Shalom, welcome
to October 11th
><//>--------------------Thought for the Day
How good a mentor am I? When I bring new members to a gathering of believers, do I feel that my responsibility has ended? Or do I make it my job to stay with them until they have either become good members of the body of Christ, or have found another mentor? If they don’t show up for a gathering, do I say to myself: “Well they’ve had it put up to them, so if they don’t want it, there’s nothing more I can do? Or do I look them up and find
out whether there is a reason for their absence. Do I go out of my way to find out if there is anything more I can do to help?
Am I good mentor?
><//>--------------------Meditation for the Day
Shame and Distress
See, My children, that even in distress, the first step in Praise. Before you cry in your distress, bless the Lord; even when troubles seem to overwhelm you.
That is My Divine order of approach. Observe this always. In the greatest distress, search until you find cause for thankfulness. Then bless and thank.
You have thus established a line of communications between yourself and Me. Along that line let your cry of distress follow.
Thus you will find I do My part, and deliverance will be sure. Oh! The gladness of heart. Lightened you will be, the burden rolled away, as the result of looking to Me.
The shame and distress will be lifted too. That is always the second step. First right with Me, and then you will be righted too in the eyes of men.
><//>--------------------Prayer for the Day
Father, we pray that we may see something good in every person, even one I dislike, and that I may let You develop the good in that person. Amen
A Disciple's Reflections: Loving
Through Messiah
Then he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a
watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from
them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away
empty handed. And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. Then he
sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. He had still one other, a
beloved son.
Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir; come,
let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner
of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture: 'The stone that
the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'?" When they realized that he had
told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.
Mark 12:1-12
Beloved, there's a big difference between 'owning the place' and 'acting' like we own the place.
In this thinly veiled, scathing parable, Jesus attacks those most responsible for managing the good gifts of God, the religious leaders.
They stand in a long line of history of those who have rejected God, God's will, and God's ambassadors. They have perverted the faith into a
self-serving edifice of power and privilege. Soon they would finish the parable by inciting the Passover crowd into crucifying an innocent man.
To the surprise of many, this very same conditions also applies to many who
have been the keepers of the church throughout the years.
Human beings aren't built to own the place. We're created to be stewards, managers of God's good gifts. We live best when we realize
that life isn't about us. We receive God's gifts most deeply only when we give them away. We find ourselves most comfortable within the great
mysteries of life – like pluralism, diversity and tragedy – when we adopt a position of acceptance and trust.
When we get the idea that we own the place, the demons are unleashed. Pride, arrogance, hypocrisy and greed are only a few of our worst
character defects that spill out into the lives of those around us.
Why does God let it happen? Why does God allow the tenants to abuse Him so? Why not kick out the tenants after they turn away the first
servant? Why send a Son to his death? These remain the great questions and their answers the great mysteries of God's
precious love.
It is easy, and obvious, for us to read this parable and see in it the ongoing violence in the Middle East or Northern Ireland. We can read
into it the murderous chaos of Islamic fundamentalist terrorists. We can look back at a sordid history of colonialism and the violent
conquest of native peoples. In every age, we will find the ruins of those who believed they were doing God's will even as they rejected
God's ways.
The religious leaders recognized that Jesus was pointing his finger at them. But even then, their fear of the crowds overwhelmed their
illusionary quest for the truth. Not only did they not recognize Jesus, they didn't recognize that God was loving them through Jesus.
Those of us who "...walk according to the spirit" will often experience the
same rejection as Jesus did and still do to this day.
My first
church experience was a charismatic one where the pastor had the very best
of
intentions to help people. Unfortunately, he believed in his heart
that it was his church and when Jesus showed up in some believers to shake
things up a little and offer have a word of correction, this pastor would have the troublemaker persecuted and
forced out of the church. He had no idea that the Lord Jesus was
loving Him and helping him through His chosen servants.
Precious, let us not be found in this offense, nor let us not be afraid to
love and be rejected. It is part and parcel of our calling. Not
only is this true in our ministries, but in our personal lives as well. Oh,
the grand inheritance for we who hold fast.
Let us pray: Dear Lord, how many ways are there for us to reject you?
How many times have we looked at our faith as privilege rather than responsibility? Yet
You, who refuse to let us go, continue to be merciful to us. You are the owner,
Your will be done. In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Shall We Choose Light
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." –
John 8:12
Beloved, this is one of the most exciting of all the promises that comes
to us directly from the mouth of the Lord. Consider it carefully
before we make decisions that might cost us the loss of this great
supernatural gift that we can use even in this life here and now.
It's so simple I can hardly believe it, but there it is nonetheless with
all its great value before our very eyes. It simply states that when
we follow the teaching and the council of Messiah we will never be in a
state of confusion over the events in our lives. It states that we
will have a light that makes clear our way, clear the word of God, and
most of all a light the makes clear the will of God for each of us with
assurance that breeds a powerful faith indeed.
This begs the question: who could ever prefer the ways of the world and
miss out on such a great, eternal, and most precious gift? So many
believers will be found to have made this very same lesser choice. Let us
be found to have chosen the Lord's way – the way of great value and permanence.
Your Comments
Our Discussion Board:
http://www.believershope.com/discus
Please have a blessed day, be hopeful, be encouraged, and know you are not
alone.
“God Calling” compiled by A. J. Russell.
"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" Hazelton – adapted.
Kerry & Barry write Loving Through Messiah.
Barry Gray writes Shall We A Disciple’s Reflections & Choose Light.
