Posts Tagged ‘Jesus’
Lectionary Scriptures for February 26th, 2012 – First Sunday in Lent
February 20, 2012Lectionary Scripture for February 22, 2012 – Ash Wednesday
February 20, 2012Pastor’s Ponderings, Wanderings, Wonderings
February 13, 2012
Mark 1:40-45 - 40 A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
As I read this scripture from the Gospel of Mark I was struck with the desire this outcast had to be healed from this disfiguring, crippling, slow death disease. Jesus shows us His compassion in His willingness to heal this man. We see the Leper’s desire in his daring to even think about approaching a group of Jewish men walking down the road. This leper came to Jesus even though he knew that if he got within 50 paces the Law said that the men were within their right to throw stones at him to keep him at a safe distance. He also was required by Law to shout unclean whenever he was coming upon people. Can you just imagine the compassion that led Jesus to walk up to this man and touch him even though under the Law Jesus would be considered unclean himself. I don’t know but it seems to me that Jesus was there alone with the Leper. The disciples probably kind of hung back to keep the proper distance.
This thought pattern led me to think of how many of us truly seek healing from the touch of Jesus Christ. Many of us are plagued by diseases of the heart, mind and soul. Our spirits are held back and our spiritual growth is stunted because we hang on to the disease we have. It could be drugs or alcohol or sex or pornography or greed or selfishness or jealousy or many other diseases that cripple our souls. Jesus wants us to seek Him out like this leper did. He wants us to call out to Him because we want to be healed by Him. He can and will set us free from the disease that is plaguing us. Is the life you lead making you feel unclean? Do people shun you because of your actions? Seek out Jesus and call on Him. Seek His healing touch. Then go out and tell everyone who healed you.
Have a blessed week,
Randy
Lectionary Scriptures for February 19th, 2012
February 13, 2012Pastor’s Ponderings, Wonderings, Wanderings
February 8, 2012
I have another Matthew moment from our Bible Study tonight. In Matthew 20:20-28 we get to hear the mother of Zebedee’s sons ask Jesus if her sons James and John could sit one on the right hand and one on the left hand in His kingdom.
Perhaps we see a mother who wants her sons to have positions of power in the earthly kingdom that they still believe Jesus will create. But is it her ambition or theirs? Jesus tries to warn them that they will have to “drink from His cup” because they are His disciples but makes no promise to give a position that only God can grant. Now needless to say this band of disciple brothers were jealous or perhaps outraged that James and John would seek this high ranking position. Jesus addresses this disciple rilvary by letting the disciples know that they are to have on their minds how they might serve rather than looking for a position they could be served in.
I wonder just how many disciples of Jesus Christ today are looking for positions of importance in which they can garner the praise and sit in the seat that will get them served? It is always a struggle to be the servants servant but that is exactly what Jesus calls us to do. We must set aside our own will that leads us to the desire to be recognized and work on doing the will of Jesus Christ because it is what He calls us to do. It is a hard thing for us in our humanity to not seek praise for what we do but it is our role as Christians to do just that. Do what God through Jesus Christ calls us to do in a way that is humble and self sacrificing. God will see us and He will reward us with rewards that will be so much better than any plaque or certificate that man can create.
As Christians we do work for Christ because we love Him, want to give Him glory and honor and see His kingdom grow.
Have a blessed day, Randy
Pastor’s Ponderings, Wonderings, Wanderings
February 7, 2012
In our Bible Study for this Wednesday we will be reviewing Matthew Chapter 20. Jesus tells the parable about workers getting the same pay (1 denarius) for the work they have done. Some of these workers went to work early in the morning, some in the middle of the day and some late in the day. In the parable they all receive the same pay. Jesus is telling His disciples that no matter what time in our life we come to a saving knowledge of Him we will all receive the same reward. That reward of course is our salvation and life eternal in Heaven with Him. The reward however does go further than that. Those of us who come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ early in our lives are blessed with a new outlook that can make our lives much better and can give us the opportunity to witness and share with many more people.
Jesus also was addressing the Jewish belief system which was saying that their favored nation status was being taken and given to all who believed in Him. We who come to this saving knowledge of Jesus Christ become children of God without following the letter of the law. Jesus teaches us that we are to love God and to love our neighbors as the most important guidelines we can follow. He even calls them two new commandments. Very important for us and for the new disciples. Jesus gives us all favored nation status as His children.
A learning for many in churches today would be that no matter how long we have been followers of Jesus Christ we are to be accepting of and care for those who are new believers. We need to remember that our status in God is just the same as the new believer. Our blessings in this life are that we have the opportunity to be known as people who love, care for and support each other no matter how long we have known our Savior. We are to be known as people who reach out to the world and exclude no one.
God’s Peace and Blessings to each and everyone,
Randy Branch
Lectionary Scripture February 12th, 2012
February 6, 2012Lectionary Scripture for February 5th, 2012
January 30, 2012Pastor’s Ponderings, Wanderings, Wonderings
January 25, 2012Last night I watched the State of the Union Address by President Obama. It really got me to thinking but not necessarily about the things he was talking about. It was a state of the union and it was his view of how things were going with the United States. What he has gotten done and what he hopes to achieve.
It made me think about Jesus and His ministry. About what He has gotten done and what He hopes to achieve. We sometimes look to the leaders of our country to help us with our lives. We have faith in them because of what they tell us. Which is so often what we want to hear. Jesus told us so much in His short three-year ministry. Much of it words that we really didn’t want to hear. Words, however, that we needed to hear. Words that would heal us and help us through our lives if we would just hear them. I believe that if we would just listen to the words of Jesus we would hear the solutions to many of our problems today. That’s interesting isn’t it. Someone 2000 years ago could tell us about ourselves and how to solve our problems today.
Wouldn’t it be a great thing if our politicians listened to the words of the Savior of the world and used those words to help solve the problems of the world. Wouldn’t it be a great thing if we elected people who had compassion and genuinely cared about humanity and were not so interested in their own careers and selfish agendas. Now I am not saying that all politicians are bad but I am saying that there are many who are misled.
As Christians we are to be led by the one we believe is the Son of God. He will not mislead you. Try Him out as the one who can help solve those problems you need help with. I believe He can and will if you will depend upon Him.
Pastor Randy
