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Lives are changed and healed,
The vilest sinner can be changed,
Saved, delivered, and Spirit filled.
There are souls out on a limb
Without hope or help in sight
And as the love of Jesus comes their way,
He will reach out and give them light.
All along the roads of life are those who need the Lord
And we are to be his hands and feet on earth,
Extended to fallen man as we share truth of His Gospel sword.
As we go our way may we stop to pray
And take time out to share,
There are those hurting along the way,
Who need someone to reach out in love and care.
Jo Ann Kelly (c) 10/ 2002
J. P.'s Inspirations
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Sometimes we must be willing to go out on a limb spiritually to see Jesus.
Willingness pays off, as we see in the Bible story of
Zacchae'us.
We sometimes think
of this as just a children's story, but it has a very important application for us also.
This man was a tax collector who were some of the most unpopular people around in the days
when Jesus walked this earth. We may complain about our taxes, but these people
had a real dislike not only for paying taxes, but also for the men who collected taxes and
they looked down upon them. Most Jews did not want to be anywhere in their company.
The Roman government had imposed heavy taxes against all nations under
their control in order to finance their great world empire.
The Jews opposed these taxes, as they knew they supported a secular government
and pagan gods. They were still required to pay the tax collectors.
The Jews by birth who chose to work for Rome, were considered traitors.
It was common knowledge that the tax collectors made themselves rich off
of their fellow Jews in their wrong dealings with them.
In every society, there are those unpopular because of their politics and crooked methods they use.
These people need the Savior who loves them as he did
Zacchae'us and died for them.
One day as Jesus was passing through Jericho, this very rich man, who was an
influential Jew in the Roman tax collecting business, happened to be in the crowd.
Zacchae'us wanted to get a look at the one called Jesus, but was not tall enough
to see over the crowds. He was very persistent and ran ahead of those in the
crowds until he spotted a sycamore tree beside the roadway.
Here was a chance for him to see the man called Jesus.
He climbed up into the tree on a limb to be above the
crowds in order to see Jesus. Little did this man know that he had a divine appointment
with the Master on this particular day. When Jesus passes by, things always
change as his eyes are always searching for the lost and his heart calling them to Him.
When Jesus walked by where Zacchae'us was looking from the tree, he called him
by name and said, "Zacchae'us, make haste and come down, for today I must abide
at thy house." Can you imagine the shock and anger of the crowd when Jesus said
he was going to this man's house? They were very displeased and began complaining
that Jesus had gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner!
Jesus had plans for Zacchae'us and the grumbling of the crowd could not stop him from his mission.
He was passing this way to open the eyes of
Zacchae'us and change his heart.
Zacchae'us realized his life needed straightening out when he met Jesus.
His promise to make restitution, restore what he had taken falsely, and give to the poor was an
outward demonstration of an inward change and relation. He was willing to show
a changed life by a changed behavior. It is not enough to just say we love Jesus,
we must bring forth fruit meet for repentance and live as he commands.
Our faith will result in action, just as this man was convicted to change his life and restore
to others what he had wrongfully taken away.
This was one of the seed of Abraham, but he was lost because he was not following
God's ways. Although he was a sinner when Jesus met him, Jesus loved him and came
to seek and save him. As a response to the love Jesus showed him,
Zacchae'us was converted
with a true heart conversion. His good heritage had made no
difference as to him being of Abraham's seed, as he was still lost without a heart change.
Through faith, he was
forgiven and made new. Jesus said the willingness of this man to restore and change his way of
living showed salvation had come to his house that day.
Our actions and behavior also shows forth our salvation, and the Spirit will bear witness within our hearts.
Are we willing to go out on a limb to see Jesus and listen to him?
We have to be willing to spiritually climb above the cares and distractions of this world to hear the voice of the
Savior. If we ask Jesus to lift us up above the shadows, he will hear and answer our prayers.
The multitude can crowd out his voice, but if we will rise and go to the Savior, he
will let us abide in the secret place where we can dwell in the house of the Lord under the
shadow of the Almighty. His tabernacle is within and he wants to abide in our house also.
He will speak to us when we seek him and get in his presence.
We must daily seek to see him in his Word, in prayer, and also through others.
We can also see him in his creation as it shows forth the praises of the Lord.
If Jesus were to say he was going to spend the day at our house today, would we
welcome him as Zacchae'us did, or would we want to first go and make changes in our way of living?
He didn't say he would wait until Zacchae'us could go home and get things in order.
He said he was going to his house that very day.
Today is the day of salvation. Each day he awaits to spend time with us and also to meet those, like
Zacchae'us, who
are still in the crowds of this world. May we be the 'trees of righteousness' to help
lead others into fellowship with the Master.
We are to be his hand extended on this earth to
fallen man, and his feet to carry the gospel message of hope in Him. There is some lost
soul out on a limb today, just waiting for Jesus to pass by.
| Blessings in Christ, |
| Jo Ann Kelly (c) 2002 |
|
J. P's Inspirations |
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