Dad's Ramblings -- Parables of Jesus -- Ready For Change

PARABLES OF JESUS – Ready For Change
Luke 15:17
 
" 'But when he came to himself, he said, "How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!" ' "
 
This is the first step to change – acknowledging that life could be better than what I am experiencing. Sometimes it takes a long time for people to wake up to the truth that their life is in the pig pen when it could be in the father's house. You can't force a person to change as long as he is satisfied with the pig pen. Until he "comes to himself" and understands that his life stinks, he will not be motivated to change. Hitting bottom is a wake-up call for change. Sadly, many people have to eat the pig-slop of the world before they get hungry for the Father's food.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: No one will repent of his sin until he comes to himself and admits that he needs to change.
 
Have a "father's house" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Parables of Jesus -- The New Norm

PARABLES OF JESUS – The New Norm
Luke 15:15-16
 
" 'Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.' "
 
Pigs were an abomination to the Jews, so he had really hit bottom when he had to feed them. Not only that, but he was so hungry that he had to eat their food. Hog slop is so gross!!! He never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would stoop so low. But as the old saying goes, "Sin will take you places you never want to be, and farther than you ever want to go." People say, "I never want to be like .... (the wino, or the addict, or the prostitute, or incarcerated, or their dad)," but they end up just like that because of sin. Then eating pig slop becomes the new norm. The way to avoid the pig pen is to remain in the house of the Father and live by His rules.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Rebellion takes us places we never wanted to be.
 
Have a Jesus-normal day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Parables of Jesus -- The Vacuum

PARABLES OF JESUS – The Vacuum
Luke 15:14
 
" 'But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in the land, and he began to be in want.' "
 
There is a hunger in the human spirit. It is more than an empty stomach; it is the emptiness in the gut that says, "Is this all there is to life? There must be something more." It has been called a "God-shaped vacuum." A vacuum will be filled with something. So people try to fill that void in their life by self-fulfillment, financial success, acquiring material things, or relationships. These things only lead to famine in the spirit. As I look back on my life, I can see many ways that I have squandered much of my God-given inheritance. But I have no regrets for serving God. I'm so glad I do not have the "Vacuum Syndrome." I am content.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Trying to fill the vacuum in the human spirit will only result in famine.
 
Have a "filled" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Parables of Jesus -- Wasted!

PARABLES OF JESUS – Wasted!
Luke 15:12-13
 
" 'And the younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the portion of the good that falls to me." So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possession with prodigal living.' "
 
This story is repeated over and over again in the lives of young people. They don't appreciate what they have under their father's roof, so they leave for greener grass – aah, freedom at last from the rules of the old man! Then they end up wasting their lives, spending all their time, talent, and treasures on themselves. Instead of being a blessing to their father, their family and others, they focus on themselves, satisfying their own lustful desires. The truth is that joy in life does not come through self-centeredness, but from blessing other people.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: There is no real lasting satisfaction derived from spending all my resources on self-centered personal fulfillment.
 
Have a "unwasted" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Parables of Jesus -- Two Sons

PARABLES OF JESUS – Two Sons
Luke 15:11
 
"Then He said, 'A certain man had two sons.' "
 
In Scripture we often find the contrast of two sons – one with a heart for God and the other with a heart to do his own thing. There was Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Absolom and Solomon, and Jesus' parable about two sons called to work in the field (Matthew 21:28). But perhaps none strikes closer to home than this illustration of two sons in Luke 15, because families often are faced with this situation of two children  – one who follows God and the other who goes his own way. These illustrations serve as models to help us understand this contrast.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: The contrast of godliness and worldliness is often illustrated by comparing two sons.
 
Have a godly day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Parables of Jesus -- The Lost Coin

PARABLES OF JESUS – The Lost Coin
Luke 15:8-10
 
" 'Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!" Likewise I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.' "
 
I don't believe the emphasis in this parable is on the lost coin, but on the rejoicing when the coin is found. God knows where each of us is. He has not lost us in that sense, even though we are lost. I wonder what it must be like in heaven each time the announcement is made that a sinner has repented. How did the news ring through the heavenly atmosphere, "John Schiewek is saved!"? Maybe it is like the tinkle of bells, as in the film, "It's A Wonderful Life." Or perhaps it is a chime that plays over the heavenly intercom, as in the local hospital when a new baby is born in the maternity ward. However it is, heaven must be filled with continual shouts of joy each time a "lost coin" is found.
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: There is joy in heaven each time someone is saved.
 
Have a rejoicing day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Parables of Jesus -- Carried Home

PARABLES OF JESUS – Going Home
Luke 15:6-7
 
" 'And when he [the shepherd] comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost." I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just person who need no repentance.' "
 
This parable, and especially the last phrase, ("who need no repentance"), was directed at the Pharisees and scribe who thought they were righteous because they did righteous works, but in reality they were still sinners. In their pride they looked down at the "sinners" Jesus was eating with. The person who does not think he is lost will never appreciate being found, so they could not rejoice that Jesus had come to find sinners. The Bible is clear: all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and we are not saved by our own works of righteousness (Titus 3:5). I confess that I am a sinner, but Jesus found me and is carrying me "home" (verse 6).
 
TODAY'S THOUGHT: Only the person who knows he is lost will rejoice when he is found.
 
Have a "going home" day. Love you.