The Habit of Eating

Luke 7:34 says, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’”

If an unbeliever invites you over to dinner at his/her home, do you accept?  If you do accept, does your presence at their table mean that you agree with all of their values?  Well, if you were a good, righteous Jew in the New Testament, you absolutely did not.  Jews did not associate with anyone of a different religion or different social class.  For example, a Jew would not eat with Gentiles or Samaritans.  That’s why, in John 4, when Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, it was so radical for Jesus to ask her for a drink.  Jews did not ask a Samaritan for anything.

But Jesus turned the rules upside down.  Jesus ate and drank with sinners, drunkards, fraudulent tax-collectors, and prostitutes.  In Luke 19, Jesus attended a dinner at the home of a fraudulent tax-collector named Zacchaeus.  There is no evidence that Jesus criticized or condemned the tax-collector's business practices.  After the dinner, Zacchaeus felt convicted and announced that he would pay back everyone he cheated and pay them back many times over.  He also said that he was going to follow Jesus.  

Michael Frost tells the story of a Baptist pastor who told him that his neighbor claimed to make the best margaritas in the whole state, & regularly hosted margarita & poker nights in his garage.  All the men in the neighborhood attended, except for this Baptist who never accepted an invitation to join them, believing that to be a strong witness to his faith. Michael asked him how many times his neighbor had asked him any questions about his faith in Christ.  He said, Never.  Michael asked how often he’d ever shared anything of his faith his margarita-making neighbor.  Again, the Baptist said, Never.  You see, it’s not questionable when a Baptist refuses to attend a margarita & poker night.  It’s expected.

Michael challenged this Baptist pastor to accept the next invitation he received, & he did.

His neighbor almost fell over in shock.  The Baptist joined the gathering in the garage, & true to his conviction, he just drank soda pop.  No one minded.  He ended up having more conversations about faith than he’d had in ages.  A Baptist pastor at a margarita night is a surprise, & it led to questions about faith. 😊

Now, I’m not recommending that you need to go a margarita night.  But I do believe that the Lord would have us eat with unbelievers.  Don’t feel a need to judge the lifestyles or habits of others.  See it as an opportunity to just share a little love & grace as you build relationships. 

Follow Jesus’ example of sharing a meal first & see what it leads to.

Jesus Comes for the Humble

At Christmas, God's Child gave up the majesty and beauty of heaven, to come down to this earthly, broken world.
Consider the person God chose to bear his Child in human form - Mary, likely a teenage girl from a poor family.  Mary had little in what we consider advantages for a teenager - education, things,- but she had faith and a willingness to serve.  That's all that one needs, to be used by God - a trust in God and willingness to serve.

Look at whom God's angels first announced the divine birth to - the shepherds.  Really!?  Shepherds?
There had been a time, centuries before, when shepherds were good, honest, upright people.  Maybe you're familiar with the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23.  That was during Israel's good days.  The priests were also called shepherds, those who cared for Israel's spiritual needs & represented the people before God.

But as the years went by, Israel's shepherd-priests were not always faithful.  In fact, by the time one gets to the Old Testament prophets, shepherd-priests were criticized for their faithlessness & misleading the people. Jeremiah 10:21 says, The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the Lord; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered.  Jeremiah 23:1-2 says, “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. ² Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord.

Ezekiel 34:2 says, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?

By the time of the New Testament, shepherds could not enter the temple, because living out in the fields with the sheep, they did not keep the Jewish laws of cleanliness.  Because they were seen as untrustworthy, they were not allowed to testify in court.

Yet, when it came time for God to announce the birth of his Son to the world, God sent his angels to shepherds out in the fields - amazing & ironic!

Perhaps you have felt or done faithless, dirty or untrustworthy things, like the shepherds.  The great news is that God's Son has come for people like that.  The message of Christmas is for lowly, humble people whom the world looks down upon.

Then look at the setting in which God's Son was born - in the stable (a barn), a place where you find animals and manure.  Not a place for a royal child to be born.  A manger is a feeding trough for animals -not the place for a royal Child!  You'd expect to find God's Child in a majestic place, a place fit for a king, not an animal in a barn.  When you go out to the barn, you don't expect to find a child in an animal feeding trough, much less the newborn Son of God!

The whole scene seems so mixed up.  Or is it?
Is it possible that God specifically chose this scene for his Child to enter the world?

Instead of announcing his Son's birth to kings, presidents or the news media, God sends his messengers to the lowest of the lowly, the shepherds.  God doesn't announce it to a full crowd in the temple, or even at a college bowl game.  No, God chooses some of the humblest people on earth, in a dirty, earthly setting.  The whole scene shouts HUMILITY - Mary, shepherds in a pasture, a manger in a stable. 

God's making it clear that his Son is coming for lowly, humble people.  No, Christmas is not about being the best, or the brightest or the biggest or the loudest.  No, Christmas is for those who are lowly, humble, faithful.  Maybe events in the last year or two have humbled you, and perhaps you feel lower than you've felt in a long time.  If that's true, then Christmas is for you.

God's sending his Son to earth at Christmas, was God's way of pursuing his people, because God longs to have a relationship with everyone, including you.

Mary was a humble servant of God, who was willing to serve and be used.
The scene of the manger in the stable was a humble setting for God's Son to be born.
God's angels announced the royal birth to lowly, humble shepherds who accepted the message & went to Bethlehem to see & worship the newborn Jesus.
God sent Jesus to those who are humble.  Jesus comes to the humble.

The question for each of us is, do we have the humility to admit that we cannot overcome our sins on our own, that we need help from a Higher Power.  Do you have the humility to bow down before Jesus as the shepherds did?

O come let us adore him; o come let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Let us bow our hearts & heads before the newborn King.
Come & worship, come & worship, Christ the King!

A Story of Dean's Redemption

When Dean was a child, his parents divorced, which affected him deeply.   Dean grew up in a small town and attended a church with his Mom and sister.  After high school, he went away to a large university where he lost contact with the faith and was influenced by atheists.  As time went on, he read and learned as much as he could about atheism, and he became an outspoken advocate of atheist beliefs.

After college, Dean married his high school sweetheart and moved back to his hometown.  He got a job as a salesman at a new car dealer in a nearby city.  He and his wife had 3 children.  He continued to promote his atheist beliefs.  In his words, he knew all the reasons why belief in a god was unreasonable, and he didn’t hesitate to tell others.

One afternoon, the Gideons were giving New Testaments to children leaving the local elementary school.  When Dean arrived to pick up his children, he was upset about the children receiving the New Testaments.  He stood at a distance from the Gideons and as children walked by him, Dean took the New Testaments from the children and tore them into pieces.  How dare those Christians try to infect innocent children with their misguided beliefs.

Dean was promoted to sales manager at the car dealer.  After a few years of working hard, he was promoted to general manager of the entire dealership.  He earned more money than he’d ever dreamed of, but it came at a cost.  He worked 6 long days every week.  On his only day off, he was usually too tired to play with their children.

When the events of 9-11 happened, Dean was with his coworkers watching TV in the office.  Like many, he was shocked.  He decided that very day, that he was going to make some changes in his life, so that he could spend more time with his family.  Three months later, he resigned his job, to begin studying online at home for a new kind of work that would enable him to spend more time with his family.

A few months later, Dean’s step-father died suddenly.  Because Dean had rearranged his schedule to give him extra time for his family, he was able to spend significant time with his mother in the grieving process and help her move to a home closer to Dean’s family.

One day, Dean’s father called him.  His father had been living in Florida and had been robbed and lost all his savings.  Dean flew to Florida, helped his Dad pack up his stuff and move back to his hometown.  This enabled Dean to spend more time with his father who had some health problems.  As he looked back on things, it seemed like there was a plan to his life, and he had a feeling that a higher power was behind that plan.

That summer, Dean’s children were invited to a Vacation Bible School at a church.   Then his children wanted to attend the Sunday School at the church.  His wife later shared that God had been working in her life, and she’d decided to tell Dean that she was taking their children to church, even if he didn’t like it.  Imagine her shock when Dean suggested to her that they all attend church as a family!

As Dean learned more about the Christian faith, he decided to surrender control of his life to God, the same God that he’d try to persuade countless others to not believe in.  Later, when he and his wife joined the church, he shared his testimony with the congregation.  He began by saying, “Hi.  My name is Dean, and I’m a Christian.”

A Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi

You are holy, Lord, the only God, and your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong, you are great, you are the most high, you are almighty.
You, Holy Father, are King of Heaven and Earth.
You are Three and One, all good.
You are good, all supreme good, Lord God, living and true.
You are love, you are wisdom.  You are humility, you are endurance.
You are rest, you are peace.
You are joy and gladness, you are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and you suffice for us.
You are beauty, you are gentleness.
You are our protector, you are our guardian and our defender.
You are courage, you are our haven and hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are eternal life, great and wonderful Lord,
God almighty, merciful Savior.

by St. Francis of Assisi
-from Jesus, Be the Center, by Rev. Eunice McGarrahan
This is a great descriptions of God.

Are You Influenced by FEAR or FAITH?

I admit that sometimes I’m influenced more by my fears than by my faith.  My mind tells me that the Master who loves me is in control.  Yet, dread or doubts affect my feelings and thoughts.  Others have shared this dilemma with me.  Our feelings, often because of our afflictions, make us susceptible to fear.  At times we get carried away by fearful thoughts and doubts.  We imagine the worst in our minds rather than the best, and this increases our fears.

According to Hebrews 11:1,“faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  Faith is believing without seeing.   Believing that things are going to be OK while not feeling it, trusting that God will make a way for us when we can’t see a way forward – this is faith.  Are you going to believe what you are feeling, what your circumstances are saying?  Or will trust your Lord and Master for the outcome?

One time I sat in a Sunday School class lead by a retired elder.  A young woman shared that she sometimes felt afraid of the end times and God’s judgment that awaits us.  The elder said, I don’t worry about that because Jesus loves me, and He’s in control of everything.

We face a choice everyday. Although we CANNOT control some aspects of our lives, we can believe and trust in the Lord of All Life.  When our fears, doubts and weakness seem strong, let us turn to the One who overcame sin and death, the One who controls the wind and waves of the storm (see Mark 4:39).  We can trust Him even when life is dark with thunder and lightning.

It is not easy to trust the Lord in the midst of difficulties that exceed our strength and resources.  When we rely on ourselves, we tend to mess things up.  Let us admit our sins and inadequacies to Jesus who endured an arrest, ridicule, beatings, fickle friends, and was nailed to a rough wooden cross. 

As Don Moen wrote in his popular song,

God will make a way, Where there seems to be no way. 

He works in ways we cannot see; He will make a way for me. 

He will be my guide; Hold me closely to His side. 

With love and strength, For each new day. 

He will make a way; He will make a way.

For those who may not have access to a Bible, here is the Mark 4 story that's referred to in the 3rd paragraph:   Jesus Calms the Storm - 

³⁵ That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

On a Journey Following the Master

Scripture tells of many pilgrims who went on a trip, a journey, a pilgrimage.   God told Abraham: Leave your country and go to the land I will show you.   Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery and ends up in Egypt; years later, God uses Joseph’s position in Egypt to save his people from famine in Palestine.  Hundreds of years later, God tells Moses to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt and through the wilderness to the promised land. 

In the New Testament, God’s Son is born while his earthly parents, Joseph and Mary, are on a trip to Bethlehem for the census.  When Joseph is warned that some bad guys are out to kill their son, the family packs up and moves to Egypt.  Then, when the coast is clear, they return to Nazareth in Galilee.  Much of Jesus’ ministry is spent traveling around various places.  Years later, Paul is converted to Christ on the road to Damascus. 

So many important things happened in the Bible, when God’s people were traveling from one place to another.  The Christian’s life is often called “walking with Jesus.”  God’s people are pilgrims following the Master.

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “run with perseverance the race that is set out for us.”   Life’s obstacles will test our perseverance; steadfast endurance is needed to finish the race or pilgrimage.  

Hebrews 12:2 tells us, “Let us focus on Jesus.”  We have a tendency to look at others around us to see how we’re doing.  The problem is that means taking our eyes off of Jesus.  Jesus endured the cross and its shame.  He endured hardships and suffered much before finishing his journey.  If you’re going through a hardship now, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and keep moving toward the finish line.

When you are tired and worn out, remember the promise of Isaiah 40:29, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

On your journey through life, begin wherever you are.  If you’re not living in a relationship with Jesus, begin by confessing your sins and asking Jesus to forgive your sins.  Make it your goal to follow Jesus as your Master.  Read His Word, the Bible. 

Then take a step forward in faith.  Abraham left his homeland, not knowing where God was leading him to.  Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, not knowing how or where their baby would be delivered.  Trust God to guide you and your decisions.  Step forward in faith.

Let God be your Guide on the journey of life.  God will lead you and watch over you.  He desires what’s best for you and me.  Make this verse, Psalm 25:4, your prayer - “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”