Thought for the Week – 8th May 2016 – Dennis Pethers

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When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.  Mark 6:34

 We considered this bible verse at the start of last week but I feel that there is something so important here that I want to look at it again before moving on.

 The challenge that I find is that it is so much easier to look at people from my perspective rather than God’s.  When I do this I find that I can easily decide who I think I should share the gospel with rather than remembering that it is God’s harvest field and He invites me to accept His invitation to join Him in what He is doing.

 An evangelist in Johannesburg once told me how she prided herself on being an evangelist but, on one occasion, saw a group of people on a train that she didn’t approve of so, rather than sharing Jesus with them, she went to the to the other end of the carriage and prayed that God would save them! 

 This week, as you ask God to help you to see people as He sees them go a little deeper and ask Him to see them with the same compassion that Jesus had on the crowds that He saw.

Thought for the Week – 1st May 2016 – Dennis Pethers

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When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.  Mark 6:34

Over the past week I wonder if you have been asking Jesus to help you see people as he sees them.  It is very easy for us to just go through the daily routine, be among a whole variety of people but never really ‘see’ any of them.   They can just be a part of the background or scenery of our lives.

This verse in Mark is a great insight into how Jesus viewed the crowds of people that he was among – with compassion!

I was talking recently with a pastor friend of mine from Tennessee, we were talking about this scripture verse and I asked him what he thought the word compassion means as it is used here.  I found his definition interesting, he said:

‘Compassion means seeing their blindness and getting so close to them that they can see Jesus in us’.

As I thought about how I might say this I came up with: ‘getting alongside people and showing them the love of Jesus, just as they are’.

Among the crowds of people that are part of the scenery of your life through this week, who will you get close to and help to see Jesus?

Thought for the Week

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As Jesus ministered to people, the response of those who claimed to know God was revealing, Luke records:

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:2

 We may be critical of those leaders but one of the easiest things to do is to see what is wrong in others. When we do this we are doing something altogether different from what Jesus did!  This can prevent us from wanting to tell people about Jesus. 

 Chris Dikana is the National Pioneer of The Rooftop in South Africa.  Recently, while traveling with him, I heard Chris preach at a large Methodist church.  During his powerful and engaging sermon Chris told a moving story, tragically it was true!

 He told us about a prostitute who, one night, felt so ashamed of what she did that the next morning, Sunday, she spent a long time trying to find some clothes that she felt would be appropriate to wear to go to church and be released from her shame.

 As she entered the church, hoping to be set free from her guilt, she was ‘welcomed’ by a leader from the church who said to her ‘you can’t come in here dressed like that’!   You can imagine the consequences this had for the women seeking release!

 A thought for this week.  If you don’t like what you see when you look at the people you are among, ask Jesus to help you to see them as He sees them.

Thought for the Week

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Jesus said ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men’.  The purpose of the church is to join Jesus in His mission and go into His harvest field but we can so easily become distracted.

Recently, I was in Langa, a township on the edge of Cape Town, South Africa.  I was speaking with a pastor who is on the board of The Rooftop South Africa.  He is the pastor of a rapidly growing church and he was showing me a huge new extension that has been built to make room for all the new people that are now a part of the church.

As we walked back through the car park he told me the following story, he said.

‘This car park has become a real problem!   Just a few days after we finished the new extension, I had a call from one of the Elders saying that I must attend a very important meeting.  I thought the meeting might be a praise meeting about all that God is doing’.  No!  The meeting was to discuss how we could solve a big problem.  The problem was that damage to the car park caused by the extension was now causing the heels of many of the ladies shoes to be damaged as they made their way into the building!

What things distract you from joining Jesus in the Harvest field?  Ask Jesus to help you to keep your focus on Him and what He is doing!

A View from the Rooftop

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In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus is inviting us to join Him in His mission field and for some of us that may be a terrifying prospect.

A number of years ago I was speaking at an event that was aimed at equipping leaders to share their faith.  I asked the large group of people to call out the first word that came into their mind when I said the word ‘evangelism’.  Only one person called out, very loudly, and the word she called out was ‘terrified’.  Many others then nodded in agreement ‘Evangelism is a terrifying prospect’.

Many Christians try to overcome this by asking God to make them ‘bold’ but things don’t seem to change.

In His commission to us Jesus didn’t tell us that we had to muster up the courage to share our faith, He told us that He is doing this with us and therefore we should TRUST Him.

How about asking Jesus for an opportunity this week where you will trust him as you engage with a person who doesn’t know Jesus.

A View from the Rooftop – Thought for the week

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In John 4:35 Jesus says, ‘Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest’.

 I was speaking at a Rooftop Conference at a church in North London recently.  At the end I encouraged the people to think about the places they visit and the people they know and to consider what a difference it would make if they began to see those people as Jesus sees them. 

Following the gathering I engaged in so many conversations with people whose comments are best summed up in the words of one lady who said.

‘ I have never thought about looking at people outside of church and seeing them as Jesus does, this has changed my entire perspective’.

How does this impact you as you seek to follow Jesus this week?

Dennis

 

Welcome to my blog 'J J' – Joining Jesus (in His Mission)

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Recently I was in Virginia and a church that I was working with asked me to spend time with their leaders considering the question ‘what is the purpose of the church?’.  At first sight this seems a pretty easy question to answer…. BUT!   Read more