Your Little 1/28/2018

“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?”  John 6:9

There is a very famous passage of Scripture in which Jesus feeds more than 5000 people.  To be sure, much has been written and preached about this event, and rightly so.  There are lessons about Jesus' love, compassion and deity.  There are lessons about his apostles' lack of understanding and faith.  There are even lessons about a crowd who largely missed the significance and point of the whole exercise.  Little is said, however, about a young boy and his lunch.

Consider the fact that though virtually nothing is known about him, it can be surmised that he was relatively poor due to the contents of his meal but that he was prepared because he had it.  Though we do not know what his day or life consisted of, he showed up with food among thousands who either had none at all or an amount insufficient for their needs.

Consider also that he was wiling to share.  We know nothing about how the actual exchange took place, but it can be said with a high degree of confidence that Jesus would not take a child's lunch from him by force.  We can therefore surmise that the young man was willing to not just share, but to give all he had.

Finally, it was with this boy's lunch that Jesus indeed and in fact, fed the multitude.  Further, not only where the people filled but there was an abundance that was leftover. 

Beloved, as believers, we have confidence that the Lord can do all things.  We believe that miracles are available and do happen through the power of God.  We also believe that God is fully capable of performing these things with zero assistance from us.  That said, Jesus chose to work in partnership with the youngster.  He took what the boy was willing to share and miraculously multiplied it for the benefit of many.  It is important that we not miss this very important lesson because too often, we feel as if our little is not enough.  We often feel impotent in the face of so many needs and so much pain in the world.  At times we feel this so strongly that we fail to offer the resources, knowledge, skills and abilities we do have, shrug our shoulders and walk away.  Suppose a little boy with his lunch box refused to open it.

Let us be mindful that Jesus never asked us to save the universe.  What he asks of us is that we love others as he has loved us, that we treat others the way we would like to be treated, that with humility, we esteem others more than ourselves and that we lead lives that produce fruit.  Our circle of acquaintances and those with whom we come into contact is limited, but the power of Christ is not.  Let us bring our little and let Jesus do great things with it.

Building God's family,

Lee

Quality 1/19/2018

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."  Colossians 3:17

Whether it is an extra measure of attentiveness when we are being served, an extra measure of thoroughness when we are having work performed or complete information given when we make inquiries, we all appreciate a job well done.  Likewise, it speaks well of us when we put our very best into all we do.

What prompts people to put there best foot forward and do all they can to accomplish the very most possible at any given opportunity?  To be sure, it depends on the person, the circumstance, the motivation, the importance and the ramifications.  Have you met, however, a person that can be counted upon to do their best at all times, regardless of the variables?  There is such an individual in our congregation by the name of Hien Nguyen.  He is a carpenter by trade, however, his experience in the construction industry has given him the ability to build or repair most anything in and around the home.  Many of the members have had work done by him and, due to the quality of his demeanor and his work, he stays very busy.

Beloved, as Christians, we must strive for quality in all that we think, say and do.  Contextually, we are advised to clothe ourselves with Godly qualities, bear with and forgive one another, love others, pursue peace, allow the message of Christ to fill us and pass it along to others.  It is added in 1 Peter 4:11, "If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.  If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised."  Finally, "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men," Colossians 3:23.

Let us consider what the quality of our thoughts, words, service and work would be like if we were performing them specifically for the Lord.  Though others may be the direct recipients, we are serving the Lord and bringing attention to our Heavenly Father.  Strive to be the best husband, wife, son, daughter, employee and Christian that you can be.  And do your very best in everything, for we are called upon by our Lord to be people of quality who serve a God of quality.

Building God's family,

Lee

The Great Lover of our Souls 1/11/2018

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalms 103:8-12

It is interesting the impression we have of who and how God is.  Whether he is terrible and vengeful, always watching to catch us in the wrong, or loving and kind, willing to help in a time of need, often has to do with where we are in our lives at that moment.  Are we licking the wounds of consequence from our own actions or have we been doing pretty good in our walk for awhile now?

Beloved, make no mistake, our God is a God of love.  It was with his own loving hands that he created us out of the dust of the earth and blew his breath into us.  It was out of love that we were given mastery over creation, being equipped with everything needed for life.  Even when we fell, it was out of love that he advised that he would pick us up and return us to himself through yet another act of love, the sacrifice of his only begotten.

Just as there were consequences for our progenitors in the Garden for their sin, we should not expect anything less.  Along with being a God of love, he is also a God of righteousness and justice and these things must be observed as well.  They are, however, not inconsistent with one another.  When consequences come, we should not take it as a lack of God's love for us.  In fact, Proverbs 3:12 tells us that the Lord chastens those whom he loves just as a father chastens his son.  In other words, if you are being corrected, it is because of love.  The Lord has no desire to see you violate the commands set in place to protect and preserve you.  He, therefore, takes measures to get our attention.  Further, our chastisement should lead us to godly sorrow which should lead to repentance and repentance to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10).

If we received due punishment for all of our sins, most miserable we would be.  Let us this and all days pursue lives that are pleasing and acceptable to the great lover of our souls.

Building God's family,

Lee

 

Judging Correctly 1/4/2018

"Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  John 7:24

Those who know me know that I pursue photography as a serious hobby.  Awhile back, I posted a picture on my Facebook photo page of a seemingly poor young boy who was looking through a set of bars.  When you post items on social media, you can expect commentary.  In fact, it is often the purpose for doing so.  In this case a young woman responded to the image.  She implied that I was exploiting the child and suggested that I do something to help instead of taking pictures.  What she did not know, nor care to ask, was that the image was captured during a mission trip to Haiti, that we were there on a medical mission to help people and not exploit them, and that the young boy was merely looking into a church courtyard from the outside and was not, himself, in any real distress or need.  He was just curious.

This leads us to the context of today's Scripture.  Jesus found himself being withstood by detractors who were using the fact that he healed an invalid man on the Sabbath day.  To them, this was unforgivable and, in their minds, tore down his credibility to speak on matters of God and religion because what he had done was, in their minds, a violation of God's law.  Jesus reminded them that they would circumcise a young boy on the Sabbath if the eighth day requirement happened to fall on that day and that they saw nothing wrong with it.  The implication was that they would both be doing a work on the Sabbath and that the ritual caused pain.  He countered that he was bringing healing on the Sabbath day and they wanted to kill him for it.

Beloved, we are so often quick with our opinions, particularly our negative ones.  We formulate them with very little information, without stopping to ask questions or do research and often, with a great deal of emotion based on what we think, how we feel or how we may be affected.  Further, we do so without examining ourselves.  As Christians, we often take as a first principle that we are not to judge, particularly if we are the ones under scrutiny.  I submit to you, however, that we are, in fact, required to judge situations and actions against the word of God, but must do so righteously and not in an effort to condemn based on our own thoughts and opinions.

I informed my photography critic of the circumstances and asked her if she was actually involved in helping anyone as missionaries do or just busying herself with misguidedly demeaning what others are doing.  Jesus told his listeners to look and consider more deeply before rendering a verdict.  Wise advice for us all.

Building God's family,

Lee