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The Difference

Posted on May 5, 2018 by Jared Meredith

Matthew 12:10-13

¹⁰And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

¹¹And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

¹²How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

¹³Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

I write this as a constant reminder of the fine life, the difference, between those who are reaching for those in the pit versus those lying in the pit: our choice to do the right thing. Jesus made the choice in that moment to do what was right in spite of tradition and those who would resist the miracle in the midst of them.

I am so glad for those who take the time to do the right thing! When I was first establishing my life in Christ there were a couple men that were kind enough to take the time to hang out with me, invite me to go play music at places and to take me to church when they did not have to. Though I may not have saw what was happening then I realize now they were keeping me out of the same pit that I had been in.

Sometimes doing the right thing will not be easy, fun or popular but is absolutely necessary for the blessings of the Lord to help others! The real question is, are we willing to do what is right in the midst of adversity for someone else’s benefit? If we are to have the mind of Christ, the distinction of showing that we are truly walking the walk and not just talking the talk, then we’ll do what’s right in spite of the things we face!

Finally, to Danny and Daniel, I thank you. I will never forget the impact you had on my life as friends and spiritual brothers in its most vulnerable time.

Learning To Beat The Scoffers

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Jared Meredith

Luke 16:19-31

[19] There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
[20] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
[21] And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
[22] And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
[23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
[24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
[25] But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
[26] And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
[27] Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:
[28] For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
[29] Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
[30] And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
[31] And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

The Pharisees did not believe in grace. They were upset that Jesus received sinners and ate with them. They could agree with Jesus on rejoicing for finding something that was lost, like the sheep or coin, but not to a sinner coming to repentance. In part of the response to the mocking and scoffing towards him, Jesus addressed the one thing that mattered most to them at that time: their wealth and outward riches.

What part of this is of worth to us today? Let’s read on.

Matthew 8:11-13

[11] And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
[12] But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
[13] And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

When we read up above about how that Lazarus was in Abraham’s bosom, it speaks to me about how there was a separation when it came to where the riches of the heart were. When a person has their riches in this earth and not in God, there is only but one destination in the end. It is inevitable, and cannot be changed but only through salvation by Jesus Christ. Lazarus didn’t have riches and was a beggar in this illustration, and as you read it begins to show that when we come to God we cannot bring all of the riches and things of worth (sin) in our hearts. Those things must be confessed and forgiven as we start a new life as a forgiven individual, saved by the blood of Jesus!

I remember how I came with so many problems in my life, and to the view of many there was no hope for me. I probably would have been looked on with all of the things that I had done and never had any hope. However, when I came to God seeking for forgiveness for the things in my life, all things were my new by the forgiveness of my sins. I am not as what I was before, and I too will be in Heaven! As I live today, I have to remind myself that I cannot change what is behind me, but I am forgiven for it. I have to demonstrate by what God has done through the way I live for Him (as He helps us) that we are new creatures! And trust me, when you truly surrender all of the things that hold you captive, you won’t feel the bondage anymore!

I went down a beggar, but I came up forgiven and free! You don’t have to prove anything to anyone anymore; simply live your life for God and let Him fight the battles that you cannot control!

A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Jared Meredith

A relative of mine passed this book on to me, and so I thought I would give it a shot. As most of us have I’m sure, I thought to myself “there’s not too much more a person could learn about Psalm 23” After reading it though, I can definitely say I was wrong!

Phillip Keller gives a perspective of Psalm 23 from the perspective of a real life shepherd. When you begin to read it, he explains traits and characteristics of a shepherd into detail and shares many of his own life experiences that begins to make it powerful. It makes you really consider how the Lord is our shepherd and is always watching over us and performs things for our good; even though as a flock we might not necessarily agree with the ways it’s done or how because we only see as the sheep.

It’s a very quick read, and you can find editions (like the one I received) that was in large print which made it easy on the eyes as well. If you are a fan of hearing great testimonies and experiences and reading about how amazing God is, read it!

And always remember when you are done with one, pass it on or recommend! That helps the ones who work so hard to write them!

Check out: A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23 – ISBN 978-0-3102-6797-3

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