FAITH

FAITH

“ Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret. Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter. Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.” “Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:24-30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

http://bible.com/116/mrk.7.24-30.nlt

This is the first time that Jesus outwardly recognized the faith of a person who was not a Jew. In fact, Jesus had gone to Tyre to get away and rest for awhile.

Tyre was actually home to a population that was hated by the Jews (and the population of Tyre generally hated the Jews also.) Jesus withdrew to Tyre to get away from the crowds. He probably figured that no one would have heard of Him yet in Tyre.

However, even in Gentile territory, there was a lady who knew who Jesus was, who had heard of Him and trusted that Jesus could heal her daughter. When Jesus said, “It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs;” he was challenging the woman to a game of wit. The term “dog” was actually used as a derogatory term which the Israelites used to describe the people of Tyre. But the word Jesus used here is actually a word for a small dog, a puppy. Jesus was saying to the woman, “I shouldn't heal you, I was sent first to help and guide the Jewish people. I cannot give my healings to people associated with enemies of the Jews.” This is what Jesus most likely meant when he said, “First let the children (referring to his Jewish people) eat all they want....for it isn't right to take the children's bread and feed it to the puppies (a puppy here is likely referring to someone born to the hated enemy, the dog.)

Gentiles, the enemy of the Jews, she recognized somehow in her spirit that Jesus was Lord. She called Jesus, “Lord;” and next she said, “even the little dogs get to eat the crumbs that fall off the children's table.” This lady meant, “Even just a crumb from you will be enough.”  When she said to Jesus, “even the dogs eat crumbs from the children's table;” she was, in effect saying, “We also need you.  We see that Jesus will respond to those who approach Him with faith.

What are some areas of your life where you need “just a bit of Jesus” to help you? Do some of those areas seem “too small” to ask Jesus to intercede? Or do you feel unworthy to ask Jesus for help in certain areas?

Perhaps if you aren't confident enough to pray for Christ's assistance in “small areas” of your life, maybe you will be confident to ask Jesus merely to send you some “crumbs” of his glory to help you in that area. Crumbs from the table of Christ are enough! You will want more, but one crumb from Jesus's powerful and holy glory is all it takes to transform you and the area of your life. It doesn't matter if you have been seen or been associated as an enemy of God's people in the past. Even the enemies of God will get glimpses of who Jesus is, and many will recognize their need for Him. And when they approach Jesus in prayer, and ask even just for “crumbs” with faith; Jesus will fully heal them spiritually as well. How will you pray to Jesus for His help in areas where you lack confidence that he cares or in areas you feel unworthy to request His helping hand?  #How Do I See God Working Today

Remember God loves you and so do I. 

A New Day

This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. (‭Psalms‬ ‭118‬:‭24‬ NLT)

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. (‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22-23‬ NLT)

I messed up yesterday. Have you ever said this or thought it?  Maybe you said the wrong words, or took the wrong turn, or loved the wrong person, or reacted the wrong way, or spoke when you should have listened, or walked when you should have waited, or judged when you should have trusted or indulged when you should have resisted. 

Okay, so you messed up yesterday. Don't let yesterday' mistakes sabotage today's attitude. God's mercies are new every morning.  We can learn a lesson from the forest in Washington State. Some of these trees are hundreds of years old.  These trees have surpassed the typical life span of 50-60 years.  Ever wondered what makes the difference?  Daily drenching rains, that keep the ground moist, the trees wet, and the lightning impotent. 

You can be struck by lightning, thunderbolts of regret that can consume you.  But you can counteract them with downpours of God's grace, daily washings of forgiveness.  Once a year, or once a month or even weekly will leave you dry.  You will be combustible.  You need a daily soaking. 

God's unconditional love is your hope.  When you mess up His loving kindness covers you with acceptance and forgiveness.  No matter how many times you fall short/miss the mark, you can trust yourself to God's mercy and know you will find His love.  He will never turn away from you when you fail. He will pick you up, dust you off, and set you back on the right path. He will guide along life's journey.  All you need is a solid soaking of God's grace and mercy every single day. 

I am so grateful for do overs, second changes that God blesses me with each new day. 

Remember God loves you and so do I. 

The Cross

Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭32-43‬ NLT)



Do you find it strange that a tool of torture would come to embody the movement of hope?



Look there is the place called the skull.  Do you see the two thieves, one on each side of JESUS. One looks over and sees JESUS. He hears the insults and sees the man remain quiet. This man has fresh blood on his cheeks, a crown of thorns scrapping his scalp and the thieve hears him whisper, "Father, forgive them."  He heard the people shouting crucify him, shaming him as a criminal as they nailed him to the cross.  Why do they want him dead?  Why doesn't he retaliate?  No, JESUS left the judging up to God.



The soldiers steal the thieve's attention as they throw dice in the dirt and gamble for the ragged robe.  He looks up and sees the the sign above Jesus' head.   It is painted with sarcasm, King of the Jews.



All of a sudden his thoughs are interrupted by the accusation of the criminal on the other cross.   He too has been studying JESUS, but through eyes of cynicism: "So you're the Messiah, are you?  Prove it by saving yourself - and us, too, while you're at it!"



Here we have two individuals, each see the same Savior - one sees hope, and the other sees nothing but himself.



Now we see the first criminal place himself between the accusers and JESUS, and speaks on his behalf, while the other criminal protested, "Don't you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn't done anything wrong."  The soldiers look up.  The priests cease chattering. Mary wipes her tears and raises her eyes.  All eyes turned to the criminal.   Maybe Jesus even turned and looked over at him, after all he was offering a final gesture of love while JESUS was still alive.  A lost sheep trying to get back into the fold.  The criminal's two statements are what everyone needs to recognize in order to come to Jesus:

   - we are getting what we deserve and this man has done nothing wrong

We are guilty and he is innocent

We are filthy and he is pure

We are wrong and he is right

He isn't on the cross for his sins, He is there for ours.

The criminal understands this, his request seems only natural   He makes the same request ant Christian has made;  then he said, "JESUS remember me when you come into your Kingdom."  No excuses, just a desperate plea for help.  At this point JESUS performs the greatest miracle of the cross. Greater than the earthquake, greater than the tearing of the curtain, greater than the darkness, greater than the resurrected saints appearing on the streets. He performs the miracle of forgiveness.  A sin-soaked criminal received by a blood-stained Savior.   And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise."  If anyone was ever worthless this criminal was. If any man deserved to die, he probably did. If anyone was ever a loser, this fellow probably was at the top of the list.  Maybe that is why JESUS chose him to show us what he thinks of the human race. 

Did you know the sign above JESUS head was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek?  Pilate had intended the sign to threaten and mock the Jews, but God used it as an instrument for spreading the gospel.  Everyone in Israel spoke one of the three languages. Christ was declared King in all of them.  Jesus was a king for all people.



We don't have to look very far in any direction to see a cross:  perched atop a chapel, carved in a headstone, on a ring, or suspended from a chain.  The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. An odd choice?  A tool of toryure as a movement of hope. Why the cross for our symbol of faith?  It is really very simple: one beam horizontal - the other vertical. One reaches out - like God's love, the other reaches up - as does God's holiness.  The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards.   Christ lived the life we could not live and took the punishment we could not take to offer the hope we cannot resist.  It wasn't the soldiers who killed JESUS, nor the screams of the mob, but His devotion to us.



Christ stretched one hand to the right and the other to the left and had them nailed in that position so we would know He died loving you and me.  Christ came to earth for one reason to give his life as a ransom for you and me - for all of us. He sacrificed himself to give us a second chance.  # He Choice The Nails

Remember God loves you and so do I.

It's Time

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. (‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭21‬ ESV)

Once again it is Lent Season.  As I read this scripture I wondered if I would have understood JESUS any better than the twelve.  How could I imagine such horrible things happening to JESUS.

JESUS always knew what time it was.  He knew when it was time to heal or teach or even rebuke.  He knew when it was time to retreat, rest and pray.   He knew when it was time to celebrate dinners.  And His Father let Him know when it was time to die.   Now Jesus tells his disciples their traveling ministry was almost over.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. (‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭21‬ ESV)  He knew that his royal entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday would be his last.

A great miracle happened amidst the palms. The people recognized that the quiet man on the humble donkey colt was their Messiah, the fulfillment of all Old Testament Scripture. Their shouts of hosannas showed that they knew what time it was.   Their King was riding right into their lives and and claiming their hearts.

Do you know what time it is?  It is time to claim or reclaim JESUS Christ as your Lord and Savior.  Through his word, through the splash of baptismal water, through his body and blood given in the Lord's Supper, Jesus comes to you personally.  The palms are calling you to come worship him now.
Remember God loves you and so do I.

Storms

Storms 

I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.” (Psalm 55:8 NIV)

In the Upper Room I read the devotional titled Safety During The Storm. It was written by Sharon Braner who lives in Oklahoma. I can relate to her devotional as I was born and raised in Oklahoma. She talked about their storm cellar, as a safe place, that protected her family from raging tornadoes.   Our neighborhood had two storm cellars that our neighbors would gather for protection during storms. 

My parents had a safe room built in one corner of their garage in their senior years as health issues kept them from being able to go to a shelter when tornado type storms approached. Cellars and safe rooms are necessary to survive dangerous storms. 

On our journey of life, we encounter many storms: terminal illnesses, our children making poor choices, financial crises, drama & conflicts.  Fear takes hold of our hearts and minds. Psalm 55:8 addresses God as "my hiding place". God alone is our spiritual and emotional shelter. Worries, and fear drive us to hide in dark despair. God comforts, turns chaos into peace, darkness into light, renews our strength, removes our doubts and puts love in our hearts.  Sometimes God graciously removes the storms. 

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31 NIV)

When you face storms, seek God, pray and trust His promises. He is our hiding place. 

Remember God loves you and so do I. 

The Broken Branch - King

The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face. Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”  (John 19:2-5 NIV)

There is a power struggle between the Jewish authorities, who demand Jesus' death and Pilate, the Roman governor who uses the occasion to humiliate both them and Jesus.  The focus of debate is the claim that Jesus is a King. 

This scripture begins with Pilate having Jesus brutally whipped by the solders. The whips were embedded with pieces of bone or metal to increase the pain and bodily harm.  The Roman legionaries are desensitized to violence. They are know for their cruelty and are feared by the Jews. They carry out Pilate's orders, but take their brutality further.  They weave a crown of thorny branches and jam it onto Jesus' head.  The thorns were most likely two-inch long and came from the acacia bush.  Even if Jesus had a full head of hair, that would not protect Him from the thorns penetrating His scalp.  Then the soldiers put a purple robe on Jesus to add to this mocking coronation. The robe was a costly garment and signifies that their cruel fun was quite serious.  Now they disrespect Jesus further by pretending to honor Him as the King of the Jews as they strike Him.  They are mocking both Jesus and the Jews at the same time.  

What is it about human nature that tempts people to "join the crowd" in wrongdoing?  How do you resist that temptation?  Exodus 23:2 - You shall not fall in with the many to do evil. . . 

John 19: 1-6 brings tears to my eyes.  Here is a man who has done nothing wrong, by Pilate's own admission.  Yet He orders Jesus to be horribly abused, and presents Him as an object of ridicule. 

How will you help people behold the man Jesus this week as he lives in you?

(Maybe by doing acts of sacrificial love, and by the words you say)

Oscar Wilde is credited with defining a cynic as "a man who knows his price of everything and the value of nothing". Pilate demonstrated this trade-off. He coldly weighed the price to himself of allowing an innocent man to go free when his Jewish subjects wanted the prisoner crucified. Pilate set aside the bigger picture of the value of Jesus, the value of right judgments, etc. 

Will we do the same thing, or will our behavior testify that we value our relationship with Christ more than the earthly price of following Him (Acts 5: 27-29, 40-42). 

Pilate and Jesus were real men. The soldiers were sadistic brutes. The blood on the pavement was really that of Jesus. The crown of thorns caused real pain. This all really happened. Even the forty lashes. 

Did Jesus have to become flesh?  Did He have to become light?  No He didn't have to.  He could have given up.  So why didn't He?  Because He is LOVE!  He did it just for you and for me!

Remember God loves you and so do I. 

Killing Jesus

Killing Jesus: A History
By Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

This book is packed with historical facts, Biblical truths, gives the reader an understanding of what Jesus accomplished and how He paid with His life.

Why do you think thousands of common people sought Jesus?  Most of the people couldn't get close enough to hear His message.   Christians believe Jesus' popularity was due to His message of love, hope, and truth. Of course the miraculous headings attributed to His popularity.

Think about people who have achieved worldwide fame.  They had outside resources to promote them. Not so with Jesus and His disciples. They depended solely on charity of others for food and shelter.

Did you know that in A. D. 313 the Roman Empire legalized Christianity?  This allowed Christianity to spread into every part of the Western World.   Did you know that until 610 Christianity didn't have any real competition?  In 610 Muhammad began the Islamic religion. This was the first meaningful competition in terms of numbers of followers.

Since the death of Jesus and His resurrection, He has played a continual role throughout history.

• George Washington used Christianity as a rallying point for his colonial army. 
• Abraham Lincoln referred to Jesus after visiting the graves of all the lives lost in the Civil War.
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Based his entire ministry and civil rights struggle on the teachings of Jesus. 
• President Ronald Reagan picked up on the theme: Jesus showed how far our love should be ready to go - All The Way. He made it clear that he believed in the divinity of Christ. 

If you haven't read this book, I recommend that you do.  It will help you understand that nothing can stop God's plan for the universe.  You will understand the importance of Jesus Ministry. 

Remember God loves you and so do I.