the visit

I am going to Forest Hill tomorrow to have a discussion with a friend about publishing.  I hope to learn something in the discussion and see if I can kick start a process that will be of  longer term benefit to me.

Yesterday as J was talking about our ministry, ( which she emphasised was not to be called our Job) in what way would we want to develope in our ministry?  I think this focused me on tomorrows visit, and other things that I should be doing.

The call of Levi

Luke 5:27-32
Mathew 9:9-13
I notice one difference between these two accounts.  In lukes Gospel the disciple is called Levi and in Mathews Gospel he is called Mathew. 
Both Luke and Mathew were great detailers in their accounts  Luke, because he was a doctor and Mathew because he was a tax collector.
I have said in the past that we need to be careful about what sort of influence we have, for it will be for good or ill.  Mathew has proved to be an influence for good for centuries because we now have the blessing of his gospel to read and apply to our lives.
We do not know who gave Mathew his new name. it is a shortening of the name Mattathias, which means "the gift of God."

Despite his sinful past, Matthew was uniquely qualified to be a disciple. He was an accurate record keeper and keen observer of people. He captured the smallest details. Those traits served him well when he wrote the Gospel of Matthew some 20 years later.
By surface appearances, it was scandalous and offensive for Jesus to pick a tax collector as one of his closest followers, since they were widely hated by the Jews. Yet of the four Gospel writers, Matthew presented Jesus to the Jews as their hoped-for Messiah, tailoring his account to answer their questions.
Matthew displayed one of the most radically changed lives in the Bible in response to an invitation from Jesus. He did not hesitate, he did not look back. He left behind a life of wealth and security for poverty and uncertainty. He abandoned the pleasures of this world for the promise of eternal life.
We are told that when Mathew was called, he left everything.  He gave up his security as a tax collector. 
He gave up his greedy sinful life
He had a party in his own house and invited other Tax collector and sinners to hear Jesus.
The Pharisees were not pleased. They thought ill of Jesus that he ate with Tax gatherers and sinners.  However Jesus tells them something that is self-evident.  He tells them that it is the sick who need a doctor.  The Pharisees failed to recognise their sinful condition.  These people however were all too aware that they were sinners.  I think that is why they came.  They knew Mathew to be a man just like themselves and could see that Christ had made a difference to him and they wanted to meet him.
I have a lot of respect for Mathew, for as a tax gatherer, working for the Romans, he would have been hated by his fellow Jews, yet it was for them that he wrote his gospel.  The very people who would despise him.  He loved them and wanted to see them turn from sin to Jesus just as he had.

Notice Jesus remark, it is only the sick who require a doctor.  The Pharisees no longer saw themselves as sinners, but they saw the tax gatherers that way and as GOOD JEWS, they would have nothing to do with them.  Jesus openly met with them.  It was a way of saying to the Pharisees, this man and his friends know they are sinners. The recognise their need of me, but you also have a need of me, but refuse to recognise it.

As a tax Gatherer, Mathew would have been hated by his fellow Jews for working for the romans.  The hatred was so bad that a Jew would not accept change from a tax collector and where possible would rather borrow the right amount from a trusted friend than to accept filthy money in change.

It is likely that as Mathew collected money in his booth, he would have taxed the fishermen, and cheated them as tax payers did and when Christ called him and he obeyed, he would have found himself in the company of 12, some of whom may not have liked him for he may have taxed and cheated them in the past. 

Never the less, ( the motley Crew) they got on with it.

Matthew alone reports the visit of the tribute collectors for the tax. His telling of the story includes Jesus' lesson to Peter. Matthew 17:24-27

Matthew is the only Gospel writer to include this quote from Jesus, "Come unto me, all who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I think that as a tax collector he recorded this for he identified with it due to his former profession.  He had put a great yoke upon others by extorting them.

The turnaround in Mathew’s life was remarkable.

I think that Mathew became a modest man for he has recorded very little about himself in his Gospel and refers to himself in the third person. 

He has been a blessing to millions of people down through the centuries for his Gospel that God has preserved for us to read in our day.

I appreciate his skill as a detailer.

The long letter

I printed the long letter to send to M and my booklet.  I pray that this time something sinks in.  If I do not post it today, I will certainly post it tomorrow.

Dubbing

A bit of dubbing had to be done last night.  I expect that depending on which state they live in, many Americans do not have to dubb thier short films because the weather is more predictable and they do not have to think of the noise that the rain makes over speech.

Fun making a film

I must say that the past couple of days from Sunday night and all day bank holiday Monday were fun making a film.

At the theatre

When you are house manager, or stewarding downstairs, it is a terrifying experience watching elderly frail people going up the stairs after they have refused to use the lift.  Some say they do not like lifts they feel claustraphobic. However they almost fall down the stairs and they are just as bad on the steps at the front door and they will not use the disabled entrance.

I dwell among an unclean people

I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell among unclean people.  Thus the prophet Isaiah said.  I feel that way. The Church of Scotland as from Monday supports Gay ministers and the house of commons supported the same sex marriage bill.  I was Glad to hear William McCray speak against it and say that marriage is defined by God in the bible and I am also pleased that my local MP who is also member of the govornment speaks against it, but it seems to me that God has opened his restraining hand a little and all the sin in us is coming our.

Business manager

Being business manager is a bit if a high wire act.  Yesterday two stewards wanted to back out for tonights performance.  I managed it, but it gets to be stressful when people want to make last minute changes.

C

C called me at the weekend. She called on sunday just as I was about to leave for church.  I find her confusing, but I will hang on for a while until I have got some answeres to some questions.  She may be interesting, but it pays to be vigilant.

Birthday and theatre

I decided not to mark my birthday yesterday. I put the theatre first and did house managing.  I also managed to solve the problem of how to get the disabled out of the building if there was an alarm for the purpose of the current production of "TWO".

However it is a tiring week.

So far, I have managed to get everything done that was neccessary.

I was touched by the birthday greetings I recieved on facebook and the cards I got.

Where will I be in five years?

Where will I be in five years time?  What will I be doing?  Will I be faithful.  I trust that I will be like Philip in the new testament who was a focused man. He focused on being faithfull and Glorifying God.

Field Focus days

The first of the field focus days has come to an end. I find that increasingly I enjoy people I do not see often, but not so much the entertainment.  In fact I could gladly leave the entertainment out all together.

However, most people would not agree with me, and I love them

P is back

P has decided to talk to me again and that we should be friends. I thought it foolish to say no, so I gladly accepted.  She phoned last night and I now have a much clearer view of what was going on last January. I am thankful to God that P is back in my life.  We will see how it goes.  I have not flagged this up yet, but I hope to meet her at some point, but in the meantime, I have other things to do such as re newing my passport and going to London to discuss publication.

Two in fusion

today is bank holiday Monday. I did the paper round, and I also logged on to fusion.  It seems that two of the ladies are starting to take me seriously at last.  I look forward to corresponding with them.

Waggle o the Kilt

I am doing the newspaper round today and the weather is just lovely.  I am going to a barn dance this evening. It is a double birthday.  Mother and daughter have the same birthday. Daughter added their ages together and I will be wearing my kilt.

The ILM videos

Amos 7:14  But Amos replied, "I'm not a professional prophet, and I was never trained to be one. I'm just a shepherd, and I take care of sycamore-fig trees.

Professional is the key word here.  I watched an ILM video today and this came up from Charles Price.  Ministry can become so professional it looses its heart. 

The bible without Christ is a dead book

I am not trained as a teacher and in that respect, I am not a professional.  However, I do believe with all my heart that I have things to say that the Lord wants people to hear when I open and expound the bible.