I wonder who Jesus would spend his time with in the present day?
To hear some people talk, it would just be people that fit a certain mold. You would have to be a clean cut, own your own home in a nice neighborhood, married with two kids and have a nice income type of person. You would not miss a service. You would give huge offerings. You would never have a down day. You would be perfect!!!
I am tired of hearing some people(even some ministers) act like Jesus spent all of his time in the temple hanging out with all the "saved" folks. NO!!!! Jesus was out ministering to people that no one else gave the time of day. People with no hope. People who were troubled and hurting. People that were hungry. People that had diseases. Outcasts, loners, and sinners.
Here is an elementary example. When we as "the church" want to minister to people, we do not take food to the nicest restaurant in town and walk in asking if anyone needs to be fed with our can goods! We go to the rough neighborhoods and give it to those who need it!
The last time I checked, God's grace and mercy was for everyone! It is time to reach out to those that are hurting and stop pretending like people with issues are not deserving of the Gospel.
Divorced people, single mothers and fathers, drug addicts, alcoholics, even people that have tattoos and piercings and wear different clothes than you! Homeless men and women, criminals, diseased, etc... That is who Jesus Christ would be spending his time with! So please stop pretending like they are not worthy. Need I remind you that even you had to get on your face and ask Jesus to forgive you and be the Lord of your life.
You may be the only Jesus that people see. Just because someone is different than you does not mean that HE loves them less than you. We are supposed to strive to be like Christ.....its time we start acting like him.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Ordinary Men
Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
They had just "lost" their Master, Teacher, and Friend. Jesus was not walking with them anymore. He was gone just as he had told them. Something inside of them was different now that he was gone.
Jesus said to them in Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Indeed, they received the power. They gathered in an upper room and a sound from heaven came roaring through and it filled the house where they were. The world would never be the same.
The church that had 120 members went to 3,000.......and that was the first day! They were inspired, determined, and full of the Holy Spirit. They were ready to take on the world and share the gospel of their Savior. Miracles, signs and wonders were taking place. The sick were being healed of their diseases. Evil spirits were being cast out. But with the growing power from God came growing danger from the persecutors. Before long the gospel had spread to Judea and Samaria....Saul is converted, Peter's chains fall off in prison, and on and on...
Back to Acts 4:13. There was nothing special about Peter and John. Yes, they were 2 of the 3 that were closest to Jesus during his ministry on Earth, but nothing about them screamed excellence. They were "ordinary men". They were not theologians. They were not professors of religion. They were men. Men that had been selected and called by God to do extraordinary things. When the people saw the miraculous take place right before their eyes, they were shocked. They made note that the only way this could happen; the only way that a lame man could get up and walk had to be something to do with Jesus!! They had to have been with him! They had been with Jesus. They had also been in an upper room.
You and I as Christians do not do what we do to receive glory from man. We do it to honor God so that he can receive glory. However, it should be our hearts desire to live our lives in such a way that people say "surely they have been with Jesus". Make time today to get alone with Jesus and your life will be impacted in a powerful way.
They had just "lost" their Master, Teacher, and Friend. Jesus was not walking with them anymore. He was gone just as he had told them. Something inside of them was different now that he was gone.
Jesus said to them in Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Indeed, they received the power. They gathered in an upper room and a sound from heaven came roaring through and it filled the house where they were. The world would never be the same.
The church that had 120 members went to 3,000.......and that was the first day! They were inspired, determined, and full of the Holy Spirit. They were ready to take on the world and share the gospel of their Savior. Miracles, signs and wonders were taking place. The sick were being healed of their diseases. Evil spirits were being cast out. But with the growing power from God came growing danger from the persecutors. Before long the gospel had spread to Judea and Samaria....Saul is converted, Peter's chains fall off in prison, and on and on...
Back to Acts 4:13. There was nothing special about Peter and John. Yes, they were 2 of the 3 that were closest to Jesus during his ministry on Earth, but nothing about them screamed excellence. They were "ordinary men". They were not theologians. They were not professors of religion. They were men. Men that had been selected and called by God to do extraordinary things. When the people saw the miraculous take place right before their eyes, they were shocked. They made note that the only way this could happen; the only way that a lame man could get up and walk had to be something to do with Jesus!! They had to have been with him! They had been with Jesus. They had also been in an upper room.
You and I as Christians do not do what we do to receive glory from man. We do it to honor God so that he can receive glory. However, it should be our hearts desire to live our lives in such a way that people say "surely they have been with Jesus". Make time today to get alone with Jesus and your life will be impacted in a powerful way.
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