Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Romans 1-3
Basically I was reminded today that it is so hard to not be judgmental. I hate judgment and legalism in general, and then I find myself judging the judgmental which is still judging! Argh! For example, One thing that I judge is that most people I find who harp on people for cussing have no problem calling someone stupid which I find to be true cussing more than any other vulgar words people may use. So while I am annoyed with people who hate cussing and yet openly call people stupid, I am usually thinking those people are stupid! It is really hard to not catch yourself being judgmental. In fact, if you can't relate to this passage at all, I'm probably going to go ahead and be judgmental again because you are probably lying and I can't stand lying. You see? There I go again. I hope you can understand my humor and good natured sarcasm. Nevertheless, replacing judgment with love is a challenge we all must continue to grow in and the following passage is very convicting. I think it is a lot more helpful if you imagine that the chapter break didn't exist here because otherwise the end of Romans 1 is just a list of sins and you are thinking, "Yeah! Right on! Judge those jerks!" when Paul actually went on to say NOT to judge them because all of our sins are surely listed in that paragraph somewhere.
1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
I would like to take this time to openly confess my sin and struggles. Not all of them because that is not always appropriate, but a few that this passage deals with in regards to judging. My biggest judging problem is that I can't stand judgmental people. I've heard this from many of my Christian siblings and find it completely humorous and ironic. For instance I can't stand fat people who can't stand smokers. Don't they know that a fairly equal amount of people die of heart disease and lung cancer? How stupid! And there I go judging again which is a lot more dangerous than overeating or smoking. From this passage it looks like judging leads to a nice visit with God's wrath (so thankful for God's grace!). Another thing I can't stand is laziness. Why can't everyone be as productive as me? Did I just spend 2 hours of my day on Facebook? Wow! There I go judging again and then God reminds me that the only reason I have a good work habit is because of His grace and not at all because of me. I am pretty sure there have been days lately that God has taken away my normal desire to work hard to show me,"See, I gave you this gift and I can take it away to teach you not to judge others who maybe have a different gift."
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Monuments to Him
Perusing through old emails today and found something cool. This blog was written July 19, 2006 while I was still in China: If it seems oddly written that is because there is not freedom of religion in China and it is masked in simple code.
I am confessing to you all today, that I have forgotten Dad. I have forgotten what He has done for me and I have become a spoiled, hard, bitter, self-centered woman. I am also making a public record of the things that I should not have forgotten. If I dare forget again, you will yet still know His deeds and might restore me to repentance, thus bringing Him glory.
I confess that the last three years of my life, struggle as I might, I have lacked the intimacy that I had with the Father when I was young. All service to my Master has been merely cerebral, following His orders yet feeling little or no affection for Him. Even when He called me to China, my obedience in coming was more out of an employer/ employee relationship rather than a husband/ wife or father/ daughter relationship.
This lack of passion has greatly increased my struggle with sin and more often than ever, I have gratified that sinful nature. I have been cerebrally perturbed at myself for cheating on the greatest lover of all ages, while at the same time mindlessly falling into the same sins over and over, feeling no strong emotion of guilt. The young Nikki who was intimate with her Father would never even have thought of doing the things I have done. She would have shuddered at the mere mention of the evil acts I've commited.
Early this morning, I was fellowshipping with my brother Matt and relaying to him my plight. I am jealous for the passion I had when I was young. I am thirsty to effortlessly stomp on evil and fervently fight for purity with the same joy I once had. I am homesick for the intimacy I once had with the wildest lover I have ever known.
Matt wisely reminded me of an important truth and one that is dangerous to forget. It is widely shown throughout the good book such as in the parts that chronicle the histories of the leaders of Dad's people. Often a leader would be following Dad whole-heartedly as a youth but later in life this same man would forget the One and Only Lord. Over and over the good book tells us to, "proclaim His mighty deeds!" and "never forget what the Lord has done!" Dad even told the people to make big piles of rocks so that everytime people saw the piles of rocks, they would remember something amazing that Dad had done.
In some English versions of the good Book, the fancy word for those piles of rocks is ebenezer. I have forgotten to build any ebenezers and I am long past due. I can't really pile any rocks up anywhere because in this age you need a permit for everything (haha), so instead I am making this confession and public record of Dad's mighty deeds my Ebenezer.
--------- To Be Continued----------
August 30, 2006
This is an Ebenezer to remember what my greatest hero has brought me through. Just as the Israelites went through an exodus from Egypt, we all have exoduses (exodi?) in our own lives. Things have held us prisoner whether it be sin or poverty or abuse or oppression. We all have things the great deliverer has delivered us from. We must raise these Ebenezer stones in memory of the great things he has done for us.
Some of you may well know my upbringing was wrought with poverty and abuse. I did not always have a bed at night or heat in the winter. I did not always have shoes. I remember clearly my face burning got with embarrassment as Nick Watkins drew to the attention of Mrs. Getti's entire algebra class that my only pair of shoes no longer served a purpose. My stomach lurched as I tried to hide the tattered shoes behind a book-bag. It was of no use. This chubby, black Texan had a comical yet charming smile, was never lacking in crude humor and was widely respected among the teens at Shackelford Jr. High. Now he was announcing to everyone as if over an intercom to get a good look at my feet.
These shoes had walked with me for perhaps merely a year, but oh how they had walked! Much of this time they walked with me homeless on the streets of Dallas, Texas. The only thing that separated my person from miles and miles of hot, black pavement, they had become unbelievably threadbare. Large cracks in the soles would allow rain or sand or grass to become intimate with calluses. Still growing 14 year old toes had pushed through the worn threads on the edges of these $6.00 Payless Keds making themselves visible. To this day, I have never been lacking in in-grown toenails.
Someone in my family had accidentally discarded the rest of my shoes to make more living space in the Pinto for our family of four. This same person had also discarded most of my clothing. I was always nervous when girls like my stout, black friend Moesha asked me, "Girl! Why you always wear a shirt tied 'round yo' waste!? I hoped they woudn't guess that it was to hide the holes in my jeans where it is most necessary to not have holes.
Now the entire class was staring. Some laughed. Some looked disbelieving and uncomfortable. Some looked sorry for me. "When are you gonna get new ones?" asked Dylan Connely. He, most of all, I did not want to pity or laugh at me. Afflicted with glasses and acne, he was not the sterotypical junior high school heart throb. Even still, I had gained great pleasure during our rare, minuscule and awkward conversations and always looked forward to the classes Dylan and I shared. "I have other shoes," I lied. "I just like these. . .they're comfortable." I couldn't look him in the eye.
Seventy year old Mrs. Getti finally attempted to control the uproariousness. She said something like, "What seems to be the problem Nick Watkins and Nikki Reed?" Try as I might to appear unhurt, I burst into tears and spoke out of blind emotion, "Mrs. Getti, Nick Watkins is being an asshole!"
Sweet little old Mrs. Getti didn't want to, but the only just thing was to give me in-house-suspension for a week. For those of you who never got into trouble in school (I only did a little), in-house-suspension is when a student is deemed unwelcome to join class but instead is detained in a room with other offenders and permitted to perform schoolwork independently.
As ashamed as I was of being suspended (I had always tried to be a good student), I was relieved at not having to see my peers for a whole week. I had hoped that it would give their fourteen year old brains time to find alternative entertainment and consequently forget my embarrassment. I think it worked.
In the course of our homelessness, we were able to trade in the tiny, temperamental Pinto for an ever spacious, more dependable Oldsmobile. Sonny, my step-father was able to sell enough blood-plasma to save enough gas money to get to some construction jobs such as dry-wall or sheetrock, without the car breaking down too often. This enabled us to move into a motel which we shared with our roommates the cockroaches as well as other insects and rodents. The motel yard contained a swimming pool but no one was permitted to swim on account of too many tenants had contracted Hepatitis. My sister and I tried to play with the other children living in the motel, but after nine year old Frances was jumped for being one of the four white kids in the whole neighborhood, we decided to just keep each other company insead.
That evening I harvested the courage to ask my mother for a new pair of shoes. I even did research before I plead my case so that I was able to show her the Payless ads for some very inexpensive shoes on sale. She looked in deep thought and compassionate. She also looked a little sad. "We'll try," my mother genuinely promised, "but don't get your hopes up." She was honest about the fact that our chances of even making the rent were looking grim, much less being able to afford staples such as gasoline, food, coffee and cigarettes. After these, there might not be anything left.
Many of you now are probably scoffing to think that a woman would actually put cigarettes before a pair of shoes for her kid. I want to warn you to be careful of the standard by which you judge. You will be judged by that same standard (thats in the sermon on the mount somewhere between Matthew 5-7). If you had survived as many difficulties through Christ's strength as my mother has, you might have needed a cigarette as well.
In my mother's defense, with all the stress and extreme circumstances in her life, including a severe heart condition which required temperamental medications, she was advised by doctors not to add any changes to her life that were not beyond her control. This included giving up cigarettes. Not only would an added change heighten her stress and anxiety, but the sudden lack of nicotine in her system could actually throw off her heart medications.
I don't remember how or when, but I eventually acquired a new pair of shoes. Perhaps I was able to purchase them one of the few times our neighbor the crack-whore paid me for babysitting rather than skipping the bill. Perhaps I found them at one of those places where they give clothes to poor people.
Why am I telling you all this? Like I said at the beginning of this blog, I'm on this kick where I want to remember everything mighty Dad has brought me through in the same way the Israelites built up piles of rocks to remember important things the creator had done in their time. Those of you who know me today know that my life is no longer anything like the life of the fourteen year old girl I wrote about in this blog. If you have read whats going on in my life through my other blogs or just know what is going on in my life cause we're friends, you know that I can say with absolute certainty, "God works all things for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
I also have had this really annoying habit the last couple years of distancing myself from His intimacy and forgetting why I should be completely head over heels in love with Him! He walked by and saw me naked and covered in blood. He washed me off and anointed me with oil. He gave me the finest clothes and jewelry and fed me the choicest food (Ezekiel 16:6-14 Nikki version). Though I had nothing to offer Him but my utter poverty the King chose to make me royalty by choosing me as His own. Everything I have is to His credit! Yet I have forgotten the days of my youth, when I was naked and bare and bloody and have begun to trust in myself (Ezekiel 16:15, 22 Nikki version). I've run around on God with weak lovers and have reaped no benefit from those things in which I'm now ashamed (Romans 6). Regardless of my blaring blemishes, He has remained faithful to the promises He has made and has granted me with immeasurable forgiveness (Ezekiel 16:60-63). I can only pray that He grant my selfish heart the ability to love Him more and rely on His grace when I know that my clumsy attempts at passion will never be a match for the love He has shared with me.
One more thing, if you are reading this and we are friends and there ever comes a time (it could be as early as today) when you notice me forgetting what He has done for me. . .would you please take time to remind me of the great things He has done? If you notice me lacking passion and lacking zeal, could you remind me of what He has delivered me from? Would you remember these ebenezers when I am so prone to forgetting? I am ever thankful to our Dad for His body and that it is strong when I by myself am so weak.
Grace out, Nikki.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Luke 9
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.
“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.
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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