Canada Revenue Agency

Today I am totally impressed with Canada Revenue Agency. CRA deals with income tax issues in Canada.

Due to the time it takes to send documents in the mail, and having to send it to several locations to connect with the right people, CRA had ruled certain tax deductions were not allowed - because they had not received supporting documents. So, I called them this morning. I got to talk to an agent without having to wait on hold. The lady was surprisingly cheerful and friendly (I think her name was Teresa). She went beyond anything I expected and resolved our issue.

The phone call took less than 5 minutes and the issue was completely resolved. I hear far too many people complain about dealing with government agencies. So I just want to shout out "WAY TO GO CRA" for the service I received!

If you need the CRA website you can find it here http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html.

Giving

Ever read 2 Corinthians 8? Chances are that you don't remember what that chapter is about - because it talks about a subject that we don't like to talk about. Money. More specifically - Giving!

Giving is one of those things that elicits all kinds of emotional responses. Of course, lots of people think that is all that the church talks about. "The Church just wants your money."

Money is something we all want. None of us thinks we have enough. Somebody else always wants what we have. Just watch TV for a while and all kinds of businesses plead with you to give money to THEM! Because you just can't continue to live a fulfilled life until you buy THEIR product or service. And, we gladly go to their place of business, in person or online, to hand over our money for their indispensable product. And we don't complain. At least not until a day or two later when we see something else we desperately "need."

The interesting thing is. When we buy "stuff" we are soon again left feeling dissatisfied and empty. On the other hand, when we choose to GIVE to a cause - even to the Church - without expecting anything in return. When we give out a heart of generosity and "giving," we experience feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Sorrow but no regret

In my devotional reading this morning I read through 2 Corinthians 7. Within one paragraph Paul, in writing to the Church in Corinth, used the words sorrow and regret several times. We may not always appreciate the difference between sorrow and regret.

⁸ Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— ⁹ yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. - 2 Corinthians 7

First "regret." Paul apparently had sent a previous letter to the church in Corinth which may have seemed harsh. At least it pointed out something in their lives that needed to be changed - and it brought sorrow in their lives. Paul initially regretted causing sorrow, but when he saw the impact of their sorrow, he no longer regretted his actions.

Secondly, the Corinthians experienced sorrow. But the sorrow they experienced led them to repent of their wrong and as a result they experienced forgiveness and "salvation."

Reflecting on these words I see that there are times when we regret certain actions we have taken in the past, but we have not experienced sorrow over those actions. It seems to me that unless I actually sorrow over my wrongdoing, but simply regret my actions, I will not be brought to a point of true repentance. Getting caught may cause me to regret. Admitting our wrong and our personal responsibility for our own actions is repentance - and leads to forgiveness.

Reference Letters

As a pastor, I am often asked to fill out reference forms. Sometimes I know the person very well and feel I can give a fairly accurate reference. At other times I don't know the person well at all and the reference becomes more symbolic than useful.

I have had to give references at various times. Of course, I hope that those I choose will give a good reference - thought I DO want them to be truthful.

The best letters of reference I could ever get are seeing lives changed as a result of my input into their lives. When I see that, I really don't care what people write down on paper, or communicate over the phone.

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.  You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

- 2 Corinthians 3:1-3

This is so cool!! 

Smell of Life or Death

 ¹⁴But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? ¹⁷Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

- 2 Corinthians 2

We all want to be liked by others. Some of us enjoy various levels of adversity, but we all have our limits. But we all have to make choices. Will I have principles, beliefs and standards that I am not willing to compromise even if others ridicule me and abuse me?

Paul makes it clear in this passage that as followers of Jesus Christ we will affect those around us. You would think that everyone would want to respond to Christ with what he offers to us. Life changing purpose here on earth, a fulfilling life, and of course, eternal life in heaven forever. As our lives are changed by the Holy Spirit of God, we become full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. We sacrificially reach out to those without hope and are helpless and bring them help and hope. What's not to like about that?

To those who respond favourable, we are the aroma that brings life.

But to those who refuse to respond to Christ, we are a reminder that they stand before God without hope and a future. To them we are the smell of death. We don't have to say a word.

Key Priorities

Great advice! As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be reminded of key priorities.

¹³Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. ¹⁴Do everything in love.

In this world we continuously face temptation to yield to temptation by what would lure us away from God. After all, the devil is real and will see if he can drag us to join him in rebellion against the Great Creator. So, we need to be on our guard.

We need to stand firm as indicated in Psalm 1.

Then we also need to be strong and courageous as Joshua was challenged when he took over from Moses.

The problem is that we tend to develop a "hold the fort" mentality. Hide away, keep away from anything that might tempt you, barricade yourself and hold on until Christ comes back. Make sure there is a distinct, uncrossable moat between you and "the world." Make sure you don't love the world or anything in it!

Strange though... We make enemies out of those who are not our enemies. In fact, we are told to DO EVERYTHING IN LOVE! We need to live as Jesus did - love the people. Live according to God's plan and live among the world and love each one we meet.

That is His priority!

Friday the 13th

We are a strange people. How can one number - one day - be so foreboding? All you have to do is say "Friday the thirteenth" and people get apprehensive, if they don't totally freak out. Why?

Why the 13th? Why Friday?

I know the number 13 is considered an unlucky number because Judas (who betrayed Jesus) was considered the 13th member of the group - 12 disciples and Jesus.

Even Christians. Just yesterday I was talking to someone who has been a significant leader/teacher in the church for years. When he talked about today being Friday the 13th, even he responded in a somewhat startled manner. Maybe he was kidding. Yet he reacted, none-the-less.

Let me throw some 13's at you.

1 Corinthians has a chapter 13 and a verse 13 in that chapter. Guess what that verse says? "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." Doesn't sound too ominous or unlucky to me!

You become a teenager at what age? Oh right - 13. Depends on who ask as to whether that may be something to be afraid of or not.

So I say, "never fear, 13 is hear."

Now to read 1 Corinthians 15 which is all about being raised from the dead. New bodies that will never get old or deteriorate again? Cool!

It's All About Love

One of the most read and ignored chapters in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13. Go to a wedding and what are you inclined to hear?

It's all about LOVE!

We quote this chapter in such romantic events and sing about it in our love songs. Then what? And what is it really talking about anyway?

 ¹If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

- 1 Corinthians 13

Just prior to this passage Paul is writing to the church and talking about spiritual gifts. Everyone who comes to faith in Christ receives spiritual gifts to be used as God directs. It is the power of the Spirit of God at work within us. And as we read the list of spiritual gifts we begin to categorize them and give special place to those who have certain gifts - and ignore others.

That is when Paul gets personal. "You can have all the gifts, do all kinds of things - even for God, but if you don't have love, it useless. Love is the key.

And how much priority do we put on love - and the demonstration of love toward others?

As One Body

I love the church. I love how God has designed thc church! Of course, we as people have done our best to mess it up over the years. But God's design works - if we follow his design.

I believe a powerful and essential picture of the church is that of the body - which is used in 1 Corinthians 11 & 12. The church is Christ's body on earth. As such it is his physical representative in this world. The picture of the body demonstrates how the church ought to function.

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]? Do all interpret?

- 1 Corinthians 12

According to this picture, each part of the church is equally important. It is essential that each part be active in its role for the church to be healthy and not handicapped in some way. No one part of the body can fulfill the roles of the entire body. There are lots of implications to this analogy - and they are important for the church.

So, if you are part of the church - you have a part to play. An important part which will help complete the church and make it healthy and effective. What's stopping you?

Silent Saturday

Saturday! Passover! Sabbath! Silence!

Shock! Disbelief! It's Over!

I wonder what was going through the minds of the followers of Jesus on this day? They had witnessed the execution of their leader. Their mentor! They had given their lives to follow him and his cause. Now he was dead! Now what?

We so quickly want to pass over this day. Because of what Christ accomplished on the cross we don't mind celebrating Good Friday. But then we want to rush to Sunday morning so we can celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. But there WAS the painful, confused waiting on Saturday, the Sabbath. But what were they waiting for?

This morning as my wife and I were sitting at the breakfast with our daughter we reflected on what the women must have been going through. Why did they not abandon Jesus like the men? Was it because of the value that Jesus had brought to these women?

What value had Jesus brought to us?

Then Paul Baloche's song "To The Cross" came on the playlist we were listening to. Here are the words...

You stretched Your arms out wide
I lift my hands up high to my Savior
You stretched Your arms out wide
I lift my hands up high to my Savior

Where can I go but to the cross
To the cross
For there my shame You have washed away
Where can I go but to the cross
To the cross
For there You gave up Your life for me
You gave Your life for me

So Lord I run to the cross
To the cross
Surrender all to my Savior King
Be my ev'rything

Chains are broken
Shame has fallen
All my sins are gone
Chains are broken
Shame has fallen
All my sins are gone

© 2009 Integrity Worship Music | Leadworship Songs | Sony/ATV Timber Publishing | West Main Music | Windsor Hill Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) | (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) | (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC) | (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC) | (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC)
Jason Ingram | Paul Baloche

And... It's NOT over! It is just the beginning! But for now, we wait...

Counting Down

I wonder if Jesus counted down the days? I do. Like - it is only 22 days until our daughter Liesel leaves to go back to Dublin, Ireland. I am surprised at how this is a bit more traumatic for me than I expected. I am sure she won't mind leaving this kind of weather.

April 4th snowfall in Didsbury

I am sure Jesus didn't have to worry about weather like that - whether he was counting down or not.

Today marks the day when Jesus met together with his disciples for one last meal together. This was the evening when one of his close group would sell him out to the highest bidder. It was the night when one of them would deny he knew Jesus. Three times! It was the night he humbly knelt in front of each of them and washed their feet. It was the night he knew was coming.

It is the night which included the greatest despair and eventually brought about what gives us the greatest hope possible. When Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. So that we (including you) might have all our sins forgiven and we can be restored to the relationship God intended from the start. So that we can look forward to eternity without the boundaries, restictions and pain that we experience in life on this earth.

Pondering Death

I have been pondering death these last few days. We are half-way through Easter Week and in two days take a day to remember the fact that Jesus Christ died to pay for our sins so that we might have life. Then on Sunday we will celebrate the amazing reality that Jesus Christ conquered death as he rose from the tomb. 1 Corinthians 15 talks about the reality that we will also all be resurrected one day.

The question that my mind "worries over" these days has to do when death was introduced into the world. I have always understood that death was not present in the world until after Adam and Eve sinned and death was part of the curse placed on mankind.

So, here is what I have been pondering... Was there no death before then? What about the food Adam and Eve ate - or any of the other "animals" for that matter? The trees obviously bore fruit. Why? Would the fruit not fall from the tree and die? Is decomposition not a form of "death?" Adam and Eve ate food. Why? What would have happened if they would have stopped eating?

Anyway, those are some questions I am pondering these days.

Betrayal & Denial

We are so quick to condemn the one and readily embrace the other. Both are recorded in John 13...

²¹After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

³⁸Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

Those familiar with the events surround the betrayal, arrest and crucifixion of Jesus know that the first prediction by Jesus refers to Judas and the second one to Peter. Judas would betray once and Peter would deny he knew Jesus three times - all on the same evening.

So, what's the difference?

One had malicious intent and the other was a coward. One could not come to forgive himself and the other was convicted in spirit and repented of his wrong.

And there lies the key for each of us. We all have sinned. We know it and the Bible reminds us of it. What do we do when we come to the place where we admit our sin? Do we respond like Judas or Peter? Do we spiral down in our despair and bring about our own end? Or do we humble ourselves before God and seek his grace, mercy and forgiveness - and find life?

Broken And Spilled Out

¹Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ²Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

⁴But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” ⁶He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

⁷“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

⁹Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

- John 12

A Day You Will Never Forget

I wonder what it would have been like that day? You see the crowds gather. You see the excitement and the shouting of the crowd. You wrestle your way through the crowd and see people waving branches and throwing their coats on the road.

You see a man riding on a young donkey. There is something unusual about this man. People are shouting and calling him king. But he doesn’t look like he is dressed like a king. As he passes by, he looks at you and you feel a warm flow through you. You also see sadness.

Suddenly some church leaders angrily push their way through and start talking to the man. He is to tell these people to be quiet – they are causing a public disturbance. You overhear the man say something about the stones crying out if the people are quiet.

It’s A day you would never forget. The day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem for the last time. That day, the crowds worshipped Him and proclaimed Him as their Messiah - their King.

I invite you to get your Bible and read Matthew 21:1-11. As you read this passage you can discover something about this man and what he provokes for a response in us.

Who is this man? 

A. He Is The LORD  vs.3

"If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them.”

B. He Is Your KING  vs.5

“'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'”

C. He is JESUS  vs.11

"The crowds answered, "This is Jesus…”

D. He Is a Prophet vs.11

“The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

What response does he provoke?

A. As Lord, He calls us to OBEDIENCE.

B. As King, He calls us to HONOUR & WORSHIP

C. As Jesus, He calls us to respond to Him as Savior

D. As Prophet, He calls us to pay attention to His prophecy.

Such Irony

Isn't it ironic? The very people who were instrumental in the execution of Jesus were also centrally involved in bringing about the very thing they tried to stop. The Romans tried to stop the uprising they feared might be taking place in Jerusalem. The Jews tried to stop the one they feared would attract many away from their religious order and practices and jeopardize their desire for political freedom.

Listen to what it says in John 11,

⁴⁵Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. ⁴⁶But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. ⁴⁸If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

⁴⁹Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

⁵¹He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, ⁵²and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. ⁵³So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

 - John 11

A Jewish high priest prophesied that Jesus would die for the all the "children of God." Yes, they managed to kill Jesus, but his death (and his resurrection) brought about freedom and life that they could not stop.

And I find it ironic that Rome, who desired to conquer and rule the world, was eventually conquered by the Christian faith and became the centre of Christianity for centuries.

Jesus said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."

The Plight of A Prophet (Pastor)

Kind of sounds like he might be a pastor. People watching him to see if he might slip up. In Jeremiah 20 we read,

¹⁰I hear many whispering,
“Terror on every side!
Denounce him! Let’s denounce him!”
All my friends
are waiting for me to slip, saying,
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
then we will prevail over him
and take our revenge on him.”

It is fascinating how friends and even fellow Christians can watch leaders (especially pastors) to see if they will slip up. To see if they will make any mistakes - and then judge them. As a pastor you know this comes with the territory.

I used to use the describe it this way.... When you are new in ministry of the church you start at the bottom. Every time you do something good, you are raised up in people's minds. However, once you become a pastor, you are put on a pedestal and every time you make a mistake (of any kind) you drop in people's minds. As a pastor, there seems to be no way but down.

Sounds like Jeremiah 20. But just as for Jeremiah the Lord is with us.

¹¹But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior;
so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;
their dishonor will never be forgotten.
¹²LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous
and probe the heart and mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.

And because the Lord is with us we can sing with confidence!!

¹³Sing to the LORD!
Give praise to the LORD!
He rescues the life of the needy
from the hands of the wicked.

Eternal Youth

"Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

- John 8:31

Never see death? Wow!! Jesus must have caught the attention of the people with that bold statement.

If I could invent some concoction that would keep people young and keep them from dying, I would be rich! People would flock to me and would pay big money for this product.

The fascinating thing is - we already have the potential to "never die" and be "forever young." And it's free. Well, free for us anyway. It came with a huge price.

Next week we celebrate Easter week. And we celebrate the very fact that Jesus Christ came to this earth, gave his life for us, died on the cross to pay for our sins and rose from the grave to conquer death. And as a result, death on earth is not the end for us. When we put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ we have the promise from God himself that we will live forever and will never die. And in that forever state we will never get old, our bodies will never deteriorate.

And we will never see death. Totally cool!!

Conditional Clauses

We don't like them! If we are honest, we would prefer the "if's" were removed from the following statements.

³¹To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

³³They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

³⁴Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ³⁵ Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed....

⁴²Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.

- John 8

In his dialogue with the Jews, Jesus made some statements that are quoted frequently. The problem is, we don't read them as conditional statements. For example...

We quote part of verse 32 "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free" and we apply it to any situation where it is convenient or beneficial to us. And expect to experience freedom - as we decided according to our terms. Somehow we miss the first part of that conditional statement. "IF you hold to my teaching." This statement indicates that we will be set free if we LIVE out the teaching that God has given to us. Knowing information is not enough. We need to live it. And it needs to be God's truth - not just whatever we claim to be our truth.

And "IF the Son has set you free - you will be free indeed."

And "IF God is your Father, you will love me..." Jesus said.

I guess that means that in our relationship with God, we have a responsibility.

I wonder why he chose to do it that way?

⁴They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; ⁵they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

⁶Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. ⁷The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

⁸The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” ⁹So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

- Numbers 21

Why did God choose to have Moses make a snake and have the people look at the snake to be healed? Could they not just have gone to the tabernacle and ask for prayer? Couldn't they have prayed from their own tent and have been healed? I wonder why? Would the people not be tempted to start worshipping the bronze snake?

And, why did Jesus have to die on a cross? Lifted up from the ground for all to see? Why not a quick death? Why not in a day when there was the electric chair where one could be executed in privacy away from the public eye?

²¹Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”

²²This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

²³But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. ²⁴I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

²⁵“Who are you?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. ²⁶“I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”

²⁷They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. ²⁸So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. ²⁹The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” ³⁰Even as he spoke, many believed in him.

- John 8

I wonder if the reason has something to do with "faith." The people had to exercise their "faith" to be healed. The very act of looking at the snake was an act of faith. And you had to do it the way God said.

The effect Jesus brought about on the cross also has to do with faith. Once again, those who want to receive the benefit Jesus brought need to exercise their faith.

And what will I do about it?

Oh the questions I have...

What would we do? What would I do? What would we have done if we would have been in Jesus' shoes? Would we have condemned the woman like the religious leaders did? Would we have cried out in righteous indignation at the woman? How dare you? What were you thinking?

Would we have responded like Jesus? Would we have had mercy for the woman? Would we have extended the offer of forgiveness? Would we have required penance?

And where was the man? I presume there was a man involved in the adultery. What about him? Why were they not accusing him? Why was he not brought to the kangaroo court? Were only women not allowed to commit adultery?

¹But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ²At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

- John 8:1-11

Oh, the grace, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus! We - I have so much to learn!!

No Fear

It is amazing how fear can rule us! Paralyze and immobilize us!

Especially fear of people.

I love how Jesus responded to people. Maybe it was because he was/is God. Maybe it was because he lived by faith as he calls us to live by faith. When Jesus encountered people who tried to harm him, he didn't retaliate or try to defend himself. Yes, there were some times when he stayed out of the public eye for particular reasons. But that was hard to do given his popularity. And when they tried to harm him prematurely, he knew he was okay.

At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

- John 7:30

We might be afraid because we know we are not God as Jesus was. But are we any less safe than Jesus was?

I don't think so.

As much as God expects us to use our judgment and common sense He has given us, we are still in his hands and he will not allow anyone to harm us before our time.

So, today I can live without fear - because the Lord is my Shepherd, and I shall not lack anything.

Persistent Prayer

⁸This is what the LORD says:

“In the time of my favor I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land
and to reassign its desolate inheritances,
⁹to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’
and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads
and find pasture on every barren hill.
¹⁰They will neither hunger nor thirst,
nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.
He who has compassion on them will guide them
and lead them beside springs of water.
¹¹I will turn all my mountains into roads,
and my highways will be raised up.
¹²See, they will come from afar—
some from the north, some from the west,
some from the region of Aswan.^[b]”

¹³Shout for joy, you heavens;
rejoice, you earth;
burst into song, you mountains!
For the LORD comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

¹⁴But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me.”

¹⁵“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!

- Isaiah 49

Tough Question

I wonder what he was thinking? And, who was he? But, he (whoever "he" was) had been an invalid for 38 years. He had not been able to work ro take care of himself for all those years. Now this stranger comes to him and asks if he wants to get well?

Well DID he?

²Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda^[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. ³Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. ⁵One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

⁷“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

⁸Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” ⁹At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

- John 5:2-9

When Jesus asked the question, the man was faced with an avalanche of problems. What would he do if he was healed? Now he would have to get a job and look out for himself. What would he do? Did he have any family? If not, he would have to feed and clothe himself. Did he ever "say" he wanted to be healed?

What about us?

Elder and the Sinner

A paraphrase (with liberty)...

There were those who had their act together, were considered stalwarts in the church, and were confident of their spiritual status. To these Jesus told this story:
"There were two men who showed up in church one Sunday morning, a church elder and a sinner. The elder got up in front of everyone and prayed: 'O Gracious and Mighty God, we are so blessed that we are not like those sinners around us - people who smoke, drink, go to dances and carouse all night. Bring judgement on those liberals who would take away our freedoms and raise our taxes. We faithfully go to church and give our tithes and offerings. Thank you that Thou hast kept us from being like these awful sinners.

The sinner in church that Sunday bowed his head in despair. "God, I beg you to have mercy on me! I am a sinner, forgive me."

¹⁴“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

- Luke 18:9-14

¹“Come, let us return to the LORD.

³Let us acknowledge the LORD;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.”

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

- Hosea 6

Authentic Community

Funny how we are about truth! We tend to choose what we want to accept as truth - even when it comes from the very same document or source. This is not only true in politics or media - it is also true in the church. Out or our traditions and prejudices we select what we want to believe and accept. Then we judge others according to our standards.

I met a fellow at lunch today. It soon became clear that he was from a church that considered itself a cut above any others in the community. Not that he would admit it, but it became clear in the dialogue. I could not help but think, "is this what Jesus had in mind?" When He came as the Word made flesh, did he intend for us to form our little exclusive groups to "guard the truth" so that we  would make sure we were not erring in any way? To the point where we had such division in the church community? And I don't mean the "big stuff."

What about what Jesus taught in Mark 17?

²⁸One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Never mind John 17?

Oh that we would learn to walk together, learn from each other, encourage each other - you know - the kind of stuff the Bible talks about...

Biblical Integrity

My mind mulls over our church's new Directional Statement as I prepare for our Annual Meeting tonight and preach on the subject this coming Sunday. The first point of our statement declares that as a Church we are committed to Biblical Integrity.

We declare that we believe what the Bible teaches as truth. We should not only get to know that truth, but live it out in our daily lives. Truth and life need to be integrated. In today's world many question whether we can ever know truth. Still others have no apparent connection between what they claim as truth they believe and how they live  their lives.

Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.

Jeremiah 7:28

Today, if only you would hear his voice,
Do not harden your hearts...

Psalm 95:7-8

Our challenge today is to first accept God's Word as truth. Then we need to live that truth. And God is faithful - absolutely!

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

James 1:22

Our Mission

I just read the statement, "There is no mission for the Christian other than the one Jesus shares with us."

In the Bible we read various statements from Jesus that we regard as His mission for us. Matthew 22:37-39; 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8 for example. In Acts 1:8 Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit was going to guide and direct the followers of Jesus Christ and instruct them once Jesus was gone.

In Acts 2 we read of how the Holy Spirit fell upon Christ's followers and they began to do what He guided and empowered them to do. After the significant events of Pentecost, we read of what the followers of Jesus continued to do. I believe what we see them do forms the core of what our church today is to do.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

- Acts 2:42-47

As Bethel Church in Three Hills we have affirmed what we believe God has called us to do. Here is our statement of direction:
"Bethel Church is committed to helping more people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ through:
1. Biblical Integrity
2. Authentic Community
3. Persistent Prayer
4. Active Worship
5. Intentional Outreach

Forgiveness

"The litmus test for being a Christian is not whether one can say the creed and mean it, but whether one can forgive and love an enemy." (Not By Bread Alone: Daily Reflections)

²¹Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

²²Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times....

- Matthew 18

Jesus then told the story of a man who was forgiven his incredible debt, but would not forgive another person a minute debt. His forgiveness thus revoked and he was thrown in prison until he could repay his debt.

³⁵“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Forgiveness is one of those things that we can easily believe in when we are the ones that need to be forgiven. However, when the time comes when we need to forgive someone else, we struggle intensely. Jesus came to offer forgiveness. Forgiveness brings peace.

The End - The Beginning

It can be a bit shocking! Suddenly life comes to an end - for those you love and you are not ready for it.

In January my Dad passed away after struggling with his health for many years. Yet, at the end, he went downhill quickly and was gone much more quickly than I expected. Now my mom is battling for her life. It is hard to believe.

It does remind me that none of us knows when our time will come. We don't know that we will make it to tomorrow, or next week, or another year or till we reach 90 years of age. Are we ready should it be our turn?

Thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ that we can have assurance that when our life is over here on this earth that we can have life forever.

Birds of a Feather...

What a great quote! It goes perfectly with my sermon for tomorrow.

"Birds of a feather flock together," as the saying goes. How strange, then, to see Jesus, the sinless one, eating and speaking with sinners and others who were detested by "respectful" citizens. Yet, that is exactly what Jesus did and he made it very clear that the reason he came was to reconcile everyone to the Father. (Not By Bread Alone: Daily Reflections For Lent).

Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

- Micah 7:18-19

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

- Luke 15:1-2

Talk about headaches

Okay, so I have been pretty serious on here during Lent. So, today I will quote something else I read. Nothing to do with Lent.
----------------------------------
Little Susie, a six-year-old, came home from school and said, "Mommy, I've got a stomachache."

"That's because your stomach is empty," her mother replied. "You'd feel better if you had something in it." She gave Susie a snack, and sure enough, Susie felt better right away.

That afternoon the family's minister dropped by. While he was chatting with Susie's mom, he mentioned he'd had a bad headache all day long.

Susie perked up. "That's because it's empty," she said. "You'd feel better if you had something in it."
---------------------------------
The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.

Search the Heart and Mind

We think we have it figured out! We think we pretty much know all there is to know and think we are in control. Well, at least that is what we would like to believe.

We even like to tell God what to do - what he can or cannot do. What he is allowed to do. What he would do IF he is a good God at all.

Somehow we have this all backwards. Jeremiah had it right...

⁵ This is what the LORD says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

⁷ “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?

¹⁰ “I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,...”

- Jeremiah 17

We are the ones who need to pay attention to God and follow HIS purpose, teaching and influence. God is the creator, we are the created. God is the one who is trustworthy. We are the ones who cannot be trusted.

In keeping with this Romans 12:2 gives great advice.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Only 10 Words

Only 10 words!

What a difference 10 words can make.

This past weekend the leadership of our church spent a weekend away praying and working through the purpose of our church. Why are we here? What are we here to do? What priorities should determine how we use the resources God has given us? After much discussion we affirmed our purpose is this...

"Helping more people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ."

That purpose should direct all that we do as a church. Essentially we should eliminate anything we do that does not help us accomplish our purpose.

It is sadly interesting that far too often we get sidetracked and actually do things that keep us from accomplishing our purpose. And how we talk to and about others has a lot to do with this. I was struck by this when reading Jeremiah 18

¹⁸ They said, “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says.”

¹⁹ Listen to me, LORD;
hear what my accusers are saying!
²⁰ Should good be repaid with evil?
Yet they have dug a pit for me.
Remember that I stood before you
and spoke in their behalf
to turn your wrath away from them.

- Jeremiah 18:18-20

We get wrapped up in our own lives, forgetting that God has called us to influence others toward Jesus Christ. Just like "the two brothers" we forget that we are in the presence of Jesus Christ and he has an amazing mission for us. Instead we jockey for the positions of power and personal benefit.

¹⁷ Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, ¹⁸ “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death ¹⁹ and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” 

²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

²¹ “What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

²² “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

²³ Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

²⁴ When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

An Illusion

I got stuck in the snow today! The snow blower would not work, so I shovelled some snow, and soon gave up. I got the car out of the driveway okay and managed to start down our street. Then came the corners. I made it past the first one, then got hung up on the second. After much shoveling and help from others, I got going once more.

The snow looked soft and "friendly" but in reality it was hard, and stopped my vehicle in it's tracks.

In the passage for today we are challenged in regards to our lives. We had such a tendency to lives for the sake of what we might look like to others. Yet, on the inside, we know we are not what we appear to be.

¹⁶ Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
¹⁷ Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.^[a]
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.

¹⁸ “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

- Isaiah 10:16-18

When we come to Christ, seek and receive his forgiveness, we truly become white as snow. On the other hand, when we try to "cover up" what is inside and pretent we have it all together, we not only harm ourselves, but hinder others in finding true cleansing and hope. In Matthew 23 Jesus warned against hypocricy.

¹ Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ² “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

⁵ “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries^[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷ they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

- Matthew 23:1-7

Lord, today may my life be a reflection of your work in my life. May I experience true purity as you make me pure and I follow your ways.

Mercy and Forgiveness

“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁵we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. ⁶We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

⁷“Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. ⁸We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, LORD, because we have sinned against you. ⁹The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; ¹⁰ we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. - Daniel 9:4-10

³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

³⁷“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  - Luke 6:36-38

"What grace this is for us who have sinned. Though w have turned away from God's love, God remains faithful and continually invites us back into his embrace." (Not By Bread Alone: Daily Reflections For Lent 2011)

Who can ever make it?

How can anyone ever make it?

In my reading from the Old Testament this morning, it seems that a person determines whether he will "live" or "die" based on his own righteousness. Ezekiel 18 states,

²¹“But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. ²²None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live....

²⁴“But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.

Then in the New Testament we find that Jesus elaborates on the subject. In Matthew 5 he said,

²⁰For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

The Pharisees attempted to live (at least in the public eye) in obedience to the laws that were found in the Scriptures. Yet, Jesus said that our righteousness must surpass theirs if we wish to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Who then, can make it?

Praise God, there is a righteousness that is not our own, but comes from God. We are approaching Easter where we celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ gave his life to pay the price for our sin - to provide righteousness that we cannot attain on our own. It is only through faith in Christ.

Knock, Knock!

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! ¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

- Matthew 7:7-12

Why would God invite us to ask, seek and knock? Of course, there is a progression. Asking is somewhat passive. Seeking takes action on our part. Knocking requires us to become vulnerable, anticipating but not knowing what is behind the door.

Our life with God is not a static affair. It requires us to "get up and move."

Who IS God?

I am often amazed at how we try to tell God what to do. How "I" try to tell God how he should do things - what is acceptable and what is not.

Now we know that God knows much better than we do. That he knows the past, present and future. He sees the big picture. He has the power to step in and intervene in our lives - even in nature. Yet, somehow when we pray, we have our own minds. When God answers prayer the way we expect, he is a good God. But, should he respond differently than we expected - especially if it is contrary to what we think is beneficial to us - he somehow is no longer good. Go figure!

Jonah was such a typical person. Just like us.

¹ Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: ² “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

³ Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. ⁴ Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” ⁵ The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

 ¹⁰ When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

- Jonah 3

As we read further we discover that Jonah was quite upset at God for not destroying Nineveh. God had the big picture in mind. Jonah had his own personal agenda.

Today, when I seek God - when I pray, what is my agenda? How will I treat God? Will I treat him as the Almighty God - where I worship and serve him? Or will I treat him like I am god and He is my servant? Will I only consider him good if he does things My Way?

Prayer

"Prayer reveals our true self before the living God."

Life for many of us, is relentless and crowds our minds and schedules. Who has time to pray? Strange how we can feel that way. There is so much to do, so many demands. Who can afford the luxury of sitting quiet talking to One whom we cannot even see? Of course, we would never admit to others that we feel and think this way. But if we are honest, is that not how our actions reveal our thoughts?

The truth is... prayer is essential as we walk the journey of Life with God. Prayer is vital as we develop our relationship with God. Prayer connects us to the Living God who desires to communicate with us and be our "very present help in time of need." Prayer is not a "luxury." It is at the very heart of our existence on earth which transcends the every day mundane.

⁷And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

⁹“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us today our daily bread.
¹²And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one.’

¹⁴For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

- Matthew 6:7-15

The End or The Journey?

I was struck by the Lenten reading for today. Matthew 25:31-46 talks about a day in the future when everyone will come before Jesus and He will inform each one of of their future.

³¹“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left."

This passage is all about the future, right? I confess that until today I always read this passage to indicate that I ought to live my life today so that in the end I will be found among those who will receive a positive reward rather then those who receive a negative reward.

But this morning it struck me. None of the people mentioned in the story had any particular concern about the future. They simply acted out their personal beliefs and focused on their own priorities. There were those who had obviously been impacted in their own personal lives to look beyond themselves and selflessly touch the lives of others. Then there were the others who simply lived for self - plain and simple.

I had to ask myself the question, Do I follow Christ today only because I can then be assured of my own personal well being for eternity? Or do I follow Christ today because He has paid for my freedom and He has changed me from the inside out? That change then WILL affect how I live - not simply for personal reward in eternity.

³⁴“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
⁴¹“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
⁴⁴“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
⁴⁵“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
⁴⁶“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

White as Snow

This morning I am looking outside at the freshly fallen snow. The ground is covered with a blanket of white. It looks so new, so clean, so pure. It makes it easy to forget that underneath is crusty, dirty snow and ice. Hidden beneath are all things that brown and rotting. Then I read the passages from the Bible for today...

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

- Isaiah 58:9-10

 ²⁷After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, ²⁸and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

²⁹Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. ³⁰But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

³¹Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³²I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

- Luke 5:27-32

I am challenged to ask myself, What is the state of my inner soul? Am I spiritually healthy? Not so much, what does my life look like to others, but how am I doing in my relationship with God? Is there the cover-up of "white snow" on the outside, yet inside it is filthy? Is there only the appearance of being white as snow or have I deeply experienced Isaiah 1:18?

 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.