The Son of Man Came

"For the Son of man is come to seek and
to save that which was lost."
Luke 19:10

Many people wondered why Jesus wanted
to stay at Zaccheus' home or eat with this
tax collector.

Zaccheus was rich. He was hated by most
people because he was a tax collector. It
was common that these men took personal
advantage of their position. They were agents
of Rome and enemies of the people.

Zaccheus showed an eagerness to see Jesus
when He came by Jericho. Being small in
size, he had climbed up into a sycamore tree
just to see Jesus.

When Jesus saw his interest, He called out,
"Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down;
for to day I must abide at thy house." [vs 5].

Some grumbled that Jesus had "gone to be
guest with a man that is a sinner." [vs 7].

But Jesus had come to bring salvation and
open the doors to the Kingdom of Heaven.

After being with Jesus, Zaccheus' life changed
forever. Instead of stealing, he gave to the
poor, even giving back four times as much
to anyone he had taken from.

At the end of His stay, Jesus could say, "This
day is salvation come to this house," [vs 9].

"For the Son of man is come to seek and to
save that which was lost." [vs 10]. Jesus'
ministry continues today, with all who will
continue to seek and to save the lost.

LOVE

"Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and
said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go
thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and
give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven: and come, take up
the cross, and follow me."
Mark 10:21

A man ran up to Jesus, kneeling before
Him, he asked what he needed to do "to
inherit eternal life" [vs 17].

When Jesus named five of the Command-
ments, the man claimed he had "kept all
these things from my youth up" [vs 20].

Hearing this, Jesus "beholding him loved
him". But at His answer the man "was
saddened" and "went away grieving, for
he was one who owned much riches"
[vs 22].

The man loved God, but he wasn't willing
to make a commitment. His love was
shallow. He had put more priority on his
riches than on loving God.

God may call us to new levels, greater
commitment or a desire to seek Him
more. Be ready to leave all to follow Him!

To the Least of These

". . . . . .Lord, when saw we thee an
hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and
gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took
thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison,
and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto
them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch
as ye have done it unto one of the least
of these my brethren, ye have done it
unto me." Matthew 25:37-40

Jesus told a parable shortly before His
crucifixion. He said He would reward
people who showed compassion for
others, looking for opportunities to
reach out to the least.

When Jesus returns, He will say to
all faithful servants who have used
their possessions to help meet the
needs of others: When you "have
done it unto one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me"
[vs 40].

They will have shown their attitude
towards Him by helping the naked, the
hurting, the hungry, and the thirsty.

Others will not be rewarded but judged,
because they didn't think about anyone
other than themselves.

Instead of giving to those in need, they
used or kept their possessions.

God has blessed us so that we can be a
blessing to others, using what He has
given us to help those in need.

We are the hands of Jesus, and He looks
to us to care for the least of them among
us.

When we do, He promises to reward us:
we will reap a great harvest of blessings
[Proverbs 19:17].

We need to be faithful with what He has
given us!

Supernatural Signs

"Through mighty signs and wonders, by the
power of the Spirit of God; so that from
Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum,
I have fully preached the gospel of Christ."
Romans 15:19

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, was wise
in his understanding of their culture and he
expressed the importance of signs for
Christianity.

But these signs were produced from faith
in Jesus Christ. Following Jesus wasn't just
about sets of beliefs and conduct but was
a real relationship of faith. The signs proved
that this faith was real.

Being a Christian meant having complete
"power of the Holy Spirit". All things are
possible being filled with the Holy Spirit!

The New Testament stressed the importance
of these signs. Jesus wasn't only told about
being "by God with miracles and wonders
and signs which God performed through Him,"
"many wonders and signs" followed those who
believed in Him.

As a result, "everyone kept feeliing a sense
of awe" Acts 2:22,43

Miracles continued, and "at the hands of the
apostles many signs and wonders were taking
place among the people" Acts 5:12

Signs and wonders are key to the Chrisian
faith. They still happen today!

Jesus and Riches!

"And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto
his disciples, How hardly shall they that have
riches enter into the kingdom of God!
And the disciples were astonished at his words.
But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them,
Children, how hard is it for them that trust in
riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camels to go through the eye of
a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the
kingdom of God.
And they were astonished out of measure,
saying among themselves, Who then can be
saved?
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men
it is impossible, but not with God: for with God
all things are possible." Mark 10:23-27

The man walked away sad. He had heard
Jesus tell him he needed to "go and sell all
you possess and give to the poor," this was
the key to having "treasure in heaven" (vs 21).

Then he must come and follow Jesus. By
walking away, he proved that he loved things
more than God.

Jesus told His disciples, "How hard it will be
for those who are wealthy to enter the
kingdom of God!" The disciples were
amazed and maybe realized the kind of
commitment Jesus required.

Jesus told them, "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 a
rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (vs
23,25).

His requirement seemed impossible, and they
said, "who can be said?" (vs 26). But Jesus
told them, "with people it is impossible, but
not with God; for all things are possible with
God."

Peter said, "We have left everything and
followed You" (vs 28). Jesus knew the sacri-
fices they had made and He promised great
rewards for those who made that kind of
sacrifice for Him, "a hundred times as much
now in the present age. . .and in the age to
come, eternal life" (vs 30).

Many people think they can 'save them
selves'. That all they need to do is try hard
and be good enough.

But as the disciples learned, the key is com-
plete dependence on God!

Sons of God

"Behold, what manner of love the Father
hath bestowed upon us, that we should
be called the sons of God: therefore the
world knoweth us not, because it knew
him not." 1 John 3:1

John was awed by the realization of how
much God loves us.

By His amazing love, He helped us become
His sons and daughters, and now we share
His nature.

God loves to hear from us all the time. He
doesn't get tired of our voices.

He has prepared a supply of power and
blessings for us. Through His Spirit, He
gives us gifts and fruit, power and victory.

As wonderful as it is to be His children, we
need to realize that "the world does not
know us."

Our connection to the family of God will
mean that many will react to us the same
way they did to Him.

We shouldn't be surprised when we are
question for our motives, or when we are
misunderstood and rejected, even criticized
and mocked. Some people will think we are
foolish and refuse the reality of our spiritual
lives. They will even refuse to believe that
God answers prayer and does miracles.

Don't be discouraged by the reactions of
others. Stay true to the Heavenly Father.
Call on Him anytime, day or night. Seek
to know Him more. We are His children
and He loves us!

Paul in the Temple

"And when the seven days were almost
ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when
they saw him in the temple, stirred up all
the people, and laid hands on him,
Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the
man, that teacheth all men every where
against the people, and the law, and this
place: and further brought Greeks also into
the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
(For they had seen before with him in the
city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they
supposed that Paul had brought into the
temple.)
And all the city was moved, and the people
ran together: and they took Paul, and drew
him out of the temple: and forthwith the
doors were shut." Acts 21:27-30

When Paul came into Jerusalem, some re-
ceived him "gladly" [vs 17], they were
joyful to hear what God had done "among
the Gentiles through his ministry" [vs 19].

But Paul was warned that "many thousands"
of Jewish believers had heard that he'd been
teaching Jews "to forsake Moses" and the
"customs" of their ancestors[vs 21].

James urged Paul to show that he still was
following the precepts of the Law and had
not left the teachings of their forefathers.

Paul was to go to the Temple and purify
himself along with four men who were "under
a vow" [vs 23]. James hoped this would sat-
isfy the critics, but instead, it lead to violence.

Some had seen Paul with a Gentile, and
they assumed Paul had brought him into the
Temple. Word had spread that Paul had
"defiled this holy place" [vs 28]. The crowd
become enraged and a riot took the city.
Paul was dragged out of the Temple. He
was falsely accused and a victim of rumors.

This shows how quickly rumors can spread.
And it shows why believers must be prepared
for conflict. They can be attacked for their
faith. They can be wrongly accused. Or they
can be made a victim of rumors.

Believers must be sure of their faith by having
a strong foundation and an intimate personal
relationship with God. They must read, study,
and live by the Word and be filled with the
Holy Spirit!