Scripture Nugget 10.29.2016

“When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has some to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’ Luke 19:5-10

Judgement of others blinds one to the truth. The people grumble because Jesus goes to Zacchaeus house to eat, because Zacchaeus being a tax collector must be a sinner. But what if he isn’t? Read these lines like this: “Look, Half of my possessions, Lord, I give to the poor; and if I defrauded anyone of anything, I pay back four times as much.” In Greek Zacchaeus’ words are present tense not past tense, so he defends himself and his practices against the grumbling judgmental crowds. He stands, not kneels. One is a position from which one defends him/herself the other is a position of repentance. Jesus applauds his actions. Maybe it is members of the crowd who are lost and being sought out?

Scripture Nugget 10.28.2016

“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, “I repent,” you must forgive.’” Luke 17:1-4

Pay attention, be careful, it’s easy to judge others before assessing ourselves. If asked this question, “What known sins have you committed since our last meeting?”, how would you respond? You may have caused someone else to stumble; remember we are to do no harm! Have you repented? How do you hold others accountable? Do you only call them out or do you also call them up as well? Have you forgiven the repentant? O God, that I be more concerned with my own actions, that I turn from my sins, that I give forgiveness as much even more than I ask for it. That I truly turn from sin, sin against you, sin against others and sin against myself. O that I would have friends (Brothers and Sisters in Christ) who would call me out and lift me up, so that I could be closer to you by becoming more like Christ.

Scripture Nugget 10.27.2016

“’But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’ … ‘God out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’” Luke 14:13-14, 21c

To give a banquet one must prepare to serve the banquet. Who will I/you go to the trouble of preparing, serving and giving a banquet for? People we like to hang out with? People we want to be around? Or people who are in need? “Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him and seek to grow into his likeness.” (United Methodist Book of Worship) Being followers of Christ who seek to become like Christ shouldn’t all our invitations go to those in need, those who we can bless with the blessings we’ve received from God? Isn’t that, at least in part, what it means to be rich toward God?

Scripture Nugget 10.26.2016

“And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of [possessions.’ Then he told a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” The he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.’” Luke 12:15-21

What does it mean to be rich toward God? That’s the bottom line of this passage. What is my/your attitude toward God? Towards the blessings he pours upon us? Starting with his abundant love, grace and mercy. While this passage speaks of material things, the rich man’s response is one of self-care, me, me, me or I, I, I. In the center of the word sIn is an i. When we make ourselves the center of attention we violate loving God first then others. We build storehouses for “our” stuff, we hoard “our” stuff, we stop working with God removing the opportunity and need for God to bless our work abundantly. We are to practice generosity rather than self-indulgence. As Disciples of Christ we are called to give as generously to others as God gives to us. In response to his question. “What should I do?”, the rich man built storehouses for “his” stuff. How do we answer the question? For ourselves as individuals? For our families? How do we as local congregations answer the question, “What should we do?” How do we answer the question? Are we rich toward God or ourselves?

Scripture Nugget 10.24.2016

10.24.2016 (Luke 8-9) “The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.” Luke 8:1

Take an assessment of yourself. Is there any “evil spirit or infirmity” in you? Will you allow Jesus to heal? “When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured.” (Luke 9:11) They found out, they followed; He welcomed, He spoke, and He healed! Take an assessment of your congregation. How many suffer in their evil spirits and infirmities? How many need healing? Jesus desires to welcome, speak to and heal and heal them. O that we all, starting with me, would step out and up, that we would follow close enough to recognize His welcome, hear and receive His Word and be healed by His power!

Scripture Nugget 10.23.2016

“Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’” Luke 9:62

How many times have I/you looked back at life before coming to faith in Christ? Turn around. This is an old, old story. The Israelites were influenced by those who wanted to return to Egypt, to slavery, to the persecution of Pharaoh. “Back to Egypt Committees” are everywhere today; even in our churches. We pray “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done,” do we mean it?

Scripture Nugget 10.22.2016

“I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:32

Good news! This is good news for all. The thing is we all must come to the realization that we are sinners. While many some have accepted Christ, been justified and are sanctified; there are few who are wholly sanctified. Sin is what separates us from Christ. The sooner each of us realizes we aren’t “all that and a bag of chips” the sooner we will be able to recognize the sin in us. Identifying that sin then allows us to confess it, asked forgiveness and turn from it. God forgives and we can all move on, made righteous by the grace of God. Oh sinners respond, answer the call. Receive the grace of God.

Scripture Nugget 10.21.2016

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; … There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day.” Luke 2:25-27a, 36-37

Simeon and Anna are great examples to us. They are ones who, even in their late years, continue to grow in their relationship with God. Wesleyans call this Sanctifying grace, growing in grace – becoming more like Christ until we are wholly Christ-like. Perfected in love by God’s grace. John Wesley, remained active in ministry into his late eighties, exhorts us, saying, “Let the example of these aged saints animate those who gray heads, like theirs, are a ‘Crown of glory.’” Luke tells us that Jesus continued to grow and mature with God: “The child grew and became strong filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” (2-40) “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.” (2-52) Remarking on Jesus spiritual development Wesley suggest, “It plainly follows that though a man were pure, even as Christ was pure, still he would have room to increase in holiness, and in consequence thereof, to increase in the favor as well as in the love of God.” Let us all pursue God, let us all grow in holiness, let us all be perfected by God’s grace – to the point of complete Christ-likeness. May we all continue to serve God, bearing fruit worthy of our salvation, until we are completely transformed. By and through God’s grace it can and will happen. Praise God!

Scripture Nugget 10.20.2016

“Then his father was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.” Luke 1:67-80

Praise God for grace, the entirety of the gamut of grace. God goes before us, individually and the entirety of humanity beckoning us to come, be with Him. He offers rescue, redemption and salvation, then delivers upon His promises. And he leads us into a deeper relationship and understanding of Him, as we respond. Oh how wonderful it is we may “serve him without fear”, for He makes us holy and righteous. He prepares the way for us, He gives us knowledge of the salvation he offers and when we respond he not only forgives sin but with the power of the Holy Spirit fills us with a stronger and stronger spirit. Even when we are in the wilderness, we are able to grow with God, take advantage of time in the wilderness, look for God, grow with God, your time to appear publicly is coming. Come out as strongest as is possible – anointed by, filled with, and guided by God’s Holy Spirit.

Scripture Nugget 10.16.2016

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you are able! – All things can be done for the one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’ … He said to them, ‘This kind can come out only through prayer (and fasting).’”

Again we read a situation where unbelief hinders healing. The father of the boy possessed by an evil spirit speaks for most of us, “I believe; help my unbelief.” Jesus provides us a key to belief, a key to readiness to fight and defeat evil spirits, to overcome our unbelief when he tells us, “This kind can come out only through prayer (and fasting).” Prayer before an event is recognized, prayer when one is occurring and prayer afterwards. Unceasing prayer keeps us close to God. Prayer prepares us to standup to and defeat the situations, and the people who attack us. Oh God I believe, help my unbelief!