Sheep Food

  Why Lord?   Why did those Galileans suffer and die in such a manner?   We do not read in that text where this question was verbally asked of Jesus by those in attendance, but that seems to be the question He answers there in Luke 13:1-5.   “Do you suppose these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered such things?” (2)   I don’t know how you read this…but if Jesus’s question ended there, then we have a completely different conversation to discuss.   But it did not end there as He goes on – “I tell you. No…but unless you repent you will all….likewise perish.” (3)   That word ‘perish’ comes from a Greek word which means to ‘destroy fully, either figuratively or literally.’ It is also akin to the same word used in 1 Cor. 10:9-10 where Paul was recounting how the Israelites were ‘destroyed by serpents’ and ‘destroyed by the Destroyer’ back in the wilderness for their sinful and rebellious ...

  How often have you experienced that moment while reading your bible that you come across a verse you’ve read dozens of times before…maybe even have it underlined or highlighted, when all of a sudden it just jumps off the page at you, and you feel like scales were just removed from your eyes as if you are seeing it for the very first time?   Yeah…that’s pretty intense, is it not? I bet it felt similar to what those disciples felt who walked along that road to Emmaus after the crucifixion a few days later and unbeknownst to them, Jesus joins them and walks along side of them talking of all the recent events. You can read about this in Luke 24. The next thing you know, we read where “their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.” (31) Both men were in awe and then said to one another…”Did He not just open the scriptures to us?” (32). Then they met up with the disciples there in Jerusalem and shared what happened to them.   As the...

  A young man leaves home and sets off to find his place in the world. It is not long before he gets into some financial problems with his credit cards. It becomes apparent that he has a spending problem and lacks the control or discipline to reign it in. He does like many people do with their various ‘vices’…the worse his problem becomes, the worse he feels as discouragement, depression, and defeat sets in. But one way for a quick fix to feel better…is to go out and spend some more. Does that not describe the ugly cycle of most vices…or ‘sins’?   As to be expected, this young man digs himself into such a hole that he will never be able to pay off all the credit card debt along with all the interest charges he has incurred. In desperation, he goes to his parents for help. And guess what his wealthy father does? He gathers up all his son’s bills…and writes out a single check and pays off the enormous debt. Talk about a miracle of being set free. Then…he tells hi...

  “We live in a fallen world”.   “God wouldn’t do that!”   “There’s a reason for everything.”   “We are not to question God but just trust Him.”   That, is what we keep telling ourselves….all the while God says we are ‘destroyed for a lack of knowledge’. (Hosea 4:6)   So about yesterday’s message…I’d be curious to know when the last time was that you spent combing through that text there and really reading…what it had to say. As I pointed out there in the end, I was not asking you to ‘like’ the message…but simply acknowledge that those things we read were what God said. Or as I often comment here, ‘not my words, but His’.   When Paul wrote there in Romans 3 reminding us what God declared when He looked down upon man, it was observed that “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (3:18)   I would submit to you the reason for the absence of the fear of God today is because we don’t understand God’s judgements…...

  Years ago I heard a funny story about a young, overly zealous evangelist who caused quite a stir in a shopping mall. Seems it occurred in one of those food court areas where lots of people were gathered. There was a lot of commotion when he began yelling at the top of his lungs…”Everyone back away…back away…it’s alive…it’s alive…back away”. As parent’s grabbed their children and folks were stumbling over one another and knocking chairs and tables aside trying to clear the area, this young preacher was seen holding a large cardboard box firmly on the ground as if he had trapped something. Mall security quickly approached and when curious onlookers gawked in a hushed tone, the young man announced that all was well, and they need not fear. What he had ‘trapped’ under the box was indeed alive but would not harm anyone now. He stood…looked at all the confused faces, encouraging the security folks they were in no danger as he reached down and from underneath the box, he pulled out...

  Last week I was back east helping my mom get situated in to a new assisted living place; given she had decided the time had come to make such a move. I stayed at my brother’s house and had been battling some nasal/congestion/hacking-up issues for a few days while there. I guess my brother’s wife got tired of hearing me every morning hacking up stuff so she offered me a ‘horse pill’ (was just big) thinking it might help break up some of that nasal stuff.   It seemed to help some that first day so I tried it again the following day, and then one more time on the last day I was there. When I boarded my plane to return home, I had a connecting flight and when I got to that airport, I was desperately searching for a bathroom. I’ll spare you the details but it was bad enough to have me ‘Googling’ side effects for that particular med. And sure enough, while rare, I was experiencing one of many...that were listed. A day or two after returning home, I tried one more time....

  Do you know someone who seemingly subscribes to the philosophy that if you ignore a problem long enough...that the problem will go away?   Why are wives usually the first ones to raise their hands to that question as they glance at their husbands? :- )   Leaky faucets do not fix themselves, nor do squeaky doors stop squeaking until you give it a dab of oil. And contrary to popular opinion, ignorance is only bliss to those who want to remain ignorant.   Speaking of ignorance (or being ignorant), that word often times can carry a harsh undertone when directed at someone. But in all honestly, all that word means is to be lacking knowledge or information pertaining to any particular subject or piece of news or topic. If you were to complete this sentence: “I don’t know the first thing when it comes to ___________”, whatever you filled that blank in with, you could say you are ‘ignorant’ when it comes to (whatever you wrote down).   When it ...

  Not that you asked, but did you know the one topic that I sense the biggest hesitation or pushback (and not from people) on addressing is the subject we discussed yesterday- the wrath of God. I don’t believe for a second that God is sitting in heaven wringing His hands and rolling His eyes whispering: “Oh...I wish you would not write about this today Tony!” On the contrary...   I am fully aware from Paul’s writings that it is not ‘flesh and blood that we contend with...but rather spiritual forces of darkness’. (Eph. 6:12). And like any subject matter recorded in scripture, there is always a right way and a wrong way to present it. It is my prayer that I do as Paul instructed Timothy- to remain gentle, humble, and patient in sharing God’s word with the hopes that God will grant repentance to those who hear this and they will "come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil having been taken captive by him to do his will". (2 Tim.2:24-26)   I have no a...