Tornado! - Matthew 10:21-33 - Fourth Week after Pentecost

 

Matthew 10:21-33 NIV

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ²³ When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

²⁴ “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

²⁶ “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. ³⁰ And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

³² “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Tornado!

Remember last week? Jesus sends His twelve apostles out into the world. Sends them with very little. Yet, this week we hear the warnings. As these apostles, and us disciples of today, GO… we can expect that the message of the Gospel will cause societal divisions, yes, even divisions in family. At first glance it may not make sense. Afterall the Gospel is the Good News of God’s forgiveness and salvation. But many won’t agree. Salvation can’t be free! And many will disagree with the message that salvation is a gift. It just can’t be true. You are not truthful with this Gospel message.

Following Jesus just may lead to hatred from people in this world. Jesus can’t be the answer. Jesus can’t be the Savior. And for you to proclaim so, is a lie told. At least in the eyes of the unbeliever.

This lie may bring persecution, either physical or mental. But remaining obedient to Jesus’ call to go into the fields is what matters.

If people won’t listen to the Gospel message; move along. This advice from Jesus is some harsh stuff here. But the message that the apostles bring, is for all the people of this world, even if they are beginning with the Jewish people at first.

As disciples of Christ, we need to be humble. Humble before God and one another. When we attempt to understand and listen to Jesus, we must realize our need to learn, and grasp what God tells us. In days of old, God spoke to people through the prophets, but today we can open the pages of our Bible and hear and learn from Jesus. What a wonderful gift this is. So be sure to take time, each and every day to open the Word, seek God’s guidance and understanding, SO THAT, we can live out God’s Will in His Way. In this we are obedient and faithful. In this we know that God is God and we are not. In this we can commune with God and be His child. Humility is a wonderful thing!

But know and understand this, when we align with Jesus, we will be opposed by the evil and the evils of this world. Satanic power is real and can’t stand what God has sent Jesus to do for His Children. Satan will hate you as much as he hates God. So, be ready, to turn all of your trust and faith over to the protection of God. You can’t defeat Satan and evil… Only God can do this.

But even with this evil world and the evil people and powers within it, we need not fear. God has your back.

 

Psalm 27:1

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

What God commands us to say, say it. Don’t be afraid of telling the word of God’s forgiveness and grace to all the world. Some people will hate your message. Your message is a gift from God, not something some people want to hear. Many folks only want to hear how they themselves, or their works, or their riches, power, or influence is what saves them. It doesn’t work that way. We need God.

Don’t fear mankind. Fear and honor God and God alone. He is your salvation.

Look around and see how God cares for creation, for animals, and for you and me as well. Remember that whole “Daily Bread?” God gives us all we need. Completely. There is more to all of this than what this world holds. Way more!

As a Child of God, you can rest assured that God loves you and has your back, even in death.

When we go into the world to tell of the Gospel, we are also telling people that God will turn their lives around. We are showing people their sin. And God moves in His Law to spin sinners away from evil, to face Him for grace and forgiveness. This message can be a dangerous message for people who live in sin and don’t want to change. Change is difficult and can send people into a wild defensive posture. Expect it. But the message is NOT yours. This message IS God’s message. And as tough as this message of sin is, we must be obedient to God’s command to speak HIS Word and not our words. After all, it’s God who grants the forgiveness, even for each of us as well, even as we speak God’s Word, we are convicted in our sin as well.

 

Hear this and grasp the comfort…

Psalm 91:1-4

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Even though we hear harsh warnings from Jesus, we can obey His will. Sin does not win out. We are not slaves to this evil world, even though we sin, Christ has freed us from the power of sin and defeated death, SO THAT, we can live with Him and under Him in His Kingdom, now and forever.

This past week, I experienced several Tornado Warnings. Warnings that came out in the early hours of the morning. First, my phone goes into that annoying alarm mode, detailing the possibility of a tornado in the area. Then I hear the city sirens wailing outside. Followed by my wife, coming to wake me from sleep! So, next we gather together the dogs and the cat and traipse down into the basement. Of course, the cat has his own ideas of taking cover and won’t comply with any wishes we may have. I take along my phone, of course, and set it up to listen to the local Cincinnati weather person reporting about all the tornado warnings in the area.

There is fear of what could happen, yet caution, to take cover of what may or may not happen. Finally, the all clear is given and we go back to bed, or in the case of my wife looking through some family papers she discovered in the basement. She is one to stay up late anyway.

Back to bed, and what happens? After about 30 minutes or so, another tornado warning is issued and the city sirens go off once again. What do I do? Irritated with this whole process, I lay in my upstairs bedroom and make the decision to “forget about it!”

Was it good for me to do this? Caution says no, but my impatience says okay.

This passage of Scripture from Matthew 10 makes me think of the love of God in Christ Jesus. Jesus warns us about what to expect as we go into the world to proclaim how sinful and evil we, you and I can be. Jesus places the LAW right before our eyes and we are convicted just like those guys at the social gatherings who hold signs of “Burning in Hell” do. Yet the flip side of what Jesus tells His apostles, and today disciples, is that we can be sure that we will be rejected. Sort of like sirens going off, and phones blaring and weather personnel telling us to go to our safe place.

But where is “safe?”

Our world is not safe. We have tornados, wars, hunger, poverty, accidents, illness and death all around us. We have people that steal, murder, lie and cheat; all around us. Our world is NOT safe!

Yet, here we are, sent to proclaim to evil people that this world is NOT all there is. Well, that’s just something that may be too far of a stretch for anyone to believe. And on top of all that we proclaim that we all fall short, and we all sin and are evil. Talk about making your neighbor mad at you!

But like the weather person, telling us to go to our “safe place.” God does offer a Gospel message in this “Safe Place” with Jesus. Jesus has overcome the evil of sin and overcome the power of death, FOR us, SO THAT, we may have a “SAFE PLACE.” Yes, a SAFE PLACE with Him forever in His Kingdom.

And it’s this message that we GO into the fields of this world to all the people in desperate need, to proclaim what God has already done.

God takes us and spins us around, even as we are in the midst of our sin, to show us His forgiveness and life with Him forever. And that’s not something we can do on our own.

So, as we GO! Even in the midst of repeated warnings, don’t ignore what Jesus sends us to do… not even when the message of safety is irritating for the second, third, fourth or maybe even fifth time in the middle of the night.

How can I not re-iterate my Confirmation Verse spoken over me by Pastor Bergdall as he lay his hands on my head…

Psalm 27:1 NIV

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

Listen in obedience to the command, the warning, and GO out into the fields of this world to proclaim… The Kingdom is near… Jesus is here… the Holy Spirit is with us… God is at hand… today… tomorrow… and forever… Thanks be to God!

Hear now and be inspired by my favorite song that reminds me of my Confirmation Verse, Psalm 27:1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsQzeBKKIFY&list=RDtsQzeBKKIFY&start_radio=1

The Sending - Matthew 9:35-10:20 - Third Week after Pentecost

 

Matthew 9:35-10:20 NIV

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. ⁶ Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

⁹ “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— ¹⁰ no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. ¹¹ Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. ¹² As you enter the home, give it your greeting. ¹³ If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. ¹⁸ On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

The Sending

Jesus’ message and teaching for His day and today, is to all the people. He doesn’t limit His message, teaching, healing and grace just to certain individuals or groups of people.

This was prophesied in Isaiah…

Isaiah 9:1-2 NIV

9 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

² The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.

 

Jesus, would of course, teach, in the synagogues. This was a center for the Jewish people to learn and worship. But Jesus’ teaching reached beyond the Jewish nation as well. And Jesus would make it clear that God was here and now, to draw ALL people to Him in forgiveness and salvation. Yes, Jesus would make it clear that He was the Messiah and the Kingdom of God had come through Him into this world.

 

But, would we be able to hear this message?

As Jesus moved about the crowds, He saw the need. And not only did He see the need, He had love and compassion for the people. Jesus loves us and cares for us and comes to us to heal us in more than just body, but spirit as well. It’s amazing to me that He shows and gives a love that transcends the here and now, and gives us a forever, in His Kingdom with Him.

 

And as disciples of Jesus, we are also sent to emulate His compassion and love for one another. We are to hear and see Him in action, so that, we too will love one another, in action.

 

This is the way Jesus trains His disciples then and today. Love and compassion, backed up with action. Not just words, but love for people in horrible situations, that can truly help them. With this, the world knows Jesus and his disciples love. You can’t be a phony-bologna, just talking the words. We are called to “be real.”

 

And in this “being real,” we are called to Go out into the field of the needy people in actions of love, healing, teaching and compassion. It may get ugly at times, but being a disciple of Jesus is not about ease for self. And as we go, we pray, for help, guidance and the wisdom to understand the will of God in our going.

You see how Jesus calls His disciples to Him? Jesus is intimate and close to those who are close to Him. Jesus makes this call personal, both individually and as a group of twelve men. And in this intimate call of love and caring, Jesus grants these men the power and authority that they will need to carry out what Jesus is next going to send them to do.

And Jesus calls them, apostles. So, what’s the difference between an apostle and a disciple? The apostle is chosen by Jesus to go on a specific mission as directed by Jesus. A disciple is also sent, but a disciple is a follower of Jesus, paying attention to Jesus’ teaching, learning from Him and hearing His Word. There are many disciples, but fewer apostles.

Jesus sends the apostles out to the Jewish nation only. Later, Jesus would come to include Samaritans as well. So, who are Samaritans? They are a mixed race of people, Jews who married into Gentiles. That’s why they were so hated by the Jews and the Samaritans hated the Jews as well. Two peoples at odds with one another. Go figure! Sounds pretty typical by today’s standards as well. We sure love to hate one another. But God doesn’t exactly see things this way.

But even with the command to go to the Jewish people, Jesus sends the apostles to the “lost sheep.” So, even in manners of like race, there is a division as well. These “lost sheep,” are the people who have strayed away from God.

And the message? The Kingdom of God is nearby. How’s that? Well, the Messiah, Jesus, had come to earth to save His people. Get yourself ready to be spun around to face God!

Then Jesus tells the apostles to do what they have witnessed Him doing. Heal, cast out demons, have compassion and love all of the sinners… the “lost sheep.”

Apostles sent. Sent with little means, but with great means as well. How’s that? Well, taking little along, brings forth a great dependence on God’s provisions. God has given the apostles then and ourselves today all we need to live.

Remember the “Daily Bread” of the Lord’s Prayer. Well, that giving of “Daily Bread” includes everything we need to live life here now and into eternity with God.

Once again, the theme seems to be GO! GO where you are welcome and leave where you are rejected. Seems awful simple. Yet in reality, it gets complicated.

When you arrive, be compassionate and loving. Greet one another with the love God has given you, so that, you give that same love to those you meet. And that’s for each and every person. That gets tough, when the people reject you. But, do it just the same. When you are rejected for giving the love of God that God has freely given to you, well then, move along. God doesn’t send us out to brow-beat people.

Don’t get all wrapped up in judging those who refuse you. This may not just be “their time” yet. Their time may come later or not at all. That’s not up to you to get all wrapped around the wheel with.

And this sending comes with a truthful warning. You will be rejected. Your feelings will be damaged. But remember, this is not about you. This is about obedience to the command from God to GO!

So, don’t even worry about what you can say to convince those who reject you. It’s you they reject, sure, but it’s also the gift of the grace of God that they leave behind. So, if any words need said, let the Holy Spirit speak through you and move along.

We are called by God to obedience. We are called by God to GO and do what He commands. So, act out in response to what God has done for you, in love towards your neighbor. And you neighbor includes even those you don’t like or disagree with or are appalled by. God doesn’t “sugar coat” His message.

God draws us to Himself and makes us one with Him. What a joy this is! So, shout about it to all the world. Shout it out loud!

There’s a whole world out there filled with demons and evil. We are called, like the apostles to GO out into that world, with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and witness to people, just like you and I, that are sinful and in need of forgiveness and salvation. That’s something that God did for His Children through Jesus. So, GO, and tell all you see day after day, what God has done FOR you and FOR them as well. Some will hear, some will not, some will turn to God later on, some will run away. That’s just how it is. Yet the offer from God stands… today… tomorrow… and forever.

This past week, I have spent a bunch of time on a small QRP radio. That’s a radio that only uses about 5 watts to send out messages. This radio uses CW or Morse Code and only on one band of frequencies, that is the 40-meter band.

So what?

When this radio works, I GO out into the airwaves to contact like enthusiasts using Morse Code to make contacts, to greet another soul in this world with good-will and a message of “Best Wishes.”

I GO without much power or prestige. I GO with a simple antenna. I GO with a small radio to send greetings. I don’t expect much. I know my contacts will be few and far between, and only at certain prime times of the day. But I GO. And in the GOING, I find joy.

Likewise, as you go to work, to school, to family and friends, GO knowing that God has given you all you need to GO. And even when it gets hard to reach out, even when you fail, know that God is with you, giving you all you need to GO.

In the GOING, you will see God, in others, in your struggles, and by your side; as you GO!

So, GO loving God and Neighbor. That’s why…

Thanks be to God!

Permit me to Geek out a bit… I listened to this favorite of mine, the “CQ Song.”

Thinking of sending 73… meaning “Best Wishes” or “Best Regards”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NGdr1QE7k&list=RD52NGdr1QE7k&start_radio=1

Willow - Matthew 9:9-13 - Second Week after Pentecost

 

Matthew 9:9-13 NIV

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Willow

So, in the context of these past few reflections, we have backed up in time a bit. We are back to the midst of Jesus ministry. This passage begins with Jesus moving on from there. Well, where is there? In this case the there is Capernaum. Capernaum is on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. This is a place where Jesus was active in His ministry. It’s the hometown of Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew as well. Here Jesus taught, healed and cast out demons. In some ways you could say that Capernaum was home base for Jesus’ ministry.

Jesus spots Matthew at work as a Tax Collector. You can see how Jesus is intentional with connecting to people. And Jesus connects with those you may not expect Him to connect with. He doesn’t look at the qualifications for being a disciple as the world would consider.

Even in Matthew’s own name is some meaning. Matthew means “gift of God” or “gift of Yahweh.” And for Jesus, I can see Him seeing Matthew as a gift. Even though considering Matthew’s occupation, most people would not see Matthew as a gift, let alone a gift of God. Most people would see Matthew as a nuisance, perhaps a swindler of money, to gain from taxes that were due for the government, skimming additional money off the top for himself.

Yet, Jesus calls Matthew anyway. And Matthew responds!

So, if you think about your own life as a disciple, especially if I ponder my own; we can be assured, at some point, Jesus comes even to sinners like me, and calls us to follow Him. I’ve related my experience in the past of a dream of Jesus coming to my door and calling me “Out to Play.” I didn’t understand it, at the time, but my life has wrapped itself around this saying from childhood to today. Jesus calls all disciples to “Follow Him.” Some calls may be more visual than others, and other calls may be subtle hints; but the point here is to follow the example of Matthew and get up and GO! And that in itself, takes trust and faith in that God IS involved. For some, like Matthew, it’s a quick response, but I think, for most, it’s a pause for consideration, prayer, thought, and discernment. But, in the finality of it all, we as disciples, GO and follow Jesus.

So, just in one verse, we see the power of Jesus on display, as He comes to sinners, and sinners respond. There is power in the personal touch of God, in the life of Matthew, and the life of us as well. So, likewise, as we work in the Kingdom of God, be bold to reach out in a personal way to ask for help from others, in Kingdom work here on earth. This personal touch is powerful.

Next is a wonderful celebration of Matthew’s new call and life change. Jesus gathers at the home of Matthew with all the sinful people. This wasn’t a dinner to impress the mighty and holy religious leaders. This was Jesus in communion with sinners and the common people of the day. This was Jesus, once again, coming to all those for whom He came to forgive, to save, and to call into the Kingdom of God.

Not only did Matthew break the common barriers of society, but Jesus, more importantly, broke all the barriers of, what was believed to be an unclean action, by communing and breaking bread with sinners. Jesus came to touch the unclean, not to justify the pious religious people of the day.

Think about it. If God wants to forgive sinners, He must be with the sinners. SO THAT, me and you, as well as ALL sinners, can repent and be turned around by Jesus’ presence to receive God’s forgiveness. Once again, do you see WHO is taking the initiative to act FIRST? God acts and we respond. How great is that!

Jesus comes into a relationship with us sinners to build us up into His image, to make us righteous, through HIM, rather than through our continual failures to be obedient to God’s will. God acts and we respond, in love to Him, and in love for one another.

As the Pharisees observed this dinner with sinners and the unclean folks of the day, they judged Jesus. How weird is that? Sinners, the Pharisees, judging God. Well, I’m not sure the Pharisees would think of themselves as sinners, just like many self-righteous Christians of today, tend to elevate their own moral standards beyond the common people of society; and judge those outside of their own particular beliefs or denominations.

We can get caught up in judging others. This alienates people. This doesn’t work like God would have it work. Remember, God comes to us. We too, as disciples, must GO… like last week’s message, TO those God gives to us, to love them and proclaim the Gospel of God’s forgiveness and salvation and eternal relationship.

That’s a TALL order. That’s an act that takes a life-time. That’s a call of the Church, here on earth to GO! And along the way we will be sure to stumble. But we are called to a change that only God can bring about in us and in His Church, that will be perfected by God in eternity. That’s a change! That’s a journey! That’s relationship WITH God!

So, don’t look down your nose! Rather turn to God and seek His will and His way, with a humble, joyful, thankful heart, for all that God has done for you.

Now Jesus speaks of “healthy” and “sick” people. Well, just who are these people?

The healthy people are those who “Think” they are healthy. People who place themselves above or beyond other people that, THEY decide, are sick. So, who does this deciding?

The healthy people decide this about themselves. But guess what? There are really NO healthy people on this earth. All of us are sin-sick. All of us sin against God AND one another. So, if you think you are one of the “Healthy,” don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s NOT your place to decide! We are ALL unclean. Get over it!

So, Jesus is coming to ALL of us, especially the “Sick” among us. And we’re all SICK! But if you don’t believe you are SICK, then you don’t think you need to be healed. Or maybe another way to put it is, you don’t think you need to be healed to become healthy.

This is the place that Jesus makes plain the LAW. We all fall short of fulfilling the LAW of God. In fact, the only one that was able to fulfill the LAW completely was Jesus. And Jesus makes it plain that He IS God. So, it’s only through Jesus, the Physician, that we can be healed. All others, that make this claim as our Healing Physician, are imposters.

So, as the Church, we are sent to reach out to the “Sick.” And that includes everyone. But reach out with what? Well, this is where Jesus teaches through Word and example. Jesus reaches out to the “Sick” by making the sick know they are sick, and He reaches out in active love for the “Sick” by communing with them, teaching them, healing them and bringing each of the “Sick” into communion with Him into eternity, SO THAT, the “Sick” may be turned around and away from sinfulness to a new life with God.

And yea, the “Sick” include the Pharisees, and all those pious Christians who claim to be so much better than the rest of this world, only through their own decision, that they are better, or above the other.

Now, the end of this passage, Jesus sends us all back to dig into God’s Word. To dig and discover true meaning. To dig into the Word and attempt to understand the message. This is a tall order. One, that for me, takes a lifetime of digging, and still, I don’t always “get it.”

Listen to just a couple of Old Testament prophets:

Hosea 6:6 NIV

⁶ For I (God) desire mercy, not sacrifice,
    and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

 

Micah 6:8 NIV

⁸ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

 

Just as Jesus has come to the sinners, then and today; we learn, by His examples, that He is showing us mercy and compassion and love. Not because we deserve such a response from God, but because God can do what He wants, and He does do, what He wants.

 

So, likewise, when we receive such a great gift from Jesus, what is our response?

 

It’s NOT to overpower or over-lord other people. It’s to show one another mercy and compassion and love, no matter how filthy, or sinful, or hateful that other person is, or that other group of people are. We aren’t called to “Rule Over” one another. We are called to an obedience to God to love one another with mercy and compassion. Even those we hate. Whew! Lord, teach us and guide us and correct us along the way as we respond to Your call to love you, and one another!

Sometimes God catches us off guard when He calls us to do something in His Kingdom. Sometimes when we hear the call from God; God is the farthest thing from our minds. Sometimes He calls us right when we are in the midst of our sinfulness, even in the act of sinning. But God sees something different in us. God has the power to initiate and carry out significant life changes. And I think it’s important to be humble in His presence and fully acknowledge His power to change us into something we couldn’t imagine. And this is when trust and faith play out through what God calls us to do.

When I think of Abraham’s response to God’s call to GO, I think of how it wasn’t about how Abraham had any more fortitude than the rest of mankind. Rather Abraham, decided to place his trust in God’s call. Abraham wasn’t any better than any one else. Yet, God still called him to GO. And Abraham, or his descendants, for that matter, are no better than anyone else. But Abraham did recognize that trusting God, in God’s actions, rather than his own actions, would lead him to a better place. A place that God wanted him to go to. Abraham accepted God’s call with hope and faith that God would take care of him all along the way. So, Abraham didn’t go, or accept God’s call because he felt he was better than anyone else. I think Abraham accepted God’s call through trust, hope and faith that God gave him to go and follow God’s lead in his life.

Help me, Lord Jesus, as I listen to your word and your command. Teach me Your ways and set my heart straight.

When I think back on this past week, for myself; there was a knock on the door of my daughter Sarah’s house, early one morning. Two females from a horse farm across the road were at the door. They were looking for Willow, a horse that was in the pasture the previous night that went missing. I looked at all three of the cameras at the house, and could find no evidence showing what had taken place. The female ranch hands figured that Willow was stolen during the night.

Of course, the local authorities were notified. As the day went on the ranch hands continued to search. Then someone had the idea to search from the other side of the fence around the pasture. And yes, they found Willow, stuck in a creek by where the creek passes under the nearby road.

So, what happened? The fence was never compromised, but due to recent rains a sinkhole next to the creek had developed. Since Willow wandered close to the fence, she fell through the sink hole and crawled through a small cave like feature, and became stuck in the creek.

With this, I thought of how Jesus comes to us to call us. Even in the midst of our sinfulness, as we fall into sink holes and get stuck in our sin, Jesus hunts us down to find us where we are.

That’s just like my life with Jesus. Jesus comes to me and finds me. Jesus finds me, a sinner, and rescues me, but not only does He rescue me, He calls me into a relationship with Him and changes me. He calls me to tell the story of His rescue, to ALL those around me, and with me, in my life. He pulls me out of the mud of my life and the waters of my “creek,” to teach me His ways, to show me His love, and to send me out in His grace.

So, yea, you and I, likewise, like Willow, respond with joy and thanksgiving for all God does for us in our lives to bring us from the brink of death to new life, in, and with, Him.

And yes, that’s for today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God!

I leave you with a couple of videos…

First is the “Willow” rescue… (You may need Facebook to see this)

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EAneaF5kn/

Finally, this YouTube Music Video that spoke to me this week…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rAbbdEGwq4&list=RD7rAbbdEGwq4&start_radio=1