Exodus 24:8-11 (The Message)
8 Moses took the rest of the blood and threw it out over the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God has made with you out of all these words I have spoken."
9-11 Then they climbed the mountain—Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel—and saw the God of Israel. He was standing on a pavement of something like sapphires—pure, clear sky-blue. He didn't hurt these pillar-leaders of the Israelites: They saw God; and they ate and drank.
New International Version (NIV)
Luke 14:2
There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.
Luke 14:4
But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away.
Luke 14:23 (New King James Version)
23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
A few weeks ago my refrigerator died. So I loaded it on my truck and took it to a local metal recycling site. It was late on a Sunday afternoon, so I didn’t expect to see anyone there, but as I backed up to the drop off spot, a guy kind of appeared from over behind the ‘stuff’ in the yard next to the driveway. He was younger than me, maybe his mid thirties. His skin was weather beaten, his hands as hard as the pavement we were standing on. He spoke in a rambling manner and there was a slight smell of alcohol on his breath. We struck up a conversation as he helped me slide the fridge off of my truck. He told me he worked there and I kind of got the impression that he lived there as well. He was really friendly and maybe a little lonesome. I talked to him for about an hour.. maybe a little longer. It turned out that he did most of the talking. I just listened mostly. At one point he literally had tears running down his face as he thanked me for just taking some time to talk to him.
Last week I made a comment about how my wife making a statement about not wanting to be in ‘your heaven’, referring to a heaven of my own design, as if I were Jesus. As I think about this encounter I had with Steve (his real name), it occurs to me that the heaven that I end up in will have a lot of people like him in it… won’t it? Really! Think about it for a moment. Jesus died for people just like Steve… didn’t he? Sure he did. You and I might not want to sit next to someone like Steve (meaning…’not like me’) in church, but we’d better get used to the fact that when we get to heaven it will be full of ‘Steves’ or ‘Stephanies’. That’s what my bible says. Are you ready for that? If not.. a little help. A long time ago, a preacher gave me a little idiom for the letters that spell bible: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. The thing with instructions is… you have to follow them. And in this case, you have to follow them before leaving here. That’s the point of this parable. As the opportunities present themselves, whether by organized outreach and missions or through chance encounters like the one I had, take advantage of these opportunities to share… really share the Gospel with people. That way… when you do get to heaven… you may see some one you recognizeJ
As always… I have a lot more to say, but this is the place to stop. Pray for Steve. I have him on speed dial and I need to remember to go by and check on him sometime soon.
Blessings,
♫‘There is room at the Cross for you’♫
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