Thursday, April 1, 2010

What am I doing - here?

We just heard a minister on radio talk about a dance he attended in his youth, after announcing plans to study for the ministry. A workplace rival walked up to him and said: "This is an H of a place for a preacher to be." (We're assuming the H doesn't stand for heaven.)

The minister decided his rival was right, and walked out never to return. We've probably surprised many people over the years, by showing up in bars and poker rooms to talk about the things of God.

Yet consider one of the places Jesus visited. The Lord told a curious man named Zacchaeus, "I must stay at your house today" (Luke 19:5). Considering Zacchaeus's background as a tax collector, some people were stunned by the thought of this.

"He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner,'" they muttered in verse 7. Yet the context indicates Jesus actually went inside Zacchaeus's home -- and salvation came to his house (verse 9).

Christians are supposed to take the good news of salvation and Jesus Christ into all the world (Matthew 28:19, KJV) -- not merely church buildings. So if we come to your poker table, don't be afraid of what we might say. The news we bring is good, whether we beat you in a tournament or not.

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