February 8, 2009

Luke 4:16-30

   The Time of the Lord's Favor Has Come

Luke

When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.

The scroll containing the messages of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him, and he unrolled the scroll to the place where it says:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim the captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come."

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down.  Everyone in the synagogue stared at him intently.  Then he said, "This Scripture has come true today before your very eyes!"

All who were there spoke well of him and were amazed by the gracious words that fell from his lips.  "How can this be?" they asked.  "Isn't this Joseph's son?"

Then he said, "Probably you will quote me that proverb, "Physician, heal yourself--meaning, 'Why don't you do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum?'  But the truth is, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.

Certainly there were many widows in Israel who needed help in Elijah's time, when there was no rain for three and a half years and hunger stalked the land.  Yet, Elijah was not sent to any of them.  He was sent instead to a widow of Zarephath--a foreigner in the land of Sidon.  Or think of the prophet Elisha, who healed Naaman, a Syrian, rather than the many lepers in Israel who needed help."

When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious.  Jumping up, they mobbed him, and took him to the edge of the hill on which the city was built.  They intended to push him over the cliff, but he slipped away through the crowd and left them.    

*** 

Thoughts...

How sad that our Lord and those who follow him are not believed, attacked, misinterpreted, accused wrongly, cast aside, left for dead.  How many of us have experienced the same thing in the name of God?  How many have been cast aside as not worthy of friendships of integrity, care, concern, love, support?  How many trying to love and do right are ignored, abused, abandoned?  How many who are trying to do the Lord's will, or just get ahead in life, battle uphill?  How many are downtrodden and weary?  How many lack support from those who say they care?  

There is someone who does care, who won't cast you aside.  Who won't attack you, misinterpret you, accuse you wrongly or leave you for dead, who believes you are worthy of friendship of integrity, cares about you as a person and what you are going through.  There is one who will love you through thick and thin, highs and lows, and support you along life's way.  There is one who will not ignore you, abuse you or abandon you.  He knows you are downtrodden and weary.  He knows you need support to get up the hills of life.  And he'll be there with you.  He holds the name his Father gave him, placing him above all others, giving him life, making him Savior of all....his name is Jesus.  And he can be your Savior, your friend, your brother, your everything.

Here is a man, Jesus, who became the Savior of the world, who answered God's call....he said, "Sure Dad, I'll do that for you.  Sure Mom, I'll do that.  Sure Brother, Sister, Friend, I'll do that for you.  I'll help you along life's way and give you a helping hand.  Further more...I'll lay down my life for you....it is what you call me to do, to lay down my life for another.  I'll do it gladly, with respect and integrity.  I"ll follow through and help them as long as they need me, and then I will help them get to heaven.  I'll show them the way.  Ask him into your life today.  Say, "Jesus, come into my life today, forgive me of my sins, and save me.  Heal me and make me whole again, and grant me eternal life.  Thank you, Jesus."   

Every day we face 'that'  hill.  Every day we must carry on....going forth...proclaiming him...not stopping, not becoming downtrodden.  Every day we must do for all in his name.  It is what we are called to do.  Love fully.  Give completely.  Lay down our life for another in need.  

When your parent or brother or sister, or spouse, or child, or friend asks for help, you must do it.  You are called.  Someone has reached out to say, 'help me'.  How will you respond?  Will you ignore that person, or tell them no and to go away?  Will you say 'I've done enough, let them figure it out.'  Will you dismiss them as too needy or unworthy?  Will you assume the call is not from the Lord or he would have called you?  He did call you!  The moment the help was requested.  He empowered the downtrodden to humble themselves to reach out.  He told them who to ask...who to call.  He led the war through the wilderness giving the orders and trod up the hill.  He ordained the journey, the growth, the new life.  He did not cause the fall, the trouble, the trauma.  But he is there every step of the way, if we but ask, if we only obey.  And what of those who don't obey....who don't ask, who don't give help?  

What did the Lord say about those who deny God?  Oh.....so you say you were not denying God, only that person?  Did that person accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior?  And even if they did not, is not that person also worthy of learning about who he is?  And if YOU are a Christian, how will they learn who he is and how wonderful he is if you pass them by, ignore them, cast them aside...walk away with your almighty nose in the air?  How is that showing them the Lord in you?  Is he in you, if you don't answer his call?  The call of the one who needs help?  Ahhhh.....so you say you have to help yourself, take care of yourself first, that the Bible says, the Lord helps those who helps themselves.  If we are all God's children, and we are all one in Christ Jesus, even those who have not met him, are we not helping ourselves when we help another?  How is it helping ourselves, if we ignore the needs of another?  How is God going to perceive that?  Did Jesus say, 'God, you've got to be kidding me...I am not going to give up my life for someone I don't know and I don't care about.  Why should I do, or give them, a solitary thing?  What did they ever do for me?'  (Have you really counted?)  'I've already given them enough in lessons and help.  Let them learn their own lessons. Let them figure life out.  They are not my father, mother, brother, sister, friend, spouse or child.  I don't owe them anything'. 

Well, the time of the Lord's favor has come.  You may take this second (?) chance in life to listen to the call and respond.  To receive from him and give to him....by giving to others.  By sharing the fullness of the gospel message and fulfill the gospel message in answering the call.  Share who he is, that he is, and how wonderful he is.  Preach the Good News to the poor, proclaim the captives will be released, the blind will see, the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors.  Ask yourself who are the poor that you know.  Ask yourself who are the captives, who are the blind, and who are the downtrodden.  Then ask yourself if you are an oppressor.  Is a captive a slave, a prisoner?  Is an overworked housewife a slave to an uncaring husband?  Is a slave someone who works day after day in a sweatshop that cannot earn a decent days wages, or a person owned by another abused and forced to do their will?  Is a prisoner someone who doesn't have a family, or is old or sick and stays alone a lot or cannot get out to get to the store?  Is a blind person someone who cannot see the Lord, or who has been blinded by the pain in their lives?  Is it an abuser who is blind to the pain they are causing others?  Is the downtrodden someone who has lost their job, their home, their loved ones, their life as they knew it, who cannot get by without a little help from a friend....a stranger?  

The time of the Lord's favor has come.  Make it happen.  Be good to yourself, but also be good to all the others around you.  Do you HAVE to brag about that new car when others are hungry?  Do you have to buy those new shoes when your friend has no utilities?  Do you have to have fun and talk all about it when your brother or sister does not even have a job?  Make a better choice.  Choose this day whom you will serve.  

The time of the Lord's favor has come.  Go forth in his name.and receive the blessing he has for you, as you bless others for and with him.  "Whoever does for the least of these...does for me."  The Bible Matthew 25:30.     

***

Let Us Pray

One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the mountainside with his disciples and sat down to teach them.  This is what he taught them:

"God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them. 

God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will receive it in full.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

God blesses  those who work for peace for they will be called the children of God.

God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers.  Be happy about it!  Be very glad!  For a great reward awaits you in heaven.  And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too.  

You are the salt of the earth.  But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor?  Can you make it useful again?  It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

You are the light of the world--like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see.  Don't hide your light under a basket!  Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."   

*** 

Dear heavenly Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit....please forgive me of my sins...and help those who I have sinned against forgive me, too, Lord.  Thank you.  Let me not say, "Oh...all right...I guess...if I must."  Let me say, "YES, Lord, I WILL answer your call.  I will help."  Help me, Lord, to see where the needs of those I know, and don't know, are the greatest, and help in all the ways I can.  And I can...no excuses.  NO diverting funds, or actions, to other endeavors, so I don't have to give help to those for whom I stuck my nose in the air.  It's time for me to be humble and go forth.  Forgive me, Lord.  And even if I think I have nothing...I have a hug, a kind word.  Even if I am downtrodden, I can give.  Show me how.  And thank you, Lord, for giving me this wake up call.  I am ashamed of myself.  But I will do better now that I have been reminded and know you are there.   'What a friend we have in Jesus', as the old song goes.  What a friend...in deed!!!  The time of the Lord's favor has come and 'let it begin with me'.  'Yes, I can',  'Together, we can'.  Thank you, God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.  Thank you.  Amen 

P.S. Lord.  Please be with our new President in America, Barack Obama.  Keep him and his family safe, keep him and them strong in you, and give him and them wisdom and knowlege that can only come from your Holy Spirit to guide and direct.  Be with the outgoing President, George Bush, and his family, that he and they may find peace from you within and a new path.  Thank you.  Amen.          

***

Wise men...and women...still seek him.

  Give him your finest gift....your self.   

***

"What can I give him, poor as I am?

If I were a Shepherd, I'd give him a lamb.

If I were a Wise Man, I'd do my part.

But what I can, I give...my heart."

Christina Rosetti   

***

Give him your heart today.

***

"Do you hear what I hear?

Said the king to the people everywhere,

"Listen to what I say!

Pray for peace, people, everywhere,

Listen to what I say!

The Child, the Child sleeping in the night

He will bring us goodness and light,

  He will bring us goodness and light." 

 

***

Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation.  

***

***

If you feel that the Church of the Holy Spirit has inspired or helped you, we'd like you to prayerfully consider tithing regulary to us or gifting us, so that we can further the work and carry out the will of the Father as proclaimed in Matthew 28:16 NLT

to

"Go and make disciples out of all the nations

baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

***

  Our Current Cause

We have a family in crisis who could desperately use your prayers and support.  The Mom, a good Christian woman, is young still...she just turned 50, and she has 3 young children under 15.  She has just been diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer.  Her husband died 3 years ago from Cancer, and her Mother, who has her own health issues, is trying to care for her and her children and help her along life's way.  They do not have enough money to meet their everyday expenses right now.  But I am confident that, with your help, we can find some balance for them.  If this touches your heart, we hope you will pray earnestly for her to be healed, and pray for her family.  And, if you would, please send any amount of money you can to help them.  Please note 'Elizabeth and kids' in your note line on your check and we will see that all funds go directly to them.  Please consider reaching out to help them.  I know they will be sincerely grateful for anything you can do to help.  

Please accept our sincerest thanks....and may God bless you.

***

Checks can be made out to

Church of the Holy Spirit

and sent to

Church of the Holy Spirit

P.O. Box 86076

Tucson, Arizona

85754-6076

If you have any questions, we can be reached at:

1-866-402-GIFT

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Mountain Time

As we grow, you will have options for allocating your gifts.

In the meantime, we hope you will trust us to direct them to where the need is the greatest.

We will be integrating Pay Pal soon for your convenience.

  ***

    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

"The Unforced Rythms of Grace"

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one know the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

  Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

***

***

I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.

***

Scriptures may be taken from the New Living Translations website. 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriputre quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

 *