November 28, 2016 – 26 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” Matthew 9:9-13

Well, I think someone really just had too much time on their hands, or too much scrap wood. This little Christmas decoration is called a “Scrap wood Christmas Tree”. Really, you just couldn’t burn the scrap wood, you had to be creative with junk. Why not include the toilet paper roll and the empty water bottle with your little Christmas tree decoration. Charlie Brown called and said your tree is pathetic. “Merry…..(hack) (hack) Christ………” sorry I have a splinter in my joy…….
“Jesus says, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Doing something for others always presents a small problem. It is so easy to slip into the mindset that our “doing for others” is some type of appeasement to G-d – that in doing something good for others we have made our “sacrifice” to G-d and therefore we are in good standing with G-d. Our “good works” have no more effect on G-d than this pitiful Christmas tree has on my joyful spirit. G-d does not need our good works. G-d desires one thing: “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:15-17) That is all G-d needs, a heart that desires to put others first. But if you still want to burn an offering to G-d, I would start with this tree……

Pastor Dave