Hope Restored

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, ... he hath sent me … to set at liberty them that are bruised, Luke 4:18

Jesus said that. The word translated “bruised” is a word full of emotion. It literally means to be broken to pieces…. Shattered. And in this verse it means broken completely. Like a piece of pottery thrown to the ground and shattered because it no longer has value. But it is not a piece of pottery Jesus is talking about… it is a person. A broken person. A person trapped by circumstances to the point that all seems irreparably lost.

Sometimes life turns a corner into a cul-de-sac of stress, and help seems to have disappeared. The greatest loss is hope. This word "bruised" describes a life so shattered that there seems to be no way to put all the pieces back together. The rest of life seems filled with struggle and darkness. Life becomes prison.

In this passage Jesus didn’t say he came to preach liberty to the bruised, He said He was sent “to set them at liberty.” Putting a life back together is a "hands on" ministry for Jesus. And His graceful skill can bring life from broken pieces. His hands of mercy tenderly form a new life after forgiveness has swept the old life away... and with His touch the prison door is opened... and the journey that never ends begins.

He didn’t come as a physician to the well… He came to the sick… the bruised… the broken. And He is still touching lives today!

The Amazing Belgica Antarctica, One Of The Toughest Creatures On Earth

This complex freezable creature lives in Antarctica in perhaps the harshest land climate on earth with extreme temperatures ranging from –30F to 70F on rock surfaces. There are also extremely high winds, and a very short season with temperatures above freezing. Even in Summer the temperature can go below freezing very rapidly. There's also the problem of extreme dryness in winter, and long periods without usable water.

Acidic content of the coastal surface environment also changes rapidly, and the Ozone layer is thinner letting in intense UV rays. Usable oxygen levels decrease in ice, and Penguin guano covers most usable coastal areas during the summer. Coastal areas are also heavily deluged in fresh water during summer months from snow runoff, and then splashed with salt water from heavy waves. How can a land based insect live here more than a few days?

God equipped this insect to live up to 2 years in this extreme environment! It has been given amazing tools. Chemical anti-freeze is produced and rapidly distributed throughout its body when needed, as is anti-anti-freeze when needed to facilitate safe freezing. It can be frozen and remain unharmed. It also has special proteins to help with heat shock in summer, and can live for weeks without oxygen. It can dehydrate up to 35% of its body weight, and is equipped with special defenses against UV rays, acid, and salt. It also eats selectively and carefully since stomach contents can freeze quickly and burst its digestive tract.

Another complex system designed by our awesome Creator.

Jesus May Have Something Only You Can Do

Mark 1:44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

This is a rather strange command. Jesus had just healed this man of leprosy, and then He instructed him not to say anything about it to anyone but the priests. It’s strange only until we consider Jesus' motive found at the end of the verse: “for a testimony unto them.”

Why the priests? Well, they were the persons who were, by law, responsible for declaring a leper free from the disease. But they also lived somewhat separated from the rest of society, and were unreachable by the normal Jew. There is little record of Jesus personally interacting with the priests until facing the chief priests just before His crucifixion.

There will always be segments of any society which are closed to the direct communication of Christ's message. They are practically unreachable... until Jesus touches the life of someone who can reach them. Think of it... there may be only one person who can reach a whole community for Christ. One person who can carry the Word of Life to untouched lives.

When the priests asked the former leper what happened, he had to point them to Jesus. And there is evidence that the message reached the priests. John 11:47 Then later a large number of priests became believers. Acts 6:7

Perhaps there is a community Jesus has chosen only you to reach. Have you thought about it? Your testimony of what Christ has done in your life could be the key to a formerly unreachable community becoming “obedient to the faith.” Look for someone only you can reach, prepare yourself to reach them, and then go... let them know what Jesus has done for you.

I Just Prayed For Some Amazing People

Romans 15:26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

There were basically three categories of poor at the time Paul wrote this letter. The first were the “working poor”. These were people who held jobs which brought in just enough to live day by day. Then there were the underemployed, who only had some of the daily essentials for living. Then last were those in abject poverty who, without help from others, had nothing. This is the word used in this verse. It means to be in the continuous state of destitution and dependent on others for life’s essentials.

The poverty in the church at Jerusalem was not caused by laziness. It was brought on by a double persecution. The Jews and Romans both persecuted the church. Many of the Christian men and leadership of the church had been killed, imprisoned, or severely injured. This left a large number of widows and orphans in abject poverty, and there were more in this condition than the healthy families could support.

Christians were also kept out of the economy. The Jews would not give them jobs or buy their products. So the only jobs available to them were the ones no one else wanted. Everyone who could work did, but there was still not enough to go around.

The healthy men in the church and their families could have moved away and found better jobs elsewhere. But they stayed... They faced daily grueling sacrifice to meet the needs of those who could not provide for themselves. These were amazing men and women who Paul and Christians around the world were committed to help with their awesome task. Paul was carrying a large amount of money, collected by the churches in other regions, to be given to the Jerusalem church for the needs of the poor.

In today's world there are still some amazing people who give their lives to help the poor. Sometimes, I expect, they wonder if anyone cares or understands the heavy load they carry, and if we know how deeply they grieve when there are not enough resources to go around. Please know, if you are giving your life to the poor, that you have been prayed for today. Those workers who I know personally have been brought before my Lord by name. But I do not want to be as those who say, “be ye warmed and filled,” then walk away having done nothing to help. I and my church are not only committed to pray for you, but to give and go.

Jesus Supported Religious Liberty

Mark 3:6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

We never read of Jesus plotting the destruction or obstruction of any person or religious leader with whom He disagreed. Jesus taught openly under great opposition, and vigorously debated His opponents. But it is clear, from the evidence we possess, that He did not conspire to infringe on the liberty of others in matters of belief. Jesus supported freedom of religion.

But does the rest of the New Testament support this freedom? The answer is yes. There is no example in the Bible of a church ever using governmental legislation or force to silence an opponent, or linking itself to governmental power to influence those who hold differing beliefs.

There are those who argue that religious liberty is a religious doctrine. This is true, it is a religious doctrine. They then argue that the enforcement of this liberty by the U.S. government is governmental enforcement of a religious doctrine. That is true only in a sense. The U.S. recognizes this liberty as a liberty common to all men. It is a human right derived from the evidence of our existence. The ministry of Jesus wasn't the beginning of this liberty, it began in the garden of Eden when grace entered this creation.

We live in a world still harassed by those who cannot allow, tolerate, or listen to dissent. They want the government to favor, and in some cases promote their specific religious beliefs. Thankfully the United States still stands for the right of religious liberty!

This is a companion post to Conspiracy and Liberty Of Conscience: Do We Have The Right To Be Wrong?

Motherhood Made Easier

And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? 1 Kings 17:18

The woman quoted in this verse is a widow that was mentioned by Jesus. In addition to being the focus of Jesus’ comment she gives us some unexpected, helpful insight into motherhood. Please read the unique story in this chapter beginning at verse 1. In this post I'll call the widow Alma from the Hebrew word for widow: almanah.

Horrible tragedy struck Alma: her only child died. Look closely at her response in verse 18. She partially blamed herself. Her conscience had pierced her clouded, grieving mind with two words: “my fault!”

Alma was plagued by guilt from the past… what had she done? What dark guilt-laden memories would replay every time her fears were aroused? She couldn’t free herself from these memories or guilt… Conscience was Alma’s master, guilt her chains, and fear her tormentor. A cruel bondage. Now, she believed, payday had come and the wage was unbearable. Her husband first… now her son.

Alma is a keen example of some mothers who sense there is a God, but know little about him. This incomplete understanding places a terrible burden on mothers, and affects everything they do. As mothers become more secularized they lose a firm understanding of the Gospel and its benefits for mothers.

Here are some things mothers have in common:

• Just like Alma, all mothers have made some mistakes in their lives. Romans 3:23
• This means all thoughtful mothers have done things they wish they hadn’t done.
• Just like Alma, mothers tend to take personal responsibility for the behavior and actions of their children, as well as what happens to their children.
• And just like Alma, mothers struggle with some level of guilt aggravated by the demands they put on themselves, and by the “perfect” mothers paraded on TV, at PTA, in “how to” books, on internet blogs, or at church, etc.

A woman doesn’t have to be a Christian to be a warm, caring mother, but a mother, like Alma, who doesn’t believe the Gospel and understand grace:

• Has no lasting remedy for her guilt, and may live with a constant fear of judgment.
• May carry this burden of guilt which can cause even more self-loathing and guilt for things beyond her control.
• Can be more inclined to beat herself up for her imperfections, resulting in unrealistic demands on herself and her children… adding more guilt.
• May not recognize any spiritual help with raising her children.

A mother who believes the Gospel and understands grace:

• Has a permanent remedy for her guilt: forgiveness in Jesus Christ. True Freedom!
• Can trust a loving and merciful God in matters beyond her control.
• While not excusing her imperfections, accepts the fact that she will never be perfect in this life, neither will her children. She learns the power and freedom of forgiveness...
• Lives under the Grace of God, and knows God cares about every need. She knows God loves her children as much as she does, and He helps her raise them.
• Knows that this life is not the end, so she seeks the salvation of her children.

Alma came to know a kind and merciful God... I hope you know him too. A personal understanding of God's Grace In Jesus Christ makes motherhood so much easier.