The Jericho Road

“Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” 

Proverbs 29.20

“For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words”.

Ecclesiastes 3.5

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” 

Matthew 12.33-36

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord. 
He is like a tree planted by water, 
that sends out its roots by the stream, 
and does not fear when heat comes, 
for its leaves remain green, 
and is not anxious in the year of drought, 
for it does not cease to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things,
 and desperately sick;
 who can understand it?
“ I the Lord search the heart
 and test the mind,
 to give every man according to his ways, 
according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Jeremiah 17.7-10

Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.“ I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 

Matthew 3.4-12

Update on Sunday, February 28, 2010 by Jan McKenzie

My painful sense of shame, along with knowing how it effects others, makes me appreciate the mercy of God and that of my friends much more.

I felt the need to reschedule two appointments today. A worldly sense of professionalism threatens me with more guilt, but experience in spiritual life told me I was not really fit for human consumption. Having said that, when I shared my spiritual need with them, without a false excuse, their understanding and compassion touched me, opening my heart for healing. The movement of the Spirit in his sacrificial work for sinful hearts is an “amazing grace”. The flow from lostness to the comfort of being forgiven is like a dry, barren river bed feeling the first trickle of water in its graveled veins. 

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” James 5.16