February 15, 2018 Thursday

“Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. “But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”” (Mark 2:13-22 NKJV)

            Today I heard about the shooting in Florida at a school.  The death and violence happens so much we are no longer as shocked or as frightened by it.  That is so sad.

            After a shooting that took place when I was still in the pastoral ministry people asked me if God cares about these shootings.  “Does God not care that these kids die?”

            As I said before I want to say for others to hear, God does care! How can you know God cares?

            Every pain experienced by everyone involved in the shooting in Florida, even the shooter, was paid for by Jesus on the cross.  And not just this act of evil but every act ever done, every act being done now and every act that will be done in the future!

            On the cross as the nails pierced the flesh of Jesus, as the blood flowed and pain screamed from the lashes on His broken body, as the horrific thorns ripped at His scalp and skull every sin, every shooting, every victim, every criminal and every grieving person was borne by the only innocent victim and by the suffering of Jesus not only was salvation purchased but also healing!

            As the blood flowed down the cross of Jesus the ground where the seed of hope lies was fertilized, faith was able to grow in that soil to a strong and vibrant plant to produce the fruit of love with the seed of new life.

            God is there with every hurting person loving them and seeking for them to come to Him.  Long before the shooter ever thought about buying a gun God reached out to them, even in womb, calling them to life!

            Now God is calling out to you!  WILL YOU PRAY EVERYDAY FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR LOCAL SCHOOLS!  Will you pray for the children who grow up in hate and despondency and reach out to care for them because God cares about them?  WILL YOU?