I learned a couple of weeks ago about an older gentleman who passed away. I had only known him for about twenty years. He was always smiling and had such a sweet, gentle spirit of God about him. He was very positive in his attitude and way of life and very encouraging, too.
He was the kind of man that you never minded being around. When I met him, he had already aged. Wrinkled skin, and what hair he had was grey. If there were ever an “Adopt a Grandparent” program, he would be the first man to be picked. Hearing of his passing was difficult to accept, but knowing that he was now in heaven and that I was prepared to go there myself, I knew I would see him again. So I didn’t have to say, “Goodbye,” but instead said, “See ya later.”
If you are ready to stand before God and know that your sins have been forgiven by accepting Jesus Christ into your life, and a person you know has, too, then you have the hope of seeing them again. But if one of you has not accepted Jesus, then when death occurs, you or they will never be seen again.
I never did find out when his funeral was going to be, so I didn’t attend. But a few nights ago, I had a dream with him and his wife in it. The atmosphere was nice and sweet. The sun was shining very brightly, and the birds were chirping. We were trying to get somewhere but had trouble finding the correct path that would lead us to our destination. The three of us laughed at our struggle and kept trying.
When I woke up and recalled the dream, I had a good feeling in my spirit. I knew it was me saying to him, “See ya later.” Then, watching him walk ahead alone, leaving his wife and me behind.” I’m glad I had the opportunity to know him and spend the time we had together.
I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you, Phi. 1:3 (ASV)
And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don’t want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus. 1 Thes. 4:13-14 (MSG)
When you are at a crossroads, it means you have a decision to make. Sometimes, what to do can be painful. Jesus faced such a time when he was talking to his heavenly Father about facing impending crucifixion on the cross.
He pulled away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, “Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?” At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face. Luke 22:41-44 (MSG)
Since the entire Christian faith is based upon Jesus dying on the cross, I can’t imagine what we would do if he hadn’t. As a human, I can understand why he wouldn’t want to. After all, he was an innocent man. But he knew taking on all the sins of the world was the whole reason he came to Earth, to begin with.
Jesus’ Father did indeed help him face the cross and continue up the hill to do His will.
What decision are you facing? Are you going to do God’s will, or are you going to decide what you want? Your heavenly Father is waiting to help you if you will only ask. Doing what God wants may be painful and challenging, or it may not make sense to you or others, but I assure you it is the right decision and could change the lives of others for the better.
Today is “Good Friday.” The day we recognize that Jesus died on the cross. Every person on Earth comes to their own crossroad where they face the cross. They have to make a decision: are they going to accept Jesus and his forgiveness for their sins, or are they going to turn and walk away? I pray you nail your sins to the cross and begin to truly live life the way God intended, with Him and His love. Do it today, and today will be your “Good Friday!”
“Thank you, God, for giving us your Son. Thank you, Jesus, for doing the hard thing and submitting to the cross. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for raising Jesus from the dead and for rolling the stone away from his grave. I will be eternally grateful.” – Mark
This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. John 3:16-18 (MSG)
I had been spending my devotional time reading the book of Isaiah (in the Old Testament). I read it from “The Message,” which is a modern-day English translation of the Bible. I enjoyed the words of encouragement and God’s promises. As I was finishing up, a high school friend posted the following on Facebook. (I edited parts of the post to shorten it.) I knew some of this information but not all of it. I was especially moved to learn that the prophet Isaiah was cut in half.
Isaiah – was cut in half for the gospel we are enjoying today.
How the Apostles died:
Matthew – suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound.
Mark – died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.
Luke – was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.
John – faced martyrdom when he was boiled in a huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution In Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos. The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern-day Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.
Peter – was crucified upside down on an X-shaped cross. According to church tradition, it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.
James – The leader of the church in Jerusalem was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club.
James, the Son of Zebedee, – was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was beheaded in Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James was amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.
Bartholomew – also known as Nathaniel, was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present-day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia, where he was flayed to death by a whip.
Andrew – was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece, after being whipped severely by seven soldiers. They tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: “I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.” He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.
Thomas – was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the sub-continent.
Jude – was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.
Matthias – the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.
Paul – was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero in Rome in 67 A.D. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.
Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their times for the sake of the faith.
(Original source and author unknown.)
13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. Mat. 24:13-14 (NLT)
Did their murderers stop God by killing the prophets and apostles? No, and the servants of God have changed the world. Are you changing the world? Am I? There may be, or there may come, persecution for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. For showing the world a better way to live. God’s way. A way that is based on love. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to tell others about Jesus.
Yes, as a servant of God, what a horrible way to die, but what a wonderful way to live!
Have you ever noticed how easily people are persuaded to believe one thing over another? They hear someone who comes across as halfway intelligent, and they think they must know what they are talking about! Just because someone uses big words or overwhelms you with “so-called facts” doesn’t mean they are right! There are a lot of smart people out there, but the problem is they define “truth” their way. They will try to convince you that how “they” live is the right way to live. Then, some yell and scream to be heard over the crowd. Are they right?
“Who talked you into the pursuit of this nonsense, leaving me high and dry, forgetting you ever knew me? Because I don’t yell and make a scene, do you think I don’t exist? I’ll go over, detail by detail, all your ‘righteous’ attempts at religion, and expose the absurdity of it all. Go ahead, cry for help to your collection of no-gods: A good wind will blow them away. They’re smoke, nothing but smoke.
“But anyone who runs to me for help will inherit the land, will end up owning my holy mountain!” Is. 57:11-13 (MSG)
It’s challenging to convince someone that God’s way to live is the best way if they have never tried it!
They will often vomit their objections, and the truth is that they are sick. In fact, they are so sick they are dying. For not accepting God’s gift of salvation via his Son, Jesus is eternal death. So what do we do as those who have been enlightened? We keep praying for them, and we live our best lives with God in front of them. Almost obnoxiously so they can see how much better our life is with God than their life is without. Not that our lives are perfect, but we walk through it with God in front of us. Perhaps they will become jealous and give in. Then, they will say:
All to Jesus, I surrender All to Him, I freely give I will ever love and trust Him In His presence daily live
All to Jesus, I surrender Humbly at His feet, I bow Worldly pleasures all forsaken Take me, Jesus, take me now
All to Jesus, I surrender Lord, I give myself to Thee Fill me with Thy love and power Let Thy blessing fall on me
I surrender all I surrender all All to Thee, my blessed Saviour I surrender all
There are many ways to share God with people. I have either heard or watched as others tried their way. One person told two young women they were going to split hell wide open. He judged them after learning they were lesbians. That wasn’t a very effective method at all. I told the individual, “Those ladies needed to hear of God’s love, not your judgment.”
I watched one Saturday night as an individual argued “religion” with another person, thinking they were going to convince them to accept their views and accept Jesus. It didn’t work.
People come to God in many ways. One way of sharing God that I have found to be effective is what I like to call “Lifestyle Evangelism.” If you come across an individual that you know you are going to be seeing from time to time, you can start sharing God and his love little by little. Whether it is going out of your way to help them, or remembering them in a time of need, or if they are celebrating a life event.
Eventually, they begin to realize that you are not “weird” but that you really do love God and want to love on people. People will begin to see that you and your way of life are so different from anyone they have ever known. It happened to Jesus. This can lead them to ask or to be open to hearing how to accept Jesus Christ into their life.
People don’t like to be controlled; they prefer to be led.
You could put it this way: people don’t want to be told what to do. But they are sometimes open to being led in the way they should go. Jesus is the way. Show people the way. Show people, Jesus!
Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NET)
Be imitators of me (Paul), just as I also am of Christ. 1 Cor. 11:1 (NET) (The insert of the name “Paul” is mine.)
Have you ever read something or heard something and had a new thought? Something that has never crossed your mind before? That happened to me today. Now, I have listened to or read Psalms 23 many times. Most of you probably have as well.
The line: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” got a new thought today.
The part that got my attention was the “shadow of death.” It is not actually “death” but its shadow. Shadows may appear scary, but they are not as frightening as the thing that is casting the shadow. Then, and this is big, there can only be a shadow if there is light! Jesus said of himself that he is light. In fact, the light of the world.
Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (ESV)
No wonder one doesn’t have to fear evil when they go through a valley or time in their life that can be filled with uncertainty because “thou (Jesus) art with me!” It’s comforting to know that Jesus, our shepherd, walks with us in life. He leads us and guides us like beside “still” waters so we can quench our thirst. Or to tables so we can eat relaxed, even in the presence of our enemies. If you miss what is going on here, it’s this: if you can trust Jesus with your life, you can live life even though things around you are not as good as you would desire them to be.
You will be comforted; you will be anointed so the smallest parasites of life can’t harm you. In fact, although life may be unstable around you, you will be blessed beyond anything you can imagine. Goodness and mercy will follow you wherever you go, and then, at the end of it all, you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
It’s not a bad gig for simply placing your trust in Jesus. You’ve got nothing to lose and real life to gain. The kind of life God intended for you all along.
On any spring Friday afternoon in a small town in Iowa, there is a baseball game. It is for anyone who wants to play, who used to play, or who wants to sit, watch, and root for their favorite team. As for me, I used to play pee-wee ball. I was never very good compared to the other boys my age. I had severe allergies, so, therefore, my muscles were not as developed as theirs were. Since I couldn’t play like they did, the coach would have me run bases after he hit the ball in different locations on the field. Since that is what I practiced, I became good at base running.
But this story isn’t about me. However, I will add the fact that on game day, when we were wearing our jerseys, they would make me “Brady” sit to the left of the other bench warmer, whose last name was “Bunch.”
No, this story is about Harry Stamford. He played second base on the team opposing mine. Harry was good. Actually, he was an outstanding player. He seemed to be gifted in knowing where to put the ball in play.
In one particular game, I made it to second. Harry got mad because he barely missed the tag that would have thrown me out. Seeing his disappointment in himself, I began teasing and harassing him when I happened to look down, and I saw a tear in the base. I went on to score, but our team still lost. After the game, I asked my coach about the rip in second base. I asked, “What damaged second base, and why hasn’t it been replaced?” He immediately shushed me as he quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard me.
He leaned into me and said, “During a game about twenty years ago, Harry was on second base when all of a sudden, there was a flash of light, and something hit the bag, tearing it. Harry fell, and so the umpire called “time” to see if he was alright. He said something scraped the back of his leg. We raised his pant leg, and there was a bleeding scratch, so we bandaged it. Harry said he was okay with staying in. After the game, when I was gathering the bases, I saw the rip and reached in. I found a rock. I took it to the community college here in town, where the science professor identified it as a small meteor. Ever since that day, we have noticed that Harry’s baseball skills have improved, and he plays like a young man in his late twenties, but we don’t talk about it.” “Would you believe Harry is 79 years old?”
“Wow! That’s an amazing story, and no, I certainly had no idea he was that old.” After that day, I stopped heckling Harry anytime I was on second base. And I started watching him closer.
One afternoon, before the end of the season, I noticed Harry getting out of his car. He was moving very slowly, although he still had on his uniform as if he was going to play. I walked over to him and apologized for all of the times I had heckled him when on second base. He said, “It’s okay. Just part of the game.” I then took his arm to help him to his team’s dugout. I asked, “Harry, are you okay?” He sat slowly on the bench and replied, “I saw my doctor on Monday. He said I have a fast-moving cancer. He told me to get my affairs in order.” I knelt and said, “Harry, I am so sorry to hear that.” He looked into my eyes and said, “I will miss my wife, family, and grandchildren. I will also miss playing baseball, and maybe you.” I laughed and then told him I would be praying for him.
The other players showed up, and the game was about to start when one player on Harry’s team noticed Harry’s eyes were shut, and he was slumped over. One of the doctors in our small town came to the dugout and, after a few minutes, announced that Harry was gone. A silence grew over the ballfield as word got out. They laid Harry down on the bench, and his best friend went over the flagpole. He lowered the flag but then removed it and used it to cover Harry’s body. He told everyone that Harry was a veteran.
“Now what?” asked one of his teammates. His coach said, “I think Harry would want us to play ball, so let’s go out there and win this one for Harry,” and they did.
The following week, Harry’s funeral was held. There were a lot of people in attendance, and many spoke publicly of Harry’s life and how he had not only helped them in one way or another but also talked to them about God and always asked if they wanted to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Many of them said they did.
Some may look back and say that the meteor gave Harry Stamford some extra strength that day while he was playing second base. I would say that it was God who was so pleased with Harry’s life and witness that He blessed him with what he needed to do the things that he enjoyed.
If you have never accepted Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Accept Jesus and truly live life.
My whole life, people laughed at me. They called me names that weren’t the ones my mother and father gave me. And what they called me hurt, too. When I was young, I would get mad and try to fight, but I usually only wound up getting beaten. As I got older, I would laugh along, but it still hurt deep inside.
What I should be called is Zacchaeus. In case you don’t know me, I am short. In a crowd, I am easy to miss or overlook. As I just mentioned, I was an easy target for jokes and for being picked on in general. I always tried to think of ways to get back with people. It usually didn’t work. It seemed as if someone would always see me and report me to the one I was trying to get even with. That usually resulted in more punishment and pain. Life was not that fun or even enjoyable.
Even as I grew up in the same town, people didn’t let up. They continued to heckle me mainly because of my size. I couldn’t believe how many ‘’short’’ jokes there were. There definitely was no ‘’shortage’’ of them. Just when I thought I had heard them all, someone would come up with a new one. I simply wanted to fit in. To be accepted. Not to be known as the short man with the short fuse.
When I was coming to the end of my education, I still hadn’t decided what career path to take. My father was putting a lot of pressure on me to decide. Then I thought of the perfect job for me to do. I would become a tax collector. That seemed like a good choice. If I wanted to, I could get back with everyone in town. There would be nothing they could do concerning their taxes because I would have Rome backing me up. I liked it. My father was disappointed, though. He said, ‘’Son, listen to me. No one likes to pay taxes, and they hate the tax collector just as much.’’ I quickly replied by shouting, “THEY ALREADY HATE ME!’’ “Well, then, you have nothing to lose. Just be an honest tax collector. Keep good records,” he retorted.
I tried, but I was always tempted to get even with those that laughed at me. An honest tax collector is unheard of. I would overtax on purpose, and when I did get caught, I paid the property owner back four times what he had overpaid. No other tax collector would do this. I really thought it would help with my reputation. It didn’t that much. The people still picked on me. I guess it never dawned on them to treat me nicely, and perhaps I would be nice to them. I wanted to treat people right out of respect and honor to my father, but at times, I couldn’t overcome the temptation. Life continued like this year after year. People kept teasing me, and I kept taxing them, according to Rome.
Then, one day, we heard news of a man coming to Jericho. His name was Jesus. What we heard was he taught about a new way to live. He taught about the kingdom of God. We also heard that he could perform miracles. Just this news coming to our town performed one miracle, and that was people forgot about teasing me. They were too busy talking about him.
The next day, people were clamoring for a good spot to see and hear this man Jesus. I went to work that morning as usual but found shops closed. I was thinking, Is this a holiday? Then I remembered what was happening that day. Evidently, I must have a short memory too. Because I was so late getting to the party, all of the good spots to see Jesus were taken. Every place I could think of that would get me elevated enough to see over the crowd was gone. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I started panicking when I heard the roar of the crowd getting louder and more excited. I thought they must be able to see something, I thought. I really didn’t want to miss it. Or should I say, “I didn’t want to miss him.” I mean, this was the biggest thing that hit my town since the walls came down. I wanted to see a miracle just like everyone else did, but I mainly wanted to see the man who proclaimed to be the Son of God.
I believed in God. I had learned about God when studying The Tora, and from my father. My father was a firm believer in God and His words. He also believed in the prophecies of the coming King. That is why I wanted to see this man, Jesus, so badly. It was difficult to believe that these prophesies could come to pass in my time, but why not in my time? I mean, they had to come to pass in someone’s time. If this indeed was the Son of God, and I believed that it was, then I wasn’t going to miss it.
I ran fast ahead of the crowd. I found a sycamore tree that would hold me, but I could also climb. I scrambled up the tree fast. I got squared away by finding a branch to hold on to. I certainly didn’t want to start getting teased for falling out of a tree. I knew I would hear jokes just for climbing the tree in the first place, but I didn’t care. I tore away at the big leaves this tree produces so nothing would block my view.
Here he came down the street, where I was excitedly waiting. My heart was pounding as my anxiousness grew. Oh my goodness! Any second now, I should be able to see the Son of God! I remembered thinking. There he was. Moving slowly down the street. Talking to different ones. Perhaps teaching as he answered their questions. Then he stopped and reached over to a paralyzed man lying next to the street. Jesus had to part the crowd to get to him, but when he did, he touched him. He said something, but I couldn’t make it out. The next thing I knew, the paralyzed man jumped up and started screaming with happiness, for now he was healed.
Jesus continued down the street. I did well. I had picked out a good spot. Now, as he got close, I could see and hear him. When he got right up, even with the tree I was in, he stopped. I thought, oh boy! He is going to perform another miracle right in front of me. Well, he sort of did. He turned, looked right up at me, and said, “Zacchaeus, come down out of that tree, for today I will be a guest at your house.” I couldn’t believe what I had just heard! No one could. First of all, he knew my name. Secondly, he didn’t make any short jokes. Thirdly, he wanted to be a guest at my house. No one socialized with a tax collector except another tax collector. This man was no tax collector. He didn’t come to take but to give.
Those that heard Jesus say this and were shocked. They were also indigent. They felt Jesus had no business being with me, much less in my house as a guest. They considered me a crook, and to be honest, at times, I was. When Jesus got to my home a little bit later, we talked. I asked him why he was there. He called me a son of Abraham and then said today was the day of salvation. When those words came out of his mouth, I felt a warm sensation in my heart.
That day and every day since I not only knew for a fact that Jesus was the Son of God, but I also believed. I continued to be a tax collector, but now I was truly an honest tax collector. I was able to bring honor to my father after all. For those who were struggling to pay their taxes, I helped. Some would get caught up with what they owed and pay me back. Others never did, but I never told anyone. Little by little, as people saw the difference in me, they knew I had been in the presence of Jesus and that my encounter had changed me. I was even able to witness to others and, through my encounter, see their lives change as well. Suppose one might say that in life, I didn’t come up short after all.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. Luke 19:1-9)
If you have never had your own encounter with Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Encounter Jesus and change your life.
I once thought my thirst couldn’t be quenched, but that was before. Before I met the man who out of him I drew living waters. I’m getting ahead of myself.
I guess you might call me a strong-minded woman. I mean, others have. So what if I think of something and want to do it or say it? But some people, especially most men, have a real issue with that. I don’t understand why women have to be quiet in some places and, especially, around men. We’re just as smart as they are! Being like that has always gotten me into a lot of trouble. Even when I was a young girl growing up at home. I stood up to my father and challenged his teachings. That frustrated him to no end. He would even tell me, with my mouth, that I would have trouble keeping a man if I could even find one. My mother tried to change me, but I am also very stubborn.
Well, it turns out my father was right. I guess the men I married all thought they could change me after we were married. I certainly didn’t try to hide who I really was. There couldn’t have been any great surprises. I would think they all had to know what they were getting into. Perhaps they thought they were up for the challenge, but I have seen that when a strong woman challenges a man, it just drives him crazy. The man will usually either respond by trying to reason with me, get mad and walk away, or strike me. I don’t put up with that last response at all. I always tell them, “You just made a horrible mistake. Don’t ever do it again.” Of course, they don’t appreciate being told this either. I begin to think I should have been born later in time. I’m hoping women are treated differently at some point.
Husband number one: After I got married, he told me he was going to train me to be a proper woman. I had to laugh. I told him, “You know what I was like, so if you didn’t like it, why in the world would you marry me?” He replied by saying, “I thought sure I could change you.” I taught him that women like me don’t want to be trained. We want to be understood and accepted for who we are. I was only with husband number one for five months. We were arguing about what I should be doing around the house, and after an hour or so, I guess his tolerance level had been maxed out, and he struck me. I did stop talking. Instead, I gathered what I could hang on to in my arms and left the house. I went over to my girlfriend’s house. We talked about what had happened. She agreed with everything I had told my husband but suggested that life would be easier if I just kept my mouth shut and did whatever he asked me to.
He asked me to come back without even apologizing for what he had done. Foolishly, I did. Things were okay for a while, but then another argument came up. After he hit me for the second time, I told him I wanted a divorce. I got the piece of paper, but that was it. I guess he thought I would come crawling back to him if I couldn’t make it on my own. Ha! I’m cute, I thought. I’ll get by.
Husband number two: I tried to be more careful with the second man. I gave him more time to get to know me. I told him I was never going to change, and he said he accepted that. He courted me well. He would buy me nice things to wear. He would also buy jewelry. Fine gold necklaces and earrings. He traveled a lot. This is where he would get a lot of the gifts that were somewhat exotic for me. By that, I mean the things we didn’t see around here. It seemed as if he would buy me something after every trip. I told him he didn’t need to, but he always said he enjoyed showing me how much he loved me just as much as he liked telling me he loved me. And wow! He knew how to use words to express his love. The man’s tongue must have been as smooth as a nicely made clay jar. I think his ability to speak smoothly is what made him a successful businessman.
We did get married, and things seemed to be going well. I was happy with this man, and he seemed pleased with me. Perhaps this relationship was working because he got frequent breaks from me. He could get away from my stubborn personality and my unbridled mouth.
I learned from my girlfriend how to keep the house. I also learned from her that I should fix one of his favorite dishes for dinner on the days he was due to return home. I began thinking I had finally found a man who accepted me. We both settled into the rhythm of the relationship. We had even started to talk about children. Then, one day, I discovered a woman’s scarf in his dirty laundry. I knew it wasn’t mine, but I didn’t want to believe for even a moment that it belonged to another.
What is this? Why is it here? Where did it come from? These were the questions that I couldn’t answer, and I seriously doubted he would answer them. On the day he returned, I had the scarf around my neck. The look on his face answered all of the questions I had wondered. He stood there and gazed at me for a while. Then he bravely told me the truth. He told me he had another wife in another town. The town where he did most of his business. He assumed the lavish gifts would keep me quiet and help me never to question where he was and what he was really doing. He also admitted that I was a very strong woman and that he had never liked it, but that he enjoyed my beauty and my playful side, and that was why he married me. Then he spoke the real truth when he informed me that his trips gave him the breaks he needed from me.
Naturally, I was crushed. Life seemed so good. When he came home from his next trip, he handed me divorce papers. At least he was nice about it. He allowed me to take anything from the home I wanted or thought I would need. He gave me money, too. I didn’t want to live with a man whose heart was divided, but I wasn’t strong enough to ask him for a divorce. Perhaps my strength as a woman was fading. I was with him for two years.
Husband number three: After going through what I did with the first two husbands, I wanted to fight back. I wanted to hurt a man. Any man. I wanted to show them that a woman could play with one’s heart just as easily as they could. I went hunting for the right one. I would talk to them to see if they would expose any weaknesses. I wanted to learn if they were really in love with their woman or with her just for play. I wanted to try to find a man whose heart was wicked. One whose love would be untrue. I’m sad to say it didn’t take long.
I found a shop owner who seemed to be the kind of man I wanted to hurt. He was married, had several children, a high position on the town council, and a successful business. He had a lot to lose. As a bonus, I got to know his wife. A woman who thought she was the queen of Sychar, the town I lived in. She would so easily speak ill of anyone for any reason. I knew if I could pull this off, it would be a major victory.
I knew I would have to be very subtle in my plan to seduce him. I would have to start small. I would have to hold my tongue at times. Instead of my usual way, I would have to say words that a man likes to hear. I would have to list in front of him his greatness, his wealth, his status, and his power.
I put my plan into action. I would go by this man’s shop at first every other day. I would hope that on the days he didn’t see me in the flesh, he would see me in his mind that his thoughts would be turned to me. That the thought of me would begin to consume his mind. I noticed that, as I flattered him, he would look at me differently than he would at other women shopping. He would smile. I could see my plan working.
Then I started going there every day. Each visit seemed to last longer and longer. I held back from expressing my views and opinions. I complimented him on how smart he was and how he appeared to be extremely wealthy. I could see that, with each day and with each conversation, he was buying my act. And oh, how I made him pay!
It wasn’t long before he asked me to enter his shop via the back door. In the back room, he talked very seductively to me, and then he got comfortable enough to touch my arm or hold my hand. Then, one day, he leaned over and kissed me. He wanted to go further, but I told him, “No.” I informed him that if he wanted more, he would have to get a divorce first and then marry me. He let me know he was married. After weeks of playing around, I told him he needed to make a decision. Either her or me. Four days went by before he told me of his decision. He picked me. I couldn’t believe it.
It took what seemed like forever, but we got married, and I moved into his house. His previous wife was furious. She, really, was the one that started the rumors around town about me. She called me a home wrecker. My new husband told me not to let it bother me, but it did.
It was time for “Act 3” after I got him to trust me totally. I took most of the jewelry he gave and sold it. I took most of the clothes he had bought me over to my girlfriend’s house. Then, I hid whatever money I could get my hands on. When I had done all of this, I told him I wanted a divorce. He was devastated. As a result, he lost his position on the town council. He had to sell his business. His ex-wife wouldn’t come back to him. His children despised him. The feeling of victory didn’t last long enough.
Husband number four: This man was much older than the previous two. In fact, he was a lot older than I was. He was old enough to be my father, and he was a friend of my father’s. That is how I first met him. My father had invited him over to celebrate one of our holidays. At first, it felt really odd to fall in love with an older man, but I was drawn to him by his smile, and he was so funny. He made me laugh a lot. I always felt good when I was around him. He seemed as if he didn’t mind me for who I was, either. Maybe I made him feel young. I think, honestly, as people get older, they only get upset about the things that really matter. Somehow, they have figured out how to overlook the small things. Whatever it was, we seemed to work, and so when he proposed, I said, “Yes.”
Life was good with this man. Because he allowed me to be me, I found myself wanting to please him. For the first time, I felt like a man listened to me. He may not have always liked what I said, but he let me speak my mind. Occasionally, he would counter what I had said, but the difference between him and other men is he let me finish what I was saying first. I guess with him, I saw his respect and love. He would also ask me what I was thinking or what I thought about a particular subject. He would even engage me in matters of government. No man had ever done that before. I really loved this man. I think that is why his sudden illness and death took such a toll on me.
He had gotten sick, it seems, overnight. I had the physician come to our house, but it turns out there was nothing he could do. He gave me some powder, and I was instructed to mix it in water. I did this faithfully, but it didn’t seem to work. He passed away within a week. He left me lots of wealth, but I lost more than anything money could buy. I had lost love. I missed him so much. We had no children together, so I couldn’t share my grief with anyone who loved him as much as I did. My mourning lasted well over a year. Others tried to console me. I would smile and say, “Thanks.” But then when I was alone again, the hurt would come flooding back in.
Husband number five: About a year went by when I began feeling my heart had room to allow the love of another man. I truly missed the way my last husband accepted me and loved me. I missed his soft touch. I missed him brushing my hair. I missed him. I wondered if I would ever find another like the one I had lost. I decided it was time to look for another.
I put myself out there again. I met a couple of men, but they didn’t even come close to the kind of man I had. Then, one day, my girlfriend mentioned someone to me. I was skeptical at first. I hung out with him for a while. I didn’t disclose to him that I thought he was cute. I figured the longer I could hide my growing feelings for this man, the more I would see his true nature. He did seem to accept me. He was kind. He was hard-working. I told my girlfriend I liked him. Then I told him.
We got married the following month after a holiday. Everything seemed to be going well. It’s funny, after what I’ve been through with men, that I find myself trusting them so easily. Now that I was older, I had calmed down a bit with my mouth. Also, I had accepted what a woman in my time was supposed to do around the house. My girlfriend was proud of me.
The first sign of problems was when my husband told me he had lost his money belt. He said he needed to pay for some things at the market and asked me where I kept the money my last husband had left me with. I paused, and he yelled, ‘’What? You don’t trust your husband?’’ I thought about it some more, and then I told him where it was. I had the thought one can’t have real love without trust. So now he knew. Then, about two weeks later, he told me he had taken some so he could invest in a really promising business deal. I begin to get suspicious a little.
A month later, I asked him one evening how that business deal worked out. He first asked, ‘’what business deal?’’ Then he said, ‘’O yeah. That one. Real good. Really good. In fact, it’s so good I may need to borrow more until the first deal really gets going. You know, up and running. On its own feet, so to speak, but I promise you will get so much more back in return.’’
Six months later, I realized I hadn’t looked at the place where I had kept the money for some time. I couldn’t believe what I found. Nothing! Absolutely nothing. Everything was gone. All of the money. All of the precious jewels. Everything my past husband had given me. Gone. I just sat there on the floor and cried. I was sick to my stomach. How could I be so stupid? How could I have trusted him with so much? What did he do with it all? There was enough there to last both of us a lifetime. I was still lying there on the floor when he got home. He looked at me and said, ‘’I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. Those business deals didn’t work out after all.’’
I looked up at him with my soar bloodshot eyes and said, ‘’Tell me the truth. I deserve to know the truth.’’. He was silent for a long time, and then he said, ‘’I lost it all gambling.’’ “How could you?” I replied. Then, it all became clear to me. He just put up with me and married me for the money he suspected I had. He knew my previous husband and knew he had been a very successful businessman. Then, I learned another truth. My husband had lost his job several months ago. I was devastated. Needless to say, we got divorced.
The boyfriend: I needed help now to live. I was not able to survive on my own after my wealth was wiped out. Things were bad for me. Not only did I feel like a failure, I had to put up with the talk around town. People would stare and make comments whenever I walked by. They acted as if they thought I couldn’t hear them, but they knew the truth was I did. Their words hurt, but I just kept my head down and would keep going.
Because I became a social outcast, I found it less hurtful to draw water from the well at noon. The hot sun hurt, too, but at least it kept its commentary concerning my life to itself. My new life wasn’t the greatest, but I managed. The day-to-day duties kept my mind occupied most of the time. Then one day when I went to the well this man was there. I knew he was a Jew. Then he did the oddest thing. He spoke to me. You see, in my day, a Jew did not speak to a Samaritan. He asked for a drink of water. Then he said, ‘’Woman if you knew who I am, you would ask me for a drink.’’ I looked at him kind of crazy like and said, ‘’The well is deep, and you don’t even have a means to draw the water.’’ He went on to say, ‘’The water I speak of comes from within me. If you drank of it, you would never thirst again.’’ I certainly wanted some of this water, for I was so tired of hauling it. I asked him for some of this living water. He then told me to get my husband and come back. I wasn’t sure what to say.
After realizing this man didn’t know me or my reputation, I felt safe telling him that I had no husband. Then, the most amazing thing happened. He looked at me with tenderness and said, ‘’That’s nicely put. For you have had five husbands, and the man you are currently living with isn’t your husband.’’ I responded by saying that he must be a prophet. Then we talked about which mountain to worship on, and he informed me that one day, it won’t matter where you worship God, and even better, it won’t matter what you are called. That the only thing that will really matter is your heart. If you worship God in spirit and in truth. I wasn’t sure about all of this. I told him that, and I informed him that one day, the Messiah would show up to set it all straight. He then told me, ‘’I am He.’’
I ran back to town and started telling everyone, no matter what they thought of me, about this man at the well who knew everything about me. I challenged them by saying, ‘’I think this man is the Messiah! He was able to tell me everything about my life.’’ They all went out to see him for themselves.
I realized later in life that I was made the way I was for that very moment. In other words, I was not afraid to speak out loud to anyone. I was not afraid to express my views, beliefs, or convictions. After the day that went well, I never missed an opportunity to share with anyone about the Messiah, this man named Jesus.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. John 4:1-42)
If you have never had your own encounter with Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Encounter Jesus and change your life.
The five of us had been friends for as long as I can remember. I’ve joked over the years that we were so close we probably came from the same mother. Okay, so we didn’t look alike. We all grew up in the same neighborhood. If the five of us weren’t at one house, then we were at another. Usually, one of our mothers would get tired of us boys being boys and send us to the next house. We did everything together. We played games together. We went to school together and a lot of the time we ate together. Whoever’s house we were at when it was time to eat, we did.
As we grew, so did our bond. When someone picked a fight with one of us, they really were picking a fight with all five of us. Whenever one of us got a new tunic, we would give our old one to whoever needed it. We also helped each other with school. I guess what I am saying is when one rejoiced we all rejoiced. When one experienced sorrow, we all did. At that time, I had no idea how long this bond would last or how far it would go.
The accident that paralyzed me from the neck down happened on a hot and muggy day. Being teens, we went off on our own to the local swimming hole. It was extremely crowded there that day, so we decided to go down a ways. We had never swam there before, but it certainly looked okay. I felt I had to be the show off that particular day, so I disrobed quickly, then ran and dove head first into the water. Yep. Sure enough, there was a rock ledge under the water that I didn’t know about. Instantly, my spine was snapped. The other guys thought I was joking around when I didn’t surface, but then they jumped in and found me in the murky water and got me to the surface for air.
They carried my limp body to my parent’s house. The local doctor was summoned, but there was nothing he could do but confirm my parent’s concerns. I would never walk again or do anything on my own ever again but breathe. I was thankful to be alive, but in some ways, I would have rather died that day. For this was life, but it was not really living.
Days turned to months. I finally accepted my new life. I finally accepted someone having to feed me, clean me, and, worst of all, change me. My buddies still came and got me. They would still involve me as much as I could to be involved. Whenever they played games, I would watch, and if there were any disputes, they turned to me to settle them. As we all got older, our attention turned to girls. At first, the guys thought I would be a drag, but as it turned out, I was usually the one the girls felt the most comfortable being around. Maybe that’s because I was safe. I couldn’t touch them. There were only two parts to me that could still move. My eyes and my mouth. Believe me, I learned to use them to draw the girls in.
I would use my mouth to make the girls come over to us guys. I would say things like, ’ Who wants to ride on a flying carpet?’’ Or when I would be talking to a young girl, I would say, ‘’I promise never to leave you!’’ Another girl I told, ‘’Look at the bright side. You will always know where I am hanging out.’’ Once, I told a young lady if we were to get married, not to say, ‘’You lazy pig! You constantly lie around doing nothing.’’ She didn’t think that was very funny. My buddies laughed. When a woman would get close to me, she would usually tell me that I had pretty eyes. It’s not like she could flirt by saying I was fast or strong.
No matter how charming I was with my words, I was never able to convince a woman to marry me. And why should she? It would be a lot to take on. Not to mention me not being able to pull my own weight around the place. So, I watched my buddies all get married and start their families. Sure, we would all still get together, but it just wasn’t the same. I never believed they felt sorry for me. If they did, I wouldn’t have seen it. I thought this was how my life would go until I died. I tried to stay optimistic, but honestly, there were moments I would feel sorry for myself. I often wondered what good could come out of this.
One day, all of my buddies came running into the house. They were all talking loudly at the same time. They were so excited about the same thing, it seemed, but I couldn’t make out what it was. I got them to settle down long enough for one of them to be able to catch his breath and tell me what they were all trying to say to me. Apparently, there was a man named Jesus in town. The word on the street was this man had the power to heal people of anything. It was too good to be true, I thought.
They grabbed me and put me squarely on my mat. Each one grabbed a corner, and off we went. Their speed was incredible. I’m sure I enjoyed this speed when I was younger. I asked the guys to slow down, but they didn’t and said something like they didn’t want to miss this. My body bounced all over that mat. I wish I could have hung on, but… um no.
They turned a corner and came to an abrupt stop. I asked, “What is it?” “The crowd,” they said. “It is so great!” They froze. I could tell each one was doing their best to problem solve. Then one of my buddies shouted, “Look! Jesus is in that house over there!” Another buddy sighed as he said, “Of course. The house with the largest crowd outside of it. What are we going to do?” Then, it hit them all about the same time. “The roof!” “Yes, of course,” said another. “It will work! It has to work. That is the only way to get him in front of Jesus.” I said, “Are you all crazy?” Collectively, they all responded, “YES!”
So off we went. They found some stairs that led to the roofs. When we got to the roof above Jesus, they set me down. Okay, honestly, they dropped me. Three of them got on their knees and started digging with their hands frantically. You would have thought they were digging for gold or something valuable. I guess to them, me being healed was. I was thinking, “I hope no one recognizes me, Ha! But who am I kidding? Everybody knows or has heard of me.”
As my buddies started getting through the roof, you could hear the people below yelling and complaining about chunks of roofing materials hitting them in the head. I was about to tell my buddies to stop and to put everything back, but I didn’t for two reasons: 1) the damage had been done, and 2) there was no stopping these guys. They wholeheartedly believed what they had been told about this man, Jesus. It’s like they knew he could heal me without any doubts in their minds.
After they had completed making the hole big enough, the fourth buddy returned with some rope. They fastened the rope to each corner of my mat. Then they pushed me through the hole. I don’t know if they had more faith in Jesus or in those ropes holding me. Now, the crowd below understood what was going on. Those who could reached up and helped me down, and they positioned me in front of Jesus.
I looked into his eyes. I wanted to apologize for my buddies’ enthusiasm and for them making such a mess. I wanted to say to Jesus, “I’m sorry. I’ll clean it up before I go.” But of course, I knew I couldn’t. Actually, I couldn’t speak at all. I just looked into his eyes, and I saw love, wisdom, peace, and power. Jesus didn’t know me, but he knew why I was there. He looked up at my buddies still on the roof, and he smiled at them. He waived as if to say, “Good job guys. You get me.” Then he turned and looked at my limp body. It was as if, at that moment, he had seen all my tears and hurts and all the times I had asked God to heal me. Again, he looked up at my buddies and said, “Because of the faith of your friends, take up thy bed and walk.”
I felt a fire go through my body. I felt my bones get hard. Actually, I realized at that moment that I could feel everything again below my neck. So I quickly obeyed as if before he would change his mind. I got out of the prison that had held me down for so long. For some, their prison is actual bars. For others, it’s their sins, but for me, it was my health. Not anymore. I stood up. I slowly took a step and then another. I turned back to look at Jesus. I smiled so big. He smiled, too. I told him I was so grateful. He just said, “I know.” The people were applauding, cheering, celebrating. I looked up at my buddies. They were so happy as well, but tears of joy were flowing down their faces. Oh, as for the roof, I paid out of the family trust for all of the proper repairs to be made. I secretly kept a piece of the roof, though. It was a reminder of what Jesus had done for me, not that I needed it, but mainly as a testament to the faith of my buddies. Faith that says, “I believe even though I don’t know how I believe.”
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. Luke 5:17-26)
If you have never had your own encounter with Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Encounter Jesus and change your life.
brady, mark a. 