Matthew 11:16-19 Message
16-19 “How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a boozer, a friend of the misfits. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and ‘sinners.’” (Matthew 11:19)
I met an individual last year was struggling with a serious illness. When I asked him if he knew Jesus, he said “Sorry, but I’m not ready to give my life to Jesus,”
“Have you told Jesus that?” I asked.
Judging from the stymied look on her face, the idea of praying was the farthest thing from his mind. “Why don’t you take time right now to tell Jesus? Whatever is on your heart, you can tell Him.”
The elderly man gave a smile when I reached for his hand and then bowed his head with mine saying,
“Lord, I…uh…they tell me I should give my life to you…and although I can’t, that is, I guess I won’t, I really do…I really want to believe. Please…help me.”
“You’re well on your way to believing in Christ,” I said after he finished praying.
How could I be so sure?
Because he had opened up his heart to encounter the Lord Jesus.
When someone engages God in prayer, they can never be quite the same.
That elderly man’s prayer, though feeble and faltering, meant the Savior, in turn, had a handhold on him. With much encouragement and prayers, it wasn’t long before he accepted Jesus and was welcomed into God’s family
The good news sounds great to those who see Jesus befriending them. In the gospels, the Lord Jesus is constantly presented as a friend of sinners. He moved among the “untouchable'” people as their friend before He became their Savior.
Who can you befriend on Jesus’ behalf today?
Ask God to bring to mind someone who needs Him, and how about you?
Do you need a friend today?
Ask Jesus to be with you in a way that will be a comfort to you.
What did Jesus say about associating with sinners?
Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt. 9:13).
For Jesus, calling sinners didn’t mean standing at a distance and shouting, “Hey, what you are doing is wrong! Stop doing that and come over here.”
Rather, it meant going to where the sinners actually were and being with them, associating with them.
Does the Bible say Jesus was a friend of sinners?
Jesus is called a friend of sinners (Matt. 11:19; Luke 7:34).
Them and us.
No matter what more we might say about his intentions, or the outcome of such friendship, Jesus freely associated with all sinners in a connectional, relational way before any change or expectation of repentance on the part of the sinners.
“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit …
Praying ….
Psalm 16 The Message
16 1-2 Keep me safe, O God,
I’ve run for dear life to you.
I say to God, “Be my Lord!”
Without you, nothing makes sense.
3 And these God-chosen lives all around—
what splendid friends they make!
4 Don’t just go shopping for a god.
Gods are not for sale.
I swear I’ll never treat god-names
like brand-names.
5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only.
And now I find I’m your choice!
You set me up with a house and yard.
And then you made me your heir!
7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.
9-10 I’m happy from the inside out,
and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
that’s not my destination!
11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,
all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
I’m on the right way.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 
❤️
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