So we all agree we tend to beat ourselves up when we fail but I also read where many of you do not feel worthy of God, so lets look at the book Craig Gross wrote called The Gutter to see who Jesus was.

Quoting from Craig’s book.

Just stroll through the Gospels. Read through Matthew, Mark, Luke…and see what John wrote about how Jesus reacted and responded to those in the gutter. I noticed how Jesus embraced the gutter in stead of condemning it. When Jesus faced someone imprisoned by the gutter, someone whose heart was aware of it depravity, someone who was hurting, dejected, and discouraged, He spoke a message of hope, grace, and mercy. He confronted them with comfort in His redeeming and faithful love.

When Jesus came across the self-proclaimed righteous and judgmental, He confronted them as well, but not with grace and mercy. For this crowd, Jesus came with the power of the law. He called them snakes. A “brood of vipers,” to be exact (Matt 3:7, 12:34, 23:33). He called them dead on the inside, or “whitewashed tombs” (Matt 23:27)

He judged those who judged and loved those who needed love.

There were only two central themes in the messages Jesus taught. To the hardened ones who dwelt In the high towers of religious routine, He gave them the law. To the unchurched, pre-Christian, seekers, He gave eternal hope. I noticed something as I was stung by these Gospel examples, stunned by the simplicity of it all and the way these two themes tie in with God’s kingdom; Whatever you sow, you’ll reap; what you give is what you get. Said another way, the tool you use on other people will be the same tool applied to your life.”

If we will understand and accept that Jesus came to save the lost, to spend time with the fallen and to show compassion and unending love for the sinner…then can’t those of us who have faced and are overcoming addiction know that if we believe that Jesus Chris is the Son of God…YOU ARE EXACTLY WHO JESUS CAME FOR…so stop beating yourself up and rejoice that Jesus came for YOU and those just like YOU…Those like ME!!!

Those of you who know what it is like to be thrown on to the scrape heap of life, tossed aside as not worthy whether by your own doings or someone else know what it is like to reach out and help others. Those of you who sit in groups and offer a place for a man to share his deepest secrets and then show him he is still loved…those of you who have learned to give a man a hand up, dust him off and tell him God loves you and so do I….those are who you men are and it is what makes you all Great men of God .

Keep doing what Jesus started 2000 years ago…find the lost and share your story…then show them the love of Jesus Christ.

God bless you Great men of God!!

Steve G