Luke 15:1-7 KJV
1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

If you reading these devotions this month and last month you know you are Marching through the Gospels, reading what Jesus taught, about people he healed and the crowds and religious leaders response, and how he made a circle around the region in which he lived, and yet lived in Capernaum and no longer Nazareth. He was walking and teaching all that came to him, and healing the sick. Yet the fact Jesus spoke and talked to both publicans and sinners disturbed the Pharisees and scribes to they point they murmered among themselves. To be among the publicans and sinners mean these were people that were not Jewish. It was the same plight that only seem to occur really in times of segregation and times of people outside wanting to know about the God of Israel. God of Israel was for all people. However not all people worshipped him, and the journey of gathering the lost sheep of Israel hard at times because of the way some people treated outsiders of faith. Key word in last sentence is how people treat people not of faith. Key word is hatred, shunning, bigotry, and so forth. If they don't do it to the people outside of faith the seem to practice on the disabled of faith. People God says are evil. I happend to agree with God. We all have evil streak in us. It goes done to the very core of our being and raises its ugly head when we have either had enough or and maybe meanest is just a way of life for others.

Jesus tells the story of the shepherd, who cares for all 100 sheep. One gets lost from the flock and goes missing. The shepherd herds his sheep to the pen and goes off to hunt for the one that is missing. That one sheep far from home, hears the shepherd calling, He begins to holler, becaue he part of the foal but not clue where the shepherd is. The shepherd hears the baaing, finds the lost sheep, and puts him on his shoulder to carry him. Shepherd returns that sheep to the pen where the other sheep are. The flock will they not always happy to see the one returning. However, the shepherd calls his friends, and neighbors and says let us rejoice I found the sheep that was lost. Either the sheep are going to rejoice over the salvation of another or they going to be not to happy, but God the Father, and his angels are going to rejoice over the one that was lost and now is found.

Who is the lost sheep of Israel, Israel in this terminology would be about the household of faith, nothing to do with ethic background or anything else, it has to do with all that believe in God. Cain was the first to be marked, but not the last to wonder, but all had offerspring with a choice to follow Christ or to continue in the ways of Cain. Lamech realized he followed in the ways of Cain the minuted he killed(Genesis 4). What does this say, that the knowledge of sin came, Lamech knew not if he could even be forgiven. Can a killer be forgiven. All sin and all fall short of the glory of God. The question did they ever repent, that between God and that sinner. And who comes between the sinner and God, noone but Jesus. He bridge the gap between man and God. He takes away the sin to all that believe and wants to be a child of God. It is a heart choice. When that heart choice is for God and Christ Jesus, God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and the angels rejoice over the one that repents and turns to Jesus. Are you ready to make the angels shout and be apart of God's kingdom. Those that receive Jesus as Lord and Savior become Christians, they then part of the New Covenant of believers. Jesus was and is the Messiah that came and will return to the people of faith. he comes into our hearts when we get saved to enable us to be faithful to God. There times we slip and fall, and even get angry at God, but it does not turn us into unbelievers. It called living our life to remember to confess our sins knowing he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Want to know more about getting saved, please push the button at the top or bottom called how to be saved, verses and a prayer is there to help you through the steps of becoming saved.

Dear Heavenly Father help us to understand how important all your children are to you. One example the sinners that close around Jesus to hear him speak. Zaccheus a tax collector and Samaritan woman last month who recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Help us to be patient with those not of faith, teaching them of your love for them. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

One more thing if you have dogs, there always eager for you to come home, always sad when you leave them behind. Tico my male dog, is eager to see us and jumps for joy. Sucha little dog part chihuhua and he can jump to my shoulder heighth, and I am average heighth for a woman. Point think if Tico can be that excited to see his family return think how excited God is, for he is not animal, but being that excels in compassion and joy. Believe in Jesus today, that is returning to the people of faith but especially God Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Continual Scripture Study: Luke 19:1-10 KJV
1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.