So that the blind may see!

John Chapter 9 - a whole chapter devoted to one miracle.
It's not just any miracle...Jesus heals a man who had been blind from birth. This was not just a "magic trick" that could have been done by anyone. Following the miracle, the man is questioned multiple times about it. And Jesus explains his actions to several people on multiple occasions. What is it about this story that has everyone all RILED up???

I encourage you to read the whole chapter in order to gain understanding through context, however I will only include part of it here as our focus.
 
S - John 9: 13-16, 39-41
They brought the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees. ¹⁴ The day that Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath. ¹⁵ So again the Pharisees asked him how he received his sight.
“He put mud on my eyes,” he told them. “I washed and I can see.”
¹⁶ Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He doesn’t keep the Sabbath!” But others were saying, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was a division among them.

Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, in order that those who do not see will see and those who do see will become blind.”
⁴⁰ Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and asked Him, “We aren’t blind too, are we?”
⁴¹ “If you were blind,” Jesus told them, “you wouldn’t have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see’—your sin remains.

O - Oh how the Pharisees loved to pick apart everything and remind you of the "law". Let's look at a few details of this story and dissect the law for a minute.
First, Jesus uses mud. He sculpts it into a shape to place on the blind man's eyes. In the law, you weren't even allowed to "sculpt" the mud on the Sabbath, the Jewish holy day of rest. The simple fact that he picked up the mud and used it was going against Jewish law.
Secondly, he HEALED on the Sabbath. Now I don't know about you but the fact that he healed on ANY day is pretty amazing! I have never understood why they are getting all worked up and completely MISSING the fact that this guy Jesus just took a man that was blind and made it so he can see. They say he is not God and calls him a sinner specifically because he broke the "law". Seriously! Like wake up people.

I don't know Hebrew law well and it might be in there specifically not to do "healing" on the Sabbath, but my thought is that healing wasn't done on a regular basis, at least the full-on complete healing that Jesus was doing, and it was not the NORM. And it amazes me that they are fixating on the fact that he did something on the Sabbath. AND they are not SEEING what is right in front of them. They are so focused on the actions of the man and what the law says that they are missing God. It seems so silly to be fixated on the day of the week. I don't really get how that makes you a sinner. I don't believe that when God gave them the "laws" He intended for them to hold that above meeting people's needs. God gave them the "law" to set them apart from the rest of the world for the purpose of carrying out His plan of salvation, but it was not supposed to define them when it came to having a relationship with the Lord Almighty, the creator of the universe. And it was definitely not set in place to justify ignoring care for people at a basic level, which was exactly what Jesus was doing.

Going back to the mud again for a moment. I find it interesting that Jesus doesn't do something fancy to perform this miracle. He uses mud...from the ground...and then tells him to wash it off. This is what heals his eyes so he can see. Jesus chooses a very basic material, the same of which incidentally God used to create man in the first place, and does incredible "eye opening" things with it! (sorry, fun little pun there...I am my Father's daughter :)

In vs. 39 Jesus says he came for judgment so let's address this a moment. I think this is talking about how Jesus will be judged and take on the judgment for sin, even while he is sin-less. I think it would be easy to interpret this as him saying he has come to judge us. We would be missing his point by taking this view. Jesus came to show us how to live, and to save, not to judge. He is making a point to give us a play on the word "see" and using the miracle of blindness to sight to teach us to be open to what we cannot see with our eyes but can "see" with our hearts. We do not SEE God but can know Him. He sees us for what we can be instead of who we are in our sin. His plan of restoration includes us accepting the gift of salvation by faith and not by sight...we cannot always see God with our eyes, nor can we see what He has in store for us as He changes our hearts and lives, nor can we see or imagine the immeasurable blessings that He has to give.

In vs. 41 when He says that the Pharisees sin because they "see" it means that they are using their human eyes that have limited power to really see who He is, instead of being open to "seeing" God's plan for all of humanity. They are blinded by the law and their own limited interpretation of God's plan. They believed this was just for the Jewish people but God had a bigger plan in mind from the beginning and they are missing it.

A - There is so much here that we can apply to our own lives and I am humbly reminded to look within myself at my own sin. It would be prideful to say that I am a "good" person and follow the "law", which I do. In reality, I am just as big of a sinner as a murderer, which makes me cringe. My pride, losing my temper, judging others, and a handful of other sins, get in the way of my relationship with God. But I am also reminded that God sees me, little ole me, for who I can become in Christ, not who I am in the world. He has paid the price for my sin and the gospel says that there is NOTHING I can do to make God love me more, or less. NOTHING. (Romans 8) I did not earn my salvation by following the law, nor will I keep it or get a better spot in heaven because of "good behavior".

Let me address "good behavior" for a moment. We Christians are actually sometimes the WORST about holding this over people's heads. We say what you can and can't do. We judge others and we judge ourselves. I know a few people that are so wrapped up tight with guilt over something they have done, or something they didn't do, and perhaps even shame over something horrible that someone else did to them, that they don't love themselves, they don't think they are worthy of God's love, and they most definitely are NOT able to love others because they have nothing to give. Like an empty glass begging to be filled with water. On the other side of the spectrum are some other people that don't care what God thinks actually, and don't think they need Him. They want to justify their behavior because they are "good people" and follow MOST of the laws of the land while JUDGING Christians for speaking out about what is right and wrong. I've been unfriended on facebook for giving my opinion on social issues, which I guess is considered "judging", even though the other person giving their opinion about Christians and "bad" behavior didn't consider their own behavior "judging". Hmmm, but I digress.

But the worst of these in my opinion are Christians that act like they are "better" because they do all the "right things" and don't SEE the log in their own eye. They are happy to be proud of themselves for going to church, being in the "best" bible study where all the other "good" people are, giving money, going downtown to feed the homeless, and bringing you dinner when your husband has surgery. Oh, they won't ever say anything to those "less" than themselves that is judgmental...it will be all sugar and sweetness...but they are gossiping to their close friends about you or telling their kids that they can't play with your kids. I admit it...I know this because I have found myself guilty of this a time or two. It hurts to admit it and I just HATE it when I find myself influenced in this direction. I guess my opinion expressed here could be considered judging as well. I DO believe we need to stand true to biblical principles and there is a time and place, and a LOVING way, to address sin. Parents should be cautious and protect their kids from negative influences, but we should not be afraid to "mingle" with those that are not our "kind". After all, Jesus ate a meal with prostitutes and tax collectors!!! This is a slippery slope that we must be cautious of lest we turn people away from the church for what they SEE in us. Do they see Christ, or do they see US?

And so it is important to read John chapter 9 and remember that we too are guilty like the Pharisees of having limited sight. We see what we see with our eyes every day and justify our sin, judge others, fall into temptation, act based on what is right in front of us, or the fear that we feel from what we don't understand or "see" completely. Maybe our sight is limited because we are so focused on unaddressed pain in ourselves. We are blinded from God's ways because we see every day the ways of the world. We don't always see who God is or we don't see His plan because we forget where to look.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says "Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, ² keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne."

That's right people. We keep our eyes on Jesus. That's what we do. Day in and day out we look to Jesus. And if we don't know how to do that, we keep looking...we seek Him and we mess up...and we learn a little bit...and we keep looking. This doesn't mean we DON'T have to worry about the law because God did give us the Bible, written by His divine power through 40+ authors, that all point to the same thing...God goes before us, He has our back behind us and frankly, He knows what He's doing cuz He like created the whole world or something! Maybe we should listen and stop trying to figure it out on our own. The Bible and the Holy Spirit are our guides. This is how we learn and the more we practice looking, the more we SEE. And when people look for God's plan and trust in Him, He works it all out. He restores, He saves, and He heals with simple materials like mud and water.

P - Oh that I would keep my eyes on you Jesus! I really stink at this sometimes. I sometimes see myself for what I've done in the past, what I haven't done yet, and very often how others see me. But you Lord see me as beautiful, and valuable, and you love me FOR my weakness because it all the more shows your great power when you overcome all that. Use me. Please give me the gift of sight to see your plan for my life and how you want to use me each and every day. I want to look to you and be blinded from the ways of the world. Please hide the temptations from me!!! I pray this prayer for my family and friends as well and especially those that may not believe that you love them, or that you want to use them for GREAT things. I pray they would see themselves as YOU see them and take a step toward loving you and seeking you. I pray they would be surrounded by those that love you and would show them how much love you have to give. May I simply be an instrument to guide others in this same way. Thank you Lord for the privilege of interpreting your word and being able to share it with others. This brings me great joy! I pray all this in Jesus' Holy name! Amen!

The American Dream and Finding our "Treasure"

Today I am posting because tomorrow is the 4th and I will be with my family and serving at my church instead of blogging! I am sharing something I wrote on yesterday's scripture reading. I will warn you...it got pretty long and I admit I had a lot of thoughts to share, so sit down when you have an hour or so :) It's mostly unedited because I was just writing away. I have been reading a lot lately about the current political and social debate issues and so I have been influenced by some to join in the discussion on "freedom". Before I wrote this I had been reading and viewing a lot of video discussion by other theologians and ultimately this is for me about what the Bible has to say. However, for more insight, after you read my thoughts, consider investigating some input on related issues with the following:

Tim Keller and Albert Mohler discuss "what is morality" and how do we judge what is "harmful". This elaborates on the issue of "independence" and "freedom"
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/09/20/what-is-morality-other-than-harm/

Tim Keller references in the above discussion a book by Andrew Delbanco called "The Real American Dream" and there is a NY Times review of this book from a secular view that I don't necessarily agree with on all points but does conjure up some interesting discussion
After viewing the above video for context, Read the article here http://www.nytimes.com/books/99/11/07/reviews/991107.07rortyt.html

I am currently reading JD Greear's book called "Gospel" and here is an interesting perspective (video discussion) on the gay marriage debate
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2013/07/03/how-can-homosexuality-be-wrong-if-it-doesnt-harm-anyone/

And you can go even deeper into this with Voddie Baucham's article on "civil rights"
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/07/19/gay-is-not-the-new-black/

And finally, here are just some interesting facts on "9 things you should know about Independence Day and the Declaration of Independence"
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2013/07/03/9-things-you-should-know-about-independence-day-and-the-declaration-of-independence/

Please share your thoughts on anything I've written or on the above commentaries. I am always open to reflecting on other opinions and ideas that are shared in the spirit of MUTUAL understanding.

SOAP devotional for July 2, 2013

S – Matthew 6:19-34

¹⁹ “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. ²² “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. ²³ But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. ²⁵ “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? ²⁷ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? ²⁸ “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, ²⁹ yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. ³⁰ And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? ³¹ “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ³² These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. ³³ Seek the Kingdom of God^[d] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. ³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

O – There really is SO much here that we can learn. What strikes me most this time in reading this passage again (for the 100^th? time) is vs. 22 talking about the eye providing light to the body. I’ve never really focused on this part that says your body is filled with “darkness” when your eye is bad. And then it goes on to say that if you “think” you have light but you really have darkness, how DEEP the darkness is. To me this is like going to the eye doctor and finding out you have cataracts or that you need even a minor adjustment to your vision with glasses. You have been walking around and maybe not even aware that your eyes were working so hard to see clearly when all of a sudden you put on some glasses or have surgery and VOILA! You can see clearly! It’s like euphoria when you realize how clear your vision is!

Another observation I haven’t really thought about before until this reading is the lilies of the field and how God cares for the “wildflowers”. God cares deeply for these flowers that really know nothing of God’s greatness and therefore if He cares for them, we should assume how much more He cares for us. If you think about it, no one plants wildflowers…they just grow, wild and out of control. This makes me think of kids that are for whatever reason left to basically raise themselves…they grow “wild and out of control”. This doesn’t always mean they are bad kids. I think it depends on which road they choose to take. There are kids that are neglected, abused, run away, etc. Some of these kids choose to make something of themselves in spite of their situation. They work hard in school. They look for mentors and ask for help. There are “rich” kids that raise themselves or have a nanny because mom and dad are busy making the dough or playing tennis or busy with their “charity work”. Many of these kids may see the disadvantaged in the world around them and choose to focus on the good they can do instead of the loneliness they may feel. I used to teach a bunch of kids that lived in apartments and were what we called “latch-key kids”. They came home to an empty house because maybe they were being raised by a single mom working two jobs or doing shift work at weird hours and these kids had to be responsible enough to cook their own dinner and do their homework on their own. I don’t think these parents didn’t care for their kids, I think they were in a tough spot and felt they didn’t have much choice.

A – Today in reading this I feel like there are a lot of puzzle pieces in my head that are coming together to create a picture of the American Dream. This week we celebrate “Independence Day” and the birthday of our country becoming an independent nation. There are people all over the world that seek to come here to work, and go to school, and live the “American Dream”. MANY are crossing the border from Mexico illegally every day because if their children are born here then they will be American and have a “better life”. So many people think we have it so good and in reality we have it better economically than probably 90% of the rest of the world…is that too high of a number??? Probably not…there is a LOT of poverty around the world. However, I would like to venture an idea that we are really no better off than any other country and are not setting a very good example of using our “independence” for good. Now stay with me because I have a lot of thoughts that I’m trying to communicate clearly…I hope this makes sense.

My Grandfather, Michael Varro, was born in Hungary (in a part that actually became Romania after WW2) and immigrated as a child with his father and brothers to Saskatchewan, Canada. His father desired to make a better life for his children after his wife died and spent everything he had to come over on a ship to North America. He worked for the railroad and they lived in a boxcar. They had nothing. My Grandfather found the Lord as a young man at a revival and hitchhiked to California to go to Bible College. He met my Grandmother and they had 5 children (one died at the age of 4) and were missionaries to Taiwan and China for over 30 years. He became an American citizen shortly after my Dad was born in Alaska, before it was even a state. Ok, so that’s the short version and one branch of the family tree on where I came from. I share that because that is MY personal foundation for living the American dream…and yet, it’s not. My Grandfather came here for a better life and chose to become an American citizen, and yet he never desired to “get rich” or make a name for himself, and he definitely didn’t stay IN America to live out his purpose. His “American Dream” was actually to seek God and serve Him. I didn’t know my Grandfather well and honestly I resented him a lot when I was younger because he always seemed to care more about his “work” and what God wanted him to do than his family. However, I have come to the realization as an adult that he was simply doing what he believed he was called to do and he knew that God would take care of the rest of us. He was not “worried” about his family because he had a confidence in God’s provision. Now maybe he did actually take that a little too far…he was flawed as we ALL are in relationships to some extent because he didn’t always see that God’s provision for families is a loving, present father/grandfather. We all could use some help in the area of HOW to love our “people”. But what I have learned from his example is that our true purpose is to follow the Lord’s call and let HIM worry about the rest.

In this passage in Matthew, God is trying to teach us about DEpendence on Him. We are often so busy pursuing the “American Dream” and paying our bills and seeking that ONE thing that will make life “better” (if I only had a new car, if I only had an extra $100, if I only had a boyfriend, if I only had a better job, etc.), and even trying to figure out our PURPOSE that we are missing our true PURPOSE. If we look at the wildflowers of the world and how so many kids that are raising themselves are becoming “independent” in their thoughts because they are thinking “I don’t need anyone because I know how to take care of myself”. We as a society are doing them and ourselves a disservice because we are becoming a society of like-minded people. We are becoming more and more “independent” as a nation when God is trying to draw us to Him and become a DEpendent people. We think “The world has let me down…I can do this on my own.” And God says “You need me. I’m here to help. I am already working along side you and AHEAD of you. I have a ‘plan and purpose’ for your life”. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Just look at what is happening in our courts and political arena right now. The social issues that are getting everyone heated are causing division and greater independence. They are about personal “freedom”, “choice”, “civil rights”. We are dividing ourselves into small minority groups, even among Christians. We are speaking up for what we believe in, which is GOOD, but we are losing track of HOW we are treating each other and therefore creating MORE division. The plain truth is that we are not all playing nicely in the “sandbox” and we are all trying to take our ball and go home, but the REALITY is that we are a NATION that is a community, whether we like it or not and we need to GET ALONG. There really isn’t any “independence” when it comes to living in a community, unless you’re the unibomber living off by yourself in the woods somewhere. We all have neighbors and co-workers and drive down the road together. Our kids go to school together or play at the park together. Our dogs go to the same vet and we go to the same doctor’s office. There isn’t really “independence” when we must interact with people every day. And I would venture to say that I think the key here that relates to the “American Dream” is that we are getting so focused on our “cause” that we are forgetting what is at the root of it all. Life is really about relationships and we are doing a STINKY job at the “golden rule”.

Which brings me back to focusing on the scripture at hand. The primary message here really is we are not to store up treasures on earth, nor are we to worry about our needs, and we are to seek and serve God. This is our purpose. We have become a very secular society of late and so many do not understand or embrace this purpose. Many believe that we are just here and we are to embrace the “YOLO” way of life, not concerned about anyone else…this is REAL “freedom” right?  What I do shouldn’t concern you and you are free to do what you want to do as long as it doesn’t affect me. Is this really the society that we want our kids to grow up in?  We all just go to work, earn our money, take our kids to Disneyworld, sleep with who we want in secret, drive the speed limit when a cop is around, maybe kick the dog when we get mad, cheat on our taxes a little, tweet some thoughts out to cyberspace, lie to our mom about why we can’t come home for Christmas, and celebrate when we get a bonus by buying a boat. We are mostly living a good life and our “bad choices” aren’t really affecting anyone. Is this really such an awesome way of life compared to Egypt, or Serbia? Maybe it is in the political spectrum or economically. I don’t know. I’m glad we’re not having riots and civil war for sure, but it actually makes me sad that we are living this way. I really believe that working for the “American Dream” and then turning on the news and watching us all hate on each other or being left with BAD relationships is not really a “dream.” I think it’s possible that some that aren’t focused on living the “dream” are actually happier???

I realize this is getting super long so here’s one last thought. Personally I believe we live in the best country on the planet. When we have a crisis we draw together…like 9/11 or the Boston marathon bombing. Recently when firefighters here in Houston were injured and killed, there were people giving blood and raising money for the families. I have seen strangers that are not even Christians return found wallets and give money on the street just because they are good people that want to do a good thing. I think MOST of us want to do the right thing and help out our fellow man. I think there is GOOD in all of us. Don’t even get me started on the debate about Christians being the “good people”. That’s not the GOSPEL. The reality is that we are a HURTING, lonely, lost, prideful people that want to fill the empty hole we feel every day with STUFF that can’t ever fill it. And this brings me back to the part about the EYE. We “covet” what we SEE every day. I got this line from the movie “Silence of the Lambs”…this is the BEST bad movie ever! The serial killer guy coveted what he couldn’t have and therefore it drove his bad behavior. He justified his bad behavior because the world had wronged him and maybe there was probably a little psychosis going on. Unfortunately I don’t think we are really much different. We justify our behavior because it’s “not as bad” as a serial killer or it’s not as bad as someone that we JUDGE as worse than ourselves. Let’s take a reality check. If I SEE the next car I want to drive and I focus on what I need to do to get that car, what would stop me from stealing it, or working two jobs and neglecting my kids so I can buy it? Is that really any different? If I am a lonely woman who’s husband travels a lot (and this is not me by the way :) and fill my loneliness with ice cream while WATCHING Channing Tatum in “Magic Mike”, am I really so satisfied that I will be “happy” with my husband when he gets home? Or vice versa and I'm the husband that travels a lot and WATCHES the adult channel in the hotel room. Will I be satisfied with my wife that I SEE isn't as skinny as she used to be after having the kids and eating ice cream while I'm gone? If I am an investment banker and I SEE a great deal of money every day, would it not be easy to dip into some of it a few cents here, a few cents there and no one will notice, and justify it because I work hard and deserve it? I’m not saying wanting a new car and working hard for it, or watching Channing Tatum, or eating ice cream, or working in investments is BAD. The point is, we ALL are going to WANT something and does any of this really bring us the “American Dream” in the end? And what happens when we finally achieve this “goal”…we turn our attention to the NEXT thing, that’s what. This is really a lie we tell ourselves because we are never going to be satisfied until we are focused on SEEKING and SERVING God. That’s it. That is God’s plan and His design when He created us. We will continue to debate what is “freedom” and “independence” and “right and wrong” and who is “entitled” to whatever for all eternity until we actually embrace the idea that GOD’S LOVE, His sovereignty, and His provision are the answers to all of our questions.

 

P – Lord God, my prayer today is that we would “seek and find” YOU! I pray for our country and all those that are trying to live the “American Dream” by working to get more money, find satisfaction in achievement, jumping on the political bandwagon, or fill the empty loneliness. Lift the veil of discontent and lies, Father, that we might find satisfaction and treasure in YOU.  And I pray this for myself and my family as well…that we would each know our purpose and that we would hear YOUR voice loud and clear above all others to know what it is that you desire for us to do each and every day. Lift the burden and temptation on each of us to feel that we have to do it on our own, or juggle it all, or even seek satisfaction in the world. The world in and of itself was not really designed to meet all of our needs and your plan for us is a perfect one. I pray that we would all embrace your design to be fulfilled in YOU and you alone. I pray that we would SEE you in all your glory in the world but not be swayed to become OF the world. I pray that our eyes would be opened to see what breaks your heart and that you would equip us to go and DO what you call us to do. My heart is full Lord for a desire to share how much you love us and I am thankful that you SEE us in our own little spot among so many of your children…you see EACH of us and love us no matter what we’ve done, providing all our needs. On this week of celebrating our freedom, I celebrate the FREEDOM I have to worship and follow you and the FREEDOM I have in Christ! WOW! What a gift to know that I will not ever be separated from you Lord. Thanks be to God!

Worry About Yourself - A Look at How We Judge

This is my SOAP devotional for May 14th

S - Acts 15:10-11
10Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

O - The Jewish Christians were struggling with which of their customs/laws should be followed by the Gentiles. Circumcision was an important issue to the Jews because it was a physical reminder of their covenant with God. To the Jews, following these laws was true obedience, and not following them was pure defiance. The council of Jerusalem had decided to not make the issue a requirement so as not to relegate Christianity to "just another sect of Judaism". The bottom line was that God's way was to include ALL believers the same way, by faith alone. This was Jesus' special favor, not with requirements. The additional recommendations the council asked of the Gentile believers were simply to help unify the church as a whole, to help find common ground against pagan worship.

A - Oh how much this reminds me of our churches today. One church requires baptism by full emersion to be a member and truly be saved. Another requires weekly confession to a priest to take communion. And still others have requirements like not allowing instruments in the church worship, or social requirements like wearing proper clothing, lest you be judged unworthy to attend services. There are many ways that we judge others in their "fitness" for God's grace. I confess that when I see tattoos and piercings, I judge that person to not be a true believer because it gives the appearance of drawing attention to "self". We all struggle with what God has called us to do...a simple issue that I'm trying to teach my Kindergarten music class..."Worry About Yourself!" We cannot earn God's smile...we already have it. We think if we do something pleasing then we will earn special favor...that this will put us in a "higher place" with God. In reality God does His work and the question we must ask is "How can I be a part of it?" This is where the "requirements" come in because we are asking of God and not of man.

P - Lord Jesus, this is a hot topic for my life and oh how amazing you are that you know what I need to hear. As I learn to "worry about myself" in where I am with you, will you remind me to ask what YOU require of me and not what I assume or think you require based on my so called knowledge of your word. Oh, how I must be diligent in my prayers to seek your wisdom in how to love others without judgment. For your grace and mercy are never ending. Amen.

Redemption by the church

This is my SOAP devotional for May 6th
This is the Saul that would become Paul and be the greatest apostle to the gentiles, spreading the story of Jesus around the world.

S - Acts 9:26-28
26When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

O - Saul was a fierce persecutor of the new believers. As a Jew he had a severe passion against the "blasphemy" he believed they were spreading. As Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, the believers were hiding from him in fear. He had committed many wrongs but had been converted and baptized. Ananias had conquered his fear of Saul to be obedient to God and in this passage we see that Barnabas was also obedient, coming alongside Saul to be his advocate to the "church". In order for Saul to do God's work, he had to be accepted by the believers.

A - We will all make mistakes and sometimes it is so severe that trust is damaged. Those that have lost their way but return to the church need us to be their advocates, standing up bold in faith, to show fellow believers that the effort is genuine. Unfortunately we judge. But I am called, as a believer, to forgive as Jesus forgives...over and over. I cannot question what God will do with the redemption that is available. I must be a Barnabas to those seeking redemption by the church, for they have asked and they receive by God - why shouldn't they receive the same from me.

P - It is too easy God to take the position of "judge" when it comes to the wrong that we see. But you have not asked this of me...you call me to love. May you Lord soften my heart to be a Barnabas and an advocate, preaching redemption for those that confess and turn back to you. Oh that I would look past the wrongdoing and trust YOU as the supreme judge, allowing me the freedom to love and care for those that feel unworthy and need it most. Amen.

On the same team when Jesus is on FIRST!

Here is my SOAP devotional for Feb. 8th

S - Matthew 10:34-39
34"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
" 'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -
36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'[a]

37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

O - This is a challenging passage because it appears to be a contradiction. Jesus is drawing a line. Most would say "how can Jesus who is the supreme example of love, ask you to go against your own family, especially when it is one of the original 10 commandments?" What Jesus is saying is that people are flawed and not dependable. They will let you down but Jesus will never let us down. Jesus has proven to be dependable and has sacrificed much in spite of people that even deny who He is. So if we place our faith in people instead of Him, especially those that are not following His ways, then we will always find disappointment. Sometimes love means making tough choices if that is doing what is best. Jesus is always going to choose to love us, therefore we must choose to put Him first in our life...to choose His way over the way of people.

One note of interest is that Jesus quotes Micah 7:6 here. Micah is a book in the Old Testament and he was a contemporary of Isaiah. He is considered one of the "minor" prophets and he spoke of God's judgment and the offer of pardon to all those who repent. The book of Micah contains many prophecies about Jesus, the Messiah, who will come to unite all of God's people. He writes of God's extreme dislike of pride and injustice, and also His willingness to provide a way to forgiveness and mercy. It is clear to me that Jesus IS the only way that God could be both the judge and merciful.

A - We cannot control the choices of the people in our life. If we cling to what is actually temporary on this earth, we will miss the purpose of Jesus' coming. Jesus is not asking us to NOT love people - He is asking us to love Him MORE. He calls us to choose His way above any earthly way as the way to eternal life with Him. Jesus brings a "sword" against anything that seeks a path of destruction, and the enemy prowls in an attempt to take us with him (1 Peter 5:8). In our human nature we will not always be "on the same path"...some will have their own best interest in mind, or be blinded by the enemy's schemes, even if we are family. Therefore, in order to fully love each other, we must FIRST love the Lord of Life. If our eyes are fixed on Jesus, we will always be on the "same team".

P - Oh Lord, I plead with you to strike the heal of the enemy and keep him far from me and my family. When the enemy seeks to destroy, he will put us against each other. But putting our eyes on you (Hebrews 12:2) as the author and perfector of our faith, we will experience a peace beyond understanding, (Philippians 4:7) for following your ways ensures that we are always on the "same team". I pray most earnestly for protection and that each of those I love, and that I call "family", will put YOU first in their lives so that we might cling to your promises together. I am truly thankful that you found a way to be both the judge of all evil and yet sent Jesus to show us mercy. Amen.