Soft Hearts, Warm Hugs

The story of the prodigal son is timeless. I believe we all relate in a differing ways. Some of us were like the son; the one who left home without a backward glance, leaving heartache and pain in their wake. Many of our life lessons were learned the hard way. Looking back, we recognize just how bad our behavior was, and how much we hurt those who loved us.

This story is a wonderful example of  just how much we are loved by our parents. This young man didn't appreciate it at the time he left home, but I am certain he did once he felt his father's arms around him and heard the words of welcome and forgiveness. This act must have softened the young son's heart. The unconditional love expressed by the father must have changed things for the younger man forever. Wouldn't you love to know the rest of the story?

I can only imagine what the next few years were like for this family. Healing between the younger son and his father for sure, but what about the other son? Did his heart eventually soften toward this brother and father? I realize it might take a long time and a lot of work to mend the rift. I want to think that the father's soft heart would rub off and the family would be healed and changed forever.

Our lives do not always have fairy tale endings; and never without pain and hard work. But, the softer the heart, the warmer the hugs.

2 Samuel 11:27-12:13

FIRST RESPONDERS

1 John 4:7-19

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%204%3A7-19&version=NIV;NLT

 

 

In high school, there was this kid named Blake who was a bully; a bad kid. On the other hand, I tried to get along with everyone; a good kid. The good and the bad were about to get ugly.

 

One day after school, Blake and I ended up on the athletic fields behind the school. I wouldn’t fight anyone because I was a chicken, but Blake bullied me into it. By the time I had pinned him to the ground, another student came along and said he’d take over. Blake didn’t have many friends, and I was happy to be done.

 

I don’t remember disliking Blake. For the most part, he was off my radar until this incident. One thing for sure though, I avoided him from that point forward.

 

John wrote his letter to address false teachers of the day. They didn’t believe that Jesus was the incarnate son of God. Instead, they believed that the body was evil, so in their minds, God couldn’t come in human form. As a result, some would treat their bodies harshly while others lived licentiously without moral constraint.

 

⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God,

but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us… ¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.            NIV

 

God loved us while we were still a sinner; His enemy really. Blake comes to mind. Maybe if instead of avoiding him I had tried to befriend him, we both would have changed. Or maybe I just would have got my butt kicked.

 

The question for us is, how do we treat those that God has brought into our lives? Do we love them because He loved us? Or do we avoid them because they are annoying? Or mistreat them because they offended us in some way? Or do we manipulate them because we want something?

 

Take some time to think about your relationships and how you treat others: your family, friends, co-workers and even strangers. Are you loving others because He first loved you? Are you one of God’s first responders to share His love?

 

 

Famous Last Words

2 Timothy 2:22-26

Sometimes people are recognizable by their last words as much as they are by their physical appearance. It may not even be the last thing they ever say, only in a sense it is. See if you can recognize any of these famous “last words”. The correct answers are at the bottom of the page. (Don’t cheat now.)

• I am not a crook.
• What we've got here is a failure to communicate.
• Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.

At the time that he wrote 2 Timothy, Paul was nearing the end of his life. Like a common criminal, he was chained, in a cold, dark dungeon waiting for his execution.

Knowing that his days were numbered, he wanted to make the most of his time. He wanted to impart his most important wisdom to those who were most important to him.

Therefore, he wrote this letter to his “son”, Timothy. He wrote with passion, conviction and purpose. Pay close attention to these final words.

²⁴ And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. ²⁵ Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope

that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.     NIV

Gently instruct, in the hope that God will lead them to the truth; not hammering it down their throat; not making your point so that you are right and they are wrong; but being invitational and unconditional in your friendship while expecting nothing from them, but everything from God.

 Keep in mind the most famous of last words spoken by our Savior Jesus, “It is finished”.

What he did on the cross for all who will accept him makes it possible for us to know him and spend eternity with him. But it also makes it possible for us to share with others his love and message.

Here are the correct answers:

• Richard Milhous Nixon denies involvement in the 1972 Watergate scandal.
• Paul Newman who starred in the role of a prisoner in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke. Upon speaking this line he was immediately shot.
• Red Saunders the UCLA football coach in 1950. Sorry Packer fans Vince Lombardi didn’t originate this quote.

Outsider

 (The Holy Spirit falls on Gentiles.)

Acts 10:34-45

 

Have you ever felt like an outsider? As I considered this devotional I remembered a man who came to our church for awhile. I haven’t seen him lately. He usually sat in the same pew as my wife and I. During the sermon he would knit. I have to confess that I judged him. Maybe that’s why he hasn’t been around.

 

It’s easy to judge others; to put them next to an artificial standard that we have created in order to make ourselves look and feel good. You know the one I’m talking about. You have to dress a certain way; act and talk a certain way; look a certain way. Otherwise, you just don’t fit in.

 

The backstory to today’s passage is that Peter, a Jew, and Cornelius, a Gentile, have been brought together by supernatural means orchestrated by God.

 

Normally, the culture they live in would not permit this meeting to occur. It was a social and religious culture that put the Gentiles on the outside and the Jews on the inside. In case of point, look at the reaction of the good Jewish people when the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit.

 

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.          Acts 10:44-45 NIV

 

The disdain that the Jews had for the Gentiles was impeding the spread of the Gospel. God’s word, His love, His grace and forgiveness and even His Holy Spirit - were being held captive. Peter had a change of heart that not only changed him, but changed the world around him.

 

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is

right.      Acts 10:34-35NIV

 

Who do you judge and keep in a box? Someone who looks different or acts different from you? Maybe they knit during the sermon. Let the Holy Spirit open your heart so that all might have access to the Gospel of Jesus.

 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2010%3A34-45%2CActs%2015%3A14&version=NIV;NLT
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Acts.10.34-Acts.10.45

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healing Through Faith and Love

Mark 8:22-26

Did Jesus really need to put saliva on the eyes of the man in order to heal him from blindness? Some healing Jesus did was through touch. Other times Jesus never even saw the person he healed and still other restorations occurred after Jesus’ cloak was touched by an ailing individual.

The common thread throughout all the healing of Jesus is obviously Jesus himself, but two other components were always present as well; Agape Love and Faith. 

Agape, meaning the highest form of love. The type of Love our God offers us-unconditional. 

Faith in every instance was sincerely present within someone involved.

In order for healing to take place, faith that it can happen need not be within the receiver, but must dwell in someone who is praying for and believing in the healing power of God. That was true then, and still is today. 

Perhaps the physical cures in the Bible occurred to guide people into relationship with God, but it was about total healing of the mind and soul, not just the body. 

Please consider that the same power to facilitate God’s healing lives in us. The gift of the Holy Spirit is here for all, to be used as a vehicle to heal. We need each other. We can do God’s work for one another right here. Right now!

The Same Power  by Jeremy Camp

Read/Listen to Mark 8: 22-26

Luke 24: 25-35

So there’s these two guys walking down a dirt road talking about everything that happened in Jerusalem to this, Jesus of Nazareth. They are approached by a stranger and asked what they are talking about. They cannot believe he does not know of the event, but he seems oblivious. The two men share that “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.” They had hoped Jesus was going to redeem Israel, but seemed disappointed that it had not happened. That Jesus was not the one.

As they traveled on foot together, this stranger shared with them what was in the scriptures about Jesus. He knew the complete version of the story, for he WAS Jesus, but they did not recognize him. Can you imagine walking and talking with Jesus, and not knowing it’s him? What foolish things would come out of our mouths that we would so want to take back? How many things would we wish we had said or done once we knew? These two fortunate souls even got to break bread with Jesus. Once thanks was given and the bread was broken and shared with them, their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus. Then in an instant, He disappeared. Geez, just when they would have had the opportunity to really have great conversation with Jesus, He is gone.

Perhaps there are times we too, unknowingly see, walk or talk with Jesus. He certainly has the power to arrive on the scene in a moments notice. If perchance Jesus does show up unannounced and in disguise, will we treat him as he modeled for us; unconditionally and without hesitation, with our whole heart? If he is not pleasing to the eye, or is difficult to be around because of his attitude or mental state, will we honor and respect him? Will we accept her for who she is and offer her what she needs even if she seems ungrateful? 

Listen to: "My Own Little World" by Matthew West
Read/Listen to: Luke 24: 25-35

1 Corinthians 15:10 - Grace and work

1 Corinthians 15:9-11 (NIV) 
 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

There are many times when we remember where we came from, the conflict and evil that has been a part of our past, and feel we unworthy to be loved by God. The we take a look at who we are today and our hearts soften, we see how God has been at work in us and sometimes in spite of us.

The fact there is nothing we can do to make Him love us more; coupled with the fact there is nothing we can do to make Him love us less makes Paul's words above come to life.  The grace we have been given and the unconditional love we have been covered by is astounding.  Paul was calling to mind all the pain he had inflicted on the Followers of The Way. He was feeling remorse and recognizing his unworthiness.

We have all been there at one time or another.  Often these feelings arise when we recognize just how blessed our life is and how we don't deserve all the things we have. Then we recognize God's Grace in our life.  When counting our blessings, We are counting the grace and then we should get on our knees to thank the One who provided them.

Psalm 2:7; Matthew 3:17

Many children long for affirmation from their father that they are special, one-of-a-kind.  Some will act out in an attempt to get the much sought after attention.  A father can make or break the spirit of their child by a look or a word.

My brother would do almost anything to gain the attention and approval of his father.  He would get himself into such trouble because of this. As children, we need sanction from our parents; we need to feel special in their eyes and we long for their unconditional love.

Need proof, just watch from the sidelines as children play in their favorite sports competition.  How many times do you see a player gazing over the stands in search of that special person who they are trying to impress?  When the eyes meet, the young athlete seems to relax and get his or her head into the game.  Dad is there, Dad is watching, Dad can see me when I make a big play.

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

Jesus was human and when He heard these words His heart must have swelled with love for His Heavenly Father.  He was sent to earth to do His Father's bidding.  His Father was watching and His Father acknowledged to the world that He was pleased.  God does the same for us when we serve at His pleasure.  You can be sure God is in the stands watching us as we make the 'big plays' in life. He is our biggest fan.

Read the Psalm 2:7; Matthew 3:17 texts here.