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Screenshot Day 8 Go Get The Sheep

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Matthew 18:10-14
Jeremiah 29:11-14
John 3:16-21

Screenshot, Day 8

Imagine this: you are babysitting three children. While they all play contentedly, you go to the kitchen to prepare dinner. After you finish cooking, you set the food on the table, and call them to eat. As you round the corner into the living room, your stomach drops and panic ensues.
There are only two of the three children present.
The other is nowhere to be found.
You now begin frantically searching the house while your mind begins thinking of all possible worst case scenarios. Finally, you see a little pair of feet sticking out from under the bed. Phew!
Your heart is immediately filled with relief and joy knowing the child is safe and can now join the others who are happily eating.

A similar picture is painted in the parable of the lost sheep.
A shepherd has one hundred sheep and one is lost, which prompts the shepherd to leave the ninety-nine in search of the one.
On finding his lost sheep, he rejoices and calls his community to celebrate with him as he brings his lost one home.

As I read through this parable, Chris Tomlin’s beautiful song, Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone), comes to mind.

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

This song so perfectly shows our Lord’s heart for us.
Like a parent searching for their lost child, or a shepherd searching for a lost sheep,
He will not stop searching for us.

He will continuously pursue the soul separated from His grace
that He might rescue them from sin and death,
lavishing us with His celebratory love of redemption and welcome!

We, each one of us.
You, me,
the girl across the street,
the man on the corner,
the pastor at church,
and the saintly ones we look up to…..
we are wretches before the Just and Righteous God.

We’ve each turned away from His grace, “become His enemies”, and “like sheep, have all gone astray.” (Romans 5:10, Isaiah 53:6)
What separates us?
Our sin.
Black, ugly, all-consuming.
Just one sin is enough to sentence us to an eternity separated from a God who is blameless, perfect, and flawlessly holy. If He were to abide with sin, He would no longer be the Holy and Righteous God.

But, oh sisters, you and I both know we have more than 1 solitary sin against us!
This is the sin that drives us away from the fold of sheep.
This is the sin that keeps us lost.

But God.
Shows His love for us in this.
While we were still sinners.
Christ died for us.

He died to bring us back.
To exchange our status from lost to found.
From shame and hiding to adored and celebrated!
He brings us back into the fold because He longs to give us hope and a future, found only in His righteousness, which He graciously gives as an exchange for our sin, made possible through the sacrificial blood offering of Jesus who took Death in our place. (Jeremiah 29:11-14, Romans 5:6-11, John 3:16-21)

Jesus left heaven, put on flesh, became one of us in order to win us back from the grip of Sin and Death.
The invitation is bold, freeing, and life-giving.
If you haven’t trusted Jesus, for your eternity, what’s holding you back?
What ties you to the identity of being lost rather than found? Is it worth it?

As believers, let this parable from the heart of God challenge us!
God has been showing me in my own life that if I am to be like Christ the Shepherd, then I must begin by throwing off all I claim as self-importance,
that Name of the Lord can reach one more person as I surrender to His ways.

We as believers get comfortable sometimes.
Too Comfortable.

We build church buildings.
And stay inside.

We open the doors.
Expecting people to come in.

But are we going out? 

Here in the Bahamas, we do baptisms differently. Instead of baptizing new believers in the church, we take baptisms to the beaches as we celebrate the sheep that is now found.
We take church outside of the walls in order to reach just one.
It is a beautiful thing.
We have been blessed with the opportunity to be open and bold about our faith unlike many of our brothers and sisters across the globe who suffer silently for their faith.
What are we doing with those freedoms?

Are we going out and getting the lost sheep?
Or are we just staying with the ninety- nine?

Staying with the ninety-nine is comfortable and easy.
Going to get the one is hard and painful.

Getting the “one” looks like fostering children from broken homes,
engaging in a ministry to regain territory from Satan,
evangelizing people that are hard to love,
baptizing on the beach,
or embracing people who are broken and hurting.
It looks like going beyond our borders.

All of these are hard to do.
They require sacrifice.
They require prayer.
They require being visible and possibly ridiculed.
They require being uncomfortable.
They require obedience to this glorious gospel by which Christ has set us free!

God’s mission is to go out and get the sheep, will you join Him?!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Screenshot Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Screenshot!

Sketched IV Day 5 Sarai

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Sketched IV Day 5 Sarai

Merry Ohler

August 3, 2018

Believe,Faith,Faithfulness,Fear,Fullness,God,Gospel,Grace,Legacy,Mercy,Mighty,Promises,Scripture,Sketched,Strength,Truth

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 11:27-32
Genesis 12:8-20
Genesis 15:1-16
Genesis 17:15-21
Galatians 4:21-31

 

My reflection caught my attention as I slowly dragged my jar through the water, allowing the cool liquid to swirl and fill it. I pulled it out carefully and set it to the side, wincing at the twinge in my back. I turned back to the water and paused to take in my image. Dark, intent eyes peered through long, full lashes. Smile lines were evident now; the years had made me softer. Thick waves of long, silver hair fell forward into my eyes, and I pushed them aside, chuckling to myself. It wasn’t so long ago those strands were as black as the night sky, I thought ruefully.

I dipped one hand in the water, pressing the cool drops to my flushed cheeks. Strange, to see such a youthful glow across skin that has weathered so many years. I watched my full lips curve into a wondering smile as my hand dropped to my burgeoning belly. Gentle kicks fluttered within and the familiar eyes staring back at me filled suddenly with tears of joy. This baby is nothing short of a miracle. Glory to Yahweh! He has done what He said He would do. If my eyes were not telling me the story, I would not believe it myself.
His mercy is…..

—–

“Beautiful!” My father called out as I danced around him, twirling and bowing whimsically like only four-year-old little girls can. A flower adorned my silky black tresses, and I sang and laughed with delight. “My beautiful princess, you are lovely inside and out! And your dancing! Ho ho!” He hooted and roared with laughter as he lifted me high into the sky and spun me around. “In all of the world, there is none like you!” I squealed, “Again, papa, again!”

The memory brought a different kind of tears to my eyes, and I blinked them back quickly. My dear papa. What a life this has been. What a life this IS. My mind sifted through memories as if written in one long scroll, and I stirred an elegant finger through the water absentmindedly. Amazing, I thought. The way God weaves together our stories, our lives…it’s

——

“…kind of beautiful, isn’t it?! I am excited, Sarai! This is what He is calling us to do. What are you thinking, Sarai? You’re a million miles away, my love.” Abram was staring expectantly into my gaze with the half-smile I’d grown to love more over the years. I’d been lost in thought as he shared what God had told him; in embarrassment, I lowered my eyes collecting my thoughts. I would have been a fool to remain unaware of the effect my beauty had on others, but with Abram, something had always been different. He saw beneath my outward beauty. Though I had been unable to bear him heirs and give him the children my heart desired above all else, still he loved me. Still, he called me beautiful. Something about a man like that just fills you with longing and excitement.

And faith, a still, small voice whispered to my spirit. God’s hand is on him.

I looked up again, startled at the thought. “Yes, Abram,” I responded. “We will go to Canaan. Where God leads us, we will follow.”

His hand reached for mine; we both knew what this meant. We would be leaving everything we knew. Our family. Our community. Our home. We would be strangers in a foreign land. Sojourners.

Immigrants, I thought.

So many emotions filled me, but underneath all the other feelings, I discovered a sense of relief. Away from our families, from our community, perhaps I could finally let go of the private grief I had carried for so long. Private shame. Perhaps my heart could finally release the dream of a home filled with tiny feet and children’s laughter. Infertility, it was my constant burden.

—-

A bird’s call brought me back to the present and I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. The baby in my belly fluttered, finding a more comfortable position. I laughed aloud at the wonder of it all. I dried my hands on my robe and pulled my hair into a quick braid. Stooping carefully, I picked up the jar and began walking back to my tent. As my swollen feet fell into a rhythm, I felt my mouth pull into a grimace as a darker memory filled my mind.

—-

“Beautiful does not begin to describe her,” the man said. “The King has seen her and wants her for himself.” My heart dropped and I worked to keep my face emotionless. Tears collected under my lashes. “Yes, my sister is lovely,” my Abram answered. The fear I could hear in his voice ignited an echoing coil in my own belly.

How could we be here again? I thought. I am not a young woman, God. Why have you cursed me with this beauty? I can’t bear it! My spirit wept at the thought of what was surely to come. Everything in me screamed that this lie was wholly wrong, but fear kept me silent.

I stepped forward in obedience. “Goodbye, brother,” I said quietly, searching my love’s face for some sign of reassurance. Abram’s eyes filled with tears and unvoiced pleas, and he couldn’t bear to meet my gaze. Quickly turning, he began puttering with the edge of his garment

“Goodbye.” His voice was thick with emotion, but the men noticed nothing unusual and took me outside the tent.

We walked together down the road, each one silent in our thoughts…or prayers, in my case. Father, help me. Remember your servant. You know my heart belongs to Abram. Please, make a way where there seems to be none! Forgive me for this lie and make things right!

—-

Tears of regret filled my eyes as the memory faded and I paused to lower the jar of water onto our table. I removed my sandals and sat on the bench, groaning softly as my joints protested under the weight of the gift, the promise, my tired body carried. My wrinkled hands caressed my stomach, stretched and taut with new life.

God gave me so many opportunities to trust, to have faith.
And I failed at every one.

When Abraham and I were Abram and Sarai, and Pharaoh wanted me for his own… We lied and said I was Abram’s sister instead of having faith. And yet, God spared us and prevented Pharaoh from sinning. HE was our shield.

And again, when King Abimelech wanted me to be his…rather than trusting God, we lied! And yet, God spared us and kept the King from me. He delivered us from our own sin! HE was our protector.

When God promised Abraham he would be the father of many nations, and I would bear him a child…I didn’t trust He could do it!

Tears finally spilled over my cheeks as the deep ache of remorse filled my chest.

God had already shown me that He could do anything, but I doubted. I sent my handmaiden to my love, to my Abraham, and told him to sleep with her. And it worked. She gave him a son. Abraham calls him Ishmael. He is a handsome boy, but he is not mine. He was never to be the fulfillment of God’s promise.

Everything changed after that mistake. Abraham gave himself to Hagar, at my bidding. We traded our easy love for something more complicated and difficult. It was never part of God’s plan, and every day I am reminded of the consequences of my choice.

I was faithless. And yet…

The miracle child inside me squirmed and wriggled, bumping against my sides and bringing a smile to my lips.

Yahweh is faithful. He did what He said He would do. He called LIFE out of this barren womb. He brought good from all the wrong choices we made. He was our shield and protector, and from Abraham and I nations will be borne. From all our ugly choices and failures, He brought

“Beauty,” I whispered.

A Note About Sketched

In Sketched themes, we imaginatively step into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally.

We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters viewed God, themselves, and the world around them.

Perhaps we will find parts of our story reflected in theirs!

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Sketched IV, Day 5
Digging Deeper

Is there something you’ve always dreamed of having? For Abraham, it was a son and heir. He was utterly distraught at the idea of leaving his estate to a servant.

He was blessed with a wife of unequaled beauty, but still yearned for a son. Imagine his glee when God assured him that He would bring about the desired child!

Maybe you also long for a child. Maybe you wait expectantly for your child to return from their wanderings. As for myself, I (almost literally) ache for a godly husband. As we endure this period of waiting, let’s remain faithful to God!
Dig Deeper!

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Sketched IV Day 3 Boaz

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ruth 1-4
1 Samuel 16:10-13
Matthew 1:1-6

Sketched IV, Day 3

I’ve been faithful to Yahweh all my days.
When I was a boy my father, Salmon, took me to temple to hear the scrolls read.

I knew my father was faithful and Yahweh blessed him for it. His crops were always plentiful – enough to sell at market what we didn’t store for the family’s use.

I have admired the love of my father for my mother, and hers for him, and hoped to find that same kind of love. She would have to be a rare and special woman to accept a man with a mixed heritage. My parents met in Israel after my mother, Rahab, was spared from the destruction of Jericho. She left behind her prostitution in the rubble, but would always be a Gentile. My father’s compassion toward her has been an inspiration in my life.

As I grew into adulthood, I felt Yahweh had a special plan for me.
Something greater than farming.

Since He hadn’t yet revealed the whole plan to me, I followed in my father’s footsteps. I planted and harvested crops, which were abundantly fruitful. Soon, I hired workers and still the production increased. Before I knew it, my income had doubled, then tripled! I was thankful to Yahweh for blessing me, but I never let the money control me.

Instead, I chose to put people first.
I paid fair wages to my workers, allowing them to join the feast on the threshing floor. For the poor souls who had nothing to eat, I left a little more than most field-owners around the edges of the fields for them to glean.

But with all this success, I still had an ache in my heart.
I watched as all my friends married.
I rejoiced with them at their wedding feasts,
but inside my heart I questioned Yahweh.

When would I be blessed with a wife? Was I not faithful? Was I not obedient?
Then something told me: Maybe a wife was part of the special plan that Yahweh had for me.

I saw her as I returned from the marketplace one day.
The fields were full of workers, but she was different…pleasant.
She looked foreign, but that wasn’t what struck me.
She worked hard, but she had a calm, unflappable demeanor.
She was respectful to the hired workers and kind to fellow gleaners.
As I observed her interactions, my fascination grew.
Who was this beauty and what terrible circumstances had reduced her to gleaning a field to survive?

I asked my workers if they knew anything about her.
They said, “She is Ruth the Moabitess, and she stays with her mother-in-law, Naomi.”

Oh, my heart exploded with compassion!

I had heard of Naomi’s tragedies from the people in the marketplace. She had lost much, suffered so deeply, she even asked to be called “Mara” meaning bitter. Rumor had it her Gentile daughter-in-law had returned from Moab with her. This woman must know Yahweh, despite being outside the Jewish faith, to follow Naomi rather than staying with her own family in the wake of her husband’s death.
Again, compassion drew me back to the face of the worker in my field.

Special kindnesses were due here, so I instructed my hired workers to casually drop sheaves so Ruth could pick them up while she gleaned.
Even dirty and tired from the day’s work, Ruth still glowed.
Could I be falling for this woman half my age?

The workers harvested the barley, then the wheat.
Ruth was there each day, diligently gleaning for herself and her mother-in-law.
I was there each day to casually check on the work, but truth be told,
I couldn’t keep myself away from her.

After the threshing of the harvest and the feasting and drinking, I woke up – cold – to discover a beautiful woman lying at my feet. Startled, I asked, “Who are you?!”
She quickly awoke, trembling, yet with graceful boldness said, “I am Ruth, your servant. Take me under your wing, for you are a family redeemer.”

I knew she was right, the Law of Moses said I could indeed redeem her.
I could marry Ruth and give her a child, ensuring she and Naomi would be cared for in generations to come.

Now, joy filled my heart! I blessed her for her kindness, because she was a beauty who could have any man, especially one much younger than myself! Ah, but there was also a catch…another family redeemer who was first in line. This man would need to be found, and soon.

Before the daybreak while it was still dark, I sent her home to Naomi with more grain to prove my willingness to redeem her. I immediately went into town to find the man who was positioned as Ruth’s closest family redeemer. Foolishly, he said he would not redeem Ruth…something about the inheritance to his children.
His foolishness, my joy!!

Ruth and I were married and soon had a son named Obed.
Yahweh had a greater plan for me, indeed!

—

Obed later had a son named Jesse.
Jesse had eight sons; the youngest was a scrappy sheep-herder named David. 

The Lord Jesus Christ came from the lineage of David.
Boaz and Ruth were blessed to be in the bloodline of our Savior!

Never discount your “ordinary” circumstances; the Lord Himself may be using them in a mightier way than you could imagine!

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched IV Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched IV!