It has been known since the beginning of church history that we (believers) have not been united. When the western church slaughtered the eastern church in the Crusades we knew our political and cultural differences would continue to burden us. When Reformers slaughtered the Anabaptists over the issue of adult baptism, we knew that our opinions and our pride would trump acceptance of others who think differently. Before the most recent cultural invasion of our churches, which has made fractured denominations largely irrelevant, those denominations and their beliefs reminded us all that we could not be one on this side of heaven. We have hidden ourselves inside our own buildings, comfortable with the people we know, to the point that a member of one church would not go to another church’s fundraiser or outreach. Often believers who reach out to another church for assistance on a project will be turned away because, as they will likely tell you, “You are not a member of this congregation.”
I was thinking during a three-hour event that intended to bring the local churches together for a night of worship, how, or why, our local churches have largely isolated and kept to themselves. I believe it goes way beyond the fact that most churches are busy with their own missions, with some spending countless hours serving the poor, others serving families, others preparing missionaries, while others serve internationals. Being stretched so thin already, how could they participate in someone else’s ministry? Of course, they cannot. But they can make time to come together to celebrate our common beliefs and the mission we all share, to exude the love of Jesus and our faith in Him.
In my mind, it is political affiliation, opinions on social reform, economic ideas, and the way different churches apply the Bible to our current culture that are keeping us apart today. What do all these things have in common? They don’t belong behind the pulpit. I’ve experienced first-hand what it is like to listen to pastors include their political stance into their Sunday sermons. While I shared the views of the pastor, it was painful for me to listen to it each week, and others in the congregation did not necessarily share his views. It divided the church body and caused a lot of pain. I attended a weekly Zoom session that was dubbed as a Q&A on the Bible, which actually turned into a platform for the pastor to expose all the political and social conspiracy theories he read about or heard on the news. On a very poplar and favorite radio station I listen to in St. Louis, which hosts many of America’s top biblical preachers, I have heard their newest preacher in the lineup take a shot at economic policies of the current federal administration, give opinions on the war in Afghanistan, immigration policy, take jabs at the welfare system and more, without fail, every time I hear him speak; and his audience never cheers louder in the pews than when he throws punches at political, societal, and cultural topics. It is embarrassing to me to listen to the congregation applause and cheer at this rhetoric, it is clear the validation of their opinions and position are much more important to them than drawing nearer and being more like Jesus Christ. Still, in another experience, I talked to a pastor of a church who said he did not believe the Bible was completely relevant in today’s culture, and that we needed to interpret it to fit what we feel and believe in, today.
I can honestly say it has made me angry and is still making me angry today. I wonder if it is my place to tell a pastor what he or she should preach or speak on, if it is my place to feel such emotion over what the leaders of churches believe. After all, I am what they call a layman. I did not go to seminary, and I don’t have a degree or any right as far as I know to teach the Bible. But I do believe in the Holy Spirit, and I am certain, based on what I’ve read in the Bible, that He will give us the knowledge and wisdom to discern biblical truth and the voice of God when He wills.
Ephesians 1:16-18
…remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened…
1 Corinthians 2:10-12
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
Galatians 1:11-12
11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
I meditated on that anger and my thoughts went to Jesus, who flipped over the tables of the money changers in the temple. The Bible says He was angry, angry because His Father’s house was being defiled. He was zealous for the Father and for His authority and due respect. What an action He took! Today, fellow believers, I think it is time we flipped over some tables! Excuse me for a moment while I use Biblical prose to speak in the Old Testament prophetic (I do not claim to speak prophetically here):
The Lord, your God says,
“You are using My pulpit to advance political agendas and your affiliations to political parties. You are causing division and anger, and most certainly isolation. Flip that table over and get it out of My house!
You criticize your leaders for their economic policies and their ideas for social reforms, insisting that yours are better. Why have you not prayed for the leaders I have placed above you? Instead you spread anger and hate for those I have placed in authority. Flip that table over and get it out of My house!
The judgements you make on people who are involved with social and political movements you do not agree with, no matter how wrong the movement might be, it is on a table in My sanctuary. They are my children too, and they are lost, hurting, bitter, and afraid! Who are you to judge? Did I not teach you to love? Flip that table over and get it out of My house!
To the liberal churches who no longer believe My Word is absolute and infallible truth, who fear preaching My truth due to the retribution they may face, who have bowed down to the demands of culture and the despicable idols of today, flip that table over and get it out of My house!
And for the congregations, who have joined together and gathered around pastors who will proclaim their political, social, and economic leanings, so they can feel safe in numbers, so they can know where their allies are, flip that table of pride and self over and get it out of My house!”
(I love reading the prophets!)
Jesus Christ spent some of His most precious and final words praying to the Father that we would be one in Him and in the Father, just as He and the Father are one.
Ephesians 4:4-6
4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
How can we be one when we are divided so easily on the whims of the current (or previous) administration or the current cultural movement or the current social upheaval? How can we be one when one church preaches the Word of God, while another preaches current politics sprinkled with the Word of God, and yet another has thrown the Word of God out the window in favor of the demands of culture and how we feel? We cannot and we will not, until we can remove ourselves and our emotions and refocus on the focal point, the truth as spoken by the Word of God, the Bible.
When Paul was in Roman custody, in Caesar’s house, he did not bargain with or try to convince Caesar to change his policy on welfare, economics, slavery, or war. He preached the Gospel of Jesus. Why do we invest our time together as a body on these matters? Do you not see that this path is dividing us even further than our traditional differences in biblical interpretation ever could?
(As a footnote, don’t think for a minute that I don’t feel that biblical truths against abortion, sexuality, and oppression should be spoken on in church. Quite the contrary. These are biblical truths, not political sides, and I’ve heard many pastors speak on these biblical truths while keeping politics out of it. If you are looking for one listen too, check out Alistair Begg from Truth for Life Ministries (https://www.truthforlife.org/). I once made a simple statement in a church worship service I was leading that we need to “let our little boys be little boys and our little girls be little girls.” I was reprimanded and essentially fired by the pastor for being “political” in church. Hogwash! This pastor fears the world and what the world thinks when biblical truth is spoken and defended. There is a clear difference in preaching Truth and social/political bickering. If you can’t discern it, then pray to the Holy Spirit to guide you, He will be faithful to those who are seeking.)
Does not God know the number of the days we have to live? The Bible says that it is so, therefor it is truth. It is a fact that death awaits all of us, one day. Maybe it will come slowly, its approach well announced, and its arrival accepted. Or maybe it will come suddenly, without warning, taking us away and depriving us of any chance of repentance, opportunity, or farewell. Which is better? I suppose it depends on the circumstance, but it is probably safe to say that knowing the end is in close proximity would be desirable for most, if anything at least to use the remaining time to say goodbye.
But it wasn’t the case for him. Recently retired, in love, living a relaxed existence, unloading the toys of his younger days as he consciously unburdened and simplified his life, he was planning the next 15 years of the good life. Current events would have been the fireworks show this 4th of July, the pontoon boat on Labor Day. Future plans might have included a trip to Mount Rushmore, or where he’d watch the 2024 eclipse.
I can picture his last day. While his woman was out of town visiting family he stayed on the homestead, alone and content, piddling around in the garage, smoking cigarettes, drinking beer, and more often than not, mowing the large lawn and taking care of the grounds. He wanted for not much else than this simple existence, he was happy; they were happy.
When concerns were raised I was certain there was an explanation, but when I walked into the garage the next morning I was now certain the concerns were legitimate. Talking to her on the phone I entered the house, but he wasn’t there. I assumed he would have passed inside of a heart attack, and would have preferred it that way. What could have possibly happened out here? Going outside I saw a group of vultures in the yard, but there was noting else there. I told her I’d call her back after I walked around. The vultures held my attention for too long. At first it wasn’t comprehendible, unrecognizable. A double take and denial continued to rebuke reality; it couldn’t be real, maybe a Halloween decoration, but not real. Then the sudden, voluntary deep breath in, audible and familiar. A hand follows to cover the mouth as if to prevent any more of your own soul from escaping your body. Immediately doubts and alternative outcomes try to convince the mind in hopes of changing reality. Maybe it is not him! Maybe I am seeing it wrong. Finally, the two arms, bloated, discolored, and locked in place, sticking up out of the water as if they were reaching for heaven, desperately wanting to be saved, are recognized for what they are. His lawn mower was visible just beneath the water. A glance revealed the delicacies the vultures had preferred. Far from a scene of salvation, more like a scene from the pit of hell.
The journey from incomprehension to acceptance took seconds to complete. My friend, a man whom I’ve known for four years, was dead. The eyes that I had looked into, the eyes that revealed the kindness and simplicity that defined him were no more. The personality I interacted with had been extinguished. The easy-going neighbor, who liked to drink beer and show his love for us by mowing his yard, my yard, and the roadside up and down the lane, was gone. The voice that spoke no harsh words, nor revealed any pride or envy or bitterness, had been unexpectedly silenced forever. The work he enjoyed had ceased.
Taking no more steps closer, not wanting to carry the weight of any more detail on my shoulders, I turned and walked away from the pond. Mumbling what, I don’t remember, I hit my knees when I’d felt I had gotten far enough away and cried for my friend and the tragic end to his young life, and for the loss of those closest to him. In the hours that would follow, which blended into days, I would come back to that scene in the pond. I contemplated the burden of discovering that a living soul had ceased to be, being, at least for a short while, the only person who knew what his fate was. Being the person who would start the chain of events that would ultimately inform his family and friends of his tragic death. I wondered what kind of spiritual impact it had in the unseen. I contemplated on his final moments, wondering if he went straight under, pinned beneath the mower 30 seconds before he succumbed to the water’s superiority, or if he was able to get his head out, just high enough to take a breath. How long did he struggle in that posture before he was unable to fight any longer? I am so sorry, my friend. What a simple mistake, to simple to cause such calamity and pain. To perfect to result in this most tragic and permanent outcome. How viable it is that you would have stood and climbed out of that pond, losing only a lawn mower and a few breaths.
I wonder, now that you are gone, if you carried the Holy Spirit in your heart, if you knew how to give your life to Jesus Christ. We never talked about that. We only talked about projects we were working on, what we did over the weekend, simple and non-threatening, friendly and easy-going. Sometimes I was too busy, or in too much of a hurry to talk at all. I admit, sometimes I’d cut the conversation short, severing the little time we had, because I had something more pressing to do and I didn’t want to “waste” the time. I’m so sorry, my friend.
I gave you a copy of my CD, and now I realize my passive method of witnessing does not show up to the table when it really counts. It is a coward’s approach. How many others have I cheated by handing off a CD of unfamiliar songs, amateurly recorded, expecting that to lead them onto a path of considering the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Why don’t I use the giving as the start of the conversation, an opening for the deeper question? Now all I can do is hope. Hope that you knew Jesus and hope that I’ll see you again in the glories of heaven.
And, it feels most of the time, all I can do for the masses of people who are out there, living apart from God, largely in response to the influence of the world around them, is to offer yet another plea via a passive medium to consider God in your hearts. We do not know the day or the hour of our own demise, nor of the plans of God to send His Son, Jesus Christ, meaning urgency is prudent. Do not delay because you want to do it on your own accord, not because someone urged you too, lest you give them any credit or reason to boast. Think of the last time you considered God but passed on the thoughts because someone else was involved, or the situation wasn’t right, or you thought you’d do it tomorrow. How many times have you done that? When will the time be just right for you to consider? Now! It is now. He is waiting, patiently with love and anticipation at your running into His open arms.
On my way home at the end of a three-day road trip for work, I was flipping through the channels on the radio and I landed on a rock n’ roll station. The guitar riff, grabbing my attention, caused me to pause. The thing is I don’t listen to rock n’ roll much anymore, and when I do catch a good classic that takes me back, I usually end up turning it one or two songs later. Don’t get me wrong, I love the sound of the genre, I grew up on it, and for a time, was partially defined by it. However, the spiritual conviction that the majority of secular music creates in me is not the focus of this message. This message is about the song, and the artist that I happened to land on that late autumn day.
It was a song I’ve never heard before, and the singer sounded just like Ozzy Osbourne. I assumed it was a new band with a lead singer that had a similar vocal style, because I haven’t heard anything from Ozzy for years. As I listened to the lyrics it I was rapidly aware that they were dark and sad, even tragic, song. The lyrics told me this was a man who had given his life to the darkness and was admitting he was going to hell. It was hard to tell if he was willing to go or if he felt he had no choice, like it was too late. These lyrics were so dark and tragic that I became more confident this was not Ozzy. I knew his music. I saw him at OzzFest when Black Sabbath reunited with their lead guitar player, Tony Iommi. I had all of their recordings on CD. This wasn’t Ozzy’s song writing style, even though the lyrics could easily be transposed onto his life and potential eternal destiny. However, when the song was over the DJ announced that Ozzy Osbourne had released a new album, and my heart broke for this man.
Ozzy Osbourne, I need to talk to you. When I heard the lyrics of this song, which led me to read others from your new album, I found myself listening to a man who was very much aware of the reality, the activities, and the consequences of the spiritual world. It is clear that you know God exists, and you know it is a choice to either serve Him or not. But it is also clear that you are crying out for a miracle, that you are well aware of what you have dedicated your life too, the darkness, and that eternity for you, and many people that you have known, is hell. When I heard that song, I heard a man who felt trapped in his darkness and in his destiny. A man who feels that no matter what he does or how much he wants it, believes he can not change his fate; and Ozzy, that is a lie.
Ozzy, I need to tell you, man to man, as a man who was once just as lost as you are, that God loves you, and He wants you to be saved, He wants you in heaven with Him. After hearing your lyrics, I need to tell you that the devil can never win, and that you haven’t sold your soul to him, because it was never his to buy. He is only a liar and a deceiver. You can change your destiny, and you can turn to the light. I pray for you Ozzy. I pray for your pain, and that the cries for help that you bravely sing in your songs will be heard. I pray for your salvation, that you will see the light of Jesus Christ. All you have to do, Ozzy, is talk to Him. Admit to Him that you’ve served the darkness, but now you want to know Him, to be changed by Him, to be saved by Him, because He already loves you, Ozzy Osbourne.
I picked lyrics from three of your songs that I want to discuss with you. You wrote “Jesus Christ, I wish you heard me cryin’ out for help,” and I can tell you that Jesus Christ does hear you, Ozzy. He hears your cry for help, the same way I could hear it on the radio. But you need to act on His love, on the salvation that He provided to you through the cross and His resurrection. It is a matter of the heart, never the mind.
You know that hell is not a party. When you sang “my friends are waiting for me, I can hear them crying out for help,” it is clear you know they are suffering in the absence of God. No one serves the devil in hell, they only suffer with him. You know this in your heart, and it doesn’t have to be your fate.
You sing “Pray for me Father, for I know not what I do,” and “I gotta tell a million lies but I’ll be holy tonight.” These words are sung in the context of a song that hints to your approaching death. I can tell you from my own experience, that you are no different than me or any other flesh and blood sinner. We all do what we don’t want to do or what we know we shouldn’t do. This world has played its games on all of us, it has hurt us, and given us false promises. Our hearts, where the word of God is written, tell us this every day. You don’t have to tell lies to become holy in the eyes of God, He already knows all, and there is nothing hidden from Him. The blood of Jesus has already cleansed you, and you can be holy tonight in His sight, by asking His Son into your heart. It is not too late, just know that you have to seek Him, you have to be willing.
What causes me to respond to these songs so passionately is that you have spiritual knowledge, you know what the truth is, but I fear that you don’t believe it is available to you. But I know that it is! Finally, from the song that started all this for me you sang “don’t take care of me, be scared of me, my misery owns me.” Lay it at His feet, Ozzy. He will take the burden from you. It might hurt, no, it will hurt, because love always hurts, but you will come out of it a new man, a man of God, with no shame, only hope, and faith. Let God own you and give your life to Him.
God bless you, Ozzy Osbourne. May His face shine upon you. If you need to talk, I’m available. 618 534 2958
I hope we can all agree on one thing when it comes to abortion, that it is not a positive thing. One side of the issue says it is “wrong,” while the other side doesn’t say it is “right,” rather they say, “it is our right.” It is an unwinnable argument that we’ve been having for decades. Let’s face it, a girl who finds herself with child, one who is emotionally, physically, spiritually, and financially not prepared for undoubtedly the most significant upheaval to a person’s life, is going to find it very easy to justify, seek, and receive an abortion. So many of us have been there, so many of us can relate, regardless of what side of the issue we stand on. Sex is a powerful draw. I can relate, I was 15 years old when I became responsible for the taking of an innocent child’s life. Yes, you can add murder to my list of sins.
While I don’t agree with the legalization of abortion, it’s just not right, I am able to realize that it is likely not going anywhere. For while we can’t outlaw sin, abortion is not your every day, temptation; it is premeditated, done in desperation and fear, involving the most innocent life. It is child sacrifice on the altar of self.
We need to look at the issue of abortion and the unborn from a different angle, from the angle of the heart. Let me tell you what I see when I watch a movie or a series online, what I see when I watch a person stumble out of a bar, another cussing out a spouse, another pulled over by the police and getting searched on the sidewalk; I see only one thing, the absence of Jesus Christ and His love in their hearts. I see nothing else, and it breaks my heart, not for the pain that is being experienced in the present, but for the absence of the only thing that can provide fulfillment on this side of heaven.
Let me give you a challenge and then an example. The challenge is to stop watching videos, movies, your favorite series to stream, YouTube, or prime time TV, for two weeks (that’s a guess, I don’t know how long it takes). After those 2 weeks turn it back on. If you are sensitive to violence, sex, or vulgar language in any way, you will be shocked at what you see, the things you notice and those you did not notice before. Here is the example. I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I do watch some. One night I was at a relative’s house and they turned the TV on, we watched four episodes of “The Big Bang Theory.” Although the title rejects God, I remember this show from long ago, I remember it was funny, so I was looking forward to watching it again. Immediately it was clear to me that either the show had changed, or I had changed. While I watched I did my best to throw out a laugh at the funnier jokes, but at the same time I was observing and analyzing, and I was fascinated, and horrified, by what I was seeing. Episode after episode ONLY ONE theme persisted, the promotion of casual and promiscuous sex. Masturbation, online sex, drunk/blackout sex, sex with a parent, and sex with multiple partners, all surfaced or were the main topic in four consecutive episodes. The characters in the “Big Bang Theory” did not have to deal with an unwanted pregnancy though, but if they did, I’m sure it would have been hilarious. Certainly, the girl would have been rescued by the abortionist, so she could continue her schooling, and with the weight of the pregnancy now in the past, was able to pass her finals. And the boy who was responsible, he was able to continue the internship without embarrassment and potential firing, opening the door to a great career when he graduated. I’m certain in the next episode they would have learned to be more careful when having casual and promiscuous sex. You can see who benefits in this scenario, SELF, definitely not the baby, who would have either been sucked from his sacred place of protection and peace by a vacuum, or ripped apart, one limb at a time, by a pair of oversized tweezers. If your kids are watching family friendly, prime time TV, they are being desensitized to the risks of sex and the holiness and beauty of it.
I want to make one thing clear now. I want to tell you what has, without doubt, caused me the most PAIN in my life. It was pre-marital sex. Nothing else comes close. Not drinking, which I started as a pre-teen and allowed to define me as a teenager and into my thirties, not drug use, not bad friends, not bad parenting, but pre-marital sex, hands down.
I once talked to a pastor who told me he wasn’t necessarily against abortion, he was unsure when life began in the womb. I was shocked. This man should not be a pastor and I am in great fear for the spiritual well being of the members of his church. He said he would not talk about abortion from the pulpit, in fear he would ostracize the 16-year-old girl in the pew who had an abortion, saying she might not come to him for help or guidance. According to this pastor’s beliefs however, the girl hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary, she had done nothing wrong that she needed his help or guidance for. According to this pastor, who doesn’t believe in following the teachings of Jesus and the Word of God, pre-marital sex is perfectly fine as it fits with today’s culture, but not in the culture of Jesus’ day. According to this pastor, who pastors for the PC USA, the Bible is only relevant in ancient, middle eastern culture.
Let’s get to the point. The problem of abortion can only be solved before the pregnancy happens, and to do that our culture must do a 180-degree turn. STOP teaching our children how to have sex, stop teaching them to pursue sex at a young age, stop showing them pornography, stop sexualizing EVERYTHING!, stop putting our kids in front of the TV, stop telling them they need to “test drive the car before they drive it.” START teaching them the Word of God, teach them that sex is beautiful and safe in marriage, teach them that pain and terrible consequences are the results of pre-marital sex, teach them that it is God’s plan to wait until marriage, teach them to stand on the Rock of Jesus. And when you have taught them this, and when they fail, when they are overcome by temptation and eat the fruit of the tree and are faced with an unwanted pregnancy, they will have the love of Jesus Christ in their hearts, telling them that He is with them, that if they trust Him He will guide them, that He will make this into a good thing, a good thing for His glory and His kingdom, and that if they have faith in Him they will be able to make the right decision in a very difficult time.
Abortion is not about a law. Abortion is about the condition of the heart. We all make mistakes and tough decisions, and I know when I am in a tough situation, I stop and listen to the Word of God to guide me. He has never failed me. His Word is Truth, it is Relevant, Never-Changing, Never-Ageing, Never-Fading, and Never-Out-of-Style.
Proverbs 31:8
8 Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
Psalm 119:92-94
92 Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have given me life.
94 I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take
My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Jeremiah 1:5
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Destruction of the embryo in the mother’s womb is a violation of the right to live which God has bestowed upon this nascent life. To raise the question whether we are here concerned already with a human being or not is merely to confuse the issue. The simple fact is that God certainly intended to create a human being and that this nascent human being has been deliberately deprived of his life. And this is nothing but murder.”
Sometimes, as believers who boldly stand for their faith, we can come to see ourselves as John the Baptist, stuck in the movie Groundhog Day, where life seems to be a constant circle of feeling the same defeat and asking the same questions. John the Baptist emerged from the wilderness and became the most successful evangelist than anyone had seen for centuries. His role, to prepare the Jewish people for, and to introduce them to, the Messiah. Thousands came to hear him speak and accepted his words. He was on top of his game, at the peak of his career, and I’m certain he felt really good about it. That is reflective of me when I tell someone about Jesus and teach His gospel. When another believer, or a backslider, or someone on the fence, responds to the message in a positive way, it just feels good.
Then John’s time of preaching the Good News was over and he obediently passed the torch to Jesus Christ. At this point he was led to preach the darkness of the sin in our hearts; because eventually everyone who comes to Jesus is going to have to consider the condition of their heart, and allow the Holy Spirit to change that heart, or not. This is where things get bad, for John, and for me. Teaching about sin is hard, because most of us just don’t want to hear it.
John told Herod, the ruler of the day, that his relationship with his sister-in-law was not right in the eyes of God. Now his audience was no longer supportive, nobody was happy with his message, and he was thrown into a prison cell. A cell where he was alone with his thoughts and his doubts, wondering if what he did was the right thing to do, if it made any difference at all. I can tell you what he was thinking because I’m thinking it now. I happen to have returned to that cell today. He’s thinking, “Lord, did I do the right thing? Did I speak too boldly in Your name, for Your truth? Should I have done it differently, with a more cautious approach? Did I act out of love? I’m sorry, Lord, if I made a mistake.” This is what doubt looks like, and the questions I often ask myself when I step out and speak Biblical truth.
Believers and non-believers alike are hurt by my words, and in doubt I wonder, “Did I just embolden the darkness in our world, drive people farther from the light, with what I said? Did the light I wanted to shine make any difference? Am I doing the will of God?” It is hard to say, isn’t it? Often all we have is faith, whatever faith we have left in us during these dark times, to tell us that we have obediently served our Lord.
Ultimately, John the Baptist ended up in glory, at the throne of God, even though he would never leave that prison with breath in his lungs. As for me, I will get out of this cell by talking to God in prayer, by leaning on the Holy Spirit for renewal, and by searching His words that will guide me in the Bible. Then, unlike John, I will see the sunshine on my face again and I’ll serve God with a happy heart, until sin prompts me to action again. Then I will return to this cell for another stay, and the door will be slammed shut, where I will survive yet another death of John the Baptist.
Matthew 11:4-6
4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
Jesus washed His disciples’ feet in an act of humility, servitude, and love.
Judas, a disciple of Jesus, departed from them to set up his betrayal of Jesus.
Some of Jesus’s most beautiful prayers were recorded when He prayed to His Father, God, for His disciples, and for you.
Jesus took 3 of His disciples to be with Him as he prayed to God, his Father, over the anguish He felt regarding His coming crucifixion.
Those 3 disciples repeatedly fell asleep while Jesus cried out to God in prayer.
Peter violently and foolishly attacked Jesus’ captures to prevent His arrest.
His disciples scattered, abandoning Jesus.
Peter denied knowing Jesus 3 times.
Jesus spent the night in trial in front of Jewish leaders, who insulted Him, slapped Him, spit on Him, and denied Him.
Jesus was then turned over to the Roman courts early in the morning. He would be tortured almost to death, then nailed to a cross.
Jesus Christ was fully human, just like you and me. He enjoyed the fellowship of friends, He felt pain and sadness, and had expectations of others (Mt 16:8, Mt 26:40). But His expectations didn’t get the best of Him, because His faith and His focus were on the Father and the Father’s plan for Him, not in the abilities or the willingness of any human heart.
How would you react after your closest friends repeatedly let you down in your greatest time of need? Or if an institution let you down, your government, or your boss? Would you reach for the bottle, commit intellectual suicide in front of the TV, or maybe act out in anger towards a loved one?
Jesus reacted in love. He says in John 15:13, at the Last Supper, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay downs one’s life for his friends.” This is the example every person needs to follow, and this is one reason why Jesus came to us fully human, to set that example.
Can we attain this standard of love?
Most of the world feels that this standard is impossible to attain, that it is out of their reach. But Jesus was human, and it was in His reach. How is that? It is because He focused, without ceasing, on His relationship with God. He immersed Himself in God’s word, which drew Him closer to His Father and gave Him revelation concerning His life on earth. Everything He did, either at work or play, in joy and sorrow, He kept His focus on God. This is how believers attain joy and freedom in a hurtful and enslaved world.
The root definition of sin is our separation from God, which started in the garden with Adam, opening the door for the evil that is in our hearts. That divide, our separation from the holiness of God, was bridged when Jesus died on the cross and overcame death, rising from the grave, making it possible for us to reunite with God in a very personal relationship, through the Son. That is what it means when they say that He took our sin upon Himself. Jesus bridged that gap and made atonement for the original sin of Adam.
What you can do on this Holy Weekend
Good Friday is a very significant and emotional day, the most significant along with Resurrection Sunday. Search your heart this weekend, talk to God in private (alone, by yourself, and in secret), and meditate on what happened this weekend. Consider for yourself that Jesus lived and what the Bible says about Him is true, then consider what that might mean to you. Lift up the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in your family, proclaim it as truth, and read the Bible daily. Don’t promote the Easter Bunny, it blurs our vision as a society. Often the “small and innocent” distractions are what separates us from Jesus the most effectively.
May God bless us, our nation, our families, and our international brothers and sisters.
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