Tag: Saving sinners

God Pursues the Lost

~ servantone1 ~ Leave a comment

JESUS SPEAKING

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”‘ (Luke 13: 34 -35)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Like a mother protecting her young, God’s affection for Israel was unparalleled. He displayed remarkable patience, relentlessly pursuing them throughout the generations. And yet despite His vigorous efforts, the Jewish people rejected Him. Rather than embracing repentance, they chose to kill the prophets who were sent to them; eventually orchestrating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Most assuredly, those who reject God’s message will suffer.

Many years ago, I felt compelled to minister to a man who was struggling with drug addiction and alcoholism. He was making ends meet, working at a local grocery store. He couldn’t drive because His license had been suspended after crashing his vehicle while intoxicated. I showed him the love of God, assisting him in many ways. I also preached the gospel to him, emphasizing his obligation to repent and remain sober. Additionally, I brought him along with me to many Christian events, where we served others in the community. After a short period of progress, he began to spiral out of control again. He eventually shut me out of his life; severing our communication. A bit of time passed, until one day I was informed of a great tragedy. He had gotten his license back and purchased a car. However, one evening he was driving while intoxicated and struck a woman walking along the sidewalk; the woman was killed. He suffered for his crime; spending a number of years in prison.

The Lord is patient and kind; manifesting His affection for even the worst sinners. Even today God’s messengers are carrying the gospel throughout the world. This simple message has never changed. Man’s obligation is to repent and to be reconciled to God through His son Jesus Christ. Since God requires change, sin must be abandoned and a new life must be embraced. Anyone who refuses to change will suffer. But those who choose rightly will know unending joy and peace.

Lord Heavenly Father, may we experience your great love and be transformed by it. May we avoid being stubborn and choose obedience. In turn, may we continue as Your messengers; carrying the gospel to all those who are lost in darkness. You alone God possess the power to turn darkness into light; and to save others that are suffering in sin. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Saving Sinners

~ servantone1 ~ Leave a comment

JESUS SPEAKS

“And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matthew 9: 12 – 13)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The Pharisees loathed sinful outcasts. And yet Jesus came to save the lost. He mingled with many of the worst sinners; performing miracles and preaching a message of repentance and salvation. Repentance is a necessary component of the gospel message; it requires an individual to abandon their sinful living and embrace a life of purity. Because God is abundantly merciful, anyone, no matter how evil, can be reborn and forgiven; and walk as a follower of Jesus Christ.

There once lived a defiant prophet named Jonah. He hated the city of Nineveh and its wicked inhabitants with a passion. And yet, God commanded him to enter this evil city and preach a message of repentance; that they might be saved from impending destruction. In anger, Jonah refused to obey; instead he traveled in the completely opposite direction. During his journey he was cast into the sea and swallowed by a great fish. After three days in the creature’s belly, he was spit up onto dry land. He finally obeyed his calling and entered Nineveh; urging them to repent of their evil ways. Surprisingly, the citizens listened and repented; thus ensuring their survival. However, when Jonah saw that the city was spared he lamented, saying, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness. One who relents from doing harm.” Jonah, like the Pharisees, did not share God’s heart.

Our God is merciful. And like Jesus and Jonah, we have been sent to preach the gospel to sinners. If we share the Lord’s heart for the lost we will reach out to those who are walking in darkness. As we are filled with the Holy Spirit, may the light of Christ shine in us and through us, that others might hear the message of repentance and be saved. What an honor to be servants of the living God.

“Lord Heavenly Father, may we reach out to those who are lost. May we love those who are living in sin, and preach the gospel to them. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and guide our actions. Speak in us and through us, that many would come to repentance and know the goodness of your forgiveness and salvation. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!

Saving Sinners

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

          And after these things he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office.  And he said to him, “Follow Me.”  And he left all, rose up, and followed Him.  Then Levi gave him a great feast in his own house.  And there was a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.  And the 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 not come to call the righteous, but 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 thus turned against their own people.  The Roman taxes were often 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 these types of sinners.  Jewish meals were extremely intimate affairs; those who dined together dipped into 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 into 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 into 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 into the trash heap and pull out those who have been discarded.  He has sent us into 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, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.