One Sabbath, Jesus was at the synagogue and He saw a man with a crippled hand. Who else saw him? Was he sitting in the back or standing behind the crowd? Was he hiding his hand under his cloak? It was the common belief that if someone had something wrong with them it was due to their sin or a family member's sin before them. So, any handicap was a public disgrace and a major embarrassment. Did others see him? Did others shun him? Was he alone? Did he feel alone? We do not know these details. But, what we do know, Jesus saw him. Jesus would not let him stand alone.


Remember, when God said, "Let there be light." What did God do at the end of each day's work of creating? He evaluated His work and said, "It is good." But, on that fifth day after hand making and breathing life into the man, what did God say?

“It is not good for the man to be alone.” Gen 2:18


Loneliness is not good. It is an illness. It is painful. It is extremely damaging. Everyone at some point and at a variety of times throughout their life, feel lonely. Lonely people will do many unhealthy things to solve this universal problem. Do we need to list the over eating, over spending, over social media-ing, secretly diving into their temptations deeper and deeper?
Sometimes, lonely people will even risk and go to a church for some help. But, do the people in that church have eyes to see them? Do they have a heart to see them? Do they have a mind that is intentionally trained to look for them? Are Christians like Jesus and do they naturally see lonely, hurt, wounded people? Did anyone see the man in church that day when Jesus called him to join Him? Did anyone see the inner pain, relational pain, emotional pain and the spiritual separation of this man besides Jesus?

One mantra that seems to bubble out of Jesus' life is... 
No One Stands Alone!

Remember, the evil-controlled cemetery dweller? He was alone. As Jesus was in another town doing ministry, He saw this man, possibly a former husband and father. Jesus lived out, No One Stands Alone, by getting in a boat and going across a lake to solve this evil-filled man's problem of being all alone with this uncontrollable evil consuming him. Jesus saw this man while He was not even in that man's presence. Do you already see hurting and lonely people in your mind as you prepare to go to church this Sunday and every Sunday? Are you already praying for whom ever God would bring? Are you praying to have Jesus' eyes to see?

Do I need to say anything about the woman at the well? Jesus saw her alone. He was so committed to solve her loneliness problem, He sent His disciples on an errand.

No One Stands Alone.
Do you see lonely people?
Do you see people in need?
Do you see hurting, wounded people?
Do you have the eyes of Jesus to see what He wants you to see?

As Peter and John walked into the city in Acts 3, most people learned to ignore the pleas of a crippled man. Luke wrote, "Peter looked straight at him, as did John." The original language "looked straight" means to be stretched, to be pulled. It is as if the Holy Spirit pulled Peter's eyes to see this man.
Are you cooperating with the Holy Spirit so that He will pull your eyes to the people He wants you to see, serve and love?
Do you see lonely people?
1 Chron 16:11 "Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always."

As we daily spend time with Jesus, let Jesus' face to shine on you. Bask in all of His character and let Him transform you to be more like Himself. Then look at His face as He nudges you to look at someone who should not be standing alone.
Do you see them?

No One Stands Alone on our watch,
Pastor Chris

Extra... Extra... Read All About It...

​Breaking News... This Just In...

"Did you hear that the local harlot got herself a preacher?!?"
What? A prostitute married a pastor?
Where is the punch line... this must be a joke.

How do you think God's people, the Hebrew Nation, felt and thought about their prophet, their spokesman for God, their priest, their pastor, Hosea marrying the prostitute, Gomer?

As the wedding bells rang and on their honeymoon...
Can you hear the gossip?
Can you see the snickers?

"What happened to the local prostitute? Did she finally meet God? How did she snag a preacher? Does she think she can marry her way into heaven? We have been avoiding her all around town. Now, we need to avoid her by not going to the temple, church."

"What is the matter with our prophet? Did he finally give up on God? Did he give into his temptations?" 
His reputation was instantly null and void. Instead of respected, he became rejected and the local "fool."

As much as the locals and everyone who heard about this scandal thought, they were wrong. God spoke to Hosea. But, no one heard Him except Hosea. “Go, marry a prostitute and have children with her." Hosea 1:2 So, he did.

Hosea was one of the most patient, kind, tenderhearted, gracious, loving and misunderstood prophets. Obedient and faithful to the core. But, why would a man such as he marry someone such as she? That is the million dollar question.

Because God wanted to show His message, not just tell it.

Gomer, the married prostitute, still kept going back to her old life, sleeping around. 
Hosea kept getting up, searching for her, finding her, picking her up and carrying her home.

Gomer gave into her temptations again and again, got pregnant from another man.
Hosea got up, found her, picked her up and carried her home.
Gomer had two sons and one daughter.

Time after time the Hebrews watched Hosea pick up his wife out of the arms of another and carry her home. Why?

Then God ordered me, “Start all over: Love your wife again, your wife who’s in bed with her latest boyfriend, your cheating wife. Love her the way I,God, love the Israelite people, even as they flirt and party with every god that takes their fancy.”  Hosea 3:2 (Msg)

God showed His patient, kind, tenderhearted, gracious love to His people and to all people through the marriage of Hosea and Gomer.
Do you hear God speaking to you? Do you feel and know His personal love for you?
How about the people in your life, do they know this God of Hosea?

The Hebrews intellectually knew this but they did not hear it. Hosea shouted to God's people, "Return, return, return to The Lord. You are the harlot. Return to The Lord who loves you, who wants to forgive you, who wants to pick you up and carry you home."

The people heard what Hosea was saying. The people saw what Hosea was doing. Yet, they kept going about their lives their own way. They took God for granted. They kept giving into their temptations. They did not join in God's mission to seek and save everyone.

Three tragic years later, the Hebrews were conquered by the Assyrians.

Having a tough time being a Hosea?
Have a tough time modeling the love and grace of Jesus?
Feel unappreciated, misunderstood and foolish?
Welcome to being a Hosea type Christian.

These days it is tough to live out God's mission. It is tough to keep praying for a new Fab 5 because the old Fab 5 has ignored you for years. It is tough being labeled a religious freak. It is tough being mocked and ridiculed.
Hosea knew it. He died ignored and rejected.
He was a lot like Jesus.
Jesus died mocked and rejected... until the resurrection!

Let's keep praying for our Fab 5.
Let's keep coming up with creative ways to start spiritual conversations with them.
Let's keep demonstrating Jesus' other worldly patience, kindness, grace and love.
Let's keep inviting them to our Fall Kickoff on Sept 15.

Seeking to be like Hosea together,
Pastor Chris