Jesus's Call to Sinners

I have been inspired by some recent events in my life to go back to a familiar teaching that Jesus gave us with the Woman at the well. I have found that in my walk of faith, God has challenged me and continues to challenging through the seasons of my life. I believe He challenges us because He loves us. I have often heard and I myself believe that God works through the challenges of our lives in order to bring us closer to Him. Ever feel like you are stuck in a "bad season" where nothing seems to go as you planned, and you are always coming up against a wall? Like no matter what you do the enemy works to shut you down. I believe that in those trying times, God is there.. encouraging us to lean on Him and urging us to follow the path He has set for us. Choosing to follow that path is not always easy as many of us know. Following that path often means we have to empty our baggage, the things that hinder us from staying on track.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."- Matthew 7:13-14

It is as clear as day what God calls us to do in this passage. The path He lays out for us is narrow. Some synonyms for "narrow" are "Confined, Restricted."

Many of those who view this path initially may feel like God is telling us to give up everything that is "fun" in our lives. (being a drunkard, drugs, lust, guilt, envy, lying, stealing, partying, pre-marital sex)... the things of our lives that seem hard to give up at first, the baggage we carry.

As a young believer I used to view the narrow path as a tight rope. .. one wrong step and I would fall off entirely. However, as I continued to walk faithfully, trusting in the Lord. I soon realized that even if I fell, there was Jesus (the safety net) catching me. Jesus paid the price for our sins, our shortcomings. He paid the ultimate price so that we won't fall (die), so that we will have life everlasting. He is our Encourager when we mess-up. He comforts us with his Grace which covers us with forgiveness. He assures us that there is nothing we can do to make Him love us any more or any less. And He challenges us to leave what caused us to fall off the path behind.

The story of the woman and Jesus at the well: John 4:1-45

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. [1] 7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. [2] The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.

What I really want to focus on in this passage is how Jesus "calls out" the woman from Samaria in verses 16-20. God cannot be fooled by the things we try to hide. We may lie to ourselves and lie to those around us about the choices we make behind the scenes, but God knows the truth. And He calls us to live by the truth of His Word.

What is awesome about God and what Jesus did was he searched out the sinners and befriended them. He chose to reach out to and save those who were living in lies. What I mean by that is, that they believed the "lies" of the world that told them it was "OK" to live in sin.

17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17

When you go to the doctor and you are sick what does he say? Does he tell you to keep going outside in cold weather without a jacket? Does he tell you to continue to eat fatty and high in sugar foods when you have diabetes? Does he tell you to keep smoking when you have lung cancer? ..........."NO!" He tells you what you can do to change your lifestyle so that you start feeling better. A good doctor will urge you to cut out the unhealthy stuff in your life that is making you sick. He may also give you medicine to aid you in getting well.

So what Jesus is saying in Mark 2: 17 is that He is like the Doctor who heals the sick. God has said what is sinful and will cause you harm, His diagnosis is laid out in God's law (the ten commandments). You can also find many passages in the New Testament where Jesus and the disciples identify what God considers as sins.

Jesus's prescription to get well: Commit your life to me and (drink the water I give you)REPENT---Turn away from your sin.

Remember the woman who was going to be stoned in John 8 because she was caught in adultery? How Jesus challenge the men who were going to stone her. "Let anyone of you who has not sinned be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8: 7 NIV) Of course the crowd dropped their stones and walked away. Then Jesus says to the woman "Neither do I condemn you, now go and leave your life of sin" ( John 8:11 NIV)

LEAVE YOUR LIFE OF SIN----Repent

Jesus knew that the women in both stories were sinners. He did not condemn either one, He did not judge them. However, He did not ignore their sin either. In the case of the woman at the well, he brought her sins to light. She could not hide from God's truth that having many husbands and living with someone who wasn't her husband was sinful. In the case of the woman who was going to be stoned, Jesus was compassionate. He did not condemn her or punish her, He saved her from death! But He did not say.. "now go and keep living life as usual"

Repentance is hard to wrap your head around. It is not an easy thing to accept or commit to. In fact we will most likely fall short. But Jesus is our hope. He is our Great Encourager, Savior and Friend who says " If you drink the water in which I give you, you will never be thirsty again."

We can't walk away from sin on our own. We need the Lords strength and He promises to be there for us.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6

"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." - Psalm 18:2

Be encouraged.

Thanksgiving

I was inspired by the idea of thankfulness recently. Being thankful for what we have rather than what we do not have. All of us at some point in our childhood can remember a time when our parents said to us: "Be thankful for what you have, instead of worrying about what you don't have." I remember those words well. Growing up in a single-parent household I often focused on the "have-nots" rather than the "haves" As a kid I didn't realize exactly everything I had until I began to understand the loving comfort of God. Our great provider. Looking back now I can see how the Lord always provided for my family even when times were tough. There was always a way.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. Psalm 118: 1-18

I love this Psalm because of it's repetitiveness. I once heard that anything important is worth repeating. What more can we want than for a love that endures forever! What we sometimes forget to do is trust in God's love for us. It never fades! Even when I was saved by the Lord and committed my life to Him, I still screwed up. I still made mistakes.... I am far from perfect... but I held onto the truth that God's love endures forever! All I had to do in those hard moments was ask him to restore me and set me FREE from the pain and the burdens of sin.

I often think about people who have addictions. You are so consumed by sin that they forget there is a way out. When the enemy tells us that we are stuck, that we will never change and there is no quitting our bad habits ... we can be so blind to see that there is an answer.

jesus

Jesus dying on the cross was no simple thing. The more I heard it as a kid the more it became one of those things you just heard about in church. It held no real meaning to me until I understood.

When we think about sacrifice we are often reminded of the men and women who serve and have served in our military. When we think about how much they give up to protect our nation from harm it often brings tears to our eyes. When we hear about how some of them lose their lives serving overseas our heart breaks. And we are thankful for their sacrifices in-deb ted to the measures in which they have given in order to save us.

Jesus died on the cross so that we may never be put to death for the sins we have committed. He loved us so much that the thought of us spending an eternity in hell broke His heart.

How many of us would offer to take the place of a murderer on death row? How many of us would stand in the way of a gang fight with bullets flying? How many of us would take the place of someone who spent their lives lying and cheating others?

Jesus died so that we may live. He died so that we may ask for forgiveness. He died so that we didn't have to fear the darkness anymore. He died to bring us in the light. His love endures forever.

Being thankful for what we have can be difficult when we think about what we don't have. Yet, we as Christians know that we have Jesus. We are thankful everyday for his enduring love and his provision in our lives. But what about those who don't know Jesus? What about those who live their lives not knowing what there is to be thankful for.

During this season of thanks, let's help spread the word about God and His enduring love which he gives freely.

There is hope for the hopeful.

This is for you Mom

On Sunday My pastor talked about parents and the roles that they play in their children's lives. Here is what my mom means to me. Growing up people often told me that my mother was going to ruin my life. They said that her decisions were not sound, and that she lived in her own fantasy world not reality. What I remember about my mother is that she taught my brothers and I to believe that anything we imagined or dreamed could come true. She taught us that there was a loving God who loved us unconditionally. He was a God who would always provide for our needs. Some children today are not fortunate enough to have parents who encourage strong roots in faith. Some children go their whole lives without knowing or experiencing the sacrificial love of Jesus. When I was a freshman in college, I committed my life to Christ. I would have never have done that without the encouragement, and guidance of my mother. Instead of ruining my life … she led me to my Redeemer who saved me from an eternity in hell. It was not a popular decision. Jesus is often not a popular subject, and even though I was legally an adult my mother knew the importance of encouraging this choice, the choice to accept Jesus into my heart. I have made many mistakes throughout my life. Many of them were a result of not listening to my mother. Contrary to what people say, my mother always tried to steer my brothers and I away from things that were going to harm us, set us back, or cause us to neglect our true callings. She has been called many negative things. Here are three that stand out: crazy, obsessed and irrational. Now here is the truth. My mother is crazy about us. She loves to hold us, snuggle us and she never misses an opportunity to tell us we are beautiful, special and loved. She is obsessed. Along with devoting her life to us, she has never stopped supporting us. She has never missed a game, school play or important moment in our lives. She is irrational. She doesn’t think like everyone else. My mom is a dreamer. To her, any dream no matter how out of reach can be realized if we work hard to achieve it. Though she is currently unemployed, her bills always get paid on time and there is food on the table. She truly holds on to her faith in God as a Provider. She values faith rather than what the world says is rational. I confess that I resented her for many years. I can remember times when I was embarrassed by her and ashamed. I figured that everyone was right about her …she was always going to screw everything up. There was a time when I believed the opinions that others have said about her. Those hurtful, judgmental things that can literally break a person down, especially when they are the people who are supposed to be closest to us. As a single-parent, she did everything she could for her children. I can't even imagine how she did it. How she managed to provide again and again as best she could on a waitresses salary. Even though she was harsh on us sometimes, her loving heart always asked for our forgiveness. When she came down on us for something we had done, afterwards she would tearfully tell us that she loved us. She would say how sorry she was for hurting us and losing her temper. Today, I personally know people including parents who often lose their temper and don't even consider apologizing for their actions. It was through my mother's humbleness that I learned the importance of admitting when you make a mistake and taking responsibility for your actions. Since my mother committed herself to Jesus in 2004, she has asked forgiveness and the scars that once were so visible have now began to fade away. In the summer of 2009 my mother made another bold confession. She confessed that she needed help. She confessed that the pressures of economic despair, loneliness and personal defeat had taken a toll on her ability to cope. She admitted she was not perfect. Yet, even through that tremendously difficult time, people refused to understand her imperfections. People refused to accept her for who she is. Over the course of a year, I have married and moved out of the house my mother spent nearly her entire adult life sacrificing to keep. My youngest brother, who was taught how to play sports by my mother, is now living out his dream at a Division 1 college. Some people doubted that he would ever make it, while my mother continuously encouraged him even before he was ranked one of the top quarterbacks in the state of New Jersey. And she continues to support his goal of being a professional athlete even though some people say it is a one in a million chance. My other brother, the first grandson and nephew born into my family has struggled to find his way ever since he was a little boy. When everyone around him has given up on helping him or reaching out, declaring that he is lost. My mother continues to lend her helping hand. She has made some tough decisions, but she has never stopped caring, she has never stopped being there, like the father in the story of the prodigal son, she is waiting for him with her arms wide open. After heartbreaks, financial and personal setbacks, my mother has proven she is a survivor. She is the strongest person I know. Instead of giving up she continues to trust in the Lord with all her heart. Though she barely has much to call her own, she gives what she can to those in need. My mother doesn’t have a lot of friends. Her phone doesn’t ring off the hook with invitations to this or that. She spends most of her time taking care of our family dog and our 95 year-old uncle. Her faith is constant. Though she doesn’t know what the future holds, she holds on to that truth that God will provide. For me, my mother is easy to love. I hope that someday I am not afraid to stand up for my children as she has for hers. She has worked her whole life to make sure that the generational chains were broken. Though my brother’s and I are far apart we have not lost touch. No matter what has happened between us in the past, we have learned never to turn our backs on one another. Many criticize her for being to involved in our lives, but my mom is the glue. She holds us accountable when we are wrong and she keeps us from drifting apart as brothers and sister. When accountability is lacking in so many family units, when sides are often taken, my mother encourages unity and forgiveness. Mom I am proud of you. I am so thankful that you are my mother. You have taught me to stand up for myself and you give me the confidence to stay true to my beliefs when others have judged me. You are a beautiful daughter of God. A beautiful queen! I am so happy for how far you have come. Keep on going… I believe in your strength.