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