Thursday, June 21, 2012

June 22, 2012

"Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.  The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,”  Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”  John 8:1-11

Here is another powerful story of a dramatic life change.

When Jesus was here on earth He was all about life change. Now He leaves that to you and me. If you and I are going to be as effective in changing lives as He wants us to be, we must learn to understand the importance of change points - recognize them and relate to them.

Over the past few posts I have given examples of how Jesus connected with Zacchaeus and the woman at the well and offered hope and help to people when they were hurting.

In this encounter, Jesus was confronted with a woman who had been caught in adultery. The law said she would have to be stoned. I think it is fair to say she was hurting. She was hurting enough to welcome some change into her life - if she had any life left.

Jesus came to her defense and sent her accusers away in shame. When HE was alone with her He told her there was forgiveness for her if she would change her ways.

She wanted to change and once she knew that change was possible, she gladly promised to cease her sinful ways. And history records that she did.

Jesus understood that people change when they hurt enough they have to - she did. And they change when the know enough that they can change - and Jesus showed her how. And then people change when they receive enough that they can - and Jesus empowered her.

People are very resistent to change when they are not at a change point in their life. To be a change agent like Jesus, you must learn to recognize the change points in a person's life so you know when to step in to offer the spiritual transformation God provides.

Learn from Jesus. He encounter this woman when she was hurting, He gave her hope that she could change and gave her help to actually change. If you know the Scriptures, you will remember that later, after she had changed, she ministered comfort to Jesus at a moment when He was hurting.

You are called to bring life-change to a lost and dying world. Learn to recognize the change points!