Let’s talk about Jesus

Tuesday   9-15-15  (Home in Modesto, California)

Scripture reading:   Eze 38-39    Ps 145    Rev. 20

S=Scripture O=Observation A=Application P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  Ps 145:8-11 The LORD is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of unfailing love.  The LORD is good to everyone.  He showers compassion on all his creation. All of your works will thank you, LORD, and your faithful followers will bless you. They will talk together about the glory of your kingdom; they will celebrate examples of your power.  NLT

O.  We are visiting King David’s palace sitting around the pool and enjoying a tall glass of ice tea.  What do we talk about?  The nearest thing they had to professional sport heroes was probably “giant killers,” and famous warriors.  Most of those heroes probably met their death early on.  So what do we talk about?  Dave takes a sip of tea and says, “How about sharing stories of the wonderful works of God?” 

A.  I hurried to be the first at the Sportsman Barber Shop this morning.  The place fills up pretty fast and its “first come, first served”.  I was there at 7:10 AM before he opened.  My barber, Jim, showed up three minutes later.  The barber shop is a place to talk... like ice tea around the pool.  I found out that Jim was raised on a small dairy farm near Hilmar... and that his dad had died with ‘valley fever” when he was 9.  Then I told him about small dairy farm in Argentina.  We purchased it for our Teen Challenge program as a place for recovering drug and alcohol addicts.  We talked about the miracles at Faith Home Teen Challenge farm here near Turlock and about the wonderful works of a God that can take a destroyed life, chained to a life-controlling addiction and break every chain... giving a brand new start. We talked about real modern-day miracles!  The best kind of miracles... for they out-last our brief life-span... and reach into eternity.

P.  Good morning, Lord!  I noticed that You were in the barber shop with us a few moments ago.   Yeah, I love to tell the stories of Your power, the glory of Your kingdom being established in the hearts of broken people.   A few days ago, at the church picnic I met Michelle, an ex addict.  She told me her awesome story.  She had been given up as a hopeless case.  In and out of jail.  She met and knew my son, Tim, since he works as interpreter in the Manteca Criminal Court.  Nobody could tame her.  She was lost... doomed!  Until she met You, Lord.  And today she is administrating a powerful organization to help release captive girls like she was.  I have met people that doubt God because they have never seen a miracle.  They just need about 10 minutes with Michelle and all their doubts will fade.  Thanks, Lord, for not giving up on us!  Amen.

Ralph

When I was a kid, about a century ago, we used to sing a chorus: 

Let's talk about Jesus, the King of kings is He,

The Lord of lords supreme, through all eternity.

The great I AM, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Door,

Let's talk about Jesus more and more.