Who Can Cast The First Stone?

Scripture:
Luke 19:1-10 (NIV)

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 

  When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 

  All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 

  But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

  Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” 

Devotional:

Legalism is a trap we still fall into today.  As a matter of fact I know a few people who have at least partially fallen into the legalism trap.  The sad fact is there is very little room for Grace.  When I was a teenager I loved Amy Grant’s music.  In fact I bought several of her Albums.  Granted in her later years I had lost some of my interest.  I still love her early work.  I know someone who very much dislikes her because of a divorce she went through.  He doesn’t believe we should listen to her music or support her because she divorced her husband.  After all, the Bible state that we are not to divorce.  I knew people who will find your faults and condemn you for them.  They leave little room to forgive and give grace.

The truth is that Jesus could have condemned Zacchaeus because of his sinful past.  He could have rejected him.  Instead Jesus showed compassion and grace.  Shouldn’t we do the same?  Shouldn’t we show love, mercy, compassion, and most of all Grace?  When the religious leaders brought the prostitute to Jesus, John 8:3-11, Jesus said in verse 7 “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”  This same statement applies to us today.  Which one of us is able to cast that first stone of condemnation?  Which one of us has a spot free life?  The last time I checked the only person qualified to throw the stone chose not to.  Instead He showed mercy, love, and yes grace.  Shouldn’t emulate our teacher, mentor, Savior?

God Is Watching & Protecting

Scripture:
Psalm 121 (NIV)

I lift up my eyes to the mountains
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore. 

Devotional:

I remember one time I went to a friend’s house to help him work on his motorcycle.  For some unknown reason I put my glasses on instead of wearing contacts that day.  Which is unusual because working on the bile I would have preferred the contacts.  That way I wouldn’t have to deal with dirty glasses slipping down my nose.  While I was working on the bike a screwdriver slipped and raked across my nose ending on the edge of my glasses.  Had I not worn them the screwdriver would have went into my eye.  I firmly believe that God was watching out for me.  It was an inner prompting I believe that came from him to wear the glasses.  

When I was a teenager I was in a motorcycle accident.  My grandmother was on the back of the bike and we were heading towards home.  My parents were in the lead while a couple they were friends with brought up the rear.  Along the road the couple pulled up close to our side and was pointing at the back of my bike.  I looked down and saw a bag falling off.  I looked up and was on the edge of the road.  I went to swerve back to the center when the road gave out.  We slipped off the road into the tall grass on the side.  No problem, so far.  I started to slowly bring the bike to a stop when the front end went over a hidden board that was left on the side of the road.  As it turned the front in washed out and we went down.  There were no serious injuries but the bike was totaled.  My grandmother and I had to take a bus the rest of the way home.  God was with us that day as well.  Traffic was light and there was plenty of room on the side of the road so that we could slide to a stop safely.  

I can give many more instances in just my life when things could have been worse than what they were.  God is with us every day of our lives.  He watches over us protecting us from harm.  I firmly believe that there are times when we are not even aware of His protecting arms wrapping around us.  Nancy and I will often comment on why we get caught in traffic, or behind someone slow.  We will state God must have known something would have happened and he slowed us down.  How many so called coincidences are really God’s interventions?  Maybe we are rerouted, delayed, or have plans not happen for our own protection.  Maybe you missed that flight because God needed you somewhere else at the time, or he knew you would run into some sort of trouble.  God is with us watching over us.  We need to call on His name and allow Him to work in our lives…  Have faith He is aware and in control…

Earning Grace...

Scripture:
Romans 3:20-26 (NASB)

…because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.   

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Devotional:

As a child there is nothing you can do to earn the love and care of a parent.  No deed is ever enough to receive the unconditional love of a parent.  At the same time though our actions can separate us from our parents.  We can create a rift that at times we do not know how to overcome.  Sometimes we feel we can never make amends.

There is nothing that we can ever do to earn grace, or God’s love.  His love is unconditional and everlasting.  We can never bridge the gap between us and God.  However, there is hope and a way.  Through grace we are made righteous, clean, pure, and holy.  It is impossible for us to make amends, but God made a way.  He loves us so much that He sent a part of Himself to live on earth as one of us.  He lived with no sin, not bound by the law.  He became the perfect sacrifice so that we can be with Him in all eternity.  We will never be good enough for heaven.  We can be cleansed and purified so that we can be with Him for all eternity…

How Do You Live Your Life?

Scripture:
James 1:17-27 (NASB)

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. 

  This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. 

  If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. 

Devotional:

I remember when I was a teenager something I was told that changed my way of thinking.  We were talking about faith.  We talked about laying down one’s life for someone else.  I commented on the willingness to lay down my life for Christ.  I was asked if I was willing to live my life for Christ.  You see it is easy to die for someone, but much harder to actually live for that person.

James is telling us that we must live our lives not just any old way we choose.  We are to live our lives for Christ, and in Christ.  We need to become “Doers of the Word” as he puts it.  We are to live out our lives as Christ lived His. We need to practice what we believe and teach.  It is too easy to just spout words and continue on our way status quo.  Are you a Sunday Christian?  Do you go to church so everyone can see you there?  When Monday comes are you back in the world forgetting Christ?  When Monday comes we need to continue on as if it was Sunday morning.  Don’t be a Sunday Christian who goes to church on Sunday but lives the rest of the week without Christ.  Become “Doers of the Word” by living out your faith everyday of the week.  Live out what the Bible teaches.  Live your life for Christ, as He lived and wants you to live…

Yes, I am Weak

Scripture:
2 Corinthians 12:1-10 (NIV):

I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Devotional:

“I give it to God…” is a statement we hear people say all the time. I know I have said it time after time.  The problem is that way too often we take it back.  Do we truly surrender our problems, dreams, worries to God?  Who among us have looked upon our weakness and saw worthlessness?  I know I have from time to time.  I have thought that I am not able to, or that I can’t do that.  I am too weak or that I don’t know how.  Another thought I have had was that there are others more qualified or better skilled than me. 

Through the grace of God and strong friendships my thoughts have turned around.  True there are times it is still a struggle.  But, the bottom line is that God finds the worth in us regardless of where we are in life, and regardless of how we feel about ourselves.  It is in our weakness that God’s glory can shine the greatest.  Look at David when he faced Goliath.  In the eyes of the world David was no match for Goliath.  He should have been easy kill for Goliath.  Instead God used someone the world saw as insignificant with no battle experience to defeat a great and mighty warrior.  That day when Goliath fell there was no doubt who won the day.  It wasn’t a great general but God who used a simple shepherd boy to win the battle.  

We all have weaknesses, or as Paul put it a thorn in our side.  Are we surrendering our lives to God?  Are we allowing His grace to be sufficient for us?  God told Paul that His grace is sufficient and Paul rejoiced in his weakness.  Paul allowed God to work through that weakness.  In Paul’s weakness God made him strong.  Is God working in you?  Are you lifted up by Grace through your weakness? 

Confronting Others...

Scripture:
1 Timothy 1:18-20 (NIV)

Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

Devotional:

Several times over the years I have seen Christians dealing with fellow Christians in a manner that is unbiblical.  If you look around I am sure you can see examples of this all over the place.  I have seen parishioners do anything they could to discredit a pastor or church committee member.  People have been let go from positions for unjustified reasons.  Some have been fully justified in being let go but in the manor it was done was unbiblical.  Some were not even given a means to make amends.  We all have disputes with fellow Christians.  We come in contact with those who are teaching incorrectly.  Some people are false teachers doing Satan’s work, and some do so unintentionally out of ignorance.

Jesus gives us explicit procedures to follow in dealing with conflicts or wrong doings with fellow Christians.  Matthew 18:15-17 (NIV) states:

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.  But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’  If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

If someone you know is doing wrong the first step is to confront them in private.  Explain what is wrong and why.  It is important to proceed with the Holy Spirit.  Pray before, during, and after the confrontation.  If that fails then you bring along a fellow Christian.  Again bring along the Holy Spirit.  After failing a second time then it should go before the church.  In 1 Timothy Peter had gone through these steps to finally give them over to Satan.  How sad it is to lose one person no matter the reasons why.  Allow God to work through you while confronting someone else.  Remember you cannot change a person.  You can make them see the truth.  You can only shine your light for the truth to be revealed.  The Holy Spirit needs to be at work in their life.  If you are on the receiving end of unbiblical circumstances I have two thoughts.  One, allow God to handle the situation.  You may not know why or how things will turn out.  If you leave it in God’s hands it will work out for the best.  Second, forgiveness is absolutely a must; not only for their sake but for your own as well.  Every one of us will see conflict and wrong doings in ourselves and in others.  Make sure you do your best to go about it Biblically.  I know I have failed to do so in the past.  I can only put forth the effort to not repeat past mistakes…