I Was Blind, But Now I See!

If you would like to hear Pastor Yolanda preaching this sermon, please click the link above!



SCRIPTURE

Mark 10:46-52

They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

 
SERMON

Today I am touched by the story of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. What most amazes me about Bart is his incredible faith. The Bible teaches us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen!

In Bart’s case this was literally the case! I can imagine that he was sitting by the side of the road, holding his cup, begging for the money he needed to take care of his daily needs and then all of a sudden he was caught up in a surge of people—a large crowd—all calling out to Jesus seeking his attention.

Now Bart had never seen Jesus, but it was clear that he had heard something about him. Based on nothing more than the good news stories of others, Bart began to call out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Would that all of us were so bold in our request for mercy, forgiveness, help and/or healing. It is my experience that some of us, faced with a difficult or trying circumstance withdraw into ourselves. Others of us ask the saints of God to pray for us, but won’t pray for ourselves. Still others allow our pride to get in our way, desiring a miracle, but refusing to ask. And finally some of us allow people along the road of life to “hush” us as we cry out for mercy and we fall silent.

Bart was under no false pretenses about himself. He didn’t have a “reputation” to uphold. He was already considered the lowest of the low in his society. After all, his moniker in scripture is, “Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, a blind beggar.”

This is an incredible reputation—is it not? All that scripture remembers about his condition before he met Jesus was that he was somebody’s son, he was blind as a bat, and he had no means of support other than the kindness of others.

I really believe that because Bart had already been humbled by the circumstances of his life, he was clearer about his need for Jesus than others. He didn’t need to see Jesus to understand that there was something special about Jesus. He could probably feel the change of energy in the air and the supercharge of excitement that came from the crowd as they followed Jesus.

Additionally, I would imagine that since Bart had become blind, he was really good at listening. Perhaps he had heard tell about Jesus’ miracles—the feeding of the 4,000, the healing of the woman with an issue of blood, and/or the walking on the sea.

Since Bart had probably heard about Jesus, he may have assumed that there was a good chance that Jesus would have mercy upon him, as he had had mercy on so many others. He began to call out to Jesus loudly, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Now, I notice something interesting about his request. Although he could not see Jesus, he very correctly understood that Jesus was more than he appeared to be.

For Bart did not call, “Jesus, son of Joseph, have mercy.” Instead he said, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

Hallelujah!

Even without his physical sight, Bart had an amazing spiritual in-sight that allowed him to recognize Jesus as a member of the royal household of David, a great healer, and friend to the suffering-least-of-these.

As a result of Bart’s request and declaration, Jesus did have mercy upon him. Jesus requested that Bart be brought forward and then he asked him, “What would you have me to do for you?”

I love that Jesus invited him to be specific about his request. Like Bart, we too, are invited to be specific about our requests. When we need healing, we should ask for it. When we need financial provision, we should ask for it. When we need forgiveness of sin, we should ask for it.

But, let me say this. When we ask for something, we should ask in faith. We should believe that Jesus, Son of David, Son of God, Our Great Savior, Lord, and Friend, is more than willing to assist us with those things that are in accordance with God’s Will.

Listen, my friends, God loves us so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life. Since God did not withhold this extravagant gift, then we know that God will not withhold any other gift that we truly need!

After healing Bart, Jesus said, “Go, your faith has made you well.” But, Bart did not go! Instead, scripture teaches that Bart “immediately regained his sight and followed Jesus on the way!”

This is the appropriate response to God’s love, care, and provision. When we have an encounter with Jesus, we ought to be willing to follow Him along the road of life, wherever he may lead us—forever!

As we become followers of Jesus, we will also become sharers of the good news message that God loves, God gave, and God saves. It is an amazing truth that Jesus saves and He saves to the utmost and this is good news worth sharing!

It is my deepest desire to show forth the same amount of faith that Bart showed toward Jesus. Although he was physically blind, he was able to see deep spiritual truths. Because he could see spiritually, Jesus blessed him in every other way as well!

I don’t know what you are going through, but I want to encourage you to believe that God is able to meet all of your needs according to God’s riches in glory. There is no-thing that God is unable to rescue you from. There is no-thing that God cannot deliver you from. There is no-thing that God is unable to forgive.

But let us remember, it is up to God, how we will be delivered out of our circumstances. After we have asked for what we need, let us remember that God is Alpha and Omega. We do not have to prescribe our salvation to God; God knows what is truly best for us.

In the African American church tradition we have a saying about this. The little old ladies always say, “God may not come when you want Him, but He’s always right on time!

Dear friends, please remember that you cannot out run, out sin, or outfox the love of God revealed to us in Christ Jesus.

God loves you! More than you can hope, dream, or even imagine. Jesus loved Bartimaeus even before he ever met him along the road; Jesus knew him as well. God loves and knows you as well!

Jesus knew exactly what Bart needed and wanted, but he gave Bart the opportunity to express his faith to Jesus and to those who were standing around them. This was Bart’s first chance to share the good news. I wonder how many other opportunities he had along the road as he followed Jesus.

Today, you are invited to show forth your love in Jesus as well! Will you put all of your faith in Jesus to meet all of your needs—physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual? Will you decide to follow Jesus today?

If so, please pray with me:

Holy God, thank you for hearing me when I cry out for mercy! Please meet all of my needs according to your riches in glory. Please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit. Today, I am putting all of my faith in you. I believe that you died on the cross to secure the forgiveness of my sin and to gift me with eternal life. I know that you did not stay dead, but you were resurrected on the third day, just like you promised you would! I am excited about this good news and pledge to share it with others! I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.


SPECIAL NOTE

If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, today, you are saved! Let me encourage you to tell a Christian friend that you just put all of your hope in Jesus. Ask him or her to help you find a Bible that is easy for you to understand and to find a good Bible believing church where you can be baptized and make new friends who will walk with you on your Christian journey!

I would be honored if you would take a moment to click “YES” in the upper-right hand corner of the good news blog in answer to the question, “Did God save you today?”

Congratulations and Happy Re-birthday! Your salvation is our GOOD NEWS, please go and share the GOOD NEWS with others!


ANNOUNCEMENT

Happy "Reformation Sunday" to our many Protestant Christian friends celebrating around the world today! We are holding you in our prayers as you continue to share good news as you are led! Peace be with you!

Truly Blessed!

SCRIPTURE

Mark 10:35-45 (NRSV)
Warnings to ambitious disciples

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.
For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

 
SERMON

After reading today’s Bible passage, I could not help but chuckle as I surveyed the audacity of James and John. They were the brothers who had been nicknamed by Jesus “The Sons of Thunder.” Although we cannot know what Jesus meant by the nickname, we know that thunder often precedes lightning, and a powerful storm. Maybe Jesus called them Sons of Thunder because they were loud, ruckus, and prone to rage. Or maybe Jesus called them Sons of Thunder because they were Sons of God’s Word or Presence, which was often described as “the sound of thunder.”

In any case, they were bold and brash as evidenced by the fact that they came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”

Now, this may seem shocking to some, but in reality most of us Christians approach our conversations with God in the same way. We bow our heads, close our eyes, and recite a “laundry list” of “I want you to dos…”

When we run out of “requests” we say, “I pray this in the Name of Jesus” and we start or end our day without another thought.

In the case of John and James, they said, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” In our case, we often pray for fame, fortune, power, reputation, favor(s), money, jobs, stuff, stuff, and more stuff.

Isn’t it amazing that our prayers are so selfish, so much of the time? I am often shocked by how much of my prayer life is spent “making my requests known to God” and how little of it is spent simply adoring God, confessing my sin, and thanking God for all of God’s many benefits toward me!

Now, don’t get me wrong, God invites us to be bold in our requests. After all, how much more bold can you get than to say to Jesus, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”?

But, I also know that God knows better than we do what it is that we truly want and need. I have often said—and I stand by it—that if God had answered every single one of my prayers in the affirmative, I would be in a world of trouble.

Looking back over my life and my prayers, I now have a great appreciation for God’s “No and Slow.” Often, I have demanded that God do things my way only to find that my timing was off, I was ignorant of players or circumstances, or I simply wasn’t mature enough to handle what it was that I was asking for.

James and John faced a similar circumstance when they asked to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand. In their minds, I am sure that they felt that they deserved the power, fame, and fortune that would come to them as they ruled at Jesus’ side in the coming kingdom.

But, Jesus turned their request on its head (as he was prone to do). He said, “"You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

The brothers quickly answered, “We are able…”

My goodness! I’m sure that they had no idea what they were getting themselves into! I often wonder if James and John reached the end of their lives and thought back on this conversation with Jesus! I imagine that they must have been appalled by their naiveté and ignorance.

Certainly, the other disciples were outraged by the conversation. In response to the argument that broke out amongst the disciples, Jesus said, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.”

Whoa!

This statement must have blown the disciples minds! Here James and John had just asked to be rulers, lords, and tyrants. They had asked Jesus for greatness, power, and fame. They had made it clear that they wanted to lead—and to be first—and in response to their request, Jesus declares, “to become truly great you must become a slave and servant to all!”

This passage always sends me into a fit of giggles because it is so counter-cultural and yet, so very much like my Jesus!

Can you imagine what the disciples’ faces must have looked like after Jesus invited them to become slave and servant to all?

Come on, friends! Let’s keep it real in here today. Who aspires to be a servant? When was the last time you heard a child say, “When I grow up I want to be a slave?”

I have never, ever heard it! I hear children say, “I want to be a doctor, president, entrepreneur, rock star, or athlete. But, I have never heard anyone say, “I want to be a servant.”

In yesterday’s Revised Common Lectionary reading Jesus asked, “Who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? I am among you as one who serves (Luke 22).”

This remark has been sticking in my craw since I read it. I just can’t shake it! How could it be that the servant is greater than the one whom s/he serves?

I was still meditating on this Word whilst I was out to eat in a restaurant with my husband on yesterday. As we were sitting there, a man came by who was sweeping the carpet. When I saw him, I looked up and said, “Hi!”

The man stopped, looked around, and then said to me with urgency, “What do you need? How can I help you? Have you been served?” In response, I smiled and said, “I don’t need anything. I’m just acknowledging you by saying, “Hi!”

Well, the most remarkable thing happened. The man just shook his head and walked away from us. I really think that our interchange freaked him out because as a “servant” he is not accustomed to anyone seeing, acknowledging, or even caring about him.

Yet, our Jesus declared that the servant is greater than the one being served.

This is a conundrum, isn’t it; because society and its institutions teach us that exactly the opposite is true.

It is a sad fact that most of us do not even see the people who serve us every day—they are invisible to us!

As a result, we walk right past the person wiping the table, vacuuming the carpet, or cleaning the toilet. We don’t acknowledge their hard work or their care for our needs. So why on earth would we aspire to be servants?

Well, the answer to that question is simple, but profound. Our Jesus said, “I am among you as one who serves.”

Jesus, is our mentor, role model, and example. He is the epitome of what a Christian must aspire to become! Because Jesus self-identified as servant, we too, must do the same!

Isn’t it amazing that Jesus understood himself to be a servant to all? As such, he roamed about the countryside for three years, seeking people to serve. In his capacity as servant, he preached. He taught. He counseled. He healed. He exhorted. He rebuked. He prayed—and when all of that was not enough to bring us to repentance and right relationship with God—Jesus gave himself up to an old rugged cross and died as atonement for our sin.

Hallelujah!

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, The Son of God, chose to become a servant to all! He allowed Love to give Him up to the cross, in order to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.

My Lord! John and James had absolutely no idea that in asking to sit at Jesus’ right and left side, they were asking to give up their very lives in service to others.

I have heard it said that the best way to share the good news is to show the good news to others! Jesus affirmed this when he commanded us to “feed the hungry, give drink the thirsty, clothe the naked, house the homeless, and visit the sick and imprisoned.”

On the night in which he was betrayed , Jesus stated, “You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

You will be blessed if you do them!

When we pray, we often ask God to bless us with money, fame, fortune, cars, houses, boats, power, and advancement. We think that these things will bless our lives.

But on today, we are reminded that in order to be truly blessed, we must ask to become a slave and a servant to all! We must request that Jesus makes us an invisible--and often taken for granted--force for good in the world. We must desire to be used by God to share the good news that God loves, gave, and saves!

Isn’t this a radical realignment of our priorities? Of course it is!

But, as Christians, we are called “Followers of the Way.” We are also called “little Christs.” In order to live up to these monikers, we must remember that “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

It is my prayer that on today we will make up our minds to pour out our very lives in service to others! As we do so, we will be blessed beyond our wildest imaginings!

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.



INVITATION


Would you like to become a follower of Jesus on this day? If so, please pray with me:
Holy God, thank you that Jesus set forth an example of service for me to follow. Please forgive me for desiring things, instead of desiring Jesus. I believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again on the third day to make atonement for my sin and to gift me with eternal life. Please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can be used by you to serve all of your people. I love you and I really want to share our love with others. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.



SPECIAL NOTE


If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, today, you are saved! Let me encourage you to tell a Christian friend that you just put all of your hope in Jesus. Ask him or her to help you find a Bible that is easy for you to understand and to find a good Bible believing church where you can be baptized and make new friends who will walk with you on your Christian journey!

I would be honored if you would take a moment to click “YES” in the upper-right hand corner of the good news blog in answer to the question, “Did God save you today?”

Congratulations and Happy Re-birthday! Your salvation is our GOOD NEWS, please go and share the GOOD NEWS with others!

Ninety-Nine And A Half Won't Do!*

If you would like to hear Pastor Yolanda preaching this good news message, please click the link above.


SCRIPTURE

Mark 10:17-31 (NRSV)
Teaching on wealth and reward

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'" He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible."

Peter began to say to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age - houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions - and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."

 
SERMON

In today’s Bible passage we encounter a man who is desperate to inherit eternal life. He intercepts Jesus just as Jesus is setting out on a journey and asks, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus reminds him of the importance of the Ten Commandments, and the man assures Jesus that he has been faithful and obedient to them since he was a child. At his words, Jesus is moved with compassion and love and invites the man to sell all of his possessions and become a follower of Jesus. The man leaves shocked and grief stricken, unwilling to leave everything behind.

You know, it occurs to me that this man almost had everything right! So let’s look at the sequence of events together and see if we can figure out exactly what went wrong.

First of all, I notice that this man was filled with urgency and a strong desire to inherit eternal life. This is a good thing, right? The Bible says that he ran up to Jesus and knelt at Jesus’ feet.

Wow! The rich man wasn’t playing around, was he? This man believed that Jesus had the answer to the question burning in his heart and soul. He knew that Jesus could help him to secure eternal life with God. And although the man was presumably very rich, he knelt humbly at the feet of Jesus! And when he spoke to Jesus, he called him “Good Teacher.”

My heart goes out to this rich man. Don’t you know people just like this to varying degrees? I know that I do.

I know people who want to believe. I know people who think that Jesus was a good teacher or even a great prophet. I know people who desire faith but have none.

I know people who even go to church once in a while. They love the music, don’t mind the preaching, and feel drawn to Christian folks for reasons they are unable to articulate.

I don’t know about you, but I even have non-Christian friends who often ask me to “pray for them.” Whenever they are in trouble, they seek out Christians to “stand in the gap” for them and to make their requests known to God. I often invite these same people to pray with me and/or for themselves, but they just can’t find the courage to address God on their own.

More than this, I know a person who is dying. In the past she did not believe in God. In fact, she taught her children to be atheists. They did not go to church and did not celebrate any holy-days. But now that she is sick, she is filled with urgency and a strong desire to live forever. She is looking for answers, running to Jesus, and asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

All of these people remind me of the rich man in today’s Bible story. They all have an urgent desire to inherit eternal life and that’s a good thing, but it is obviously not enough.

So, let’s keep looking at the sequence of events, my friends. Obviously the rich man almost had it right! After all, Jesus invited him to become His follower.

So, let’s keep trying to figure out what went wrong.

The second thing that I notice about the rich man is that in addition to having a sense of urgency and a desire to inherit eternal life, he was trying to live a holy and righteous life following the commandments of God. Again, this is a good thing, right?

Let us remember, that in response to the rich man’s sincere and urgent question about attaining eternal life Jesus told him, You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'"

It seems that Jesus wanted to encourage the man to take a personal inventory of his life and his behaviors. When confronted with The Law the man actually said, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.”

WOW! Now, I know that I know folks like this. You probably do too.

This man reminds me of folks who say, “I don’t need to go to church. I lead a good life…I’m a nice person…I mind my own business…I never hurt anybody…I try to do right.”

Now, there is nothing wrong with trying to do the right thing. Most human beings instinctively understand the importance of the Ten Commandments whether or not they are Jewish or Christian.

I would hazard to guess that around the world—and in most societies—it is not okay to kill people, steal from a neighbor, cheat an associate, or lie on a friend.

In fact, if you watch the television, we learn that folks who obey The Law are the “good guys” and those who don’t are the “bad guys.” We base entire sitcoms, soap operas, fairy tales, romance novels and action/adventure movies on this good vs. evil dichotomy.

But, Jesus turned this entire narrative on its head when he asked to the rich man, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.”

Isn’t it amazing that the rich man had ignored that comment so soundly? Jesus had said, “No one is good except God,” but in response to Jesus’ challenge about the Ten Commandments the man said in effect, “Yes sir! I am a good man!”

Wow! Here, we begin to see what it is that went wrong with the rich man.

See, he really wanted to believe that eternal life could be attained if he just earned enough “brownie points” for being good. He truly imagined that salvation could be his if he just tried to do right all of the time.

But, Jesus makes it clear that it is not our good behavior that earns us an admittance ticket into the Heavens. We simply are not capable of being “good enough” to deserve the forgiveness of our sin and the gift of eternal life.

That is why Jesus said, “No one is good except for God.” In other words, only God’s goodness makes provision for the salvation of our souls and it is only through a relationship with God that we will inherit eternal life.

And this brings us to our final conclusion. It is here that we will see why the rich man went away from Jesus shocked and grief stricken. Although he almost had it right with an urgent desire for eternal life and good behavior, the rich man learned that ninety-nine in a half won’t do when Jesus said to him, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

My friends, this is one of the saddest moments in scripture! The rich man was actually invited to become a follower of Jesus. But, in order to take the journey with Jesus, the rich man was commanded to let go of all the stuff that will encumber his ability to be a faithful follower. In response to the challenge, the rich man went away shocked and grief stricken because he had many possessions and was unwilling to give them up!

Here is the missing component, dear ones. In order to inherit eternal life a person must be willing to put all of his or her hope in Jesus!

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved!”

In other words, scripture teaches us that we must know—and believe—that the only way to inherit eternal life is to put all of our hope in Jesus!

See, far too many people put their hope in people and things that are perishable. We place our hope and our faith in our money, land, belongings, family, spouses, children, jobs, cars, houses, cabins, boats, and other stuff.

We believe—like the rich man—that if we just have an urgent desire to be saved and live a “good life” it will be enough to get us into heaven. But we are wrong.

JESUS—himself—is the door that leads to eternal life. That is why Jesus said to his disciples, “For mortals [salvation] is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

Salvation is not something we can attain through any behavior of our own. The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…there is none righteous, no not one. It also says that the wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life.

Eternal life is a free gift from God. We can’t earn it and we can’t buy it. All of our money, connections, and stuff will not secure it for us. The only way to secure eternal life is to put all of our hope in Jesus, giving Him first place in our lives, as we follow Him wherever He may lead us!

Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age - houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions - and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."

Dear ones, do not be like the rich man. He almost had it right! But almost is not good enough when it comes to the salvation of your soul.

"99 in a half won’t due…Got to have 100. Got to have 100. Cause 99 in a half won’t do."*

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.


INVITATION

There may be someone reading/listening today who is ready to give Jesus 100% of your life. If that’s you, won’t you please pray with me?

Dear God, I have tried to attain salvation all by myself. I have tried to be good. I have had an urgent desire to be saved. But, ninety-nine and a half won’t due. Today, I am putting 100% of my faith in Jesus. I believe that you gave Jesus to die on the cross to save me from my sin and gift me with eternal life because you love me. I know that Jesus did not stay dead, but rose on the third day, just like He promised that He would. Won’t you please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can share the good news with others? I love you and I want to share Your love with others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


SPECIAL NOTE

If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, today, you are saved! Let me encourage you to tell a Christian friend that you just put all of your hope in Jesus. Ask him or her to help you find a Bible that is easy for you to understand and to find a good Bible believing church where you can be baptized and make new friends who will walk with you on your Christian journey!

I would be honored if you would take a moment to click “YES” in the poll located in the upper right hand corner of this blog in answer to the question, “Did God save you today?”

Congratulations and Happy Re-birthday! Your salvation is our GOOD NEWS, please go and share this GOOD NEWS with others!


*The sermon title comes from Dr. Feelgood’s song, “Ninety-nine And A Half (Won’t Do)”

And They Lived Happily Ever After...

To hear Pastor Yolanda preaching this Good News message, please click the link above.


SCRIPTURE

Mark 10:2-16 (NRSV)

Teaching on marriage

Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her." But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

 
SERMON

As the daughter of parents who got divorced when I was very young this scripture reading hits me right in the gut. I must confess that I was tempted to preach from another scripture--and topic--simply because I knew that I did not know what to say regarding this matter.

Furthermore, I knew that whenever a preacher talks about divorce, the people in the pews begin to squirm. I think that this is particularly true in the United States where 1:2 marriages end in divorce. Is there any amongst us who has not been burned by the sting of a marriage which has fallen apart?

I am affected because my own parents separated. My husband—whose parents have been married 40 years—still deals with the consequences of divorce because he now visits two homes on Thanksgiving when we visit my family in St. Louis. My children—who enjoy parents who are very happily married—are still impacted by the reality of divorce because unlike some of their friends they have three grandmothers, rather than two…

I am sharing my story with you so that you will understand that I do not come to this text as someone who is able to stand on the outside pointing fingers of judgment and condemnation at people who have experienced the heart-wrenching pain of a marriage torn asunder. Instead, I come as an insider, broken like many of you, in need of good news from this text.

So, what is Jesus’ word to us regarding divorce on this day? How are we to find good news in this message when so many of us are divorced, impacted by divorce, or will be divorced during our lifetimes.

In today’s pericope, Jesus’ enemies come to him attempting to trick him into saying something that is unlawful or that will turn the people away from him. They ask him, “"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"

Now some people in the crowd believe that it is perfectly fine for a man to issue a woman a certificate of divorce if he finds something wrong with her. Others believe that it is only okay to divorce your wife in the case of adultery.

Jesus counters their question, with a question, by asking what Moses taught and then helping the people to understand that Moses allowed for a certificate of divorce because he understood that human beings are “hard-hearted” toward one another.

Jesus then goes on to say that God’s best intention for us is that we would choose a life-long partner, with whom we are totally united, and that we would never allow anything to come between that blessed union.

WOW!

Isn’t our God wonderful?! Doesn’t God have a beautiful hope and vision for our lives? I mean, who amongst us doesn’t dream of the happily ever after ending? Isn’t that why we tell our children fairy tales? Isn’t it why the movie and publishing industries make billions of dollars churning out stories about a man and a woman who fall in love, overcome great odds and obstacles and live happily ever after?

My husband comes from a long line of marriages like this. Both his grandparents and his parents enjoy a “happily ever after existence.” Although their marriages weren’t--and aren’t perfect--they have been blessed to enjoy life-long relationships with only one spouse.

But, what about the rest of us? Whilst God definitely desires for us to enjoy the intimacy, friendship, companionship, help, and care of only one spouse for our entire lifetime, does God still have good news for those of us who have been burned by the brokenness of divorce?

My friends, the answer must be YES. John 3:16 says that God loves the world so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.

Aren’t you glad that “the world” even includes those of us who have suffered the brokenness, shame, and heartbreak of a devastated marriage?

Some marriages dissolve because one partner commits adultery against another. Some marriages end because one partner is abusive toward another. Some marriages terminate because partners cannot resolve issues pertaining to money, sex, or children. Still other marriages expire because of a lack of effective communication and trust.

In all cases, marriages end because someone sins against another. As human beings we simply do not always love our neighbor as ourselves.

We do not always remember that, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails (1 Cor 13).”

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Only God through Jesus Christ has shown forth perfected love. That is why Jesus went to the cross. Our loving, compassionate, merciful, gracious, forgiving, Savior knew that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…there is none righteous no not one!

Jesus went to the cross and shed his blood to make reparation for all of our sin and to gift us with eternal life.

As Jesus bled, suffered, and died, he took all of our brokenness upon himself. Yes, divorce was nailed to that tree, but so was lust, gluttony, greed, laziness, anger, envy, pride, and every other sin and brokenness that humanity will ever imagine and/or carry out.

At its root, divorce is about the sin and brokenness of human beings and our relationships with each other. It is about two human beings’ inability to love each other, as God loves them.

But, thanks be to God that God has a plan to address our sin and brokenness and it is found in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Now, Jesus hints at how this plan will work when he chastises his disciples for keeping some little children from coming to him for love, hugs and blessings. He says in response to their push-back against the little ones, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."

Now, some have interpreted this statement to mean that we must be child-like in our faith or that we must be as children in terms of our relationship with God.

But, I see it differently. As Jesus gazed upon those little children, he must have seen the very least of these within his society. For in Jesus’ day children had no rights, no privileges, and no social station at all. They were considered the property of their fathers. They had no voice and no choices.

Jesus looked at those kids and saw the most vulnerable, defenseless, unprotected, weak, and dependent members of society. In response to this vision Jesus said, in effect, “Let these broken, forgotten, ignored, dishonored, disregarded, and isolated human beings come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs…”

Hallelujah!!

In these few words we get a true foretaste of glory divine. In these few sentences we receive the instruction to welcome into our churches all of those people who have been broken by sin and by our human inability to love our neighbors as ourselves.

The Church—at its best--is a hospital. It is the place where people should be able to come and be put back together when everything in their lives falls apart.

No matter whom we are—or what we’ve been through—The Church ought to be the place where we can come to find help, healing, forgiveness, salvation, and hope for the future.

Jesus said, “Let the broken come to me; do not stop them…for the kingdom of God belongs to them!”

The kingdom of God belongs to those of us who have sinned. The kingdom of God belongs to those of us who have experienced the sin of others. The kingdom of God belongs to those of us who have been broken asunder, had our hearts crushed, whose tears drench our pillows, and who have known the pain and shame of the judgment of others.

If we are honest—there is not one person in the room who does not fit into one of the categories I have just mentioned. All of us have been broken. All of us have sinned and been sinned against. All of us need the healing and salvific power of Jesus in our lives!

Today, there is good news for all of us who need a Savior. God has already done all of the hard work. Jesus has already done what is required for us to be put back together. All we have to do is receive the Love of God revealed to us in Christ Jesus. All we have to do is accept the free gift of salvation.

Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." My friends, you are not condemned.

No matter what mistakes you have made in the past, God loves you and welcomes you into the family of God.

It is time to stop beating yourself up over one mistake or the other. It is time to stop berating and abusing yourself verbally for things that have happened in the past. It is time to forgive yourself, just as Jesus has forgiven you as well.

Today, you can start all over again!

Here the words of Jesus to you one more time. "Let the broken, vulnerable, dishonored, forgotten, and/or judged people come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”

Will you come to Jesus today? If so, please pray with me:

Holy God, I have been broken asunder by divorce* in my family. I want to be made whole. I believe that Jesus died on the cross and was raised on the third day. Please forgive me for failing to love you with all of my heart, mind, soul, and strength. Please pardon me for neglecting to love all of my neighbors as myself. Today, I am putting all of my hope in Jesus. Please repair the brokenness in my heart so that I can face the future with love, joy, and peace. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

*Please insert whatever has broken you here.



SPECIAL NOTE

If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, today, you are saved! Let me encourage you to tell a Christian friend that you just put all of your hope in Jesus. Ask him or her to help you find a Bible that is easy for you to understand and to find a good Bible believing church where you can be baptized and make new friends who will walk with you on your Christian journey!

I would be honored if you would take a moment to click “YES” in the poll located in the upper right hand corner of this blog in answer to the question, “Did God save you today?”

Congratulations and Happy Re-birthday! Your salvation is our GOOD NEWS, please go and share this GOOD NEWS with others!

FRIEND

SCRIPTURE

Mark 10:42-45 (NRSV)
Jesus came to serve

So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

MEDITATION—Today is Saturday Psalmody! Today, the meditation is offered as a psalm from my heart. If you would like a more traditional devotion, please search the archives for a title that appeals to you! (smile)


FRIEND

I don’t comprehend

How the King of all

Calls himself friend

To the least and the small

He coulda come demanding

A title with grand standing

He could come insisting

Overcoming pre-existing

Leaders, Kings, tyrants and mayors

He coulda played them all

Making them supporting players

In his drama to be known

To be set up on a throne

Could have taken nasty tone

With people all his own

But he didn’t go there

Instead he chose to care

Didn’t try to scare

But to love and to bare

His heart and mind

His care and grace

He was ever kind

Willing to embrace

To serve and to share

To live and to die

To answer all our prayers

And never turn a blind eye

To our trouble and our sin

Our need for a savior

He died and rose again

To redeem our behavior

Making us God’s friend

He paved the way

To life that never ends

That’s why I praise him today

And for eternity

He will ever be

More than life to me

I hope you agree

He’s Alpha

Omega

Beginning and End

Savior

Lord

Redeemer

And Friend.


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to the people who have recently put all of their faith in Jesus! We are so excited about your new-found faith in Jesus! You are in our thoughts and prayers!

If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus today, please visit my blog entitled, “Putting All Your Hope In Jesus” located at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/putting-all-your-hope-in-jesus.html

If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews
You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.

EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right!

Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.

From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com

MERCY, ME

SCRIPTURE

Mark 10:32-34, 46-52 (NRSV)
Jesus approaches Jerusalem

They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again." ...

They came to Jericho. s he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again." Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

MEDITATION—Today is Saturday Psalmody! Today, the meditation is offered as a psalm from my heart. If you would like a more traditional devotion, please search the archives for a title that appeals to you! (smile)



MERCY, ME…

We are following you along the road to Jerusalem
It is a frightful road
A scary road
A dark road

It is full of potholes and large bumps
It is a treacherous road
Enemies are lurking behind every tree, rock, and hill
They are standing in ambush around the corners

Our stomachs are fluttering
full of a million butterflies
struggling to go free

You keep telling us that this is a death march
Why then would we go up with you?
Why then have we not tied you up and hidden you away until you come to your senses?

Jesus! We love you! Do not leave us in this way…
What do you mean “in three days you will rise from the dead?”
That doesn’t make sense.
If they kill you, all of our hope is gone.
If they kill you, where then is Messiah?
If they kill you
our dreams
will scatter
to the four winds
And be
no more…

JESUS!
Be quiet.

JESUS!
Shut up.

JESUS!
Leave him alone.

JESUS!
JESUS!
JESUS! HAVE MERCY ON ME!

Do you want us to shake you?

Who are you?

Blind.

Stupid.

Loud.

Go away.

We are marching to Jerusalem
to die.

JESUS!
JESUS!
SON of DAVID! HAVE MERCY ON ME!
Bring him here…

Bring him?
Yes,
Bring him.

What do you desire?
My Lord and My God
I wish
to see…
(you).

Your faith has made you well.

All of you!
Listen!

Your FAITH has made you WELL.
Your FAITH (in me) has made you WELL.
Your FAITH (in my love) has made you WELL.
Your FAITH (in my love and my sacrifice) has made you WELL.
Your FAITH (in my love and my sacrifice and my promise) has made you WELL.
Your FAITH
Has Made
You WELL!

Go in peace;
Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!

ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus" found at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

We are celebrating with the 8 people who have recently put all their hope in Jesus! Happy Re-birthday!

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.

EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right! Thanks for reading and please come again.

Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.

From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/