People Are NOT Intrusions

Luke 9

10 When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick.

The message of these two verse both inspires and convicts me. In verse 10, Luke writes that Jesus slipped quietly away…Jesus was seeking some “alone time” with His 12 closest followers. He sought to get away from the demands of the crowds, and have a time of refreshing with his buds. However, in verse 11 we read that not only did the crowds find out where Jesus was; they followed Him. And what was the reaction of Jesus, Who wanted to get away from the crowds? He WELCOMED them! Often, I fight the feelings of “intrusion” by people when I am seeking some “alone time” or looking for a “time of refreshing.” Lord, help me remember that people are NEVER an intrusion of the ministry with which You have entrusted me. They are the REASON for that ministry. May I welcome them, teaching them about the Kingdom of God and loving them like Jesus does.

Real Faith

Luke 8

48 “Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Oh, to have the faith of this woman! She had suffered with bleeding for 12 years, and she had gone to doctors, to priests and rabbis, all to no avail. When she hears that Jesus is in town, she desires only to touch the hem of His robe, not really wanting to “bother” Him. Her faith healed her. Oh to have that kind of faith! I have Jesus with me every day, yet how often do I display a faith that even remotely resembles hers? I quote Philippians 4:13, but do I REALLY believe that I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me? It is easy to say while sitting here writing these words out. It is quite something else to put into practice. Maybe if I could just touch the hem of His robe…wait, I am not a bother to Jesus, I am the object of His great love! Increase my faith, O Lord. May You receive glory and honor by my daily actions and may others come to know You because of it.

Who Are The Crazy Ones?

Luke 8

26 So they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. 27 As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town.

28 As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of him. Then he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Please, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power.

30 Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, for he was filled with many demons. 31 The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.

32 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby, and the demons begged him to let them enter into the pigs.

So Jesus gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned.

34 When the herdsmen saw it, they fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. 35 People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been freed from the demons. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 36 Then those who had seen what happened told the others how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them.

This is one of my favorite Gospel passages. This morning I want to concentrate on one facet of this story: while the man was possessed by a legion of demons he was naked and crazy. When Jesus healed him of this possession, he is seen clothed and in his right mind. Isn’t it interesting that the people of this region, who are all-too familiar with this formerly demon possessed man, beg Jesus to leave their area and are gripped with fear? See, you have to be outside your mind to NOT want to follow Jesus, but there are still many people who choose to remain outside their minds because in their delusional state, they think they are better off without Jesus. Yeah, so who are the crazy people in this passage? Not the man formerly possessed by a legion of demons, that’s for sure!

What God Requires

Deuteronomy 10

12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.”

Just as God laid it all out for the nation of Israel…His chosen people…God’s requirements for His people have not changed today. Those who claim to want to follow God need to pay heed to the words of this verse: “fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.” Reminds me of the words of Jesus when asked to tell the most important commandment, doesn’t it? We are to love God with everything we have, and to obey Him. That is what God requires of those who want to follow Him.

Learn to Love Discipline

Proverbs 12

1 To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.

How often do I allow my stupid side to shine? As Scripture says, “no discipline seems pleasant at the time,” but it is certainly necessary in order for stubborn mules like me to learn! Discipline and Disciple come from the same root word, and if I am to be a Disciple of Jesus, I must be willing to undergo the Discipline of learning to follow after Him. In fact, my attitude needs to change to the point that I LOVE the discipline of my Lord Jesus. I am getting there. I want to love that discipline because I love Jesus. He knows that I need plenty of correction, so I pray that I don’t fall back into stupid patterns, and instead, relish those times when Jesus must discipline me in order to help me grow to be more like Him.

Partnering With Parents

Deuteronomy 6

4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Here is the mission call for youth ministry if thee is one to be found in the Bible. This call is not for a paid, professional student minister, it is for Moms and Dads! Parents have the ultimate duty to their children and to God in this regard. Those of us who toil in student ministry are here to supplement what parents are supposed to be doing, and we need to partner with parents in the spiritual instruction of their children. Now, I realize that there are parents who shun their sacred responsibilities towards their children, and then we student ministers and volunteers must stand in the gap. However, I believe that student ministry must partner with parents, affirm parents, and encourage parents to teach their children what the Scriptures teach. To do any less is to undermine the system God has set up!

Cutting To The Chase

Luke 6

46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? 47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

If we will not obey Jesus as our Lord, we have no right to call Him Lord, now do we? Yet, how often do we expect Jesus to bow to OUR bidding? How often do we try to tell Jesus how things should be in our lives? How foolish we are! We are destined to be swallowed up by the floods of our own evil desires, because it is EVIL to try to replace the Lordship of Jesus with our own will. We face ruin when we fail to obey Jesus. And let’s face it, if we say that we love Jesus, we will follow His instructions (obedience) and we will love like He loves. When you cut to the chase, nothing else makes any sense anyway, now does it?