"Satan Comes to Church" by Gary Lee Parker for Monday, 29 May 2017

"Satan Comes to Church" by Gary Lee Parker for Monday, 29 May 2017

Recently in the church whether The Global Church of the Nazarene, The United Methodist Church, etc., there has been more concentration on Human Sexuality than any other issue in the Church. We have come to remember when the Sadducees came to Jesus with the question of whom was to be the husband of the woman who had seven husbands with no sons born to any of them Jesus response is found in Matthew 22:23 That same day, some Tz’dukim came to him. They are the ones who say there is no such thing as resurrection, so they put to him a sh’eilah: 24 “Rabbi, Moshe said, ‘If a man dies childless, his brother must marry his widow and have children to preserve the man’s family line.’[Matthew 22:24 Deuteronomy 25:5–6] 25 There were seven brothers. The first one married and then died; and since he had no children, he left his widow to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second brother, and the third, and finally to all seven. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 Now in the Resurrection — of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all married her.”
29 Yeshua answered them, “The reason you go astray is that you are ignorant both of the Tanakh and of the power of God. 30 For in the Resurrection, neither men nor women will marry; rather, they will be like angels in heaven. 31 And as for whether the dead are resurrected, haven’t you read what God said to you, 32 ‘I am the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov’?[Matthew 22:32 Exodus 3:6
] He is God not of the dead but of the living!” Here we hear Jesus speak about Heaven where there is no Marriage and no sexuality because everyone with live as the Angels do. Jesus goes to say that in this world we are more focused on marriage and sexuality than on the Mission of Jesus in the world for us as read in Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of Adonai Elohim is upon me,
because Adonai has anointed me
to announce good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted;
to proclaim freedom to the captives,
to let out into light those bound in the dark;
2 to proclaim the year of the favor of Adonai
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn,
3 yes, provide for those in Tziyon who mourn,
giving them garlands instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
a cloak of praise instead of a heavy spirit,
so that they will be called oaks of righteousness
planted by Adonai, in which he takes pride.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins,
restore sites long destroyed;
they will renew the ruined cities,
destroyed many generations ago.and Luke 4:16 Now when he went to Natzeret, where he had been brought up, on Shabbat he went to the synagogue as usual. He stood up to read, 17 and he was given the scroll of the prophet Yesha‘yahu. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of Adonai is upon me;
therefore he has anointed me
to announce Good News to the poor;
he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the imprisoned
and renewed sight for the blind,
to release those who have been crushed,
19 to proclaim a year of the favor of Adonai.”[Luke 4:19 Isaiah 61:1–2; 58:6]
20 After closing the scroll and returning it to the shammash, he sat down; and the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 He started to speak to them: “Today, as you heard it read, this passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled!” 22 Everyone was speaking well of him and marvelling that such appealing words were coming from his mouth. They were even asking, “Can this be Yosef’s son?”
23 Then Yeshua said to them, “No doubt you will quote to me this proverb — ‘“Doctor, cure yourself!” We’ve heard about all the things that have been going on over in K’far-Nachum; now do them here in your home town!’ 24 Yes!” he said, “I tell you that no prophet is accepted in his home town. 25 It’s true, I’m telling you — when Eliyahu was in Isra’el, and the sky was sealed off for three-and-a-half years, so that all the Land suffered a severe famine, there were many widows; 26 but Eliyahu was sent to none of them, only to a widow in Tzarfat in the land of Tzidon. 27 Also there were many people with tzara‘at in Isra’el during the time of the prophet Elisha; but not one of them was healed, only Na‘aman the Syrian.”
28 On hearing this, everyone in the synagogue was filled with fury. 29 They rose up, drove him out of town and dragged him to the edge of the cliff on which their town was built, intending to throw him off. 30 But he walked right through the middle of the crowd and went away..
We have in these to passages of Scripture what Jesus mission was while He was living on earth as one of us passing on this same mission to His disciples He chose then and now, yet we get so caught up in the Human sexuality issues that it even seems that Satan loves this distraction from joining Jesus on His Mission in the Global and Local Neighborhoods. Yes, the church addresses the different in cultures and how we really need to love and accept each other with the same Love He accepts us and empowers with the Holy Spirit. Yet, there is a whole group of people who exist as people made in the fullness of God's Image that we exclude from be a part of the church even when the people are not confined to one culture and people group while they may even be a part of the immigrants and refugees who are escaping their homeland for economic and violence reasons, etc. We appear to ignore or exclude these people made in God's Image with gifts and graces to reach the unreachable in the world who may either be the Nominal Christians or the Non-religious people also made in God's Image. There are probably many lessons God is attempting to teach us when we fully include all the people I have mentioned, but a couple may be patience that allows us to slow down and live out Psalm 46:11 (10) “Desist, and learn that I am God,
supreme over the nations,
supreme over the earth.” and to being able to accept the differences of all people that that we may live and see God more clearly how God desires to live with peace with all people whether the same or different. What would happen if we really began to live the Jesus of Holiness and Love and Mercy as we have been taught when we first came to faith in Jesus. We are being given now to come to a new relationship with God we recognize not only our individual sins, but the sins of the church as a whole through are repentance and accepting God's forgiveness for our sins both individually and corporately (church-wide). It is evil that we have done the exclude Jesus' Mission in the Global and Local Neighborhoods. We come to partake of the Body and Blood of Jesus that He shed for us and had broken through the elements of The Holy Eucharist or Communion orthe Lord's Supper. As you come forward to partake of the elements, spend some time in prayer to God to listen for what He is calling you to be more inclusive of People who are Disabled, but Abled in God's Perspective because they are made in God's Image as all humanity has been while listening or singing this Song:

"You Are My King" by Billy James Foote

I'm forgiven because You were forsaken
I'm accepted, You were condemned
I'm alive and well, Your spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again
I'm forgiven because You were forsaken
I'm accepted, You were condemned
I'm alive and well, Your spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again
Amazing love, how can it be?
That You, my King would die for me
Amazing love, I know its true
It's my joy to honor You
Amazing love how can it be?
That my King would die for me
Amazing love I know its true
It's my joy to honor You, in all I do I honor You
I'm forgiven because You were forsaken
I'm accepted, You were condemned
I'm alive and well, Your spirit is within me
Because You died and rose again
Amazing love, how can it be?
That You, my King would die for me
Amazing love, I know its true
It's my joy to honor You
Amazing love how can it be?
That my King would die for me
Amazing love I know its true
It's my joy to honor You, in all I do I honor You
You are my King
You are my King
Jesus, You are my King
Jesus, You are my King
Amazing love, how can it be?
That You, my King would die for me
Amazing love, I know its true
It's my joy to honor You
Amazing love how can it be?
That my King would die for me
Amazing love I know its true
It's my joy to honor You, in all I do I honor You
In all I do honor You
You are My King
You are my King
Jesus, you are my King
Jesus, you are my King..
Lord God, as we leave from this place of worship, let us go with the knowledge of your will for us to be more inclusive with people who are different from us. May each of us go with God's Peace, Love and Power to partake His mission in the Global and Local Neighborhoods. Go God's blessings in your life for today, tomorrow, and forever Amen. 
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