Thought of the Day !!

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.
Ephesians 5:1 (NLT)

Sometimes we muddle our lives all up without even realizing it. We can start a day in prayer or reading a devotional. But before that day ends, we quite possibly have made ourselves out to be anything but imitators of God. Maybe we placed ourselves before others or judged somebody that was different from us in our lifestyle or thought an ugly thought about somebody we are supposed to love.

Of course there are a whole host of other things that can be found in people's daily lives that are out of place for us Christians. Often times it's not until we look back on them that we realize that what we did or said or the way we acted was not in accordance with God's will. If you were to look back on the last 24 hours of your life, what would you see?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road.

When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"

"Lord," he said, "I want to see!"

And Jesus said, "All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you." Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.
Luke 18:35, 40-43 (NLT)

If Jesus were to ask you what you want, would you ask for sight? Maybe not, seeing as how you may not be physically blind. But think about just how important sight is. We need a vision for our lives, a vision for our churches, a vision for service, a vision for ministry.

Lots of people are walking around today and are spiritually blind. They don’t know Christ, or if they do, they don’t know what His desire for them is. We must seek God’s counsel through the Holy Spirit as we pray for sight.
In the love of Christ,
greg

Change!

I found this over on Art's blog and thought it was really cool.

Thought of the Day !!

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.'

The man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young."

When Jesus heard his answer, he said, "There is still one thing you haven't done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
Luke 18:18-23 (NLT)

The problem with the rich leader is not that he has wealth, but that the wealth is so important to him. Jesus has told us to take up our cross and deny ourselves. He speaks openly about humility and serving as opposed to being proud of what we’ve got. Wealth is not a problem, but if it’s just too hard to give up what we have to help someone else, then what we have is coming between us and God.

The same can be said about our time. If we decide that we’re going to spend the bulk of our time doing something that we love there is no problem. But if we cannot give this up so that we can serve God, then it’s become a hindrance. You can say this about anything that might come between us and God’s calling on our lives.

The question is, “What do we have that we could not do without if God so desired it?” Is there anything coming between you and God because it’s become more important than God in your life?

In the love of Christ,
greg

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)

Do you remember those teen movies or TV shows where the kid with glasses and older clothes, having a low self-esteem comes into the cafeteria? The kid goes to put his/her tray down at a table and is told right off that he/she is at the wrong table and directed to the table where other kids like him/her are at.

Kids can be so mean, can't they? They can form groups and proclaim that they're better than the other groups. But then again, can it not be the same with adults?

I've heard of denominations that believe people, even Christians, are going to hell if they don't join their denomination. I've seen people, who go to church on Sunday, look down on people at work because of their position, color or level of education. I've had bosses (before going into the ministry) that treated me like an object instead of a human being. And I've read in my bible about a religious man who prayed to God and said "Thank you Lord that I'm not as bad as that person over there that is far beneath me."

Have you ever been looked down on by someone? How did it feel? Do you think you've ever looked down on somebody else and thought about how they weren't as good as you? How do you think God felt?
In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Jesus said to the people, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."
John 8:12 (NLT)

When I was a child, sometimes my friends would be over at night, and we would play a game. My room was in the back of the house away from all the grown-ups and the lighted rooms that they'd be in. One person would be chosen to be "it" while the rest would go into my room and place obstacles like toys or pillows or chairs all around the room. When the room was set up, the lights turned off, and the ones inside were hidden, the other child would come in and try to find the rest. Of course the object was to place as many obstacles in that kid's way as possible.

In the darkness there are many obstacles that we can trip over and fall. They are placed there not by little children, but by the devil. And he's there waiting for us to fall.

But Jesus is the one who brings the light to show us the way around these obstacles. And if we will follow him, it's not that the obstacles won't still be there, but that we will be able to see more clearly how to navigate around them. Or in the very least, we'll be able to see the other side and have confidence that there is safety over there.

Maybe you're stumbling today through a bad relationship or a job that is very demanding. Maybe you've been in the deep dark waters lately that seem to envelope you with the pain of worldly problems. If so, let the Light of Christ shine in front of you. Follow that light and the path will sooner or later become more clear and easy to navigate. The reason for this is that when we follow Christ, wherever we go, He's already been there to light the place up.

May you receive the blessings of the Light of Christ through the good days and the bad days.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
John 15:12 (NIV)

Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
Mark 10:43-44 (NIV)

From the book unchristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons:


"She hands me her last razor blade, tells me it is the one she used to cut her arm and to prepare her last lines of cocaine. It hits me to wonder if this great feeling is what Christ knows when we surrender our broken hearts, when we trade death for life. We are only asked to love, to offer hope to the many hopeless. We don't get to choose all the endings but we are asked to play the rescuers. We won't solve all mysteries, and our hearts will certainly break in such a vulnerable life, but it is the best way. We are made to be lovers, bold in broken places, pouring ourselves out again and again until we're called home."


This really makes me think about what it means to serve. "She" is Renee, a 19 year old who has finally relented to find help after trying to commit suicide. She is a loner and a person who has been hurting. There are all sorts of Renee's out there around you whether you know it or not. They might be young or old, male or female, black, white or any other color under the rainbow.

You might be able to recognize them as people who are hurting. You might not. But believe me, they're there. And they need you. And they need me. We are called to reach out to people who are hurting in this world and show them the kind of unconditional love that only one who knows Christ can show.

There have been 2 suicides in my community in the last couple of weeks. I wonder how many have contemplated it here in my area. I wonder how many have contemplated it in yours. We all might be surprised. Think about it. How many times have you felt alone or betrayed? Have you ever felt like things just weren't working out in your life? If so, you evidently were strong enough to deal with what was going on in your life. And hopefully you depend on Christ to help you through the dark valleys, for He's the only one that can fully see us through everything.

But many out there don't have that strength. They are hurting. They are dying. It's up to us to care...to care enough to pay close attention to people's cries for help. They may be spoken softly, so we must listen closely. It's then up to us to pray and be there for them. Let us all learn how to love others like Christ loved people when he walked this earth so that they will come to trust us enough to allow us to show them that somebody does care and that they don't have to go through life alone.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

[God says,] "...The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

He's not strong enough. She's not smart enough. He's too fat. She's unattractive.

These are things that people might say about a person. But not God. God doesn't pay attention to what's on the outside when choosing people. He loves all, no matter what the qualifications. And those who love Him will be chosen for His service where they will find joy.

This passage is written about a small shepherd boy whose older, bigger, stronger brothers were passed over by God for the anointing of being the greatest king Israel would ever have. All this came about not because what was on the outside, but because of what was on the inside. David had a heart for God. He loved God with all his heart, mind, soul and strength. And because of this, he was chosen by God. And King David was anointed long before he was actually appointed king by the people.

What this says to us today is that it doesn't matter if we're the most athletic or not. It doesn't matter if we're the skinniest or not. It doesn't matter how much education we have or if we won't win any beauty contests. What matters is what kind of person we are on the inside. Where our heart is will be always be most important...no matter who we are.

So where is your heart? Do you have a heart for God or a heart for the things of this world?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Don't speak evil against each other, my dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize each other and condemn each other, then you are criticizing and condemning God's law.
James 4:11 (NLT)

How many times during the week will we be given the opportunity to say something ugly about someone? How many times will somebody make us mad and "deserve" an unkind rebuke? How many times will we want to explode into a tirade of "colorful metaphors" when somebody messes up our order at the drive-thru?

We are given many opportunities to give in to anger, jealousy, envy and a whole host of other things that stem from hatred, which is what all these can eventually lead to if not held in check. When given the opportunity, will you give in to the temptation to speak evil against someone? Or will you rise above the situation, relying on the strength of God and remembering your own imperfections, to hold your tongue (or your thoughts if that be the case)?

May God bless those who have a desire to be blessings to others (even when they deem them undeserving).

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

God began a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.
Philippians 1:6 (NCV)

Have you ever felt like a failure? Don't worry. God isn't finished with you. His desire is to work with you today and everyday to bring you along towards perfection. Simply take your failures, your burdens, you times of selfish behavior and ask for forgiveness. Then ask Him to help you change whatever is in you that is causing you to fail. It might be pride. It might be fear of speaking out. It might be a whole host of other things. Just don't expect to be changed all at once because the majority of time we are changed little by little. The key is that we must be willing to allow God to help us change. And we must stay connected with Him through prayer and bible study. Then each day we'll grow a little closer to God and become a little less of a failure.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Important News

I know there are a lot of important stories out there, but how can there be any that are more important than this one?

Thought of the Day !!

As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!
2 Peter 1:3 (NLT)

Have you ever felt like you just couldn't stop a sinful habit, or be nice to that certain hateful person, or be completely honest in a situation where others were not? Well Peter is telling us here that as we mature in our relationship with Jesus, his divine power will give us what we need to live a life that is more godly than before. Maturing as Christians comes through prayer and worship and the study of God's Word. As we do these things and mature as Christians, we will one day find out that those things we struggled with in the past are not things we struggle with anymore.

May our God, who loves you more than anybody else does, bless you today and lead you to be a more mature Christian.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth.
1 John 1:5-6 (NLT)

God is light. Ok, that's great. But what exactly does it mean? As I read this passage, it occurred to me that light is what makes it impossible for things to be hidden. Jesus said that he was the light but that people loved darkness. This is because people don't want what is hidden in them to be seen.

The truth is that God already sees, but often times we still try to hide our ugliness from him (and especially from each other). But if God is light, then who we are, what we've become and that which we want to ignore will be seen.

John is saying that people will claim to have fellowship with God while still living in spiritual darkness. I believe these are the ones who claim to be Christians while hiding something inside. I think that these are the ones who have deceit in their hearts or are trying hide their true intentions from God.

I can only imagine the number of people who look like a child of God, talk like a child of God and even do the acts of a child of God while all along doing everything for their own benefits. I'm reminded of the Pharisees who prayed in public so that they could be seen.

We can speak and act like Christians. We can claim to have fellowship with Jesus. But if we are spiritually dark, being filled with self instead of the Holy Spirit, then we are liars. And "we are not living in the truth".

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8 (NRSV)

Part III - Humility

Notice that Micah tells us to walk humbly with God after he tells us to be just and kind. This is important because after we act justly towards one another, and after we show loving kindness, we must not seek glory for what we've done. If so, then it no longer is an offering to God, but instead becomes all about us.

In coming to earth in the form of a human being and dying a horrible death on a cross for us, God humbled Himself more than we can ever attempt to. And God cares nothing for vanity or foolish pride. So as you go about your week doing justice and showing kindness, do so in the name of Christ…giving Him the credit. Believe me, if you do, you'll be rewarded a hundred fold.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

wow
i dont know what to say
he's harsh
but he's right
hatred is strong
dont hate prosperity preachers
hate the bad message
wow
anybody can glorify god in good times
who of us can glorify him when our little girl goes thru the window?
that is when it really is real
jesus never promised a rose garden
he promised suffering
but he also promised life
what is this lifetime when compared to eternity?
wow
the enormity of it all


HAS JOHN PIPER COME DOWN TOO HARD? HAS HE GOT IT RIGHT? HOW DID THIS VIDEO MAKE YOU FEEL? (i'm assuming you get how it made me feel from my first thoughts above)

Hat tip - Gavin Richardson

Thought of the Day !!

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8 (NRSV)

Part II - Kindness
God requires that we be kind. True kindness, the kind that God requires, is not an outward show of affection or congeniality or even hospitality. That is, unless these are accompanied by a genuine heart.

This is because people can be kind for all sorts of reasons. People are often kind to those who can advance them in their jobs or up the social ladder. But true kindness stems from love of neighbor, not love of self. It's being kind because we care.

Grudges, ill-will or unforgiveness are things that ruin genuine kindness. And in the end if you have these, the one that will wind up getting hurt is you. So if you have these, or other forms of hate in you, let Jesus replace them in your heart with His love so that you can be kind. Doing so will make those around you happier. And it will do the same for you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Unchristian / Question of the Day ??

I shared earlier that I'm reading the book "Unchristian". I'm also going to First Baptist Church in Vicksburg on Sunday evenings where there's a class going through the book. Last night we discussed the chapter entitled "Hypocrite".

It seems that we Christians are seen as hypocrites by younger generations of people outside the church. Well, duh! As the book says in the beginning "we have an image problem." But what got me was the fact that out of the research came this little tidbit. We're not the only ones. You see, the younger generations seem to think of everyone as hypocrites...even, surprising enough, themselves.

So it isn't that we're this terrible group of folks that are hypocritical and so should be shunned by outsiders. But the truth may be just as bad because this leads folks to believe that we're no different from them. We are seen as the same as everyone else...as hypocritical in our lifestyles as the next person. So if this is the case, many outsiders (especially younger ones) might be thinking that I'm already like them and don't even have to go to church. So why change.

What do you think? What's the solution to our image problem? Can it be solved? Do you think we have an image problem? Do you think that people are justified in believing us hypocritical? Pick any or all to answer.

Thought of the Day !!

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8 (NRSV)

For the next three days we will take this verse and look at what the Lord requires of us.

Part I - Do Justice

The first thing that our God wants from us is to do justice (or act justly – or do what is right). This means in all situations. It doesn't mean to seek out the right thing to do just when it's easy. As a matter of fact, this can sometimes be the hardest thing to do because we're tempted to think of what will benefit us.

Justice comes from doing what is right when it comes to the well-being of our neighbor. It's basing our decisions on something other than what benefit we can get from them.

Henri Nouwen wrote that our lives seem like they're lived in anticipation of certain questions we think we'll be asked on judgment day such as; "How much did I earn during my lifetime?" or "How many friends did I make?" or "How much progress did I make in my career?" or "How much influence did I have on people?"

If these were the questions asked by Christ on that glorious day, many of us could approach it with great confidence. But as it so happens, these are not the questions that will be asked of us. Instead Jesus will ask, "What have you done for the least of these your brothers and sisters?"

As in the parable of the sheep and the goats, He will point out whether or not we fed the hungry…gave the thirsty a sip of water…welcomed the stranger…clothed the naked…cared for the sick…or visited the imprisoned. I believe that He will also point out whether or not we were just in dealing with people on a daily basis.

God wants us to act justly in everything we say and do. Let's try our best not to let Him down.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Romans 12:18 (NIV)

In today's culture that is all about self, we Christians are supposed to be different. We are to obey the two most important commandments, which are to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If everything is about us, then these first two commandments get thrown out the window.

It's easy to call ourselves Christians. Many people do. Then they go into the world and live like everyone else so that nobody can tell the difference. It's much harder to actually live as a Christian, obeying the great command to love while showing grace to all those around us.

There may be those out there that are hard for you to care about. And these people may not make living peacefully with them easy. They may antagonize you. They may talk about you. They may act ugly around you. But if you truly want the tag Christian to mean something, you'll have to react in a different way than they act. We must all try to live peaceably with others, showing them the love and forgiveness that our Heavenly Father has shown us.

This isn't always easy. But Jesus never said taking up our crosses would be easy. He just said to do it if we wanted to follow him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27 (TNIV)

There is a difference in the peace that we get from the world and the peace we receive from Christ. The world's idea of peace is the absence of conflict. But there will always be conflict in a sinful world.

Jesus' gift of peace is what gets us through not only the good times, but also those times of conflict. When you have a sick child…when you’re stressed over your job…when you aren’t sure how the bills will get paid, these are times when we don’t think about peace. That is, unless we seek it from the only one who can give it without any strings attached.

When speaking of this verse of scripture in his Explanatory Notes on the New Testament, John Wesley wrote these words.

“Lord, evermore give us this peace! How serenely may we pass through the most turbulent scenes of life, when all is quiet and harmonious within! Thou hast made peace through the blood of the cross."

This is the peace of Christ…when no matter what’s going on outside, there is quiet and harmonious within. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not let them be afraid.

Do you know this kind of peace today? Do you truly feel that you’ll be taken care of in a dangerous situation? Can you take the laughter or jabs or innuendos of unbelievers when you stand up for what’s right or share Christ with them?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

I had a friend email me a question about the Apostle's Creed. I decided to answer him the best I could, but told him I'd place the question on my blog in case any of you would like to add you own 2 cents worth to the conversation. So here's your "Question of the Day ??" for Ash Wednesday.


First, do you have a reference for the hows and whys of the Apostle's Creed? What are the Biblical references for it? I'm specifically curious about the line "from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead."

For the first part of the question do you mean the historical aspect of why was it written? If this is the case, then you should know that some believe that the Apostles actually wrote this before their death. But in fact the Apostle's Creed was a Creed of the Church that came about in response to the heretical thinking and teaching within the Church at the time. It came together sometime around the year 150 AD in Rome.

As for the Biblical References, there are a hodgepodge of references that can be found to back this up. I think you could find references for things such as God the Father and Jesus and the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit etc. The line you ask about is actually two different things. First, references to Jesus coming back can be found in different places in the Gospels and Epistles. The quick is an old word meaning living. He will come back and judge the living. References for this would include where He will come back and separate the sheep from the goats in Matthew 25. In Mark 8:38 he says that if anyone is ashamed of him, he will be ashamed of them when he comes back in the glory of his Father. This seems to suggest that he will judge. But I assume you want to know about the dead part. I would recommend you reading 1 Peter 3 and 4 in their entirety. They speak to this and the part about descending to hell.

¹Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. ²As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. ³For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. ⁴They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. ⁵But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
1 Peter 4:1-6 (NIV)

Now we must look at this within it's context. This may be Jesus judging the literal living and dead. Or it may mean the living and dead in sin. In other words he's speaking about those who don't know Christ in the first few verses. Could this be that he means dead as in not saved by Christ yet? Either way, this is most likely where the line comes from.

Thought of the Day !!

But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:3-4 (NRSV)

And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:16-18 (NRSV)

Today is Ash Wednesday. It's the beginning of the Lenten season where Christians have a tradition of giving something up for Lent. This is a form of self-denial and fasting. We deny ourselves something that is important to us during these days before Easter to show God that He's more important to us, to find joy in seeking His strength in our abstinence, and to learn to rely on Him more heavily.

Something we must remember though is that this is a personal thing between us and God. "Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" when you give your alms. And when you give up something for the Lord, it should be the same. If we fast this Lenten season by giving something up and then boast about how well we're doing or look for pity in our hardships, we've already received our rewards. It then becomes something that's all about us and not all about God anymore.

May you be blessed during this Lenten season as you're strengthened by God. May you reconnect with Jesus. And may the Holy Spirit guide you in all you do so that you will find joy and peace and blessings in the Holy Trinity that is our God.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Quote of the Day !!

"[We] slander God by our very eagerness to work for Him without knowing Him." - Oswald Chambers

Thought of the Day !!

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me."

But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10:38-42(NLT)

As promised yesterday, I am spending another day or two on this particular passage. Yesterday we touched on the different kinds of service by the two sisters here. This morning I want to say that while the world needs to be filled with "Marthas" who are doers and who get things done, these Marthas must become "Marys" first.

What I mean is that we must begin at Jesus' feet. We must connect to Jesus to begin with and then come back to Him to reconnect on a regular basis. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus taking what he had to say in. She learned from him. She grew in him. She came to love him. In other words, she connected with him.

Many of us are "Marthas" in this world. We work in our churches. We help in ministries when asked. We clean up afterwards. But all of this is for not if we're not doing it for the right reason. Oswald Chambers wrote, "[We] slander God by our very eagerness to work for Him without knowing Him."

We can do and do and do for God. But if we forget to really get to know Him first and connect with Christ Jesus through things such as a quality prayer life and seeking Him out in Scripture, then it's all for nothing. And we will wind up burning out in the process.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the Day ??

We've gone through a whole month in 2008 now. So what has been your favorite experience of the year so far?

Thought of the Day !!

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me."

But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10:38-42(NLT)

This is the text that I preached from this past Sunday. Over the next two or three days we will unpack some of what this rich scripture has to say.

Today I would like to examine the kind of service going on here. I believe that both Martha and Mary were serving Jesus. Martha's kind of serving is more evident. It's what was expected of women in this day and age. The women were to show hospitality, which would basically mean being a good hostess. She took care of the physical needs of Jesus and his disciples. She was cooking dinner for them. She most likely prepared the house for them and checked on them from time to time. Martha was serving as a doer of the things that needed to be done.

Then there's Mary. She too is serving Jesus. Though you might not see sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning as service, she is doing something for Jesus that he so desperately needs. You see, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem (as verse 38 points out). He's not on his way to celebrate the Passover. He's not on his way to visit the city. He's on his way to die.

Remembering that though Jesus was fully divine…he was still also fully human (Maybe for me the hardest theological issue to understand). And as any human would need at a time like this, he needed a friend. He knew what was in store, and he most desired to enjoy his last visit with his friends. He needed someone to simply be there for him; to listen to him; to learn so that his legacy could be passed on. He needed a friend.

We think so much about how Jesus is there for us. But at this moment in history, he just needed someone to be there for him. And that's how Mary served Jesus.

Sometimes service requires physical labor. Sometimes it comes in just being there for somebody. And often times it lies somewhere in between.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Here are some great words from Bibleleague.org. Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I had a busy morning and then had to come home and take Michelle to the doctor. She has the "crud", but now has had a shot and medicine to get her started getting better. Anyway, here's Friday's Thought on Saturday as I send out something that was emailed to me.

Deuteronomy 29:29 -- The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. (NIV)

There are many things you do not understand in the Bible, but keep reading it anyway. Try to follow the things you understand. God will reveal the rest to you later. How goes your Bible reading?

Our Bible reading shouldn't be a chore. It should come out of our seeking to learn more about God and being transformed in the process. That's why when you don't understand everything you read, it's alright. We aren't supposed to read to informed as much as transformed.

Open your Bible and allow God's Holy Spirit to transform you as you delve into the richness of the stories and the wisdom of God's Word. Don't let it become another thing you're supposed to do today. Instead simply take the opportunities that you have to grow from it.

In the love of Christ,
greg