Words Never, I mean Sometimes.......Forget it...THEY CAN RUIN A LIFE

²³ Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him. “Go away, baldy!” they chanted. “Go away, baldy!” ²⁴ Elisha turned around and looked at them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them.  2Kings 2:22-24

The saying " Stick and stones may break my bones but words, will never hurt me." has it's origins as early as 1894 and truthfully....this is a lie.  In today's scriptural reference Elisha being a young kid, and kids being somewhat identity sensitive early in age, was walking home when he was confronted by this mob of hurtful other kids.   He was a young prophet and bald, and the kids thought it would be fun to pick on him, only to discover that their fun was short lived.   Elisha hadn't heard this saying " Stick and stones........" and frankly didn't appreciate their poking fun at his appearance and cursed them in the name of the Lord resulting in a blood bath.

Now here's why my thinking get's TWISTED:  Maybe you haven't called out two she bears, but what have you said to people that have mauled them.  See according to the WORD Proverbs 18:21a  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and this negates the belief that our words don't hurt.  Actually some of you who are reading this are where you are because of WORDS that people spoke to you.     Think of all the young ladies with low self-esteem.  Some of them actually believe beyond their bodies, they have nothing to offer.    Think of all of the young men, that are 30+ years old that were told they'd be like their "no good" father who believed it, and now are really no good.    Think of the people that work @ McDonald's, Wal-Mart, etc...who you see them and you look down upon them, especially if they appear to be "ghetto or hoosier like" or young men or ladies that dress in such a way that you are appalled.....do you speak life into the them, or under your breath, or in your heart say words that would further damage their tissue paper egos?

Think of the great men and women of our time and in your life, what did _____________ say to them?   It's important to note God says we are salt and light, His thoughts of us outnumber the granules of sand, He loves us so much He sacrificed His own son...that's how much you're valued.  

My prayer is that today you see with Christ like eyes...the value of the crazy driver that cut you off, the tired mom who checks you out at the grocery store, or the old door greeter who has to work to have insurance for her sick husband, the scantly dressed young lady who endures abuse and longs for encouraging words, and even the couple who needs a hand up to see GOD is really good.  May you enter the world in such a way that you preserve the dying, and illuminate their day with  the radiance of God through your living and your words.   LGLP

May THE LORD Help You, Keep Your Promise

The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. ²² But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, “Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the Lord permanently.”

²³ “Whatever you think is best,” Elkanah agreed. “Stay here for now, and may the Lord help you keep your promise.” So she stayed home and nursed the boy until he was weaned.
²⁴ When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh.   1Sam. 1:21-24

Hannah had been persistent with her prayers to GOD, desiring that she would bear a child.    God was gracious and blessed her to have a child and she praised him, and remembered her words in her prayer that she'd give the child back to God.   She being an honorable woman discussed with he husband Elkanah and he was supportive in keeping to the promise made to God.

Here's where MY THINKING GETS TWISTED:  During the year we have baby dedication/christening services and the parents get dressed up (in many cases) the kids are dressed up in white, they present their children back to God, and the church. We pray a prayer....and the parents get their certificates and they take their child home?  Hannah didn't take her son home.  SHE LEFT HIM THERE!  Now we don't know if she visited him, how often she visited him, or did they get to spend much time together after this but what we do know Is SHE LEFT HIM UNDER THE CARE OF ELI.    We, the parents that had our kids dedicated took our children home.   Now I know some of you are thinking RAY do you really think we should consider leaving our, my little............. at Calvary, Ark of Safety, Bethesda Temple, Harvester Christian, Lighthouse Community.....etc.  Maybe......or maybe not, but what I am saying is have you REALLY dedicated them to the teachings of YOUR CHURCH?  For instance, are your children in Youth Group?  Do you make it a point to make SURE THEY ARE SERVING GOD inside and outside the CHURCH?   Hannah as good of a woman she was, and it appears she really did have a heart for GOD, realized that ELI the priest was a better teacher than she......so are  you a better teacher than___________________ so much so that you RATIONALIZE (rational-lies)  why they aren't going to camp?  Why they don't participate in mission trips?   Why you don't wanna force_______________ on them? 

I know the scripture doesn't say that Samuel cried his eyes out or kicked and screamed being left with this complete stranger to him, but REALLY? 

 Naturally one can't help but realize that parenting is difficult and we as parents have to do what's best.   As a youth leader/youth pastor I've watched families get torn apart......because the parents never really gave their kids to God, but wanted God to intervene.   This is where you have to ask yourself who am I gonna trust: my child, myself, or my GOD (His Church)?     I wonder are you really keeping your promise to GIVE YOUR CHILD the benefits of CHRIST, A CHRISTIAN HOME (NEWSFLASH....A CHRISTIAN HOME is one where CHRIST ACTUALLY RESIDES.....not visits just on Holidays....He's welcomed in any room and he approves of the media library you cherish and He really delights in the family devotion time that you have), and ultimately to the CHURCH to CARE FOR. It's no doubt in my mind Hannah and Elkanah loved Samuel, they loved him so much that they gave Him to God.   The question I leave you with is, Do you love your son/daughter enough to give them back to God?  REALLY?  LGLP

What YOU/WE Really Deserve................

Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? ²⁷ Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood. ” His brothers agreed.

²⁸ So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels^[a] of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.   Gen. 37:26-28

and

³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! ⁵ And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.  Gen. 45:3-5

So Joseph had been done wrong.  He received the favor of his father at a very early age, which later fueled his brothers hatred towards him.   To the extent that they initially wanted to kill him, then fake his death, then sold him, their own brother into slavery.  He is then put into a great position only to be lied on by the bosses wife, so he's imprisoned wrongly for many years, and all the while GOD's favor rested upon him in prison and he was restored to his God ordained position in Egypt.   So many years later when a famine hit the entire land, Joseph being led by God in wisdom had stored up provisions for such a time.   His brother being affected by the famine came to Egypt seeking "gov't" assistance for their family.  Remember these are the same blood-thirsty, decietful brothers that sold him off......and they came face to face (initially unknowingly) with the brother they cared nothing about. 

Joseph always had a great attitude, but did His brother's deserve to eat at his table?   Did they deserve to get the grain Jospeh provided for them (they still didn't recognize that it was JOSEPH dealing with them)?  After Joseph revealed himself fully to them they covered their faces in terror and wept many of them, and Joseph asked for the to come and stay with him, is that what they deserved?  While it is easy for us to read this, study this account and judge....what they really deserved....but what about you?

Do you really deserve the house you have?  Do you really deserve the health, or the portion of good health you have?  Do you really deserve ................anything outside of the pit of hell?  As I said ....TWISTED THINKING, but according to Jeremiah 17:9 all of our hearts are decietful, and like Joseph's brothers because of God's great love......we don't get fully what we deserve, and this is why we all should be compelled to show compassion to EVERY LIVING BEING because as GOD has been forgiving to us, we ought to reminded daily of why we are to forgive others.   We all DESERVE to be LOVED!  LGLP

HE LOVES US.....OH HOW HE LOVES US

³⁷ As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table.^{[a] 38} His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. ³⁹ Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! ⁴⁰ Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? ⁴¹ So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.

Teacher,” said an expert in religious law, “you have insulted us, too, in what you just said.”

⁴⁶ “Yes,” said Jesus, “what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden. ⁴⁷ What sorrow awaits you!  (Matt. 11:36-40, 45-47a)

So here we find Jesus eating with the very people who are oppressing the people He so loves, with their religiosity.   And during the midst of the table talk, someone says...." you have insulted us, too, in what you just said."  So loving, meek and mild, peaceful Jesus just offended someone?  He did more than that He informed them that living, being, existing this way made their futures bleak.   But why did He spend His time, or as you would put it...waste His times with such prudes? 

I'll tell you why:  BECAUSE HE LOVES THEM!   Ok here's where my thinking gets TWISTED.....Jesus spent this part, this time of His life doing ministry of healing folks, doing miracles, and developing His disciples, but He paused to have a meal with, and confront those who KNEW THE WORD, but weren't living it, and were making it difficult for others to receive the WORD.    If JESUS didn't love them, would He have wasted that time with them?   Maybe it wasn't a waste, maybe He really appreciated their devotion to know the WORD, but was angered, broken-hearted, and disappointed that they didn't live it to the extent of practicing grace to those that may have been far from it.  He really desired that they would LIVE THE WORD, and not create a burden, or be a burden for those struggling in life.  He was offering SALVATION to them just by spending time them, offering them Himself before their lives too ended.

Here's where you come in.........who are you judging, instead of loving?  Which candidate do you like, ok....which one do you love?  Do you think JESUS loves one, more than the other? REALLY?   Which neighbor do you go out of your way for, while you avoid the other?  If JESUS was one of us, would He side with you....or call you to be on His side?  See the Pharisees, Sadducee, and teachers of the LAW knew the LAW, but didn't live it, for it was devoid of love & grace......so does your living invite others to come to know JESUS, or keep them away?  Simply put.......you need to LOVE AS HE LOVES (@home, @work, @school, in your neighborhood, etc.)LGLP

Just Hold On

So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴ “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” (Matt. 27:2-4)

So we are are all familiar I believe with the account of Judas betraying Christ, and once he realized that  what he had really done, was wrong.....he tried to make it right by returning the worthless 30 pieces of silver in hopes of being able to turn around the fate of his cousin, who he realized was truly who He said He was.   Often we have no pity for Judas, or the Judases in our lives.  We feel they got what they deserved....good ridden, one less surplus to the national debt....more clean air for me to breathe....however you term it....Judas like you was a creation of God.   I mean Peter denied him three times soon after this (John 18) but the difference was they both felt awful about what they did, but one held on long enough to see that what they had done.....was forgiven by GOD, Himself with the resurrection.

Judas, this lonely man, even confessed the the chief priests that he had sinned....he took responsibility for his own actions even....and when he didn't find acceptance amongst them....he decided to end it all.  I don't know who is, or will be reading this blog, but I am hear to tell you.....HOLD ON.   I know you think " what you did, or what you said or how you reacted there's no way they would ever........" but the truth is while they may not...or it may take some time before they can.....but GOD has already forgiven you.   Peter I believe knew something.......about the forgiveness of Jesus, and Judas sought the forgiveness of men, and didn't find it.   I encourage you to grasp the forgiveness offered to each of us by the shed blood of Christ. 

I believe had Judas hung (no pun intended) around for 3 more days....He would've saw....the Resurrected Christ, realized that all was not lost, and went on to do great things in Christ.    You too, need to Hold On, Hang on, know that you've been forgiven and GOD has a great plan, in store for you.  He had envisioned an extraordinary life for you...if you'd just look to Him for your forgiveness, if you can't find it amongst those you have taken responsibility for offending. 

You have two directions you can head......you can be wise, or foolish.  You can think what you have done is beyond the reach of the blood of Jesus which all hope is lost and you can end it now....or you can believe that there is hope in the blood of Jesus, and see how if you trust the forgiveness of JESUS it gets better after awhile.    So before you quit your job.....I say hold on.   Before you sign those papers......I say hold on.   Before you throw in the towel......I simply say hold on.   My prayer is that you take responsibility for what you have said and done.  Forgive yourself, ask whom you offended for forgiveness (and pray that they would someday) and ask for forgiveness for GOD, trust that He will, and has.....and embrace the Hope in Christ, and live life abundantly.   LGLP