Have You Ever Healed A Beggar?

Act 3:1-10 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. (esv)

I have recently started a new Bible study and the first part is to begin in the book of Acts and read the first five chapters. Once I have read the chapters I will begin to memorize the titles within the chapter. Each week I add five more chapters and when it is all said and done I will have read all of the New Testament and memorized all of the titles within the books... That sounds like a lot of work, what have I got myself into? Ok, let's just start with Acts chapters 1-5.

As I was reading through the first five chapters in Acts I came across this passage in Acts 3. It really got me to thinking about how I treat people and especially those I encounter on the streets that are deemed the least desirable. As Peter and John were approaching the temple they ran into a beggar who was a pretty common fixture at the gate. When the lame man asked for money, rather than brushing him off and telling him to essentially go away, they offered him Jesus Christ. They looked at him and with authority told him to rise and walk.

Now here comes the part that I was really impacted by... Not only did they give this lame man a dose of Jesus, but they also walked along with him into the temple praising Jesus. The stopped, shared the Lord, picked him up, and walked along side him praising our Savior. Boy do I fall short of that. I can't even tell you how many times per week I get approached by beggars and I either ignore them or brush them off with a "Sorry, I can't help you."

I have learned a lesson from the book of Acts today that will impact me forever. I will keep you updated if I heal any lame beggars, or just share the love of Jesus with them... Either way, I really see that the way I have been treating them is definitely not the way the Bible shows me to.

Lord, forgive me when I see someone who is in need of you and I only look at them as a nuisance. Please do a work in my heart so I can impact the lives of those I encounter each day on the streets.

Tribute Memorial Day 2010

Another sleepless night so I thought I would make a video as a tribute to the men and women who have faithfully served this country and either risked their life or died for our freedom. Feel free to share with your friends... God Bless The USA

I Pray you all remember those who are currently in battle for our freedom on this Memorial Day 2010.

Jesus Saves Beggars, Thugs, And Losers - Just Like Me

Joh 5:2-9 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids--blind, lame, and paralyzed *[waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred the water: whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had.]* One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. (esv)

This message from the book of John is about the paralytic man at the pool of Bethesda who couldn't get into the water to be healed. He had been there 38 years and he struggled day after day to get to the water when it was stirred up. As Jesus walks along the poolside looking at all the lame, sick, and diseased men and women there he responds to one particular man by asking him a question. "Do you want to be healed?"

Unbeknownst to him he was lying on a mat in front of the maker of the world. Jesus didn't have to ask the man if he wanted to be healed. He knew that he had been their 38 years and it was apparent by his presence at the pool his desire was for healing. Jesus was wanting to show the man His amazing love and grace in spite of the paralytic's lack of faith and knowledge of Jesus. The man responded by telling Jesus that there was no one to help him get into the water... He needed to get into the water. In an instant Jesus told the man to pick up his mat and walk.

Several things stand out to me about the way Jesus heals this man. First, in spite of the man's lack of faith, Jesus still performs a miracle in his life. Second, was that Jesus didn't walk him down to the pool and place the paralyzed man into the bubbling water, He spoke and the man was healed. The man had faith in the water of Bethesda and didn't even realize that the living water was standing right next to him. And lastly it shows me as I read on in the passage that Jesus was concerned about his sin.

After reading this passage today I have to ask myself how much faith do I have in Jesus to heal me and my struggles and difficulties. Even when my faith is little, this message from John shows me that God is faithful in spite of my weakness and unbelief. It also shows me to rely on Him alone. Not the water of the pools of Bethesda, not the resources I have to take care of my problems, and not the strength of others. It also shows me that He will choose whom He will heal and make well. There were maybe hundreds of men and women around the pool and He chose this paralytic man for a reason. After Jesus healed the man He left the pool and found the man in the temple. He told the man to go and sin no more. The healing of this mans physical body was a mere representation of the healing Jesus desired for the mans soul. Jesus could heal all of the people at the pool, but was far more concerned about their spiritual healing than their physical. As with us today, many will go into their death bearing the physical disabilities they carried with them for all of their years, but the true healing comes on that final day when there will be no more pain, no more tears, and no more crying.

As I read the Gospel of John I see many things about the character of Jesus. I think today I am really understanding that Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and seeks out the lost in many ways that I have not truly noticed over all these years. The woman at the well was a Samaritan woman and Jews had no dealings with Samaritan's. The paralytic man was probably homeless, quite possibly a beggar, and the only worldly possession he owned was a bed mat. The woman who touched His garment was healed of her years of bleeding instantly because of her faith.

As Christians we have a tendency to make programs and churches around the "lovely" people of the world. However, Jesus walked the streets and saved the "un-lovely's." I am truly convicted that Jesus calls us to reach out to all people and share the gospel with them. Not just the neighbor down the street or the co-workers in the office, but all men and women. Everyone on this planet is in need of the gospel of Jesus Christ regardless of social, economic, or any other status we may give them.

The Samaritan woman shared what she experienced at the well and the entire community came out to see Him, yet His own people rejected Him and only wanted to see signs and wonders. May we as American Christians with enormous resources reach out to all people and share the gospel with them. Even the man on the corner begging for some change...

The lyrics of this secular song state this message so clearly. We live in a lost world. Young girls getting pregnant, beggars on every street corner and freeway off ramp, and gang violence rampant in our city streets. What message are we sending our young people?

Everlast - What its like

We've all seen the man at the liquor store beggin' for your change
The hair on his face is dirty, dreadlocked and full of mange
He ask the man for what he could spare with shame in his eyes
Get a job you stinkin' slob's all he replied

[CHORUS]
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues
Then you really might know what it's like [x4]

Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom who said he was in love
He said don't worry about a thing baby doll I'm the man you've been dreamin' of
But three months later he said he won't date her or return her call
(edited out line)
And then she heads for the clinic and she gets some static walkin' through the doors
They call her a killer, and they call her a sinner, and they call her a whore

[CHORUS]
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to choose
Then you really might know what it's like [x4]

I've seen a rich man beg
I've seen a good man sin
I've seen a tough man cry
I've seen a loser win
And a sad man grin
I heard an honest man lie
I've seen the good side of bad
And the down side of up
And everything between
I licked the silver spoon
Drank from the golden cup
Smoked the finest green
I stroked the fattest dimes at least a couple of times
Before I broke their heart
You know where it ends
Yo, it usually depends on where you start

I knew this kid named Max
He used to get fat stacks out on the corner with drugs
He liked to hang out late at night
Liked to get **** faced
And keep pace with thugs
Until late one night there was a big gun fight
Max lost his head
He pulled out his chrome .45
Talked some crap
And wound up dead
Now his wife and his kids are caught in the midst of all of his pain
You know it crumbles that way
At least that's what they say when you play the game

[CHORUS]
God forbid you ever had to wake up to hear the news
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to lose
Then you really might know what it's like [x3]
To have to lose...

I hope and pray that the message we send to the world is that there is hope. Hope in a mighty and powerful Savior. Hope for the lost, hope for the dying, and hope for the hurting. You don't have to go through this life having to lose... Jesus will heal you and make you whole again. All you have to do accept His living water and quit waiting by the side of the pool for someone to set you in.

*omitted in some versions

Love By Deed and Truth

1 John 3:16-18 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Today Lori, Grayson and I went for a walk with the dogs to the local park and while we were walking we encountered a homeless couple washing their clothes in the drinking fountain and hanging them on a nearby tree to dry. The weather was a bit inclement so I made a comment to Lori that we should invite them over to do laundry at our house.

As we walked along our merry way we kept discussing the struggle it must be to live such a life in a country that is full of extreme excess and have nothing but the clothes you can carry in a paper bag. We all go through difficult times at one point or another in this life and those difficulties can really bring us down. But we have hope. We have a Savior who gives us the assurance that there is a place free from pain and suffering. A time when we will kneel at the feet of our Lord and be free from guilt, shame, pain, and loss.

Jesus doesn't promise us an easy life here on earth. Actually, the Bible is full of stories of struggle and pain. It does however give us hope. We know that we have a God who loves us and gave himself for us so that we can spend eternity with him. No matter what the difficulty, whether it be financial, emotional, or physical, we are reminded in Romans that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Rom 8:18)

Lord I pray for the couple today that we saw washing their clothes in a drinking fountain. I know that there are millions more across the globe just like them and I ask that you reveal yourself to them and put people into their lives that can bring them hope. You tell us who have to share with those who don't and I pray for more opportunities to share your love with others. Thank you for blessing me and my family so richly.

(revised)

Am I A Good Samaritan?

Over the past several months I have had a verse running through my head from time to time. It is the true foundation for our walk with God and how we relate to those around us. The basic principle of the Christian walk is Love. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and strength. And the next one is like it, love your neighbor as yourself.

I live in a community that is incredibly diverse and tends to be far more liberal than I desire. It is inhabited with people from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds as well as those who choose a variety of sexual preferences. The city seems to be enamored with strip clubs, adult video stores, and sex shops throughout. There are street people begging on every interstate off ramp and one can not go far without being asked for some spare change, a cigarette, or something to eat.

As I ponder these verses I can't help but ask myself how I am doing when it comes to loving my neighbor. I live on a decent street in an alright neighborhood so loving my immediate neighbors isn't such a challenge. But, once I venture out beyond the borders of my comfort zone I encounter the "unlovely" people and my commitment to love my neighbor as myself is far more challenging.

This story in Luke is a reminder to me that my neighbor is not defined solely by the people in close proximity to my house. It is anyone I come into contact with or who crosses my path. The lawyer asks Jesus in verse 29, "who is my neighbor?" His motive behind this question was to justify his own actions by finding himself in accordance to this command of "love your neighbor as yourself." He is a good man with elevated status in the community so loving those who are his friends and neighbors would be quite simple. But Jesus shows him the true meaning of what the scriptures are telling us.

To love those who are less fortunate than we are takes guts. It also requires humility and actions that are intentional. We need to purposefully act on our love rather than walk on the other side of the street and try to avoid any contact with those in our community that we find difficult to love. The Samaritan's first response was to have compassion. This is generally not my first response when beggars walk up to me or I see someone downtown lying on the street. My first response is more like the priest or the Levite. If I walk on the other side of the street maybe then I won't need to acknowledge that this person even exists.

Once the Samaritan bound up the injured mans wounds he took him to an inn and cared for him. When it was time for the Samaritan to leave, he left money with the innkeeper to allow the injured man to be cared for until he could return to check on him. The Samaritan was merciful. He is the example of what Christ means when He tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Luk 10:25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Luk 10:26 He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" Luk 10:27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." Luk 10:28 And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." Luk 10:29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Luk 10:30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Luk 10:31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. Luk 10:32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. Luk 10:33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. Luk 10:34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. Luk 10:35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Luk 10:36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" Luk 10:37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise." (esv)

Lord, help me to be like the good Samaritan. I know that there are people around me daily that I could show your love to but I am too busy, too prideful, or just too lazy to reach out. Forgive me for not taking my time and resources and using them effectively for those who are less fortunate than myself. You are the God of Love and you call me to show that love to others. Please give me an opportunity to do that today. In Jesus precious name, Amen.