The One Leper

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Song: Fairest Lord Jesus

Jesus had passed through Galilee into Samaria, making His way toward Jerusalem and the Cross (Luke 9:51; 13:22; 17:11). Coming to a small village, He encountered a group of lepers—nine Jews and a Samaritan—who, keeping their distance, tried to call Him. "Go, show yourselves to the priests," Jesus said. He didn't heal them on the spot but gave them an assignment to go to the priests in Jerusalem who were designated as the only ones who could pronounce them cured (see Leviticus 13-14). The ten started off by faith. As they walked along, they noticed their skin was clearing up. They were being healed. That's when the Samaritan stopped and said, "I'm going back to thank Him."

Have you noticed there were two thankful people in this story? The leper and the Lord. The Lord Jesus was thankful for thankfulness. Being the God-Man, He both receives and renders thanksgiving. Thankfulness is simply an element of Christlikeness. When we're thankful, we're modeling the Master.

The Lord's response to this leper is two-fold. While appreciating the thanksgiving of the one man, He noted the ingratitude of the nine. We must consciously watch ourselves that we don't fall into the 90% who never pause to regularly say, "Thank you," to GOD. Thanksgiving, after all, is a command, and Jesus always notes disobedience. Thanksgiving, remember, is therapeutic. It lifts the soul. If you want to enroll in Thanksgiving University where the Master Teacher tutors us in Gratitude 101, begin intentionally thanking God and others for the blessings surrounding you.

A sense of our spiritual leprosy should make us very humble whenever we draw near to Christ. We may look for GOD to meet us with mercy, when we are found in the way of obedience. The others only got the outward cure, he alone got the spiritual blessing.

Question: Who am I?

Answer: I am the one leper.

This week meditate on…

“I am the one leper.”

Jason Cicero

Christ Gave Thanks

Scripture: Colossians 2:6-7

Song: God Is The Fountain

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7; NKJV).

Thanksgiving is the expression of gratitude. Thankful people express gratefulness to GOD, the source of all blessings. Christ gave thanks.

To GOD the Father for the revelation of His will. “At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes’” (Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21; NKJV). Jesus expressed gratitude for the revelation of GOD’S will.

To GOD the Father for food. “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks…” (John 6:11). When Jesus fed the 5,000 He gave thanks for the food. He also expressed thanks for the food that fed the 4,000 (Matthew 15:36).

To GOD the Father for hearing His prayer. “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me…’” (John 11:41-42; NKJV). Jesus expressed thanks to the Father for listening to His prayers.

To GOD the Father for the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine. “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, ‘Take eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they drank from it” (Mark 14:22-23; NKJV). Jesus gave thanks for the emblems that symbolized the sacrifice He was about to make for all mankind.

Jesus came to do GOD’S will (John 8:28-29). It is GOD’S will for His people to give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). To be this man’s disciple one must deny self, take up His cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23).

Follow His lead. Give thanks for the revealed word of God (Ephesians 3:3-5). Give thanks for the food you eat (Romans 14:6). Give thanks for the hearing of prayer (1 John 5:14-15). Give thanks for the body and blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:26). And above all else, give thanks to the Father for “His indescribable gift,” the one who will deliver us: “I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).

Jason Cicero

Sunday Morning Starters

“17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated. 18 The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. 19 The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous. 20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends. 21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he” (Proverbs 14:17-21; NASB).

Work on these and you’ll be wise today:

Be peaceable. Those soon angry are foolish. Peacemakers are most like the Son. “They shall be called sons of God,” Jesus said.

Be inquisitive. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is an acquired appetite. Work at it, because “the simple inherit folly.”

Be good. It may not seem so from the headlines, but the evil will some day “bow before the good.” In fact, “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess” before the good God.

Be merciful. Know someone who needs a friend? Don’t ignore them—he that despises his neighbor sins.

Get Wisdom. And character will follow.

Jason Moore

Lesson From a Donkey

Scripture: Numbers 22:21-35

Song: In Heavenly Love Abiding

We don’t often think about God’s grace being expressed in discipline. We usually think of God’s blessings in a positive fashion when we think of grace. But sometimes God shows favor to man when He disciplines. He did in the case of Balaam. Balaam was behaving stubbornly—so stubbornly that God used his donkey to rebuke him. The alternative to the donkey’s reproof of Balaam was for the angel to slay the disobedient prophet. Yet God in His grace spared his life and used the occasion to teach Balaam a needed lesson.

The Apostle Paul learned this same lesson when he prayed three times for the Lord to remove his “thorn in the flesh.” The response came back from the Lord, “My grace is sufficient for you.” This thorn in the flesh which was a curse to Paul was actually a gift of God’s grace to keep Paul “from exalting himself,” from losing his humility.

You may run into some walls today or come across some bumps in the road or some blockade to your path. Don’t be overly sensitive to such hindrances to your progress. We have no revelation from donkeys or from men to guarantee that our trouble is divinely sent. But there are certainly some difficulties we will encounter that are the product of our Father’s gracious discipline. Don’t despise such lessons. They’ll keep you in the right path.

Jason Moore

Practical Pointers From Proverbs

“14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. 15 The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. 16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.” (Proverbs 14:14-16; NASB).

Three good rules to apply to your listening:

1. Keep working. The backslider’s bucket is filled too early, but a good man is not content until he’s digested what he’s heard.

2. Watch your step. Don’t leave your bible study to the preacher. The simple believe every word—check it for yourself.

3. Check your pulse. Don’t hasten to put the worst construction on what is said. You have no right to disagree until you’ve first understood what is said.

Get Wisdom. She’ll help your hearing.

Jason Moore

Eureka

Scripture: John 1:35-42

Song: The Lily Of The Valley

Eureka! I don’t know who invented the word Eureka, but I like it. I’ve been told that it was Archimedes when he discovered that the mass of irregularly shaped objects could be measured by water displacement. I don’t know if he said it first, but he probably used it because Eureka! is the interjection of the inventor. It means, “I found it!”

It’s a Greek word. And we’ve adopted it having transliterated it into the English language. It sounds like what it celebrates. No expression better fits the mood of the moment of discovery.

In all the discoveries that have ever been made, the word Eureka was never more nobly and aptly applied than in Andrew’s excited declaration to Peter, “We have found the Messiah!” The word “found” in the Greek is Eureka. What a find indeed! A find worthy of celebration. A find worthy of publication. A find worthy of being shared. No find has ever rivalled this one in its significance.

Oh that the enthusiasm of that moment of discovery for each prospective child of God could be preserved. If we could only distill it, condense it, and place it into some capsular form for periodic consumption. Does that little explosion that took place in your mind when you discovered the Messiah still thrill you? Then tell it. Make it happen for someone else. Great discoveries are meant to be shared. That’s the reason for words like Eureka!

Jason Moore

Courage for the Disciple

Scripture: Matthew 10:24-33

Song: Each Step I Take

It is the disciple’s aim to imitate the Master’s life. But following His cue means inheriting His reproach. If men possessed the gall to persecute the Master, they will not leave His servants unattended. But take courage. There is assurance for the disciple who suffers reproach.

The sufferings of the saints will not go unnoticed. It’s a promise. “There is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.” The Lord keeps an eye out for His own.

The worst of all fates is the least of all worries. It’s a promise. Even if the life of a disciple is snuffed out because of his testimony of the gospel, he has merely hastened his reward. “And do not fear those who kill the body… but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The least of disciples is of more value than the least creature. Yet even the most common of them is not forgotten. Not even one sparrow among a thousand “falls to the ground apart from the Father’s will.” If the sparrow’s fall gains His notice how much more the passing of the faithful?

To know the Savior is to be known of Him. It’s a promise. “Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father.”

I have one difficulty with these assurances—how easy is our cross. Makes me nervous about our service when we encounter so little resistance.

Jason Moore