Welcome

 
When Jesus heard it, 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.'
Mark 2:17

One of the main excuses given for not attending church is that the church is filled with 'a bunch of hypocrites'. I can't argue that the church has no hypocrites, but I heard one great response to that excuse. It was something like this:
saying you won't attend church because the church has hypocrites is like saying you won't go to a gym because so many people there are out of shape.

I  love the comparison between a gym and the church.  Of course there are people at the gym who are  out of shape! The very reason they are there is to get in shape. And, so it is at church...of course there are sinners at church, they are attending to get in spiritual shape.

The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus came to seek out and save sinners. He established His church that is inhabited by needy, imperfect people that need to get in shape.  There is no perfect church, just folks like you and me bearing with each other and loving each other as we work out together hoping to be more like Jesus. Oh, the wonder of Jesus church, what a blessing to belong...all are welcome!
 

We Need A Shepherd

 Revelation 3:19 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.  Therefore be zealous and repent."

Jesus had some very harsh things to say to the church at Laodicea.  He sets forth a powerful rebuke telling them they were lukewarm, wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.  Ouch!  The church actually thought they were doing quite well and really weren't lacking in anything.  I'm sure they were shocked by the scolding. In love, Jesus rebuked them that they might recognize their great need and repent.

Sheep are known to be very needy animals.  Sheep can't fend for themselves, they need help finding food and water, they have no natural defense like claws or sharp teeth, they are fearful, dull and get lost easily.  Sheep need a shepherd! Remember Jesus has chosen to refer to us as His sheep and it's not because we are like cute cushy pillows, it's because we are so very needy. 

Jesus rebuked the church at Laodicea because they had forgotten they were sheep and had made themselves independent of the Shepherd's care.  They had become wretched, miserable, poor and blind, because they somehow thought they were self-sufficient. We need to heed Jesus' warning and always remember we are needy sheep and to stay as close as we can to the Shepherd.

The Scenic Route

 "Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck."  Genesis 41:42


The life of Joseph was not a straight "Point A" to "Point B" life.  You might say that God's path for Joseph was the scenic route with twists and turns off of the beaten path.  The route that God had chosen for Joseph was not on some whim, but it was purposeful and constructive not only for Joseph personally, but for all of Israel.  When the journey reached God's intended goal, we see faithful Joseph had miraculously gone from slavery and imprisonment, to the second in command over all of Egypt.  Through it all, we see a young man without complaint trusting God's sovereignty over all the details of his life.

I have found that the Lord's scenic route in my life has always been for building maturity, trust, and preparing my life for His best.  His timing is always perfect and His methods never fail.  If you find yourself on the scenic route, don't fret, trust God's perfect sovereignty, He hasn't forgotten you and He will see you through!

 

God's Graceful Rules

 2 Timothy 2:5 "And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules."

In the 1980 Boston Marathon an unknown runner named Rosie Ruiz was the first female finisher.  Many were shocked that a runner no one ever heard of had won the race, plus her finishing time was the fastest ever run by a female competitor!  Race organizers became suspicious when spotters from the mile marks reported not ever seeing her run by.  When a reporter asked her how she trained to improve the finishing time from her last marathon by twenty-five minutes, Rosie simply said she woke up feeling stronger that morning.  It soon became apparent that Rosie had come up with her own rules and had not competed according to the rules set forth by the organizers of the Boston Marathon, and she was disqualified.

I was sharing the gospel with a woman, and when I shared that Jesus was the only way to salvation she stopped me.  She became very bold as she told me that her god was not so narrow as to only provide only one way to salvation, and that her god would never condemn anyone to hell.  This woman believed in sin and eternal life, but had placed all her hope for salvation in a god she had conjured and rules she made up.....pretty scary.

There is but one God and creator and He has set forth His plan for the salvation of man.  His plan is founded on His love for us, and His grace toward us in sending His Son Jesus to die in our place.  Our loving God has set forth a wonderful plan of salvation,and it's a free gift, but it's only one plan, through the one and only Savior Jesus Christ.  God as God, has set forth His rules, have you received His gift of salvation for you?
 

Listening

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
"This is the way, walk in it,"
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:21

I have a fairly calm disposition. I must say that my chill personality can quickly disappear in a crowded parking lot, or if I'm lost.  My personal record for being lost was when Sheila and I took an unplanned two-hour tour of Boston...just trying to find our hotel. Our fun tour resulted from trusting a possessed GPS in our rental car...not because of me!

Jesus calls us His sheep.  As His sheep we are in constant need of the Shepherd's guidance.  We can get lost so easily, and it's not because our Shepherd isn't leading; most often it's because we aren't alert & paying attention. Our ears may be dull, or we may be disinterested. It might  be a touch of willfulness, but it's never that our Shepherd doesn't care.

Are you seeking His guidance? His promise is sure. He will speak to you from His Word...are you listening?