Jun-27-Touching Lepers

Key Word:- TOUCH

Title:- Touching Lepers

Leviticus 13:45,46
“Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his moustache, and cry, 'Unclean! Unclean!' He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

In my personnel report, which was submitted to the human resources department, I recommended him for ‘sincere consideration for any job openings within the company.’ Indeed, I encouraged the company concerned ‘to take him on’ by writing “As soon as a vaccine exists, I recommend that you employ him.” Of course, I had meant to say vacancy . What a difference the addition a small consonant can make to a phrase!

The spell checker took me from ‘vacancy’ to ‘vaccine’ in one fell swoop. That is my case your honor and I’m sticking to it! Spell checkers aren’t that clever after all, but then again neither am I. By the way, they never did ask me what disease I thought he had, or how infectious he was. Maybe it didn’t matter. Thankfully, it doesn’t matter to Jesus either; He was and is very familiar with the touching of lepers.

The cruel and crippling desensitizing and disfiguring nature of leprosy, from the beginning has led it to be a despicable picture of the internal corruption that sin besets us all with. Most of us are aware of this within us but live in such a denial of its all-pervading influence, that we function on the level of cynical comparisons saying, “Well, I’m not as bad as her,” or “I could be worse, like him over there” and “It’s not that bad really.” From early years, we have all been trying to change the habit, improve the propensity, and practice pleasant-hood, all in an attempt to remove the leprous spot from us. It cannot be done. I wonder maybe, if we need to see the horror of it more, or be more filled with the stench of it, or have it consume us and eat us up a little bit more, before we lay aside our pride and go running to Jesus, in desperation for help and healing.

You know, I see desperation more and more, as a divine gift. Maybe the most merciful one we could ever receive. Luke, the doctor, tells us of a man in a certain city, FULL of leprosy who ran to Jesus and said “If you are willing you can make me clean.” Tell me, how full of leprous sin do you see yourself today? Where are you running to for help?

Listen: - Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him. Luke 5:13

Pray: - Thank You that You are more willing to heal me, than I am to be healed. Reach, touch, and cleanse me today, oh my Savior, for You are my only hope. Amen.

Wincing & Wounded SPANISH

GRACIA

Proverbios 18:19a
Más resiste el hermano ofendido, que una ciudad amurallada.

Herido y con dolor

La verdad, sin la gracia es como una espada, como un martillo y como un fuego. Sí. La verdad dicha sin la gracia es una estocada que quebranta, que quema. La persona golpeada con tal verdad queda a menudo herida y y con mucho dolor, desangrándose. Amigos, yo les digo que el dolor cortante de la verdad dicha sin la gracia, logrará poner a la gente sobre sus rodillas, pero como en el caso del viejo Malco, la gente se sentirá tan herida, que su receptividad para escuchar sobre la fe ¡habrá sido 'dañada' para siempre!

La gente que es herida de esta manera es a menudo tan consumida con su dolor y con su verguenza, ¡que es prácticamente imposible que se abran a escuchar! Recuerden que la verdad, aunque es una cosa hermosa, dicha sin la gracia es como una espada afilada y no debe ser manejada por gente 'inexperta', especialmente por los no experimentados en cuestiones de dolor.
En el huerto de Getsemaní, cuando Jesús fue arrestado, Pedro con amor protector e ira apasionada, había sacado su espada y en el calor del momento dio un viro fugaz hacia la cabeza de Malco y le cortó su oreja. Recordarán también, amigos, que a pesar de que Jesús sin lugar a dudas se encontraba exhausto por los acontecimientos de esa noche larga y tortuosa, y temeroso del gran dolor que estaba todavía por caer sobre él, “pidió tiempo” para arreglar el lío de su amado Pedro. Jesús tomó un tiempo en medio de la oscuridad y los gritos, para buscar la oreja de Malco y para fijarla de nuevo a un lado de su cabeza. La pasión y la verdad habían causado una herida, que ahora la gracia y la verdad sanarían ¡y Malco no lo olvidaría jamás! ¿Ven esto? ¿Lo entienden?

No debemos aspirar a ser como Pedro o Pablo, como Elías o como Débora ni como ningún otro gran personaje Bíblico. ¡No! Debemos desear ser como Cristo, quien es tan lleno de gracia y verdad, que utilizó su último momento de libertad para amar y sanar a un hombre que fue enviado a arrestarle. La gracia y la verdad son mejores abogados que las heridas y el dolor. Siempre lo han sido.

Reflexiona: “Y el Verbo se hizo hombre y habitó entre nosotros. Y hemos contemplado Su gloria, la gloria que corresponde al Hijo unigénito del Padre, lleno de gracia y de verdad.” Juan 1:14

Ora: Dios de Gracia, Padre amoroso, permite que el día de hoy tu gracia fluya como aceite a otros, a través de mí. Amén.

Jun-13-Money & Monies Worth

Key Word:- TRUST

Title:- Money & Money’s Worth

Matthew 2:11
And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

As all royalty would be approached in the East, these Kings, these most marvelous Magi, opened up their treasure boxes and presented to the greatest King, God over all, the most valuable of their countries then commercial products. No doubt, these gifts were emblematic; no doubt, these gifts were prophetic as well in that they spoke of the purpose and destiny of the tiny little lamb then so sweetly set before them. However, my question today is this:'What happened to the gifts?'

You would agree with me I am sure, that you don’t travel over vast distances, with the hope of finding someone you have searched and longed to see without taking with you something of exceptional worth and value. So, I assume then that this was pretty expensive stuff! Yet I am not aware of any archaeological searches for the ‘Lost Gold of Jesus’ or the ‘Perfume of the Prince of Life’. No, this treasure is never spoken of again. Why? Well that old and great commentator, Matthew Henry, gives us a very simple statement that the gifts were essentially ‘Money and Moneys Worth’ and that’s very helpful. You see in effect, Mary and Joseph were given a universal commodity of exchange. It was the ‘Euro’ or the ‘Dollar’ of the day if you will and they were going to need it!

The verses following in Matthew shows the fearful family, fleeing from Herod and hiding in Egypt until his death, before then returning to Israel, the long way home. Arriving back in Nazareth, they would start afresh in beginning to support themselves. All of this coming and going, stopping and starting, ending and beginning, breaking and building, took money. It was an expensive exercise!

We can take great encouragement in that the long and expensive journey of Jesus, Joseph and Mary were taken care of by the Father in advance of it happening. My goodness! The Father even brought precious provision and finances from afar, to ensure the protection and establishment of the family. So, where are the gifts? Well, I would suggest friends, that they were all, very quickly and very well spent! God gives us treasure for spending, even for the financing of all our journeying. It is never for hoarding. Remember that.

Listen: - “Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matt 6:31-34

Pray: - Living God, help me to put You and Your kingdom first and then see You come up with all my various expenses. Amen!