I have been thinking a whole lot about Jesus lately. As the infections from COVID 19 continue to rise and the death toll increases, the phrase Charles Sheldon introduced in his book “In His Steps” written in the late 1800’s keep coming back to my mind, “What Would Jesus Do?” Since 1896 Sheldon’s book has sold more than 30 million copies and been translated into 21 languages. No one knows how many “What Would Jesus Do” bracelets, pins, and necklaces have been sold. I read that one store averages selling 6,400 pieces of WWJD memorabilia every month. We think about Jesus, but I’m not so sure that we are not more concerned about what Donald Trump or Nancy Pelosi or Dr. Fouche or Joe Biden says and does than what Jesus would do. I just think that Jesus has become more of an afterthought to us these days than a real game changer in our daily lives.
 
Depending on who you talk to, Jesus performed over 40 miracles while living on this earth. Many of them were healing miracles. He made the lame to walk again. He causes the blind to see. He drove our terrible demons and gave people who were unable to speak a new voice. He was a miracle worker. We need a miracle working Jesus right now?
 
Jesus taught the truth and nothing but the truth. He did not languish in the world of opinions. He did not pass along fairy tales or conspiracy theories. He was a storyteller. He called them “Parables” and He told 46 of them. Each one conveyed a central truth and they were so profound that “…the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29). Jesus was a master teacher. We need a real teacher to guide us and show us how to live.

More profoundly, Jesus showed compassion. Great multitudes followed Him everywhere because, “…seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
 
When is the last time you saw or felt real compassion?
When is the last time you showed compassion toward somebody other than a family member?
 
I think we are suffering from a “Compassion” draught these days. Our hearts are filled with cynicism and skepticism. Man, we need Jesus to look on us and have compassion for us and gather us together again under His sheltering/shepherding arms, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:10). I need a good shepherd. You need a good shepherd. America needs a good shepherd.
 
I believe God is leading me to preach about Jesus. That’s probably why He has put Jesus on my mind so much these days. There are only 2 more Sundays of sermons from Psalm 119 after today. I believe God is preparing me and giving me His direction for where we will go from here. Pray about it with me. Start opening your Bibles and reading the gospel accounts about Jesus.
 
What could God do with us if we really put Jesus where He should be?
 
I can’t wait to see. 

I read again this week about all the plagues God directed toward Pharaoh and the people of Egypt before Israel was freed from bondage.
 
Do you know how many plagues it took to get Pharaoh to let God’s people go?
 
There were 8 of them before the major, end-all, catastrophic climax when the death angel passed over and killed every first-born Egyptian child throughout the land. There was:

1. The Nile River turned into blood – Exodus 7:14-25
2. Frogs invading the land – Exodus 8:1-15
3. Flies everywhere – Exodus 8:16-32
4. All the cattle dies – Exodus 9:1-7
5. Boils and sores – Exodus 9:8-17
6. Hail and fire – Exodus 9:18-35
7. Locusts eat everything – Exodus 10:1-20
8. Darkness covers the land – Exodus 10:21-29

 
All these plagues which God inflicted upon Egypt had one thing in common. After each one, Pharaoh hardened his heart. What is a hard heart?

• A hard heart is a stubborn heart – “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God.” (Romans 2:5)
• A hard heart is insensitive – “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:10)
• A hard heart is cold and disobedient – “Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he would not listen to them as the Lord had said.” (Exodus 7:13)

 
A good question to ask yourself in the middle of a plague is, “Is my heart hard, or am I listening and doing what God says?”
 
Pharaoh certainly failed at that point for which he suffered greatly in the end, “Thus says the Lord, ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again.” (Exodus 11:4:6)
 
Bad things happen when people harden their heart.
 
Here’s what God said to Moses and the people of Israel. Don’t miss this!  “For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you.” (Exodus 12 23)
 
This was how God chose to spare His people from the devastation of death. They “Sheltered-at-home” with their families around the dinner table eating a good meal and keeping each other safe until the angel of death passed by. That’s not a bad idea. Neither is wearing a face covering, nor is it an infringement of individual freedom to wash your hands and practice the 6’ rule. 
 
God sparred the people of Israel because they didn’t harden their hearts like Pharaoh did. They obediently followed the instructions they were given, and it only took the angel of death 6 hours to do his work.

​I wonder if the reason we are now in the 7th month of this immediate crisis with the numbers of infections still rising and the death toll growing every day is not more about our hard hearts than it is about following the good instructions we all have been given to keep us safe.

Keep your heart these days from becoming like the one Pharaoh had.

Isn’t that a great Word?
 
“Welcome” makes you feel at home.
“Welcome” gives you the encouragement of belonging.
“Welcome” greets you at the front door.
“Welcome” invites you in and embraces you with a friendly, “Hello.”
 
That’s why this old pandemic is such a drag these days. It’s not welcome. It’s very presence makes all of us skittish and leery of anything outside our immediate family circle. It is really hard to live with a pandemic when you love that word “WELCOME.”
 
“Welcome” is a Bible word. Jesus said about all those people, he called them sheep, who were gathered on His right hand in the coming judgment, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was imprisoned and you came to me…Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even to the least of them, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:35,40)
 
Think about that. The first word you will hear when you get to heaven is, “WELCOME.”
 
During the days when Thomas Jefferson was president of our country, he and a few of his companions began a journey on horseback. A few hours into their travel, they came to a river swollen out of its banks by a terrible thunderstorm that had passed by. Rather than turn back, the group decided to try and cross the river against the life-threatening current. One by one the men plunged into the river fighting for their lives against the waters until they reached the other side.
 
One man had chosen to wait and see how the others did in their crossing before he attempted to cross himself. President Jefferson waited with him as the man who was terrified asked, “Will you ferry me across.”
The President smiled and said, “Sure.”
When they arrived safely on the other side, one of the men asked that man why he had asked the President of the United States to risk his life by carrying the weight of another person into hazardous waters.
The man said, “Oh, I did not know he was the President, but when I looked into your faces, the message I saw was “No,” but when I looked into his face the answer was “Yes.”
 
“WELCOME” wears a “yes” face. That’s what we need these days. We need to see more “yes” faces like Jesus wears for everyone who needs him to carry their load, ride with them through heavy waters or give abundant compassion and care for every sickness.

Is this not the “WELCOME” our whole nation needs to hear right now: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden in light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
 
Jesus says “Yes” and “Welcome” to everyone who comes to Him. Put on your “Yes” face and “Welcome” people in the name of Jesus. Say it with me to somebody right now, “YOU ARE WELCOME.”

​Doesn’t that feel great?