DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- BAPTISM OF SUFFERING

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE BAPTISM OF SUFFERING

"Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, 'What do you wish?' She said to Him, 'Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.' But Jesus answered and said, 'You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?' They said to Him, 'We are able.' He said to them, 'You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.'

The sons of Zebedee. James and John. Jesus knew what they were – fiery guys with a temper. Jesus called them Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17). Their unruly character was demonstrated one time when the Samaritans did not receive Jesus. They wanted to command fire to come down from heaven and consume these heathens. Jesus rebuked them because they were not showing the spirit of Christ, who came to save men, not destroy them (Luke 9:51-56). But that was just who they were. They had a different vision of Christ's kingdom than Jesus had. They wanted positions of power and authority. Perhaps they thought that Jesus would be more likely to grant their request if their mother asked. Jesus saw through the scheme. He did not answer their mother but spoke directly to them. "You don't know what you are asking for."

This baptism is usually called the baptism of suffering because of the suffering of the Lord Jesus in His passion. He spoke often to His disciples of the coming suffering, death, and resurrection. The disciples could not comprehend the depth of this suffering.

In their brashness, James and John thought they could handle this baptism in their own strength. In their naivety, they said they were able. But when push came to shove, they abandoned Jesus when He went through His baptism of suffering. But after the Holy Spirit came upon them, they had the ability to endure the suffering for the name of Jesus. They would indeed suffer like Jesus. James was martyred when King Herod ordered that he be killed by the sword (Acts 12:1-2). John did not die as a martyr, but suffered the privation of exile to the isle of Patmos because of his testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:9). So they, like the other disciples, except Judas, drank of the cup of suffering.

And this is the lot of any disciple of the Lord Jesus. The Scripture says, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (II Timothy 3:12). We may not suffer physical pain as James and many of the disciples did, but we may suffer rejection, ostracization and isolation, and put down, because of our faith.

After the Day of Pentecost, the disciples suffered being beaten, but the record says that they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name (Acts 5:41). Another James, the brother of Jesus, wrote that we should count it all joy when we go through such trials (James 1-2).

May that be my outlook – to willingly suffer for the cause of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FORGIVING OFFENSES

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – FORGIVING OFFENSES

"Then Peter came to Him and said, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.' " (Matthew 18:21-22)

We are all good at nursing offenses. We like to treat them as friends, especially when the offense is repeated over and over again. The resentment grows with each offense. It feels like a new hit on a wound that has not healed. Or like being stabbed again and again.

There is only one way to get rid of the pain of offense and that is forgiveness. This is not easy when the offense is committed repeatedly. My patience grows thin.

This is the setting for the parable Jesus gave of a servant who owed his master a huge amount of money and was not able to pay his debt. He appealed to his master for patience, but the master not only had patience, he graciously forgave the debt. Some time later, the servant lent a fellow-servant a small amount of money. The second servant was not able to repay the debt, and the first servant threw him into debtors prison. When the master heard about what had happened, he called the first servant on the carpet – the one he had forgiven such a large debt – and ordered that he be tortured until he paid the original debt.

Jesus drives home the point: "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses' " (vs. 35). It is a dangerous thing to carry a grudge and not forgive our fellow-servants.

The Apostle Paul picked up on this when he wrote, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). When we think of how much God has forgiven us our trespasses against Him, it should make us be patient and gracious toward those who offend us. We violate His grace over and over again, and yet He forgives us over and over again. So should it be with us and our brothers and sisters.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- LITTLE PEOPLE OR TOP DOG?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – LITTLE PEOPLE OR TOP DOG?

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:1-4)

The disciples were normal humans. No one wants to be on the bottom of the heap. We would rather be top-dog. The disciples thought in terms of status, power, and position. It seems self-serving to ask, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." But that was their mindset. They wanted to be "somebody" in the kingdom.

The central word in this section of Scripture is the word "little" as in little child, little children, little ones (vss. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 14). The term, "little people," has been in the English vocabulary for many years. It sometimes means people small in stature. I worked with a lady one time who was short. She took great offense when someone called her a dwarf or midget. She let me know that they wanted to be called "little people."

But in common vernacular, "little people" often means people who are common, who have no claim to fame, wealth, position, or power. People in high positions in the political and social structure often look down on this kind of little people.

Jesus was adamant in the training of his the twelve. They were not to pursue position or power. They were to be like a little child – who had no status, fame, power, or wealth. Little children have no hidden agenda, nor desire to be top dog, of being acclaimed for their status. It took several teaching sessions to get this message across to them. Jesus said, "Whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all" (Mark 10:44). A slave is not top dog.

We still have the same struggles today. There are people in the church who want position, power, and praise. Jesus says to them, become as a child. A proper view of ourselves will help. We are all sinners, whose only claim to fame is the grace of God's forgiveness.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE TEMPLE TAX

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – TEMPLE TAX

"When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, 'Does you Teacher not pay the temple tax?' He said, 'Yes." (Matthew 17:24, 25a)

In the Mosaic Covenant, the ministry of the temple was supported by taxes on the people. The Levites were ordained by God's decree to be the tribe to take care of the tabernacle and all of the spiritual activity of the tabernacle and later the temple. They received their livelihood from taxes that were imposed on the rest of the Israelites.

It can be inferred that the people who came to Jesus asking this question were priests or Levites and were concerned about whether Jesus was paying His fair share for their livelihood. Jesus' answer is interesting. He made a point of saying that the temple tax was to be paid by those who used the temple by comparing the temple tax to the civil taxes paid to kings. The king's sons did not have to pay taxes. Taxes were levied on the rest of the citizens – not the king's sons. Likewise, Jesus, as the Son of God, was not obligated to pay the temple tax, but in order not to offend the Levites, He ordered Peter to pay the tax for both Himself and Peter.

God's kingdom is supported by the giving of the people. Those who use the services of a church are the ones who should support that church.

In a Google search, the statistics show that only 5% of people in America who identify themselves a Christians tithe, and 77% of tithers give more than 10% of the total. This meditation is not about tithing, but this does point to the fact that a large part of the support for Christian ministry comes from a small percentage of adherents. Just think what could be accomplished for the Kingdom if everyone was as committed to the Kingdom as the 5%. How many missionaries could we support? How many Bibles could we produce? How much more could we present the Gospel to the nation if the money was available?

God does not need our money to accomplish His purpose. But He has given us opportunity to be involved. Plus there is personal benefit when we are liberal in our giving. Money is not a dirty five-letter word. It is a blessing when we use it for God.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENTS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENTS

" 'For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?' " (Matthew 16:26)

We are attentive to profit and loss statements. When we make an investment, we want to see a gain in its value. To see a loss in the financial statement gives us pause to consider whether that is a good investment or not.

On the eternal balance sheet, there will be profit and loss. Our investment here on earth will determine whether there is gain or loss.

The Apostle Paul was very aware of this profit and loss concept. He said, "What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ" (Philippians 4:7). He went on to say that all the advantages of his past life – his religious heritage and his own righteousness – he counted as rubbish in order to gain Christ (vs. 8). To know Christ was more valuable to him than anything this world had to offer. Even in this life, he considered godliness with contentment to be great gain (I Timothy 6:6).

Esau is an example in the Old Testament of a person who did not see the value of spiritual things. He was willing to trade his inheritance of "blessing" for a pot of stew (Genesis 25:29-34).

I want to be careful not to trade my spiritual treasure for the treasures this world that is going to pass away. What profit is there to me if I gain the whole world, and lose what is the most important thing on earth – my soul? As Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth...but lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven..." (Matthew 6:20-21). "Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward" (Hebrews 10:35). Investing in eternal things is a wise investment and will bring great gain, both in this life and the next.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- PERSEVERING FAITH

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – PERSEVERING FAITH

"Then Jesus went out form there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, 'Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.' But He answered her not a word...." (Matthew 15:21-23)

Have you ever been in the situation where you cried out to Jesus in your desperation, and it seems He does not answer you? I know I have. It can be a real challenge to our faith when God does not answer.

Here was a Gentile woman who had apparently heard that this teacher from Israel was doing miracles, and she came in faith asking Jesus to deliver here daughter from demon-possession. She cried out to Jesus, but Jesus seemed to ignore her. That is strange because we know that Jesus showed His compassion in so many other cases – even to Gentiles.

Even though she was spurned, both by the disciples who wanted Jesus to send her away, but by Jesus Himself, she would not give up. She kept asking. She would not be deterred from her mission. I think this is a great example of persevering faith. She did not quit.

I think this was a test by the Lord Jesus to demonstrate the importance of continuing in our requests. This woman was a great example of faith in action. And she was rewarded by both receiving her desired request, but also the praise by Jesus for her faith.

Jesus told us to be persistent in our prayers. He said to ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7). All of these verbs in the Greek text are the present tense. That is, ask, seek, and knock as a continuing practice. He said that our prayers would be answered. He did not say when. There is no time-table. But His promise is that these prayers would be answered.

So, like the Canaanite woman, we keep asking even when it seems that we get no positive answer. It may be a test of our faith when He does not answer immediately. Faith endures even when it seems the answer is "no.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- I FOUND IT

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – I FOUND IT

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it." (Matthew 13:44-46)

These parables can be understood in two ways. One interpretation is that Jesus came seeking us sinners. Jesus Himself said, " 'The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost' " (Luke 19:10). We are His treasure and He gave His all to purchase us – His very life. We are His treasure. In the other interpretation, it is man who is seeking the treasure – Jesus. For our Gleanings today, we will use the second scenario.

In the 1970's, Campus Crusade for Christ sponsored a national evangelistic outreach. It was called the "I Found It" campaign. The nation was filled with "I Found It" bumper stickers. Billboards abounded with the "I Found It" theme. Telephone call centers were organized to call every home in America.

Jesus started the first "I Found It" theme in these two parables. These two men were seekers. They were intentional in their search, and they were rewarded for their persistence when they found the things they were searching for, and when they found the thing that satisfied their desires, they were all in. They sold all that they had for the treasure.

In the old revival days, there was what was known as "the seekers' bench." That was where those who knew that the needed help would sit during the preaching. Oh, that we would have more people seeking to know God.

The Gospel is not hidden, but many people don't find it because they are not looking for it. While some people see the great value of the Gospel, others do not consider it to be worth anything. There seems to be no desire for spiritual things. Perhaps it is because they are satisfied with their spiritual condition, or perhaps it is because they are looking in the wrong place for something to satisfy their deepest desire.

The Kingdom of heaven is filled with people who have searched for and have found the object of greatest value – the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who can truly satisfy the longing of the heart. Knowing Him is worth everything that I have. I'm so glad that I have found the treasure, the Pearl of great price.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TARES AMONG THE WHEAT

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – TARES AMONG THE WHEAT

"Another parable He put forth to them, saying: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. ... The servants of the owner came and said to him, "Do you want us then to go and gather them up?" But he said, "No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them" ' " (Matthew 13:24-26).

It is a sad fact that in the Kingdom of Heaven, there are both true believers and nonbelievers in the same field, and sometimes it is hard to tell them apart.

Mildred's brother was a grass seed farmer before he passed away. I would go to the farm and watch the process. The combines would go through the fields and gather anything that grew – both weeds and good seed. Then trucks would take all the seed to the warehouse where there were sieves to separate the good seed from the bad. The weeds that were separated from the good seed were destroyed. In the end, his goal was to have 100% purity of good grass seed so he would get the best price on his crop. I don't know all of the tactics he used to try to keep the weeds from growing. I think he probably used some weed killers, and at the end of the season, the field would be burned to destroy both weeds and pests. But to my knowledge, he never went into the field to pull up weeds by hand. Had he done so, he would have destroyed a lot of good grain.

The lesson for us is this: understand that there will be people in our fellowship who have never come to faith. They go through the motions, and look like good wheat. It is not my job, nor yours, to try to root out the bad weeds. We need to leave that to the Master Farmer. Jesus gave this explanation. "Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire" (vss. 40-42).

God will make sure that the good seed is saved. But woe to those who are pretenders who try to appear good, but have never come to faith. In the end, God knows the hearts and will make the proper judgment. I will leave it to Him.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE GLUE THAT BONDS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE GLUE THAT BONDS

"Now when the Pharisees heard it (the deliverance of a demon-possessed man), they said, 'This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.' But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?" (Matthew 12:24-26)

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand this trusim. Common sense would say that Satan would not fight against his own kingdom. But the Pharisees were so angry that they could not think straight. They were the Never-Jesus crowd. In their distorted thinking, they proposed that Satan was indeed fighting Satan.

A house or family, a nation, or a church that is split into factions will not last. A marriage that is in continual conflict will either end up in divorce or at the least in separation, either in fact or in practice, with each spouse living his or her own life, even if they remain in the same house. Either way, the marriage is in shambles. A church that has various factions demanding power will end up being robbed of their fellowship, power, and witness to the community, and often will wither in membership. A nation that is not united will eventually have civil war. We see this in America today. There are two competing visions of what America will become, and they cannot co-exist as a unit.

That is why the Bible makes such a big deal about Christian unity. Beginning with Jesus' prayer that His disciples would be one (John 17:21) and continuing through the rest of the New Testament, the appeal is to unity among believers. On the day of Pentecost, the Believers "were all with one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1). The Apostle Paul appealed to the believers at Ephesus to "endeavor to keep the unity in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3). To the Church at Philippi, Paul encouraged them to fulfill his joy "by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind" (Philippians 2:2). Peter also spoke of being of one mind (I Peter 3:8).

There are many other references in the Bible to the unity of Believers. The thing that brings unity to God's people is not the traditions and doctrine of various denominations. It is faith in the Lord Jesus and His provision of Salvation. He is the center of the Church. Just as the spokes on a wheel get closer to each other as they get close to the hub, so Believers will be drawn closer together the closer the get to Jesus. So, as the song says, "We are one in the bonds of love." May our faith in Christ and our love for each other be the glue that holds us together.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE SABBATH

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE SABBATH

"At that time, Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain 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." (Matthew 12:1-2)

I don't know about you, but I miss the Blue Laws that kept stores from doing business on Sunday. It made Sunday a special day, set apart from the usual business of life. They are long gone, but I still wish they were on the books.

Of course, we know that the Sabbath is not Sunday. The Sabbath was the seventh day of the week, and God instituted the Sabbath as a day of rest in accord with the seventh day of Creation. The Scriptures say that. "On the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made" (Genesis 2:2-3). Then He included it in the list of the 10 Commandments which He gave to Moses. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD our God … For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (Exodus 10:8-11).

So why are we are not Sabbatarians? The commandment concerning the Sabbath is not repeated in the New Covenant. And it was the practice of the New Testament Church to meet on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:2), perhaps because Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. Five times in the Gospel narrative, it is recorded that the resurrection was on the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; 16:9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1; 20:19). So is must have been an important piece of information.

The Apostle Paul gave insight regarding this question: "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord does not observe it" (Romans 14:5-6). I take this to be in the context of the early church when there were the Jewish converts, who were raised under the Old Covenant, and the Gentiles who were not. This is not meant to demean those who worship on the Sabbath. As Paul said, let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. It is a matter of faith.

However, whether Sabbatarians or non-Sabbatarians, we still need to consecrate or set aside one day as special to worship the Lord and to rest our bodies. What day of the week it is is not the issue. We live in a day when people do not take time to rest and reflect on spiritual things as we should. Even a day of rest from work is filled with activities such as shopping and recreation. When do we really rest?

I know it is not beneficial to live in the past, but I long for the old days when Sunday was devoted to church and the Sunday afternoon nap. I think we suffer when we do not rest the body and the mind, and spend time considering spiritual things. So, give me back the Blue Laws. Let Jesus be Lord, even of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8).

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DELEGATED AUTHORITY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – DELEGATED AUTHORITY

"And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease." (Matthew 10:1)

Jesus was one person who could only be in one place at a time. There was much work to be done. So Jesus multiplied His ministry by giving His disciples authority to do the things that He did. Another time, Jesus appointed 70 of his followers to go in teams of two on evangelistic crusades (Luke 10:1). He sent them out, but not in their own strength or power, but His.

This is a lesson to be learned. Whatever we do, it is only in His strength and power. The temptation is for individuals and Churches to do ministry in their own abilities. But lasting, effective ministry is done in the power of the Spirit.

Jesus has delegated us, His disciples, to multiply His ministry here on earth. His last words before He returned to heaven were: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20). He has placed on us the mantel of His ministry to accomplish His plan of evangelism. He has the authority to delegate that ministry to His followers. And He is with us.

I wonder if this is what the Apostle Paul was considering when he wrote, "I now rejoice in my suffering for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God" (Colossians 1:24-25). There was nothing that Paul could add to Christ's sufferings. But to him was given – delegated – a stewardship or responsibility to fulfill God's plan and purpose.

All believers have received this delegation of authority to fulfill God's will. We do it, not in our own strength, but in the power of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said, "You shall power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me...." (Acts 1-8). We are ambassadors that have been given authority to speak on Christ's behalf (II Corinthians 5:20). What a calling!!

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE COMPASSIONATE JESUS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE COMPASSIONATE JESUS

"But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd." (Matthew 9:36)

In today's Scripture reading from Matthew 9, there are diverse situations that demonstrate the compassion of Jesus for the suffering.

The first incident is of a man whose daughter had just died, but he believed that Jesus could bring her back to life by His touch. Jesus went with the man to the bedside of the girl and He healed her and brought her back to life.

The second scenario was a woman who had suffered 12 years with a gynecological disease that caused her to bleed. Jesus healed her.

Next was two blind men who had faith that Jesus could heal them, and they cried out to Him. Jesus healed both of them.

Finally, there was brought to Him a man that demons had caused to be unable to speak. Jesus cast out the demon and the man was healed.

No matter what our condition or our situation, Jesus is a aware and is compassionate. He may not heal or restore to life because of His divine purposes, but I can be sure that He cares. Because He cares for us, we can cast our cares on Him/ As Peter wrote, "Casting all your cares on Him for He cares for you" (I Peter 5:7). We can come to the throne of grace to find mercy in our times of need (Hebrews 4:16).

He does care about us in our need.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHO NEEDS JESUS?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WHO NEEDS JESUS?

"Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 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.....I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' " (Matthew 9:9-13)

The setting of this incident is the house of Matthew. Jesus had just called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him. Matthew's life was changed by the call and his testimony impacted other tax collector who came to his house to hear this Jesus of Nazareth. This is a wonderful example of the power of the witness of a person whose life has been transformed.

This incensed the Pharisees, who could not stand that Jesus would associate with the scum of the earth. " 'Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?' " Tax collectors were not accepted in the religious establishment because they were known to be swindlers and cheats who inflated the tax rate to pad their own pockets.

Jesus heard about the Pharisees question, and responded to them. It is a classic Jesus response. " 'The sick need a physician, not those who are well.' " He was sticking it to the Pharisees, who thought they were so righteous. The truth was that they were sick and needed a Savior, but they did not know it.

We meet people every day who do not think that they need Jesus. They think that they are pretty good people. They are righteous in their own eyes, just like the Pharisees, when in fact, they are sinners just like those they look down on.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus said, " 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven' " (Matthew 5:3). One translation says, "How blessed are they who know their need of God." Those who does not know they are sick feel no need for a doctor. Jesus meets with those who know their need of a Savior.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHAT IS OF MOST VALUE?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WHAT IS OF MOST VALUE?

"And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region." (Matthew 8:34)

To me, this is one of the strangest and most unimaginable events in Jesus' ministry. Consider the scenario. Jesus had come into the region of the Gergesa. It is on the east side of the Sea of Galilee, so it is not a part of Israel and it is inhabited by Gentiles. When Jesus came to the country of the Gergesenes, He encountered two demon-possessed men who were so fierce that they would not let anyone pass by them. This did not intimidate Jesus. The demons recognized Jesus as the Son of God and knew that He had the authority and power to send them to the pit where other demons had been imprisoned. Rather than fight them, He commanded them to go into a herd of swine, which they did, causing the swine to go crazy and run violently into the sea.

There are lessons here about the Demons acknowledging that Jesus was God and that they were subject to Him. It also speaks of the power that Jesus had over demonic forces.

The strange thing to me is the response of the people of that region. When they were told what had happened, and that the demon-possessed man had been set free, they came to Jesus and begged Him to leave their country.

It would seem that a natural response would be amazement, gratitude, thankfulness, and joy at the good thing that had happened to one of their citizens. But no, they wanted Jesus to leave.

What is more valuable? Two men or a herd of pigs? The pigs may have been their livelihood. Since they were in Gentile territory, there was no regulations regarding pigs as there was with the Jews. So when the pigs ran into the sea, they lost some of their possessions and livelihood.

This is so like people today. They don't want Jesus because He may change their lives. Instead of being thankful to God for His great works and blessings, they can only think of what they might lose if they accept Him as Lord of all.

We need to keep our priorities straight. People are more valuable than pigs.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- MINISTER'S WIVES

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – MINISTERS' WIVES

"Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them." (Matthew 8:14-15)

The Bible is filled with the names of godly women in both the Old Testament and New Testament. Women have played a huge part in the fulfillment of God's great plan, from Rahab the prostitute who was a progenitoress the Lord Jesus, to Abigail and Bathsheba, wives of David, to New Testament women such as Dorcas, and Lydia, and Priscilla and a host of other ladies who labored in the work of the Gospel.

But I have often wondered why there is nary a word in the inspired Word of God about the wives of the Apostles. Perhaps some Apostles were not married, but we do know from this text that Peter was married. Why is there no mention of the Apostles' wives? Did they support their husbands as the men left their homes and their livelihoods to follow an itinerant preacher? Or did they give up on their husbands and go their own way? Apparently at this point, Peter's marriage was still intact.

I do know that wives can be a powerful force in the lives of God's ministers. The great preacher and founder of Methodism, John Wesley and his wife had a miserable, rocky marriage, and eventually she left him. She did not appreciate John's absence from home since he traveled a lot in his ministry. It is reported that one time she entered a room and drug her husband by his hair across the room. Another story is that she threw tomatoes at him while he was preaching.

We do not have any knowledge of the state of the Apostles' marriages. It is apparent that they were so dedicated to Christ that they were willing to follow Him no matter the cost. Jesus said whoever would be His disciple, would have to put father and mother and wife and family lower on his love-list (Luke 14:26). There is a cost for both spouses when a person dedicates his life to ministry.

The fact remains that following Jesus is an individual matter. Commitment to God's callings for both the husband and wife is an absolute necessity. Evangelist Billy Graham's marriage was a model. He was absent a lot of the time as he traveled the world to hold crusades while his wife was committed to staying at home to keep the family together. Each was following God's calling for their lives.

Praise God for ministers' wives. They have a special calling. Often it is an unsung and unappreciated ministry that is out of the limelight while the husband gets all the attention. I think that God will have a special reward for ministers' wives.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RIGHT THINGS, WRONG REASONS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – RIGHT THINGS, WRONG REASONS

"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have received their reward." (Matthew 6:5)

How many times have I done the right thing for the wrong reason? I have gone to church because I want people to think I am a dedicated Christian. I have avoided doing some things because I don't want people to think I am not a very good Christian. I have given money in the offering plate because I wanted to show how generous I am. I go to prayer meetings to show how spiritual I am.

In this section of the Sermon On The Mount, Jesus spoke of giving alms to receive the praise of men. He spoke of praying to be seen of men. He spoke of fasting just to put on a show. Jesus says, "Don't be like that."

There is nothing wrong with any of these things. In fact, the devoted Christian will do all of these things. The question is, "Why am I doing them?" Is it just to be seen and receive recognition and praise of other people? If that is the case, then in God's eyes, I have already received my reward.

Doing the right things for the wrong reasons makes me pause and consider my motivations. If I do these things to receive men's accolades, then my motivation is wrong. However, if I do them to to please God or encourage other people in their Christian walk, then that is a proper motivation. My giving, my praying, and my fasting should be for the glory of God and a blessing to other people. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "Therefore, … whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31).

Just because I sometimes fail to have proper motives, I should not be deterred from doing what is good and right. As Scripture says, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Galatians 6:9). But I should make sure my motives are godly. I should always do the right things and for the right reasons.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- PERFECT

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – PERFECTION

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

This scripture has caused a lot of confusion. Does God really expect us to be perfectly sinless like God is? I don't think so. He understands our weaknesses and makes provision for handling our failures. He said that anyone who thinks that he is sinless deceives himself and calls God a liar. "But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:8-10). He admonishes us to confess our faults or sins to one another (James 5:16). So I don't think that God is calling for sinless perfection.

According to Strong's Concordance and Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, the original Greek word that is translated "perfect" means to be complete or mature – to have no division between what we believe and what we do. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus showed the connection between action and the heart. For examples, anger is a form of murder (vss. 21-22), because anger is a matter of the heart. Adultery is more than the physical act because lusting after a woman comes from the heart (vs. 27-28).

It is called integrity – the unity of my outward actions with my spirit. A person is complete – not divided – when he does what he knows is true. As Christians, it is our challenge to live by what we believe. This is a sign of perfection, completeness, and maturity when what we do outwardly is in sync with what we believe inwardly.

This has broad application. A person who says one thing and does another is called a hypocrite. A hypocrite puts on an outward facade to hide what he is really like on the inside. This applies to our speech, also. To profess to be a Christian and not live like it is shows that that there is a disconnect between the inward and the outward. This does not mean that I am a hypocrite just because I do not always live up to a perfect standard. I may fail at times, but that does not make me a hypocrite. It is a matter of the intentions of the heart. I am a hypocrite when I deliberately wear a mask to cover my failure. My goal is to have my actions be in unity with my faith.

Even the act of salvation calls for unity between what we say and what we believe. "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe with your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 9:10). If what we say does not match what we believe, it is not valid.

God is perfect and complete. His actions always come from His perfect character. There is never a disconnect between His character and His actions. I believe that that is the perfection that God is calling us to.

Love, Dad

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DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SITTING AT JESUS' FEET

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – SITTING AT JESUS' FEET

"And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated, His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them...." (Matthew 5:1-2)

Just imagine that you were one of Jesus' disciples that day. You followed Jesus up the mountain trail to a place where people could gather around Him. He perhaps found a rock to sit on, and then He began to teach them about the Kingdom of God. The disciples gathered close to Him, probably sitting at His feet on the ground around Him.

It must have been a wonderful day, listening to the Master Teacher. They may not have understood it all, but it made an impact because the disciples remembered it. This teaching in the Gospel of Matthew is the longest of the sermons that Jesus gave that is recorded in the Gospels, occupying three chapters of red-letters in a red-letter edition.

This time of sitting at Jesus' feet reminds me of the time that Jesus visited his friends' home, recorded in Luke 10:38-42. You probably remember that Martha was busy preparing a meal while Mary sat at Jesus feet listening to the words of Jesus. Mary was so distracted by the business of serving that she didn't sit and listen. Instead, she became frustrated that her sister was not helping her, and she complained to Jesus. Jesus responded, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part...."

Taking time to just sit and listen to Jesus is a challenge for busy people. I'll admit that the duties of my life distract and preoccupy me from what is really important. It seems that they are so very important that I neglect spending time sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to His wonderful words. In reality, the most important thing in my life is hearing God speak to me through His Word. As Jesus said to Mary, "one thing is needed." I need to take time to sit at Jesus feet and hear Him speak. In the hustle and bustle and demands of life, that is what I need the more than anything else in this world.

Love, Dad

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DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE LIGHT HAS COME

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE LIGHT HAS COME

"Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.' " (Matthew 4:12-16)

It is striking that Jesus did not being His ministry in the center of the Jewish religion. Jerusalem was where the temple was. It was the seat of worship and of religious power. All of the bigwigs were there. Instead, Jesus chose to begin His ministry in out-of-the-way places, like the city of Nazareth, and the areas of Zebulun and Naphtali.

Nazareth was looked down on by the rest of the nation. In fact, it was a common saying, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). And the areas of Zebulun and Naphtali – which were assigned when the Promised Land was divided by Joshua (Joshua 19) – were on the northern edge of the land of Israel. They were at the edges of the nation, far removed from Jerusalem.

It was into these obscure places that Jesus first came preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. They were sitting in darkness. They needed the light of the Gospel. And the light of the Gospel shined. As John wrote, "That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world" (John 1:10

I wonder if we look in the wrong places for Jesus. He will probably not be found much in Washington, D.C., the center of power. He probably won't be found much in the bright glitter of Las Vegas, which, despite the neon lights, actually is sitting in darkness. He can be found where there is darkness, because that is what He came to do – to bring light into darkness.

From the beginning of the creation of the world, when darkness was on the face of the deep, God said, "Let there be light," and the light shined (Genesis 1:2-3). "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all" (John 1:5). Jesus came and shined into the dark places. Wherever Jesus is, there is light. But the most relevant to us was when "God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (II Corinthians 4:6). The light of the world has come!!

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS

"In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' " (Matthew 3:1-3)

A new age was dawning. The prophets had been silent for 400 years. Now John the Baptist has appeared from the wilderness to proclaim a message of repentance and the good news that the promised Messiah was about to be revealed. He was preparing people for the appearance of the coming Savior.

The manger in Bethlehem is in the distant past. Thirty or so years have gone by, and Jesus was about to enter into His ministry. He had matured during these years. He had grown "in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52). Now it was time for Him to complete His mission.

God used John the Baptist to introduce Jesus to the world. He was fulfilling the prophecy given by the prophet Isaiah: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God" (Isaiah 40:3).

Many people responded to his message and indicated their change of heart by being baptized in water. But there were some who came to be baptized who John discerned did not have a change of heart – specifically the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the religious people – and he gave them a scathing rebuke. "You brood of vipers!" does not sound like the normal altar call.

We are not John the Baptist. We do not have his special calling to prepare the way for Jesus' appearance. But does it ever seem to you that you are like a voice in the wilderness when you share to Gospel – the Good News of Jesus? There are some who have a heart-change and receive the message. But there are others who you sense do not receive your witness.

Regardless of how people respond, we still have the great mission to proclaim the Gospel of repentance and to prepare hearts to receive Jesus as Savior. It is an awesome privilege and responsibility. We are not responsible for peoples' response to the message, only for being faithful in our witness. May God help us to present the clear message of the Gospel as John the Baptist did – a call to repentance because the Kingdom of God is here.

Love, Dad