I Am NOT Just a Number

The book of John has been given a bad "rap" in many circles. It has been used to slam the condemning gavel of judgement on unsuspecting and imperfect hearts. It is interesting to note that Jesus's favorite disciple (John the beloved) is believed to be the author of this book. The pages are enveloped with love but often misinterpreted as a book of rules, ridicule, and rejection. Opening the book of John, it is interesting to note that Jesus's first mention with a woman involves taking indirect orders from her. I love the fact that the Savior of the world took the time to attend a wedding with his mother. When the wedding started crashing, Mary bravely told Jesus the problem with a suggestive hint of fixing it... And He did. Jesus's first miracle... Inspired by a woman... Skip 2 chapters and Jesus runs into a Samaritan woman. Samaritan is important because it means (non-Jew)... Jews at that time did not speak to Samaritans... and women were viewed (in many circles) ...

It started with a small trickle... and then a gushing leak... more catostrophic than 15,000 barrels of oil spilling into the gulf... and that was the hearts of the Israeli people... they had forgotten the promise... they had ignored a harboring disaster for years... they set up idols (false golden images) that they had begun to worship and decorate and collect... their hearts were left unattended and they had forgotten the God who saved them from the Egyptions.. who parted the sea.. who fed them manna when they were desperate.. who guided them through deserts and sustained them in famines......... they were like scattered sheep with no direction.. a ruptured oil rig with no plug.... King Solomon takes the throne and is given a choice... wisdom or wealth.. and unlike the evil villain in Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol"... he chose wisdom....... God liked this choice and favorably blessed Solomon and his people for this decision... Solomon's first task? clear out the idols...

My professor in college on the first day of class proposed a question i have never forgotten..."Have you lost the wonder of it all?"... and I had... I was 18 years old with no idea of my future calling... no clue how hard it would be to survive... day in, day out.. how time would one day fly by... how much I had to be thankful for... but by the time you figure all this out... it is but a distant memory... Before the ceiling fan hits full cycle and the lights completely dim... we are fast asleep... rethinking the survivor finale or why the Red Sox lost or what we forgot to do at work... then before we know it, the alarm clock rudely abrupts a dream, nightmare, or nothing... Snooze never last long enough... and we are forced to robotically embrace the morning chore of waking up..... we follow the winding road to our daily job... the hours tick... tick... lunch... tick... tick.. back at home... kids, chores, homework, class, gym... one episode of judge Judy and the routine cycle...

We all know the verse John 3:16... But do you know who Jesus quoted this verse to? What his occupation was? And what time of day it was quoted? Do you know what country this verse was quoted? This "gospel in a nutshell" was given to Nicodemus in Jerusalem... a member of the Jewish ruling council... so a major political figure... who like many politicians snuck into the night to talk "off the record" and "secretly" meet with Jesus... This religious Pharisee by day was part of a group that would one day lead to Jesus’ death. The religious "theologians" were threatened by Jesus who was calling himself the "Son of God" and performing miracles. Where most Pharisees scoffed at Jesus’ healing the sick and feeding the hungry, Nicodemus realized that only the "Son of God" could commit such miraculous deeds. He needed more evidence and who better to interrogate than the "suspect" (Jesus) himself. Nicodemus had plenty of witne...

Much of the Bible is argued today. Almost every line of every verse is studied by a critic, professor, or theologian. "New" gospels have been introduced which question the authenticity of a "Book" that has existed long before any of us. The Discovery Channel continually airs programs that advertise a world without a "creator". Books like "The Lost Word" argues that the Creator is waiting for us (the created) to become creators. The Gnostics believe that there is no such thing as faith... God only picks the "worthy".. but who of us is worthy???? The media scares us... some say Obama is the antiChrist... others like the Huffington Post claim that Glen Beck is from the abyss... the networks, politicians, and wall street jockey for positions as each day brings new judges, plunges, scams, and buzz words. Where is God in America? Not in our schools... not in our court rooms... if some have their way... but He is on our dollars... one of the ...