INCARNATE – MESSIAH JESUS

He didn’t look the part.

He didn’t act the part.

He didn’t teach correctly.

He didn’t preach acceptably.

He didn’t overlook “sacred cows.”

He wasn’t a “good ol’ boy.”

He was way too close to “those people.”

He turned away adoring crowds.

He was patient with the “sinners” and short with the hypocrites.

He didn’t have Rabbi School paper.

He didn’t know how to behave when invited over for dinner.

He sent a rich ruler with a super impressive check list on his way (though with sadness) and called fishermen, a tax collector, and a terrorist.

He made you work to figure out what He taught.

He didn’t care who you were or how controversial the topic, you got the truth.

He yelled and got rowdy on occasion and with the “wrong” people at the ”wrong” times.

He was a carpenter without power tools.

He never gave in to anything less than what was right, but was as patient as He needed to be with the slow of heart.

He was a servant even though He was Lord.

He defined and lived true greatness.

He paid taxes even though He created the universe.

He chose “odd” people to illustrate faith.

He took up a cross.

He rode donkeys instead of stallions, got real rather than playing games, didn’t “understand” how He was “supposed to act,” treated His betrayer as well as His followers, welcomed back and put to work His three times denier, liked children, respected women, loved half breeds and foreigners, avidly pursued justice, much prevented saving over condemning, cried over those who would crucify him, stopped mighty Rome’s representative in his tracks, healed, fed, and forgave. BY EDWIN S. JONES

INCARNATE: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil. 2:5-11

“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – MIKE

INCARNATE – ON BEING OFFENDED

We just “love” to be offended in our society.  Look around and see the great lengths to which we go to avoid offence: privacy policies, anti-religious judgments, racial tensions, anti-police demonstrations, economic protests, law suits.  We don’t like the feeling of being offended.  Being offended hurts!  We don’t want to hurt inside.  We want to be safe! So we regulate everyone else’s behavior to try to prevent a feeling that happens inside us.  How does that make sense?

Are you offended?

Who controls our feelings? Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”  Feelings come from our own beliefs, thoughts, and emotions.  Who causes those?  We do!  But rarely do we blame self for the source of our hurt.  We prefer the idea of blaming someone else while we puff out our chests with pride and preen at our own self-righteousness.

When are we going to learn that what we think, feel, and believe comes from within and cannot be blamed on others (Mark 7:20-23).  In fact, the feeling of being offended itself is our not knowing what to do with our own pride because pride is why we are offended in the first place.  So what all of us who are offended are really saying is that we are proud people who don’t like others disagreeing with our beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and choices in life.  This is just narcissism run amok.  Since when has egoism been the standard for right and wrong, truth and error?  It isn’t, and never has been, but that is what we are reduced to when we seek to prevent being offended by blaming others.

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10). BY KEVIN CAULEY

“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – MIKE