What's Going On Here?

I updated this post to make it more clear to those that aren't familiar with the setting.

Her master paced agitatedly just on the outskirts of the crowd, thought better of it, then ducked behind a sycamore tree, hoping to see but not be seen. ‘Why did the scribes and Pharisees have to pick on her of all people? Why couldn’t they have chosen some worthless scum like, like well, Marta, for example. She is old and bent over and no one wants to spend a night with her anymore anyways: might as well put her out on the streets.’

He peered around the tree, why is everyone so quiet? ‘I thought they would be stoning her by now and she would be screaming out and sobbing for mercy…What in the world? He is stooping down writing on the ground? What an odd rabbi.’

He tugged at his jet black beard agitatedly. ‘Something is definitely going on here that is strange.’ He inched a little closer, careful to keep concealed behind the billowing robes of the onlookers.

John and all the rest were edging away from the girl they had dragged in. They knew she committed adultery but now they were slinking off like beaten pups. The master was feeling increasingly uneasy. ‘Does that rabbi know what goes on under cover of darkness? Does he know how sinful these scribes and Pharisees really are?’

Suddenly he felt guilty also and found himself scurrying down the street, heedless of the other men also slinking away, heedless of the stares.

Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. Reach out to Him.

John 8:3-11
The Story Behind the Story
In Jesus' time the scribes and Pharisees  had a lot of clout. They were the religious leaders and forced the people to adhere to the law, their laws in the tiniest of details.

 They liked to stand on street corners loudly praying, but in their hearts where no one could see, but Jesus, they were proud and cruel, and sinners like everyone else. It rankled them that Jesus, who was kind and merciful spoke so strongly against them. This is just one incident where they tried to trap Jesus into breaking a law that would get Him into serious trouble, but since He know their hearts, they were the ones that turned away feeling guilty. 

Healing Love

There is magic in the tenderness

Of a love that sweetly heals
Like a caressing touch it's beauty
O'er my trembling spirit steals.

When my soul lies bruised and crying
Torn by the lash of sin
Love's healing touch is like a balm
That soothes the pain within.

Like the sunlight bursting from the sky
Melting the cold, cold snow,
So healing love's pure magic
Dispels my pain and woe.

Marilyn Friesen

Do you know what I am talking about? Have you experienced it?

Do You Want to go to Heaven?

Have you ever asked someone if they wanted to go to Heaven and they replied, “Nope, I am not interested. “ If there is such a fellow, or gal, I’d like to have a little chat with them. I’m curious to know why they had formed such an opinion.

For the majority of us, though, I think we instinctively  are longing for a Better Place after this life is over.  Life has been difficult for most of us at one time or another, and for some it has been down right rotten.

Someone said “hope springs eternal in the human breast.” I can’t remember who to attribute those words to, but they are such a classic quote they will not soon be forgotten. I believe it is a God-given longing to hope for something better after this life.

And there is, something better that is. There are a few requirements of course. We have to admit that we are sinners and Jesus died to cleanse us from our sins.

It’s a high, narrow road, this climb to Heaven, so better make sure the right things are in our backpacks so that they don’t drag us down. Worse yet, if the load shifts, we might be knocked clear off the cliff.

Okay, what are some of the things that we oughtn’t to care along with us? Well there’s offendedness and unforgiveness to name a couple. God had taken them away when we first came to Him, but we do have a way of picking them up, again, you know.

Everyone has their own ‘sins that easily besets them’ as the Bible says, and they do vary from time to time. Sometimes they want to cling like barnacles to the inside of the knapsack, let Jesus help you clean them out, you don’t need them.

Some don’t want to go there if their pets won’t be waiting on “Yonder Shore’ for them.  Why make a decision based on that? You don’t know for sure whether they will or won’t be, so commit that to Christ, also.

Some of us are easily distracted by the attractions of this world, getting rich or famous, having fun, being fit, well you name it. All of that is great, well to a certain extent, but don’t let it cloud our vision.

I really truly believe that Heaven will be far, far better than the most imaginative of us can ever picture.  Let’s get there.

P.S. I almost forgot something really important. We don't have to go around with an empty backpack, Jesus gives us some lightweight stuff to carry along with us that's really wonderful,  Love, Joy and Peace to name a few. 

Enjoy your spiritual journey. 

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Take It All if You Must

As President Davids held the dead infant in his arms, unshed tears burned his eyes. He was too heartsick to find relief through weeping. Fleetingly he wished for the blessed fellowship he had once known with his Savior and dearest friend, but the thought didn’t last. I am too far gone to be ever restored into his favor, he sadly admitted.

The last two years had been fraught with agony. Something he rarely admitted, was been offended at God for taking his first wife, darling Anita.  Since praying wasn’t easy in that state of mind, he got to spending his spare time doing other things, going to movies, elite bars,  prestigious churches, anywhere where he might find someone who would remind him of Anita, not that he realized it.

He found someone, alright, and there was a strong mutual attraction right from “Hello, my name is…and you are,”

“Of course I know who you are, “Bethany giggled. “Everyone knows the President!"

They laughed companionably together, but she did have a way of making it obvious that there was a ring on her finger.  They talked about her absentee husband, and Davids could sense her dismay that he had been unable to attend yet another social function.  It didn’t take long to note that her husband, Mr. Douglas, was a conscientious man who put work before leisure; one whose sole mission in life was to eradicate all the drug trade in the capital city.

President Davids drew his thoughts back to the present and handed the baby to his weeping wife, who, as usual refused to look at him. 

The gossip mongers had had a hey-day smearing rumors, and sometimes even the truth of his sins over the front pages of their cheap magazines. He bitterly admitted that he deserved the world’s scorn. Oh that Bethany’s beautiful name hadn’t been coupled with his in their disgrace.    

  .

Oh, if only I hadn’t forsaken God. Oh, if only I wouldn’t have wooed Bethany, knowing full well how vulnerable she was in her lonely estate. Oh, if only I wouldn’t have sentenced a noble man to sure death by suggesting that he be involved in the sting that caused him to be murdered. I knew, I knew how the drug lords recognized and hated him. I knew…Oh why go on.

 He sent another covert look his wife’s way.  At least she agreed to marry him after Jim’s funeral, but of course not nearly soon enough to hide the ugly truth. The baby came far too soon to have been legitimately his.

The agony was too heavy to bear. A broken man, President Davids collapsed to his knees beside the open grave while the mourners looked on.

“Have mercy on me, oh God”, He groaned, as the tears streamed down his cheeks. “I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies. Take the presidency from me, let the world mock and scorn, let even Bethany reject me, but, please, please forgive me. Against thee my Lord and Savior have I sinned. In thy mercy thou hast taken our darling son although it is so hard to bear. He would have never received the respect and recognition he deserves because of our sins.  All I ask is to be restored to thy favor. If I must be stripped of fame and fortune, so be it.  You are all I I long for."

As he buried his face in his hands, he was unaware of the softening hearts all around him. He was aware, however, when Bethany knelt beside him and shared his grief and tears of repentance.

Based on the Biblical story of King David and Bathsheba.

Unexpected Advice

Sometimes God gives us unexpected advice. Like this morning hubby said something that I did not appreciate. It was true enough, sure, but not what I wanted to hear. I was so irked that I knew it was important to flee to the 'closet of prayer' before I let something slip that shouldn't be said.

Then do you know what? God also gave me unexpected advice! He said "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise." Do you think I was in the mood to do that? No sir!  But I started by thanking Him for all the times He had helped us in the past, and so on.

So did that 'bugged' feeling vanish like a balloon in the sunset sky? Well, no, not quite, but it sure wasn't bad enough to make me snap at the one I love most on earth. And you know what? I even felt kind of happy.

So that's my sermon for today!

Oops! Wrong Food!

What do little boys do when they’re hungry? Why, find food, of course! And that’s what “Billy’ did to. Only problem is, he looked in the wrong place, and it got him into a lot more trouble than he had bargained for. Church was over, but all the Mommy’s and Daddy’s were attending some sort of a council meeting afterwards, and the little folks weren't allowed to be with them. Well, as time went on Billy and his friends were getting more and more hungry so they started looking around and they found something to eat! No, it wasn’t pop and potato chips, but it would do in a pinch! There was lots of fresh, yummy bread,( or something!) and what’s this drink? They weren't sure what to make of it, but drank (lots) anyways.  

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I will leave it to your imagination just how impressed those grownups were when they discovered those sadly intoxicated youngsters, and they were punished severely.

Linda also associated church with severe disapproval and punishment. This was a place where the ‘sisters’ were always glaring at the small fry as they filed timidly in, and Linda was sure she was guilty of some unnamed sin. On top of that they had to stare at that image of a Dead Man all the time. What good was a dead god? As time went on Linda began to think he wasn’t much good for anything and she began to despise—well, at least challenge him. Hey, if you were slammed with as much abuse from the effects of alcoholism, are you sure you wouldn't have reacted the same way?

As time went on life got worst instead of better, and eventually she got married, BUT her husband got cancer, and her mother-in-law was also dying. She had planned on a nursing career but ended up devoting her time and talents to elderly relatives when they were nearing their end.  Stress! (Remember to pile that on top of the other stuff I told you about.)

Well time went on, and one day a man came in to their house. I think he was a Bed and Breakfast guest, but I am not sure. He went into the living room and started walking around. That made Linda furious because she sensed he was praying for her. She must have loudly proclaimed her opinion of God which is why he had responded that way.

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Okay, tightly close the curtain on that scene, and come a little closer. Do you see that halo of light around the praying woman? Do you see the radiance; the sheer joy in her face? Do you know what happened?  Do you? When she came to Jesus, repenting, she was touched by the hand of God. She was cleansed, forgiven, healed. Linda knew what it was like to feel so defiled by the unspeakable misuse of others that she would scrub herself until her skin bled, but now she felt so clean, so PURE! Never again did she feel the need to scrub her skin raw. A bath became a pleasure like it is meant to be. With rapture she clung to that feeling of purity that the loving Father gave her. Now Linda serves a risen Saviour; one that set her free and gives her victory. Do you serve Him, to?

P.S. It thrills me each time I hear a story about someone who has found the Light especially if they haven't even known loving, praying Christians.   Maybe you have a story to share. I would love to hear it!  Maybe you also have gotten a glimpse of that lovely, beckoning light. Follow it. Please do.

 "It is no secret what God can do, what He's done for others He'll do for you." A song I heard somewhere.