Sinking Ship - A Parable

 

  Came across this story some time ago – guess it was a kind of parable…

      One Sunday, after leaving church as soon as the “Amen” dropped, three men went out sailing in Chesapeake Bay as they had done many times before. The fellow who owned the boat cherished it as a prize possession-it was lovely. He always bragged about it because it reflected his self-achievements and his self-importance. His boat had hosted many parties. This particular Sunday, as they were drinking and playing their music as loud as they could, a storm came up out of no where – one minute the sun was shining and a gentle breeze blew across the boat; the next minute the sound of thunder could be heard. In the distance was a warning horn blowing, but the guys felt they could navigate themselves out of the storm – after all, they’ve done so before. But the rain came down in buckets; visibility was increasingly poor. The boat had survived storms before – only last year the owner spent thousands of dollars to repair damage when the boat got side-swiped in another storm; had special fog lights added. The rain continued so heavily that the boat was beginning to fill up. They were sure that all they had to do was bail out water and head in the direction of the shore. But then the wind picked up and blew more water onto the boat and made navigation hard. The men were frantically bailing out the water when a motorboat comes alongside offering to carry the men safely back to shore. However, sure of themselves, they tell the person, no, we are trying to save our ship. “We’ll be fine! This is not our first rodeo!” the owner chuckled. “Plus, we have prayed.”

        Twenty minutes later, the water in the boat has risen several inches – it’s up to their shins. Another motorboat a little bit larger than the first comes alongside and its captain offers to rescue the three men. “No, we’re good” they replied. “We’re almost at the dock – should reach it in a few minutes.” The captain tells them again to come on board, saying he’s been sailing these waters for years and knows how unpredictable these storms can be. The three men insist that they know what they are doing , plus we have prayed, they said.

       Fifteen more minutes pass; the water has practically submerged the boat. The men could not dump the water out fast enough. They had chosen at the beginning of their journey to not put on their life jackets because they were too cumbersome, too hot, and now the jackets are floating in the bay. A coast guard vessel comes alongside and tells the men to abandon ship and come on board. One of the men clings onto the ladder and climbs up to safety, urging the others to follow, but the other two are expecting God to perform a miraculous rescue because they prayed.

       Several minutes later the boat capsizes and the two men eventually drown. They suddenly find themselves in the presence of Jesus. They are quick to ask and demand an answer: “Jesus! we prayed and prayed but you didn’t come!” Jesus is quiet. They angrily ask, “Jesus why didn’t you save us? We prayed over and over and cried out to you! You’re Jesus - you were supposed to save us! ” Jesus looks at them. Their faces are stern and their attitudes are filled with arrogant pride. Jesus finally says, “I heard your cries for help. I sent three boats to pull you to safety but you chose to stay on a sinking ship – chose to continue existing in the dangerous condition you were in, believing you were safe because you ‘prayed’. I read hearts – your hearts were never all mine because of your proudful stubborn will. You treated me like a wooden idol you could appease by offering me tainted worship, and your cries were yet another expression of self-preservation in your sinful ways. Your focus was on keeping your boat, which represented your status and position, demanding that I save you so that you can continue in your wicked way and brag about how you ‘prayed’ and swayed Me. Your prayers have not reached heaven because they were always earth-bound. For years I have reached out to you, but your hearts were hard; you did not listen to Me as My word was read to you in church; you rejected My Word and never truly desired it. You reasoned that because you were baptized and took communion regularly you secured your salvation. But, you chose not answer my call to serve Me, as it required sacrifice – your work and your personal time, yet expected others to serve you. You treated faith like a commodity rather than a relationship with Me. That’s why you never heard Me nor really knew me. I sent intervention after intervention, but you preferred all these years to stay in your ‘sinking ship’ rather than come to me without your personal agenda.” The two men complained, “then why didn’t you make us worship you right? Why didn’t you make us get onto the coast guard boat with our friend?” Jesus replies, “Your other friend cried tears of remorse, prayed to Me, repenting of his sins – including rejecting me - he surrendered his whole self to Me, letting go of the self-righteousness prison in which he had lived for years, the Father forgave him, and I responded to his prayer, opened his mind and heart to my presence, placed my Spirit in him. He immediately received My salvation and My provision for life with me. Even now, you believe that you could have salvation without close relationship with Me. But you - you stubbornly stayed stuck, you shut the door to relationship with Me, refusing me yet again, preferring your own version of salvation – deceiving yourself --putting trust in your own wit and logic, seeking to save the status quo and thus closing your minds and hearts to My provision of safety. And just like the many, many times I reached out to you, you rejected My call again for this - the last time, because My call meant to you that you had to let go of the love of material things and status you held so dear, that I would require you to work for My glory and not yours. Your friend began praising me in his heart and then with his lips while you two were distracted with your self-salvation. He grabbed hold of the ladder eager for new life with me; you chose to stay, never asking Me what I would have you do at that juncture because your hearts were stone. You have always wanted my blessings, my peace, my provisions, but you bore no fruit of faith, no heart for service, no interest in Me outside of what I could do for you; you rejected my words of eternal life. You sought instead the world’s and the flesh’s pleasures – false idols -- rather than obedience to and life with Me, and were comfortable not abiding in Me. You now have your reward.”

       And suddenly they found themselves groping about in the density of darkness that surrounded them.

Born Again - Response to the Word (at St Christopher's Episcopal Church, Sunday, March 1, 2026)

 

(I ask for your grace in this delivery - it is a critical message that will exceed the recommended 15 minute time frame. The topic of being born again is essential to understanding your salvation. So here we go...)

Born Again – The Fundamental Doctrine in Salvation (John 3)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God… Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”  

How many of us--who are not in the medical profession--have seen a child being birthed? It’s a moment of awe isn’t it? We know all about the process, but to see it happen, oh how miraculous! How emotional! Jesus uses that circumstance of a woman in labor allegorically in John 16 as he describes God’s work of salvation; remember, in the first century there was no such thing as epidurals – women gave birth in pain in vertical positions to allow gravity to assist in the birth. That is still a practice in some parts of the world.  Her pregnancy – while beautiful – is often uncomfortable when sitting or sleeping, limits a mother’s mobility and balance sometimes. Her body changes not just in shape but also in function. Every part of her body is impacted. So -- all throughout the pregnancy – from conception to full term, who physically has been doing the work of nourishing and caring for the child in the womb?

         Right – the mother! It is an act of love and sacrifice. And when her time has come to give birth, it is called labor for a reason! It is painful Mothers – AMEN? The mother groans, pushes, groans and moans, pushes, steadily and repeatedly, and the energy and effort become a difficult struggle, the pain heightens; both pregnancy and the immense strain and stress of childbirth happens and yet she cannot stop the process. She doesn’t stop. When the child finally enters the world, mom is so excited to see the precious babe that the struggle was worth it. She no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So how much effort did the baby have to put forward? Did he or she consciously say I want to get out of here – let me hurry up the process? Or just the opposite, I don’t want to leave this home, so I’m going to stay! No, the child does not control the birth process, does not aid in nor direct the process. The woman does all of the suffering, all of the anguish, all of the groaning and moaning and pushing, in order to birth her child. And then, when the child is birthed, it screams and is discombobulated, confused  because he or she is no longer in the comfortable home that was well furnished for them. All of the bright lights, the sounds, the different hands are so foreign to him or her and makes the crying sometimes more intense! But after a while, when hearing the mother’s voice and heartbeat the child begins the process of acclimating to its new life.
Similarly, Jesus, our Lord and Savior, also groaned, moaned,   list it   so that following His struggle, we too could be birthed.

Garden of Gethsemane the cup.  Jesus' sacrifice was greater than we can imagine. His horrific torture, then nailing Him to a cross was only part of the sacrifice. On that cross hung not just a person, but a bearer of EVERY SIN EVER DONE BY EVERY HUMAN AND WOULD BE DONE UNTIL THE SECOND COMING. The weight of all of those sins made Jesus grotesque to the Father. So much so that it shadowed --in Jesus' human experience--the presence of the Father. In Habakkuk 1:1-4, 13 the Spirit says that God cannot approve sin, He doesn't look upon it with approval. Perversion of justice, violence, etc. -  God is Holy, God is Righteous. The uncountable sins Jesus bore placed Him at odds with the Father; Jesus would cry out at His darkest hour, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?) No one else could effect the redemption required for our salvation. (Hebrews 9:11-15,18-22) In our Triune God’s divine plan of salvation, He alone does all of the work, He choreographs the timing and the circumstance. He determines the means of grace for our salvation: sola scriptura--Scripture alone (the Word of God with which we are sanctified and trained for eternal life); sola fide - justification, i.e., being declared righteous by God: that it is by Faith Alone that we are saved, and that is not of our own; and, sola gratia - by Grace Alone does God save us, not based on works or actions on our part.  We are incapable of adding anything to salvation. Jesus says that you are not a Christian unless you are born again, even if you choose to call yourself Christian. HARD SAYING. Not everyone who says Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, Jesus clearly says to all who profess to be a follower of Christ.

In our text, we are introduced to Nicodemus: he was an important guy. A Pharisee, and member of the authoritative Jewish body called The Sanhedrin. He doesn’t approach Jesus in the street in daylight hours, but makes his way in the dark of night to speak to Him. He gives Jesus accolades as he lets Jesus know that, "well, I am an important guy who holds you in respect and…” Jesus stops the flow of flattery; see, Jesus knew that Nicodemus wanted to know if Jesus was going to restore the kingdom at that time. He tells Nicodemus straight out: “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above” And Jesus continues: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus, who spent years ingesting the Mosaic law and the ‘add ons’ the Pharisees thought fit, was clueless. Jesus softens the delivery with an illustrative explanation - “Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’  The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” In other words, you cannot see the actual birth or regeneration, but you see the effects. 

So what does it mean to be born again? Let me tell you what it is not: it’s not being 'refreshed' as a Christian or 'revived' after a long absence from worship. Being born again is not an 'altar call'. It’s not the words/rituals by a religious leader. No. How many persons present know that they have been born again? How do you know? When I was 14, I was encouraged to get baptized – full immersion baptism. I had followed the rules of the denomination and they thought I was ready for this. But, it wasn’t until 45 years later, 45 long years – in God’s timing – that I was born again. Baptism did not effect my regeneration; no words spoken over me effected my regeneration. It was the work of God alone through His Holy Spirit that 'resurrected' me from spiritual death. It only happens once. How many times can you be born physically? 
     Following the saying that the Gospels proclaim Jesus, and the epistles explain Jesus, Paul by H.S. offers clarity in this act of regeneration or being born again.

[Read Ephesians 2 one through 10 to everyone and make comments as I do so.] If you have your Bible, turn with me so that you can make notes.  Reads vss 1-3. We were physically born spiritually dead in our trespasses and sin – King David recognized in Psalm 51 that he was a sinner in his mother’s womb – a baby, yet he like everyone before and after him born into this world he was born with the deadly sin passed on by Adam. We all were born spiritually dead,  separated from God - which was the initial consequence of Adam's and Eve's sin - spiritual death. We were born from our mother's womb spiritually dead; it wasn't discovered on any hospital equipment in the delivery room - it is a condition shared by every person born since the fall of Adam and Eve, whether we wish to acknowledge it or not – see God already has!  We had no interest in God in our spiritually dead estate, no interest in His word, no desire to know God, but rather live for ourselves – to satisfy our immoral desires. We were under the influence of the sinful world culture and power of the devil. God says that because of that we were to Him children of wrath! A few weeks ago we read in Corinthians that there were persons in that church who were spiritual, having been born again into Christ, and also those who had not been so, who were referred to as unspiritual. Yet here’s the best part of passage--verse 4. But. God. Turn to your neighbor and say But God.” Whenever you see text that says But God, you can expect God to be doing, saying or initiating something beyond our power. READ 4 ….And then we come to the clincher, verse 8. Some of you may know this verse by heart so feel free to speak it out loud. God The Holy Spirit tells us: …read 8;The Holy Spirit comes into us to make us alive spiritually and to give us the faith to accept Jesus as our Lord. We can't raise ourselves from the dead. Jesus did not say to Lazarus – could you at least open the door so that we can call you out of the tomb…Lazarus, first take off the cloths you’re wrapped in and when you’re ready say Amen.  No, no. Lazarus had no part in his resurrection. Was only when Christ brought him back to life, Lazarus was able to obey Jesus’ call to come out.  EXPLAIN SPIRITUALLY DEAD CANNOT HAVE FAITH.

We do not have the power. God does not send us a calendar appointment that says on March 3 be ready to be born again. You can’t get ready, YOU ARE SPIRITUALLY D-E-D – you don’t know when it will happen. And this is a very critical point because there are denominations that do not teach this important Bible doctrine, rooted in scripture, that comes directly from Jesus and the Holy Spirit. And it's really important to understand that by grace you have been saved through faith that wasn't your own doing, because you did not have faith= you were dead. God had to put His Holy Spirit in us to make us alive to Him. ADAM AND EVE WHAT GOD SAID TO THEM. If you eat of this fruit….. and from the instant that they rebelled against God they became spiritually dead. They realized it, felt ashamed and hid from God. From that point in time until Jesus comes again, all people born are physically born spiritually dead. (Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit - He was the only fully human, fully God individual who was born spiritually alive!!) If we were not born again we’d still be children of Wrath deserving eternal death.  There was nothing we could do or say that would take us from spiritual death to spiritual life. Verse 10 says that in His act of regeneration, He has given us purpose - we’re created in Jesus for good works – that is, we have received special gifts—spiritual gifts and talents, so that we can be Jesus in this world, to tell out the gospel to others, to make disciples. Isn't it really important to understand Bible doctrine if we are going to make disciples of people? Amen?

And then we come to the next hard saying of Jesus to Nicodemus and to us all: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” For years, even centuries, theologians have shared varying interpretations of what the water could be.  3 prominent ones: Some say that it represents the water of baptism. BCP, Pastor Prince, me and others I’m sure, says that (1) baptism is an outward sign of the inward grace of God - it is a symbol of the internal work of regeneration and a public declaration that the person has received Christ as Lord.

(2) the amniotic fluid of the physical birth of a human. Premise—we’re born humans and based on that, we can be born again. (that may not hold since mammals with four legs also have wombs with babies in amniotic fluid)
(3) the water of God's Word. Next week our Gospel read is from John chapter 4, where we see Jesus seeking out Samaritan woman.Meets up with her at Jacob’s well, and He says – Give me a drink. She’s astounded -- you're a Jew, you're not supposed to be talking to me. And Jesus said, If you knew who was asking you, He would give you living water, and you will never thirst again. Jesus associates Himself with Living Water. Also in Eph 5, Paul is led by Spirit to write to the church about the spiritual life of the family. He describes the children, the wife, and then he talks about the husband. Husbands are to love their wives just as Christ loves His bride, the Church, that He laid down His life for her & who He sanctifies by cleansing her with the water of the word. Husband is to imitate that in his own family. Cleansed by the water of the word. Jesus, of course, is the word, and His words are backed with Holy Spirit and Divine power . Rom. 1:16 gospel of Christ power of salvation. He is the Way The Truth and the Life. Thus differing interpretations;

But the important take away here, brothers and sisters, is that regeneration is not an act of our own. It is impossible for us to achieve. These are hard sayings, one of the reasons being that different denominations have differing views on salvation, yet the clear truth can be found in scripture and if that truth is not taught then as someone told me recently, I’ve got so many other options to choose from to guess what it means!

After the instantaneous miracle of regeneration we enter into a new life in Christ, in union with Christ. Psalm 23, Matthew 7:14—paths of righteousness, narrow road. God provides what we need to live this new life. Like the baby who gets acclimated to his/her new life outside the womb and grows, gaining knowledge and skills, the Holy Spirit guides us, trains us in godliness, and nurtures us with scriptures in our spiritual growth. 

The born again experience is different for everyone: There may initially be joy. May be frustration at times - metaphorically it's like living in a certain house and certain neighborhood for years and suddenly finding yourself in a different kind of house and different kind of neigborhood. As time goes by, something inside you begins changing. You start wanting to know God. You start desiring to be in His word. You start the struggle of sanctification, about which Jesus prayed for us on his last night in his human journey that we would be sanctified by the truth. When we are born again, we become joined with Christ, that is, in union with Him.

As noted previously, it was 45 years between my baptism and my being born again. God never left me nor forsook me, even tho I was not the sterling character calendar girl for the cover of Spiritual Living Magazine. Because I wasn’t – I was still spiritually dead. yet He never left me nor forsook me, even when I was living in my trespasses and sins. And I am so grateful. It took me almost a year afterwards to begin to get grounded in the word and it was sometimes a confusing time because I had to shake off the false teaching that had been drilled into me.  And it may be true of others –a period of adjustment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we begin to engage in spiritual disciplines – God’s means of grace that He uses as instruments in our new life in Christ:  Bible study, (the Holy Spirit will help you understand those things that didn’t make sense before you were regenerated), the prayer relationship with the Father, and the Holy Spirit himself indwelling us. How many of us know this: that we serve a Triune God, and according to Jesus’ words in John 14, that the Father Son H.S. will come to us and live inside of us who are born again. And we will bear fruit worthy of the gift of new life in Christ.

       Friends, this is our Blessed Assurance. We are heirs of salvation because we have been made alive, regenerated, born again by the Holy Spirit, who even at this very moment is working a work in us!

 

Thank you for your gracious patience. This was not an easy topic that one skimps through, but it is a vital one. So thank you. Let us pray.

Forgiveness – My Story [Inspired by the crucifixion of Christ as told from the perspective of an unnamed thief circa 31AD]

      

Seven hours is a long time when you’re in trouble. 

I keep goin’ over this in my head ‘til it hurts – “how did I wind up here?” 

*Sigh*. I’m guessin' it started when I was a youth – I got mixed up with some fellows –one of’em was the son of my mother’s sister; they were bullies and stole stuff from people who were naki, real weak. It was scary first time, but when you poor and your pockets all of a sudden got coins in'em, the fear just goes away--like a scared bird--when you hear them coins clinkin' together - mmmh – you feel rich! But, uh, if I was gonna tell the truth – course not somethin’ I be sayin’ to my partners, I really was scared each time we stole stuff from people cuz I kept asking myself, how many more times can we get away with it? But later, when there wunt nothin’ to eat, hungry took over fear; no sech thing as free food. 

Ev'rythin' was goin' good enough...somedays you gettin' enough for some food and somedays you be gettin' enough for food and shoes, and even a decent robe! Then one day, this rich man who look like he was a lawyer or sumthin was gone on the road that goes from the Engedi in the wilderness all the way to Jerusalem and Samaria. You see, there’s this little spot on the road up between the mountains so travelers can’t see what’s in front of ‘em or behind’em. It’s real wind-ee, you know? So this rich lookin' ol’ man had a bunch-a bondsmen – so you know he had coin -  they went afore him with this noisy rattlin’ cart fulla loot; couldn’t hear much by that noise. Too many of’em to try to steal from that stash. But, when they gone afore enough so you couldn’t see’em and they couldn’t see you or them master, we made our move. One of our gang gagged the ol’ man an’ pull’him down off his donkey; you could hardly hear his little whine. The fellow what’s grab’him kept him down, while the rest of us pick’d his pockets an’ stole the purse hangin’ on the animal. When we got our plunder, the fellow who was holdin’ the ol’ man down told him not to make any noise or else… we ran back to the thicket where we been hiding. I was shaking ‘cuz we never in all the time we be doin’ this – we never hurt somebody to make’em bleed; I mean the ol’ man was alive but he was scared-er than me. Never been so scared in my life! This was the most hard we e’er done to somebody – they just usually throw their money at us and run. Now, I’m the one who runnin’. I also thinkin’ – when we first started working this shohd, this robbin’, we bein' just glad to get a coin here, a coin there, but, y’know, we was “lucky” – we got away erry time! An’ we stole from a lotta people. This one, this time though -- I swore on my father’s head this gone be my last time. We could sell alla stuff we had store, an I buried some coin for me when nobody lookin’. I beg’ the gang to lay low for a while ‘til this blew over. Are greedy leader  he laughed at me. He always greedy – we threw fists once ‘cuz he wanna take mos'of da plunder, but this time he says layin’ low might be a good idea. Says we won’t be stealing for a while. I liked the sound of that, and it made me feel good an' comfutable to hear'em say so. 

Well, he was right, but not the way I wanted him to be right. 

We made it to our reggla cave where we like tuh go ‘cuz it hides from the main road. But this time, some kind of way, they found us. Where’d we mess up? We tried runnin’, but the soldiers come up on us. Guess we muss’v  run outta  “luck.” Our leader and one of the other fellows tried  fightin’ their way out – I kept tellin’em to stop, stop man, then one of’em hit one-uh the soldiers and him an’ the leader tried gettin’ way to the wilderness; in the end, though, well--they didn’t make’it. I tried to bribe the soldiers with the purse – they like bribes, but they wont having' it today for some reason. The soldiers then tie' me up with leather straps and rough rope; they make me walk all da way to Jerusalem. I knew what was comin’. Jewish men never gets a fair trial no matter what. The Romans always wanted to make an example of criminals. Ha - muss’v been my turn.

Seven hours is a  l o n g  time. A long time. 

I got hanged onna stake next to two other fellows – one was a rebel who tried-duh get some other Jews to go up on the Roman governor. He be a thief too like me and he was very angry. The other man was this Rabbi I heard ‘bout – he been upsettin’ all da villages, and making the Pharisees mad. The soldiers ha'done a number on him – he was beat up bad, and looked like they tortured ‘im; he looked half dead. He really muss’v done somethin’ wrong for all that! The fellow on my other side started cursin’ him, callin’ him a blasphemer. An’ sayin’ he was God anna  new king! I tol’ the beaten up man “if yous a god, get us down offa these crosses!” I added my own cursin’ ‘cuz I was angry I got caught an’ now here I was. Hangin’ on a crossbeam. I asked him, “if you god then why you hangin’ on a crossbar like us? Why they treat you so bad? What kind of god are you?” Only, I wished right then he was God, ’cuz seven hours is a long time to hang on a crossbar ‘n’ stake.

The day wored on, an’ the sun’s heat made the air feel like it’s full of needles. The angry fellow kept on with his rilin' on the tortured man; kep’ callin’ him Yeshua, which kina made me laugh ‘cuz the name means “God saves.” Yeah, right. So I’s in and out of consciousness. But one of those times I start thinking about it -- then I 'emember seein’ this Yeshua walkin’ with a crowd some time afore all of this. . .hey! He’s da one that healed the lame man! That man’s legs were all messed up – he’s always beggin. I’s on the edge of the crowd but I saw most of it with my own eyes. Thought it was a scam though… It was hard to remember who this Rabbi was ‘cuz I mean his face so messed up. An’ I heard him mumblin’ words I just barely make out over the angry fellow’s yellin’ – like, he was talkin’ to somebody and tellin’em that the people should be forgiven. 

Seven hours is a long time to hang on a crossbar and stake… 

So I come to ag’n. Angry fellow looked all used up. The Rabbi, Yeshua, was really lookin' bad and in lotsa pain. But his words—his words about forgiveness was still ringin’ in my ears – I saw what he done; I was even one of the people that the wild man John baptized. For repentance. I, I remembered seein’ Yeshua near the river one day and the wild man John said that Yeshua was the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Someone even said that He was The Messiah!! Was it true? Could it be true? I prayed for the first time in a long while that it could be true an’ that I was next to somethin’ or somebody divine. 

I was in the seventh hour on this cross and know’d my life would soon be over... 

Then Angry fellow woke up and tried to yell at Yeshua again—pantin’ with each word. With the little bit of force I had left I told angry man “to stop cuz this man, Yeshua, is innocent. We’a payin’ for our sins, but this man he’s not sinned.” I heard myself say those words like an echo. Was I still alive, then? I looked up, then the Rabbi Yeshua looked at me with eyes that seem to look all the way into my soul.  An' I felt somethin' like I nevah be feelin' before. I felt peace!  There was something ‘bout them eyes. 

With slow breaths I ask the Rabbi, the Messiah: ‘Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And the Lord, the Lamb, hangin’ next to me, and still lookin’ in my eyes said, “Truly I will remember you and you will be with me in Paradise.” 

I was forgiven! I am forgiven! I wanted to shout it out loud, but it came out in gasps. I prayed to God in heaven “toda, thank you” and tol’ the Rabbi, The Messiah Yeshua, with tears in my eyes, “toda , toda,” and I wont sure why; I just knew inside somethin’ had happened I didn’t deserve. 

See: seven hours is a long time to hang on a crossbar ‘gainst a rough wood stake only knowin’ ‘til right now, my last hour, my life had no meaning. This seventh hour changed everything—I was forgiven by Him.

Then the soldiers broke Angry man’s legs and he cried out loud cursin’ the emperor; he died just a little while later. An’ then a soldier stuck a spear in The Messiah’s side and water and blood came out. When the spear went in, I heard’im scream what should have been a scream heard all over Judea!, but his voice was thick with pain and the scream a whisper. After a short while, He said real soft strainin’ his voice, ‘I am a-thirst,’ then another soldier ran and got him a sponge soaked in vinegar, but a'fore he could suck good on the sponge, I heard him say, “It is finished.” And he died. 

Seven hours is a long time to hang nailed to a rough wood cross. 

I heard a soldier say that this Rabbi Yeshua, My Messiah, was truly the Son of God. And then I knowed -- I knowed for sure I was forgiven an’ I was gonna see my Lord in Paradise! 

An’ then it was my turn. In my head, my face was smilin’; I had spoken with the Son of God – the Son of God!! uhg! the soldiers broke my legs, then the world around me became dim, dim, then dark.

Seven hours is a long time to hang on a rough wood cross. But, 

Paradise is forever! 

                                                               ~The beginning~

                    ~by an unnamed thief at Calgary in Judea circa AD 31~

Random Study June 2024

 So while engaging in morning prayer today, I read and recited The Apostles Creed. I stopped after reading this phrase:

"I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead."  (emphasis added)

In an earlier version of The Apostle's Creed (1940s Book of Common Prayer uses the 250AD version), the last phrase is translated as, "He descended into hell". 

I wanted to see the possible origin or original thought for framing Jesus' death that way. I "consulted", as I often do, Dr. R.C. Sproul. In his book, "Hard Sayings," in the 27th chapter entitled, "Did Jesus Descend into Hell?", he offers views from various Bible scholars and theologians. He is referencing the context of 1 Peter 3:18-22. Some say He went to hell on a redemption mission to free the OT saints so that they could go to heaven. Others say He went to hell to fully complete His sacrifice by being exposed to the terrors of hell. However, when comparing scripture with scripture, there is no passage that says Jesus went to hell in any localized place. What it does say is that Jesus said at the time of His death on the cross, "It is finished!" using the language of the time to state that He has made full and final payment at the moment of His death. The other difficulty in trying to puzzle out the writing at ! Peter is that the interpretations and explanations are very diverse. Dr. Sproul says it is a struggle to unravel the difficulty of this passage, but for a certainty it does not say that Jesus went to hell, but rather to a place of imprisonment. It also does not say when Jesus went to proclaim to the spirits in prison. 

Also, when looking at the original Greek and Hebrew scriptures and the words used there to describe what happened to Jesus after death, the Hebrew word "kever" is used and the Greek word "mnemeion"  is used (where the "e" between the "n" and the "m" has a stroke above it); both words translate to "grave or tomb" - a place of burial. 

So the phrase, "He descended into hell," may have been understood through a surmised interpretation of 1 Peter 3. 

Also notable: the Hebrew word "Sheol" which sometimes gets transliterated as "grave" is an incorrect translation. That Jewish word has the connotation of "realm of the dead" or "abode of the dead" where the souls of the dead reside. However, in Jewish texts, the word "Gehinnom" refers to a place of eternal punishment or where the wrath of God is executed. Similarly, in Greek, the word "Geenna" refers to such a finality. The Greek also uses the word, "Hades", which is pulled from Greek mythology and likewise refers to "the place of punishment, hell" and may even refer to the "lowest condition or lowest place."

Therefore, when the Book of Common Prayer was updated, the "He descended into hell" was rendered "He descended to the dead." Possibly as a "middle ground" in the debate? As the "to the dead" could carry with it an implication that He went to an "abode" or simply, as scripture states, that His body was placed in the tomb, and His spirit was commended/committed to the Father. (Luke 23:46; Matthew 27:58-60)

I am a Bible student and not a Bible scholar with credentials to qualify me as a Bible expert. I always try, however, to interpret scripture with scripture and listen for the Holy Spirit when I am stumped. He will either say '\'you're not able to understand right now," or "here is what you should know at this point in your journey."

How Are You?

 Who knew that an honest answer could elicit a tongue lashing? One that leaves the recipient stunned?

Attending an event to which church leaders were invited, I met a number of pastors and ministers from around the region. Some I only knew by 'face', and others whose name I knew but not the face. I like meeting new people - especially persons who attend churches different from mine (as well as those God brings me to). Yet, that day, I was introduced to a minister I had seen various times and was encouraged to know that she had received 'clergy' status and was the lead minister of a church of the denomination to which I belonged. 

She asked me, "How are you?" I responded with my usual concise, "I'm well enough! And you?" Instead of sharing her present state of being, she lashed out at me because I said I'm well enough. She expressed that such an answer was a slur on God, who has given me life, who has been my God and Father, and on and on and on. To be honest, my first thought was that she missed an important class in seminary on listening to the heart and not just the words. But then I felt bad for her for she was clearly holding on to something deep inside. As she self-righteously stomped off after 'putting me in my place' and has kind of snubbed or treated me as if I were less than or semi-antichrist or something whenever we pass each other at events, I have not been able to actually get a moment with her to help her understand why I answered as I did. She is in a hurry. She's never asked me for an explanation. Hmmm. So I pray for her.

But, if she had, or if she could stop long enough for me to share with her, she might comprehend why I responded to her "How are you?" as I did. I was not slurring God nor misrepresenting Him. In truth, I was without her realizing it, giving God the glory. To the indiscernible my simple "well enough" apparently requires some further explanation. Apparently.

I have lived through many episodes and years where I was not well physically in a number of ways (that is still the case), one-half inch close to a full-on nervous breakdown. I was in a place where I harbored murderous thoughts (before Jesus called me), in a time when I was spiritually in a coma, and many other awful things that would shock in their revelation. Following the world as I was, I thought I could deliver myself through the latest panaceas going around. 

Until, like Balaam, the donkey stopped. 

Despite my own self-deception, I could not save myself from those situations, and many a day I did not even want to try. But God! In His time and Providence, He called me from the ashes, He lifted me up and raised me to life in Christ! Even after living more than half my life in a spiritually deeply comatose condition, God called me in the dawn of my senior years. He claimed me. I was made anew spiritually and will probably still endure that struggle with the agony of the flesh as long as I live in this earthly body. I know from whence my help comes. Even when my G.I. and/or neural disorders are at their peak and I want to scream in pain or writhe in agony, I know He walks with me. I am well enough because I know this is not forever, but each day God makes me well enough to serve Him in some way, and to do His will even in a broken body and scarred heart, mind and psyche. He makes me well enough so that even in searing pain, and weak moments of sliding into self-pity, He gives me grace to 'stand' and do His will. He makes me well enough to have His joy and love in my life. He makes me well enough to walk and move - even if it is a struggle. He makes me well enough so that I can thank Him in all things because I know this is not my future. He makes me well enough to remember how Jesus brutally suffered so that He could bring me to His Father. So, I am well enough because my God gives me power and the strength of His grace while I live with the thorn 'embedded in my side.' I can do all things because God lives in me. I am well enough because He has given me more love, more mercy, and more grace than I ever deserved. I have never forgotten when 'well', let alone 'well enough' would not have been the truth about who I was and what I was and where I was. And, yes, like with Paul and with David, God will allow those whom He loves to experience times, maybe even seasons, of pain and fear. Not because He hates us or is oblivious, but because He knows us better than we know ourselves. He allows the pain because with each prick, jab, and lightning bolt, I draw closer to Him and praise Him with words and song because He inhabits the praise of His people and I keep praising Him, and ask for forgiveness when I feel myself starting to open my mouth in complaint. Paul calls it a "temporary affliction" and rightly so. And I immediately impress those words on myself over and over again - especially when the Excedrin or other pain killer will not work, nor the anointed oil. God just wants me as I am in my rawness so that He can comfort me, He can ease the pain, He can put the smile on my face while the tears roll down my cheeks. So that He can give me glimpses of heaven as He holds me close. 

I am well enough because of Him! Only because of Him.

Because He loves me beyond what I can hope, think or imagine, I am well enough. No longer condemned. No longer ashamed. No longer a captive to the effects of sin in and on my body. I am well enough by His grace. Someday, when I transition to the glorious body that awaits me, I will transition to the promise of a perfect body and perfect heart. O what a Savior who holds me in my brokenness, and will someday soon (comparatively) hold my hand and lead me to the perfect place He has planned for me from before the foundation of the world! Lord, I have seen thy salvation!  

So, when I answer with a politely concise, "I am well enough," please stop long enough and ask me what do I mean. I will then share the Gospel with you as I explain why I am now well enough. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Unloading My Thoughts to Make it Make Sense - Jehovah's Witnesses - Part 1

On Wednesday, January 24, 2024, I posted the following to my Facebook page. Here is the unedited version:

 What is on my mind? Well, truth is I had no plan to write a post in Facebook today since there are other pressing things on my plate. But, after some reading and hearing of God's Word, right now I am ruminating on the similarities of Arian Christianity and some contemporary/modern denominations such as the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. I will understand if you choose to block or mute me for a while, but I had to write this.

Arius was a priest and ascetic in the third and fourth centuries. He  promoted a belief that would come to be called Arianism, i.e., a view held by him and other scholars that Jesus, the Son of God, was created by God the Father. Such creation would relegate him to "a god" subordinate to God the Father, rather than "God" and co-equal to the Father. The documented historicity of the belief for Jehovah's Witnesses (actual documents and statements made by the Watchtower society) goes back to when the Watch Tower society was chartered in 1884. In its charter, the society was incorporated to develop and publish Bible literature, to educate men and women to be ministers and missionaries, teachers and instructors in the Bible and Bible literature, "and for public Christian worship of Almighty God and Christ Jesus." While they put forward the practice of worshiping Christ Jesus, they also believe that He was a being created by Almighty God. They rely on the scripture at Colossians 1:15 that says Jesus was "the firstborn of creation" as the basis and proof of Jesus being a creature and not God. If He was a "firstborn" of creation, who was His mother, and why is it believed that this concept does not conflict with John 1:2-3? In verse 18 of Colossians 1, Christ is also referred to as the "firstborn from the dead". So does that mean that no one was resurrected before Jesus was resurrected? Well that would be hard to prove since the Gospels explicitly state accounts of Jesus Christ himself raising people from the dead during His earthly ministry!  Therefore, how should we understand the English translation of  "firstborn"  being used in those passages? The original Greek used there and translated "firstborn" is "prototokos", which means, in addition to a natural birth from a woman or the order of birth, also carries the meaning of referring to priority, rank or position.  That is, positionally, Jesus position of Head of creation takes priority over all other things created, and that His position of firstborn from the dead by resurrection from the dead makes His resurrection rank as the first in importance, in rank and priority, rather than the first in order, since as the Bible clearly shows that individuals in the Old Testament and New Testament prior to Jesus' death and resurrection were raised back to life! Therefore, the scriptural argument for Christ being the first person made or created when examined is weakened when using scripture to prove scripture. Further, adding words to scripture to use as the basis of one's stated belief is not proof; instead, it is dangerous! (Revelation 22:18; Jeremiah 14:14-15; Matthew 7:21-23) 

From 1884 to 1954 the worship of Christ Jesus was doctrine for Jehovah's Witnesses. In the 1950s, there was a growing concern that since Jesus was considered or believed by Jehovah's Witness to be a creature per their core belief, that worshiping Christ Jesus -- although the founders and key leaders of the Jehovah's Witnesses strongly advocated it, members of the society would begin to question the appropriateness of "worship" of Christ Jesus, indicating that to worship Him, even though the leaders cited scriptural bases for that practice, would be considered idolatry. A number of amendments to the charter would eventually remove the doctrine of worshiping Christ Jesus, reserving all worship for Jehovah God, despite Biblical evidence to the contrary. When the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, the translation created by the Watchtower society, was amended, all references to the worship of Christ were removed, and phraseology would be incorporated to show Jesus as being a created being who was "a god". The New World Translation is virtually the only version of the Christian Bible that alters the word "worship" relative to worshiping Christ. None of the foregoing concerning the stated beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization is my own opinion! No! What I have expressed regarding the Witnesses' beliefs and how they evolved over time are all documented within their own literature.

It would be a foolish error to assume only one or two Christian denominations or organizations are outliers when it comes to Christianity, for many groups - even mainline denominations - put a unique spin on what they say they believe based on their "Biblical" perspective. It is true that there are many, if not, significant differences throughout Christendom in how people identify, worship the God of the Bible and understand His Word and commandments, principles, etc. How does one sort through this? In Acts 17, in an almost obscure passage at verses 10-12, we learn that the hearers of the gospel message being preached by Paul and his companions, did not take what they were hearing at face value, but, instead verified what was being spoken by examining the scriptures - not "scripture" but scriptures, cross-referencing them and locating supporting accounts to verify that what they were hearing was the truth. 

I think Dr. Charles Stanley once noted, as he spoke about the many denominations that profess Christianity nowadays, that while the original designation of  "The Way" which was the earliest reference to the following of Christ in the Bible by people who shared a common understanding of the teachings of Christ and His apostles, and which would formally come to be called "Christian" (Acts 11:26 and Acts 24:14), the number of named/distinct denominations that arose over the centuries were most often based on human interpretation of what Christianity is and how it should be practiced. 

Yet to deny the validity of Christ Jesus, the Gospel accounts, Christ's words and prophecies pertaining to Him, to deny His very existence  and sacrificial death and resurrection based on errors that denominations in Christendom have made, or who may have injected their own viewpoints and interpretation is a great mistake. Many people are more comfortable depending on a preacher's words rather than the Word of God. Even the Israel nation when released from slavery in Egypt told Moses, "we don't want to hear from God - you (Moses) talk to us!" Can we be more like the people of Beroea and go to our Bibles and ask God to show us, reveal to us in scripture, His truth, then pursue it, and examine a church or denomination that most closely teaches that truth? 

I daresay that everyone of those denominations believe they are teaching the truth of the Gospel. The Bible tells us that the "truth" will become evident when clarified by God the Holy Spirit, and as it becomes proven by God on "The Day." (1 Corinthians 3:10-13; Luke 11:34-35; 1 Corinthians 4:5)

There on The Hill of The Lord

There is bright joy and singin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
There is bright joy and singin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
There is bright joy and singin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
Where pain will be no more.

There is praisin' and dancin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
There is praisin' and dancin' 
  on the hill of the Lord!
There is praisin' and dancin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
Where sorrow will be no more.

There is feastin' and laughin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
There is feastin' and laughin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
There is feastin' and laughin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
Where tears will be no more!     

My Jesus is waitin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
My Jesus is waitin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
My Jesus is waitin'
  on the hill of the Lord!
To love me forever more!

Amen. Hallelujah. Glory to The Glory!

   (c) Hymn by jo 2024

Special Mid-Summer Bible Conversation on Hard Sayings in the Bible (Reserve Question E - hate you mother and father so that you can become a part of the Christ's kingdom)

 

Reserve question E. In Luke 14:26 Jesus says that unless we hate family and self we can have no part in His kingdom. Whaaat? What does He mean? 

• So, when you hear the word “hate”, what comes to mind? ……….
  In our culture today when we use the word hate, we are speaking usually of a strong negative emotion about or against something or someone, a very strong dislike or disregard, right?
  
  
• For Jesus to actually mean hate -  as in despise, abhor, one's mother or father, would be a blatant contradiction of the Mosaic law to honor mother and father. Was Jesus a lawbreaker or promoting sin? 
  
  
• So, for an understanding we have to examine the original language in which this was written or spoken. As we are seeing, in the Greek and Hebrew languages in which the Bible was written, there are times when a word carries more than one meaning. Is that true in anyone’s mother tongue or possibly a new language someone is learning?
  
  
• The Greek word for hate, miseo. carries different meanings, with the word we commonly use as “hate” being only one of them. But that meaning is not in this context. The Greek word carries these meanings: miséō, mis-eh'-o; from a primary μῖσος mîsos (hatred); to detest (especially to persecute); by extension, to love less, to regard with less affection than. 
  
  
• Therefore, when Jesus says that unless we hate family and self we can have no part in His kingdom, He is effectually saying, unless you love less or love Me more than family and self, then you can have no part in His kingdom.

Special Mid-Summer Bible Conversation on Hard Sayings in the Bible (Question 4 - Hell))

 

1.    Why does God send people to hell if He is a God of love? (note the emphasis)

For many years many Christians have been taught either directly or indirectly, that if we sin, God will send us to hell. What is hell? There are two definitions. 

• First, it is the definition of grave or the state of the dead. The Apostles’ Creed says that Jesus descended into hell at His death -see page 53 in the Book of Common Prayer. In this instance, the words “Hades” and “Sheol” are interchangeable with the word “hell”. 
• The second definition of hell is that it is eternal separation from God, an existence in complete darkness. The Bible uses the image of fire to represent complete destruction of any hope of life again in the “light”; in human experience the only persons who, by God’s Divine will, literally lived in a fire without a speck of smoke on them nor any singe of fire on them were Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, as recorded in Daniel chapter 3. Their being cast into the fiery furnace because they refused to worship the king. The king was so enraged (after all, he had conquered the entire nation and now here were 3 upstarts who thought that their wills were unconquerable), that he ordered the fire to be “cranked up” high to the highest heat level possible; the heat of the fire destroyed the very guards who cast them into the fire. Fire destroys completely; no one could reassemble ashes back to their original form. Thus, the Bible speaks of this definition of hell when it describes a permanent separation from God as the “lake of fire” or “eternal fire”. If you have ever been in a house fire where the heat escalates and the electricity fails, so that the black smoke all but eliminates a person’s ability to see their hand before their face, use that picture to understand what this permanent separation could look and feel like. Complete and eternal darkness.

So, the question: why does God send people to hell? The answer: God does not send people to hell.

The fact is, people are already condemned to go to hell because they are sinners, obeying the god of darkness (compare Ephesians 2:1-4). Because of that humanly irreversible sin condition and the rebellion attached to it, God’s wrath is naturally upon them – regardless of what they themselves, or anyone else says otherwise. But God, who in His great love and mercy for those created in His image, gave his only begotten Son as the means to escape the wrath. Let’s see that at Romans 5:6-11, and also the clearly spoken illustrative declaration by Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46. As Jesus indicates, the lake of fire what we call hell, was created for the devil and his angels from before time because of their rebellion to God. Since the fall of man in the garden, we have been obliged to follow the king of all rebellion into the same fate as he and his demons because of our inherited sin and accompanying lifestyle and allegiance to the devil’s world system. Let's say that you are on a cruise ship and something happens that is causing the ship to slowly sink. The ship releases its lifeboats; the Coast Guard rushes to the scene with additional lifeboats. What is the purpose of the lifeboat? To rescue someone from certain death. Between the two rescue options, there are more than enough lifeboats to save everyone on board the cruise ship. What would you do: get into a lifeboat, or take your chances with the sinking ship? After all, all of your possessions that you brought on board are still in the cruise ship and maybe there is still time to run and grab them! Do you pass up a seat in the lifeboat in the hopes that you will be able to retrieve the precious items and get on one of the lifeboats when you reach the deck? That's the same scenario that faces all of us: God has made a provision for deliverance from the sinking ship through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, and accepting Him as Lord and Savior. He is the Lifeboat. Will you choose to accept Him, or will you cling to those things that give you pleasure, wealth, feel-good vibes, etc. and try the Lifeboat later? Or maybe you have already chosen...

Holy Week - Jesus Last Days on Earth and The Cross, Death and Resurrection

 I have created slide decks that were converted to MP4. (the PDFs will be distributed separately)
The first two - about Nisan 8-12 - are linked to  below.

Slide Deck 1 -- Nisan 8-10

Slide Deck 2 -- Nisan 10-12

The next slide deck has two links in it that are not accessible through the movie: 

(20+) Watch | Facebook and a link to the first Passover: Exodus 12 NASB - The Passover Lamb - Now the LORD said - Bible Gateway

These slides go from the close of Nisan 12 to the Last Supper and the. Two separate slide decks will follow; one dedicated to John 14-17, which will be posted, and a second, "The Stations of the Cross", which will be made available as a PDF.

When Persecuted on Account of the Name of Jesus, Rejoice and Be Glad For Your Reward is Great in Heaven!

 

Funeral of a persecuted believer.

  Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.". This is directly linked to blessing number 8. The fact that Jesus would repeat the statement concerning persecution His followers would face, pretty much confirms that we who name as Lord, Jesus Christ, will be persecuted and hated because of His name. It is a certainty, a promise, that such a situation will occur. How does Jesus say that are we to respond? “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Have you ever been lied on or taunted because someone thought you were being “goody two shoes”? Have you ever been lied on/taunted because you were honest and kind, and held in high esteem by others? Most of the time such behavior will come from persons who do not know or love Jesus. However, sometimes it may come from persons who may be in your own family, friends, or who may attend church. (also see: 2 Timothy 3:1-7; Galatians 2:4)  Because we belong to Jesus, He has asked His Father to protect us while we live out our faith here on earth. God’s protection can be a “snatching out of the fire”, that is, delivering our bodies out of a persecution activity so that we may flee to physical safety. God’s ultimate protection is that of enabling our faith to persevere the persecution, so that we can endure to the end of our earthly life – however long God determines it to be. He will protect us for eternity. Websites like Christianity Today, and Open Doors track the ongoing persecutions of God’s people around the world; some survive the persecution physically, and others go to their death praising God and glorifying their Savior. The “statistics” are staggering; these are not just data, these are faithful followers of Christ who are encountering some of the utmost physical and emotional assaults that can befall a human. And these followers do not fight back! They do not go to war with those who hate them and persecute them! And followers pray for their persecutors! Only a child of God could behave in such a way under such trauma! An organization called "The Voice of Martyrs," tracks, lends aid to, prays for, reports on, provides accommodations for, etc. those persecuted in the many places of the world. They collect the stories of the persecuted (warning: the reports may be hard to watch or read) to identify with their brothers and sisters who are also being persecuted. They also ask for donations to support the work of support they physically and materially provide to the thousands of Christians who have been driving from their homes and otherwise have suffered.

Read slowly the words of the Holy Spirit recorded in Romans 12 to those who are being persecuted:  “¹²Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. … Never be wise in your own sight. “¹⁷Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ ²⁰To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head [your acts of righteousness and forgiveness could impact their minds so that they are cleansed of evildoing.]’ ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”  

When we do these things, we can “rejoice and be glad” because our God-given faith and endurance glorifies God and Christ, and may save those who persecute us from eternal death. God’s reward surpasses anything else you can have in this life; God says our "reward is great in heaven.”

This reward is multifaceted (look up if you don’t know what this means): It is a reward of intimate relationship with the God and Sovereign over all the universe, the owner, Creator of all things seen and unseen. It is the reward of knowing that God is alongside you in your trial and does not take His focus from you for even a millisecond. It is the reward of being Christ to others who see our faithfulness – particularly those who are persecuting us, and who by God’s will may be drawn unto Christ by your steadfastness. (example: the thief on the cross next to Jesus; also see Matthew 27:44; ). It is the reward of a “gold crown” (it is called gold because it is priceless!) when we stand at the throne of Christ; we will enjoy a special welcome and intimacy unlike anything we’ve ever known. We will be in the presence of the Lamb and all of His faithful people, united as one Body, and who worship Him day and night!

View this video about how Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who survived Nazi death camps and who suffered dearly for Christ, reacted when she met one of her persecutors years later. View this as a family or with friends and have a discussion about it.

 

Explore

 

·        Why are Christians persecuted? What do you think makes their situation different (not better!) from other groups of people who get persecuted? As you look at the websites that address the persecutions of our brothers and sisters in Christ, what kind of feeling or emotion comes over you? Do you have friends or relatives who live in those countries where persecution is nonstop? If so, how do you support them?

·        Share your thoughts on the Corrie Ten Boom video – how it made you feel and think about your faith.

·        How easily did her forgiveness come? How does her example look like the scriptures you read above?

·        Can you write a prayer for those who persecute/harass you?  Is it easy to do or are you experiencing a challenge to write a prayer for them? Why or why not?

·        Can you write a letter to a person who is suffering for Christ? Is it easy to do or are you feeling unsure of how to write it? What would you want someone to write to you if you were undergoing persecution?

Bonus: "Praise You in The Storm", Casting Crowns; "Find My Peace," Naomi Raine; "My God Fights For Me," feat. Micah Tyler, Kaden Slay, Charity Gayle; "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."  Virtual Choir #4; "Precious Lord, Take My Hand." sung by the Aeolians of Oakwood University; "Not Afraid." Pentecostals of Alexandria

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[1] 10/26/2022 Nigeria (International Christian Concern) – 70 Christians martyred in a village in central Nigeria; relatives bury their dead.

Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake, for Theirs Is The Kingdom of Heaven

 

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. There is a popular “church” teaching that when we become followers of Christ, we have a rosy path before us. That we can expect material goods and wealth because we are now “Christian”. But, do you know that Jesus says just the opposite to those who would follow Him? ¹⁸“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19) This hatred may look like name calling, denial of certain provisions or kindness, verbal assaults and threats, even physical assaults and attack on property. (I have personally experienced a number of these; on one occasion, when I and some high schoolers from church were sharing the Gospel on Good Friday, we came under verbal attack!) It may be direct persecution on our bodies by satan in an attempt to limit our ability to praise and worship God and to distract us from our mission. 

Do we withhold our identity as a follower of Christ because we are embarrassed, or think we will be called names? Look at what Jesus tells us in Mark 8:38: “Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” 

Zowie! God implores us to turn to Him in times of trouble – look at what the Bible says about praying to God when we are facing trials: Psalm 56:1-4, Psalm 57:1-3, Psalm119:84-87, Psalm 142:6, John 15:20; there are many more!  God has given us not just His Spirit, but also spiritual armor to protect our souls, because the devil and his agents are seeking to destroy our faith and relationship with Jesus. As a follower of Christ indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit, we are already walking in eternity with God; we are already experiencing in a very tangible way, the kingdom of heaven because the Spirit of God, at work in us to build God’s kingdom, fills us, protects our souls, hearts and minds, we are sharing with Christ in our sufferings, and draws us closer to Jesus. Jesus, knowing in advance that we all face some version of suffering for His name, passionately prayed to His Father to protect us, most importantly to protect our faith and trust in Him, so that we may endure. As those who suffer for His namesake, we then fully identify with God’s kingdom, knowing we are secure in His grace and power. 

Therefore, though we will face difficulties because we follow Christ, we do not shrink back from being a Christ follower because we know we have already been saved for an inexplicable life beyond our humanity. No one can take that reality from us. The persecution can have the purpose of building our faith and trust in God, in rejoicing because we become enjoined in a remarkable and special way to Christ and His sufferings. We will find and know God in a unique way through suffering! And in the midst of our suffering, we can bow before God in grateful thanksgiving because we have the confirmation that we are Christ’s and in Christ.

 

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This beatitude and the last one are tough to deal with because very few, if any, of us want to be taken out of our comfort zone. We want people to like us, and treat us fairly. We don’t want anything ‘negative’ to happen to us just because we are Christian. Consider these things:

·        For right now - and only God knows how long this will continue, the U.S. is one of few countries where you can live and not experience the kind of harsh persecution that our fellow brothers and sisters in over 85% of the countries of the world are experiencing because they name the name of Christ. Our trials are more subtle – just like they were for the Israelites when Balaam enticed them with sexual immorality and idolatry. Many who profess belief in Christ in the ‘western’ world are succumbing to the enticement; many Christians obey culture instead of God, breaking the first commandment. They call good what God has called sinful. Have you found that to be true; if so, in what ways? If you do not think that is true, why?

·        In this paper’s opening it says that “There is a popular “church” teaching that when we become followers of Christ, we have a rosy path before us. That we can expect material goods and wealth because we are now “Christian”. What do you think about that?

 

·        Have you been made aware of the harsh persecutions taking place around the world? How do you feel when you hear about, read, or see reports of such persecutions?  

·        What is it about God’s kingdom that would make you desire to endure pain and trials for Christ’s name? How easy would that be for you? (hint, re-read the Psalms above that David prayed to God)



Bonus: "Guilty"  -- Newsboys  (theme song from movie God's Not Dead 2); "Even If" - Mercy Me; "Don't Wait Til the Battle is Over - Shout Now!" - Walter Hawkins and the Love Center Choir