Shining Bright in the Darkest Hour

Luke 23:39-43 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

There hung Jesus Christ, beaten and bruised, ridiculed and rejected, crucified between two thieves on Calvary's hillside. Yet, in the darkest moment in the history of humanity a light shown so bright that it penetrated the darkest of hearts, the heart of one of the thieves beside the Lord Jesus. Something occurred during these few hours on a horrific cross which caused a belligerent malefactor's heart to be humbled and to desire the things of God. In the beginning of the terrible ordeal this thief was reviling Jesus in the same manner as the angry crowd and the other hurting thief, but now he is defending the crucified Christ against their unjust railings. The dying thief admitted and confessed his own failings while recognizing the justness of the man in the middle.

The question must be asked, “What made the difference?” None of the gospel writers recorded a sermon preached by Jesus from the cross or a plea to the thieves for their souls. The only clue we can find is the very witness of Jesus Christ in the time of his deepest sufferings. Christ's sermon was preached by actions in His darkest moments. 

There was the witness of Jesus' conduct while hanging on Calvary's cruel cross. Although ridiculed and mocked by angry men and women on the ground and even by those crucified beside Him, Jesus never once lashed back at them. If anyone had the right to respond in anger for His unjust treatment it should have been Jesus. Yet, He opened not His mouth with words of bitterness, but instead with words of compassion as He prayed for His accusers and executioners, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Even in His agony His light was brightly shining with a spirit of forgiveness and mercy. 

There also had to be also a marked difference in His very countenance even in the midst of terrible circumstances: a countenance of peace and assurance rather than a countenance of scowl and vindictiveness as seen on the faces of his religious accusers. There was a marked difference in the actions and the countenance of the accused and His accusers. Obviously, this spoke loudly to the heart of one of the thieves. There, hanging on a cross beside him he saw love personified through the person of Jesus Christ. It there in the midst of death, he saw true Life, abundant life; and in the midst of confusion he saw peace in the face of the One that had accused of being a King. The light of Jesus Christ shown so bright it penetrated the dark heart of the one right beside him which created a humility and a hunger to join Christ in His kingdom.

There were probably others on that day who saw the light shining bright in the midst of Jesus' sufferings as Matthew records the statement of the centurion upon the death of Christ. Jesus never quit ministering even in the midst of His sufferings. We each should learn this powerful lesson from our Lord, “Our light can shine the brightest in our darkest moments.” The great Teacher never quit teaching and the great Lover of our souls never quit loving.

Let us also use the times of darkness for His glory and let us remember that someone is always watching us.

O, what a Savior!

Jesus Knows

John 2:23-25  Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  24  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,  25  and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

The apostle John teaches us an important lesson about Jesus Christ, “He knows the heart of man.”  Many believed in His name upon witnessing His many miracles, but that did not necessarily equate into saving faith. Clearly, these believed that Jesus was from God and maybe even the Messiah, but did that belief transfer to a heart changing, life altering commitment as Jesus being Lord of their lives?  Intellectual belief, although important, is not the same as heart-surrendering belief.  James reminds us that even the demons believed (James 2:9).  

The key to this passage is that “Jesus did not commit Himself, because He knew all men.”  Jesus looks past the surface and deep within the heart.  It is not a simple testimony of belief that transforms a man into a child of God, but a heart-surrendering, heart-regenerating trust that reveals itself in a new birth resulting in a new creation.  John continued to explain this reality in the example of Nicodemus, a great student of the Word and one who recognized Jesus as one whom had come from God. Yet, Jesus explained pointedly to Nicodemus,   “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

Therefore, each of us should humbly and fearfully examine our own faith even as Paul challenges us in 2 Corinthians 13:5  “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.”   We can fool others and we can even fool ourselves, but not Jesus Christ.  Jesus knows what is in us.  He knows what is in our hearts and He alone is the Righteous Judge.  Only those who have saving faith will He commit Himself and His glorious salvation.

Again, meditate on the truth, “He knows what is in man.”  This includes you and me.

Leaving Judgment in the Hands of God

1 Samuel 26:9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him (King Saul) not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless?

David valued the Lord's honor more than he valued his own well-being or life. For months David lived in exile while escaping attempt after attempt on his life by the jealous King Saul. Now, King Saul had unknowingly fallen into David’s hands and in the eyes of the world and even his own men, David had every right to kill this mad adversary. 

Yet, David did not live by the world’s standard; instead, he lived by God’s. He knew that God was in control and that God is also faithful in His justice. He knew that God would bless his obedience for not taking vengeance in his own hands. Saul was the Lord's anointed and the Lord would surely judge him for his unjust acts. David was tested twice in this, and yet he remained faithful.

David honored the position of the anointed king and the Lord blessed his faithfulness by later anointing him as king. How many times have we robbed ourselves of future blessings by failing to wait upon God and taking matters, His judgments, into our own hands today?

Only Believe

Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

Jairus’ life came quickly to a crashing halt. News arrived that his little daughter had died. She was his precious darling and the apple of his eye. This man who had devoted his life to serving God was certainly devastated. Death had come uninvited into his home and claimed his most prized treasure. Being a ruler of the local synagogue he had access to the finest doctors but none had the necessary answers nor help for his daughter’s illness. 

His only hope, however thin, was from the controversial carpenter from Galilee who was gaining quite a reputation of being a healer and a miracle worker. Yet, now his little hope had vanished. He fervently tried to reach Jesus in time to bring this healer to his ailing princess, but his time ran out. Now she was dead. There would be no healing and there would be no rejoicing, only mourning. Jairus had faith that Jesus could heal but his faith ended there. His situation was now impossible. 

If only he could have realized that with God all things are possible, and that as he stood at the feet of Jesus he stood in the presence of God Himself. Jairus’ problem was not that his daughter had died, but that he had placed a limit on his faith and with this limited faith fears soon overwhelmed him. Therefore, the merciful Christ encouraged him to not be afraid, but only believe. Jairus did believe and his faith was rewarded with the resurrection of his daughter by the Resurrection and the Life personified. Never place a limit on the limitless Christ.

Living Each Day as a Gift from God

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it. ESV

In an proclamation of praise the psalmist gives us the key to a life of daily joy. He reminded us of the simple truth that “every day is a gift from God” and therefore we should live each day in knowledge and the attitude that “I am a blessed man.” He emphasized “this” or “today” is the day that the Lord hath made: not yesterday nor tomorrow, but “today”. Yesterday is past and cannot be reclaimed and tomorrow may never come.

Therefore, we should live our lives one day at a time enjoying it as a precious gift from our Lord. Sadly, I believe that many forget this simple truth and thereby living presumptuously that every day is a given and wasting the precious moments that have we have been graced. Not only do we rob ourselves of each day's blessing, but we rob God of the praise He is due.

Another simple truth in close relationship is that “Life itself is a gift from God and should be handled as such.” I must admit that I have not been a good steward of this truth at many times in my adult life. I have at times become so caught up in “doing life” that I have robbed myself of “celebrating life.” I have been so busy in the management of life, the ministry of life, and the work of life that I have forgotten to enjoy life.

At times I have forgotten to enjoy the very basic realization that every day is God's new gift of life. Every breath I take, every butterfly I see, every melody I hear, every morsel I taste, every person I encounter, and even every challenge I face is a part of life and that life is a gift from God and is to be enjoyed. The very idea that God should grace me with anything should result in my praise and gratitude. Yet, there have been too many times that I have simply trudged through day after day thinking to myself “this is vanity.” Wow, I sound like the preacher of Ecclesiastes. God forgive me.

Oh, what a wasted life that does not receive and live each day with merriment understanding that day as God's precious gift. Oh, how God must be insulted and grieved when we trudge through life complaining about the monotony and the troubles rather than rejoicing and celebrating each precious moment.

What about you? Do you live each day as a gift of God or do you trudge through each day in monotony and complaint? Let us each be reminded of the proclamation of the psalmist, “This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Let us understand and live each day as a precious gift from God. Let us celebrate life!

Let us not grow weary

 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.  2 Thessalonians 3:13

Paul was speaking a challenge to his brothers and sisters in Christ to keep their chins up and their hearts encouraged as they continued to serve their Lord. He understood from personal experience that walking faithfully as a follower of Jesus can and will become tiring and weary at times. God's word is very clear that a faithful follower of Christ will face many difficulties on life's path. Our Lord Jesus had explained, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Paul himself had tasted the bitterness of pain and tribulation in the service to Christ. He had been stoned and left for dead for preaching the gospel, but he and Barnabas continued to proclaim God's word. Then Paul returned to the same city of his stoning "strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God'"(Acts 14:22). Paul practiced what he preached. He would not give up and challenged us to do the same.

Paul's focus was not on his difficulties, but on those whom he was ministering. He did not take the time to feel sorry for himself as this was the cost of serving Christ. Was this not the same pattern that Christ Jesus had set before us? We should rejoice that our Lord did not grow weary in well doing as our salvation and eternity was secured through His faithfulness. Let us be thankful for those who persevered before us so that we may hear the glorious gospel. Let us also be faithful and not grow weary as there is much work to be done and remember more words from Paul, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” (2 Cor 4:17). ---To God be the glory!

Giving Thanks for the Thorns

 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.       ----2 Corinthians 12:9-10 

What a joy to gather around our tables this Thanksgiving day to enjoy good fellowship, good food and most importantly to give thanks for the abundant blessings the Lord has poured out on us this past year.  A tradition of many is to allow each person around the table to take time to list what she/he is grateful.  These times can be contemplative and sometimes emotional as we think upon the many ways God has moved in our lives recently.  Even last night at a pre-Thanksgiving meal my heart was moved by the thanksgiving made by Sarah, a beautiful young single mom who chose life and has been blessed by a precious son, Jack, and now has found life in her new relationship with Christ a few months ago.  Two years ago the world seemed to be collapsing around her but through God’s grace and mercy she is now experiencing the abundance our Lord has promised.

Yes, God’s grace is sufficient as He reminded Paul during his time of deepest trials. It is during those darkest moments of life, those torturous thorns and infirmities that life sometimes gives us, that we can truly see the grace and power and faithfulness of our loving God and Savior.  Except for the thorns of life we would not be shaken from our own self-sufficiencies and weaknesses and come to understand that our sufficiency comes from Christ and Christ alone.  Only through the pain and the confession of our weaknesses can we hear the great promise, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness," and then turn our thorns into a matter of thanksgiving as the apostle Paul proclaimed with a grateful heart, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

This Thanksgiving as we take time to thank God for all the “good” things that He has so graciously blessed us with, let us not forget to also thank Him also for the thorns by which He revealed His strength and sufficiency.  To God be the glory!

God bless and Happy Thanksgiving