Spread the Good News

Matthew 10:9-10

New International Version (NIV)

   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. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2010:%209-10&version=NIV)

Have you ever gone on a trip and backed your bags?  If you are anything like me I take what I need plus what I might want.  One change of clothes a day is not enough, it might be colder or hotter than what I planned on or I might go somewhere that I need to dress up.  It can take hours trying to figure out what all I need to take and then I have to contend with dragging that suitcase all over the place!

I remember when my girls took a trip to Europe and could not go over a specific weight limit on the plane.  You know we pushed that to the limit.  When they got where they were going there were no elevators and they had to drag their heavy suitcases up the stairs.  All of a sudden they wished they had not taken so much!  Jesus didn’t want his apostles wasting their time on a packing a bag.  He didn’t want them to carry access weight around with them, He wanted them to go out and share the Good News.

I can’t help but think that is exactly what He wants from us today. 

·         Maybe we are carrying baggage from the past, Jesus wants us to get rid of it. 

·         Maybe we are clinging to money, Jesus wants us to depend on Him.  Remember, He said, in Matthew 6:24, that we can not serve both God and money.

·         Maybe we try to beautify ourselves with fancy garments and fine clothes rather than letting Jesus clothe us in His glorious way.

·         Maybe we are leaning to hard on the staff (world, others)and are not relying on Him.

I have to think that Jesus wants us to not be burdened by the things of this world.  He wants us to tell others of His Good News, in whatever means that we have.  As it says regarding those sent to spread the Good New, in Romans 10:15  ^“And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2010:15&version=NIV)

We are not all called to be pastors who preach from the pulpit on Sunday morning but we are all called to spread the Good News.  How beautiful are your feet today?  Are they dusty from your travels, spreading the Good News?  Do you have to cover them with the shoes of this world to disguise their beauty? 

As you seek Him with all your heart I pray that you will have the burning desire to go out there and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

The Lost Sheep

Matthew 10:5-8

New International Version (NIV)

 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,^[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.’”

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2010:5-8&version=NIV)

It has been a long time since I have written a blog but I have continued to seek Him and know Him with my whole heart and I pray that you have done the same.  Last time I wrote we looked at who Jesus chose to be His disciples and today we are going to begin looking at some instructions that He gave to them as He sent them out to minster amongst the Jews.

Something very noteworthy is that He sent these men out to the lost sheep of Israel not to the Gentiles or the Samaritans.  Now, why do you think that was so?  We know full well that Jesus wasn’t racist because He talked to the Samaritan women at the well.  We know that He came to save all of us not just the Jews, so why did He instruct them in this manner?

As I looked closer at that scripture I realized that He sent them to the “lost sheep of Israel”.  These were people who thought they knew how they were to act, they thought they knew who God was, I am sure they probably thought that they were the only ones who would be going to Heaven but they were lost.  As I read the story of Jesus talking to the Samaritan women I saw someone who recognized Jesus for who He was not for His healing power, not for His lofty position but she heard His words and recognized Him.  You can read of this account in John 4 but I want for you to look at John 4:39-42:

                ³⁹ “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” ⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. ⁴¹And because of his words many more became believers.

 ⁴² They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%204:%2039%20-%2042&version=NIV)

Another passage I was reminded of this morning that illustrates this can be found in Luke 10:25 – 37 where Jesus uses the illustration of a Samaritan to explain the proper actions and reactions of a true follower of Christ:

²⁵ “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

   ²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

 ²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

   ²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

 ²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

 ³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’”

   ³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

 ³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

   Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2010:%2025%20-%2037&version=NIV)

Back to our scripture for today, Jesus was not overlooking the Samaritans nor was He overlooking the Gentiles, He was going after the lost sheep that He so dearly loved.  He was practicing what any good Shepherd would do as He says in Luke 15: 3 – 7 ³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Jesus sent His disciples out to bring the lost sheep home.  They performed miracles, Jesus performed miracles, and yet many did not repent and recognize them.  You can read of this account in John 10:22 – 42:

 ²²”Then came the Festival of Dedication^[a] at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. ²⁴ The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

 ²⁵ Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

 ³¹ Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, ³² but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

 ³³ “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

 ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? ³⁵ If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— ³⁶ what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?³⁷ Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. ³⁸But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” ³⁹ Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.”

 ⁴⁰ Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, ⁴¹ and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” ⁴² And in that place many believed in Jesus.

So, you may ask, what did John say?  You can find the answer to that question in John 3: 22 – 35: ² After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. ²³ Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. ²⁴ (This was before John was put in prison.) ²⁵ An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. ²⁶ They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

 ²⁷ To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ ²⁹The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. ³⁰ He must become greater; I must become less.”

 ³¹ The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. ³² He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. ³³ Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. ³⁴ For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God^[ gives the Spirit without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203:%2022%20-%2035&version=NIV)

Yes, Jesus performed miracles yet some still did not believe.  We ask for miracles today and we have seen them yet still some do not believe.  Notice in John 10:41, John never performed a sign but those who continued across the Jordon with Jesus realized that what John had said was true and they believed in Jesus.  The miracle of belief is so much more amazing than the miracle of a healed body or the miracle of a winning touchdown or the miracle of being raised from the dead.  Yes, we still see miracles today and we still see people with unbelief.  Where are you in the belief of Jesus Christ?  Do you believe He is the way to the Father?  Are you a religious person or a forgiven person?  Have you been asked to go out and proclaim the good news to the lost sheep?  How have you responded?

May God reveal to you His glorious riches through Jesus Christ our Lord as you seek Him and know Him when you seek Him with all your heart.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Who is Called to Serve and Who is Calling?

Matthew 10:2 - 4

New International Version (NIV)

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.

We know that some of these men were fishermen as we read about them in Mark 1: 16 – 19,  ¹⁶ As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said,“and I will send you out to fish for people.” ¹⁸ At once they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. ²⁰ Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%201:%2016%20-%2021&version=NIV)

What caused these men to follow Jesus?  How do you think their dad felt?  Was he proud of them or frustrated with them? 

In Matthew passage I think it is interesting to note that the fishermen were named but who did Matthew point out with a description?  We have a tax collector, Zealot, and a Betrayer.  As I thought about these people I began to try to imagine them all working together for the glory of God.  First we have a tax collector who worked for the Roman government to collect taxes.  He was not well liked amongst the Jewish people even though he was Jewish.  A tax collector was known for cheating people out of the money that was rightfully theirs.  Then we have a Zealot who was a Jew that was against the Roman rule and was vocal and active in his fight against them.  Stop and think about that for just a little while, do you think those two would naturally be friends or enemies?  Then, we have a betrayer.  No one knew, except Jesus, that this man would betray Jesus but he was chosen by the One that knew he would betray Him.  How many of us would knowingly ask someone to be on our team that would turn against us?  I wouldn’t advise that, would you?  Also mentioned in the passage were two sets of brothers.  Sometimes brothers get along very well and then there are times that they disagree with each other on everything.  Who know how these brothers interacted with each other but Jesus chose them.

What is even more noteworthy to me is who was missing.  You do not hear of any religious leaders, well educated men, or popular men being called to be an apostle.  Nor do we see a rich man in the mix.  In fact when a rich young man wanted to follow Jesus, He was challenged to leave it all behind and go follow Him, Matthew 19: 21 – 22.

As I read this scripture I began to think about how we as humans call people to be leaders in the Church.  Do we follow Jesus example or do we choose those who are well educated, rich, and politically correct?  Are people chosen who knowingly agree with one another or who have differing opinions?  In our churches do we choose those who seem to have money?  Do we choose those who have been in the church forever and know all the rules and regulations yet are unwilling to give up all that they own for the Lord’s sake?  Do we choose pastors who have been highly educated in seminary?  Or, do we let the Lord do the choosing?  What do you think would happen if we allowed the Lord to guide us in choosing our leaders?  What do you think would happen if our leaders allowed the Lord to lead them?  I have to wonder if we have Pharisees’ today leading the Church.  Do we have people sitting and making decisions about the Church but have no connection to the lost sheep?  Do we have pastors and leaders who are more interested in the number and demographics in the pew than they are about taking care of the lost sheep? This scripture is indicative as to who Christ wants to serve Him.  Can you identify with any of them?  Are you the rich young man that chose to be good rather than leaving all you had to serve Christ? Or, are you the one that left everything to follow Him? 

As I see it, when I look at who Jesus chose, there is no way any of them could have agreed on everything except Christ.  On top of  that Christ knowingly chose someone to be an instrument that would cause His downfall and His uprising.  I find that very interesting.  But, it is just another example of how the Lord’s ways are not the ways of man and that He can make the impossible, possible. 

Pray for the Church that we will seek Him and that we will have leaders who seek Him unceasingly. 

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

A Repentant Heart

Matthew 10:1

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹ Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2010:1&version=NIV)

Matthew 11:20

New International Version (NIV)

 ²⁰ Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2011:20&version=NIV)

I hope you will bear with me as we go through Matthew 10.  There is a lot in here and I really don’t know where to begin so I decided to start with two verses that stood out to me.  One is Matthew 10:1 and then I skipped over to Matthew 11:20. 

Now this is to be a series on the red letter words in the Bible but I feel it is important to not only look at the words Jesus spoke but also His actions.  So, today, we have no red letter words but we are told how Jesus responded to the people living in His day and how they responded to Him.  I believe this is important because it is not only how they responded but also how we respond today.

Nothing about human nature has changed over the many years that we have existed on this earth.  Adam and Eve, living in a perfect world still wanted more.  Today, we want more things, more time, faster services, and the list goes on just as it was in Jesus time.  The Israelites were looking for a King that would provide more for them.  Someone who would rescue them from the bondage of the Romans, someone who would make their world peaceful, joyful, and without want, they were looking for what?  King David, King Solomon.  Their king was not exactly what they expected and thus no matter what He did, it was never enough.  Sound familiar?

In these verses Jesus is sends out his disciples.  He has given them the authority to perform miracles just as He did.  As we read on in the chapter we will see that Jesus tells His disciples that it will not always be an easy road.  That is what caused me to skip to Matthew 11:20.  We hear all of the stories about Jesus and His miracles but people still did not repent.

When I pray for healing today I have to pray for spiritual healing not physical healing and this is the reason why.  Sometimes miracles happen and everyone is amazed at what God has done yet a few days, months, years go by and they have forgotten of the miraculous healing.  It is not until we experience the internal healing of our being that we can experience the everlasting external joy of our Savior.  There are many types of cancer but the cancer of sin in our souls will last an eternity. 

What type of healing do you need today?  Emotional healing from past and current hurts? 

Do you need physical healing from a disease or sickness?  May you are in need of spiritual healing from a life of an unrepentant heart?  I dare say, the one that you need to fix first is the unrepentant heart.  This is one that Jesus will always heal and it will make anything else in your life easier to bear knowing He is there with you.  Repent and be saved is the message for today.

Seek Him, Know Him, Serve Him by sharing Him with others.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila   

Who? Me?

Matthew 9:35-38

New International Version (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.” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%209:%2035-38&version=NIV)

Ever wonder what you should pray for?  Jesus makes it very clear in this scripture passage.  There is a harvest of people out there that need to know the Lord.  Maybe we pray that the Lord would send someone their way so that they could know Him.  But, have you ever thought that maybe you are the worker that we should be asking to send out? 

So many of us think that God has only gifted a few to go out and do the work and so we pray that He will send them and that they will go and do His work.  Others are braver, more talented, more patient.  Others have more time, not as many children, or don’t have parents they need to take care of.  Who is called to be like Jesus and to teach in the synagogue, proclaim the good news, or bring healing to the sick?  When we see the crowds do we have compassion on them or do they just make us tired and cause us to retreat?   Those of us who know Him should be the worker of the harvest.  Have you reaped new souls for Him?  There are plenty out there who need our attention, who need to know of His amazing love.  Are we going to pray for workers as Jesus tells us to do?  Are we going to answer the call when He sends us?

Seek Him, Know Him, and Share Him with others.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

The Healer

Matthew 9:27-34

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

 ²⁷ As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

 ²⁸ When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied.  ²⁹ Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; ³⁰ and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” ³¹ But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

 ³² While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. ³³ And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”  ³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%209:27%20-%2034&version=NIV1984)

I have thoroughly enjoyed writing these blogs.  It is so cool that I sit down and start writing, not knowing what I am going to write about and my fingers just start going! 

Today our scripture is talking about Jesus healing the blind and the mute.  As a child and I would read about the raising of the little girl and I used to ask God why He wouldn’t raise my sister.  I would plead with Him to just bring her back for just a little while so I could talk to her.  When we would study that scripture in Sunday school I would sit quietly and listen but I had so many questions, questions that no one could answer and I would dare not ask.

I would imagine those who are blind and/or mute or those with debilitating diseases have those same types of questions.  I am sure many of them have said, “Yes Lord, I believe” yet they were not healed.  My mother went to healing services and she did believe that Jesus could heal her yet she suffered with Parkinson’s disease for many years and got to the point where she could not swallow to even get her nutrition.  She was to the point that she could not verbally communicate with others, she could not walk independently because she would fall, and her public life that she once enjoyed was now in a state of being at home with very little contact with others.  Do you think she might have been saying, “Yes Lord, I believe” yet He chose to not heal her.  Have you ever wondered why He heals some and not others?  I don’t have the answer for you but I do know that He has the Master plan and His will is much better than what we could ever imagine.  I am sure my mother received the ultimate healing when He called her home and with that I am grateful.  Where are you today?  Are you saying, “Yes Lord, I believe”? 

In our scripture today I was a little perplexed as to why Jesus would sternly tell these two men not to go tell anyone about what He did for them.  Then I remembered another scripture where Jesus told His disciples not to tell others who He was.  Look at Luke 9:18-22 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984):

 ¹⁸ Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

 ¹⁹ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
   ²⁰ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
   Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
 ²¹ Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. ²² And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%209:%2018%20-%2022&version=NIV1984)
Jesus did not come to just heal people but to save them.  He did not come to become the King over Israel and live in a lavish palace.  He came to be rejected, He came to be killed, and He came to rise again and conquer death so that each and everyone of those who believe could be free from the blindness of our souls. 
Jesus had a mission, He had a plan and if others proclaimed His healing power that is all that the people would seek Him out for.  Do you ever see that happening today?  Have you or do you know someone who has prayed a prayer of desperation to get what they wanted?  Lord, if you will just do . . . I will . . .  Those bargaining prayers are not the prayers that bring glory to God.  The disciples knew who He was because God had revealed it to them and they were warned by Jesus not to spread this news because He had a mission and if all of Israel would have believed He was the Messiah then He would have been a King of Israel but now He is my King, He is Your King, He is King to all of those who call upon His name. 
So many times we forget the reason Jesus came.  We get caught up in the stories of healing and forget that the healing that Jesus wants for each of us is the healing of our spirit.  He wants us to recognize Him not for what He can do for us but for whom He is.  Yes, He is the great healer but let’s not forget what His purpose on this Earth was.  Let’s not forget who He is and let’s remember to ask Him to guide us to seek Him, to know Him, and to share His love with others.  Unlike His request to the disciples prior to the fulfillment of His plan, we are to go and tell others of His great love, we need to show them His compassion, and we need to think of others before ourselves, just as Jesus did for all of us.  Seek Him, Know Him, and Introduce Him to others.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila

He Cares for Us!

Matthew 9:18-25

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹⁸ While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹ Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

 ²⁰ Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. ²¹ She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

 ²² Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

 ²³ When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, ²⁴ he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. ²⁵ After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%209:18%20-%2025&version=NIV)

If you read the blog prior to this one you will remember that Jesus was talking about the new patch on the old garment as well as the new wine and the old wineskins.  I compared these to new believers and to those who had believed or been involved with the church for a long time.  Now as He is saying all of this one of those church leaders come to Him and ask Him to bring his daughter back to life.  Note, this is not a healing but a raising from the dead.  This leader knew of the power that Jesus manifested.  I find it interesting that as He is traveling to this man’s home a woman of insignificance, an outcast, touches His hem and He cares for her and heals her because of her faith. 

Two very different people from two different ways of life both called on Jesus for a miracle.  They could be compared to new wine and old wineskins but none the less, Jesus cared for them both.  That is the way it is with us too.  If we love Him it doesn’t matter if we are poor or a millionaire, we are rich in Him.  It doesn’t matter to Him if we are tall, short, fat, skinny, popular, unpopular, well known or not known at all, if we have faith in Him we can call upon Him because He cares for us.  Look at Nahum 1:7 ⁷ The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. 
He cares for those who trust in him, (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nahum%201:7&version=NIV)

The Matthew passage is a perfect example of Nahum 1:7!

As you seek Him, may you find Him, waiting and willing to show to you His goodness, as you demonstrate your faith in Him.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Emptying Ourselves for the Glory of God

Out with the Old, In with the New

Matthew 9:14-17

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”

 ¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

   ¹⁶ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. ¹⁷ Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%209:14%20-%2017&version=NIV)

As I read this scripture I began to think about why we fast.  I looked up fasting and found a scripture where Moses fasted 40 days and 40 nights because he was listening to God and recording what he was told.  Look at Exodus 34:28  ²⁸ Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2034:28&version=NIV)

Moses was so busy listening so close to the very words of God and writing them down that he didn’t have time to eat.  This is in stark contrast to what we do today.  We get so busy that we forget to pick up the Bible and learn from His word.  We are so busy that we fail to find time for Him and His work. 

Now the disciples were new in their faith, remember, these were fishermen and tax collectors. These men were not theologians but were most likely people the theologians avoided unless they wanted to purchase some fish.  These men had relied on their own toughness and their mental abilities to make it in life and now they are walking, talking, listening, and learning about an entirely new way of life.  Life must have been a little confusing to them but they were growing.  They were getting the very words of God from God incarnate.  They didn’t need to set a time aside where they could listen to Him, it was their way of life. 

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees didn’t have that direct contact and they needed to continually empty themselves and read the word of God.  As I thought about this I wrote down:

un-shrunk cloth = new believers; old garment = seasoned believer, theologian, someone stuck in their ways, etc. 

new wine = new believers; old wine skins = seasoned believer, church attendee, theologian, etc.

The disciples were the un-shrunk cloth and the new wine whereas John’s disciples and the Pharisees would have been considered the old wine skins and the old garment.  Jesus knew what these new believers needed; they were already emptied out and ready to be filled with the new wine.  They really didn’t have any patches to be placed on their clothes, they were the patches.  If these men would have been given over to the Pharisees to be trained in the ways of the Lord, they most likely would have been given a ton of rituals that they would not have understood and would probably ended up being fishers of fish rather than fishers of men or they would have gone back to collecting taxes and cheating others out of their money.  These men needed to be filled with new wine which came through Jesus.  They needed to go through life and be shrunk a little before being a viable patch.

My questions today are rather simple but yet complex. I would really like you to think about which one of these that you are:

Are you the un-shrunk cloth or are you the old garment? 

Are you the new wine or the old wine skin? 

After you have identified yourself I want you to consider how you react to your opposite. 

If you are a new believer do you try to cling to those who seem to have it all together, those who are the church attendees or the theologian?  It is not wrong to learn from those who have been in the faith for years but you must be cautious, don’t cling to them to the point that you tear away.  Cling to the Lord and seek Him, become a part of a group of believers who are truly seeking Him with all their hearts.  Don’t get so caught up in the “churchy” thing that you forget about your new changed life. 

As a believer have you ever been shrunk in order to become a patch?  I see being shrunk as being someone with humility.  Someone who has gone through the trials of life can be the most useful.  Have you been shrunk or are you trying to sew a new patch onto an old garment?

 If you are the old garment or the old wine skin are you so caught up in the rituals of the religious world that you have grown up with that you forget that you are to be clinging to the Lord not old traditions or rituals.  We need to make sure that when we worship that we do so not in a ritualistic way but in true worship to our Lord.  It doesn’t matter if it is an old tradition or a new one, if it is a tradition rather than a true worship we need to re-evaluate why we are doing it.  If those who we come in contact with slip away and tear away from us then maybe we are trying to fit them into a mold that they were not designed for.  Maybe we need to go back and fast, empty ourselves of this world and fill ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ in order that we may bring glory to God and not glory to ourselves.  I propose that we need to be so busy with the Lord that we forget to do those things that occupy our time today.

Where are you today?  Are you one that needs to fast or are you one that is empty and ready to be filled up?  Seek Him and find Him and when you do, ask Him to guide you in the direction that He would have for you to go.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Mercy

Matthew 9:9-12

New International Version (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.’^[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%209:%209%20-%2013&version=NIV)

Have you ever thought that maybe you were just a little bit better than the other guy?  Have you ever been frustrated by those who never seem to be able to make it on their own?  Do you ever feel like you might just be an enabler rather than a helper?  Do you ever feel used?  These are all valid questions in today’s society just as in the time of Christ.   There are and were people who seem to not quite live up to the society’s standards.  How are we to respond?  I believe that Jesus makes it very clear in today’s passage that we should show mercy to those who have less than we do.  We can’t do that if we don’t first understand what mercy is and be a receiver of that mercy. 

Mercy . . .let’s look at Webster’s definitions:

“Definition of MERCY

1a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power; also : lenient or compassionate treatment <begged for mercy>b : imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder

2a : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion b : a fortunate circumstance <it was a mercy they found her before she froze>

3: compassionate treatment of those in distress <works of mercy among the poor>” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercy)

I heard it said that there has been a lot of talk lately regarding “paying it forward” but someone said you first need to receive in order to be able to “pay it forward.”  I believe that is the way it is in our Christian walk as well.  If we have never received mercy, how could we possibly give mercy? 

Mercy was granted to each and every one of us on the cross.  No one of us deserves to go to Heaven and commune with our Lord.  Each one of us is regarded a sinner as none of us has lived a perfect life.  Jesus is the only one who lived on this earth in a human body who was without sin.  There are not many of us of Jewish decent and probably none reading this blog so even if it were works that would get us to Heaven we would be a lost cause without Christ.  Yet so often it is easy for us to judge others.  It is so easy for us to point the finger. It is so easy for us to think that others are not worthy of our love and mercy which in essence is saying that they are not worthy of God’s love.  It is so very wrong to think that we are more important than others just because our life seems to be going as planned.  Just because we were brought up in a Christian home, never did drugs, and never even smoked.  Even if we went to church everyday of the year and spent most of our days on our knees and studying the word, it would be for naught if it had not been for our Lord Jesus Christ who showed us mercy.

He did not come for the righteous person but for the one that could and would admit they were sinners.  Those who think they can do it on their own are the ones that will lose out.  Those who think they are better than the next person sitting by them in the church pew, may too lose out.

I don’t know a lot about my ancestors but I do know that my granddad who became a pastor and led many to the Lord was not always a good guy.  It was because of the mercy of Jesus Christ and the mercy of those who guided him, that his life was changed forever. 

As you seek Him and find Him I pray that you will humble yourself to Him and receive His mercy.  Once you have received His mercy I trust that you will also go out and show His mercy to others, not the rich and the famous but those who are broken hearted and in the prison of sin.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila