Luke 9
“He (Jesus) commissioned them to preach the news of God’s kingdom and heal the sick. He said, ‘Don’t load yourselves up with equipment. Keep it simple; you are the equipment. And no luxury inns-- get a modest place and be content there until you leave. If you’re not welcomed, leave town. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and move on. (Luke 9:1-5 the Message)”
I learn two things from this passage. 1) Don’t think you have to have everything in place before you embark on a journey for Christ. These guys packed light, didn’t waste their money on staying at the Hilton and just WENT! So often, we think if we don’t have the money, if we don’t have the equipment, if we don’t have the contacts, etc, we can’t go out and serve. This is simply not true. He will provide everything needed for ministry if we will just GO out and DO IT!!! Letting finances prevent us from ministering is another way of tripping on money and falling into sin because we are trusting the money to help us do more good than we trust God to do. If we stay in a modest place, we’re going to relate to the people better than if we stay at the Hilton. This is funny because some friends and I have actually stayed at the Hilton for one nights layover on a short term missions trip to India. Now, the Hilton in India is pennies compared to staying at a hotel in the States and it was a once in a lifetime chance for us to be able to afford something so fun so of course we jumped at the chance. If you’re one of the friends who was on that trip with me and reading this right now, I’m not judging you! Its just funny to think back to that time and then read this passage. Actually, a couple short term trips I’ve been on had us staying in crazily, nice hotels. Modest is definitely a relative term and some of the people on the trip were amazingly nice Christian folks who just happened to make a lot of money. In their mind, these hotels were modest, but in my mind we were staying in the land of luxury. According to this passage, I think we should do our best to stay in a modest place according to the standards of the culture we are visiting. We don’t have to stay in a dangerous slum, but the 5 star resort with an indoor pool, fitness center and spa might not give us as many opportunities to meet the same people that say a modest hostel would have.
2)If you’re not welcomed by folks in a place that you’re sharing, move on-- aka if the fish aren’t biting at this creek, find a different creek! I have struggled with finding the balance between preaching the gospel regardless of what others think of me and facing slander and being ostracized by those who hate to hear or even discuss a different world-view than their own. Maybe you’ve experienced something similar:I’ve had admins on a blog kick me off for simply posting statistics proving the health risks of abortion for women verses following through with a pregnancy. While I made no moral or judging statements, the women on this website sensed something in opposition to their world-view and called my posts inflammatory and inappropriate! A few women on the site however, contacted me personally off-site asking for advice or thanking me for those posts. I was able to encourage one gal to try joining a local church for support. The rest of the fish in that creek weren’t biting so I moved on.
It is a little scary when faced with opposition,but my prayer for us all is that we can continue to share the truth with gentleness and respect in the face of ridicule or maybe even persecution someday. I hope I only care what Christ thinks of me, but at the same time it is still a challenge to share with people who can be very hurtful and negative with their words and actions. Sometimes I’m a wimp and sometimes I’m a lion. I hope as life goes on, I become more lion and less wimp.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Matthew 15
Matthew 15:3-9 Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Why do you use your rules to play fast and loose with god’s commands” God clearly says, ‘Respect your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.’ But you weasel around that by saying, ‘Whoever wants to, can say to fatherand mother, What I owed to you I’ve given to God.’ That can hardly be called respecting a parent. You cancel God’s command by your rules. Frauds!”
Hmmm . . . .I think Jesus was talking directly to our society as well as that of the Pharisees. I used to work in a nursing home, and for that reason, I will not put my parents in one. Too many scetchy people get hired to work there and the good employees are overworked and understaffed, making it very unlikely that the residents can receive good care. I see a lot of Christians putting their parents in a nursing home and saying that, “I am not qualified to take care of my parents. I’ll let the professionals handle it.” This is hilarious. Do you know how much “qualifying” I had to do to be eligible to work in a nursing home with severe dementia patients? An hour long CPR class and an hour long class about how to give someone about a pill! The classes are trite, and not really very informative. So if you think the people that work at nursing homes are more qualified to take care of your parents than you are, you are severely incorrect (If you are reading this I know you are not mentally retarded)!
If that doesn’t convince you to keep your parents at home and take care of them, remember, your kids are watching! They see how you take care of your parents in their old age and they are learning how they should take care of you when you get old! You can have someone come in on a regular basis (weekly or whatever) and its not forever! They took care of you when you were a kid, you should give back!
Hmmm . . . .I think Jesus was talking directly to our society as well as that of the Pharisees. I used to work in a nursing home, and for that reason, I will not put my parents in one. Too many scetchy people get hired to work there and the good employees are overworked and understaffed, making it very unlikely that the residents can receive good care. I see a lot of Christians putting their parents in a nursing home and saying that, “I am not qualified to take care of my parents. I’ll let the professionals handle it.” This is hilarious. Do you know how much “qualifying” I had to do to be eligible to work in a nursing home with severe dementia patients? An hour long CPR class and an hour long class about how to give someone about a pill! The classes are trite, and not really very informative. So if you think the people that work at nursing homes are more qualified to take care of your parents than you are, you are severely incorrect (If you are reading this I know you are not mentally retarded)!
If that doesn’t convince you to keep your parents at home and take care of them, remember, your kids are watching! They see how you take care of your parents in their old age and they are learning how they should take care of you when you get old! You can have someone come in on a regular basis (weekly or whatever) and its not forever! They took care of you when you were a kid, you should give back!
Matthew 11-14
Matthew 11:4-6
The blind see, lame walk, lepers are cleansed, deaf hear, dead are raised, wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side*
*cr Isaiah 29:18, Isaiah 42:18,
Matthew 11:28-30
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced thythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly (the Message)”
I was just speaking with my husband about how I’ve been worn out and struggle with the idea of a “Sabbath” and how to do it. I don’t want to be legalistic and say I must rest from all work at least one day out of every seven, but then I tend to get sick if I don’t rest enough. Immediately after that conversation I sat down to read this. How does He keep doing this to me? Its like he’s speaking directly to me! Yes I’m tired and worn out and to be honest a little burnt out on religion! Jesus is saying to look at him and and watch the way he rests. Then the next paragraph gives an example of he and his disciples on the Sabbath:
Matthew 12:1 “One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them.” And then I was thinking about how throughout the gospels, Jesus is often getting away with his best friends for rest but he is also often healing on the Sabbath! It seems like he is pretty balanced. I’m not sure I know how to do this perfectly yet but its comforting to know that Matthew 11:28-30 promises that if I come to him he’ll give me rest! Whoo!
*Matthew 13:1 Jesus sits by himself
*Mark 6:31 Jesus gets away with his closest friends
*Luke 13:14, John 5:9 Jesus heals on the Sabbath
Matthew 12:31-32 “If you refect th eSon of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you,” Really? Could this mean that Jews that don’t understand Jesus could be forgiven as long as the accept the Holy Spirit?
Matthew 13:1 Jesus left the house and sat on the beach
Matthew 13:53-57 “returned to his hometown, and gave a lecture in the meetinghouse. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. ‘We had no idea he was this good!’ they said. ‘How did he get so wise, get such ability?’ But in the the next breath they were cutting him down: ‘We’ve known him since he was a kid; he’s the carpenter’s son. We know his mother, Mary. We know his brothers James and Joseph, Simon and Judas. All his sisters live here. Who does he think he is?’
Often, when we try to do something great, those the closest to us can be the most discouraging. We can’t let that hinder us from doing what we are called to do.
A couple years ago while living in China, I got to taste “15 minutes of fame” as they say. I was a contestant on their version of American Idol and made it to the top 20 before I decided to drop out. I kid you not, reporters were following me into the toilet stall trying to get an interview. Folks were snapping pics of me with their cell phones. Coming up to me in the mall. It was surreal. I wanted to pull my hair out! In the midst of that situation I read this passage in Matthew 14:13-14
When Jesus heard the news that his cousin John the Baptist had been killed, he tried to slip away by himself. But people saw him and followed him! When he saw them coming, he was overcome with compassion and healed them. Then he fed them! Wow! I couldn’t handle fame at all! Here was Jesus going through one of the most painful things a person could experience and when the crowds wouldn’t leave him alone, he had compassion for them! It really humbled me to contrast it to my own tolerance for people wanting some of my time.
Matthew 14:22-23 After the meal was finished he went up the mountain by himself to pray late into the night. This is a principle I think we all need to remember when we’re faced with crisis. Even Jesus spent large amounts of time in prayer when he was going through the death of his cousin. We need to follow this example.
The blind see, lame walk, lepers are cleansed, deaf hear, dead are raised, wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side*
*cr Isaiah 29:18, Isaiah 42:18,
Matthew 11:28-30
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced thythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly (the Message)”
I was just speaking with my husband about how I’ve been worn out and struggle with the idea of a “Sabbath” and how to do it. I don’t want to be legalistic and say I must rest from all work at least one day out of every seven, but then I tend to get sick if I don’t rest enough. Immediately after that conversation I sat down to read this. How does He keep doing this to me? Its like he’s speaking directly to me! Yes I’m tired and worn out and to be honest a little burnt out on religion! Jesus is saying to look at him and and watch the way he rests. Then the next paragraph gives an example of he and his disciples on the Sabbath:
Matthew 12:1 “One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them.” And then I was thinking about how throughout the gospels, Jesus is often getting away with his best friends for rest but he is also often healing on the Sabbath! It seems like he is pretty balanced. I’m not sure I know how to do this perfectly yet but its comforting to know that Matthew 11:28-30 promises that if I come to him he’ll give me rest! Whoo!
*Matthew 13:1 Jesus sits by himself
*Mark 6:31 Jesus gets away with his closest friends
*Luke 13:14, John 5:9 Jesus heals on the Sabbath
Matthew 12:31-32 “If you refect th eSon of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you,” Really? Could this mean that Jews that don’t understand Jesus could be forgiven as long as the accept the Holy Spirit?
Matthew 13:1 Jesus left the house and sat on the beach
Matthew 13:53-57 “returned to his hometown, and gave a lecture in the meetinghouse. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. ‘We had no idea he was this good!’ they said. ‘How did he get so wise, get such ability?’ But in the the next breath they were cutting him down: ‘We’ve known him since he was a kid; he’s the carpenter’s son. We know his mother, Mary. We know his brothers James and Joseph, Simon and Judas. All his sisters live here. Who does he think he is?’
Often, when we try to do something great, those the closest to us can be the most discouraging. We can’t let that hinder us from doing what we are called to do.
A couple years ago while living in China, I got to taste “15 minutes of fame” as they say. I was a contestant on their version of American Idol and made it to the top 20 before I decided to drop out. I kid you not, reporters were following me into the toilet stall trying to get an interview. Folks were snapping pics of me with their cell phones. Coming up to me in the mall. It was surreal. I wanted to pull my hair out! In the midst of that situation I read this passage in Matthew 14:13-14
When Jesus heard the news that his cousin John the Baptist had been killed, he tried to slip away by himself. But people saw him and followed him! When he saw them coming, he was overcome with compassion and healed them. Then he fed them! Wow! I couldn’t handle fame at all! Here was Jesus going through one of the most painful things a person could experience and when the crowds wouldn’t leave him alone, he had compassion for them! It really humbled me to contrast it to my own tolerance for people wanting some of my time.
Matthew 14:22-23 After the meal was finished he went up the mountain by himself to pray late into the night. This is a principle I think we all need to remember when we’re faced with crisis. Even Jesus spent large amounts of time in prayer when he was going through the death of his cousin. We need to follow this example.
Matthew 10
Matthew 10
vs 1-7 The 12 Apostles that Jesus chose and sent
Apostle pretty much means “one sent”-- Kenneth Beckman
Simon (they called him Peter, or “Rock”) He was a fisherman called to follow Jesus as a disciple by Jesus when he (Peter) was working at the sea of Galilee with his co-worker and brother Andrew, who was also asked to follow Jesus. Peter was a married guy as we learn from Chapter 9, where Christ healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a sickness that had her unable to get out of bed.
He became one of Jesus’ best friends on earth. One of Jesus’ “inner circle” which also included James and John. He was the one who had faith in Jesus enough to walk on water. He was humbled when Jesus insisted on washing his feet. He was one of the ones who fell asleep praying with Jesus in the garden the night before Jesus’ death. He insisted passionately that Jesus was “son of the living God!” and that he would follow Jesus to the end! He wept bitterly when he realized at the crow of a rooster, like all the rest he had betrayed Jesus. He was the first to rush into the tomb upon hearing the women’s account that Jesus was not there. He went on to live a life whole-heartedly devoted to sharing Jesus. So much can be read about Peter in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, the book of Acts and the books of 1st and 2nd Peter.
Andrew (Simon or “Rock’s” brother) was a fisherman like his brother Simon Peter and called at the same time.
James, Zebedee’s son was also a fisherman. He was in a boat with his father and brother John when Jesus called the brothers to follow him around the same time as he called Peter and Andrew.
vs 1-7 The 12 Apostles that Jesus chose and sent
Apostle pretty much means “one sent”-- Kenneth Beckman
Simon (they called him Peter, or “Rock”) He was a fisherman called to follow Jesus as a disciple by Jesus when he (Peter) was working at the sea of Galilee with his co-worker and brother Andrew, who was also asked to follow Jesus. Peter was a married guy as we learn from Chapter 9, where Christ healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a sickness that had her unable to get out of bed.
He became one of Jesus’ best friends on earth. One of Jesus’ “inner circle” which also included James and John. He was the one who had faith in Jesus enough to walk on water. He was humbled when Jesus insisted on washing his feet. He was one of the ones who fell asleep praying with Jesus in the garden the night before Jesus’ death. He insisted passionately that Jesus was “son of the living God!” and that he would follow Jesus to the end! He wept bitterly when he realized at the crow of a rooster, like all the rest he had betrayed Jesus. He was the first to rush into the tomb upon hearing the women’s account that Jesus was not there. He went on to live a life whole-heartedly devoted to sharing Jesus. So much can be read about Peter in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, the book of Acts and the books of 1st and 2nd Peter.
Andrew (Simon or “Rock’s” brother) was a fisherman like his brother Simon Peter and called at the same time.
James, Zebedee’s son was also a fisherman. He was in a boat with his father and brother John when Jesus called the brothers to follow him around the same time as he called Peter and Andrew.
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