JESUS LOVES THE OUTCAST

      Recently we attended a couple of function. These function had a lot of Christians at it. One thing that stuck in my mind was the favoritism and the sense of not belonging. Don’t get me wrong it was not by all. There were many tables of different people. As you looked at the tables you had the idols. When I say idols I mean infamous popular people. The ones that had no time for the outcasts. If you had put any of the outcasts at their table they would have probably been offended as they did not want anyone but their group of people at their table. Then you had the outcast table. These people were amazing people, All very interesting and probably more enjoyable then the stuff shirts. I was a little offended myself that people think they are so much better then others. People seem to take first impressions on some people. They don’t take the time to get to know others. They don’t take the time to see people for who or what they really are. They are too busy in their own little circle.

      I find this to be very sad because this gives a bad example for an unbeliever. Are the outcasts not important enough to reach out to? I have to admit I am usually the outcast. It really bothered me until one day my friend pointed out that Jesus himself was an outcast. Not because he was not popular or he did not have things. He was an outcast because he hung out with the outcasts. Jesus loved the outcasts.

      When I look back in these many situations when he had so many opportunities to turn the outcasts away. He never did. I think that maybe because the outcasts were the more humble when they came to him. Jesus loves the humble. He loves the ones that have no pride. Look at the many people he was with in his life. He hung out with the poor, the prostitutes, the tax collectors. He hung out with the low lives as others saw them. How did Jesus see them? He saw them as perfect lovable people. He saw them as being great.

Jeremiah 39:17

But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.’

      If you find yourself to be an outcast remember, when people treat you as an outcast it may hurt you, It may cause many scares but God promises to come and to heal all our wounds. You can allow these things to make you bitter or you can open your hearts and allow him to heal you.
      Many times in life I have been treated like I was not worthy. My friend really made me look at the facts. I don’t have money. I may not always be perfect. I may not be the size and shape everyone thinks I should be. However I am willing to be a work in progress and I am willing to allow God to use me in anyway he can. God loves me and his opinion is all that really matters.

      In the end will those idols opinions matter to me? No because they do not choose my destination. I want to encourage you to remember next the time you feel like you are an outcast, or the next time you put someone in the outcast position, rethink your thoughts because God loves the outcast. I encourage you to either look at Jesus life. Don’t point fingers. Take the time to get to know that person. You could be turning away a great chance to lead that person to God. God could have a plan for that person’s life and it could begin with you. Stop being an idol and try being the outcast for once. God will bless you greatly because he loves the outcasts.

THANKYOU LORD FOR SECOND CHANCES

    This weekend was an amazing weekend for me. My brother was remarried. His wife passed away a few years ago. He went through a great ordeal. I watched my brother go through the worst of the worst. This was one of the hardest things for me. To watch him hurt and not be able to remove that pain and suffering. This last year he met a very special lady. I have watched his life turn around because of her. I see him smile once again. The spring in his step has returned and he is the brother I remember him being before all of this turmoil and strife. I know that if he had not of known God and his love, my brother may not have even been with us today. My sister in law will never be replaced but he has that second chance for love once again. God is so great. He knew that is what my brother needed in life and he brought her to him.

    God knows each and everyone of us. He knows our motives, he knows our thoughts. He knows our hears. Isn’t it amazing that God is the God of second chances.. He is there to give us that chance. He does not just bring us a second chance but many chances. Regardless of our endless mistakes and the nature of our sins. Regardless of if we think we deserve it or not. He is there to give us the second chances over and over again. With my brother it was a second chance to love again, However I am talking about another second chance. This second chance is a second chance to fix something that you really messed up the first time.

Psalms 103:12 says "…as far as the east is from the west,

so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

    Many times we are hard on ourselves and we beat ourselves up for doing silly things. God is there waiting for you to hand it over to him. He wants to clear the slate and allow you to try again. There is an old saying that I am sure you have all heard before….."If at first you don’t succeed try, try again."
    When we hand it all over to him we don’t have to keep trying to succeed because he is there to hold our hand and to bring us though it. I am often reminded of a parent when their child first learns to walk. That child stumbles and that child falls. What does the parent do? Do they pick them up scold them ? Do they punish them? Do they tell them they are useless because they keep falling? Of course they don’t they love their child. They pick them up and make sure they are ok. They brush them off and stand them up. They hold on to them and let them take baby steps. They support them and love them. They may even kiss their booboos all better. That is what God wants for us. He gives us those second chances knowing that one day we will walk on our own and we will succeed. He knows us better then we know ourselves.

    When Peter denied Jesus, he was so ashamed. He had promised Jesus a few hours before that he would always be there and never leave Jesus side. He was so ashamed that he buried his face in his hands and he wept. After Jesus rose from the dead, he returned to Peter. Jesus asks "Peter do you love me?" Peter then answers with all sincerity, "Yes Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus then rebuilds Peter’s confidence. He prepares him to go into the world. He gives him a task to go and to care for God’s children. Not once did God give up on Peter. Peter had denied Jesus but not once did Jesus give up on him. I am sure Peter never thought he was worthy of Jesus forgiveness. I am sure he was probably very hard on himself. Regardless of all of this. Jesus reaches out and loves him in return.

    I am sure we have all been in Peter’s shoes at one time or another. We promise God that we will never do it again. We promise God things only to realize that temptation has entered into our lives . We mess up and we give into that temptation. Only to totally fail God once more. God wants us to except our sins and transgressions when these things happen. He wants us to accept his forgiveness and to grow closer to him so he can use us.

    I want to encourage you today, If you have given into temptation or find yourself in these situations. Remember God loves you. He wants you to accept that you have done wrong. He wants to confess it to him so he can remove all your transgressions. He wants to you move forward. He wants to guide and direct you.

   God has great things in store for your life. He has many plans for you. Do not give up on God because he will never give up on you.