Tax Collector

^{Reputation, such a hurdle that we all must jump over. All of the assumptions and all of the ideas that come from one title.}

^{Luke 19:1}Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ²A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.

It seems here that Luke wanted us to understand the type of man Zacchaeus was. Calling him a tax collector tells us he was a traitor to the Jewish people and working for Rome. He also adds, wealthy....making sure we understand that Zacchaeus probably wasn't an honest or noble man. Maybe, just maybe, he had a reputation for gouging his fellow Jews.

It can be so difficult to overcome who we are. The flaws of our character so evident. Or, if not evident, so hidden that we ourselves can't admit of our wrongs. I can't say that I carry a title as hefty as Tax Collector for everyone to know immediately what I am. But, I have a few. You could call me a lier, a gossip, a cheat, self-absorbed, snobby. This would be just the beginning of a long list of my sinful nature.

I must echo the words that Paul utters to Timothy:

^{1 Timothy 1:14} The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

Thank you Father, that in spite of who I am, You sent your son to die for me. I am humbled to know your gracious love.

Character

How do you know if a person has the potential to be great? Let me introduce you to Timothy.

^{Acts 16:1}-5 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.

Immediately we learn of Timothy's mother, giving her a place of honor. She was leaving a legacy of her parenting by the character that was evident in Timothy. Are you raising up and training your children the way they should go? Do you build in them a confidence in scripture and their faith so that even at a young age they would be willing to stand for what they believe?

Second, we find that he was a man of reputation. While I know it would be great if we didn't have to worry about what other people think of us, truth is, our reputations help tell our story. The way we choose to love, forgive and interact with our neighbors, co-workers and friends tell people a story of who we are.

Last but not least we get a glimpse of Timothy's willingness to sacrifice. Because the Law has been fulfilled by Christ he didn't need to be circumsised. Timothy understood the mission field he was being called to. He didn't have to in order to fulfill any law but did it to be in the world he was ministering to. Timothy didn't want to give anyone a reason to turn from the Truth he was sharing so he chose to sacrifice. What are you willing to sacrifice in order to be active in the mission God has called you to?

Timothy's character was rewarded with the strength and growth in the church.

Heavenly Father,
Reveal to me Lord the character and reputation you wish to see in my life. Show me father the mission field you bring me to and show me the ways I can better be a minster. Show me the places I need to sacrifice. Lord, I desire to love and serve you for what you have given me in grace. Remind me Father that when I proclaim your name, I am representing you. ~In Jesus Holy Name

Praise

Proverbs 27: 2
Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.

We live in a society that almost requires us to sell ourselves to each other. A perfect resume, the right references, the perfect language and look that distinguishes me from the other guy.

This makes me wonder, how do you sell yourself as great if you are the only one that ever has anything good to say about you?

Makes me wonder, what would the people I have relationships with say about me?

Living a godly life is not easy. Life hits us hard with struggle and disappointment. Our response to our hardest days will be the places in which we will earn our reputations. Are you honest? Did you have self-control? Were you loving, patient and kind to those around you? It won't be your word that praises you but people and how you represented the God you say you serve.

Remember that people are watching and it is up to you. Although we don't need to seek the approval of people, we still represent our Savor in all the things we do. People don't expect us to be perfect or full of strength. They want to see that our hope comes from a Living God that guides and comforts.

I would like to challenge you today to take a moment to praise someone in your life. Take a moment to write an email, leave a voicemail or send a card. They deserve to know that they are doing a good job, we all too often don't get to hear it enough. Comment to this Blog today with their name and a short story of them. I will randomly choose one of them to receive a special gift from Women of Worship. (I will contact the winning commenter next Monday to get contact information).

Please Continue to pray for Janice J this week.
Tomorrow is Praise and Prayer Friday.
Happy Birthday to Heather C and Ellie S on there very special day!! We love you!!

Lydia

Day 1
Lydia

Her name signifies that she was a woman of Lydia, a region of Asia Minor

Lydia was a Gentile adherent of Judaism, she was a successful businesswoman who sold a type of cloth prized for its purple color. As head of her household, she may have been either widowed or single. So strong was her faith that her entire household followed her example and was baptized. She extended hospitality to Paul and his companions, even after their imprisonment.

Her Sorrow: To see Paul and Silas beaten and thrown into prison for the sake of the gospel she had embraced.

Her Joy: That God's Spirit directed Paul and his companions to Macedonia, enabling her and others at Philippi to hear the gospel for the first time.

Acts 16:6-40
Paul's Vision of the Man of Macedonia
6Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia's Conversion in Philippi
11From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. 12From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
13On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. 15When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison
16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
19When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."
22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"
29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.
35When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: "Release those men." 36The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace."
37But Paul said to the officers: "They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out."
38The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.

Day 2

Lydia's success as a businesswoman in the city of Philippi came from dealing in cloth that had been dyed a particular shade of purple. Originally from Thyatira, Lydia was probably privy to secret formulas for the dyes made there. Only those who belonged to the dyers guild were allowed to work as dyers. Made from the secretions of a shellfish found in the area, these special dyes colored the clothing of the well-to-do. The particular shades of purple ranged from reddish scarlet to a deep purple tone.

Lydia's occupation, then, was an important commercial trade. She must have been at least moderately successful, for Scripture records the fact that she had her own house, as well as servants. Her unique position as a woman in business gave her opportunity to travel, to learn of the Christ, and to offer her home and hospitality to Paul and his companions as ministers of the gospel.

How important of a role do you think women played in the beginning of the Church? Over and over again we here of women who offer their hospitality to Jesus and his disciples. In what ways could you offer hospitality in order that more people may be encouraged by the Good News?

Day 3
When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us. ~Acts 16:15

Lydia responds to the gospel message with two actions. What are they?
How did she persuade Paul and his companions to stay at her house?
Why do you think she was so anxious for them to stay with her?

After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left. ~Acts 16:40

When Paul and Silas got out of prison, they immediately when to Lydia's home again. What does this verse say they did there? They had been beaten severely (vs23) and put in stocks in prison (vs 24); however, they responded not by complaining or moaning over their circumstances but by encouraging the believers in Philippi. How do you think Lydia and her fellow believers responded to what Paul and Silas had to say to them?

It can be difficult to minister to others when your own problems and troubles are overwhelming. How can you be an encouragement to those around you in spite of your own trials? More than that, how can you be an encouragement to those around you because of your trials?

Day 4
Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal live. ~John 4:14

Lydia's life reveals to us a God who longs for relationship with his people. Lydia's openness to the truths Paul preached was not her own doing; God saw her hunger for him, and he met her deepest need--her need for him. He is still touching hearts today. The longings you feel for intimacy with him, the emptiness you experience when you've tried everything else and still hunger, the burning need you have for wholeness--these can only be satisfied when you start with the Alpha and end with the Omega, Jesus Christ, our beginning and our end.

Day 5

Lift Your Heart
It's interesting to note that the Holy Spirit directed Paul to Macedonia and , ultimately, to a group of women who had already gathered for prayer. It almost seems as though the women's faithfulness in prayer was a magnet that attracted God's Spirit. This week, invite a few friends to pray with you. Gather in your home or find your own "green sanctuary" outdoors. Sing hymns and ask God for a fresh outpouring of his Spirit in your churches, home , neighborhoods, and nation. Pray for a greater opening for the gospel. Perhaps God will create an "uproar" in your city as a result of your prayers.

Lord, Scripture says you inhabit the praises of your people. Come now and dwell with us as we seek your face. Let the fresh wind of your Holy Spirit fall on us. May our churches, homes and neighborhoods become places of prayer, shaking the world around us in a way that brings you glory.

Proverbs 31 Women

Day 1

The Woman of Proverbs 31
Her Character represents the fulfillment of a life lived in Wisdom.

Her Joy is to be praised by her husband and children as a woman who surpasses all others.

Key Scripture can be found by reading Proverbs 31:10 -31

Okay, I must admit, I did not want to end up with this “woman” as my devotional. Why? Well it is a funny story and I am guessing it is one that I must share.

My husband is a Middle School Youth Pastor. He is called to ministry and many times I wonder if I am or not ( I hear that I am not alone in this way of thinking). One day he came home and said that I was his Proverbs 31 wife. I nodded as if I knew what he was talking about. Not 2 minutes after he left for the evening youth group activities, I was running for the first Bible I could find. After reading the passage, I laughed out loud. After composing myself, I called to confirm I had heard him right making sure he knew I did not agree with his previous statement if this was truly the scripture he was referring to. After a few moments on the phone I was reassured that I was not only a Proverbs 31 wife in his eyes but in the eyes of his boss, also a Youth Pastor. I was sure they had eaten something really bad and had gone mad, so I decided to pray over the scripture and ask God himself to reveal to me how this passage even related to me. I learned that sometimes we draw a really ugly picture of who we are. I learned that to my husband and children they are truly blessed by my service to them. I may not add up to the perfect, unrealistic picture I have of who I should be, but to them, I am everything they need. (I like to think it is because I am the only one who does what I do for them, therefore they have no one to compare me with). Several weeks passed and I had nearly forgotten all about this odd statement my husband had shared. I heard someone refer to this passage again, and they were telling me how I resembled this woman of Proverbs 31. Could it be? Had I really earned this title? Perhaps in a few ways I go above and beyond for my family, but “she speaks with wisdom” now that is where I get caught up all the time. I myself struggle daily by the temptations of my flesh and desires to speak just about anything that comes to mind, however, I have, in desperate times, shocked myself by what I say, knowing that God truly has by back when He needs to be heard and not me.

SO what is the point of me writing about this? Well, I just want to tell you that as uncomfortable as it is to hear, we truly are a ruby to someone. Usually it’s our children, maybe to a friend, a pet. We are what we strive to be and sometimes we miss that we may be even close to our goal. One thing is for sure, I know deep down that I have a long way to being the Proverbs 31 picture of a perfect woman, but now I have a better picture of what I should strive for. I have a better understanding of how others may not judge me as harsh as I do. That my husband is happy with his ruby and dare I say my children are too. I know I do not always seek my god first, nor do I walk clothed in the spirit of righteousness all the time, but I learned a lot about how important it is to take a compliment and decided that love might be blind after all.

Many blessings today and throughout this week. Please pray for me as my husband is at middle school camp all week and I am again holding down the fort, sucking it up, and spending much needed girly time with my 3 precious girls. Maybe I can instill some sort of picture of what God wants them to be instead of what this world makes us think we should be.

Day 2

Our Life and Times
Does just reading about the Proverbs 31 woman make you tired? Do you wish she would just sit down and rest a moment? Whatever your response to this larger-than-life woman, you can’t help but notice that she never wasted the time given her. In our convenient culture of store-bought clothing and fast-food restaurants, you may not need to weave your own cloth or cook your own meals- but that’s not the issue. The issue is whether we’re making good use of the time given to us.

After a weekend convention I once wrote in my journal that my biggest desire would be to spend time as if it were more valuable than money. Making sure to understand that each moment is a matter of life and death. Never sure of when our last breath will be, we should spend it on glorifying the Lord. Have you ever set out to be someone and let life get in the way. I struggle with staying busy, but what for? Is my work for the Lord?

I hope this week I can somehow spark a new awareness of what it is to strive for wisdom as written in the Proverbs. Check out chapter 3:13-16 also. Don’t forget to read over the Proverbs 31 each day and see what God has to say about you. As for me, I think I will continue to pray through each line, making sure that I don’t miss anything that would make me worthy of praise from my family.

Day 3

Going over the scripture reference from Monday, please think a bit over the following

Describe the relationship between this woman and her husband.
What aspects of their relationship do you wish were part of your relationship with your husband if you are married? With a husband when you are married? What is your role in that part of the relationship and what can you do?

List some of the different tasks that keep this woman busy. Now list how she goes about her work.
What keeps you busy? In what ways can you improve your attitude about your work?
What is the thing that is most praiseworthy in any woman? What if she isn’t much of a housekeeper or isn’t handy at crafts or isn’t very good looking? What would make her still worthy of praise?

Is the fear of the Lord evident in your everyday life?

Day 4

For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:11
Reflect on Proverbs 8:11 - 36
Praise God for the gift of wisdom, which preserves, blesses, and even prolongs our life.
Offer thanks for the benefits of wisdom you have already tasted in your daily life.
Confess any tendency to choose the wisdom of the world over the wisdom of God.
Ask God every day to make you a woman who longs for wisdom, who prefers it to silver and gold.