Rewritten and Rebuilt

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. Luke 8:42-43    She struggled through the crowd, terrified and yet determined to get to her objective. People jostled her, pushed against her; they all wanted to get to Him too. Every shove and bump sent chills of fear through her, just one jostle too hard and she would start bleeding again. Then they all would know that she was in their midst; an unclean woman who had dared to break the law. If that happened then it was almost certain a stoning would follow for she had defied the law and possibly infected the town. But desperation drove her forward towards the Man she had heard about. Desperation, her constant companion, thrust her past the crowds and into the reach of His hem. And her desperation met the healing power of God and she was made whole.      The story of the woman with the blood issue is ...

Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me."    Every time I read or hear this verse I immediately think of the same things most people do. Money, jobs, cars, etc are all things that we do put ahead of God many times; however lately, God has been revealing to me other things that I've put before Him. Things I wouldn't really consider "gods" in my life but that is exactly what they had become.    What is a god? Merriam-Webster defines god first in the traditional Judeo-Christian sense and then as "a person or thing of supreme value." So a god is whatever drives us. Could money, jobs, and cars all be things that drive us? Sure, but I bet if you look deeper, you'll find hidden, embedded things that drive you; maybe stuff you didn't even realize. I know for me, the things I found that were driving me were the exact opposite of what I wanted; I didn't even realize what I hated was controlling me.    The first thing God show...

   Lately a word keeps popping up everywhere I turn; it churns my stomach whenever I hear it. It’s desperation. We often associate desperation with a negative image. Desperate conjures up images of addiction, homelessness, and depression. Why is that? What emotions pushed Shaquem Griffin (Sorry, I watched football awards last night!) to become the first one handed professional football player? Desire, courage, and I’m sure a healthy amount of desperation had to be present to continue pushing past barriers on a continual basis. In fact in order to have any success we usually need at least a small amount of desperation. So why do I seem to think and act like I don’t need it in my relationship with God?    When Jesus was ministering, the people who came to Him were desperate. They were willing to make themselves and their illnesses/deformities known. In a society that viewed such things as God’s punishment for sin, simply being visible required a certain amount of desp...