Occasionally, I’ll come across people scratching off lottery tickets while still at the store. It’s almost like they are at a “Lottery Bar,” and after a card is scratched, they tell the person at the counter, “Hit me again.” They sometimes will stand there for a while hoping, but spending on more cards the few dollars they win. They are taking a “chance” to win it big! Going from struggling to living on “Easy Street.” They don’t want to wait or work for it, but instead have it given to them as if they deserve it.
Some people have a similar attitude toward living life. They hope for things to change quickly and for the better. It seems as if these same individuals resist doing what they can to change things. They wind up leaving “life” to chance!
But they don’t have to.
If a person will give their life to God, accept his Son, Jesus, and ask for the forgiveness of their sins their wrongdoings, then they will enter a life where God will want to bless his new child who has entered into his family. Yes, there are Godly principles (not rules) to live by that make a difference in how your life goes. Now, I would be irresponsible if I told you that nothing bad will ever happen to you again. But if and when it does, God is there to lead you and guide you through it. And while experiencing an uncomfortable time, He is also there to comfort you. You may not understand why you are going through this, or you are asking, “What does this have to do with God’s plan?”
But if you trust him with the question, then you can trust him with the answer, whether you know it or not.
You don’t have to leave your life to “chance” but instead can have divine direction and deliverance. You won’t need to stand before God, “hoping” or “scratching” your way through life! Instead, you can be confident that the one who loves you more than you will ever know is right there with you. Oh! And please don’t scratch in public!
Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you. Isa. 41:10 (MSG)
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.
Do you think God is so cold and so hard-hearted that He will not open his arms to the one who comes to him? Do you think He looks in a book and says, “I’m sorry. You messed up too many times.”? Do you believe that what you have done is so horrible that you do not qualify for his love and forgiveness? If so, then you may not know God.
The words that have hurt so many. The lies that have deceived and led astray the innocent. The conniving, the stealing, the murder, the cheating. It has amounted to so much pain. Do you consider that your actions are too much for God to forgive? If so, then you may not know God.
Satan, the devil will tell you it is. That there is no room in God’s kingdom for someone like you. That you have failed, that you aren’t good enough, that you don’t measure up. If you have believed any of these lies, then you may not know God.
For God IS love. Everything He does stems from a heart full of love for you.
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. Rom. 8:31-39 (MSG)
Ask him for his love and forgiveness, and he will give it to you.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 Jn. 1:9 (NIV)
Have you ever noticed how many times a person can have a different opinion than yours? Are you surprised by this or angry? I mean, we want people to think like us or at least agree with us. One reason for this is due to the other person’s perspective.
Their perspective has been shaped by their upbringing, background, experiences, and even by their faith or lack thereof, and so has ours. It isn’t easy, at times, to see things from their vantage point. Unless you are discussing a matter of right and wrong, neither perspective may be correct or incorrect. Hopefully, you can agree to disagree if needed.
However, there is one perspective that is always right and true. That is God’s. How can one know his? By asking and reading his word, the Bible. There, you will absolutely know what is right and wrong, and you will know why very well. Some know how God sees things but refuse to agree with him, and they will continue to do things on their own.
Seeking God’s point of view in all situations is wisdom. A friend of mine and a fellow blogger lives by this and actually named her website “seekingdevineperspective.com.” There, she shares what God shows and teaches her, but more importantly, she lives it.
Changing your perspective can be revealing. Take another look at the photo. This time, I have posted it from the original perspective of the photographer. Do you see it? Simply a series of rocks or a man reading?
Be open to other’s views of life, but be more open to God’s.
“I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Isa. 55:8-9 (MSG)
April has shared with me that she often will ask God, “Why did you make me the way you did?” Perhaps you have wondered the same thing about you. April finds tackling some subjects and issues in life challenging. It bothers her when others don’t struggle with those same things.
That is when I start reminding April that she is unique and has the strengths that others desire. For instance, she has this unbelievable talent for cooking these amazing dishes from leftover ingredients in the refrigerator. I had an uncle who once confessed to me that he would make chili from whatever he found in his frig. Needless to say, he also admitted that some of those items were past their expiration date, but he didn’t want to waste them by throwing them out. I never ate his chili!
April is indeed an excellent cook! I’m a lucky man! She is also a good teacher. Young children love her and respond when she speaks. But even in general, children are drawn to April. I believe this is because she is full of God’s love. They sense His presence on her and are attracted to her. Then, there is a particular kind of innocence about her. I can stand still in the entryway of a room and watch her. Then, whenever she sees me, she lights up with the cutest, sweetest smile you have ever seen. April was fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:13-16 (MSG)
13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
No one else could be April. God made her unique. He has gifted her like no other. She also operates with the spiritual gift of discernment. She can meet someone and know about them or their motives. As my helpmate, something I have learned to rely on. As her namesake, “April Joy,” she brings a lot of happiness into our home. God made you unique, too. He designed you for his purposes. If you are struggling with life, then perhaps you are really struggling with letting God have control.
April isn’t perfect, though. God is still working on her, as He is with all of us. Don’t be puzzled. There may be pieces missing in us—pieces that God will put in place in his timing. One thing is for sure: one day, we will be complete with all the pieces in their proper place.
There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. Phil. 1:6 (MSG)
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.
Like most young women, I was excited about my upcoming nuptials. My mother and I were anxious to see my wedding dress completed. I was the oldest child of six. My father was desperate for a son but wound up with daughters, so needless to say, he didn’t have a whole lot to do with us.
We all knew he loved us, but he had a funny way of showing it if he showed it at all. Perhaps that’s where my warped view of love and sex started. He loved my mother but wasn’t very affectionate with her, at least in front of us. To us girls, the only way we saw that he cared was by working very hard to provide for us. He was a fisherman. We offered to work with him, but he said it was no place for a woman. I think this is one reason he had always held out hope for a son.
My dress was now complete and just in time, too. My wedding was a week away. I met my husband down at the docks when I would go down there to meet my father. Every once in a while, he would allow me to help him bring his catch home. My fiancé was a tall, young, strapping man. It was definitely love at first sight. The first time he looked at me, a tingling sensation filled my entire body. We both just stood there, feeling awkward, but it was like we didn’t care. I think my father noticed us looking at each other as well because he called out for me twice, and finally, on the third time, I responded. That evening, on the way back to the house, my father told me his name and said he thought he was an okay guy because he was a good, hard worker.
As the days went on, I would go down to the docks more and more. I would take every opportunity to get to talk to him. Eventually, my father invited him over for dinner. Okay, I actually think this was my mother’s idea. No matter who thought of it, I liked it. I had high hopes he would not just be a good provider but a good man.
The wedding and the festivities afterward went well. That night, we moved into our modest home together. Of course, we consummated the marriage. It was so strange being away from my family. The next several weeks went alright, but how did I really know? From the kind of interaction I had seen between my mother and father, I really didn’t know what to expect. I started out doing everything I had seen my mother do. All of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and everything else I knew to do. I tried so hard to please him. I prepared all of his favorite meals. Yet it seems I couldn’t please him. I knew he cared about me, but his touch was cold. It was as if his heart was having trouble opening up toward me. I don’t know, but I began feeling as if, to him, I was just a good-looking maid.
Perhaps he had picked up on the relationship between my mother and father and realized that I had been brought up to know my role in the home, which was to take care of the man. This is true I had, but…but I wanted more. I didn’t just want a roof over my head, food, and a new outfit every once in a while, but I wanted that as well as deep, passionate love and romance. Was that wrong? I don’t think so. Days turned into months, and I started to accept this was my life. It wasn’t bad, but I wanted more.
Then, one day, while I was shopping for our dinner, I bumped into a man and accidentally knocked his shopping bag out of his hand. I was so embarrassed. I quickly bent over and started picking what he had already purchased that morning. He just stood there, and before helping me, he laughed at my reaction to the situation. He took my hand and helped me back up after we had finished picking everything up. That’s when I saw his face. “Wow”, I thought to myself. And what was this feeling now flooding my heart as he touched my hand? I was instantly swept away with emotions. Why did he touch me? And in public? He had to have known I was a married woman. There was definitely something very different about this man.
What was his name? Where was he from? Was he married? I wanted to know everything about him there was to know. I started apologizing, but before I could even finish, he told me not to worry about it. Wow. This man is so kind, I thought. I didn’t know what to say to him, so I commented on what he had purchased. It was a basket, some fruit to go in the basket, I presumed, and some candles. He told me that he was on his way home from doing business there, and he stopped at the market to pick up some things for his wife. Okay. He’s married, and he’s not from here, I noted to myself. “So, where are you from?” I asked. “Just a couple of towns over,” he replied. I knew as soon as I asked it was wrong, but it was too late to pull the words out of the air that asked him how often does he go through my town and when would be his next visit. I couldn’t believe how forward I was. I had never been so bold in all of my life, especially with a man! He said he would be coming through town in a couple of weeks.
After saying goodbye, I finished my shopping and headed home. As I cooked our meal, I must have been on autopilot because all I could think of was this man. This man was so smooth in his words and his touch when he helped me get back up from trying to pick up his belongings. I allowed myself the liberty of fantasizing about him and being with him. I would think his romance is equally as smooth. I wondered if this was the kind of man that could make me happy.
The two weeks until his return dragged on. Each day felt as though it was forty-eight hours long. I tried to hide my excitement as the day got closer, but I’m really not sure if I concealed it completely. I tried my best to keep to the routine. I certainly didn’t want to tip my husband off that I was even thinking about another man, but I was. All the time.
The day had arrived that he had said he would be back in town. I put on my best dress and just a little perfume. As I was getting ready, I wondered if he had been thinking of me as much as I had been thinking of him. I got to the marketplace early. One because I was so excited, and two because I didn’t want to miss him. I waited for what felt like an eternity until I caught a glimpse of him. At one point, I was afraid I had remembered his face wrong, but then, when I saw him, I knew I had gotten every detail right.
He came over to where I was pretending to be shopping. We were both nervous when we greeted each other. He told me he wasn’t sure I would even show up. Then he informed me he couldn’t stop thinking about me. About the way I wore my hair. My smile. My soft blue eyes and how soothing my voice was. Funny. Things my husband had never mentioned, but a stranger noticed. These words made my heart flutter. We decided it would be better if we continued talking in a less busy place.
We walked a ways from the market. Soon, we found a quiet place near a little stream. We talked, but the tone of our conversation was flirty. I thought my husband and I didn’t speak to each other like this, but I really didn’t want to think about my husband. We laughed a lot. I enjoyed the time, and I enjoyed his company. The time flew by, and I knew I had to get home and get dinner going, at least before my husband got home and suspected anything. I told my new friend I had to go. He quickly looked around and didn’t think he saw anyone watching us, so he quickly leaned in and kissed me, but I think someone did see us kiss. I couldn’t prove it. It was just a feeling. We agreed to meet the following week at the same spot.
It was a struggle to get through that next week. Especially thinking about him and not giving it away, as my mind was so distracted. I don’t think my husband suspected anything. One of the big problems, though, was that I kept comparing my new love interest to my husband. Saying things like, “I bet the other guy doesn’t do that at his house,” but the truth of the matter is that I really didn’t know.
On the day of our meeting, I bathed after my husband had gone off to work. I put some perfume on as well, but only a little. I went ahead and fixed a dinner so I wouldn’t be distracted by the list of things I had to do at home. I decided to leave a little early. I didn’t want to be late for sure, but another reason I left early was my heart was burning with excitement, and sitting around the house waiting seemed to make it worse. My heart already felt as if it was going to jump right out of my chest!
I got to the quiet spot. This helped me relax, but only a little. The sound of the little stream seemed to be playing a love song. Then, before I knew it, he was there. He looked really nice. We talked for a bit, then he carefully looked around, and after seeing no one, he kissed me. The touch of his lips on mine felt like cream, for his kiss was soft. I was experiencing so many emotions all at one time. It was like I was several people living several lives all at the same time. I was a young girl being courted. A young wife cheating on her husband, but ultimately, I was a woman being romanced. I kissed him back. I began to feel he wanted more. He suggested we go to his room in the inn. I was scared. I was excited. I was curious, so I followed him.
When we got to the inn, I let him go first. Then, after waiting nervously and thinking everyone knew what I was about to do, I went to his room. Once inside, he handed me a glass of wine. I drank but kept my eyes on him. He had already closed the curtains. Now, he was turning back the covers of the bed. I noticed a fire in my gut. I started questioning myself. How did I get here? I realized I had succumbed to his flattery, to his compliments. I thought about my husband and knew the right thing to do at that moment was to leave, but I didn’t.
He sensed my hesitation and came over to stand behind me. His strong but gentle arms reached around me, and he began to caress my chest softly. I turned to face him and started kissing him feverishly. He then guided me to his bed. We both disrobed as we got into bed. I felt so scared to go through with this, but I wanted to know what it was like to make love to that kind of man.
We proceeded in the act of love when, all of a sudden, a group of men came bursting into the room as if this man was trying to kill me. To my surprise, they grabbed me. Somehow, I managed to grab and pull one of the bed covers with me. I got the bed cover wrapped around me just as I was dragged out into the street. It was all happening so fast! One moment, I was in eternal bliss, and the next, I was in a courtroom. The men who barged in stood me up in front of this man who was in town. They called him rabbi, but later, I learned his name was Jesus. They told Jesus I had just been caught in the act of committing adultery. My mind was racing as I thought to myself, who knew where we were and what we were doing? We were so careful! Oh no! What will my husband say and do to me? Will he want a divorce?
I looked up at Jesus as he tried to silence the crowd that had gathered. The men were hurling questions at him like, “Shouldn’t she be stoned?” I found it funny at the moment that the man I was standing in front of was called a rabbi, but they were telling him what Jewish law said. And by the way, I thought, what about the man I was with? Where is he at this moment? Shouldn’t he be standing here right beside me? He is just as guilty as I am!
The crowd kept yelling, “Do something!” “We can’t have this going on in our town!” “Finish her off with the law!” “We have the right to stone her!” Jesus looked around into the eyes of each man there, and women too. This Jesus, I remember thinking, seemed so different than any other man I had ever met. He stayed calm in the middle of the verbal storm that was going on all around us. I fell to my knees and tried to hide my face. Then he knelt and started writing deeds and acts in the dirt. He wrote things like “cheated on taxes,” “stole from a business partner,” “lied,” “killed a man,” etc. Each time he wrote a word or phrase, he would look up at someone. I began to wonder if he was looking directly at the one he wrote about. While he was writing the words, he said to the crowd, “If you are without sin, then cast the first stone.” Little by little, the men at first, but then most of the women too left. They went on to whatever they were doing before this spectacle took place.
I soon realized it was just this man, Jesus, and me who remained. He stood back up and quickly reached down to help me back to my feet. I couldn’t look at him in the eyes. I was so ashamed. He gently took my chin and lifted my face, so I now had to look at him. He reached over and wiped away my tears. Then he spoke the most beautiful words. He said, “Woman. Where are your accusers?” I quickly began looking all around and found no one left standing with us. All of the stones that had been picked up to punish me for my sins had been dropped. It was just Jesus and me. He then went on to say, “They are not here to condemn you, and neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more.” It was at that very moment I felt real love for the very first time in my heart. It was freedom; it was like warm sunshine inside, and it was real. I had finally found the one I named “Real Love.”
When I got home, my husband was there waiting for me. Somehow, he had heard of what had taken place. I didn’t know what he would do or say, but to me, it really didn’t matter. “Real Love” had cast out all my fears. He looked at me and asked, “How could you?” I told him that I didn’t understand it all myself. He started to get angry, and I interrupted him. I told him the story of what had taken place that day. I certainly didn’t leave out the part about Jesus writing in the dirt and making the statement, “Ye without sin.” My husband bowed his head and walked away. I knew he was hurt, but he didn’t say any more about that day. Ever. A couple of weeks went by when I learned that one of my husband’s friend’s wife had seen me and the man down by the stream. She had hid in the bushes and watched us but also listened to us making plans. She was the one who alerted the “religious” ones that day what was taking place. Come to find out, she did this to me for revenge for marrying the very man she had wanted for a long time. She thought when I found out it was her I would be so mad, but one thing I had learned from “Real Love” was he remembers no wrong.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. John 8:1-11)
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 suppose my childhood started like most little boys. Hanging around my father, watching him work the family business as his father had taught him. Watching Dad was okay, but I got a little bored with it. As I got older, and my father would trust me, I would wander away from the shop. It was at those times that my curiosity would get me into trouble. I began stealing things to see if I could get by with it.
Yeah, sometimes I would get caught, but I usually didn’t. My father would scold me, but so what? This was nothing. Everything he would say went in one ear and out the other.
We lived on the side of the Sea of Galilee. The side where “the other people” lived. You see, we weren’t Jews. In fact, to the Jews, we were pigs. They really hated pigs. Something about the God they worshiped wouldn’t allow them to eat them. That pigs were unclean animals. Umm, I guess they considered us “unclean” as well.
As time went on, I got into more and more mischief. I became an avid gambler. I loved to bet on anything. Because I learned how to cheat, I usually won most bets and gambling games. Really, my life had become nothing but a game to me. What could I get into next?
I also became a lover of wine. It seemed as if when I was drunk, my life was tolerable to me. I really enjoyed hanging out with people like me. That was always the best. As you can probably figure out by now, I had lost interest in learning about the family business. I needed money, though, and found out there were people who were willing to pay me to do their dirty work. By dirty work, I mean they would ask me to put their competitors out of business. There were a lot of ways to do this. One way was to steal their inventory. Another was to set fire to their place of business. If that didn’t do it, you would send them a more personal message, like killing a family member.
Yes, I killed people. There was a weird sense of power after I would take the life of a human being. I sometimes thought of myself as a god. I became a pretty horrible person. I soon had a bad reputation in town. I wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything, and unscrupulous men in town knew I would do anything for the right price. That fearless attitude would someday be my downfall.
I also started dabbling in what was known then as the dark arts. I am talking about sorcery and the work of mediums. I thought it was cool that these people could communicate with the dead. In fact, I started telling them to teach me how to do it. It wasn’t long before I began to really get the hang of it. I wanted to do more, though. I felt powerful whenever I delved into these practices. After a while, those who taught me became afraid of me. They said I was going way too far into this and opening myself up to darkness. I liked it, craved it. I wasn’t afraid of it at all. I liked knowing things that others didn’t. I enjoyed them, thinking I was so powerful. At the time, I didn’t care where the power came from. All I cared about was getting more.
At first, everything was fine with me possessing this new power. I didn’t sense any harm in using it. Women were drawn to me as well. They liked being seen with such a strong, powerful, knowledgeable man. When a women wasn’t around when I wanted one, I would send for a prostitute to come to me. Then, one day, the owner of this power came to collect the cost of my using his power. I actually thought I could argue with him and win. Boy, what an eye-opener! One day, I thought I was at the top of the world, but the reality was that my soul now belonged to Lucifer, and when I couldn’t pay, I found myself in utter darkness.
He owned every part of me. I no longer had control of my mind or my body. He had me going around hurting anyone I saw. The people in town were now even more afraid of me. They would run in sheer terror. I was burning anything. I would kill anyone I could get my hands on. I would steal and destroy anything I wanted to. I had become hell on earth. What I thought I once possessed, I realized now possessed me.
The people in town even tried to overpower me so they could chain me down, but this proved to be a worthless endeavor as I could break the chains they attempted to use. Funny, now that I think back, I could free my body, but I couldn’t free my mind or soul. I really wanted to die, but after removing all of my clothes and cutting myself several times, I realized I couldn’t even control whether I lived or died. Some god I turned out to be.
To try to make things better, I moved out of town and into the cemetery. At least there, I couldn’t hurt anybody. The stench was fitting for what I had become. My life stunk. It was hell. One of the tombstones was for my father. I know when he died, he was ashamed of me. He was embarrassed for what I had become. At least he couldn’t see to what depth I had sunk. You know, I think every son, no matter what, wants their father to be proud of them. I never gave my father a reason to be.
Then, one day, I saw a boat heading toward me. I couldn’t believe it because no one ever came from the other side. And why would they come here? Hadn’t they heard about the evil man that lived in the cemetery? “Are they crazier than me?” I thought. They must have wanted trouble. Well, that’s certainly what they were about to get, and a lot of it.
I ran towards the boat as it landed. I was stopped in my tracks as soon as I saw the face of the first one out of the boat. I knew I had never seen this man before, yet something inside me knew him all too well, and with one look into his eyes, I could tell he knew me. I also got the distinct feeling he knew I had become possessed by many demons.
Those who were traveling with him jumped out of the boat with fury when they saw me approaching him. They yelled, “Jesus, no! Back away from that man!” I guess they thought I was going to hurt him, but I wasn’t, for before me stood a man who was not afraid of me or the demons inside me. I had never witnessed such confidence and peace from another individual. For the first time in a long time, I felt as though somebody had control of the situation. There was calmness in the air, but at that time, I had no idea it would soon come to me.
He asked me my name, but I was unable to speak for myself. The head demon inside of me spoke for me and said, “I am Legion. For there are many of us inside of him.” It was weird to me that I had no clue who was speaking to me, but the demons knew him. I could feel their fear swelling up inside of me. I think they knew their time had come to an end.
Jesus then began to call them out of me, but as he did, Legion quickly spoke up. He said to Jesus, “Wait! Don’t just send us out of him and back to hell. There is a group of pigs over there. At least allow us to enter those pigs.” I’m not really sure why he agreed, but he did. He commanded the demons out of me and allowed them to go into the pigs. I fell to my knees immediately. I felt so weak. Jesus commanded those with him to get a blanket, start a fire, and prepare dinner. As for the pigs, as soon as the demons entered them, the pigs began to squeal and took off, running for a high cliff that overlooked the sea. I thought for sure the pigs would stop as they approached, for they are relatively smart animals, but they didn’t. Right over the cliff, they went. Their handlers took off running for the town out of fear from what had just happened.
I guess those pig ranchers got to town pretty fast because the next thing I knew, a lot of people were coming upon us. When they arrived, they saw me sitting by the fire, eating and laughing with Jesus and his disciples. They couldn’t believe I was so calm. When they overcame their disbelief, they told how the pig ranchers came running into town and told them all that had happened. I think the townspeople were relieved I was acting like a human being again instead of like a demon, but then they had the nerve to get mad at Jesus for killing a large group of pigs. In fact, they were so angry that they asked him and his followers to leave immediately and never come back to their side of the sea again.
I would have thought they would have accepted him and begun to worship him as I had. It’s funny to me how people want the miracles of Jesus but not the lifestyle of Jesus. I enjoyed my new freedom. I had such a peace within me. It took me a long time to understand that by surrendering my life, I actually found life. I stayed on that side of the sea for the rest of my life. I knew that the others who lived there needed Jesus as well, and as badly as I had, even if they didn’t realize it. When those who knew me saw the change, it was easy to give them the reason for my conversion. I’m so glad that on the day of my transformation, Jesus told his disciples, “Let’s go to the other side.” I hope what I tried to do for him after that day made it worth it. I know it was for me.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. Mark 5:1-20)
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 first time I saw him, he was standing near the temple. There was such a crowd around him that he couldn’t even get inside. They were asking him questions about the law and what Moses taught them, and of course, they wanted to see another miracle. How many miracles does one have to see before you choose to believe that this man was who he said he was – the Son of God?
I believed right away, and it didn’t take a miracle to make me a believer. Perhaps it was a miracle? The miracle of a man displaying such love. I had never witnessed such peace and love flowing from anyone, much less a carpenter. Of course, I had my doubts, as everyone does at first. Can this be? Can God be walking among us as a man? I guess I managed to let my faith overpower my doubts. Sure, I still had questions, but did they really matter? All I knew was this man was different than anyone else I had ever encountered. Whenever he spoke something inside of me came to life, like a flame that I never wanted to go out ever again. It was a good feeling. It was also a good feeling meeting him in person and becoming friends with him.
I about died when I learned Jesus was going to come to our house for dinner and retire for the night. My sister Martha made a special trip to my office to tell me the news. I closed up early that afternoon to hurry home and to help clean and get the place ready. Martha was cooking feverishly in the kitchen, and Mary was making sure the place smelled nice. I’m not really sure how that helped. After all, when you filled the place with Jesus and his disciples, who would even notice? Martha got mad at Mary, but that was normal. I made sure the comfortable bed was ready to go for Jesus would be sleeping there. Of course, Martha felt she had to remind me to put out the guest towels. The ones that the family was never allowed to touch! I assured her I had done everything just the way I had seen her do it several times before. Even the folds of the towels were facing the door. According to Martha, this gave guests a more pleasant feeling when they entered the room.
The evening went well. It was nice not having to compete with everyone else to get Jesus to answer our questions. I asked him questions about his power. He explained to me that it came from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had baptized him with the power to minister, teach, know someone’s heart, pray to his father, and heal. Jesus assured us that someday, all of us could have this power. I asked if that meant women, too, and he said, “Yes!” Wow, women could have power like Jesus. “Okay, if he says so,” I thought. We retired late, but I thought being tired the next day was so worth it. I felt a little funny when I lay down that night, but I thought maybe it was something I ate, like that new fish recipe that Martha tried out. I believe she got it from “Jewish Home & Garden.” I asked her not to try it that night, but she said it would be fine, and after all, it sounded so good.
The next day, I still felt funny, but I got up to see Jesus and his disciples off. I believe he said they were off to Capernaum. Of course, Martha got up and prepared their breakfast and sack lunches. Shortly after they left, I went to my office.
Several days went by, and I couldn’t shake whatever it was I had. I began to lose my appetite, and it didn’t take long for me to start losing weight. Not that losing weight was a bad thing. I was definitely over the weight limit, but my sister said I was worth keeping anyway. After a couple of weeks, I finally went to see our local physician. He pressed on my stomach, and thought he could feel a lump. That is why men don’t like to go to the doctor. We’re afraid they will find something wrong with us! The doctor suggested that I try to change part of my diet. So I took his advice, but the pain only got worse.
Everything eventually got so bad that I could no longer go to the office. I tried working from home, but no matter what room I was in and no matter what position I tried to sit in, I couldn’t get comfortable. Martha was getting really scared. As the days went on, I got a lot worse. Mary came up with the idea of sending word to Jesus. Martha fussed about this at first because she felt he was too busy to be bothered, but she quickly changed her feelings as I began to slip in and out of consciousness. I told Martha I believed we had better get my affairs in order, so we did in the midst of a lot of tears.
Then, in the middle of the night, I slipped away. You know, the actual act of dying doesn’t hurt. I remember waking up in a strange place. I saw a lot of people. Most looked lost as they just wandered around aimlessly. But then others seemed very different. Walking around smiling. I approached one of these people and asked them where I was. They informed me I was in the place of the dead. I asked, “What does that mean?” They went on to tell me that it was like a holding place until our eternities would be determined. I asked about those who weren’t smiling, and he told me that from what he could make out, they had no hope of a bright future. He said they had denied the existence of God while on earth.
It was on my fourth day in this place when it happened. I was starting to get used to being there. One could say comfortable. I was in no pain and had no more suffering, which is a good thing.
Then, in the midst of the regular atmosphere of this place, I heard a voice that I recognized, yelling, “LAZARUS!” I turned my head back and forth fast! I wanted to find the face that this voice belonged to. For with this voice came power and love. This voice reminded me of home. To my surprise, the voice was calling my name. Then I realized this was the voice of Jesus, and he was speaking into death to set me free from its sting. Then I heard it again, “LAZARUS, COME FORTH!” and I quickly responded. I opened my eyes, got up, and went hopping out of my grave. The sunlight was blinding, but as I squinted, I could see through the shroud in which I had been wrapped. The first person I saw was Jesus. He was standing there with his arms wide open. Standing behind him were Mary, Martha, and a huge host of people who wanted to see how Jesus was going to handle the situation. There were cheers, gasps of awe and disbelief, but there were tears from my closest friends, including Jesus, and family members. My family came running up to me, hugging me as they began to unwrap me. I had just experienced the most incredible healing one can on earth!
We left the cemetery and went back to the house. I was so hungry! I hadn’t eaten in days. Jesus came back with us, as did the crowd, who roared and applauded all the way. It was after we settled in and began eating when Jesus looked over at Mary and asked, “So Mary, are you still mad at me?” She put her head down as that smile I had seen when Mary gets embarrassed came across her face, and she responded, “No. I’m not. Jesus, I’m so sorry. I knew you could heal, and that was why we sent news to you six days ago that Lazarus was very ill. However, I had no idea there was no limit to your power. I mean power over death! Wow! Who knew?” “I did,” Jesus replied.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. John 11:1-44)
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 was a common thief, a professional criminal. I didn’t want to work, and because my father passed while I was still at a young age, I didn’t learn the family trade. Here I was uneducated and had no skills, so I felt I was forced to steal from anyone I could in order to get by. I stole food. I stole tools that I could sell to buy things I needed. I could get water, and I managed to sleep just about anywhere, but it was food that didn’t come easily.
I soon learned to create distractions while I stole from shop owners. I also learned a useful technique of bumping into people and then stealing their bag of money while at the same time asking, “Are you okay?”
Yeah, sometimes I would get caught, mainly by trying to steal from other thieves out there. Occasionally, I would get beaten and thrown in jail, but not that often. I knew stealing was wrong, but what choice did I have?
I traveled around a lot. That is how a professional thief survives! If you steal from too many in one place, word can get out and you are watched more closely. If you are new in town and the town is relatively large, you tend to blend in as just another visitor or businessman who belongs there.
It was in my travels that I first heard of the man named Jesus. Supposedly, he was the Son of God. I didn’t know for myself and really didn’t care. I mean, what could he do for me? I liked it, though, when he happened to be in the same town as me. He would draw these large crowds, and they would all be straining to get a look at this man who was performing miracles. Everybody just had to see a miracle!
I usually took in a good amount with him around distracting people. I mean, you really couldn’t ask for a better distraction than that. Umm, now that I think about it, maybe that was my miracle? Yeah, I heard his claims and his teachings about living for God and doing good, but I couldn’t see how to make money doing that! One time, I bumped into Jesus himself. We both just stood there for a moment and gazed at each other when, all of a sudden, Jesus said to me, “See you later.” At the time, I had no idea what he meant by that.
A few years went by with Jesus drawing the crowds in when it was time to go back to Jerusalem. A Jewish holiday was approaching. I knew I had to be careful, for I had been arrested there many times, but I just couldn’t resist the crowd! The place would be packed!
I got to Jerusalem early, but it wasn’t long before the crowds started coming in. I wanted to get there so I could claim a somewhat nice place to sleep in an alley. I had come across it on a previous stay in Jerusalem. It was a little remote, but I felt safe, and there were a couple of places I could hide my loot.
The holiday was upon us. The pickings were good. Then I heard that Jesus had ridden into town a few days ago on a donkey being highly celebrated, kind of like a king. I thought, “Wow! Once again, Jesus is here, so I can work the crowd as he does his thing.” But midweek, something happened, and the crowd, slowly began to turn on Jesus.
I then started to hear around town that the religious leaders were plotting against Jesus. Apparently, they were tired of his claims and teachings, but mostly his healings! They were upset that Jesus was getting so popular. They felt as though their power and authority over the regular folks was slipping away. They felt the only way to stop it was to make Jesus disappear for good.
As I was listening to this talk about doing away with Jesus, I was spotted in the crowd. I was instantly arrested and thrown in jail. There were two others already there. I’m not sure what the one man was in there for, but the other man, Barabbas, I believe, was accused of starting a riot and of murder. He seemed to me like a very violent man.
You can imagine my shock when I heard they had arrested Jesus. I mean, in my opinion, he was a good man. He went around teaching about how to live life in a way we had never heard before. He performed many miracles. One miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding after the host family ran out. People who were there said the wine they served at the end of the party was better than the first wine they had served. Usually, hosts would serve the cheaper wine toward the end of a party, thinking most wouldn’t notice. He also healed a lot of people. He healed the crippled, the lame, the blind, the sick, and some with a skin disease. He even raised a couple of people from the dead. His claim to be the Son of God was probably true after all because who else could have done all of that? There seemed to be a peace and calmness in my heart when I was around him.
I didn’t understand the action taken by the top religious leaders until it dawned on me he was a threat to them. Often, he would challenge their religious rules, which they thought pleased God, by showing a life that was based on a relationship with God. Perhaps they thought he would cast a demon out of them! I guess they couldn’t understand God coming here, as a child of an ordinary family, as rumor had it, to walk among us, especially in the manner in which he did. They thought their king of kings would come into town with trumpets blaring and in a chariot of the finest gold anyone had ever seen. No matter what they were thinking, Jesus certainly didn’t deserve to be beaten! I mean, I didn’t see it, but he was tortured!
He only went about doing good things for people. He didn’t cause storms, he calmed them! He didn’t cause death but raised people from it! He didn’t inflict disease on people, he healed them of it! God being among the people is the greatest thing that could ever happen! I mean, he played with the children, and children were “nothing” back then. He also respected women. He gave time to those most considered “unimportant.” You know, after thinking about what I heard him teach and seeing how he lived, I guess I had concluded that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. He was the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
It was customary at this particular festival for the people to choose someone who was in jail, to be released. I couldn’t believe it when I heard the people shouting for Barabbas to be set free. “Were they nuts?” I thought. I mean, do they really want to have a known killer walking among them? After that, the people were asked what they wanted done with Jesus. Again, I was shocked when I heard them screaming, “CRUCIFY HIM!” I guess when people don’t like being confronted with how they live, they want the person telling them the truth to go away. In Jesus’ case, they wanted him to go away forever!
We walked slowly to the hill they call “Golgotha,” meaning “The place of the skull.” Our pace was slowed by the fact that Jesus could barely walk, much less carry a cross. They finally pulled some guy out of the crowd and made him help Jesus.
Even when we got there, and the three of us were hanging on our crosses, the crowd continued to persecute Jesus. The other guy hanging on the cross on Jesus’ left was getting in on it, too. I couldn’t take it anymore! I yelled at him and said, “Hey, that is the Son of Almighty God you are disrespecting! We are criminals and deserve death, but this man has done nothing wrong! Leave him alone!” Then I turned to Jesus and asked him to remember me when he came into his kingdom.” My heart broke when, with all that was left in Him, he turned to me, and with the most loving look, he said, “I tell you the truth. You will be with me in Paradise this very day!”
I spent my whole life wondering around, drifting from here to there and doing nothing good. I never helped anyone! Life was always about me and what I could get for me!
Ironically, at the end of my life, after witnessing the greatest “giver” ever, I was ready to do something for someone else. I guess that was my motivation for standing up for Jesus. I’m glad I did.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. Luke 23:39-43)
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. 