OUTCASTS

I want to believe that I’m not prejudice. People are people regardless of their race, nationality, economic level, or anything else. Yet if we are all honest with ourselves we notice people who are different from ourselves. We must choose to break out of our comfort zone and welcome such people into our circle of friends lest we begin to build walls that would separate us from such individuals just because they are different. Unless we are building relational bridges, we are adding to a wall of prejudice.

Prejudice is not anything new. It has been around a long, long time.

• Now he had to go through Samaria.
  John 4:4 NIV

The orthodox Jew of Jesus’ day would avoid Samaria because of their deep seeded hatred for these half-breeds—part Jew and part Gentile. The division was so great that the Samaritans established their own place of worship at Mount Gerizim which only added to the hostilities between the two groups.

Jesus was on His way from Judea in the south to Galilee in the north. Samaria was right in the middle of the two. Three routes were possible for this journey. Most Jews would chose to either travel west going up along the Mediterranean coast, or to travel east making their way up along the Jordan River. Jesus chose the third path—straight north through Samaria.

Jesus had to go this way. He was on a divine time schedule. The Father had arranged for Jesus to meet a woman at Jacob’s well. As a result of this encounter this woman and many others within the village would put their faith in Jesus. Jesus resisted the Jewish prejudice and built a bridge for these people to make a connection with God.

Sometimes we might feel like one of these Samaritans. We believe that we are an outcast, unwanted. We try to might even make our way to God, but we are always reminded that we are not good enough. Our hands are dirty. We’ve been to the wrong places and hung out with the wrong people. And so we go through the routine of life, burying our hurts. The devil has us trapped right where he wants us—alone in our Samaria.

Jesus won’t listen to Satan’s lies that saying that you and I are outcasts. Jesus knows we are sinners. He knows every time we have failed. He saw us each time we tried to make our way to God through our human efforts. But Jesus also knows where we live, and He has to make His way to our front door. Jesus does not see us as outcasts but loves us just the way we are. What do you think?

HERE COMES THE BRIDE

When Susie calls my cell phone the ringer happily chimes the tune to the bridal march. I’ll answer the phone with a smile saying, “Hi my bride.” Though the years have piled up since our wedding day, one thing remains true. Susie is not just another bride among many. She is my bride.

Some wanted to stir up a jealous rivalry between John the Baptist and Jesus. John wouldn’t let that happen. He knew his place was to go before Jesus just like a best man stands beside the groom. The bride was not John’s but belonged to Jesus.

• The bride belongs to the bridegroom.
  John 3:29 NIV

Jesus is the bridegroom of His Church—that you and me who have put our faith in Him (and not only us, but all who do so—past, present and future). Think about the implications of what this means that Jesus is our bridegroom.

1. Jesus, our bridegroom, did not want to remain single. His greatest desire is to be united with us His bride! Jesus has chosen us to be His very own (see John 15:19).
2. Jesus has His Father’s blessing for the bride that He has chosen. Jesus “came from the Father” to do the Father’s will (John 1:14; see also John 6:34, 38; 14:31).
3. Christ has fixed His affections on us. We are not deserving of His love for we are all sinners.
4. Our bridegroom purified us from our sin. We are better off because we are His bride. All our righteousness is “like filthy rags” but Jesus has cleansed us by His blood and clothed us in His righteousness (Isaiah 64:6; see also Hebrews 9:14, 22; Isaiah 61:10).
5. Our bridegroom has wooed us from the enticements of sin and death. Jesus has given us eternal life and made us co-heirs together with Him.
6. Jesus has given us His name. Not only does this show that we belong to Him, but with His name comes authority. We will receive whatever we ask for in His name (see John 15:16; 16:23, 24).
7. The bridegroom waits patiently for the one He loves. Jesus warns us if our love is misguided and shows us the consequences of being united to this world. He stands patiently at our heart’s door knocking (see Revelation 3:14-22).

Here comes the bride—that’s you and me. Jesus is our bridegroom. What do you think?

SEEING IS NOT BELIEVING

Being skeptical is part of our human nature. We question things we don’t understand. We may be easily awed, but we wonder about the things we have seen.

The illusionist has his own special way of pulling the wool over our eyes. The hand really is quicker than the eye. Just how do they pull a rabbit out of a hat, make a dove disappear and then reappear, or any number of other tricks?

We’ve all learned to be even more skeptical. We’ve seen enough of TV and movie magic to know that our vision can be easily fooled. A walk in front of a green screen can become anything from a walk on the beach, to a walk on the moon. In the digital age nothing is impossible.

Jesus did the impossible. He opened the eyes of the blind so that they could see. The lame walked, lepers were cleansed, the deaf could hear, nothing was impossible for Jesus.

• 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.
  John 2:23-24 NIV

John doesn’t tell us exactly what miracles Jesus performed while in Jerusalem at this first Passover, but he does tell us how people responded. Many believed in his name. Jesus however did not “believe” or entrust Himself to those who believed (the Greek uses the same word in verse 23 and 24).

The same miracles had different effects upon people. Some believed while others rejected Christ. For instance Nicodemus, a Pharisee, comes to Jesus believing that He was sent by God while many other Pharisees rejected Jesus. Why? I guess that even with Jesus, seeing is not believing.

Jesus is full of God’s grace from which we receive one blessing after another (John 1:16). In some cases these are nothing short of miracles just like Jesus preformed in Jerusalem. However, Jesus came with more than grace. Jesus also brought truth (John 1:17).

We’re drawn to His grace; we may even say that we believe in Jesus because of His grace. But Jesus doesn’t stop with grace. Jesus speaks truth. God’s word exposes the truth of who we are. That’s why Jesus didn’t entrust Himself to those who believed in His name. Their faith was incomplete for they had not yet accepted the truth. Truth brings conviction which calls for a response. We will either confess our sins agreeing with God’s truth about our lives to receive His forgiveness, or we will harden our hearts and reject Christ—both His truth and His grace. What do you think?

FULLNESS

On Christmas Eve Scrooge is visited by three spirits. The Ghost of Christmas Present fills Scrooge’s home with the joyful decorations of the season and a great feast. Scrooge had never seen his home so adorned. As Scrooge walks with this spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present sprinkles water upon those they encounter. This blessing is even more abundant for the poor so that they might fully enjoy even the little that they have as they celebrate Christmas.

You and I have received an even greater blessing. Ours is a blessing not limited only to our Christmas celebrations, but blessings which fill each and every moment of our lives.

• From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
  John 1:16 NIV

The grace of God comes not from a limited supply that may be proven inadequate. No! We are recipients of the “fullness of His grace.” God’s grace overflows in our lives through Christ Jesus. So much so that His is not a single blessing, but it is blessing upon blessing upon blessing without end.

Can our finite minds even begin to grasp the infinite supply of His grace that He has poured so freely into our lives? Ponder for a moment the grace we have been given. Out of His fullness:
a we have is mercy and forgiveness;
a we are adopted as His children;
a we are sanctified—empowered to live a holy life;
a we have His peace and comfort;
a we have faith to move mountains;
a we have the knowledge of truth;
a we have His Spirit living within us;
a we have His unlimited provision;
a we have . . . MORE!

All of these blessing are ours to receive out of the fullness of His grace! Scrooge’s encounter with these Christmas ghosts transforms his life. No longer an old miser unwilling to share even a kind word with others, Scrooge now overflowed with generosity and cheer. The blessings of Christmas were his all through the year.

We too have been changed by the blessings of Christmas and more. The fullness of His grace is ours today. What do you think?

EVERYTHING!

I got a call from my son Greg last Sunday. He informed me that he had been in an accident. As he told me what happened he said, “Oh my gosh the car is smoking; it’s on fire!” He and his brother were walking to a friend’s house for help and already a hundred yards or so away from the car. They were safe.

Three nights later Pastor George’s boys were in an accident. Josh rolled the pick-up and totaled it too. While the boys were treated at the hospital and sore for a few days, they too have now walked away from that accident and are fine.

Pastor George and I are both thankful that the Lord protected our sons. Each of them could have sustained greater injury and even possibly lost their lives in these accidents. The loss of a couple of vehicles means nothing. Our boys are alive and well.

Sudden events like these put into perspective what is really important. We can so easily become distracted by stuff that is really not all that important. We either struggle to take care of our abundance of things, or we fret over what we don’t have. What will it take for us to finally discover that Jesus is everything and the things of this world mean nothing?

• I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
  Lamentations 3:24 NIV

God has chosen us and made us His portion. Therefore, we can now make the Lord our portion. We are heirs with Christ![1] The all-sufficiency of God has been given to us. Think about it—we lack nothing because we belong to Christ.

“The Lord is my portion!” It does not say God is partly my portion. Nor does it say God is included within my portion. Jesus must be our everything, or the truth of the matter is that He means nothing at all to us.

God has not just given to me a little of His grace. I have not merely received of His love and mercy. God has given me more than just His peace and His promises. God has given me HIMSELF!

I have received Jesus as my portion. He is the God of all comfort, the Prince of Peace. He is the mighty God the Everlasting Father. He is the I Am, the all-sufficient One. Is it any wonder that we can say “I will wait for Him?” Without Him I have nothing. Jesus is everything! What do you think?
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[1] See Romans 8:17

PROPERTY DISPUTES

I know someone who went to their mailbox one day and discovered that he was being sued. Normally this might seem like bad news, but not this time. He was not being sued for anything that he had said or done, nor was the suit filed to take anything that he had. Instead this lawsuit informed him that someone wanted to claim his portion of an estate that he didn’t even know belonged to him.

Sometimes you find out what is yours in the most interesting ways. The flip side is also true. It might surprise some of us to discover that what we think belongs to us isn’t ours at all.

• For the Lord's portion is his people.
  Deuteronomy 32:9 NIV

Perhaps you know someone who considers themselves a “self-made man.” Or maybe you have pulled yourself up by the proverbial bootstraps to be the person you are today. You might be surprised to learn that you are not your own. You belong to God (and so do I). How is this so?

First, we are God’s by His sovereign choice. We do not belong to God because of any choice we have made. God decided to pour out His mercy and love upon us apart from any act of righteousness on our part. God determined to demonstrate His love for us while we were still sinners—still God’s enemies. God chose us to be his very own even before the world began. His was a choice motivated by His great love for us.[1]

We also belong to God because He purchased us. The price has been paid in full—God didn’t buy us on credit with a balance due. It was not with perishable things like silver and gold that we were bought, but with the precious blood of Christ. Jesus bears the scars to prove that He made full payment for us.[2]

We also belong to Christ by conquest. Satan held us captive to sin. We were sin’s slaves. But Jesus has set us free. Satan has been disarmed and his authority is broken by the cross of Christ. Now we are led by the Lord as trophies of His grace in a victory parade.[3]

I for one am glad that I belong to Christ. No suit can be filed to take me away from Him. I have nothing to fear because God will take care of what belongs to Him. What do you think?
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[1] See: Titus 3:5; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 1:4
[2] See: 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1Corinthians 6:19-20
[3] See: Galatians 3:22; Romans 6; Colossians 2:14-15; 2 Corinthians 2:14

STANDING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE

Apparently for Mrs. Clinton it’s hard to take a stand in presidential politics. In the October 31 Democratic debate she tried to be on both sides of the same issue. Should illegal immigrants be given a driver’s license? She had claimed that it makes sense for the New York governor to want to do this, but when asked about it in the debate claimed not to be in favor of such a plan. Then within two minutes as the debate continued she said, “It makes a lot of sense.” I’m confused. Does it make sense or doesn’t it. You can’t have it both ways.

Mrs. Clinton and countless other presidential candidates are no the first to try to straddle the fence. People have been playing this game for a long, long time.

• 5 I'll get rid of the people who sneak up to their rooftops at night to worship the star gods and goddesses; also those who continue to worship God but cover their bases by worshiping other king-gods as well; 6 Not to mention those who've dumped God altogether, no longer giving him a thought or offering a prayer.
  Zephaniah 1:5-6 (MsgB)

The Lord called Zephaniah to speak against those who were trying to straddle the fence of faith. Many God fearing Jews were secretly worshiping other so called gods. The idolater who wholeheartedly worshipped a false god committed one less sin than those who divided their hearts publicly worshiping Jehovah God and then bowed to worship other gods.

James says that the double-minded man is unstable in all his ways and should not think that he would receive anything from God. The sin of idolatry mixed with the sin of betrayal—a loving embrace that is a stab in the back because loyalty is divided. We so easily doubt God’s provision when we have also bowed to worship at the altar of materialism. How can we have a vibrant faith in God when we also give ourselves to the so called gods of pleasure or entertainment?

God will judge those who try to stand on both sides of the fence. We must choose who or what we will have as our god. Will we make Jesus our God? Or will we give our hearts to the gods of this age? Jesus Christ must be all or nothing.

Ask the Lord to examine your heart today. Have you given yourself wholeheartedly to the Lord, or is your heart divided? I’m glad Jesus is willing to forgive even those who have straddled the fence. What do you think?