Precious in His Sight!

I just got home from a benefit dinner. The theme was Precious in His Sight. A friend asked if our church’s praise band would sing for the dinner and if I would play instrumental piano music at the beginning of the dinner. It was absolutely the most posh-posh thing I’ve attended in years. The plates were $100 a piece. And there was a silent auction and much money was raised. We had a great time singing. The speakers were very good and the food was amazing. I was so thrilled to be a part of helping my friend and her family raise money to bring home at least 2 children from Ethopia to join their already medium size family.

You see they have three of their own children, then they’ve worked in foster care for more than 20 years, and adopted three of their foster kids (all special needs), their second daughter was in a very serious car accident about five years ago and now she has special needs. You would think, “Don’t they already have enough on their plate? Why do they want more?” But for my friend and her husband, when they see children who don’t have anyone who loves them personally; when they see children who don’t have just the basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, never-mind the sense of belonging to a family … they just feel like they could do more. So they are stepping out in faith to do just that … to do more.

James 1:27

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

A lot of statistics were thrown out tonight but there’s just one that I’d like to share with you. Do you realize that if just 7% of the people who say that they are Christians would adopt one child that we wouldn’t have any orphans in the world? With all of the verses there are in the Bible directly telling us to care for orphans it would seem that we would take a deeper interest in either adopting a child ourselves or in helping someone else adopt, or in helping at an orphanage or funding an orphanage. Oh, I know, there’s all kinds of reasons why I can’t adopt, or why I can’t help, or even why I don’t have any money to give. But I’m wondering, am I really willing to do whatever it takes to follow God in obedience? Am I looking to see what would really please His heart or am I consumed with what will please my heart? Please take the time to read these verses and see if God might be speaking to you, I know He spoke to me.

1 John 3:16-18

¹⁶This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. ¹⁷If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? ¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Job 31:17-23

¹⁷ if I have kept my bread to myself,
not sharing it with the fatherless-

¹⁸ but from my youth I reared him as would a father,
and from my birth I guided the widow- …

²¹ if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
knowing that I had influence in court,

²² then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
let it be broken off at the joint.

²³ For I dreaded destruction from God,
and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.

Isaiah 1:15-18

¹⁵ When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;

¹⁶ wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,

¹⁷ learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed. ^a]">[a]
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

¹⁸ "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

Matthew 18:5, 6

⁵"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. ⁶But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Matthew 25:31-46

³¹"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

⁴¹"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

⁴⁴"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

⁴⁵"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

⁴⁶"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

If you are driving ... with the flow of traffic ...

If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it fall … does it make a sound?

If you are driving … with the flow of traffic … and there is no police officer with a radar gun to detect speeding … has a traffic violation occurred? What if you were not paying attention and seriously just driving with the flow of traffic … and not passing anyone … and not driving recklessly? What if your insurance really was current but you forgot to print out the new one? Do you still have to go to court and show the judge the current one? … The answer is yes, yes, yes, yes, and ... sigh ... Yes! … Sigh …

There is actually a reason why there are signs everywhere posting the speed limit. (It is usually completely legal to drive LESS than the limit … but it rarely happens.)

It doesn’t really matter whether or not I agree with the posted speed limits, or whether or not I completely understand why they were posted, why I have to obey them, or even how they work; I’m still responsible … if I’m driving … to obey them.

God set up rules in the garden. Don’t eat from that tree. Period. What happened next was just sad … sirens flashing-ly heart pounding-ly sad. Because in that one moment everything rushed up in clear focus … this was going to be very sad.

God set up other rules just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. … (When everything is going well for you) … be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Fear the Lord your God, serve Him only and take your oaths in His name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the lord your God who is among you, is a jealous God and His anger will burn against you, and He will destroy you from the face of the land. Do not test the Lord your God … be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees He has given you. Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the Lord promised on oath to your forefathers, thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said. Deuteronomy 6

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?

Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hand on these two commandments. Matthew 22:36,37

I stood in line at the courthouse for about 20 minutes and everyone had a reason, excuse, complaint, whatever, it didn’t change what was going on. We were all there to see the judge. We all of us were there to either pay the fine and do the time or beg for mercy. I prayed with a young lady who was seriously scared about having to talk to the judge. Hers was not a simple matter of $112 speeding ticket.

Guess what? We’re all in the same boat. We are all of us going to see the judge. We’re all of us standing in line … in the time life line … and it’s just a matter of time before we’re going to see the judge.

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. … So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Who then is the faithful and wise servant …? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Matthew 24:36-51

Under The Mango Tree by Barbara Chadwick

Under the mango tree sounds delicious - a gathering place to share warmth, sunshine, idleness and laughter. We're lulled by our comfort and our fun. We sit in the shade and watch the world go by.

Angie sat under the mango tree with a sick little girl, rubbing her back. A group of Islam worshipers began to gather near by. Some men put up a pole and attached a light bulb to it. Soon the people began to prostrate themselves facing the pole, chanting.

The little girl's family had called for the witch doctor. He came and began to chant. He asked for a coin. He made it disappear then reappear. He broke some glass and ate it. As he performed tricks he watched blond headed Angie carefully, almost as if the spirit within him knew of the spirit within her. Angie began to sing, "This Little Light Of Mine."

He told the people he wanted to talk to her so they brought him over to her. After trying to engage her in conversation he said he wanted a piece of her hair. She said, "no." Her host family was astounded that she would deny the witch doctor but something within her said emphatically "NO!"

Help us, Lord not to be under the spell of this idea - "under the mango tree" and lulled by our comfort and our fun. Help us to be like Angie and deny the sinister and evil darkness of the world. Open our eyes, Lord, to see those in darkness around us and let Your light shine in us. Make us willing to listen to the brokenhearted and let Your love flow through us. Put words of truth and grace on our lips. Lead us to sit with those who need comfort and may the touch of Your hands be felt through ours.

Risking Your Life

The phrase "risking your life" is usually about something that could cost you your life. In Mark 5:21-43 Jairus decides to risk his "life" his daughter, his reputation, his everything to find "life" for himself and his family in Jesus. Who or what are you willing to risk for yourself and your family?

This is a little play that I wrote describing some of the emotions that my family has experienced over the years when faced with similar circumstances. I gave Jairus' wife and daughter names so that the story would flow more freely. I hope that your reading of this will cause you to desire to risk your "life" and pursue Jesus with all that you have.

v Abigail: source of joy

v Jairus: whom God enlightens

v Jairus’ Daughter (Zippora-Little bird) is Dying

Abigail: Jairus go to Him. Just go and ask.

Jairus: It’s not that simple! I’m a leader of the Synagogue.

Abigail: Why is it always about the Synagogue? Why is it always about rules, laws, regulations? Why can’t you just do something for once that’s just about your daughter?

Jairus: Stop it! I love her as much as you do. Woman, give me some time to consider how to approach this without all your hammering on me!

Doctor leaves the girl’s room and comes into the main room: Jairus, Abigail, … I’ve done all I can do. She doesn’t have much longer. I’m so … so sorry.

Jairus: How can that be? She’s too young … to die. Surely you have some other medicine that will work? What about that new medicine, it’s an herb of some kind, everyone’s using it …?

Doctor shakes his head: she’s too weak for that now. Besides everyone who uses it gets sicker before they get better … and she’s … (voice fades off)

Abigail has been watching the entire conversation … biting her lip … biting her hand. With a wild look at Jairus, she asks the Doctor: What about Jesus? What if we asked Him to heal her?

Doctor: I have heard many good reports about Him. And the people who are brought to Him are genuinely healed. He’s not faking it. But Zipporah is too sick to go to Him.

Abigail: Yes, but what if we send for Him. Jairus, if ever there was a time to put your position of influence to work … surely you love your daughter enough to risk your reputation? Please! PLEASE … just ask. All He can say is … Oh God, … please just go!

Jairus: (emotions of anger, fear, frustration, flitter across his face. Finally, settling on panic) He’s not someone you just send for. He’s not a servant, or a slave that you can order around.

Doctor: Jairus, if you want to try and speak with Him, I’ve heard that He’s speaking over near the olive hill. But if you’re going to go … you’d better hurry.

Jairus glances back towards his daughter’s room then runs out the door and down the street.