In Matthew 20:29-34, Jesus encounters two blind men on the side of the road as he is leaving Jericho.  These men call out to Jesus when they hear that He is passing by (they were blind, remember, so they couldn't see Him). The crowd tries to quiet them, but they only get louder trying to garner the attention of Jesus.  Jesus stops, right in the middle of the road and turns to look at them.  I'm sure many in the crowd thought He would be on their side and tell the blind men to hush.  They didn't know Jesus.  The Master calls for the blind men to be brought to Him. Can you imagine what must have been going through the minds of these two blind men.  They have been summonsed by Jesus.  As they are brought to Jesus and now stand before Him, He asks them a simple question:  "What do you wnat me to do for you?"  Seriously?  Jesus, that's what you ask.  Isn't it obvious?

Jesus never assumes, even though He knows. He never imposes His will upon us but lets us choose it.  This question very clearly demonstrates that.  The men say to Him that they want to see.  Jesus touches them and immediately they see and begin to follow Jesus (wouldn't you?).  Throughout the life and ministry of Jesus, we see Him as a servant.  Several times throughout the Gospels He instructs His disciples about the first being last and those who seek greatness must be a servant.  Jesus demonstrates this in His own life.  Besides, why instruct your followers to do something that you are not willing to do yourself?

Think about that question though.  What would happen if we turned that question around?  What if we asked that question of Jesus?  What if, when we prayed, we simply asked what we could do for Him?  So often we just assume that what we are doing is what Jesus wants us to do.  Are we sure?  Have we asked Him? Or, is it that since this is what we want to do that Jesus must be okay with it.  Afterall, if Jesus didin't want me to do something, He wouldn't have given me the desire to do it.  And so begins the slippery slope to pride, selfishness and self absorption.

I think the reason we do not ask that question is because we are afraid of what Jesus may answer us with.  It could be that we already know the answer but we don't want to do it.  There are a myriad of reasons why we don't ask Jesus what He wants us to do for Him.  The problem is that none of those reasons are good enough.

When we fail to ask Jesus how we can serve Him or where we can serve Him, we reveal the true identity and nature of our heart.  We are not humbled before Him.  We are not surrendered to Him.  We are not submissive to Him.  We are not obedient to Him. If we are not asking Jesus this one simple question, then do we belong to HIm at all?

Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski

Most of us are confronted with homeless people and "vagrants" on a daily basis. Mike Yankoski was called to be such a person. He and his friend Sam spent 5 months traveling to Denver, Washington DC, Portland, San Francisco Phoenix and San Diego living on the streets. Each day was a struggle to find food, make cash, and find a place to sleep. They were confronted with the harsh underbelly of the American Church. In reading Mike's gritty account of his time on the streets is very eye opening. This is one of those books that should come with a warning label: THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE HOW YOU SEE THINGS! Mike shares his first hand account of a daily reliance upon God for everything that He had. I was personally challenged, and as I ventured out into the public, I became acutely aware of my lifestyle and those who do without every day. A challenging book to say the least that will awaken your heart to the immediate physical, emotional and spiritual needs in your community. One of the great things about this book is that it offers suggestions for the reader to become part of the solution. These practical helps offers ways to become involved with local rescue works and practical and tangible ways to serve the homeless in Jesus name. What was most revealing to me is how these men were treated by those who claimed to be Christ followers. They were turned away by many churches, but it was refreshing to see the body of Christ be the body of Christ in many others. Matthew 25 comes alive as Mike and Sam travel across the country and bring the needs of the homeless to the forefront of the American Church. This is a must read for every Christ follower.

**Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

"I Will Be Your Server Today"

If you've been to a restaurant anytime in the past decade, this is how your server (formerly known as your waiter/waitress) addresses you. It is their job to make sure that you are served the things you order and make sure that your needs and wants are taken care of. They are in the "service" industry. Service is something that I take a hard look at, mostly because I come into contact with the service industry quite a bit. There is this elusive thing called "Customer Service". It is like the Loch Ness Monster of the service world. You are usually met on the customer service hot line with a recorded voice that instructs you to choose from several options. When you finally reach a "real" person, though, there is not much service of the customer going on. I usually hear nothing but the company line. The customer service person is not really there to help me but to help their company. This frustrates me a little. Can you tell? Jesus says in Matthew 20:28 that He came to serve and not be served. Now that's a novel concept and one that I thing the church would do well in adopting. This past Saturday, our church had 26 people doing community service projects around our town. We also had some folks from the Methodist church and another Baptist church helping too. You know, I never once heard someone complain about having to paint something, wash something, clean something or pick up something. There was a common goal to serve the people of our community in a visible and viable way. Most people of the community did not know who was doing the work, just that the work was getting done. Isn't that the true heart of service. Service is meeting the needs of people in a joyful way so as to improve and impact their lives. It is putting the needs of others above your own needs. It is helping others without the need of recognition. That is at the heart of service. So...whom will you serve today?

10 Questions from Mistake-Maker to Grace-Receiver

Here are your 10 Questions from the message From Mistake-Maker to Grace-Receiver. If you missed it, you can listen to it here.

1. When is the last time you heard Jesus speak to you individual and what did He say?

2. When Jesus invites you to walk with Him, to spend private time with Him, do you go with Him or stay in your routine and busyness?

3. How do you recognize God's grace during turmoils?

4. Where do you turn to get peace during the turmoil of this life?

5. How is it evident in your lift that you are actively following Christ?

6. Jesus accepts us as we are, but have you stayed where you are instead of following Jesus to become who and what He purposed you to be?

7. Do you depend on others for everything, even you spiritual life, or can others depend on you because you serve?

8. What can you do this week to serve another?

9. You have received grace in Jesus, but have you given it to others?

10. What does "follow me" mean to you?