DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- OPEN MY EYES

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – OPEN MY EYES

"So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, 'What do you want Me to do for you?'  They said to Him, 'Lord, that our eyes may be opened.' So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes.  And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him."  (Matthew 20:32-34)

Two blind men.  Sitting by the road.  Calling out to Jesus, "Have mercy on us."

As blind men, they could not enjoy the beauty of a sunrise or sunset. They could not carry on the normal duties of life. They could not appreciate the freedom that comes with sight because they were dependent on other people for most everyday activities.  They could not see where they were going. They lived in darkness.  These two men could have continued sitting in darkness. Instead, they cried out, "Jesus,  Son of David, have mercy on us!" (vs. 30).

Jesus answered their prayer and touched them and opened their eyes so they could see. 

 

Jesus is the light that gives light to every man who comes into the world (John 1:9).  As the prophet Isaiah wrote,  "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light" (Isaiah 9:2).

Anyone who sits in darkness can receive God's light if they will only cry out, "Jesus, have mercy on me."  God will open their eyes so they can see the light of the glorious gospel.  People who have had their eyes opened to the Gospel and see the light will follow Jesus.  Praise the Lord, I saw the light.

This song is my prayer today:  "Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth Thou hast for me.  Place in my hands the wonderful key that will unclasp and set me free.  Silently, now, I wait for Thee, ready my God, thy will to see.  Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine."

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- AN EVIL EYE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – AN EVIL EYE

" 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?  Or is your eye evil because I am good?' "  (Matthew 20:15)

Remember the parable that Jesus told.  It was about the master of an estate who had ripe grapes to harvest.  He needed more workers in the vineyard, so he went to the town square and hired men to harvest his grapes, and he and the workers agreed on a fair wage.  About 9:00 in the morning, he saw other men in the market-place who needed work and he hired them, also, and again they agreed to the wages.  As the day progressed, he still needed more workers, so at noon, and at 3:00, and at 5:00, he hired still more workers.

At the end of the day, the workers all gathered with the land-owner to be paid their wages.  The twist to the story is that they were all paid the same wages.  The ones who began working early in the day became angry because the ones hired last were paid the same wage, and they complained that the master was unfair.  After all, they had endured working in the hot sun all day.

The landowner replied that they had all agreed to the wages, and that he had the right to pay them what he wanted.  It may not have seemed fair, but it was just.  He had not deceived them, and he had the legitimate right to be generous and use his own money as he wished. The money was his to begin with. The laborers who complained had an evil eye because, instead of being thankful for what they were paid and glad that others were blessed, they thought they had been mistreated.  

Sometimes I complain about how God seemed to bless other Christians more than myself.  God has the right to do what He desires to do.  He can bless whomever he wants because He is the Master of the field.  

In the final analysis, God has promised the gift of salvation and heaven to all who believe.  This is equality, but it is not equity.  Beyond that, God can and does bless each person according to His own good pleasure.  God is a just God, and He knows what I need.  My complaining only proves that I have an evil eye of envy.  Instead, I should be thankful and rejoice when God blesses other people.   

Love,  Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- EATING HUMBLE PIE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – EATING HUMBLE PIE

" 'Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.' "  (Matthew 18:4)

When we were considering Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, we discovered that the gateway into heaven is narrow (Matthew 7:14). It is not wide.  There is only one way and that is through the Lord Jesus.  

In today's scripture, we find that the gate is not only narrow.  It is not very high.  One has to humble himself and bow low in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.  That is not easy for many of us.  Because of our pride, we don't like to confess that we are sinners and need a Savior.  But there is no true repentance without being humble enough to admit that we have failed.

Psalm 51 is a good place to begin.  Here was King David – the ruler of the nation of Israel.  He had blown it in a big way.  He had initiated adultery with the beautiful Bathsheba, and then murdered Bathsheba's husband in his attempt to cover up his adultery.  As king, he had all the prestige and power to do whatever he wanted.  He didn't have to answer to anyone – except God.

 In Psalm 51, we find his abject humility before God.  Listen to his words.  "Have mercy upon me, O God…for I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight … Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow…Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God. … Do not cast me away from Your presence … The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – These, O God, You will not despise."

King David had to eat a lot of humble pie to make this confession.  And prideful as I am, it takes a lot of humility for me to confess my sins.  But we have the assurance that God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us when we bow before Him in contrition and confess our failure to live up to His standard (I John 1:9). We will never be small enough to go through the gate until we get on our knees.   Praise Him for His grace.   

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- BUILDING SHRINES

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – BUILDING SHRINES

"Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' "  (Matthew 17:1-4)

Isn't that just like us humans.   When we have a great experience, we just want to build a shrine and stay there.  God reveals Himself in a special way to us and we don't want to leave that place. We have a mountain top exhilaration and want to set up camp.

 

There is nothing wrong with making monuments in our hearts to help us remember times when God was real to us.  In the Old Testament, we find the Patriarchs setting up stones of memorial as testimonies of times when they experienced God in dynamic ways.  

But to build a temple?  That indicates a place where people would come and worship.  It is kind of like some traditions that build grottoes where there were miracles and people come to those shrines to find God. 

God never intended for us to stay in those places.  Jesus knew that their need was not just to make camp there but to go back down to the valley to minister to peoples' needs.  Israel would never have been delivered from Egypt if Moses had built a temple at the site of the fiery bush, no matter how great that experience must have been.  The wonderful experience is not meant to be the end all, but the beginning of future ministry.

May I never be content with having a special experience of God's presence, as glorious as it may be, as the ultimate goal, but as a motivation to go from that place to minister His grace to others.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHEN GOD IS SILENT

DAD'S RAMBLINGS  – WHEN GOD IS SILENT

"Then Jesus answered and said to her, 'O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire'  And her daughter was healed from that very hour."  (Matthew 15:28)

I am intrigued by this episode in the ministry of the Lord Jesus.  A Canaanite woman – who was not of the house of Israel – came to Jesus seeking deliverance of her daughter from demon possession.  

Jesus did not answer her and His disciples wanted Jesus to send her away.  But she persevered and kept crying out to Jesus, "Lord help me!"  Again Jesus seemed to rebuff her because she was not a Jew.  But that did not stop her appeal to Jesus for help.  

Finally, Jesus commended her faith and healed the daughter.  She would not have received her answer if she had given up easily.

How many times have I sought the Lord for a particular need, and He seemed to be silent.  He did not answer.  It would be easy to give up and quit asking.  So what is the reason for this seeming disregard for my prayers?

It seems there might be two things to consider.  First, there may have been a testing of the woman's faith.  Was she really serious about her request?  Another possible reason is that it was a witness of her faith to others around her.  

When I see people who are persistent in their faith, it encourages me to be persistent in my own faith.  Jesus said to ask and keep on asking (Luke 11:9).  He said men ought always to pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1)  It is not always easy to keep praying when it seems that God does not answer my prayers, but if I am persistent, perhaps He will say, "Great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire."  May God be glorified in all  things.  

Love, Dad

DAD-S RAMBLINGS -- LET THEM ALONE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – LET THEM ALONE

"Then His disciples came and said to Him, 'Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?'  But He answered and said, 'Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.  Let them alone.  They are blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.'    (Matthew 15:12-15)

As was often the case, Jesus was at odds with the Pharisees.  Or, perhaps more accurately, the Pharisees were at odds with Jesus.  In this case, the Pharisees were complaining that the disciples did not observe the traditions of the teachings of the Jewish religion because they did not wash their hands as prescribed by elders.  The Pharisees were teaching as doctrine the traditions of men (vs. 9), while at the same time transgressing the commandments of God because of their traditions (vs. 4).

Jesus' response to His disciples was to "let them alone."   If they were not of God, God would take care of them and uproot them.

At times, I have felt that it was my responsibility to correct everyone else's doctrines or church traditions which are not prescribed by God in the Bible. But maybe that is not my job.  My responsibility is to speak God's truth – His Word.

To be sure, the leaders of a church – the elders in particular – have the responsibility to protect the flock from false teachers and false doctrine.  That requires careful adherence to what God has revealed in His word, and diligence to keep the doctrine in line with biblical teaching.

On a personal level, it is not my responsibility to correct all heresy.  God will take care of false teachers.  They will eventually be uprooted and shown to be false.   My job is to be careful to make sure that what I believe corresponds to God's truth.  That requires that I know God's Word and conform my beliefs to what God says.  As for others, I need to let them alone, and let God deal with them.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SHINING AS THE SUN

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – SHINING AS THE SUN

" 'Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!' "  (Matthew 13:43)

Have you ever driven past a field of wheat that is ripe and ready to harvest?  In the farming belts, the golden color stretches for miles and miles. Sometimes it is waving in the breeze, and it seems like it shimmers in its brightness.  Its yellow color reflects the shining of the sun.

The field started as bare ground – just dirt, until the farmer plowed it, planted the seed, and then allowed the seed to do what it was meant to do – to grow until it reaches maturity.  When the field is ripe, it is a beautiful scene.

We are like that.  We were just plain dirt until the seed of the Gospel was planted in our hearts.  The seed grew, and is still growing until we reach heaven.  When the seed matures, it will be like the golden grain.  The real brightness will be the reflection of the Son on the grain.

The future of those who are sons of the kingdom is bright.  It may seem dark here, but in Heaven, the Lord Jesus is the light.  There is no need for a lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light (Revelation 22:5) and we will be reflecting that light.  What a day that will be.

In the meantime, we get to reflect some of the Light of Jesus in a dark world.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- ABOUNDING

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- ABOUNDING

"And the disciples came and said to Him, 'Why do You speak to them in parables?'  He answered and said to them, 'Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.' "   (Matthew 13:10-12)

We can understand this principle in natural terms.  People who have seem to get more.  The poor seem not to be able to get out of their poverty.  The old saying says, "It takes money to make money."  When we use what we have wisely, then it seems that we have more in abundance.

Jesus used this principle in the parable of the talents.  In that parable, the master of the house gave money to each servant.  To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his own ability.  When he called the servants to give an accounting of what they had done with what was given to them, the first had doubled his portion and the second had doubled his portion.  But the third servant had done nothing with his allotment.  To this servant, the master said, "Take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents" (Matthew 25:14-30). There is an old saying, "Use it or lose it."

It is also true in the spiritual realm. We have been given great spiritual riches in Christ Jesus.  But if we don't use these blessings, they do us no good.  We are blessed with God's Word.  Do we study it to know God better?  We have been given a measure of faith.  Do we exercise it?  We have been given the Holy Spirit.  Do we trust Him?  The more we understand the mysteries of the kingdom, the more we are given to understand.   The person who has been given spiritual insights and uses those insights seems to abound in his spiritual walk, while the person who does not have spiritual insight flounders in his spiritual journey.  The point is that I need to use the abilities and blessings that God has given if I want to abound in God's abundance.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A DIVIDED HOUSE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A DIVIDED HOUSE

"Now when the Pharisees heard it 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 12:24-27)

This accusation by the Pharisees – that Jesus was doing the work of Satan by casting out demons – was so patently absurd that even a child would see how ridiculous their thinking was.  But it demonstrates how a mind that is so clouded by hatred can say the most illogical things.  

Jesus responded by giving an absolute truth:  any institution that is divided against itself will not endure.  This is true of nations, or families, of churches, or any organization.  If they do not share the same principles and goals, there is nothing to knit or bond them together.

Abraham Lincoln understood this axiom when he gave his Gettysburg Address:  "Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure."

We are facing this situation in America.  We are a divided nation and some are so ardently anti-Christian that they want to get rid of anything that represents that heritage, whether it is a cross, public prayer, or biblical teaching and precepts.  They are so blinded by hatred that they do not acknowledge the good that the Christian faith has brought to our nation.  They are not controlled by reason but by the spirit of antichrist that wants to eradicate anything that is godly.  Our nation will not long endure when these virtues are eliminated from our society.  There is a real conflict between those who are motivated by Satan and by those who serve God.  There is a battle for the soul of our nation.

This does not mean that everyone has to agree about everything, but there are basic beliefs that hold us together.  When those common beliefs are absent, there is no glue to bond us together.  We cannot compromise our faith for the sake of unity.  There will always be this division between right and wrong.  I choose to stand with God's truth and His kingdom.  

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- JUST ANOTHER PHARISEE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – JUST ANOTHER PHARISEE

"Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.  And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand.  And they asked Him, saying, " 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?' "– that they might accuse him.  Then He said to them, 'What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?  Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.' Then He said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.'  And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other."  (Matthew 12:9-14).

Those pious Pharisees – always looking for something to entrap Jesus, whether it was His disciples plucking heads of grain to eat on the Sabbath (as in verses 1-8) or healing a handicapped man on the Sabbath.  They strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel, and Jesus confronted their hypocrisy.  They would violate their own traditions when it suited them, but when it came to meeting the needs of people, they were incensed.  

However, it pricks my own conscience when I think of how much I sometimes value my own pet ideas and ignore the value of people around me.  I will stand firm on my own soap-box, while overlooking the needs of the people I am trying to convert to my point of view.

It is hypocritical of me to preach love, while at the same time treating people with disrespect.  It is hypocritical of me to condemn the sin in another person's life while ignoring my own short–comings.  It is hypocritical of me to talk about the soon return of Jesus while living like He is never going to return.

May God help me to be a person of integrity whose actions correspond to my speech.  Otherwise, I am just another pious Pharisee.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SEIZE THE KINGDOM

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – SEIZE THE KINGDOM

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."  (Matthew 11:12)

This is a verse that really makes you think.  What was Jesus talking about when he said that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force?  Is it referring to the battle between the evil forces that want to destroy the kingdom of heaven?  Or is it how people attain the kingdom?

I rather think it is the latter.  The root meaning of the word violence in the Greek in the passive tense is "to be seized."  Strong's Concordance says of this verse:  "a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought for with the most ardent zeal and intense exertion."  In other words, the kingdom of heaven is attained by active, intentional effort.  It does not just happen with a lack-a-daisical approach.  You don't just float into the kingdom.

John the Baptist demonstrated this.  He did not just sit at home watching the world go by.  He sought the kingdom of God with intense effort and passion.  It cost him some of the creature comforts we so much enjoy.

How many Christians just float along, soaking up the blessings of their salvation, not really involved or dedicated to the mission of the Kingdom.  They are apathetic and lethargic when it comes to seeing the Kingdom of Christ growing and being effective in ministering to a world that is going to hell.  If it might cost them some money or time or effort, they avoid it like the plague.

Our Christian calling is not fulfilled by laying in the hammock day after day.  It is by seizing every opportunity to see Christ's kingdom come, just as the Lord taught us to pray – "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

May we keep an ardent passion to see His will be done here on earth, because those who seize the kingdom do so by intentional effort.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WORSHIP OR RIDICULE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WORSHIP OR RIDICULE

"While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, 'My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live..'  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples….When Jesus came to the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, 'Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.'  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land."  (Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26).

Jesus elicited a variety of responses to Himself and His ministry.  Some, like the Jewish leaders, hated Him, and wanted to kill Him.  Some ridiculed Him and scorned Him.  And some worshiped Him.  

The basic meaning of the word "worship" is to kiss, not in a romantic sense, but as in bowing to kiss the hand of someone  as a sign of submission and respect.  In our focus verses, a ruler – a man who had a position of authority – came to Jesus and worshiped Him.  That is, he bowed or maybe even prostrated Himself before the Lord Jesus.  He recognized that Jesus was worthy to be worshiped.

On the other hand, when Jesus came to the ruler's home, there was a noisy crowd of people mourning the death of the girl with weeping and instruments.  When Jesus said the girl was only sleeping, they erupted with ridicule.The word "ridicule" is a translation the Greek word meaning is not just to laugh, but "laugh down" or "laugh greatly." It is also intensive in form because the same word is used two times.  The literal translation would be "laugh down him laugh down."  Thus the KJV translates it, "laugh to scorn."  They were in total disbelief and dishonor.  Like Rodney Dangerfield, Jesus just didn't get no respect.

Even today there is a wide range of responses to the Lord Jesus.  Some want to get rid of Him.  Some bow in worship before Him while others ridicule Him.  The ridicule may not be as blatant as the crowd Jesus encountered at the ruler's house, but it is just as real when people ignore Him. By their apathy toward Him, they are showing that they do not really think very highly of Him.

May our response to Jesus be as the Psalmist:  "O come, let us worship and bow down.  Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker.  For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts… " (Psalm 96:6-8a).  Worship or rejection.  That is the choice.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHAT DOES GOD WANT?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WHAT DOES GOD WANT?

" '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 9:13)

Here's the scenario.  Matthew was a man despised by the people because he was a tax collector.  Tax collectors were hated for a couple of reasons.  First, they were agents of the Romans who occupied Israel.  Also, they were noted to be thieves who padded their own pockets by charging more tax than was due. They were considered to be unpatriotic and also robbers. In comparison, the Pharisees thought they were good because of their righteous works. 

After Jesus called Matthew to follow Him, he invited Jesus to dinner at his house, and Jesus accepted. When the righteous Pharisees saw this, they were indignant that Jesus would dine with tax collectors and sinners.  Jesus responded by saying that the healthy do not need a doctor, but those who are sick.  The Pharisees did not know that they were sinners in need of a savior.

Jesus quoted the Old Testament prophet Hosea, who, speaking for God, said , "I desire mercy and not sacrifice" (Hosea 6:6). But He omitted the rest of the verse, which the Pharisees would know – that God desires "the knowledge of God more than sacrifices."  Hosea was speaking the word of the Lord to the nation of Judah who had been unfaithful to God.  They were like the dew which was there in the morning but evaporated away (Hosea 6:4).  The Hebrew word for "mercy" has the basic meaning of kindness, or by implication, of "piety toward God."    This involves faithfulness and loyalty, as the marginal reading of the New King James Version says.  They were a fickle bunch.

What does God really want from us?  Does He want our money?  Does He want our sacrifices?  Does He want our acts of mercy to others? Does He want our religious deeds? He certainly does not want our self-righteousness.  What God really wants is for us to know Him, to love Him, and to worship Him in spirit and in truth.  Out of that springs our heartfelt loyalty and faithfulness.  That is worth more than anything else we can offer.  

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHAT FAITH

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WHAT FAITH

"Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We are perishing!'  But He said to them, 'Why are you so fearful, O you of little faith?'  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm."  (Matthew 8:23-26)

Try to put yourself in the shoes of the disciples.  Here they were in the middle of the sea when a great storm arose.  Jesus was with them, but He was asleep.  

The disciples undoubtedly tried to handle the water coming into the boat as the waves crashed over the sides of the boat.  But it seems that they could not handle the situation, and they became afraid.  They woke Jesus up yelling above the noise of the storm, "Jesus, save us."  He arose and rebuked the storm.   But why did He say that they had little faith?  Was it because they went to Jesus last?  Or was it because they didn't believe that His presence would keep them from perishing?

I think I have shared a dream I had two years ago during the presidential election.  I'll admit that I was fearful that the election would result in disaster.  One night, I dreamed that I was in a house along the coast of the Pacific ocean.  There were large windows facing the ocean and I could see the waves crashing.  But there was complete calm in the house.  I could not even hear the noise of the storm.  I could only see the foaming of the ocean billows as the waves rolled by.  God gave me great peace through that dream – that as long as I was in Him, I was safe.  I could trust Him to keep me from whatever was going on outside.

We may go through great storms in our lives.  Often our faith is in our own abilibty to bail ourselves out by our own strength, but the storm is too great.  As long as Jesus is in the boat with us, we are safe.  Even if it seems that He is asleep, our ship will not sink.  We will not go down to destruction because He is there.  We can trust Him with our lives.     

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- READY AND WILLING

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – READY AND WILLING

"And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Lord, if You are willing,  can make me clean.'  Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed,'  Immediately his leprosy was cleansed."  (Matthew 8:2-3)

  

Jesus was always available when people came to Him to receive ministry.  Jesus never said, "I'm busy now.  Come back later."  Or, "Call my secretary and make an appointment."  He was always ready and willing to minister to people in need.

Great crowds were following Him because of His teaching.  He had just concluded what we call "The Sermon on the Mount."  People were in awe – or astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes (Matthew 7:28-29).

Out of the crowd came a leper.  The crowd probably gave him a wide berth because lepers were outcasts and separated from the rest of society.  At any rate, he came to Jesus, worshiping Him and asking for healing.  The leper recognized that he was an outcast and not worthy of Jesus, so he said, "If you are willing, You can make me clean."  To which Jesus answered, "I am willing."  In contrast to the rest of the people, Jesus put out His hand and touched him and healed him.  Jesus was not afraid to associate with this leper.  

We get another illustration of the willingness of Jesus in the following incident recorded in verses 5-13, when a centurion came to Him, seeking healing for his paralyzed and tormented servant.  Jesus said, "I will come."  Jesus was available, even to a Roman soldier, whom many in Israel hated.

Jesus does not confine Himself to those who are righteous, popular, elite, or powerful.  I'm so glad that He does not discriminate.  He takes the leper, the despised, the unwanted, and says to anyone who comes to Him in faith, "I am available and willing to help".  He even takes time for me.    

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- DIFFICULT IS THE WAY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – DIFFICULT IS THE WAY

" 'Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.' "  (Matthew 7:13-14)

I don't want to be a pessimist, but I must be a realist.  I am not the one who said, "Difficult is the way."  Those are the words of the Lord Jesus.

For some, the way is too difficult – the cost too great.  Jesus met a rich man who wanted to know how to get to heaven.  When Jesus said that he had to take up his cross and follow Him, the man turned and went away.  The cost of following Jesus to heaven was just too great (Mark 10:21-22),

There are some who teach that accepting Christ as Savior will solve all your problems and make life easy.  But it just ain't so.  Try to convince the Apostle Paul that being a Christian is easy.  By his own testimony, he received stripes above measure, beaten with rods, stoned, lived in various dangers, frequently put in prison, and often faced death (II Corinthians 11:23-27).  Does that sound like an easy life? Yet, whether in the good times or the bad times,  Paul could say, "I have learned in whatever state I am to be content" (Philippians 4:11). Thankfully, most of us don't suffer what Paul endured, but when we are tempted to whine and complain when things don't go the way we want, we can look at his experiences and know that God's grace is sufficient to take us through.  

The gate to eternal life is narrow because Jesus is the only way to heaven. Some think the way is too difficult and the cost too great, so they turn away.  It is not the way most people want to walk, but He is there walking with us.  There's an old gospel song that says:  If Jesus goes with me I'll go, anywhere.  Tis heaven to me where e'er I may be if He is there.  I count it a privilege here, His cross to bear.  If Jesus goes with me I'll go, anywhere."  That is a commitment, even when our path is difficult. 

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FREEDOM FROM THE TYRANNY OF RIGHTS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – FREEDOM FROM THE TYRANNY OF RIGHTS

"You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two."  (Matthew 5:38-41)

This almost sounds like Jesus was telling us to become doormats, to be trodden over by evil people.  I don't think this is the message because God calls us to stand for justice and righteousness.  

I believe Jesus was talking about motives and attitudes.  When we are misused and abused, we can react in kind and demand our pound of flesh. We can extract an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  But is this the best way?

Was this the way Jesus dealt with adverse treatment?  How did Jesus handle it?  Did He fight back and get even?  I think not.  In fact, He said, "Father, forgive them."  He released the ill-treatment He received to His Father.

We may have our legitimate rights to justice.  But God has a better idea:  To let Him take vengeance.  God says, "Repay no one evil for evil.  Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.  Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord"  (Romans 12:17-19).  There is a freedom when we can release our rights to God.  A grudge is a heavy load to carry when we can give it to the One who will bring ultimate justice.  

We may never see justice brought on the offenders during our lifetime.  But when we release it God, it does not matter, because we know that He will judge righteously.  We can live with a victim mentality, but we are not called to carry that load of injustice.  God calls us to live in peace.  That peace can only be experienced when we fully trust Jesus.    

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE LIGHT

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE LIGHT

"You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  (Matthew 5:14-17)

I remember clearly a visit to the Oregon Caves.  The guide led us down into the bowels of the earth.  There were electric lights to illuminate our path.  At one point, the electric lights were turned off, and we were left in total darkness.  When I say dark, I mean it was so dark I could not see anything.  But each of us had been given a candle, and beginning with the guide, the candles were lit one by one until the cave was filled with light.

Light illuminates.  It reveals what cannot be seen in the darkness.  

The great light was the Lord Jesus.  This was His claim.  He said, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12).  Ordinarily, people love light.  So why don't people like Jesus?  Because He illuminates the dark places of their lives.  As Jesus said, "Everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed" (John 3:20).  The light of Jesus exposes the sin in peoples' lives, and they don't want to confess the shadows, the nooks and crannies where darkness dwells.  So the world tries to snuff out the light or at least pull the shades over it.

We also, by our godly lives, illuminate and expose the darkness around us.  We are God's light in this fallen world and by our deeds, we bring glory to God. God's light shines through us.

The temptation is to put our light under a basket.  But God has called us to be like a city on a hill for everyone to see.  This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE LITTLE WORD "IF"

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE LITTLE WORD "IF"

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil….Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, 'If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.' "  (Matthew 4:1, 3)

"If."  It is a little word but it is jam-packed with question.  It implies that something may be true, or it may not be true.  Satan used this little word to try to cast doubt on whether Jesus was really the Son of God.  

Satan used this question three times to tempt Jesus:  "If You are the Son of God" (vss. 3 and 6), and verse 9, "If You will fall down and worship me."  

 

Jesus did not fall for the trap.  He knew who He was. He not only from the innate sense of His personhood, but surely His mother, Mary had told Him often about His miraculous birth.  And He had just come from His baptism by John the Baptist who had declared, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world," and John's testimony, "I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God" (John 1:29, 34). And then there was the voice from heaven which thundered, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).  Jesus was not shaken in his assurance of who He was.

One of the tactics that Satan uses to get people to turn from the truth is to cause doubt to arise.  It has been that way from the beginning when the serpent said to Eve, "Has God said?" (Genesis 3:2).  The temptation is to get us to question what God has spoken.  "Is the Bible true?  Are you really saved?"  Many people fall for this tactic.  They question whether the Gospel is true or not, and turn from the faith.

We can be confident of who we are in Christ because God has declared it.  He said that as many as received Christ would be children of God.  He said that since we believe in Christ, we are saved.  When the enemy of our soul comes with the temptation to doubt our salvation, we can respond just as Jesus did, "It is written."  God said it, and that settles it.  There are no "ifs." 

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE ODDBALL

DAD'S RAMBLINGS  –  THE ODDBALL

"In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness, 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!'"  Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locust and wild honey."  (Matthew 3:1-4)

John the Baptist was given a special ministry and calling to prepare the people of Israel for the coming Messiah. He was born into a normal family, being the son of Zechariah the priest and the husband of Elizabeth, who was a relative of Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus (Luke 1:36).

But John was different.  He was an oddball, a loner who lived in the desert (Luke 1:80). He wore frumpy clothes and ate a strange diet.  Being different did not hinder John from fulfilling his calling as a messenger preparing for the coming of the Lord Jesus.  In fact, it may have helped his notoriety as he preached his message of repentance.  People were drawn to this odd person. 

John's ministry was unique – a one of a kind calling to make the way plain for the first coming of the Lord Jesus.  We do not have that special privilege.  But John is a model for us as we prepare people to receive the Messiah.

We don't have to be an oddball to be a witness for Jesus.  But God does call us to be different.  His Word says, " 'Come out from among them and be separate,' says the Lord.  'Do not touch what is unclean' " (II Corinthians 6:17). Peter called the followers of Jesus a chosen generation, God's own special people, or, as the King James phrases it, a peculiar people (I Peter 2:9).  Jesus called us the light of the world, a city set on a hill (Matthew 5:16).  If I live like the pagans and no light shines, then I am the same as the rest of the world, and my testimony of the truth of the Gospel is discounted by unbelievers.  Holy, separated living enhances my witness about Jesus.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GIFTS OF WORSHIP

DAD-S RAMBLINGS –  GIFTS OF WORSHIP

"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him' ….. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary, His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.  And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh."

The church is filled with people waiting for the annual Christmas pageant to begin.  The lights are dimmed, and slowly down the aisle come a man and a woman, the woman being obviously pregnant.  As they walk onto the platform, they approach a building and Joseph knocks on the door.  The person who answers the door slowly shakes his head "no."  The couple moves on to the next scene which is obviously a barn, with cut-out animals.  The lights dim again, and when they come back on, there is a baby lying in a manger.  

In the next scene, there are a group of boys dressed in bathrobes carrying shepherds' crooks.  They come and kneel before the manger.

The next scene involves three men, obviously kings with crowns on their heads.  They come to the manger and bow before it and lay their presents on the floor in front of the manger, while the parents of the new-born babe look on.

We have seen this drama enacted numerous times through the years, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus.  It always pulls at my heart-strings when I visualize these people and the babe in the manger.

The focus is the worship – particularly the wise men.  They clearly did not come to the stable on the night of the Nativity.  But they had come with their precious gifts a long distance seeking the new-born king to worship.

One evidence of the deity of Jesus is that people worshiped Him.  God is clear in His commandment that worship is reserved for Him and Him alone.  During Jesus' ministry, there were many people who came to worship Him, and in John's Revelation, Jesus is worshiped in Heaven.  

The word "worship" in the Greek text basically means to kiss.  This is not an emotional kiss, but more like a man bowing to kiss the hand of a maiden or bowing to kiss the ring of a pope.  It involves bowing in submission or respect.

Today, I bow my knee before the Lord Jesus as my Lord and my King.  And I present to Him my gift of worship. He is worthy of the thing most precious to me – my life.  

The Psalmist penned these words:  "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.  For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand" (Psalm 95:6).

Love, Dad