In Luke 7:1-10, Jesus is confronted by elders of the Jews who came from a centurion, who had heard of Jesus. The centurion probably heard of the miracles that been taking place. This was just after the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus spends time with the people on a mountainside teaching them with wonderful words from God. News travels fast. The centurion asks the elders of the Jews to go and plead with him to come and heal the servant, who is paralyzed (Matt 8:6). Jesus begins to travel to the centurion's house, but before he could enter it, some friends of the centurion tell Jesus to just say the words and heal him, there is no need to come to his house because the centurion does not believe himself to be worthy to have Jesus in his house.
After Jesus heard the words of the centurion from his friends, it says that Jesus was amazed at his "great faith". How would you feel if Jesus were amazed at your faith? You see it wasn't that the centurion asks Jesus some intriguing question to show his faith. It wasn't that the Jesus was impressed with the centurion's position in the Roman army. The centurion showed his faith by recognizing that just the words that Jesus speaks can heal a man. And his faith is revealed by the fact that the man does not even feel worthy to have Jesus enter his house.
When Jesus comments on his faith in verse 9 by saying, "I tell you the truth I have not found such great faith even in Israel", he says this toward the crowd. So he wants people who witness this event to learn from this. Today as we read of it and believe it happened, we need to learn that what amazes or impresses Jesus is that we are humble in our spirit and we know that he is able to do more than we can imagine.
Live it,
BB
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Lessons from Cattle
When I was a teenager, I worked on a farm. And you are probably saying "yes, Beau we already know that"! But do you know that I also drove tractors. Okay, yes you probably know that too! But I don't think you have heard this story.
I think I was a junior in high school. I was working real late one evening during harvest season. Harvest is when all the corn, milo, or cotton is ready to be picked from the plant and put into storage for later use. But we did not pick the ears of corn or the cotton. There are big tractors that do that for us now. But I remember driving one of these big trators (AKA combines) and looking out into a neighboring field and seeing a lone calf who was wandering around along the edge of a group of trees. This calf probably was about 2 weeks old (his walk was still a little wobbly). I drove by this calf seeing it crying out for his mother. But there was no cow in sight. So I kept on driving not thinking about anything. And I got probably about a mile from the calf when I saw three coyotes running along the fence line. These coyotes were running in the opposite direction of where I was going, toward the calf. So I begin to panic a little because this calf is left defenseless and weak in the middle of the field. So I tell my other co-workers that I am going to hop the fence and scare of the coyotes, so the calf is not an evening meal. So I turn around and begin to go in the highest gear to the location where I remember the calf being. But when I get there the calf is gone and the coyotes are also out of sight.
I was stumped. I could not find the calf or coyotes anywhere. So I begin to wonder. Did the coyotes attack the calf and take it away? Did the calf run off and escape? I stay there a couple of minutes looking around trying to see anything. As I begin to drive off, I see out of my periphery three coyotes running as fast as could to the place I saw the come from. And they are running from two cows who are chasing with their heads down looking to knock them over. As I am watching this event take place I find myself cheering in the cab of tractor. And cheering outloud for the cows to catch them.
So as the the cows are chasing the coyotes away, I begin to see the calf a little ways back by itself again still crying out. And finally, here comes the mama cow. Then the calf begins to drink some milk from his mother. And then the other two cows return, not even to even sniff the calf to see if it was okay. They had done their job. They had run off any tresspassor who even came close to taking anything.
WOW!! You talk about having the mama's back and protecting another's baby, or protecting it's hide. It was awesome to watch that take place. Animals of the bovine nature (cattle) have that instict to automatically look out for others in their herd. Do we have that as children of God? Should we look out for others when they are in dire need of help? Do we look out for others whether they are a Christian or not? Do we look out for others when they have talked about us behind our back? Do we look out for the one who is homeless and doesn't know when their next meal will be? We should! Psalm 41:1 says "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble." So not only should we help those who are weak, but we should also look upon them with respect.
So when the coyotes come around to take the weak and defenseless, what are you going to do?
Live it,
BB
I think I was a junior in high school. I was working real late one evening during harvest season. Harvest is when all the corn, milo, or cotton is ready to be picked from the plant and put into storage for later use. But we did not pick the ears of corn or the cotton. There are big tractors that do that for us now. But I remember driving one of these big trators (AKA combines) and looking out into a neighboring field and seeing a lone calf who was wandering around along the edge of a group of trees. This calf probably was about 2 weeks old (his walk was still a little wobbly). I drove by this calf seeing it crying out for his mother. But there was no cow in sight. So I kept on driving not thinking about anything. And I got probably about a mile from the calf when I saw three coyotes running along the fence line. These coyotes were running in the opposite direction of where I was going, toward the calf. So I begin to panic a little because this calf is left defenseless and weak in the middle of the field. So I tell my other co-workers that I am going to hop the fence and scare of the coyotes, so the calf is not an evening meal. So I turn around and begin to go in the highest gear to the location where I remember the calf being. But when I get there the calf is gone and the coyotes are also out of sight.
I was stumped. I could not find the calf or coyotes anywhere. So I begin to wonder. Did the coyotes attack the calf and take it away? Did the calf run off and escape? I stay there a couple of minutes looking around trying to see anything. As I begin to drive off, I see out of my periphery three coyotes running as fast as could to the place I saw the come from. And they are running from two cows who are chasing with their heads down looking to knock them over. As I am watching this event take place I find myself cheering in the cab of tractor. And cheering outloud for the cows to catch them.
So as the the cows are chasing the coyotes away, I begin to see the calf a little ways back by itself again still crying out. And finally, here comes the mama cow. Then the calf begins to drink some milk from his mother. And then the other two cows return, not even to even sniff the calf to see if it was okay. They had done their job. They had run off any tresspassor who even came close to taking anything.
WOW!! You talk about having the mama's back and protecting another's baby, or protecting it's hide. It was awesome to watch that take place. Animals of the bovine nature (cattle) have that instict to automatically look out for others in their herd. Do we have that as children of God? Should we look out for others when they are in dire need of help? Do we look out for others whether they are a Christian or not? Do we look out for others when they have talked about us behind our back? Do we look out for the one who is homeless and doesn't know when their next meal will be? We should! Psalm 41:1 says "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble." So not only should we help those who are weak, but we should also look upon them with respect.
So when the coyotes come around to take the weak and defenseless, what are you going to do?
Live it,
BB
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Cactus Thorn
Over the Christmas holidays I was able to do something I hadn't done in quite a while. When I lived back in Abilene, Erica and I would travel to her parents house (Stephenville) and visit for the weekend. Usually on Sunday we would go worship with her church in the morning, eat lunch, and then play an all out game of paintball war. I have played paintball since I moved to Alvin, but not like this.
We would go out to my in-laws and with about 10-15 guys, go and get bruised and bloody. Yes sometimes getting shot would draw blood! The fields we played in were great. Their land had a creek running through it with all kinds of trees and big rocks. It has great places to hide and ambush. So when we visited for this past Christmas we played paintball, the rough and tough way. When we were done, we showed our bruises, cut, and scrapes. On my right arm I had a big spot of cactus thorns. If anyone has come in contact with a cactus you know what I mean. Usually when you think of a cactus thorn, you think of a single long thorn that looks like a needle. Well, all cactuses have those, but they also have small ones that accompany them. So I pull out a cactus thorn, only to find more. And when I say more I mean probably 50 small ones. And what is troubling about them is you really cannot see them unless you have a bright light and a pair of tweezers. Anyway, I do my best to get them all out, but I have one spot on my wrist that keeps bothering me. I cannot find anything anywhere. So I just leave it alone, thinking it will eventually come out.
About a week and half pass and this spot on my arm is still itching. I keep scratching and look at it under a magnifying glass only to find nothing. Well about a week ago, I begin to squeeze on the now wound. It is gross because it got infected and all kinds of stuff is coming out. So as I am squeezing, out pops a cactus thorn about an inch long. I was totally surprised! But it only made sense that all that itching was because I had a thorn in my arm.
Well immediately after I thought about Paul's "thorn in the flesh". In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Paul talks about his "thorn". He said that he was "given" this thorn to keep him from being conceited. No one really knows what the thorn represents. Some people think it is a temptation that he struggled with. Some think it to be an actual physical ailment. Before he wrote the letter, he received a revelation or vision from God. And this "thorn" also called a "messenger of Satan" was to humble him. It was given to him to keep from thinking too highly of himself because of his spiritual gift (the vision).
You probably know someone who thinks highly of themself. You think they look down on other people because of gifts or abilities they have. But what about you. Do you think you are better than others? Do you think that your gifts or abilities are superior to others? God says in Galatians 3:28, "there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Our relationship with God is what matters the most. He does not favor one because they may be the best in reciting the periodic table. He does not favor me over you because I can yodel better. We are all one. That is how we need to look at each other. In God's eyes if we have clothed ourselves with Christ we are one. We are all equal. Maybe if you think you are better than others, because of your gifts or abilities, then do you think God will give you a thorn in your flesh to keep you from being conceited?
Live it,
BB
Thursday, January 1, 2009
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