October 09th, 2012

Ever been accused? Ever knew you were guilty as charged, yet the accusations made you feel so defensive that you didn’t fess up?Instead, you just became more indignant and obstinate?  Time and time again, we find Jesus approaching those people who by religious standards were hellions, or pagans, with love and mercy.  Just for a minute,  let’s look at how Peter responded to Jesus when Jesus first approached him:  Peter basically said, “you shouldn’t be talking with me… I am a bad sinner.” Or what about the woman who was living in adultery at the well? “You shouldn’t be talking to me,” she said. Time and time again, Jesus was more interested in getting to the heart of the matter and wasn’t going to let the sinful state of man get in the way.  We see in these examples how Jesus called Peter immediately to be a fisher of men… He offered the woman at the well living water where she would thirst no more and told her to go and sin no more.   In our own lives,  sometimes we can become our worst enemy.  We beat ourselves up because we don’t measure up. We slip back into behaviors, thoughts, actions that we know are displeasing to God and would be frowned upon by the church.  Tonight, maybe you are like Peter saying to Jesus: “stay away from me I am too far gone”  or like the woman at the well – living in sin and shame. Tonight,  during these quiet moments, Jesus is standing at the door knocking.  He knows you.  He formed you in your mother’s womb and has every hair on your head counted.  He has a plan for your life…He isn’t surprised by your mistakes, your struggles, your sins.  He never created you to do this thing called life all alone.  Yet, you have an adversary that is in this world who is doing everything he can to keep you from God’s best.  He is lying to you and telling you that you are all alone- and this is as good as it gets.  Tonight, are you willing to open the door to Christ? When He comes in, the enemy will flee --  and with him will go the darkness, the lies, the despair, the defeat, the shackles that hold you down.  The Bible says in James 4: 7-10 “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”  Thanks for letting me share. Randy Young