help…

I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and for evermore. (Psalm 121, NRSV)

Where do you get help when you need it?

When you are walking in the valley and the world seems to be closing in around you, where do you go for help?

The psalmist says that his help comes from the Lord, the creator of everything. The Lord neither slumber or sleeps, so He is always available. He is your shade and protection against the sun, moon, stars, wind, rain and all things! He protects you.

The Lord will keep you in all ways and be your protection.

So look up and see the Lord is there for you. and know He is your help.

unknown God…

Then Paul stood in front of the 040118_08 and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said, “For we too are his offspring.” Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.’ When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, ‘We will hear you again about this.’ At that point Paul left them. But some of them joined him and became believers, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. (Acts 17:22-34, NRSV)

To an unknown god…

How many of us have ever said who is god?

Or where is god?

We get hung up on the things we can see and touch and sense that we get lost on the things that just are and we have to take on faith!

Paul told the Athenians that their unknown god was very known to Paul and could be to them to. He explained who Jesus was, and when Paul got to the part where God raised Jesus from the dead, they lost it. They couldn’t take it because it was not logical and it did not make sense because they had never seen that.

We get so hung up on the possibility of something we can not see.

I have never seen the wind, but I know it exists. Yes I can see the effects of the wind, and I can feel the wind. But I have never actually seen the wind.

I can feel the effects of God and see the effect He has in peoples lives. And I have never seen anyone rise from the dead. But I take it on faith that I will rise, just like He did, because God said it would happen.

We can not get hung up on the logic of understanding who God is, but we also can not take blind acceptance of what we are fed either.

God gave us all minds to use and to question our faith and Him. He is big enough to take your questions.

So wonder where He is…

Wonder how He interacts with your life…

Then think about it and talk it over with a friend over coffee or tea or a beer…

Let Him know you wonder, because He is always wondering about you and looking for you to live the life He has in store for you.

So question the unknown god, but know that He is always there ready to be known by you!

give without payment

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. (Matthew 10:5-15, NRSV)

We have hit a bump in the road…

When you go somewhere to do the Lord’s work take no money, or a change of clothes. You need nothing as all will be provided. But do not take any extra, for you received without paying and therefore must give without receiving payment…

Yet I ask you, when are you going anywhere that you are not up to the Lord’s work?

If you are a child of God, then every where you go and everything you do is for the Lord.

If is an interesting word. It is the smallest biggest word in the English language, because if it is then… Plus for me the interesting thing about the Greek word for if can also mean since…

So since you are a child of God you are going everywhere and doing everything for God. So there is nothing you need to be paid for… That is there is nothing you need to get gain from. We are all paid by the blessings and mercy we receive from God, and that which we receive for being His work, but to want, or seek gain, or goods for doing God’s work is not what we are called to do.

He will provide for us, as He always has. Go and do what He has called you to do and give without payment!

WIIFM?

But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, “My master has let that Aramean Naaman off too lightly by not accepting from him what he offered. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something out of him.” So Gehazi went after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he jumped down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is everything all right?” He replied, “Yes, but my master has sent me to say, ‘Two members of a company of prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim; please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.'” Naaman said, “Please accept two talents.” He urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them in front of Gehazi. When he came to the citadel, he took the bags from them, and stored them inside; he dismissed the men, and they left.  He went in and stood before his master; and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” He answered, “Your servant has not gone anywhere at all.” But he said to him, “Did I not go with you in spirit when someone left his chariot to meet you? Is this a time to accept money and to accept clothing, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves? Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you, and to your descendants forever.” So he left his presence leprous, as white as snow. (2 Kings 5:19b-27, NRSV)

Elisha took no payment from Naaman because this was the work God has led him to do and there was no need for any extra payments. We receive from the Lord…

Yet you still think in the back of your head, really is that it? As if what God will give you needs this question.

Yet we all wonder from time to time what’s in it for me? We want to get our fair share and here Gehazi sees a way to get a little bit from this. And so he goes and gets silver and clothing…

But what did he really get? He got a disease and removed from community, because he was not content with what Elisha gave him, or God gave him. We need to be content with what we have, and with what God gives us.

It is far better than whatever we will come up with when we start asking what’s in it for me…

 

No payment

Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing!” He urged him to accept, but he refused. Then Naaman said, “If not, please let two mule-loads of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god except the Lord. But may the Lord pardon your servant on one count: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I do bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant on this one count.” He said to him, “Go in peace.” (2 Kings 5:15-19a, NRSV)

Naaman was just healed of his disease and he wants to repay the man who did it for him.

We have all been there. Someone does something nice for us and we want to show our gratitude.

Only difference here is, Elisha is not really the one who did it for Naaman. And when we do tho gs for the Lord and people want to repay us, we should not accept, because it is not us, but God and we do not do the will of God for selfish gain, or prizes.

We are to do as God leads us, knowing the promises He has made and the blessings we have already received, not for what is to come to us.

God has richly blessed us to be a blessing, and that is all the payment we should need!

Thankful…

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19, NRSV)

10 are healed…

One comes back to the one who healed 10 and falls at His feet to give thanks!

All 10 are cleansed, and healed of the disease that is keeping them from the community…

But one is made well by his faith. Or he was saved by his faith. He asked for healing and by being thankful for what he was given he was made whole, well, or saved!

What are you thankful for?

Do you focus on your needs or what you have been given?

Be thankful or what you have and remember to give thanks!

If you will

While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. (Luke 5:12-16 ESV)

Lord, if you will, you can make me clean!

What a prayer!

We often say that we want Jesus to heal a friend or ourselves. But how do we ask?

Jesus please heal me or my friend…

Give them health…

Why do we not give Jesus glory and ask for our salvation? We just lose sight in our hearts and minds who Jesus is, and what He has already done for us.

He can and will heal us, if we will but make ourselves open and available to His healing…

So will you open yourself to the healing that Christ will give you?

Rules

You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well. Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer. And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules. It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things. (2 Timothy 2:1-7, NRSV)

And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules…

What are the rules?

Does the author of 2 Timothy mean that we have to keep all of the Levitcal laws? Are those the rules?

Well if that is the standard by which we are measuring then Jesus and the disciples would not be crowned!

So what are the rules, and how do we not get entangled in everyday affairs?

We love, as Christ loved us. We think of the other first. And put their needs in front of our own. Christ took care of us and our needs, and we are here as His hands and feet to take care of their needs. Not for our gain, but for theirs!

If the reason you are doing something is for your own gain, or your own comfort, then you are not competing according to the rules…

Live for Jesus and be the love that He came to show to the world!

Things Jesus said that maybe we wish he didn’t…

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear “

“If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.”

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part.”

“If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out.”

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

“When someone strikes you on one cheek, turn and offer to him the other one.”

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

“I come not to bring peace, but to bring a sword.”

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

“Sell all you have and give the money to the poor.”

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…”

“Anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me”

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”