March 20th and 21st People Reflection

Monday 3/20/2006
Matthew 19.1-15-Great crowds followed him there, and he healed them.
Numbers 9-10-Give me some time; I?ll find out what GOD says in your
circumstances.
Ecclesiastes 7-God made men and women true and upright; we?re the ones
who?ve made a mess of things.
2 Edsras 5.23-30-you have chosen for yourself?
Psalm 40.5-10-I enjoy pleasing you
Ephesians 2.1-10-God raises us from death to life with Christ Jesus
Psalm 119.153-160-Look at the trouble I am in, and rescue me.
"There?s cheese on this sandwich?.no, I just thought it was?it?s ok."-
We?re the one that makes a mess of things. Sometimes we think we have
been wronged. Didn?t get what we ordered. Sometimes we don?t get what
we ordered. But then I wonder if my order was right to begin with. Did
I say the wrong thing? Did I not make myself clear? Or sometimes I?m
the one taking the order and just plain ol make a mess of things. I
make a mess of things many times. And when I do I have to recognize
that mess and turn from it. Ask God to forgive me and ask others I have
hurt along the way for forgiveness too. Jesus forgives me. Jesus heals
me. It?s no wonder great crowds followed him in his day and even today.
Jesus knows my failures and shortcomings and reaches out to me and
takes my hand and lists me up out of the mess I have created. He lifts
me up out of the waters of my baptism. He raises me up out of the sea
of sorrow that I am drowning in and takes me from life to death to life
once ag
ain. Jesus looks and sees the trouble I am in and rescues me. God
raises us from death to life with Christ Jesus. God chooses to love me
even when I am at my lowest. How can I help but to enjoy pleasing my
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. ?There?s cheese on this sandwich?no. I
just thought it was?it?s ok.? ? Yea- Jesus shows me how what I thought
was wrong is ok in the end.
Prayer-Lord, I?ve made a mess- forgive me and as I turn around let me
please you. -- Amen

Tuesday 3/21/2006
Matthew 19.16-30-Then who has any chance at all? Jesus looked hard at
them and said, "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off
yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it."
Numbers 11-12-When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna was
right there with it.
Ecclesiastes 8-Search as hard as you like, you?re not going to make
sense of it.
2 Esdras 5.31-40-you cannot discover my judgement, or the goal of the
love that I have promised to my people
Isaiah 7.10-14-But the LORD will still give you proof. A virgin is
pregnant; she will have a son and will name him Immanuel.
Ephesians 4.1-6-Patiently put up with each other and love each other.
Psalm 119.161-168-You are my only hope for being saved, LORD
"This is the real cream." The proof is in the cream?? ? Well maybe
that?s a variation of the original expression. In my life the proof is
in the Savior. And God provides that proof the a son named Immanuel.
God does give proof. God sets that proof right in the center of my
sinful life. God sets that proof right in the midst of my joy and my
pain. God sent Jesus to be with each of us through all things in life.
Just like the bread of communion. Years ago God set the dew on the
desert floor and the manna ? that sweet bread from heaven was right
there with the dew. Jesus set in the midst of my life. Jesus from
heaven falls like dew on the desert times of my life and on the joyous
times alike. It can?t be about me. It can?t be something I can pull off
on my own. I will die in the desert if I think I can save myself. I
must trust God to do it. I must trust God to drop the manna ? the bread
of life ? into my barren soul and save me through Jesus my Savior. I
can search as much as
I like but will never make sense of it. This is a love so deep that I
won?t even be able to understand it?s depth. I can?t discover this love
of God on my own. I can only accept this love of God through belief and
trust in Jesus. And when I realize this- when I humble myself- when I
repent- when I turn- I will finally see that God is my only hope for
being saved. And I will finally know the patient love I must display
for others too. ?This is the real cream.? ? And that?s the real love of
God in Christ Jesus.
Prayer-Lord, let me show your love this day to those I meet and point
them to the real cream of life. -- Amen