Luke 14:2-3

"And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" Luke 14:2-3.

Jesus never backed away from a task just because it flew in the face of contemporary convention. In this case the rabbinical interpretation of the Sabbath commandment was that absolutely no work could be done on the Sabbath. So, when presented with an afflicted man, Jesus asked whether it was right to heal him. This put the Pharisees in a box. If they said "yes", they would be contradicting their own teachings. If they answer "no", they would incur the wrath of the populace. Being good politicians (rather than good spiritual leaders), they did not answer at all.

Jesus healed the man. "So what?" you ask. "I can't heal someone. I don't even know if my prayers to God for healing work. I've prayed for this certain person and they got worse and died. Again I ask, so what?" It wasn't so much the healing that was important here. It was Jesus' example of obedience to God rather than man's interpretation of God. He bucked the flow. He swam upstream -- and He did it gracefully and perfectly.

You and I are often asked by God or one of His representatives to go against the flow. Most often we refuse. God may be pointing out something in your life that needs to be removed. Remove it. Don't argue. Don't buck. Do it! He may be asking you to go to the mission field -- or tell your neighbor about Jesus -- or change jobs from the lucrative one you have to one that is more fulfilling but lower paying. What ever it is -- no matter what others say -- if you are sure God is in it JUST DO IT! As Jesus found favor with the Father, so will you -- and you will be blessed on earth as well. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Jer 29:13-14

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive" Jer 29:13-14.

When kids are little, they liked to play "Hide and Seek." I'm sure you remember the game. The person who is "it" counts to one hundred while the others find hiding places where they will not be found. My kids hid in some of the weirdest places. One actually hid in the washing machine! (Not recommended). When it was one of their times to be "it" and I had the opportunity to hide, I made sure that I could be found, usually the next day. (Just kidding)

That is the way God is. Once He was hidden, but now He can be found. Sometimes one of the kids would have a hard time finding me even though I was really not well hidden. When this happened, I would begin to laugh, or make a noise, or in a worse case scenario I would hide in plain sight. I never wanted my kids to fear that I was gone for good. God wants us to know where He is at all times. Have you ever noticed that sometimes you tend to "trip over God?"

For example, you are on a diet, God ordained, of course, and you want to "cheat" just a little. Just as you reach for the refrigerator door, the phone rings and you have to answer it because the caller ID says it is your best friend. After a conversation with your best friend, you have forgotten about your insatiable hunger and get on with life. That is "tripping over God." I'm sure you have all heard of people who were about ready to commit suicide when someone knocked on the door (or some other action) and prevented the depressed person's demise. That is "tripping over God." Sometimes the car won't start when you are on your way somewhere. When you get it started, you notice an accident in an intersection you normally cross. It could have been you, if you hadn't been delayed. That is "tripping over God."

God is not hard to find, and it becomes easier to discover Him when you call upon Him. He steps out of the obvious hiding place and stands before you, so He can be "found" by you. And here is another thought: were you ever lost from God's point of view? Sure, we have been lost in sin, separated from God. But God always knew where we were. There is no forest dense enough, no mountain range remote enough, no planet far enough away but God is there with us, even when we deny Him. He is waiting patiently for us to realize that we have "lost" our way and cry out for Him to help us.

If you are reading this and you feel lost, ask for directions and God will be your guide back to His ways. Call on Him for He can be found. Amen and Amen.

Proverbs 14:22

"Do they not go astray who devise evil? But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good" Prov 14:22.

It happens to everyone sooner or later. Sometime, somewhere, someone crosses you. They may have betrayed you, stolen from you, lied to you. They may be a spouse, a best friend, a neighbor, a pastor, a teacher, a total stranger. The results are the same, you seethe with dislike verging on or spilling over into hatred. You seethe each time you think of them. You see a car that looks like theirs and your blood boils. You catch a glimpse of a head that looks like theirs and you turn the other way. You go ten blocks out of your way to avoid the very possibility of running into them. You even stop shopping at your favorite store because you know they frequent the same place.

You have become possessed by hatred.

A trusted counselor-friend tells you to forgive and forget, but you can't. Your doctor tells you,

you need to relax or you will suffer forever with ulcers. Your boss notices that your mind is not

on your work and has a long chat with you over a power lunch. That is always bad news. You snap at your children, you ignore your home. You pace around like a hungry tiger in a cage. Your nerves are ready to snap, and you have bit off more than one head in the last months.

You are a mess.

Who are you hurting? Is it the person who offended you? Hardly. Is it those around you, your family, your friends, your compatriots? Certainly. But most of all, you are destroying yourself. Your hatred is eating you alive, from the inside out. It is deeper than the ulcers; it is more than the thoughts buried in the recesses of your mind. The cancer that is destroying you is rooted in your very soul.

"Pastor Edwin, you are describing me. What can I do?" you may be asking. Solomon, who is much wiser than I, he says we should devise good. In this way we will find kindness and truth. Jesus said it another way, "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you." Luke 6:27-28

"I can't do that!" Sure you can, not of your own strength, but through "Christ who strengthens you!" It is time to put aside your hatred and do good to those who spitefully use you. In this way you will find peace. Praaaaise God, Amen and Amen.

Luke 14:1

"Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely" Luke 14:1.


Jesus never had a moment's peace. Everyone was watching Him. From the day He walked into the Jordan River to be baptized He took on celebrity status. The first year was wonderful. Everyone loved Him. The second was more trying. The third -- well let's say it would have driven a mortal man insane!


The people watched Him because He did exiting things -- and maybe, just maybe it would happen to them. People haven't changed much. We still like to think the good things will happen to us. They all hoped that Jesus would touch them, speak to them, heal them, deliver them. The Romans watched Him -- He just might challenge the power of Rome and they couldn't have that! As His popularity grew, their eyes grew more jaundiced. A large crowd could certainly mean trouble in an occupied country. But it was the religious leaders who
watched Him the most -- and trusted Him the least. He spoke with authority. The quoted the old teachers as though they were afraid to have an original thought! He fed the multitudes -- they only taxed them. He healed the sick -- they condemned them as sinners. He cast out demons. They thought that authority -- though seldom used -- was theirs alone. He raised the dead -- not that had to be 'the work of the devil. No human could do that -- not even the high priest -- the most holy of them all (or at least the most politically savvy.) Yes, they watched Him like a hawk watched a mouse play in the field. They waited for Him to get too far astray -- then they would swoop down on Him and do away with Him -- then their power would remain strong.


Jesus didn't seem to mind. He just did what the Son of God would do even if they didn't watch. He healed the sick -- even on the Sabbath! Didn't bother Him in the least. He raised the dead -- even the gentile dead. He cast out demons -- in the name of the Father. In short, He just did what Daddy said to do.


People are watching you. They want to see your faith in action. They want to see if you crack under pressure. They want to know if this Jesus you worship is real -- real in you. They are watching. How do you respond? Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Luke 9:29

"As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening" Luke 9:29.

Peter, James, and John saw the face of God - but they didn't know it. They saw it nearly every day for three years and didn't recognize the fact that they had seen God and LIVED! Only on the Mount of Transfiguration did they get a glimpse of whom they hung with on a daily basis - and then they totally misinterpreted the event! Peter wanted to build dwelling places for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. He wanted to live on the top of the mountain forever. It wasn't until the glory departed and the voice of God spoke that the dynamic trio realized they had been

in the presence of the Almighty.

It is easy to jump on Peter's foolishness. He is easy to pick on. "What were you thinking, Peter? Couldn't you have kept your mouth shut for one hour? I would love to have learned what Moses and Elijah were saying to the Master. But, no. You had to open your trap and

scare the Spirit of God away!"

Of course you see that the other two said nothing. They took no initiative at all. At least Peter tried to get the great prophets to stay a while longer. The others were too dumb founded to do anything. Have you ever wondered why no one ever says anything bad about James and John? Here they were, two fishermen on top of a mountain. They were tired and fell asleep only to

be awakened by the shining glory of God. And they said nothing! I can imagine these two fellows standing like statues with their mouths wide open, hands tensed in shock. It would be years before they would tell about this experience.

Before you get too smug in your criticism, put yourself in their position. What would you have done? Would you have sat "doe eyed" afraid to move for fear that the Light would attack you? Would you have shouted "Glory"? Would you have pulled a Peter act and tried to get the

Threesome to stay a while longer? It's hard to say what we would do because we weren't there.

I visited a large Baptist church a few years ago. Most Baptists are a bit modest in their appreciation of the preacher's words. Usually he has to ask for an "amen" before one is spoken. On this particular Sunday the pastor was doing a mighty nice job when from the right rear of the sanctuary a male voice shouted, "Amen!" While this church is not of the usual Baptist variety, I recognized that they were a bit uncomfortable with this gentleman's exuberance. How? I knew by the little bits of laughter that was sprinkled about the auditorium. They were embarrassed by this outburst - even though it did not seem to be an unusual occurrence because the pastor said something like, "Good to see you, John. I've missed you."

In short, we are no better than Peter, James, and John. We are not comfortable in the presence of the Almighty God of the universe. We shy away from His presence - or, like Peter, we don't know when to say our farewells - and we miss the experience of seeing the face of God - and living to tell about it. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Amos 5:5-6

"But do not seek Bethel, Nor enter Gilgal,Nor pass over to Beersheba; For Gilgal shallsurely go into captivity, And Bethel shall come to nothing. Seek the LORD and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, And devour it, With no one to quench it in Bethel" Amos 5:5-6.

So you've set out on the high road of the King. Things are rosy. The sun is shining. The view is breathtaking. The air is cool and clear. Life is good. That's the way it is the day after you receive Jesus as you Savior -- or you rededicate yourself to serving Him with all your life -- or revival has come to your heart. Life is good and you never want to go back to your old ways. Then, something happens. A storm cloud appears on the horizon. An old memory is stirred. A whiff of scent turns on the video of your past. A taste, a longing, a problem, whatever it is -- it turns your mind back to the old ways.

Now you stand at a crossroads. Do you go back to the old ways, use the old methods to solve problems, do the old things that brought temporary relief. Or, do you draw closer to the God who redeemed you and set you free?

Israel is at the same crossroad in this Amos passage, so Amos tells them like it is. "Draw nearer to God," he says, "so that you may continue living." Then he adds, "If you don't, destruction like you have never seen will be your portion." That is about as plain as it can get. Sometimes we need to have a line drawn in the sand in order to help us make up our minds. God is asking "Are you with Me or are you against Me? There is no middle ground. No straddling the fence. No safety zone. No gray area. Only black and white. You either go my way or you go your way. Take your pick." Sounds tough. It is tough. I am struggling with it. I suspect you are struggling with it -- and that is good. If we weren't struggling, we would have a 50/50 chance of being spiritually dead -- or near perfection! I don't fit either classification. Do you? Amen.

1 Kings 3:9

"Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" 1 Kings 3:9.


Discernment is an overlooked spiritual discipline in many churches. But in reality, spiritual discernment should be our first line of defense against deception. It's that "buzzer" inside, warning you that something is wrong. For example, you visit someone's home and everything appears in order. But you can cut the air with a knife. Even though nothing visible confirms it, your spirit detects that something is wrong in that home.


The first step to understanding discernment is to understand the motive which is essential for employing it. In 1 Kings 3:9, Israel's king Solomon cried out to God for help. God answers: "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart" (verses 11, 12). The motive for true discernment is never to promote self, to amass personal gain, or to secure an advantage over another person--even an enemy.


The Greek word for discernment--diakrino--simply means to make a judgment or a distinction. Discernment has one primary function: to distinguish right from wrong. In 1 Corinthians 12:10 discernment is the divinely enabled ability to distinguish a good spirit from a bad spirit. Discernment is not a function of the mind; it's a function of the Holy Spirit which is in union with your soul/spirit. When the Spirit sounds a warning, your mind may not be able to perceive what's wrong. Have the courage to acknowledge that something is wrong when your spirit is troubled. Share what you are sensing with others, and ask the Lord for wisdom. Amen and Amen.

Money or your life

Malachi 3:7-12; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21


Loving God, breath your Spirit upon us that we may receive Your Word afresh and anew. Take my lips and speak through them; take our minds and think through them; take our hearts and set them on fire. We ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.


Your Money or Your Life…sounds like something that comes from the lips of a robber, especially one from the days of highwaymen in England, when bandits were roaming the roads of England accost travelers with the words “Stand and Deliver – Your Money or Your Life.”



I on purpose use that title. A lot of people in our society asks as to why there is there so much emphasis on money in many of our churches in the world. In a certain church here in Hong Kong, there is even a sign that tells the people that it costs 40,000 Hong Kong Dollars every month to run it!


There can only be two possible answers to that question.


The first answer is that there is so much emphasis on money in so many Christian churches because those churches has a need for money.


Bills must be paid
Projects needs funding
Outreach Projects needing money
Salaries have to be paid
Building maintained
And so forth


So many of our Christian churches talk about money – so the churches can get more of it. And very often they talk about money in terms that would seem to be very similar to that of the British Highwaymen of the old days.


So lots of churches talk about money - so they can get more of it. And all too often they talk about it in terms that seem similar to that of theBritish Highwaymen of old. All too many churches seem to indicate by their preaching, by their Television appeals, and in their literature, that if you give them more money, you will live a blessed and long life, that God will love you even more; but if you do not well you will not be blessed - and that God will not love you.


Quite frankly that kind of talk turns me off - perhaps even more quickly than it turns you off.


It turns me off because it equates entry into the kingdom of heaven with giving money to this or that ministry, or to this or that church -- it turns me off because it equates the amount of love that you receive from God with the amount of money you give to God's work - and that, quite frankly, is a perversion of the gospel - the Gosel that tell us in no uncertain terms thatGod loves us unconditionally, that God's saving love towards us has nothing at all to do with how much we give or how much we do, that God's offer of a healing touch has nothing to do with our virtue or our sin.


But bills do have to be paid. The work of God does need the gifts that God has given us for that work. Quite frankly the work of God needs our wallets. And it always has. And that truth needs to be plainly spoken. The truth concerning tithing - the truth about giving God our first fruits- our best fruits.


Listen to these words from the third chapter of the Book of the prophet Malachi. Words written some three hundred years before Christ, time when the Land of Israel was suffering from drought and disaster, from povertyand parsimony: (3:7-12)


Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty.


"But you ask, 'How are we to return?'
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me."
But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'


"In your tithes and offerings. You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, " says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit, " says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,".


The problem with money in this church, or any church, could simply be solved if we all did what the bible says we should do which is to offer to God the full tithe, the first fruits, the unblemished portions, the cream of the crop - and did so routinely and without muttering or murmuring- about it. And that should be easy because the TV evangelists are right in one point as they plead and beg and make fancy offers of free gifts to get more of your dollars. God does bless those who give him his due.


That's the truth about money and the church, plainly spoken.


And once spoken I don't believe one should make a big fuss about it. It is enough surely to remind people of what it is God has done for them and will do for them - and to ask that they pray to God about what their commitment is for both their regular tithes - and should there be a need - their special offerings.


In the church we should practice what we preach - we should ask for "our daily bread" and then let go of the asking for the rest of the day, and trust that God will answer our prayer - that God will meet our needs..


Giving is, after all, between God and the giver. And so is receiving. Between God and the receiver.


It should be enough to tell the faithful what the need is and to let it go at that. It should be enough to occasionally remind people of what the biblical teaching on giving is and then go on to examine the other teachings of the bible without begging and pleading.


Unfortunately some churches spend a lot of time berating those who are faithful givers to give more and turning off those who are new believers in the Lord by focussing their efforts on getting more out of them - rather than encouraging them to a closer walk with Christ a walk which, in the end produce the fruit of a life that is totally committed to God.


So the first answer to the question - why is there so much emphasis on money is that in many churches and in many ministries - there is a real need for more money, or a real greed for more money.


In either case - need or greed - this kind of emphasis on money reflects a poverty of Spirit that is not of the kind indicated by the beatitudes. Itis not the poverty of humility and obedience, but the poverty of indifference and rebellion towards the Will of God.


The second answer is that there is a lot of emphasis or talk about money in the church because there is a lot of talk about money in the bible, especially in the gospels, where Jesus, it seems is constantly speaking to people both plainly and in parables about the dangers of wealth, or about how wealth - whether it be little - or much - needs to be used:

- The poor widow who gave her all to the temple treasury
- the vineyard owner who paid all his workers, even those hired last, the same wage,
- the rich young ruler who was told to sell all he had and follow Jesus,
- the steward who was forgiven a great debt, but refused to forgive a fellow servant a small debt,
- the sheep who share their food, clothing, homes, and time - versus the goats who do not,the list goes on and on -
- and includes today's gospel reading - where we heard the story which is normally titled "the parable of the rich fool", the story of one who saved and saved and saved for his future - only to die before that future could come.


You know how it goes it was just read a few minutes ago.


The beginning, or the set up, of the parable is however quite instructive to today's topic. A Man asks Jesus to tell his brother to divide thefamily inheritance with him.


Jesus responds to him with the words "who set me to be a judge or abritrator over you." And then he says to the crowd, to us, these words:


"Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life doesn't consist in the abundance of possessions."


Indeed this is the key to the talk about money in the bible.... The role it plays in our lives...And the role that it cannot play in our lives, no matter how much we might want it to, or how much the world tells us it can.


"Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life doesn't consist in the abundance of possessions."


Indeed it doesn't. But there are all kinds of greed.


Some is simple avarice - the kind of wanting more that will people to drive hundreds of miles and stand in line for hours to buy a Mark Six Lottery ticket. Or to work 14 hours a day so that you can get ahead - where enough is never enough.


Some is fear - the fear that leads people to stow away their wealth "for a rainy day" and never use it even when it does rain.


And some is just plain old idolatry - as Paul calls greed in today's reading from The Letter to The Colossians. The idolatry that regards money and what it can do for oneself and ones family as more important than what it can do to help bring about Shalom - the time of peace.


You know what I am talking about don't you?


The idolatry that we see in those who will not hesitate to spend 400 or 500 or 600 dollars for a dinner out with the family each week, but who chock on the idea of giving a tenth of that sum each week to the work of God.


The idolatry that sees people who will cheerfully buy their children designer clothing and running shoes at well over a $10,000 at a time, but who refuses to share with the hungry and starving in the world because they think or know that the agency who conveys the gift, the government who administers it, or the people who receive it in the end, will spend the money on everything but the essentials.


The idolatry that sees people who will keep the best portion for themselves and give the leftovers to those who beg at the door.


Those whose idea of making a sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel is to attend church on Sunday morning rather than to go shopping.

Those whose idea of making an important offering to the Lord is to buy five new shirts and give the old discarded one to the bargain basement or the Salvation Army rather than putting them in the trash.


Why is there an emphasis on money in so many churches? Well there are at least two possible answers. One is not so good - and the other - well it is the gospel truth.


There is, in all churches worthy of the name of Christ, the same emphasison money as there is in his teachings.


Money and our attitude concerning who deserves it and who doesn't is a barometer of our spiritual health and insight. Money and how we use it and how we feel about it is symbolic of where we are at.


That is one of the purposes of the teaching concerning offering our firstfruits to God and giving to God a tithe, be it 5% or 10% or even 20% of all that we earn. It reveals who we are and what we believe though I must hasten to point out that there is many a good tither, many a good giver, who give out of a sense of duty - rather than out of a love and trust in God.


Still, all in all, whether or not we freely offer the cream of our crops, the best of what we have, to God is a test of our faith - of where we are at. It does not win us salvation. It does not bring to us the love of God. But it does show us where our hearts are... what we really believe or what we really desire.


Hear once again our Lord. Ponder the message that he is speaking to you this day when he says:


Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life doesn't consist in the abundance of possessions. And consider where you would be in relationship to the Lord - and to all the world - should this very night your soul be required of you. And do from that mediation - what it is God is calling you to do, and do it faith and trust and in joy, knowing that whatever it is it is of God - and God is good.

Blessed be the name of God, day by day. Amen

Luke 8:48

"And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace." Luke 8:48.


There's just something about a touch -- both given and received. Note the next time you are in the presence ofa newborn baby. Everyone wants to touch it. Men will rub the soft cheeks with the back of a finger. Women will touch the child with the front of a finger. All make comments about how soft the newborn skin is. That feel is the closest to perfection man will ever know on earth! We all like to be touched. The human touch is more than a contact, it is an emotional link.


The woman in today's verse was no different. All she wanted to do was touch Jesus. She didn't want to talk to Him. She didn't want to shake His hand. She didn't even want Him to know she did it. All she wanted was to touch the hem of His garment! The unusual thing about this was that she was an "unclean" woman, shunned by society. She had been sick for years. Everyone knew her. Everyone stayed away from her. If they had realized she was there, she could have been stoned to death for her social infraction. Still she persisted. She pressed her way through the potentially hostile crowd. She finally reached the back side of Jesus, reached down, and touched Him. Her intention was to slip away silently, but Jesus stopped. "Who touched me?" He asked. In that crowd, many people touched Him. They were all grabbing for Him.


But this touch was different. It was not a greedy touch. It was not a pushing touch. It was a touch of faith. Who touched Him? Who could tell? But He knew. He wanted to talk to the individual. Shyly, fearfully, the little, sick woman stepped forward. "I touched you, sir." "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." Her faith --because she said "If only I could touch the hem of His garment." Her faith -- to fight the crowd. Her faith --that Jesus could do something for her. Her faith -- had made her well.


How about you. Do you need a touch from Jesus? Are you one of those who are reaching just to get a touch of the hand. Are you one of those who are bumping into Him? Or are you willing to just get a touch of that dirty, grimy, grass stained hem of His garment. Is your touch greed? Or is it a touch of faith. Jesus knows the difference. Let your faith make you whole! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Luke 9:61

"Lord, I will follow you but..." Luke 9:61.


Are you a conditional Christian? Yes Lord, I will obey you so long as you allow me to use my own common sense. Lord, I will obey just don't ask me to take a step out into the dark. Lord, I would like to tithe, but just give me enough money to do it. Lord, I would like to obey you , but That kind of obedience God doesn't need. He will ask you to take a step of faith, and then a leap of faith. How else can He prove His love for you?


The problem is, that is exactly what Jesus demands from us. He wants our trust to be in Him and Him only. He wants that same reckless sporting spirit of leaping out in faith, that natural man exhibits without Him. There is no other way that He is able to use us, to the extent that He intends, unless we are willing to risk everything. Doggedly we cling to our old habits and intellects. We want to measure and weigh all that He asks of us, and sometimes He will allow us to do that. But by enlarge, we know what he wants us to do and there is no reason not to it except that we do not take Him at His word. You will find that when you do, it will fit as solidly as your common sense and you will be awestruck at the outcome. The alternative is that we remain too earthly bound to be of any heavenly good. Amen and Amen.

Luke 13:33

"So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:33.

There was a sign outside a local church. It said, "Free trip to Heaven. Details inside." I saw this sign and had varying thoughts about it. My first thought was "evangelistic aren't they?"

My second thought was "no, not really. The details should be carried by each member to the interested persons." That would make them evangelistic. Jesus never intended for the details of His grace to be locked up in a brick building with a cross on it.

Then I thought "Free? You've got to be kidding!" Yes, grace is free. God's mercy is free. But salvation? That's not free." -- and salvation is what is being offered as the ticket to Heaven.

So how expensive is salvation? It cost Jesus His life. It cost Paul a lucrative career in the Jewish services. It cost many early Christians a trip to an arena full of hungry lions.

So what does it cost, this "Free" salvation. Jesus says it in today's verse, "no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions." That "Free trip to Heaven" seems a little expensive -- but it is well worth it if you have any foresight at all! Amen.

Luke 9:13

"But He said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people." Luke 9:13.

"You give them something to eat!" What was Jesus thinking? He was the one with the power. He was the one who claimed to have been there at creation. How could 12 men possibly do anything with this crowd?

"You give them something to eat!" What did He mean? Give them something to eat? What? A quick search revealed five small loaves of bread -- personal size -- more like biscuits really. Oh, there were the fish. Two little dried fish. A feast for a little boy. An insult to a multitude like this.

"You give them something to eat!" Something? Oh, we'll give them something. Let's send them all home. Sure, some of them may faint from hunger, but that's their fault. Coming into the wilderness with no food! How ridiculous! I don't suppose they have any water either. Let them drink from the lake. We have nothing to give. What we do have is a little boy's lunch. At least his mother was thinking! Go ahead, Jesus. Send them away. "You give them something to eat!" Do you think you can do any better, Jesus? Go ahead. Give it a try. What's that? Tell them to sit down in small groups. OK. You're the boss. You say you want the bread? Are you going to eat it in front of them? How tacky! Get some baskets? Yeah, sure. Oh there they are. Yes, we have 12 of them. So what?

"You give them something to eat!" Oh. Sure, we must pray before this meal! Let's all bow our heads and enjoy our crumb! . . . . . . . . . . . . Wow! John, did you see that? He broke a chunk off that loaf and . . . . and . . . . and it's still whole! And the chunk is a whole loaf too! Amazing! What's that? Oh, pass the baskets around to all the crowd? Sure.

"You give them something to eat!" Hey! Can you do that with the fish, too? You can? WOW!!!!! Look at that would you! He can. I told you he could, James. Thomas, why did you ever doubt? I knew He could do it! Yeah, I really did. Don't you remember me telling you He could? You don't? Well I did. . . . . . sorta . . . . . . .well in my mind I did. . . . . . . . OK! It surprised me too!

"You give them something to eat!" What do you have in your hand? Give it to Jesus. He can take it -- no matter how small or how insignificant or how humble -- and make it feed your multitudes. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Micah 6:8

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8.


"Yes, we have sinned. How can we make up for all that we have done? We could bring sacrifices, but they can never wash away sins. All our religion can never save us. Even if we sacrificed our own children, that would not cleanse us. We know what God wants us to do: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before our God." How true this is! God does not want extravagant gifts and sacrifices; He wants our hearts.


There are things required in life. To drive a car, you must have a driver's license. To teach in a public school you need a teaching certificate. These things are required so that a person may "do"something, or "be" something. To be a follower of God, there are requirements. Fear God, not as the "Great Punisher in the Sky, "but rather with a reverence for who and what He is! We can begin to see Him in His creation. To walk in His ways is to order your life, your walk, according to His Word, which must be regularly read in order for you to know Him more fully. And as you begin to know Him more fully, you grow in affection for Him. And this ultimately leads to the desire to serve Him. To know Him, to love Him, to serve Him. Is that your desire? Today draw near, read His Word and prayto Him. It is His desire you should. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Romans 11:17

"And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree" Romans 11:17.


The way I understand it is that a person who wants a good apple tree does not start from seed. Instead, they choose a root stock of one variety and the main stock from another. In this way, they develop a varietyof apple that has the characteristics of both. Roses are the same way. If you plant a hybrid rose, you will note a large knot at the base of the stem just above the root. That is the graft where the flowering stem was attached to the sturdy root.


Paul tells us that some of the branches of Israel were broken off (the ten lost tribes) and that the gentiles (that's most of us) who accepted Jesus as their Messiah, their Lord and Savior, were grafted into the main branch. Any such graft begins immediately to enjoy the benefits of the root -- all the nutrients, all the water, all the stability the root has to offer belongs to the new branch as well as the old.


You and I have all the benefits of the natural born Jew. We have all the prophecies, all the blessings -- and all the curses if we do not obey God. (You can't pick andchoose what you want from the Old Testament. It's not a menu, it's a book of blessings and curses.) Of course, we do have one advantage. Because we came to God through Jesus, the law has been fulfilled for us. It is no longer binding. (Don't get me wrong. We can't willfully disobeythe law because Jesus restated most of it in His teachings. The only exception is the command to obey the Sabbath. That command is not repeated in the New Testament.) Because the law is no longer binding, we do not haveto be bound to it. We are free from that task master. We are free to love God and obey Him without fear of offending Him with our sinful condition.


So we're home free. Right? Wrong. Paul continue to remind us that what was grafted in can be cut off! Why? If the new branch does not bear good fruit, there is no reason for it to exist -- just like a natural branch that does not bear fruit. The end result is that we need to be about our Father's business -- the business of winning souls to Jesus -- the business of baptizing -- the business of discipling -- the business of bearing good fruit. If we aren't doing that, we run the risk of being chopped off by the Master Gardner and cast into the fire! Amen and Amen.

John 15:2

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit" John 15:2.

If every plant has roots, then most plants have branches. There's an interesting thing about branches. They produce fruit. Now don't mistake the word fruit for "fruit". Some trees do produce delectable fruit that is beautiful to the eye and delicious to the tongue. Other trees produce nuts while still others produce fruit that is inedible and perhaps even poisonous. The word "fruit" is simply defined as a necessary seed bearing part of a plant.

Let's ponder the true fruit trees for today. Let us imagine for a moment that we have a cherry tree in our back yard. It's not much of a tree, and the fruit isn't much to look at or eat, but it is a cherry tree -- an ancient one at that. If I really wanted good fruit from that tree, I would begin to cut out the dead wood that abounds in it. Then during the beginning of the fruiting season, I would examine each branch for small, developing fruit. If a branch did not have fruit, I would cut it off. If I really wanted the biggest, best, juiciest cherries, I would look for deformed fruit and cut it off. I would remove all but the biggest cherries from each clump of cherries. All of this pruning would assure me that the remaining fruit would receive all the nurturing the tree could give. The result would be prize winning cherries! (At least that's the theory.)

The Lord has to do the same thing with us. You see, we are spiritual trees. It is our purpose on earth to produce fruit. There are many fruits we need to produce. We could start with the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians. We could move on to the most important fruit -- SOULS! Our lives ought to be of such quality that our lost neighbors, co-workers, family, and friends want nothing less than what we have! Unfortunately, we all have "branches" in our lives that are not bearing good fruit. It may be an unholy anger, or lust, or drunkenness, or thievery, or lying, or -- and the list goes on. All of these branches are in need of removal. Our Father knows just what branches to prune and when to prune them -- you see, not all bad things can be removed at once. It would destroy the life in us. It is important to let Him do the pruning -- especially in the lives of others. In our lives, we will find that He will point out those areas in need of pruning and ask us to voluntarily remove them. If we continually refuse, the our Lord will do it for us -- but the pain will be much more intense.

So the question for today is this: "Do you have some branches in need of removal?" If the answer is "yes", I suggest that you set about doing it as the Lord directs. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Small matters

II Kings 5:1-14; Luke 10:1-11,16-20

Loving God, by the power of your Holy Spirit help me to speak and us to hear your living word. On your people pour your power and grant that each one of us may be touched and moved in the way you want us to go. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen

I call today's sermon "small matters" because the texts for today speak to
us about small and insignificant things.

In the first reading we hear about a miracle of healing that occurs in a
most unexpected place, in the River Jordan- which is not much more than a muddy creek along much of it's course, a river unlike the great rivers that Naaman, the commander of the armies of Aram, was familiar with.

And in the Gospel reading we hear about the disciples of Christ - who are
few in the face of much need - and who are commissioned to go into the
world - into the harvest that God has prepared - like lambs in the midst of
wolves: and to carry with them none of those things that people normally
rely upon as they travel - no purse, no bag, no sandals - and to proclaim
peace to all who will accept it - peace, and healing, and the nearness of
the Kingdom of God.

The story of Naaman's healing is one of my favourite bible stories. As I
read it this week I asked myself, what I would want to hear if I was in the
congregation? What's the good news?

I think the good news here is found in the solution of the story.

Naaman has a problem, leprosy, one of the most dreaded diseases of the
ancient world, and he needs a solution, he needs a healing. That's something that every one of us can all relate to.

Naaman seeks his solution and, by the grace of God, he finds his solution.
All he has to do is "Do it".

All he has to do is to humble himself and to recognize that his great
problem can be taken care of: taken care of in a simple act of obedience within a small and insignificant river.

As you know, Naaman resists this idea.

Naaman believes that his healing should come from the prophet Elisha
himself. That Elisha should come out of his house and stand before him and call on the name of God and wave his hands over his leprous spots and so heal him.

Naaman is much like us.

He has a hard time grasping that the small things - the seemingly unimportant things are the things that God most often uses to accomplish great things.

And he has a hard time grasping that solutions - especially divine solutions - are most often wrapped up in obedience - obedience in what are seemingly small matters.

I can think of people who have gone to their doctor after a heart attack
and have been told to walk for 30 or so minutes each day. It's a small
thing (relatively speaking) but many don't do it.

Diet change is another one. The solution is there. And it's up to us to obey. But many don't.

In these people, and indeed in my own life when I have been confronted with a large problem, I can hear a bit of Naaman saying,

"I want the cure, but I don't want to be part of it. Elisha is
supposed to care of things for me. I should only have to show up
and be healed."

Naaman is told that his healing will be found in washing seven times in a
muddy river and he tramps off in a rage because he wants - and expects -
the solution to be something different, something more dramatic, something more special, something that is more proportional to who he his and to what is problem is.

How close Naaman came to walking away from the cure!

Fortunately, his servants loved him enough to confront him and counsel him with loving reason,

"If it had been a great thing that had cost a lot of money,
"if it had required a long journey,
"if it had required some heroic effort,
you would have done it..."

And Naaman responds to this reasoning, he listens to his servants.

I wonder what it must have been like for Naaman after the first dunk in the Jordan?

And after the second, third, fourth, and nothing had happened...

I wonder if Naaman began to doubt.

Fifth. Still no healing.
Sixth. Nothing.

I wonder if he said, with mud dripping off his hair: "Let's get this over with. Yuck!" or "What's the use!"

Yet he persevered - he immersed himself the seventh time - and lo - the
blessing came!

Obedience. And then the blessing! That's usually the way God works.

We don't earn the blessing. But are granted the blessing when we surrender our wills in obedience to His will.

When we earnestly seek a solution to our problems,
God is faithful and will supply a solution.

If we choose to be obedient to that solution, our problem will be taken care of. And more. Because not only is Naaman cured physically, but his soul is healed too. He knows afterward not only is there a prophet in Samaria, but that there is a living God in Israel.

When we are obedient to God's solution, even though God's solutions appear guised as small matters, the results end up to be more than we wanted, more even than we could have hoped for.

Small matters matter - especially when those matters are God directed and we are obedient in them.

As for the gospel reading - well, small matters there as well.

In the case of the gospel reading it is the disciples themselves who are
small. Small in the face of the task that Christ assigns them - the task
of being ones who go into the abundantly populated fields of God and
bringing in the harvest.

Like Naaman the disciples are told to do something that seems foolish.
They are told to perform their tasks with absolutely none of the support
that folk normally have when they set forth on a journey or go out to
harvest an earthly crop.

No purse containing a change of clothing or tools to make the job easier,
no bag containing food to sustain them as they labour, no sandals to
protect their feet from the rocks of the roadways or the hot sands of the
wilderness.

They are told to rely only upon the welcome of those who will receive their greeting of peace and to shake off the dust from their feet against those will not and go on to the next place.

Indeed they are told not even to rejoice in the powers that God will give
them as they go forth:
the power to heal - the power to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the powers of evil, but to rejoice only that their names are written in heaven.

In short they are told to rely on nothing familiar to them, but to rely
only upon what God will provide for them through men and women of peace as they proclaim the message concerning the nearness of the kingdom of God.

"The harvest is plentiful - but the labourers are few" says Jesus.
"Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into
his harvest field."

And then - his command and his statement of what things will be like....

"Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves."

Isn't it like that for us today?

We are constantly told by people both within the church and those outside it that we are few in number and that the need around us is great; greater
than our ability to address it.

How can we build up our church here - with so few of us - and with so many of us just wanting to be in our comfort zone during our day off.

How can we even make the regular budget to pay the rent and all the other bills of this church.

How can we touch the community with God's love when the worldly forces around us are so strong and so opposed to that love.

How can we speak to our neighbours of God's peace and perform healings and announce the coming of the Kingdom of God - when we have so few resources and when the kingdom itself seems so small in comparison to the greed, to the injustice, to the evil, of this world.

Indeed, how can we do anything for God - for Christ - when we are ourselves are so small, so uncertain - and at times so divided among ourselves?

But we are commanded to go. To go with nothing but the word of peace and the promise that we will be looked after.

Like Naaman, like the disciples, we are confronted with a big problem - a
big task, and as with them the solution that has been proposed to us requires of us two things: - to abandon our ideas of what the solution should look like - and to wash ourselves in the cleansing waters of humble obedience, in those same waters in which Naaman was immersed and Jesus himself was baptised.

I don't know what all your special and individual problems may be
All I know is that most of us, like Naaman, have one.

I don't know all the difficulties that each of you face as individuals.

I do know, however, what the problem of our world is: - I do know that every home needs the peace of God to come upon it, - and that every nation needs the kingdom of God to draw close to it, - and that, indeed there is a huge task - a huge harvest - waiting for the servants of God - out there....

And I do know from the story of Naaman, and from the story of the sending out of the 72 disciples, and from so many other passages of holy scripture - that the answer to our problems is most likely already before us, - and that it is most likely bears a humble form, - and requires of us nothing more than a humble submission, a humble obedience.

In our finances - which so often look desperate, the Word has long told us that if we give a 10th of what we have to God, that the windows of heaven will be opened and our land, our crops, our families, will be richly blessed. How many of us do give a 10th of what we have to God, and I am not only talking about financial offerings, but our time as well. How many hours are there in a week, and how much time do we give to God in a week to do His work?

In our longing for peace of mind and a sense of hope and wholeness, the Word has long told us that if in everything we make our requests known to God with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving; and if we but meditate on those things that are worthy, those things that are good, beautiful, and true, that the peace of God which passes all understanding will keep us safe in the knowledge and love of God.

In our desire to have our burdens lightened or removed altogether, the word has long told us that if we but offer to Christ our burdens and take upon ourselves his burden, his cross, that we will have rest.

Small matters - with big consequences; big consequences for those who
accept the word - who accept the solution - and who do what it asks.

Naaman's servants went to him and said,

"My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

What is it that you need to do today?

What have you put off doing because it seemed too simple, too small, too
silly to do?

What act of humble obedience do you need to perform so that you might claim what God is offering to you, and through you - to your family, your
neighbours - and indeed to your world?

Is it as simple as remembering to pray each day? To pray as Christ told his disciples to pray - for more workers for the harvest? Or to pray for the peace of those homes which you enter - and to accept that which those who receive your greeting of peace offer to you without question, and without seeking more?

Does it require you to abandon your reliance on the small but needful matters of life? - your home, your bank account, your job skills, your knowledge of the ways of the world? And to trust instead in God to do what he has promised to do even as you dip for the fourth, or the fifth, or even the sixth time into the muddy waters of a spiritual Jordan?

The solution is not out there somewhere in a place where you have to look for it. Rather the word - the solution is here - it is already in your
hearts - and upon your lips, that is the word of faith that we are
proclaiming, the word God wants you to believe and act upon so that peace may come upon your household and healing may be done in our community.

All in all today - the scriptures speak to us of today of small matters -
with big consequences.

It is up to us to receive the word - or not.

It is my prayer, and it is the prayer of Christ and of the whole church -
that you may indeed receive the word of peace, and be ones who live by it
in trust and humble obedience.

Blessed be God, day by day. Amen

1 Pet 1:17-19

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowingthat you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot"1 Pet 1:17-19


So you say you are a Christian. You claim to be a child ofthe King. You believe that God is in control of your life.If this is so, you should be walking judiciously in this world.

"Walking what?" Judiciously -- you know, circumspectly. "Circumwhatly?" Circumspectly, you know with great caution. "Oh, why didn't you say so. Uh, what do you mean and why do you mean it?"

Glad you asked -- I thought you never would! George Barna, noted Christian analyst, has found that Christians, for the most part, are hardly distinguishable from non-Christians in their lifestyle. We want the same things -- and more of them. We work the same jobs. We drive the same cars. We live in the same neighborhoods. Our divorce rate is identical to the world's. Our giving patterns are hardly greater than those of non-believers. In short, under the looking glass of reality, we differ little from the world we live in. Yet, we claim to be a different people - - a peculiar people -- offering a life that brings hope to a frustrated and lost soul. How can this be? Why are we not really different?

Peter says that we who are believers should conduct ourselves with "fear" during the time of our life on earth. There are several things of note here. First, we should live in "fear"? Certainly -- oh, I'm sorry, let's define fear.

In this case, fear is the healthy respect or Reverence for God. So we can safely say that fear is not that "hide under the mattress the devil is after me" type of fear. It is the "I'm in the presence of the God who has the power of life and death over me" type of fear. The first brings destruction. The second brings a sense of awe.

Second, "during our stay". This indicates that we are not permanent residents of earth. We are just visitors. If weare not going to stay on earth, that means that we are residents of another place. Where is that? Heaven. We are here as God's ambassadors -- His representatives. We should be busy doing His work -- and we should be careful to live our lives to faithfully represent Him and His interests. We are not here to enjoy ourselves, to indulge ourselves, or to enrich ourselves. We are here to fulfill the mission God has given us. Our time here is short. We must be busy doing the work of the Kingdom.

Think on these things today. See if they don't hold true. Ask if you are living as a citizen of earth -- or the Kingdom. Examine your life and answer faithfully and truthfully. You may be surprised at the answers. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Matthew 17:20

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" Matthew 17:20.

I remember reading years ago in Reader's Digest about a company who glued a mustard seed to a brochure that was advertising the product they were manufacturing. Beneath the mustard seed they had words to the effect that: "If you have faith as much as a grain of mustard seed in our product, it will produce profound results for you."

Some months later a customer wrote back to the company saying, "You will be interested to know that I planted your mustard seed and it has already grown into a very robust plant bearing healthy tomatoes!"

There's a fine line between faith and presumption. Every one of us has mountains in our lives that can only be removed by strong faith and a lot of hard work. That mountain may be a bad habit, an addiction, a resentment, or a toxic addictive person in your life who is destroying you.

We know it is God's will for us to deal with and overcome these mountains.

Sometimes, however, we want to do something for our own ends, and to justify it we say it is God's will, or God is leading me, or God told me to do such and such. When we do this, it is not faith but presumption.

True, we need faith to do what God wants us to do, but we need to be certain that our faith is in the right seed!

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, sometimes I feel like Thomas who said, 'Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief.' And please help me to know the difference between faith and presumption. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

Ephesians 4:31

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior" Ephesians 4:31.

Dwight L. Moody, the famous evangelist, was once told by an irate church lady, "Mr. Moody, I don't like the way you do your evangelism."

In reply, Mr. Moody said, "I don't necessarily like all of it either, but it's the best way I know how. Tell me, how do you do it?"

"Oh, I don't," was the reply.

"Well," said Moody, "I like the way I'm doing it better than the way you're not doing it."

It's always easy to know what to do when we don't have to do the job, and very easy to criticize others when we're not doing the work ourselves.

Some time ago when I was a member of a large group and things weren't going too well, I was asked what I thought about the situation and what could be done to improve things. I said I didn't feel I had the right to criticize unless I was prepared to do something about it. I was,

however, prepared to help, and with several of us working together things greatly improved.

In this instance as in most other instances, criticism without offering help would have only made matters worse and caused greater dissension among group members--something that happens to be detestable to God! So, if we're not willing to put our shoulder to the wheel and help, let's not stir up dissension through negative criticism.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be positive in all that I say and do and not have a negative, critical attitude when I am not prepared to do anything to bring about creative and helpful change. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name,

amen."

1 Pet 1:13

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind,be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" 1 Pet 1:13.

Do you want to win? Do you really want to win? Then you must train. No boxer will enter the ring without proper training. It would be suicide. So with us, if we want to win the important battles, we must train.


Fortunately, Peter gives us a training schedule -- the things that need to be worked on the most if we expect to win. First, gird yourself for action. This involves putting on the proper garments -- We need to be wearingthe full armor of God. We must prepare our minds with the weapon of our warfare -- the Word of God. We mustallow it to flood our thoughts so that we may fight effectively with our best weapon.


Second, keep sober in spirit. This doesn't mean that we can't have fun. It means that while we go through our lives, we need to keep alert. Like a soldier on the field of battle, we must keep our spiritual eyes always open --always looking this way and that for sneak attacks from the enemy.


Third, fix your hope completely on the grace of Jesus. There is nothing more important than realizing that the battle is ours. No matter how out numbered, how under powered, how grim the vision is, our hope and our faithis to be in Jesus Christ. If we will keep that in mind at all times, we shall remain strong in Him. And thebattle will be ours -- we will WIN!


You say you have no vision of grace? Sure you do. Itwas given to you the day you accepted Jesus as your Savior. Remember it? Remember how clean and fresh you felt that day? It is still there. Look to it. Attachyour hope to it. It is a lifeline that you will never consume -- it will always be there. Follow these threesteps and victory is assured. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Rev 2:10

"Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil isabout to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulationten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" Rev 2:10.

This verse starts with an ominous tone: "Do not fear whatyou are about to suffer." That's kind of like the doctor who walks into the room saying "Now, I don't want you to worry, but . . ." Sure. Don't worry. Don't fear. OK. Let'sget this over with. What am I about to suffer.


Remember that Jesus suffered. At the end of 40 days of fasting, He suffered serious temptation. At the hands of the religious leaders of the day, He suffered ridicule. Finally, in order to pay the penalty for the sins of allmankind, He was beaten, abused, stripped naked, nailed to a cross, and died. Our Lord knows a bit about suffering. Not too many of us have suffered to that extent. Also remember that our heavenly Father is keeping His eye on us -- not to pry, but to protect.


So, He knows what we are about to suffer. What is it?" Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days." The question is: "ARE WE READY?" If this word were spoken directly to you, what would you say? "Hey, I'm outta here. Suffering was not in the contract!" OR "Well, I suppose the devil is ok. After all, God created everything -- including satan -- so I'll just make friends with him. Perhaps he will go easy on me." OR " Come on, satan. I've been looking for you and I'm ready."


"What's that?" you say. "Thrown in jail? What for?Testing? Hey, I graduated from college years ago. I don't need any more tests." Perhaps you have already read the last part of the text, "ten days". "Oh, that's ok. I can surely endure prison for 10 days!" STOP! In the scriptures, 10 is a number of judgment and trial and tribulation. In this case, 10 days means the trial will last a while, but the time is predetermined. Itwill not go on forever. That's supposed to be an encouraging word -- IT WON'T LAST FOREVER! And it fits whatever you are going through right now. IT WON'T LAST FOREVER!


"Be faithful until death, and I will give you thecrown of life." Jesus encourages us with these words --be faithful. I think we can do that -- ONE DAY AT A TIME. Be faithful until death -- some of the Smyrnan believers would die in their prison cells. Some would die from the persecution. But they could be faithful. As an incentive, Jesus promises the faithful a crown of life! So we are faithful a day at a time until we finally die. Then wetrade our fleshly tents in for a crown of ETERNAL LIFE! What a trade! The perishable for the imperishable. Thesick for the whole. The dying for the ever living. I'll take it! How about you? Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Eccl 2:11

"Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun" Eccl 2:11.


Solomon was an amazing man. As a young leader, he renounced gold and power in favor of wisdom when God offered him a choice. He chose wisdom so he could lead his nation in right paths. He thus became the wisest man ever to live. In the process, he was granted both wealth and power. And what did he do with it? Read the bookof Ecclesiastes and you will certainly have your eyes opened! He squandered it all in search of pleasure. He had more wives than any man could enjoy. He topped that with concubines to serve his every wish. He amassed great wealth and spent it upon himself. He built beautiful cities as monuments to himself. He spread his influence around the known world -- to draw attention to himself. All of this and more did he do -- in order to please himself.


Near the end of his life, he penned the words to this revealing book. Multiple times he repeats some variation of today's verse. "All was vanity." There was no profit in it. It served no lasting purpose. After all. Where are all of Solomon's buildings? In ruins. And his military accomplishments? In dust. His great wealth? Gone with the wind. Even the majestic Temple he built as a dwelling place for God was destroyed, smashed to bits, plundered, and hauled away by Israel's enemies. In the end, Solomon realizes that all earthly things are"vanity". The only thing that lasts is what a person does for God. Serve God. Live for Him. Spend all the energy you have in His service and you will be building up great treasures --not on earth, but in Heaven where it really counts! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

John 10:10

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill,and to destroy. I have come that they may have life,and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10.


Many people have security systems for their houses, or alarms for their cars. They know they have something of value. And they also know that there are thieves loose in the world who are likely to want the valuable possessions they have. While this is true for material possessions, so many men do not have a security system for their emotional and spiritual lives. Part of the reason is that they don't know they are valuable to God. And another part of the reason is that they don't know that a thief is loose in the world who wants to steal, destroy, and kill everything of value that they possess.


You can put bars on the windows of your house...You can put an alarm system on your car that will cause sirens to sound and lights to flash on and off... You can put video cameras and silent alarms in your store... You can put padlocks on your bicycle or on trucks filled with things you hold to be valuable... You can put your most prized possessions in sealed vaults with highly sophisticated security systems...But are you putting something in and on and around yourself to guard your precious emotional and spiritual life from the ravages of the thief who wants to steal from you your very life? Amen and Amen.

Psalm 103:13-14

"As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust" Psalm 103:13-14.


Wouldn't it be a scary thing if our God was not compassionate? Could you imagine the fear we would live in if our God were mean like the false gods? You borrow a penny from your wife's purse without her knowing. Is it stealing? Will God strike you with lightning -- or worse yet -- a lingering fatal illness? You say an angry, hateful thing to your mother. Do you duck for fear of some celestial punishment? Talking about living in fear, that would do it.


Fortunately our God had great compassion on those of us who have a healthy fear of Him. That fear is a healthy respect for, not a breath wrong and you die type of fear. Because of this great love, we live in peace knowing that forgiveness is always available should we sin.


Unfortunately, many of us have forgotten that God can be a severe judge. We take for granted that He will love us no matter what. We have not seen an Ananias and Saphira type of incident in our churches lately. So what is there to fear. We can neither see God nor feel Him nor hear Him with an audible voice. This all gives rise to the question "Does he really exist? And even if He does, is He really interested in what I do?" Sure, we never really ask those questions. But we all too often live like we did. Think about it. What do you really think about God? Who is He really? What is your real relationship with Him? Do you really know Him? Do you really care about what He says? I urge you to honestly answer these questions. If you do, you may be surprised about how much you have to grow in your spiritual life. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

"Repaint and Thin no more"

I Timothy 6:6-19; Psalm 91; Luke 16:16-31

Lord of light – shine upon us.  God of love fill our hearts with your wisdom.  Holy Spirit, bring yourself closer to
us in my words and how we hear them, in our thoughts and how we think them.  Use this time – and uses us to
accomplish your good will.  Amen.

The life we are having in this world is not all that there is to it – there is a lot more to come, and what is to come is
based on – to a very large extent to what we do here and now – it is basically based on the kind of foundation
that we are building for ourselves with the help of God.

The two Scripture readings we heard this morning speaks of the future life and of what lies beyond this mortal
coil of ours.  And the Scripture readings do so in a most solemn manner – one with the story of Lazarus and the
rich man, the other one with a reminder to us of what it is we should all be about, what we should be doing in
this life.

Reading from Timothy – 

As for you – pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.  Fight the good fight of the
faith – take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called…

And again –

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the
uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everyone for our enjoyment.  They are to do
 good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a
good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

Pursue righteousness – godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.  Set your hops on God rather than riches.
Do good, share with each other.

Very simple instructions – ones in fact contained in the Law and the Prophets.  Yet how often in our daily lives do
we really go about building the foundation of our future using these set of instructions?  

Let us all take into consideration the story of Lazarus and the Rich man for a moment – 

Lazarus, a poor beggar – ends up in heaven, while the Rich man – ends up in hell.

Do you know what happened?  What is all seems to come down to is that the rich man failed to share even the
crumbs that fell from his table with the beggar who was laying right at his gate during his lifetime – the Rich man
failed to have any compassion for his neighbour.

The Law and the Prophets tell us to feed the hungry.  We are to look after the widows and the orphans.  We are
to do justice to those who are foreigners and the strangers in where we are living in.  We are to take car of those
who are suffering.  We are to love God and to we are to love our neighbour as ourselves.

The Rich man probably knew what he was supposed to do.  He probably obeyed most of the Law and the
Prophets, but for some reason or other, the beggar at his gates did not seem to be worthy of his attention.  For
some reason or other the beggar was not even worthy to be given the leftovers of his feast.  How about us?

Do we ever notice the poor people who are in our community?  Do we ever notice the suffering of some of the
people in our community?  Do we ever notice the hardship of the orphans and widows?  Do we do justice to
those who are foreigners and strangers here in our community?

As we eat our fast food meals, as we go out to nice restaurants and watch television shows like “Lifestyles of the
Rich and Famous”.  As some of us may be dreaming of winning the great Mark Six lottery prize or some other
lotteries so that we might become even richer – do we spare a thought – let alone a few crumbs – a few dollars
– to help those who se sores are fill of puss – whose bellies know little but dirty water and the odd bit of bread
that others may from time to time have provided for them?

I heard recently a story of a Texan who, after a whole lifetime of striving, finally struck I struck it rich in oil.  The
first thing he did was to take a trip to Dallas and got himself an outfit that he has been dreaming for all his life
– boots, spurs, a 10 gallon hat, together with all the trimmings – including a nice big Cadillac with a set of Texas
Longhorn horns mounted on the front end of the car.  No sooner had he got home from his trip to Dallas, he had
a heart attack and died.  His wife, knowing of her late husband’s new found pride and joy, decided that the only
appropriate thing for her to do is to have him bury with his new finery.  Accordingly a concrete vault was
prepared, and a large crane was hired for the occasion.  With his hat, his boots, and all the trimmings, the body
was placed behind the wheel of the Cadillac.  As the crane lifted the car and began lowering the Cadillac with his
body in it into the vault, a friend of the deceased nudged someone standing close by and said “Man, that is living.”

I am afraid that there are many people in the world who think that way.  They think that life is all about living
affluently.  They think that living is all about having a DVD player and a television, a nice car and a nice apartment
or house, not to mention a nice funeral when it is time to go.  

But that, my dear sisters and brothers in Christ, that is not living, that is dying.

Andrew Carnegie, who amassed a fortune of over 400 million dollars, ended up giving away 99.5% of his fortune
away.  When interviewed as to the reason for his doing so, he said – “The man, who dies rich, dies in disgrace.”

The bible seems to give us an indication that only does the rich man died in disgrace, but he also ended up in hell.
While the very people that the rich man very likely despised during his lifetime, the poor beggars of our society,
the welfare cases that a lot of people only talked about but never lift a finger to help, the millions of children
around the world who die each year for lack of basic sanitation and a lack of food, all ended up in heaven.

What do think are riches worth in the very end of our lives?  Riches that have not been shared with the needy?  

Some of you here sitting here in church this morning are probably thinking – “this teaching of Jesus does not apply
to me.  I am not rich.  I only earn very little money every month.  I do not have sumptuous feasts or live in a big
mansion.”  However, please allow me to remind you, wealth is a relative thing – and I dare say to you that most
of us sitting here are rich beyond measure when you compared yourself to 90% of the world’s population, and
not doing too bad if you compared yourself to about 40% of people in Hong Kong or in your own country.

What good will all that does to us in the end?  Unless we are first rich, as Paul so puts it in verses 18 and 19 of
today’s Epistle reading, and unless we are rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, and thus have stored
up for ourselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future.

Some people may say that this is a hard teaching, and I do not doubt that at all, for it is.  However, again using
the words of the Apostle Paul, it is the way to take hold of the life that really is life.

Jesus, in another passage in the Scriptures tells us that a rich man is as likely to get into heaven as it is for a camel
to get through the eye of a needle.

Some interpreters of the Bible say that what Jesus was referring to in this particular passage was an ancient gate
that went through the walls of Jerusalem and into the city.  This gate so we understand was so small, that anyone
wanted to pass through with his camel will have to first get off the camel, unload his camel, and then have to have
the camel kneel down and basically go through the gate by repeated crouching down and rising up movements.  
There are interpreters who rejected the idea of there ever being such a gate in existence.  However, the message
to us is very clear, whether this gate existed or not, you cannot be so attached to your possessions, to your wealth
and your pride and your position in life, and hope to be able to enter the Kingdom of God.  You rather have them
put aside, you rather that you give them away, you rather that you get down from your high place and in an
attitude of humility, then walk through the gate.

There are many people in this world who would love to be able to have their hunger satisfied with what falls from
our table.  And there will be come a time when we will all be reduced to being equal with all those people

A time of dying

A time of judgment

Although the mercy of Christ is there for those who will seek it, but personally I doubt whether it is going to do us
much good, if we do not prepare ourselves during this lifetime, if we have not laid a good foundation for ourselves,
a foundation that is based on the love of God and the love of our neighbours.  I am talking of all our neighbours,
not just the ones whom we think as being worthy of our love.

A deacon of a church went out one day to paint his house.  He purchased five gallons of white paint and began
the job.  As he got to the third side of the house, he notice that he was running out of paint, so he added some
turpentine to the remainder of the paint and kept on painting.  On the final side of the house, he noticed that he
was again running out of paint, so he added a bit more turpentine and succeeded in finishing off painting.  After
the paint dried, he noticed that the last two sides of the house were streaky, the whole thing looked awful.  Being
a religious man, he bowed his head in prayer, and asked God what he should do.  A voice came from heaven and
said to him – REPAINT AND THIN NO MORE.

This is also the message of Christ for us.  He calls us on us to repent and sin no more.  We are called by Christ
to repent of our selfishness, of our lack of caring for those who do not fit our concept of deserving, of our
tendency to pass judgment in such a way that we can justify ignoring those who are outside our gates.

Where does the Grace of God fit into all that I have talk about today?

It is in the very fact that all of us can enter the Kingdom of God, and this is the will of God for each and every
one of us.

As Paul wrote in his epistle:

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the
uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Set your hope
in God, and build a good foundation for the future, by using what God has given for our enjoyment to increase
the enjoyment of others.  Visit those who are sick.  Cloth those who are naked.  Feed those who are hungry. 
Give a cup of cold water to those who thirst.  And bless God’s name for the fact that God has made it possible
for you to show His love and His grace to those who are in such deep need for it.

The rich man also died and was buried.  In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw
Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.  He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.”  But Abraham
said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received  your many good things, and Lazarus in like manner
evil things; but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  Besides all this, between you and us a great
chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from
there to us.  The rich man then said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house – for I have five
brothers – that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.”  Abraham replied –
“They have Moses and the prophets, they should listen to them.”  The rich man said, “No father Abraham, but if
someone should rise from the dead, they will repent.”  Abraham said to him – “If they do not listen to Moses and
the prophets, neither will they be convince even if someone rises from the dead.”

Listen my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, to Moses and the Prophets.  Their message is the same as that of
the one who rose from the dead.  Listen – do what they have told us to do, and thereby build a good foundation
for the future.

Blessed be God – day by day.  Amen.

Gal 6:2-3

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks him self to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself? Gal 6:2-3.

After his eventful day of murder and mayhem, Cain asked God if he was his brothers keeper. Some centuries later a popular musical hit of the 60's stated "he's not heavy. He's my brother." There is a lot of history in between those two events. The most significant moment in time between them was the life and death of Jesus Christ. It is he who brought about the change from "no" to "yes" (from the human stand-point) to the brother's keeper question. For He taught that we should bear one another's burdens. He said we should love our neighbors. When asked who our neighbor was, He replied "whoever is in need."

By bearing each other's burdens, we fulfill the "law of Christ." What law is that? Try this one on for size. "Love your neighbor as yourself." Or, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Can you imagine what our world would be like if we would only "bear on another's burden?" Who would sell drugs on that dark corner? Who would rape the first girl he saw? Who would commit murder? Who would rob or steal? Would you dare lie to a brother who's burden you were carrying? Would you cheat on your wife or husband? Of course not! You are to bear their burden, not make them heavier. Just in case you think you might be above this command, Paul tells us the man who thinks he is something when in actuality he is just a little, frail human like the rest of us, is deceived -- not by satan, but by his own thoughts. This means that none of us are so high and mighty that we can forget about our brother or sister in their need.

Truthfully, the person who has the most should be willing to help the most. Don't get me wrong. I do not advocate socialism in any way. What I do suggest is that we willingly share out of our bounty with those who are in want. This type of generosity cannot be legislated through taxes. Nor can it be commanded by "generosity police." It only comes through the firm belief that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and that He alone gives us the love we need to be generous. Granted, there are those who have an innate goodness without Jesus, but they are the exception, not the rule. And even then, they are most likely to have a Christian background. Let's take the opportunity this week to develop a bit of generosity. Instead of looking down on the poor, let us help to lift them up. Instead of shunning the "ugly," let's find the "beauty" in them. Instead of hoarding our meager wealth, let's give it away! I can guarantee that there is no way you will ever out give God. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.

Psalm 103:12

"As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us" Psalm 103:12.

Something strange happens when we are forgiven. Though God forgets, we don't forgive ourselves. How often we think about our past sins. How frequently we pray, "God, I've sinned the same thing again!" All we are saying is that we haven't forgiven ourselves. We still have our eyes set upon our past. Don't get me wrong. It is not bad to look at the past. We must learn from our mistakes. We must realize how we got into the mess that caused us to "fall" into sin. If we don't, we are condemned to continually repeat our sins. The truth is that we must remember our past, but in remembering, we must grow beyond it.

The thing that is wrong is dwelling upon the sins of the past -- continually feeling condemned because of those sins. After all, when you are forgiven, YOU ARE FORGIVEN! Get that? The psalmist says that God removes our sins "as far as the east is from the west". Think about it. Can you ever go so far east that there is no longer an east before us? Absolutely not! We can never come "full circle" and become reattached to our sins. Can't be done. Our problem is that we cling to them. Perhaps they are a crutch we think will help us hobble into God's ways. Maybe we hold to them as a lifeline -- thinking that if this "God thing" doesn't work out that we can follow that line back to the old ways. We might even think that we need to punish ourselves by pondering what we were, constantly whipping our spiritual selves so that we can be forgiven. We may even think that we can straddle the fence and live a bit in both worlds. WE CAN'T!

It is time to realize that when God forgives us, we need to forgive ourselves and quit dragging up those sins. It is time that we understand that when we ask to be forgiven, the guilt is gone. Any further guilt we fell is not conviction which leads us to reconciliation with God, but is condemnation which comes to us from satan and leads to eternal damnation.

If you've sinned, ask God to forgive knowing that He will. Then move on into the future knowing that God is your right hand, your strength, your salvation. All things past are forgiven. All things are made new. This day is like God's grace. It is new, fresh, and clean just waiting for us to make it into a good day! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.