JESUS SPEAKING

                At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath.  And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.  And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”  But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?” (Mathew Chapter 12: 1-4.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                God created the universe in six days.  On the seventh day He rested.  Mankind was commanded to follow His example.  Every seventh day was a day of rest; a day on which no work was to be done; a day of fellowship with family and friends; a time to pray and remember the blessings of God.  During the time of Christ, the religious leaders were Zealot’s.  They believed it was their duty to enforce God’s laws; they were blinded by their rigid traditionalism, and unable to see the numerous situations that warranted breaking the fourth commandment (the Sabbath law) — for example, if a man’s donkey fell in to a well on the Sabbath, he was required to work to save it’s life (to allow the animal to die would be evil.)  They accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath; he responded by quoting an Old Testament scripture.  When King Saul sought to kill David, David fled with a handful of soldiers.  Wearied and hungry, David and his companions entered a temple and ate the showbread from the altar (a bread strictly reserved for the priests.)  To survive he did what was not lawful; yet God did not condemn him.  Providing for those in need is the greatest of all of the commandments; it supersedes every other law.

                One day a woman asked me an important question.  She said, “I was recently offered a part-time job working on Saturday and Sunday.  I really need the money, but I don’t want to break the Sabbath by working.  What should I do?”  I asked her if the job was necessary for her to survival.  She indicated that the additional income was needed to pay her rent and to buy food.  I told her that when David was hungry he broke the law and ate the showbread from the Altar.  God didn’t fault him for doing what was necessary to survive; he would not fault her either.  In unique circumstances, breaking the law is necessary to fulfill the law of love.  Unfortunately there are still some who refuse to see any divine exceptions.  God commanded his followers to refrain from drinking blood.  The blood from every animal needed to be drained before it could be butchered.  Today, in order to save lives, it is possible to perform blood transfusions.  One religious organization known as the J-hova’s witnesses, have adamantly opposed these procedures; believing them to be a direct violation of God’s law to refrain from consuming blood; as a result, many of their followers have needlessly died.  Human need and the preservation of life are God’s greatest concerns [Warning:  God does not condone situational ethics.  Stealing is always wrong; as is laziness and adultery; there is never a situation where drunkenness is necessary; nor will circumstances ever require fornication, lewdness, or idolatry.]

                The Lord is a compassionate and understanding Father; He is the giver of divine wisdom and discernment.  Although His laws are supreme and unflinching, His will is not always rigid and legalistic.  Extreme human need often necessitates exceptions; wisdom concerning such times, can only come from God.  We must never presume to know His heart; instead we must continually pray for direction.  May we always seek His will in every situation; may compassion be our guide and understanding our best friend; and may we never forget that the law of love is the greatest law of all.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, we ask for Your wisdom.  Give us understanding, and fill our hearts with kindness.  Your laws are without error; yet we realize that You desire to provide for those in need; in so doing, You are not overly zealous; You make exceptions where they are needed.  May we recognize these circumstances as we minister to others.  Without condoning evil, may we reveal Your grace and compassion to the world.  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 I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.  He who hates me hates my Father also.  If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both me and my father” (John 15: 22 – 24.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                Jesus Christ preached throughout Israel for up to three years before being crucified.  He preached in the cities; in the wilderness; in the temple; in homes and on street corners; he preached to every capable Israelite (He was so famous that he needed to travel by boat to avoid being thronged by the crowds.)  Still, despite seeing the miracles and hearing God’s message of repentance and forgiveness, many willingly embraced ignorance (and refused to listen); while others who did listen rejected Him entirely (In this scripture, Jesus implies that involuntary ignorance is an excuse; those who were not made aware of the message are not under condemnation.) 

                In my years of evangelism, I have interacted with many skeptics, agnostics, and atheists, who often use a common question to challenge God’s perfect justice: “If you can’t get to heaven without accepting Jesus Christ; what about the child in Africa who dies without ever having heard the gospel?  Are they going to go to hell?”  The answer is no.  God does not condemn the naive.  Those who are ignorant are innocent; yet those who have heard “have no excuse for their sin.”  (In the United States it is hard to believe that a single person has not heard the gospel.)  Many are willingly ignorant because they don’t want to change; they refuse to open a bible or enter a church believing that by not rejecting or accepting Jesus they will avoid condemnation.  Unfortunately voluntary ignorance is no excuse (those who enter hell have no one blame but themselves.)

                The Followers of Jesus Christ continue to preach the gospel.  Some accept him; some deny him; and others simply refuse to investigate.  God forgives the truly naïve, but he condemns the willingly ignorant.  There are very few places on the earth where Jesus Christ has yet to be preached.  Perhaps some isolated tribe in the Amazon; maybe some young children in a Hindu household; there are definitely many infants who tragically pass away who aren’t old enough to accept salvation.  God is just and holy; He commits no evil; and it would be evil to condemn the truly ignorant to eternal damnation.  No matter how strange or perplexing the question might be, remember, God’s word provides the answer.  Read His word and He will prepare you to speak on His behalf.  Dive in to scripture and you will be equipped.  Meditate upon His precepts and you will be His messenger; and He will use you to preach to lost; to bring hope to the hopeless; and to grant eternal life to those who are dying in sin.  Through you, many may come to know His goodness, His mercy, and His love.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, we recognize Your perfect justice.  We acknowledge that You do no evil.  May we be equipped to answer those who seek to impugn your righteousness.  Empower us through Your Holy Spirit; may we be bold; may we illuminate darkened minds, and preach the gospel to those who are ignorant.  May we be Your messengers in this place; may we deliver the good news to those who are afar off.  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

                “You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15: 14 – 15.) 

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                After eating the Passover feast, the Lord said farewell to his closest companions.  In a long discourse (filled with emotion and love) Jesus revealed God’s complete plan to the disciples.  During this address, those who had called him Master were urged to consider him a ‘friend.’  The term ‘friend’ implied a deeper, more intimate relationship.  In ancient times, masters and servants were never equals; they weren’t partners; and they certainly were never friends; their positions prevented them from close personal fellowship.  In order to preserve authority and respect, the master had to maintain a safe distance (as “familiarity breeds disrespect.”)  Yet the ‘King of Kings’ (Jesus) shattered the barriers that hindered true intimacy.  The disciples became his equals; no longer was he just their Lord and master; he became their brother; their closest companion; and their greatest friend.

                At the age of 19, I worked as a guard and a counselor in a minimum security juvenile facility.  My role was that of a disciplinarian.  Often, when a child misbehaved, we had to intervene and physically restrain them.  The staff was given a great deal of power and authority.  Although we interacted with the children in positive ways, we had to maintain a professional distance.  Too much intimacy caused them to lose respect for us and our positions.  If they came to believe we were their equals, they would question and disobey our commands.  Those who falsely see God as an equal lose respect for Him.  Fear of God is good; those who fear Him are aware of his power and authority.   We read in Proverbs, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”  In turn, God sent His Son, so that all could know Him as a ‘friend’ as well as a Father.  [Jesus also made all things known to his disciples—For three years I worked in sales; my job was to sell; the sales reps were rarely informed of the reasons, motives, or future goals of the company.  We were told only what we needed to know and were seldom included in the decision making process.  Unlike my former bosses, our present Lord has withheld nothing; in his final discourse, the disciples became his equals; he informed them of his immanent crucifixion; his resurrection, ascension, and eventual return.  He revealed the purpose of his death; he foretold of their future hardships; he even informed them of the impending arrival of the Holy Spirit (read the bible and you too can know God’s complete plan.)]

                God must always be honored and respected; (He is our master and we are His servants) in turn, there is a distance between God and man.  In His divine wisdom, He chose to use His only Son to draw near to all people.  Jesus Christ is God’s gift to mankind.  He is God in a form we need not fear; we need only approach Him in love; we are free to speak to Him; to fellowship with Him; and to be in communion with Him.  He is more than our teacher, our master, and our shepherd; he is our brother; he is our closest companion; he is our best friend.  Would you like to know God?  If you seek closeness with God embrace Jesus Christ and he will comfort you and give you peace; look to the Son of God and you will know his Father.  Invite him in to your heart and he will teach you all things; and “you will know the truth; and the truth shall make you free.”

                “Lord Heavenly Father we love You, and we thank You for Your son.  We desire to draw near to him; may every obstacle be removed, and every barrier destroyed.  May he be our brother, our companion, and our friend.  May we confide in You Lord; may we look to You for direction, for love, and for comfort.  We love You Father; we love You Jesus; we praise You and we thank You; and we ask all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.