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"When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, 'He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner'" (Luke 19:7)
Ask any kid (especially the grown-up kind!) and they will tell you that Zacchaeus was "a wee little man" and that he climbed into a sycamore (fig) tree in order to get a good look at Jesus. I just had the privilege of preaching on this passage of Scripture last night at church and by the time I got home I had decided that this would be the subject of this week's devotional. You see, beloved, Zacchaeus that day had a divine date with destiny!
Now we all know the story. Jesus stopped under that very fig tree and told Zacchaeus to hurry down because He had to go home with him. That was the divine appointment! And when Zacchaeus came out from his encounter with Jesus, he promptly repaid every person he had ever cheated 400%, and then gave away half of his estate to help feed the poor. Clearly that divine appointment had led to a transformation of life! That is precisely why Jesus said later, "Today salvation has come to this house" (v.9).
But did you ever take time to notice what the multitudes were saying that day about the whole thing? Read the focal verse above again. In simpler terms, they said about Jesus that "He has gone home with a sinner." And they were right! Check out the gospel narratives about the life of Jesus, beloved, and you will find that Jesus was always going home with sinners. That was just what He did. What is so tragic about the people that day, though, is that they never realized that if Jesus had gone home with one of them instead of with Zacchaeus, He would still have gone home with a sinner!
I recall vividly the day that Jesus "went home with" a 7-year old boy in Clarksville, Tennessee. I was attending Vacation Bible School at the church in which my parents were involved and which we attended regularly. In my 2nd grade class, a sweet white-haired lady who had a heart for boys and girls who did not know Jesus used her flannel graph board to show us how our hearts are "black" because of sin, but how Jesus can make them "white" when we let Him apply the "red" blood of His sacrifice to our hearts. That day Jesus "went home" with me and I was wonderfully transformed just like Zacchaeus!
There will always be grumblers in the church who complain about you "going home with sinners." Don't listen to them. Jesus didn't. He just kept going home with sinners and lives were transformed as a result. If you are going to serve Jesus Christ today, take a lesson from Zacchaeus and start going home with sinners. After all, that's why we're here wearing His name.
Ron
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Scrapbook Thankfulness!
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope'" (Jeremiah 29:11)
Is it just me, beloved, or does it seem to you as well that often God's sweetest blessings come to us in the most special and unique ways? Let me cite an example of what I mean. Recently my sister brought by some photos from the past - my past - as it turns out, scenes from days gone by in which I found myself in the presence of various family members or pastoral ministry situations. I think that my favorites were those that showed me with my mom and dad since they have both been with the Lord for some years. As I gazed fondly with reminiscence at those precious memories, it was as if a virtual "scrapbook of thankfulness" had been opened before my eyes.
At the bottom of that stack of photos lay one last picture, a shot taken of me in grade school. I almost did not recognize that young boy, primarily because he had a full head of hair! The photo had not been dated and labeled in Mom's special way, though it was obvious that it too had come from her own collection. As I sat there looking back through time by staring into that boyish face, I realized that he at that early stage in his life had no idea of the blessings which God would unfold before him. He could not possibly have yet fully appreciated the blessing of godly parents with whom God had already so bountifully adorned his life, a mom and a dad who would as a powerful spiritual team raise him and his sisters in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Nor could he possibly have yet imagined the blessing of a beautiful and godly wife whom God would one day send his way. He could not have known of the three wonderful children and nine absolutely gorgeous grandchildren that would fill his adult years with joy and happiness. And none of that is to mention two fine sons-in-law and a beautiful daughter-in-law who would light up his life. No, that little man had no way of knowing any of that!
As I stared at those photos with such fondness, the words of Scripture in a promise which God made to His chosen people came clearly to mind:
Is it just me, beloved, or does it seem to you as well that often God's sweetest blessings come to us in the most special and unique ways? Let me cite an example of what I mean. Recently my sister brought by some photos from the past - my past - as it turns out, scenes from days gone by in which I found myself in the presence of various family members or pastoral ministry situations. I think that my favorites were those that showed me with my mom and dad since they have both been with the Lord for some years. As I gazed fondly with reminiscence at those precious memories, it was as if a virtual "scrapbook of thankfulness" had been opened before my eyes.
At the bottom of that stack of photos lay one last picture, a shot taken of me in grade school. I almost did not recognize that young boy, primarily because he had a full head of hair! The photo had not been dated and labeled in Mom's special way, though it was obvious that it too had come from her own collection. As I sat there looking back through time by staring into that boyish face, I realized that he at that early stage in his life had no idea of the blessings which God would unfold before him. He could not possibly have yet fully appreciated the blessing of godly parents with whom God had already so bountifully adorned his life, a mom and a dad who would as a powerful spiritual team raise him and his sisters in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Nor could he possibly have yet imagined the blessing of a beautiful and godly wife whom God would one day send his way. He could not have known of the three wonderful children and nine absolutely gorgeous grandchildren that would fill his adult years with joy and happiness. And none of that is to mention two fine sons-in-law and a beautiful daughter-in-law who would light up his life. No, that little man had no way of knowing any of that!
As I stared at those photos with such fondness, the words of Scripture in a promise which God made to His chosen people came clearly to mind:
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord"
So a little boy in grade school even then had his life firmly held in the loving hands of his heavenly Father. And the man whom that little guy became can today look back in thankfulness for the working of God's limitless grace in his life. God is so good!
That God has a divine plan for each of us is one of the most clearly taught principles in all of Scripture. That He has a life of service laid out for us is one of His greatest gifts to us. As someone has wisely observed, what we do with such opportunities will determine the extent of our gift to God. Only as we choose to walk in the works He has beforehand ordained (Ephesians 2:10) will we know the fulfillment and richness that life is meant to be for us, that "abundant" life that we are promised in Jesus Christ.
How about your own life, beloved? Any "scrapbook thankfulness" that you would like to express to the Father? Memories are such a wonderful gift from God! Just to know that He has held us in His hands through it all (whatever "all" involves!) is a glorious blessing. Thank you, Father, for those "scrapbooks" of thankfulness that we can offer to you for your goodness to us!
Ron
That God has a divine plan for each of us is one of the most clearly taught principles in all of Scripture. That He has a life of service laid out for us is one of His greatest gifts to us. As someone has wisely observed, what we do with such opportunities will determine the extent of our gift to God. Only as we choose to walk in the works He has beforehand ordained (Ephesians 2:10) will we know the fulfillment and richness that life is meant to be for us, that "abundant" life that we are promised in Jesus Christ.
How about your own life, beloved? Any "scrapbook thankfulness" that you would like to express to the Father? Memories are such a wonderful gift from God! Just to know that He has held us in His hands through it all (whatever "all" involves!) is a glorious blessing. Thank you, Father, for those "scrapbooks" of thankfulness that we can offer to you for your goodness to us!
Ron
Thursday, April 15, 2010
What to Do for 'Flat' Faith
"And for this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you" (2 Timothy 1:6a)
I have no earthly idea what "flat hair" is, beloved, but I learned today that there is a remedy for it! I had recently told my wife that I needed to get some shampoo and her response was to give me a bottle that she already had. Imagine my surprise this morning in the shower when I grabbed the bottle and read that it was formulated especially for something called "flat hair." In fact, the bottle advertised that its contents were decidedly "anti-flat"! Now I know what you are thinking, at least those of you who know me personally or have seen my photo on line: "You don't need something for flat hair, Ron. You need something for no hair!" Cute! Really cute!
Believe it or not, as I looked at my new bottle of shampoo, the thought occurred to me that we as Christians sometimes experience a spiritual phenomenon that we might call "flat faith." Somewhere along life's way we lose the joy of Jesus. The thrill is gone and living as a Christian becomes as mundane and ordinary as paying taxes or having a root canal done. We do what we do because it is expected of us, not because it thrills us to do so. I believe with all my heart that local churches today are filled with such believers, always in the proper place at the proper time, but deep inside with "flat faith."
The solution to flat faith, according to what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, is for us to "kindle afresh" what God has given to us as a sacred deposit. The Greek word anazopureo means to "make fire alive again" in the sense of rekindling something that was burning at one time, but now no longer is. What we need to note here is that it is our own individual responsibility as Christians to keep the fire burning in our lives. And the only way that I know to do that, beloved, is to live every moment of every day with Jesus Christ ruling as Lord in our lives. It is so very simple! Walk away from Jesus Christ as your ruling Sovereign and you walk away from the presence of all the joy that God has to give you. Seek the world and its enticements and all the thrill you will know will be whatever temporary "blip" on the excitement meter whatever it is that you are chasing has to offer. Live for self and you will find no solution for flat faith!
But release every thought and word and deed into the hands of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and you will need to fasten life's seat belt, beloved, because you will be in for the ride of your life! Remember that this is the Jesus who declared that He had come to give "abundant" life to all who follow His lead. This the Jesus who has such a glorious life planned for you that you can't even imagine it all.
Got flat faith? Try God's "anti-flat" solution! Why not breathe a prayer right now and turn it all over to the King? Life doesn't get any better than that!
Ron
I have no earthly idea what "flat hair" is, beloved, but I learned today that there is a remedy for it! I had recently told my wife that I needed to get some shampoo and her response was to give me a bottle that she already had. Imagine my surprise this morning in the shower when I grabbed the bottle and read that it was formulated especially for something called "flat hair." In fact, the bottle advertised that its contents were decidedly "anti-flat"! Now I know what you are thinking, at least those of you who know me personally or have seen my photo on line: "You don't need something for flat hair, Ron. You need something for no hair!" Cute! Really cute!
Believe it or not, as I looked at my new bottle of shampoo, the thought occurred to me that we as Christians sometimes experience a spiritual phenomenon that we might call "flat faith." Somewhere along life's way we lose the joy of Jesus. The thrill is gone and living as a Christian becomes as mundane and ordinary as paying taxes or having a root canal done. We do what we do because it is expected of us, not because it thrills us to do so. I believe with all my heart that local churches today are filled with such believers, always in the proper place at the proper time, but deep inside with "flat faith."
The solution to flat faith, according to what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, is for us to "kindle afresh" what God has given to us as a sacred deposit. The Greek word anazopureo means to "make fire alive again" in the sense of rekindling something that was burning at one time, but now no longer is. What we need to note here is that it is our own individual responsibility as Christians to keep the fire burning in our lives. And the only way that I know to do that, beloved, is to live every moment of every day with Jesus Christ ruling as Lord in our lives. It is so very simple! Walk away from Jesus Christ as your ruling Sovereign and you walk away from the presence of all the joy that God has to give you. Seek the world and its enticements and all the thrill you will know will be whatever temporary "blip" on the excitement meter whatever it is that you are chasing has to offer. Live for self and you will find no solution for flat faith!
But release every thought and word and deed into the hands of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and you will need to fasten life's seat belt, beloved, because you will be in for the ride of your life! Remember that this is the Jesus who declared that He had come to give "abundant" life to all who follow His lead. This the Jesus who has such a glorious life planned for you that you can't even imagine it all.
Got flat faith? Try God's "anti-flat" solution! Why not breathe a prayer right now and turn it all over to the King? Life doesn't get any better than that!
Ron
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Sometimes a Guy Just Needs a Good Cry!
"Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5b)
We had the joy of having several of our grandchildren down for a few days this week and one of the things we enjoyed together was a trip to a fun center for children. While playing on all of that "bouncy" stuff on which adults are not allowed to go, one of my grandsons fell and got a pretty good rope burn on his bare leg. Even though his daddy comforted him and treated the burn, he still continued to cry about it. The idea for this devotional suddenly occurred to me, along with the title-thought that sometimes a guy just needs a good cry!
This past Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! But can you imagine the tears (even if they might have been fought back by those tough manly disciples) that each of them must have experienced at the thought of Jesus going to the cross? If ever there was a right and proper moment for weeping, that was it! And though we find these words recorded in the book of Psalms and not in the words of Jesus found in the Gospels, still this glorious promise surely applied to what they were feeling and experiencing. As a well-known gospel song lyric asks: "How could a night be so long?"
Their weeping did, indeed, "last for the night," beloved. Their hearts broke as they watched Him nailed to that rugged cross and bleed out His life for the sins of all mankind. The lump in each throat was large enough to choke them as they watched Mary watching her son give up His spirit for people who did not even realize that they needed a Savior. It was a long, long night and they wept all the way through it.
The psalmist's promise is simple but powerful - "but a shout of joy comes in the morning." Can you imagine what went through the minds of those women who took their spices to the tomb so early in the morning and found the stone rolled away? Can you fathom the incredulity of Peter and John as they ran to the tomb and inspected its interior, not finding any evidence of His remains in place? Can you see in your mind's eye that glorious scene when at last He Himself stood among them in that locked upper room and took the piece of fish and ate it before them? And can you still hear echoing through the corridors of history today the emotion-charged words of John and Cleopas as they looked at each other on the Emmaus road and asked, "Were not our hearts burning within us?" (Luke 24:32)?
That there were throughout the land "shouts of joy" that replaced the night of weeping is absolutely without question, beloved! And that is precisely what Jesus still loves to do in our lives today - turn weeping into joy! Oh, there will be weeping, no doubt. As long as sin is alive and Satan is the prince of this world, there will be weeping. But, beloved, I have good news for you - Sunday's coming! It may be "Friday" in your life right now, but "Sunday" is on the way. You may be weeping right now, but there is a shout of joy in your future! Hallelujah! Maranatha! Glory to the Lamb!
Ron
We had the joy of having several of our grandchildren down for a few days this week and one of the things we enjoyed together was a trip to a fun center for children. While playing on all of that "bouncy" stuff on which adults are not allowed to go, one of my grandsons fell and got a pretty good rope burn on his bare leg. Even though his daddy comforted him and treated the burn, he still continued to cry about it. The idea for this devotional suddenly occurred to me, along with the title-thought that sometimes a guy just needs a good cry!
This past Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! But can you imagine the tears (even if they might have been fought back by those tough manly disciples) that each of them must have experienced at the thought of Jesus going to the cross? If ever there was a right and proper moment for weeping, that was it! And though we find these words recorded in the book of Psalms and not in the words of Jesus found in the Gospels, still this glorious promise surely applied to what they were feeling and experiencing. As a well-known gospel song lyric asks: "How could a night be so long?"
Their weeping did, indeed, "last for the night," beloved. Their hearts broke as they watched Him nailed to that rugged cross and bleed out His life for the sins of all mankind. The lump in each throat was large enough to choke them as they watched Mary watching her son give up His spirit for people who did not even realize that they needed a Savior. It was a long, long night and they wept all the way through it.
The psalmist's promise is simple but powerful - "but a shout of joy comes in the morning." Can you imagine what went through the minds of those women who took their spices to the tomb so early in the morning and found the stone rolled away? Can you fathom the incredulity of Peter and John as they ran to the tomb and inspected its interior, not finding any evidence of His remains in place? Can you see in your mind's eye that glorious scene when at last He Himself stood among them in that locked upper room and took the piece of fish and ate it before them? And can you still hear echoing through the corridors of history today the emotion-charged words of John and Cleopas as they looked at each other on the Emmaus road and asked, "Were not our hearts burning within us?" (Luke 24:32)?
That there were throughout the land "shouts of joy" that replaced the night of weeping is absolutely without question, beloved! And that is precisely what Jesus still loves to do in our lives today - turn weeping into joy! Oh, there will be weeping, no doubt. As long as sin is alive and Satan is the prince of this world, there will be weeping. But, beloved, I have good news for you - Sunday's coming! It may be "Friday" in your life right now, but "Sunday" is on the way. You may be weeping right now, but there is a shout of joy in your future! Hallelujah! Maranatha! Glory to the Lamb!
Ron
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Caring for One Another
"That there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it" (1 Corinthians 12:25-26)
This past week a truly reprehensible act took place among professing Christians as those calling themselves "Baptists" protested the funeral service of a young Marine who had given his life in the line of duty. They carried offensive signs and thoroughly shocked and upset the family members as well as all those who had gathered to offer their condolences. Consequently, the church of Jesus Christ has received yet another "black eye" in the arena of public opinion because of the totally unacceptable actions of a few spiritually misguided individuals.
It is not my desire to use this week's devotional time and space merely to denigrate such actions, but to let you know that this news which has momentarily captivated the attention of the American public serves to remind us all as followers of Jesus Christ of a tremendous biblical principle that ought to be part of our relationships with each other within the body of Christ. Paul said that when one of us suffers because of some trial of life, we all join in with that suffering. We experience sumpathes, literally a "suffering with" as our hearts are filled with compassion and we seek to minister in the love of Christ to those who are hurting. Only the records of eternity will be able to tell how many people have been enabled to go on and not give up because of such loving ministry, beloved.
Nothing was said in the news report this week about those unnamed folks who stood alongside this young Marine's family, yet I am quite sure that they were there. I am convinced that for every protester outside there was at least one true friend inside who reached out in love and brought a measure of comfort and, thus, of strength to those who were bereaved. And it is that ministry which in the halls of heaven really matters, beloved. It is that sorrowing with those who sorrow and that rejoicing with those who rejoice that are the calling and the identifying mark of every true follower of Jesus Christ. Whatever political point might have been the attempt of those outside is both irrelevant and inconsequential.
What a tremendous reminder, then, for you and me as believers to follow the dictates of God's Word and to seek to minister sumpathes to those who are suffering for whatever reason in life. We are truly most Christ-like whenever we do so. To care more for the feelings of others than for ourselves is simply a fulfilling of the biblical mandate that we each "regard one another as more important than himself" (Philippians 2:3). To do any less may, indeed, land us momentarily on the 6:00 news, but it will also damage the greater cause of the kingdom of God.
Ron
This past week a truly reprehensible act took place among professing Christians as those calling themselves "Baptists" protested the funeral service of a young Marine who had given his life in the line of duty. They carried offensive signs and thoroughly shocked and upset the family members as well as all those who had gathered to offer their condolences. Consequently, the church of Jesus Christ has received yet another "black eye" in the arena of public opinion because of the totally unacceptable actions of a few spiritually misguided individuals.
It is not my desire to use this week's devotional time and space merely to denigrate such actions, but to let you know that this news which has momentarily captivated the attention of the American public serves to remind us all as followers of Jesus Christ of a tremendous biblical principle that ought to be part of our relationships with each other within the body of Christ. Paul said that when one of us suffers because of some trial of life, we all join in with that suffering. We experience sumpathes, literally a "suffering with" as our hearts are filled with compassion and we seek to minister in the love of Christ to those who are hurting. Only the records of eternity will be able to tell how many people have been enabled to go on and not give up because of such loving ministry, beloved.
Nothing was said in the news report this week about those unnamed folks who stood alongside this young Marine's family, yet I am quite sure that they were there. I am convinced that for every protester outside there was at least one true friend inside who reached out in love and brought a measure of comfort and, thus, of strength to those who were bereaved. And it is that ministry which in the halls of heaven really matters, beloved. It is that sorrowing with those who sorrow and that rejoicing with those who rejoice that are the calling and the identifying mark of every true follower of Jesus Christ. Whatever political point might have been the attempt of those outside is both irrelevant and inconsequential.
What a tremendous reminder, then, for you and me as believers to follow the dictates of God's Word and to seek to minister sumpathes to those who are suffering for whatever reason in life. We are truly most Christ-like whenever we do so. To care more for the feelings of others than for ourselves is simply a fulfilling of the biblical mandate that we each "regard one another as more important than himself" (Philippians 2:3). To do any less may, indeed, land us momentarily on the 6:00 news, but it will also damage the greater cause of the kingdom of God.
Ron
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