Had to be dragged into the twenty-first century…
Filed in Devotions & Studies, General |Thats right Journal, 
I came into this twenty-first century clawing and clinging on to everything I could get my hands on that spoke of old-timey ways. You should have picked up on that by now, with all my memory sharings and such like.
In fact my theme song was, ‘I shall not be, I shall not be moved.’ After all, we pioneer preachers have a hard time adjusting to these new fangled ways. Well, if drawing water out of a well was good enough for papa, why isn’t it good enough for our grand younguns.
Well, I finally made it. Course you’ve likely picked up on that. Fact is I learned to turn on a computer. And I found the magic word to use when I get in trouble. All I have to do is cry out, ‘Nathan!!.’ And naturally Nathan will do his best to bail me out of trouble.
You see, he also knows a bit about old timey ways, especially that one where the Lord says, “Honor your father and your mother so that your years on the earth will be long.” (I’m really glad the Lord put that one in the Bible. I’ve been known to pull it out ever so often.) 
Well, if I were a rich man…
Just kidding. Every child of God is rich beyond measure.
But I do need to pick on a good brother in the Lord. His shortened name is ‘Rich.’ I love to tell him that I know a Rich man. (Speaking of him of course.)
Not funny? Well it might be if you were familiar with ’Fiddler on the Roof.’ Great movie from yesteryear. Remember Tevye the poor Jewish man who had a number of daughters. Hmmmmm. Wait a minute. This is sounding a bit like Nathan.
Ok, so I decided to dedicate Tevye’s song to Rich and Tevye’s dance to Nathan. Nathan is the one who can do Tevia’s shaking dance. (Course Lori has pretty much put the quieten down on Nathan’s dance.)
Another hmmmmm. Wonder if I could get Andre to do the Tevye dance. After all he and Judy have been going to these fun dance classes for a good while. They are pretty smooth on the dance floor.
Anyway, here goes my dedication….
Where to from here?? On Yeah…
By the way, have you been to any rock throwing contests lately…
I sure hope not.
Was talking with a brother today about such a need for compassion in the church. Sometimes we can be pretty good at rock-throwing events, but what about putting loving arms around hurting people. Wasn’t 
this one of the main lessons Jesus was teaching the people of that day.
For example, when Jesus was accosted by the Pharisees for dining with tax collectors and sinners (prostitutes), this is what we hear:
“When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, ‘Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?’ But when Jesus heard this, He said, ‘It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.
“But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matt 9:11013 nasb)
The Bible word for ‘compassion’ speaks of kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them. [Thayer]
Does this mean that sin is alright?
It isn’t a matter of telling sinners that sinning is alright…
Jesus never did that. He simply loved people out of their sins. Did you know that loving people out of their sins still works?
Every person should know by experience that sinning is not alright. Sin is the breaking down of life as God intended it to be. And in the breaking down of life comes broken-heartedness, broken relationships, broken health, and just plain broken everything.
Jesus knew this. This is why Paul wrote,
“For while we were helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man somone would dare to die.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ dies for us.” (Rom5:6-8)
Would you like to love the way Jesus loved? You can because Jesus lives in every believer. We just need to learn to live the Jesus life.
If anyone ever want to know what God is really like, simply study the gospel story of Jesus. Just about the only people that Jesus would rebuke were the religious, self-righteous leaders. He became angry at them because they had lost all sense of kindness to the hurting and afflicted. But there were times that he rebuked His own disciples for their attitude towards others.
But He put his arms around hurting people. This is why the early Church had such an appeal to the lost and the afflicted.
Maybe it is time to repent…
It isn’t my intention to put a guilt trip on anyone. All I ask is that we think about it. Some of us may 
compare better with the Pharisees in our religious attitude than we do with the love and compassion of Jesus. If this is the case, then surely we must repent.
Is there someone that you may have hurt. Do you think the Lord may like you to make this right?
And in our repentance should we not ask God to give us a heart like the heart of Jesus.
Oh yes, I’ve had to repent many times over a bad attitude. That is why I love this following song so much. Listen to it. Maybe the Lord will bring it home.
Yes, it is good to laugh. But it is also good to cry.
So, can you tell yourself what time it is…
You must decide for yourself which time best fits your situation. The sage said,
“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven–
“A time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
“A time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up.
“A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.
“A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
“A time to search and a time to give up as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away.
“A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak.
“A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.” (Eccl3:1-8)
Guess its time for me to leave things be for now. Sure, I’m quite happy to be in the twenty-first century. And yes, I have brought my old timey ways with me.
And always remember that Jesus loves you more than you can ever know.
Buddy
