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Other Disreputable Sinners

Don’t Forget: It’s Not The Healthy That Need A Doctor

The very fact that I find this contemporary portrayal of Jesus below hanging out with beer swilling gang-bangers offensive—and my guess is that it does you, too—tells me that I would have been right alongside those Pharisees questioning the kind of invitations to dinner Jesus had been accepting. Perhaps Jesus would say to you and me what he said to the Pharisees, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Never forget: it’s not the healthy that need a doctor!

The Journey: Matthew 9:10-11

Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”

I love that about Jesus, don’t you! He didn’t come to impress the religious elite or hang out with spiritual celebrities. He didn’t set up shop in Jerusalem and buy airtime on JBN (Jerusalem Broadcasting Network). He didn’t write a book about himself or put on a leadership conference or lead a church growth seminar.

He hung out with sinners!

The reason? He explains in the next verse: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” (Matthew 9:12, NLT) It would have been a complete dereliction of duty and an abject failure in his mission if he would have done anything else. People were lost—they needed to be found. People were in bondage to sin—they needed to be delivered. People were sick and dying—they needed a healer. People were confused and hopeless—they needed a Lord. People were beat down and harassed by a religious system that squeezed the life and joy out of them—they needed a champion. What champion they got in Jesus—and then some!

What a hero! Jesus was exactly what the poor, outcast, marginalized and hopeless needed. That was the purpose for which he came and he fulfilled his purpose brilliantly. That is why I love this story so much.

Yet that is why this story makes me extremely uncomfortable. You see, if Jesus were to come today, would he feel comfortable in my church? Would he want to hang out with my friends? How would he fit in my social circle?

The very fact that I find this contemporary portrayal of Jesus in the introduction hanging out with beer swilling gang-bangers offensive—and my guess is that it does you, too—tells me that I would have been right alongside those Pharisees questioning the kind of invitations to dinner Jesus had been accepting. Perhaps Jesus would say to you and me what he said to the Pharisees, Matthew 9:13,

Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.” For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.

Ouch! I’ve got to be honest: there are not a whole lot of “other disreputable sinners” hanging out in my world these days. Something tells me that really ought to change if Jesus if going to fit in my world—or more importantly, if I am going to fit in Jesus’ world.

Take a glance at how Phillip Yancey puts it, then take a longer glance inside your heart to see if you need to start making room for the kind of people Jesus did:

When Jesus came to earth, demons recognized him, the sick flocked to him, and sinners doused his feet and head with perfume. Meanwhile he offended pious Jews with their strict preconceptions of what God should be like. Their rejection makes me wonder, could religious types be doing just the reverse now? Could we be perpetuating an image of Jesus that fits our pious expectations but does not match the person portrayed so vividly in the Gospels?

Now if you don’t have any “other disreputable sinners” in your life, your assignment is simply this: get some!

A Simple Prayer To Be More Like Jesus:

God, touch my heart with the things that touch yours. Give me the compassion for the people who you are calling into your kingdom. Make me living proof of a loving God to a world full of disreputable sinners. Change me—make me like you.
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Blog Update

Dear Reader,

The raynoah.com blog will post only on Mondays during the month of January as “52 Simple Prayers.” In February, regular posts will resume on Wednesdays and Fridays in addition to the Monday prayer posts.

Thank you for your support.

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A Shield About Me

ThanksLiving: 365 Days of Gratitude

Run to God! The Bible says God “will never leave you nor forsake you.” When everyone else is treating you like the plague, God is one who will stick closer than a brother. When you find yourself in a mess of any variety, even a self-inflicted mess, you can still come to the God who will be a shield about you, your glory, the lifter of your head.

Going Deep // Focus: 2 Samuel 13:14-15, 21-22

But Amnon refused to listen to his half-sister, Tamar, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her. Then he hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. He said to her, “Get up and get out!” … When King David heard what his son, Amnon had done, he was furious. And Tamar’s brother, Absalom, never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister.

I am sure there weren’t too many times in David’s life when he might have felt lower. His own son, Amnon, had raped his half-sister, Tamar. This would lead to his murder by Tamar’s brother, Absalom. In later chapters in 2 Samuel, this will lead to Absalom’s military rebellion, where he usurps his father’s throne. David’s family was a complete mess.

Adding to David’s despair was the knowledge that this was his own doing. He was now in the middle of the painful consequences of his adultery with Bathsheba and his conspiracy to murder in order to cover up the affair. David’s sin had set loose some very ugly outcomes within his own family as the prophet Nathan had predicted: Amnon rapes his half-sister, Tamar. Absalom kills Amnon in revenge. Absalom had been banished from the land as punishment, and then when he rturns, he leads a rebellion that sends David into exile, costs him his national dignity, and ultimately ends with Absalom’s death.

But David found solace in the Lord. He always did. When he was on the lam from Saul, hiding in caves, staying one step ahead of death, he found comfort in God. When things went from bad to worse and the few outcasts who were David’s followers were ready to desert him, David strengthened himself in the Lord. And now, as his family crumbles before his very eyes—and from his side of this story, this was a permanent loss, there’d be no fairy-tale ending to this sad saga—David again finds that God is sticking by him. Everybody else might leave, but not God. Everybody else might lose confidence in David, but not God. David might lose everything in this world he had acquired to this point, but he would not lose God.

Part of what makes our admiration and love for David so enduring is his tenacious hold on God. Strip him of everything and what is left is David’s dependence on God. King David’s life was a mess—of his own doing—but he ran to God. Take away his crutches, and David leans on God. The away his power, and David finds strength in God. Take away his palace, the cave becomes David’s sanctuary in God. Take away his position, David positions himself in humility before God. Take away his wealth, David still worships God. Take away his refuge, David runs to God.

When it comes to David’s many flaws, we can relate, can’t we? Maybe thats another reason why we love him so much. We can understand a guy who shoots himself in the foot—we do that sometimes. We can put ourselves in his shoes because we’ve blown it in our lives, big time. We have all had times where our world comes crashing down around us; times where situations turn sour, relationships go south, bad stuff happens, things fall apart, people we thought were friends abandon us, perhaps even turn on us. And to make it even worse, we understand it’s our own stupid fault. We are brother to David!

Hopefully we can also relate to David’s resilience. Hopefully you have learned to choose the option David did when he found himself in these desperate situations—which is still a pretty good option, by the way. In fact, it’s the best option: Go to God!

That’s what David did. And why not! The Bible says God “will never leave you nor forsake you.” When everyone else is treating you like the plague, God is one who will stick closer than a brother. When you find yourself in a mess of any variety, even a self-inflicted mess, you can still come to the God who will be a shield about you, your glory, the lifter of your head. That is a line from one of the most beautiful songs David ever wrote—Psalm 3:3

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high

When you look at the whole of David’s life, he should have ended up on the trash heap of human history. His blunders were so huge, his failures so big, his mistakes so enormous. But David kept going back to God and each time he found God to be his shield, his glory and the one who lifted his head.

And so can you!

Going Deeper With God: One of the best, if not the best response to scripture reading is prayer. Here is a prayer I am offering up to God after reflecting on this story. You may want to join me in praying it: Lord, I relate to David so much, and that’s why I love his story. Like David, so much of what I suffer is the result of my own doing—bad choices, wrong thinking, and willful sin. And like David, I come to you because you are my shield of protection, you are my glorious one, you are the lifter of my head. In this moment of prayer, I look to you once again to surround me with your presence and do your work in me. Heal me, cleanse me, fill me, lift me and use me for your glory.

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The Only Critic Who Counts Is Your Biggest Fan

Making Life Work
Read: Psalm 7
Focus: Psalm 7:10-11

God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right. God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day.

Ellen Hubbard said, “to avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” In other words, welcome to the human race where no one is exempt from criticism. No one!

Moses—the greatest leader the world has ever known, humble servant of the people, worker of miracles, giver of the Law, desert guide par excellence—wasn’t immune from the most savage of criticism. The very people he had delivered from the cruelty of Egyptian bondage even talked of storing him. (Exodus 14:10)

Jesus—most perfect person who ever lived, the faultless Son of God, selfless sacrifice for the sins of mankind—often had his motives called into question. He lived with misunderstanding, was often misrepresented and endured malicious criticism:

David—the greatest king Israel would ever have, a man after God’s heart, sweet singer of Israel—was often under the thumb of critics. From Saul to Shimei to Absalom, his own son, David lived with a daily deluge of those who challenged his authority. In the title of Psalm 7, David’s critic came in the human form of a pain in the derriere identified as Cush. Apparently, Cush was quite vocal about David’s leadership flaws, real and perceived.

Maybe you face a critic, too. It could be that you have one at work, or at church, or perhaps you face one even at home—the one place that ought to be free of destructive criticism. And if you let them, they will sap the strength right out of you. Frankly, their criticism hurts…even when it is plainly untrue.

If you have a critic nipping at you right now—and if you don’t, stick around for a while, you’ll have one soon enough—I would recommend you do what David did. He ordered his life by the true and only Critic who mattered, entrusting himself to God’s righteous judgment and sin-covering grace.

Search My Heart Oh God

Whenever your critic shows up and starts shooting arrows your way, rather than spending too much of your precious energy on them, go to God. He is the only one who truly knows you, and at the end of the day, it is his evaluation that matters. The Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 4:3-4, “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” It’s true—it is God alone who is qualified to judge you! So learn to pray David’s prayer from Psalm 139:23-24,

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Pray that prayer humbly and honestly before God, listen and respond to his voice, and you will be just fine. By the way, this Critic is your biggest fan!

__________________

“All of us could take a lesson from the weather, it pays no attention to criticism.”

 

Making Life Work: Humbly and honestly ask God to “search my heart, test my motives, reveal my wrong thoughts and remove my offenses.” Then listen and respond to his voice. Do that and you will be just fine. And don’t forget, by the way, this Critic is also your biggest fan!

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An Open Heart

Being With Jesus:
Ephesians 1:18

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.

By Bill Rasmussen
Editor, raynoah.com

I recently went through open heart surgery for a double bypass.

I’m sharing these thoughts in the hopes that they will be an encouragement to someone. Two to three years ago I began to feel a lack of energy when I started to do tasks that required exertion. I didn’t think much about the cause other than “maybe it’s because I’m getting older.”

Then two to three weeks ago I began to experience chest pains, otherwise known as “Angina”. Upon a visit to my primary care physician, he immediately referred me to a cardiologist and prescribed nitroglycerin. After a visit to the cardiologist, he informed me that I needed to undergo some additional tests. An echocardiogram was scheduled and it showed some possible blockage of two heart arteries. The pain continued and the “nitro” worked its magic BUT the Doc said the next test would be an angiogram. The angiogram was immediately scheduled at St. Vincent hospital and the results of the angiogram showed 100, 98 & 87% blockages in the main arteries supplying blood to the heart itself. The test was performed on a Wednesday morning and the results given to us immediately with instructions to contact our cardiologist.

Now watch the Lord and his angels swing into action! He takes care of every detail.

Upon returning home from the hospital, I called the cardiologist’s office for an appointment and was told that they could see me in a week. I told the receptionist, I don’t think I can wait that long as there is 100% blockage. She responded with there has been a cancellation today and we can see you at noon. After that visit, the cardiologist called the cardiac surgeon and I was scheduled to visit him the next day at 10am. He had already scheduled surgery for Monday morning after reviewing the test results before I even visited him. At 4pm after the visit with my surgeon, I was scheduled for a visit to the heart unit at the hospital for surgery indoctrination in preparation for Monday morning surgery. Here an angel in the personage of a nurse, told us you don’t have to go home today and wait for surgery over the weekend, we can admit you right now if you ask us to. We agreed and she called the surgeon and they scheduled emergency surgery for Saturday morning at 7am.

Check Your HeartAgain in the way the Lord works out details, my surgeon was the senior cardiac surgeon, Dr. Storm Floten, from the world renowned “Starr Heart Clinic” and the anesthesiologist was the Director of Anesthesiology at St Vincent Hospital. All for emergency surgery on a Saturday morning. I am so blessed. I woke up some time Saturday night/Sunday morning in CICU and they told me my “rabbi’s” had already been by to see me. Thank you Pastors Ray & Ron. I spent 4 more days in the hospital and then they sent me home. God is so good because even after open heart surgery I have experienced no pain and the healing is coming along nicely. And thank you to everyone who has prayed, visited, or called. Most of all, thank you to Jesus.

I don’t know how close I was to Eternity’s door but there wasn’t much margin with 100% blockage. I have to believe there must be some assignments to still complete and maybe writing this blog is my first assignment since I have never done anything like this before!!!

Two lessons here: First, listen to your body and take good care of it. It is the temple of the Lord.

The Eyes of Your HeartSecondly, this is a good segue to talking more about an “Open heart”. Let’s look at Ephesians 1:18. In the New International Version, it says,

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.”

Jesus has a wonderful plan all laid out for us to benefit from an eternity with him. But we must accept this plan of grace. Confess your sin, tell him you are sorry, ask for forgiveness and accept his grace for your life.

As your brother and friend, I encourage you, just as I accepted the surgeon’s gift of restoring my health by totally putting my life in his hands with open heart surgery, to “OPEN YOUR HEART” to our Living Savior, know the hope to which he has called you, and in effect totally put your life in his hands. You must open your heart and accept his gift. It will be the best decision you will ever make and it is so easy. An open heart and a softened spirit. An eternity with God.

Thank you Pastor Ray, for letting me share my heart with your readers.

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Where Does Time Go?

Reflect:
Psalm 90

The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away…[so] teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:10,12)

True story: Kermit the frog was once heard saying, “Time’s fun when your having flies.” Okay, not true, but you get the point. Kermit got his idiom a bit garbled, but that is quite understandable when Miss Piggy is stalking you!

Kermit was on to something! The truth is, time does fly—whether you are having fun or not. Moses was reflecting on how relatively brief life was when he said in Psalm 90:10,

The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

How true that is! Are you as amazed as I am with the speed of time? What once seemed interminable when I was a kid—school, chores, the preacher’s sermon, winter, life—now seems to rush by like a speeding locomotive. I blinked and suddenly this fifteen year-old kid panting to get his driver’s permit is now in his fifties and panting just walking up the stairs.

Sometimes we forget that our aging parents were once vibrant young adults.

Sometimes we forget that our aging parents were once vibrant young adults.

 

And time keeps on rolling. Watching my wife-to-be walk down the aisle has turned into the new adventure of empty nesting—overnight! Staring in amazement at the mystery of life as our daughters were born seems like only yesterday. Witnessing them go through college and contemplating their own careers, places to live, the kind of impact they want to have in this world seems like a lifetime ago.  Now adding sons-in-law and grandkids and happily adjusting to life as grandparents occupies our world. Walking with my parents as they age and face difficult senior care transitions and having “end of life” discussions with them is something I never contemplated.

Wow, time flies!

You could certainly add your own experience to the narrative. And those of you who are older can definitely add an urgent witness to the speed of life even more than I can at this stage of life: Suddenly, the grandkids are getting married; great grandchildren are arriving; the body is not working quite like it used to even though the mind still thinks of yourself as a youngster, full of vim and vigor; you are facing life without your soul-mate—and something you never dreamed possible is now a gritty reality.

Time flies!

Yes, time flies, and I need to add a twist. As the poet said, “Tis one life will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” That is the truth, my friend. Time flies, so use it wisely. Make the most of it. Time is a gift from God, that’s why it’s called the present.

So perhaps it would be a good idea to follow Moses’ lead and pray that prayer today—and every day: “Lord, teach me to number my days soberly, so that I might live each of them wisely.”

“As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.” ~Henry David Thoreau

Your Assignment Today:  Stop and smell the roses!

 

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The Best of Churches, The Worst of Churches

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 3
Meditation: Revelation 3:7 & 14

“To the church in Philadelphia…To the church in Laodicea…”

Shift Your Focus… To paraphrase the unforgettable opening line of Dickens’ classic, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of churches, it was the worst of churches.”

Throughout the centuries, Biblical scholars have interpreted the letters to the seven churches in Revelation in a variety of ways.  Some have suggested that these letters are written literally to seven contemporary churches throughout Asia Minor during the time of John’s imprisonment, describing real conditions that existed in those churches.  Others suggest that these seven churches represent eras of church history, with the last two, Philadelphia and Laodicea, concurrently representing the condition of the church at the end of time.

I lean heavily toward the latter, but however you wish to interpret, the message to these last two churches is clear, and quite applicable to the church in our day:

One, God assesses the condition of his church far differently than we do.  What we consider weak, ineffective and unattractive in a church God treasures because of that church’s fidelity to his Word.  Size, slickness and sizzle do not impress God if his Word is not being honored above all else.

On the other hand, what we might consider attractive, powerful, and impacting in a church because of its bigness, buildings and budget, God may assess as way off the mark because Biblical truth has been neglected or compromised, all in the name of cultural relevance and church growth.

That leads to the second thought:  Beware of all the bells and whistles when evaluating the church.  If these last two churches do represent the condition of the church in the last days, it is rather obvious that many of today’s churches are indeed the church at Laodicea.  Don’t get caught up in the personality cult and celebrity worship of TV preachers or the hype of the mega-church.

Ask yourself:  Does my church honor God’s Word above all else?  Is my pastor and are my spiritual leaders truly people of God—full of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit in their lives and passionate about fulfilling the purposes of God for the church without compromise?  Is this a church with whom God is well pleased?

If so, then you’ve got a great church.  If not, start praying!

“God evaluates by character not charisma.”

Prayer… Father, purify you church, that we might be the Bride of Christ, pure, spotless, and ready for the return of the Bridegroom.