Don’t miss Him.  It’s a matter of life and death! 

If you want to … Believe, accept the gift of eternal life, repent, love God back, while following the One who loves you most and gave His life for yours!  Your life will never be the same—you will be changed for eternity! 

How do I know?  I am a life that was changed and is changing still in the Name of Jesus.

Lord,

Thank you for teaching us from so many angles about how you love people and long to save us.  Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls with your new mercies, and restore the joy of your salvation at work with us all because of your love for us.

In Jesus Name, Amen