Jesus and Me ... and the Cats

I Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,  for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.   While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.  You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.  So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.  But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.  For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through...

Romans 13:8-14 Matthew 18:15-29 Our heroine, bound hand, foot and every where in between by heavy ropes is tied to a set of railroad tracks.  Helplessly she struggles as the train roars down the track and the villain with the cheesy moustache wearing a black hat and frock coat rubs his hands and chortles in glee. Taylor Swift, in her music video, "Mean," uses that image to describe how it feels when people act in unloving ways -- name calling, back stabbing betrayal, lies and put-downs.  I can relate to that.  I've felt tied up in knots because of what someone said about me or did to hurt me.  I think we've all been there. But sometimes, there are things we do that tie ourselves up, that bind us.  As human beings, we may choose to respond in anger, do something to get back at someone or nurse a grudge.  We may treat someone unkindly because we're jealous. or out of selfishness and self-interest, quarrel, insisting on getting our own way.  Whe...

Matthew 16:13-20 If you were at a party, and you saw someone slip something into someone's drink, and they wouldn't believe you when you told them, what would you do?  Would you be willing to create a scene, knock the drink out of his or her hand, risk looking like a fool? Jesus asked his disciples who people said he was.  Some people said Jesus was John the Baptist, a man who came to convict people of their personal sin and lead them to repentance.  Some said he was Elijah, a prophet who was going to confront the ruling parties about their oppressive and unjust reign.  Others said he was Jeremiah, another prophet who warned the nation of Israel to turn back to back to God. There are some people today that say Jesus was just a man -- a good man, perhaps even a prophet.  He was a great teacher who preached about moral and ethical behavior.  He was an advocate for justice and the rights of the people.  He was a man, and the miracles and the re...

Matthew 15:8-28 James Dean was the original rebel without a cause.  From the movie screen, he became a symbol of rebellion and wild, reckless behavior as he bucked the system. Jesus, on the other hand, was a rebel with a cause and a mission.  His mission was to lead the lost sheep of Israel back into right relationship with God and with other human beings.  Jesus was out there raising "heaven," making the religious powers that be uncomfortable and bucking the system. When the Pharisees criticized Jesus and their disciples for not following the ritual of washing their hands, what Jesus was responding to was the "tradition of the elders," an oral code which was a human  interpretation of the Law of Moses that intensified the demands of the law.  The Pharisees and other religious leaders used it to their advantage to financially support their favorite causes while ignoring the needs of their own aging parents and the poor.  By following it rigidly, they...

Matthew 14:22-33                         Romans 10:5-15 Do you have beautiful feet?  Have you ever thought about feet being beautiful?  Oh, yes, feet can be achy.  they can be stinky.  Feet can be calloused, dry or dirty.  They can even be made of clay, but how often do we think about feet being things of beauty? Romans 10:15 says, "...beautiful are the feet that bring good news."  Beautiful feet belong to people who have put their faith in Christ and are obedient disciples. I think beautiful feet are wet feet. In Matthew 14:22-33, we read a familiar story.  The disciples are back out on the Sea of Galilee when another storm catches them out in the middle of the lake.  This time, Jesus isn't even with them.  He stayed behind, insisting that they go on ahead of them while he went off by himself to pray and rest. ...

The country will look like pine and oak forest with every tree cut down— Every tree a stump, a huge field of stumps. But there's a holy seed in those stumps."                                   Isaiah 6:13, THE MESSAGE "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. 12 "When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. 13-14 "When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed."                ...

Mark 4:35-41 Romans 8:18-28 It was like no other storm many of us had ever experienced, even those of us who have been through tornados.  We went to bed on Sunday night with our world looking one way and woke up on Monday morning to an almost alien landscape and a natural disaster to deal with. In the Gospel of Mark, we read the story of another terrible storm.  It was not uncommon for sudden storms to roll down the hills surrounding the Sea of Galillee, picking up speed and strength as they went until they hit the Sea with hurricane force winds. It was a terrifying experience.  The wind shrieked through shredded sails as rigging snapped.  The storm whipped up huge waves that quickly filled the boats.  Lightening flashed; men shouted in terror. And where was Jesus?  The men found Jesus asleep on a cushion in the stern of one of the boats.  "Teacher, don't you care that we're all going to drown?!?!?" This last week, a little bo...