JESUS SPEAKING

            And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to him, “Are you the coming one, or do we look for another?”  Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of me” (Mathew 11: 2-6.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

            After baptizing Jesus, John came to believe that Jesus was the messiah they had been waiting for.  He, like so many in Israel believed the Messiah would set them free from their oppressors.  Everyone was waiting for Jesus to usher in an earthly kingdom that would put an end to Roman Rule.  John (who had been imprisoned by Herod) was growing impatient with Jesus and sent messengers to him to ask if he truly was the messiah.  Jesus simply responded by quoting an Old Testament prophecy that stated the messiah would cleanse lepers, heal the blind, raise the dead and preach to the poor.  Jesus wanted John to know he was accomplishing all of these tasks.  The Lord finally addressed John’s impatient heart, saying, “blessed are those who are not offended because of me.”  Jesus had not met John’s expectations; John had expected a conquering messiah, not a messiah that would conquer sin through crucifixion (the lord was encouraging John to accept him as he was.) Many today, like John, have an inaccurate view of Jesus Christ.  Knowing the real Jesus is essential to truly following him.

            Early on in my relationship with God I made the decision that I could no longer call myself a Christian unless I actually knew who Jesus Christ was.  I knew I had to read the bible; I also knew it was going to change and challenge my beliefs.  In my heart, I had an unclear picture of God.  I chose to let go of what I thought I knew in order to grab hold of the truth.  As I read, I began to know God personally and accurately; instead of being disappointed, my heart was lifted up with wonder and amazement.  The real God is far greater than any God I could have ever imagined.

              Do you know Jesus Christ?  Do you know his words, or are you holding on to your own expectations.  Have you invented a Jesus for yourself, or have you come to know the real Jesus?  Read his words, get familiar with his works, his message, his truth, and I promise, you will never be disappointed; instead, you too will find something more amazing than anything you have ever known, and your life will never be the same.

            “Lord Heavenly Father, we desire to know the real Jesus.  We want to know Your Son and his message.  Implant his words within our hearts and help us to be his disciples, that we might be pleasing to You Father.  Help us to let go of our fear of the truth, and give us a hunger and thirst to know our messiah; your gift to us all.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.”  God bless all of you.   

JESUS SPEAKING

                “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him, and have seen Him” (John 14: 7.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.  He is God in human form; he was born of a virgin and walked among men; as God’s only son, he directly reflects the mannerisms and characteristics of our Eternal Father.  He performed all of the works that only God could accomplish; he forgave sins; he healed the sick; he even raised the dead.  Those who desire to see God need look no further than Jesus Christ [Note:  In another portion of scripture, the disciples asked Jesus to show them the Father; Jesus replied, “Those who have seen me, have seen the Father.”]

                Whenever I fly home for Christmas, I spend a great deal of time with my nieces and nephews.  Recently I saw a picture of my Dad as a child; the resemblance between him and my nephew Seth was absolutely astonishing (they looked like twins.)  I am also amazed whenever I hear my little nephew Austin speak; I can hear my sisters voice in every word he utters.  To some degree or another, children are a reflection of their parents.  Physical characteristics and mannerisms are passed down from one generation to another.  Jesus Christ, being God’s Son, is not only similar to his Father, he is an exact reflection of Him.  When Jesus turned a meager meal in to enough to feed five thousand, we saw that God can create something from nothing.  When Jesus calmed a storm, we learned that God controls nature itself.  When he displayed compassion, we discovered that God is compassionate.  Because Jesus lived a sinless life, we are now aware of the sinless nature of God.  Because he did all the works of God, we can confidently call him the ‘Son of God.’

                Today, those who desire to see God need look no further than His Son, Jesus Christ.  Although Jesus is seated at God’s right hand in heaven, he has left his body behind.  His body is the church.  Those who have received the gospel are the sons and daughters of God.  We are called to continue His work in this place.  When others see us, they should see our Father.  We are called to be generous; to be loving; to be compassionate; to be pure, and to be perfect, “Even as [our] heavenly Father is perfect.”  May you submit to the will of God; may you do His works; and may you inherit the eternal riches He has promised to all of His children.

                “Holy Father, we thank You for Your son.  He has taught us so much about You.  We desire to be Your sons and daughters as well.  Strengthen us and give us the power to accomplish Your work in this place.  May others see our good works and glorify Your name.  May we bring honor to You; may our lives be a reflection of Your goodness.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.”  God bless all of you.

JESUS SPEAKING

                He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office.  And he said to him, “Follow Me.”  So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.  Then Levi gave him a great feast in his own house.  And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.  And their scribes and Pharisees complained against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”  Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have come to call sinners, to repentance” (Luke 5: 27-32.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                Tax collectors in Israel were Jewish citizens who had ‘sold-out’ to the Roman Empire, and turned against their own people.  The Roman taxes were severe, and tax collectors earned their living by over-taxing the people; in turn, they were passionately despised.  The religious leaders were enraged because Jesus was eating with such sinners.   Jewish meals were extremely intimate affairs; those who dined together dipped in to the same bowls and drank from the same cups.  Most Jews were very careful who they ate with, because they falsely believed that sin could be transferred from one person to another through the sharing of food.  The Son of God however, was not concerned with being contaminated by the sins of others.  Instead, his purity was infecting and cleansing the evil hearts of those who dined with him.  The messiah’s purpose was to seek and to save the lost; to bring light in to the lives of those who dwelled in darkness; he came to heal the sick and to restore to fellowship, those who had turned away from the paths of righteousness.

                In 1464 a block of Marble weighing nearly 9 tons was shipped to the Cathedral of the Santa Maria Del Fiore in Italy.  From it, an artist was commissioned to carve a massive sculpture of a young King David.  It is said the artist abandoned the project because the piece of marble contained too many flaws (or veins—veins in marble are weaker than the surrounding stone, which can cause it to crack and break.)  So the defective block sat in the yard for nearly a decade; until another artist was commissioned to continue the work; apparently he also foresaw problems with the veining and walked away from the project.  The scarcely carved stone block was again pushed to the back of the yard where the sun, wind, and rain beat down on it for nearly 25 years.  Then in 1501 a 29 year old sculptor named Michelangelo looked at the stone with optimistic intentions.  To him, it wasn’t just some aged block of marble taking up space; neither did he reject it as a defective throw away, fit only for the trash heap.  Unlike the other sculptors, Michelangelo saw the giant slab, not as it was, but as it could be.  He accepted the commission to complete the work because, from it, he believed that he could create a masterpiece.  In 1504, after nearly 3 years of work, the Statue of David was completed; immediately it was marveled over; even the harshest of critics were astonished by its timeless majesty.  Today, the statue of David resides in Florence Italy, and is unquestionably one of the most beautiful marble sculptures ever created.

                Like Michelangelo, Jesus Christ is a master craftsman; his purpose is not just to take good people and make them better, but to take the worst people and transform them in to divine works of art.  As followers of Christ, our duty is to reach out to those who have been rejected.  Rather than turning our backs on sinners, we are called to embrace them in love.  We must not see sinners for who they are, but rather, for who they might become (with the assistance, love, and attention of an all powerful creator.)  Reach out to the lost; make friends with the weak; dive in to the trash heap and pull out those who have been discarded.  He has sent us in to the world to find the lost, and to bring hope to the hopeless.  Are you willing to be an instrument in the hands of God; a tool He can use to accomplish a masterpiece?

                “Lord Heavenly Father, may we seek out those who are sick.  Give us a heart for the outcast, that we would see possibility where others see only failure.  We lay our lives at Your feet; may we be Your messengers; may we bring the good news of salvation and reconciliation to all those who dwell in darkness.  We love You Father, we thank You, and we praise You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.