Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Who Owns It?
But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”--Mark 10:14
I admit it: I am on a mission to reclaim the Kingdom of God for those to whom it really belongs and from whom it has been taken away.The Philistines took the ark of God; it was not theirs, and no blessing came from it, only personal destruction. The Kingdom of God does not belong to the talented, the attractive, the manipulators, the magicians, the showmen, the popular, the intellectuals, the wealthy, or the educated. It belongs to the humble, childlike person, the weak, the trusting, the pure in heart, and the poor. I Corinthians 1:27, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.” The strong have only been cursed when attempting to take it and keep it. Their image is itself a curse. Yet these thieves have the ears of many. Recently, a pastor said, “It is so hard to feel success in the ministry when there are the mega churches with mega music and mega donations!” See how he was brainwashed? The epitome of success in the popular culture is not the Kingdom of God, but the thieves make so much noise that it is hard not to get caught up in it. A skinny fellow who constantly hangs around body builders will feel he is lacking, if not inferior. A believer who continues to hang around those who work in soul power will also feel less special, less blessed, and inferior.However, we are not of the flesh but of the Spirit; we do not compete in the arena of flesh.Thieves will make sure that we judge our condition by fleshly comparisons to themselves, but we are to stay away from them. We have Christ in us, so what do we lack? A spiritual man will continue to tell us of the riches that were ours the day we believed. He will never tell us something he possesses that we do not. We are complete in Christ.
The Kingdom of God belongs to you. Yes, you! You who work a boring job, you who are exhausted after a day of nurturing kids, you who are lonely, you who are broke, and you who are weak. It is yours! Never let a thief steal any part of it.
- Mike Wells
I admit it: I am on a mission to reclaim the Kingdom of God for those to whom it really belongs and from whom it has been taken away.The Philistines took the ark of God; it was not theirs, and no blessing came from it, only personal destruction. The Kingdom of God does not belong to the talented, the attractive, the manipulators, the magicians, the showmen, the popular, the intellectuals, the wealthy, or the educated. It belongs to the humble, childlike person, the weak, the trusting, the pure in heart, and the poor. I Corinthians 1:27, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.” The strong have only been cursed when attempting to take it and keep it. Their image is itself a curse. Yet these thieves have the ears of many. Recently, a pastor said, “It is so hard to feel success in the ministry when there are the mega churches with mega music and mega donations!” See how he was brainwashed? The epitome of success in the popular culture is not the Kingdom of God, but the thieves make so much noise that it is hard not to get caught up in it. A skinny fellow who constantly hangs around body builders will feel he is lacking, if not inferior. A believer who continues to hang around those who work in soul power will also feel less special, less blessed, and inferior.However, we are not of the flesh but of the Spirit; we do not compete in the arena of flesh.Thieves will make sure that we judge our condition by fleshly comparisons to themselves, but we are to stay away from them. We have Christ in us, so what do we lack? A spiritual man will continue to tell us of the riches that were ours the day we believed. He will never tell us something he possesses that we do not. We are complete in Christ.
The Kingdom of God belongs to you. Yes, you! You who work a boring job, you who are exhausted after a day of nurturing kids, you who are lonely, you who are broke, and you who are weak. It is yours! Never let a thief steal any part of it.
- Mike Wells
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Change the World
Spend the rest of your life obsessed with your Father's love and He will use you to help change the world. Your Father's love is the most amazing thing in existence. It has transformed you and now, through you, it will transform others. Don't be embarrassed to act just like Him. What does it mean to be like Him?
He is the Father who falls on the neck of returning prodigals and with tears of joy streaming down His cheeks, kisses them and shouts with laughter, "My son is home! Let's have a party!" (See Luke 25:20-24)
He is the Mother who smothers her babies in kisses as they snuggle against her breasts. (See Psalm 131:2) He is the Lover who says, "I love you so much that I'll kiss you right out in public and I don't care who sees me!" (See Song of Solomon 8:1)
He is the Artist who points to you and declares proudly to the universe, "Look what I made!" (See Ephesians 2:10) He is the Composer who sings love songs to you. (See Zephaniah 3:17)
He is the Wealthy Merchant who sold everything He had so that He could make you His own. (See Matthew 13:45-46)
He is the King of kings and Lord of lords who left the glory of His exalted throne in heaven, waded through the filth of this sinful world, and descended into the horrors of hell -- all for one simple reason. He looked beyond the horror and saw you standing on the other side, waiting for Him to rescue you.
What is your Father like? God is love. I encourage you to be who you are in Him. Love people. Just love them. Love them radically. You don't have to have an opinion about everything everybody else does. Just love them. You don't have to condone or condemn them. Just love them. Love them when they don't deserve it. Love them whether they act responsibly or repulsively. Just love them.
- Steve McVey
He is the Father who falls on the neck of returning prodigals and with tears of joy streaming down His cheeks, kisses them and shouts with laughter, "My son is home! Let's have a party!" (See Luke 25:20-24)
He is the Mother who smothers her babies in kisses as they snuggle against her breasts. (See Psalm 131:2) He is the Lover who says, "I love you so much that I'll kiss you right out in public and I don't care who sees me!" (See Song of Solomon 8:1)
He is the Artist who points to you and declares proudly to the universe, "Look what I made!" (See Ephesians 2:10) He is the Composer who sings love songs to you. (See Zephaniah 3:17)
He is the Wealthy Merchant who sold everything He had so that He could make you His own. (See Matthew 13:45-46)
He is the King of kings and Lord of lords who left the glory of His exalted throne in heaven, waded through the filth of this sinful world, and descended into the horrors of hell -- all for one simple reason. He looked beyond the horror and saw you standing on the other side, waiting for Him to rescue you.
What is your Father like? God is love. I encourage you to be who you are in Him. Love people. Just love them. Love them radically. You don't have to have an opinion about everything everybody else does. Just love them. You don't have to condone or condemn them. Just love them. Love them when they don't deserve it. Love them whether they act responsibly or repulsively. Just love them.
- Steve McVey
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
What Will You Learn When You Are Cheated?
Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, “He scattered abroad, He gave to the poor, His righteousness abides forever.” --II Corinthians 9:7-9
I actually believe that the Lord, on occasion, has allowed me to be cheated, stolen from, to misplace money, and even to have it fly out a window or drop down a sewer. Why? We can say that our security is in Him, that we believe in His provision, and that we are living under His control. However, our reaction to money lost is an indication of where we really stand in relation to those things. When I give, and give liberally, I am in faith. I have control over the giving. However, theft is uncontrolled giving without the consent of my will, giving I had not planned on, giving of what I had laid aside for a predetermined use. If I react negatively when it disappears, what does that reveal about my heart? It is a fact that I am living under His provision, and as the Scriptures say, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
- Mike Wells
I actually believe that the Lord, on occasion, has allowed me to be cheated, stolen from, to misplace money, and even to have it fly out a window or drop down a sewer. Why? We can say that our security is in Him, that we believe in His provision, and that we are living under His control. However, our reaction to money lost is an indication of where we really stand in relation to those things. When I give, and give liberally, I am in faith. I have control over the giving. However, theft is uncontrolled giving without the consent of my will, giving I had not planned on, giving of what I had laid aside for a predetermined use. If I react negatively when it disappears, what does that reveal about my heart? It is a fact that I am living under His provision, and as the Scriptures say, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
- Mike Wells
Where Is Jesus?
Jesus said, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”--John 12:32
Once I read a church newsletter while pretending that I was an unbeliever considering going to church. Would I be interested in finding out more about what this particular church emphasized?Most of what was written could have been left unsaid. There were a few articles that contained the popular Christian psycho-babble. Some activities were listed with the encouragement that if I, or someone I sent, attended, it would be life changing. I knew better than that! The newsletter was well planned and laid out, it had a certain appeal, but every attempt to interest the reader only prompted my conviction that these words had no power. Noticeably absent in the several pages was any mention of Jesus.
As I read, I wanted to be able to say something that would communicate the discovery of life. All the phrases that came to mind were worn out, holding very little meaning because of overuse. What could I say that was new? Then the Spirit whispered, “Speak of Jesus in My power. In My power the same old word is always new!” I was reminded of visiting in another country the most successful missionary that I personally know. When I asked the secret of success, he responded, “I only speak of Jesus. I have not spent years understanding the culture or the language; I have only spoken of Jesus.”
To stand back and objectively listen as a believer witnesses to someone certainly does not sound that dynamic. In fact, the words may have often been said before by others. Freedom from self, sin, the world, the rejection and hurt of others, money for which the world clamors, worry, or fear, all such talk from those who abide in His power is different, not in content so much as in power. Then it is not merely said to another that God loves him; the listener can sense God’s loving him through the speaker. Each day in Christ is new, exciting, and appealing.
- Mike Wells
Once I read a church newsletter while pretending that I was an unbeliever considering going to church. Would I be interested in finding out more about what this particular church emphasized?Most of what was written could have been left unsaid. There were a few articles that contained the popular Christian psycho-babble. Some activities were listed with the encouragement that if I, or someone I sent, attended, it would be life changing. I knew better than that! The newsletter was well planned and laid out, it had a certain appeal, but every attempt to interest the reader only prompted my conviction that these words had no power. Noticeably absent in the several pages was any mention of Jesus.
As I read, I wanted to be able to say something that would communicate the discovery of life. All the phrases that came to mind were worn out, holding very little meaning because of overuse. What could I say that was new? Then the Spirit whispered, “Speak of Jesus in My power. In My power the same old word is always new!” I was reminded of visiting in another country the most successful missionary that I personally know. When I asked the secret of success, he responded, “I only speak of Jesus. I have not spent years understanding the culture or the language; I have only spoken of Jesus.”
To stand back and objectively listen as a believer witnesses to someone certainly does not sound that dynamic. In fact, the words may have often been said before by others. Freedom from self, sin, the world, the rejection and hurt of others, money for which the world clamors, worry, or fear, all such talk from those who abide in His power is different, not in content so much as in power. Then it is not merely said to another that God loves him; the listener can sense God’s loving him through the speaker. Each day in Christ is new, exciting, and appealing.
- Mike Wells
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
I Need Him. Don’t You?
I Need Him. Don’t You?
By Donna Downs on November 28, 2018
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. – Galatians 2:20 (NASB)
As much as I enjoy all of the current worship music, the classic hymns hold a special place in my heart. I associate those hymns with positive memories from my childhood. I fondly remember those rich songs being sung when attending church with my grandparents or enjoying a Sunday night worship service at my home church. A friend recently shared with me a video featuring a beautiful a cappella arrangement of the classic hymn I Need Thee Every Hour. The version of the hymn was sung in nine-part harmony; however, what made this recording so amazing was that one man sang all nine parts. As I watched the video, I was struck by how much my life looks like the video. Let me explain.
How many roles do you fill over the course of a week? On any given week, I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a business owner, a consultant, a leader, a Sunday School teacher, a writer, a dog owner, and a neighbor. With each role comes a unique set of responsibilities and tasks. Some of those responsibilities are mundane and fairly routine, while others are challenging and can be a struggle to complete.
Regardless of the hat I wear at any given moment, my deepest desire is for Christ to be glorified in and through my life. For that to happen, I must acknowledge and embrace my complete dependence on him in every facet of life. As I do this, the mundane becomes sacred, and I can see the presence of Christ at work in and around me. My eyes and ears begin to recognize the movement of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the routine, common activities that fill my day.
It’s easy to shift into autopilot when facing the monotonous tasks in life. I rarely question my ability to handle these responsibilities and easily check them off my to-do list never stopping for divine insight or inspiration. On the other hand, more difficult tasks cause me to feel inadequate or fearful. And it’s in the challenging tasks that I tend to rely more on God’s leading. What I have experienced is when I rely on Christ as my source of life in both the mundane and challenging areas of life, a beautiful song emerges, and ultimately Christ is glorified. Despite my level of confidence, there is no area of my life where I can live independent of Christ.
After a bit of online research, I discovered that the writer of I Need Thee Every Hour was Annie Hawks. This tune was originally written and sung in 1872. When asked about the origin of the hymn, Annie shared, “One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me.” A wife and mother going about her daily routine – doing laundry, washing the dishes, cleaning the house – discovered the truth of our need for Christ. I pray we all come to recognize this need and embrace it completely.
By Donna Downs on November 28, 2018
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. – Galatians 2:20 (NASB)
As much as I enjoy all of the current worship music, the classic hymns hold a special place in my heart. I associate those hymns with positive memories from my childhood. I fondly remember those rich songs being sung when attending church with my grandparents or enjoying a Sunday night worship service at my home church. A friend recently shared with me a video featuring a beautiful a cappella arrangement of the classic hymn I Need Thee Every Hour. The version of the hymn was sung in nine-part harmony; however, what made this recording so amazing was that one man sang all nine parts. As I watched the video, I was struck by how much my life looks like the video. Let me explain.
How many roles do you fill over the course of a week? On any given week, I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a business owner, a consultant, a leader, a Sunday School teacher, a writer, a dog owner, and a neighbor. With each role comes a unique set of responsibilities and tasks. Some of those responsibilities are mundane and fairly routine, while others are challenging and can be a struggle to complete.
Regardless of the hat I wear at any given moment, my deepest desire is for Christ to be glorified in and through my life. For that to happen, I must acknowledge and embrace my complete dependence on him in every facet of life. As I do this, the mundane becomes sacred, and I can see the presence of Christ at work in and around me. My eyes and ears begin to recognize the movement of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the routine, common activities that fill my day.
It’s easy to shift into autopilot when facing the monotonous tasks in life. I rarely question my ability to handle these responsibilities and easily check them off my to-do list never stopping for divine insight or inspiration. On the other hand, more difficult tasks cause me to feel inadequate or fearful. And it’s in the challenging tasks that I tend to rely more on God’s leading. What I have experienced is when I rely on Christ as my source of life in both the mundane and challenging areas of life, a beautiful song emerges, and ultimately Christ is glorified. Despite my level of confidence, there is no area of my life where I can live independent of Christ.
After a bit of online research, I discovered that the writer of I Need Thee Every Hour was Annie Hawks. This tune was originally written and sung in 1872. When asked about the origin of the hymn, Annie shared, “One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me.” A wife and mother going about her daily routine – doing laundry, washing the dishes, cleaning the house – discovered the truth of our need for Christ. I pray we all come to recognize this need and embrace it completely.
Friday, April 12, 2019
The Marriage of the Lamb
In our text the cry is, “…the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready!” This addresses the heart. It is not an historical event. Nor is it merely a future dispensational event. It is a spiritual experience! The marriage of the Lamb is that revelation of the Christ that causes us to know that we are united to Him; it is the conscious knowledge and the experiential reality. We cannot understand the relationship of the bride with the Lamb Bridegroom until we know UNION. We cannot be in that particular concert with Christ which the name bride or wife expresses until we yield ourselves to be made ONE IN HIM. And that is not something which happens someday when Jesus comes crashing down through the clouds. Oh, no! This is a present reality! When I know that I am united with the Christ I am so identified with His name, His person, His presence, His life, and His interests that they are paramount with me. Few know it! A wife is one who has reached maturity, fully developed in mind and body, her hormones have kicked in, and she has given herself in a mature relationship completely and unreservedly for her lover; one who has lost her own name, residence, and self-identity to take his. She has left all to follow him! The result of such a union is described by the inspired apostle in these words: “…that we should be married to another, even to HIM who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Rom. 7:4).
It was to the church which is His body that Paul wrote, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning CHRIST AND THE CHURCH” (Eph. 5:31-32). It was also to the saints that Paul addressed these significant words, “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to HIM…” (Rom. 7:4). Again it was to the elect of the Lord that Paul explained, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to ONE HUSBAND, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to CHRIST” (II Cor. 11:2).
In our consideration of the Bridegroom and the bride we need to remember that first of all these precious realities are fulfilled within each of us personally! Christ is not just in some far-off heaven somewhere; for us He is our life, our reality, and our only hope of glory; and that hope of glory is neither Christ in heaven nor Christ coming again — it is CHRIST IN YOU! This is a phrase of inexhaustible wonder — “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but CHRIST LIVETH IN ME” (Gal. 2:20). “For He abideth with you, and SHALL BE IN YOU” (Jn. 14:17). “He shall be IN you.” In these simple words our Lord announces the wonderful mystery of His indwelling which was to be the fruit and the crown of His redeeming work. It was for this that man had been created! It was for this, God’s incarnation in flesh, that the Spirit had revealed God unto men! It was for this that Jesus had lived and was about to die. Dwelling in them, He would prepare them to receive Himself as their true life and identity — as Bridegroom! We can never understand the deep mystery of the Bridegroom and the bride until we know that Christ is the Bridegroom and that Christ lives in us. All who give godly consideration to these simple truths cannot avoid the conclusion that the BRIDEGROOM IS WITHIN OURSELVES. There is deep within the inner sanctum of each of us a place where the Bridegroom dwells and He comes out of that place and woos us into intimacy of fellowship and vital union with Himself! Isn’t it wonderful!
- Preston Eby
It was to the church which is His body that Paul wrote, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning CHRIST AND THE CHURCH” (Eph. 5:31-32). It was also to the saints that Paul addressed these significant words, “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to HIM…” (Rom. 7:4). Again it was to the elect of the Lord that Paul explained, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to ONE HUSBAND, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to CHRIST” (II Cor. 11:2).
In our consideration of the Bridegroom and the bride we need to remember that first of all these precious realities are fulfilled within each of us personally! Christ is not just in some far-off heaven somewhere; for us He is our life, our reality, and our only hope of glory; and that hope of glory is neither Christ in heaven nor Christ coming again — it is CHRIST IN YOU! This is a phrase of inexhaustible wonder — “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but CHRIST LIVETH IN ME” (Gal. 2:20). “For He abideth with you, and SHALL BE IN YOU” (Jn. 14:17). “He shall be IN you.” In these simple words our Lord announces the wonderful mystery of His indwelling which was to be the fruit and the crown of His redeeming work. It was for this that man had been created! It was for this, God’s incarnation in flesh, that the Spirit had revealed God unto men! It was for this that Jesus had lived and was about to die. Dwelling in them, He would prepare them to receive Himself as their true life and identity — as Bridegroom! We can never understand the deep mystery of the Bridegroom and the bride until we know that Christ is the Bridegroom and that Christ lives in us. All who give godly consideration to these simple truths cannot avoid the conclusion that the BRIDEGROOM IS WITHIN OURSELVES. There is deep within the inner sanctum of each of us a place where the Bridegroom dwells and He comes out of that place and woos us into intimacy of fellowship and vital union with Himself! Isn’t it wonderful!
- Preston Eby
An Easter Hymn
Let thy blood in mercy poured, let thy gracious Body broken
Be to me, O gracious Lord, of thy boundless love the token.
Thou didst give thyself for me, now I give myself to thee.
Thou didst die that I might live, Blessed Lord, thou cam’st to save me;
All that love of God could give Jesus by His sorrows gave me.
Thou didst give thyself for me, now I give myself to thee.
By the thorns that crowned thy brow, by thy spear-wound and the nailing,
By thy pain and death, I now claim, O Christ, thy love unfailing.
Thou didst give thyself for me, now I give myself to thee.
Hymn 313 (Episcopal Hymnal 1982) By John Brownlie 1959-1985
Be to me, O gracious Lord, of thy boundless love the token.
Thou didst give thyself for me, now I give myself to thee.
Thou didst die that I might live, Blessed Lord, thou cam’st to save me;
All that love of God could give Jesus by His sorrows gave me.
Thou didst give thyself for me, now I give myself to thee.
By the thorns that crowned thy brow, by thy spear-wound and the nailing,
By thy pain and death, I now claim, O Christ, thy love unfailing.
Thou didst give thyself for me, now I give myself to thee.
Hymn 313 (Episcopal Hymnal 1982) By John Brownlie 1959-1985
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Lord, Not My Feet Only
With regards to Maundy Thursday Services there is wonderful news. Biblical interpreters over the centuries almost unanimously agree that the first message of the foot washing story is that it is an interpretation of the death of Jesus.
When the Lord gets up from the table, puts on a loincloth of a slave, and kneels at the feet of his disciples, He does it first and foremost to teach His disciples the meaning of His death. It is indeed significant that, after He had finished washing their feet, He sits down with them again at the table and says, “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you,” and I am not trying to cast that into the background; however, all interpreters seem to agree that it is the secondary, not the primary meaning of His action. The primary meaning is that the Son of God is stooping down from His heavenly throne to wash us clean from our transgressions. The primary meaning is that the Lord of the Universe is preparing to undergo utmost humiliation in order to purify us from the contamination of sin. The primary meaning is that the Eternal Word which was in the beginning with God has become flesh, not only “to dwell among us, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), but also to love us and to serve us to the uttermost limit, even to death on the cross. And so the evangelist John begins the story by telling us, “now before the feast of the Passover . . . . Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father” (13:1). In this way, you see, John places the story in its proper context before he tells it.
When the Lord gets up from the table, puts on a loincloth of a slave, and kneels at the feet of his disciples, He does it first and foremost to teach His disciples the meaning of His death. It is indeed significant that, after He had finished washing their feet, He sits down with them again at the table and says, “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you,” and I am not trying to cast that into the background; however, all interpreters seem to agree that it is the secondary, not the primary meaning of His action. The primary meaning is that the Son of God is stooping down from His heavenly throne to wash us clean from our transgressions. The primary meaning is that the Lord of the Universe is preparing to undergo utmost humiliation in order to purify us from the contamination of sin. The primary meaning is that the Eternal Word which was in the beginning with God has become flesh, not only “to dwell among us, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), but also to love us and to serve us to the uttermost limit, even to death on the cross. And so the evangelist John begins the story by telling us, “now before the feast of the Passover . . . . Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father” (13:1). In this way, you see, John places the story in its proper context before he tells it.
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Did You Ever Weep?
This is one of only two times in the four Gospels that we are told Jesus wept? Surely this is extraordinary. The Gospel of Luke says he is weeping for the city. What is the city? It is God’s holy city, or was supposed to be; but what a long, long history of disobedience and disappointment! How Jerusalem had abandoned her holy calling! For a thousand years God had been preparing her through the prophets to meet her Messiah, her Saviour, her Redeemer; now, as the Messiah at last appears, she is going to arrest him on a trumped-up charge, try him in the middle of the night, flog him nearly to death, and execute him the way we execute serial killers and terrorist bombers, though in an infinitely worse manner.
Yet Jesus does not weep for himself. He weeps for the city. He weeps for those who will soon shout “Crucify him!" In other words, he weeps for us.
Did anyone ever Weep for you? Did your mother shed tears because you did something that disappointed her? Did your father weep for you because you got into trouble? Or did a daughter weep because her father abused her? Did a son weep because his father blamed him for something he never did? Did you weep for a friend lost on the battlefield or in an air crash? Did you weep for a child lost in the drug culture or for a grandchild kicked out of school? Did you weep for someone committing a hideous injustice? Everyone has grieved for the victims in Christchurch massacre, but what about the man in jail? Do we weep for him too? All these tears and every tear that has ever been shed by anyone anywhere are rolled up into the tears of Jesus. Jesus weeps for us. The Son of God weeps for you.
Yet Jesus does not weep for himself. He weeps for the city. He weeps for those who will soon shout “Crucify him!" In other words, he weeps for us.
Did anyone ever Weep for you? Did your mother shed tears because you did something that disappointed her? Did your father weep for you because you got into trouble? Or did a daughter weep because her father abused her? Did a son weep because his father blamed him for something he never did? Did you weep for a friend lost on the battlefield or in an air crash? Did you weep for a child lost in the drug culture or for a grandchild kicked out of school? Did you weep for someone committing a hideous injustice? Everyone has grieved for the victims in Christchurch massacre, but what about the man in jail? Do we weep for him too? All these tears and every tear that has ever been shed by anyone anywhere are rolled up into the tears of Jesus. Jesus weeps for us. The Son of God weeps for you.
Atlantic Monthly Cover Story
In April 2001 , The Atlantic Monthly featured a cover story by David Brooks, author of Bobo; in Pazmdire, a well-received study of “bourgeois bohemian" baby boomers. ln the Atlanatic article, entitled “The Next Ruling Class: Meet the Organization Kid,” Brooks described Americas young elite and their attitude toward religion (specifically, Christianity). Robert Wuthnow of the Princeton faculty notes that they are much more interested in “spirituality, as they call it” than students a generation ago, but (the reporter continues) “the character of their faith tends to be unrelievedly up-beat.” Again Wuthnow: “You never hear about sin and evil and judgment. It’s about love and success and being happy." This is disturbing on a number of counts. For one thing, it means that they don't know very much about love, because real love (agape) inevitably brings suffering. For another, it means that although they may be busily (and admirably) serving at soup kitchens and building houses for Habitat for Humanity, they have little sense of the structures of sin and evil that pervade human society everywhere and cause so many to remain impoverished and downtrodden. In particular, Wuthnow’s analysis means that their “spirituality” has no Cross at its center. The author, David Brooks, concludes: “These are some of the best and brightest our high schools have to offer . … . but they live in a country that has lost, in its frenetic seeking after happiness and success, the language of sin and character-building through combat with sin.” Notably, in a CNN interview on October 50, 2001, David Brooks stated that this generation of young elites had perhaps been dramatically altered by the aftermath of September 11. Surely there is an opportunity for the churches here.
Quote from a book by Fleming Rutledge
Quote from a book by Fleming Rutledge
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