The Man Who Impressed Jesus, Street Level Devotions
Luke 7: 1-10 After Jesus had finished teaching the people, he went to Capernaum. In that town an army officer's servant was sick and about to die. The officer liked this servant very much. And when he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish leaders to ask him to come and heal the servant. The leaders went to Jesus and begged him to do something. They said, "This man deserves your help! He loves our nation and even built us a meeting place." So Jesus went with them.
When Jesus wasn't far from the house, the officer sent some friends to tell him, "Lord, don't go to any trouble for me! I am not good enough for you to come into my house. And I am certainly not worthy to come to you. Just say the word, and my servant will get well. I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ..Go!' and he goes. I can say to another, ..Come!' and he comes. I can say to my servant, ..Do this!' and he will do it."
When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, "In all of Israel I've never found anyone with this much faith!"
The officer's friends returned and found the servant well. I have to admit, the concept of someone surprising or impressing the son of God is rather thought provoking. Think about it, someone that could surprise God. Yet, when we see this story we hear about a man that by his faith, surprised Jesus.
What was it this man did that surprised Jesus? It is quite simple actually; he displayed a great deal of faith. He displayed it in such a way as to show he fully knew of the abilities of Jesus.
Some in my faith tradition sometimes looks at soldiers in a negative way. I have always been kind of sad about this because I have a little understanding and appreciation of the men and women who have served. While this soldier was an officer some two thousand years ago, much of what is learned by military personnel is mentioned here. This man was a man in a position of authority, he fully understood what authority was, he knew of the importance of following orders, but he also knew the importance of giving orders. Despite this knowledge, despite the fact that he served in a military that occupied Israel, he still sought out advice and help from Jesus. There are other things that impress me about this man though, things we can learn from.
The officer wasn't going to appeal to Jesus for a child, a spouse, not even a relative; he was making an appeal on behalf of one of his servants. This man understood the concept of getting along with people from differing backgrounds. A servant is one who serves; they are normally people of lower status. We often see examples of those who have servants taking advantage of their servants, yet here is a man who has a servant, but liked his servant "very much." The officer was willing to place others in high esteem with respect, despite their status.
There was another attribute about this story; Jesus said he had never seen any greater faith, this said about a Roman Soldier, and a likely non practicing religious person. This person was not accepted by many in the religious community as he wasn't Jewish. What can we learn about this when looking at the potential of people who aren't religious? For me, I hope to learn to never give up on their potential, and that I can also realize that when it comes to spiritual things, if they are willing to learn from Jesus, he is willing to teach, love and accept them for who they are.
It is easy to look at a story like this and focus solely on the mans faith, that does appear to be the focus, but I think Jesus was impressed with the soldiers love for his servant, and his willingness to not only understand authority, but his willingness and example of showing compassion. In that regard, we can all learn from this man who impressed Jesus. Are we willing to show respect to all people? Are we willing to understand that all authority, all power exists in the person of Jesus Christ?
There are habits of behavior we can learn from, a willingness to develop friendships outside of our economic or professional experience. The aspect of serving and doing a good job, notice the appeal on behalf of this mans servant. The officer also had a clear understanding of authority, he knew who Jesus was, and had full confidence that Jesus could heal his servant. These are all positive attributes we can work towards. We may not accomplish them overnight, but over time, we can develop a faith and a walk with God that is pleasing to God, just like the Roman soldier.
Thought for today: There are only two examples in the Bible where Jesus was surprised or marveled. One was for the faith of the Roman soldier; another was for the lack of faith of the people who had seen his miracles. Pleasing God requires walking in faith, where are you walking today?
The following is a video that deals with today's subject, while we think that we can impress God with the things we create, it is really a matter of faith. Just click on the following video to watch, if the video don't appear, click on the following link:
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew P.O. Box 17731 Wichita, KS 67217
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
It is strange; I love politics as a hobby, but hate what it turns good people into. As a result I have decided that I will post an all important video, watch it, then come back and comment. This could be the event that changes politics as we know it.
The following video is of Ken Medema doing a song he had just improvised after hearing Shane Claiborne speak about his new book, Jesus for President. Now before taking this video seriously, make sure to click on the above link and watch that particular video. Hopefull you can go from fun to serious. To watch the following video just click on the video, if the video don't work, click on the following link:
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew P.O. Box 17731 Wichita, KS 67217
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Welcome to My Neighborhood, Won't You Be My Neighbor
Today I am taking a break and making sure I write about my day, and something that has moved me and will hopefully cause you to reflect.
The day started off in a nice and exciting way. I had a meeting with an individual regarding taking over the booking service for The Virtual Pew. What may come as a surprise to some is in the very near future I will be reducing my responsibilities from Youth Horizons here in Wichita. I am leaving employment at Youth Horizons, more of which I will write about soon, but the start of the day was exciting as I begin to explore the reengagement of The Virtual Pew. While leaving Youth Horizons, I will reengage full-time with The Virtual Pew and Mosaic Church, more about that later.
After my morning meeting I returned home to take part in an interview for a magazine article to be published about me and The Virtual Pew in the Dr. Charles Stanley Magazine and program, In Touch. The article will reflect on part of my past, my history, my relationship with God and more. It is good to reflect on the life one has led and the impact, or lack of impact had on others.
After my interview I spent some time working on my wife's MySpace page which I created for her this week. I have created a music store for her, posted her music and then some. I am exited to see possibilities open up for my wife. I want to give back to her, she has made so many sacrifices for me of close to 30 years.
After this busy morning I sat back in my recliner and watched a little television while getting ready to go to work at Youth Horizons tonight. I am on another long binge with little or no sleep so I needed the relaxation. While sitting back I scrolled through the channels and saw a program on the Biography channel that just mesmerized me. Showing was the biography of Fred Rogers, also known as Mr. Rogers from the popular PBS television program. I have to admit, I have grown to appreciate him as an adult more than I ever did as a child. While watching the program, I teared up at the incredible life and witness this man had lived.
As a child, I always thought Mr. Rogers was kind of wimpy. I never really appreciated the gentile nature of this giant of a man, maybe which was because I was too busy trying to be tough and grow up long before I should have. While my circumstances were much different than most, the issue of growing up too fast, not being a child, learning to love and appreciate the things around us are things we all go through, no matter if growing up in a church family, or a non religious family, the attributes of loving, being accepted, and being loved are necessities we all need and long for.
As I watched the tribute of Fred Rogers I couldn't help but be impacted by several things which we could all learn from. The first was his gentleness. This man was a man who was known for his soft spoken manner and his gentle spirit. It was amazing at how he would adapt and speak to others on their level, while using a spirit and attitude that was gentle to the person he was speaking to. He would be gentle not in a condescending or disrespectful way, but a way that showed respect and appreciation.
Fred Rogers was also soft spoken. I don't recall ever seeing an episode where the man raised his voice. Even in scenes where he would be yelling to get someone's attention, he had a way of doing this in such a way that it made it difficult for him to be misunderstood. I was reminded, a soft voice could be heard, and in fact it was something that demanded to be heard while garnishing the respect of the one being spoken to.
Fred Rogers lived a fairly full life before succumbing to stomach cancer at the age of 74, dying just a month prior to his 75th birthday. This man who was used by the United States government to eliminate the stress and fears of children during war time and terrorists activity, had addressed the issues of physical disabilities, and raised a generation of youth with the importance of being a friend among other things, never complained, never made excuses regarding his illness. He not only had an impact on society then, he still does as his programs continue in reruns and those whose life he touched still cherish their opportunity to meet, learn from, and for the few honored so, get to know this man. Apparently what we saw on television was the real Fred Rogers though, in other words, he lived his life 24 hours a day being the man God made him to be. For those who watched the show, those who watch the show in reruns, we can get to know Fred Rogers and still learn from his wonderful examples as that man is Fred Rogers. While Fred Rogers died way too soon, he left an impact that will carry on.
While this is meant as a tribute to Fred Rogers, I hope others will be challenged by the man as I have been challenged today, while sitting back and relaxing a little. Can I be softer spoken? You bet! Can I be gentler? You bet! Can I love others more? You bet! Can I lead a life that is an example to others? You bet! Can you? You bet!
The last thing I will share about Fred Rogers is I don't think it can be overstated of the role of his faith in his life, and in his practice of implementing his faith in living his life. While some are critical of people of faith, some maybe critical of Fred Rogers; there is no doubt this Television Hall of Fame Member had a tremendous impact on those he came into contact with that still moves people. If we are simply ourselves, allow God to use us, and use soft, gentle loving approaches, we as well will have a dramatic impact on others, not just for a short time though, but for an eternity.
The following are 2 video link tributes to Fred Rogers, one talking about the man, the other his faith. Check them out by clicking on the video, if the video don't appear, click on the link:
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew P.O. Box 17731 Wichita, KS 67217
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Luke 6: 27-31 This is what I say to all who will listen to me: Love your enemies, and be good to everyone who hates you. Ask God to bless anyone who curses you, and pray for everyone who is cruel to you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, don't stop that person from slapping you on the other cheek. If someone wants to take your coat, don't try to keep back your shirt. Give to everyone who asks and don't ask people to return what they have taken from you. Treat others just as you want to be treated.
Living in the Ghetto for a large part of my life, I have been told who the good guys are and who the "gangsta's" are. The sad thing is, that often isn't what people think. Don't let the following comment shock you too much, but I have seen bad cops and nice gang members. While some may have issue with that, it is the truth. Our enemies and friends often become cloudy as to who fits into what category.
Over the years, especially while living in some of the neighborhoods I have, I come to realize that sometimes the gang members had more reason to protect the integrity of a community than did the police. Unless one has lived in a situation like this they will likely never understand.
I recall one instance where my neighborhood was getting robbed on a regular basis, homes and even churches were being broken into. While this was going on, I and the community were notifying the police, but unfortunately we still never saw the police patrolling the community. One night I got pulled over on the outskirts of our community for a burned out tail light. You would have thought I was the worst criminal who had ever been pulled over by this rookie cop. I learned as a pastor that I was in reality, going to get very little, if any help from this young and inexperienced police officer. Of course later on, one of the good local police officers, had a few words with this one officer after I reported the incident.
After interviewing with a local television station about the robberies in the community, and realizing that it seemed as if most people didn't care for the lower run down neighborhoods that I decided to take further action. I ended up visiting one of the gang members across the street. I decided to go out of my way and talk to them about the needs of the community. After treating the person with respect, they and some of their "friends" were willing to start helping with some of the community needs and community watch. While many would not have considered these the best people to go to, I decided to take a chance and be respectful to them. In return, because they knew my background, and the fact that I gave them respect, they became allies, and more importantly, they begin to see a follower of Jesus in a different way. One of them later asked me to perform a wedding ceremony for them.
The truth is, we often see people as enemies, when in reality, if we show a little love, they can become our friends. Jesus went out of his way to teach us to love all people, even those we see as enemies. It is true, that sometimes our enemies are our enemies, but when we show unconditional love it makes it harder for them to see us as enemies, and eventually, progress can be made at the development of a relationship that will produce good things.
This week, starting with someone you don't get along with, try to do something nice. Buy them an ice cream cone, give them some flowers, or if nothing else notice something nice about their behavior and give them a compliment. Doing these simple things is the start of learning to love your enemies and turning them into friends. Once we get to that point, we won't have to turn too many cheeks because we have started by extending our hands.
Thought for the day: It's easy to love those who are always good to you, but there is a lot of growth all of the way around when you make the effort to turn an enemy into a friend. In the long run, it is those people that become real friends for a lifetime, and hopefully for others, an eternity.
I loved the movie this following clip is from, The Fighting Temptations. It shows the potential of loving people, the importance of the church, and the ability of even gangsta's coming to love Jesus. Just click on the video and if the video don't appear, just click on the link:
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew P.O. Box 17731 Wichita, KS 67217
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Luke 6: 1-5 One Sabbath when Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields, the disciples picked some wheat. The rubbed the husks off with their hands and started eating the grain.
Some Pharisees said, "Why are you picking grain on the Sabbath? You're not supposed to do that!"
Jesus answered, "You surely have read what David did when he and his followers were hungry. He went into the house of God and took the sacred loaves of bread that only priests were supposed to eat. He not only ate some himself, but gave some to his followers."
Jesus finished by saying, "The Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath."
Over the years I have found myself having disagreements with some religious folks I call "Sabbath Keepers." These are normally people who believe all people should keep one of God's commandments of observing the Sabbath, which is held on a Saturday. Saturdays are recognized as the seventh day of the week, and many Christians over the years recognized this as the day they should observe as the Sabbath. Some are extremely strict about this and spend a great deal of time on this particular commandment. Another aspect of these individuals is that they also seem to be rather legalistic about other components of the Bible. This is certainly not true of all Sabbath Keepers, but it is true of a large number of them.
While there is some evidence that those who worshiped God before Jesus observed Saturday as "the Sabbath," there is also evidence that early followers of Jesus worshiped on the first day of the week, in celebration and remembrance of the day he rose from the dead, which was a Sunday.
One of the things we need to recognize is the intent of the command. With the passage from Luke 6, it is clear that according to the religious leaders of the day, Jesus was in violation of what they perceived to be a strict interpretation of the law regarding the Sabbath. Jesus on the other hand gave an illustration that showed they really didn't understand the intent of this law. Jesus clearly states in verse 5, "The Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath." In other words, the Sabbath is more about Jesus than it is the specifics of any law.
It is a good thing that we observe the concept of the Sabbath, the directive by God hasn't changed. However, the specific day is not nearly as important as the concept of recognizing and reflecting on what God has done for us. The Sabbath for me is a day I reflect on all that Jesus has done for me. It is a day I remember the good things of the week which I have experienced. All of us should observe a day where we can be focused on the goodness and work of God. What day we do that is not nearly as important as it is that we do that.
I realize there are many friends who may read this that are strict Sabbath Keepers. I will not take this space to argue that point as I will not get involved here in a legalistic debate of the issue. My hope is that this devotion will simply encourage you to observe a day of the week to keep the intent of the Sabbath, just as God reflected on his work and his creation, take the time to reflect on the work of God, and of how he has used you. It isn't just a day of rest; it is a day of reflection. Reflect on the goodness of God.
This week, if not observing a day where you can reflect on the goodness of God, start. It may only be a half a day to start; it may be only a few hours, but start by giving and setting aside some time for just you and God. It doesn't have to be on a Sunday as Jesus clearly stated the Sabbath is about Jesus, not a day. Jesus is more important than any day, which is why we should give him time.
Thought for the day: There is nothing wrong with observing a Saturday as the Sabbath, neither is there anything wrong with observing any other day of the week as your Sabbath. There is something wrong though with not wanting to reflect on the things God has done for you, and taking the time to thank him for those things.
I love this song, and no matter what day you observe the Sabbath on, there is reason to find love regarding church. Just click on the video, if the video don't appear, just click on the link:
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew P.O. Box 17731 Wichita, KS 67217
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Luke 5: 17-26 One day some Pharisees and experts in the Law of Moses sat listening to Jesus teach. They had come from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. God had given Jesus the power to heal the sick, and some people came carrying a crippled man on a mat. They tried to take him inside the house and put him in front of Jesus. But because of the crowd, they could not get him to Jesus. So they went up on the roof, where they removed some tiles and let the mat down in the middle of the room. When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, "My friend, your sins are forgiven."
The Pharisees and the experts began arguing, "Jesus must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins."
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, "Why are you thinking that? Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk? But now you will see that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth." Jesus then said to the man, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk home."
At once the man stood up in front of everyone. He picked up his mat and went home, giving thanks to God. Everyone was amazed and praised God. What they saw surprised them, and they said, "We have seen a great miracle today!"
Over the years, one of the things I have become convinced of is that when it comes to having real friends, very few know what a real friend is. I say this because all around me I see people in need, and in the same observation, see those people getting little if any compassion from those around them. Then there is another truth, the other truth is I have experienced real friendship very few times in my life. I keep hearing from people who say they are friends, even have a few real friends, but experience shows me that most of us actually have very few real friends who are willing to make sacrifices like we see in this passage. Many will talk about how people in the church are different, how they really are friends. I have to be honest; I don't really see that much difference. Many churches have little if any programs in place to help their own people when needs arise, whether medical or financial, food or companionship, the truth is, we just don't go out of the way to show our friends that we are in deed, their friends.
I love the story here in Luke because not only does it show the lack of concern of the religious people of Jesus day, but it also shows what real friendship is and supports the concept that Jesus does not think the religious community does enough in this area. These friends made an effort to help a friend, the religious community gets upset and sees property and religion as more important than people, and Jesus, well Jesus is cool about it all, he sets the record straight.
These friends are friends Jesus says good things about; they go out of their way to show what real friendship is. They go to see Jesus, see a crowd, climb to the top of a building, tear a hole in the roof, and rig up a device to lower their friend to Jesus because they believe Jesus can heal their friend. That is friendship!
What kind of excuses are we making to not help someone we know with food, how about paying a power bill? Know anyone who has a hard time getting to work because they can't afford gas? Then there are the simple things, have anyone we could visit in a hospital? Know someone we can put up for a few nights because they don't have a place to stay.
I am honored to say that my wife and I over the years have tried to be friends to others in need. We have had people live with us many times over the years, from homosexuals to drug addicts, and from prisoners from jail to musicians. We have been robbed, taken advantage of, and made sacrifices, yet, I don't regret any of the decisions we have made. We have had people from the witness protection program to a former Hell's Angel who later ended up dying from a drug overdose live with us, we have learned from them all, and loved them all. We are the ones who have been blessed because of our actions. I have purchased an ice cream for a perfect stranger and have purchased a meal for a person standing in line at a restaurant. There are many ways we can show love, love which has the potential to ultimately develop into friendship.
I have also been blessed to also experience friendship, friendship from all walks of life, Christian, non Christian, religious, non religious, from helping my wife go to her brothers funeral, to having food arrive at my house when we didn't have money to purchase food. I am always blessed by those who pray for me and our ministry, but also those who will just sit and listen. Heck to be honest, I am blessed when think of people reading the things I write and then being willing to call, email, or leave a comment when they can do so. While I am convinced that we can all learn to be better friends to others, those friends that we do experience, that we do know, will be friends who will be willing to go to extremes to show us love for no other reason than they actually do love us.
With all of the above said, I still realize I can be a better friend than I have been. I think we all can. I hope we will be sensitive to those who need friends. May we realize that Jesus values those who are willing to make sacrifices for others, that is something a real friend does, may we all not only know what a real friend is, may we be one.
Thought for the day: A real friend does more than talk about helping in times of need, they help!
When looking at this devotion, I could only think of one song. Click on the song below to see and hear that song. I think it says everything. If the video don't appear, just click on the following link:
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The
eccentric
cooky/wacky
flirty
numb
frustrated
peaceful
