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LOVE ON PURPOSE
Ephesians 1
(NIV)
Have you ever asked, “Why did God make us … only for us to die and be apart from one another?” “Why get married then be separated by death?”
Questions like these are stirred by our quest to understand God’s purpose. There’s nothing wrong with us asking these questions. God knew you would ask. And he’s prepared an answer for you.
Ephesians 1:4-6 reads,
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
God didn’t wake up one morning and haphazardly decide to form a ball, dig in the dirt, and scoop you out.
He planned, set things in order, gave his son directions to be carried out later, then put everything into motion.
After we went astray, he could have withdrawn his hand and turned his back on us. Instead, he followed through with his commitment to love us … planning to love despite our failures. Take a closer look at Ephesians 1. This time let’s zoom in on the adoption:
“In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ …”
This means God prepared a way for us after we fell. He loved us so much that he was unwilling to leave us on our own. He made a way to reconcile us to himself.
God loved on purpose. This is God’s intent. This is who he is. This is his commitment. We might refer to this as a reckless love … a love without boundaries … a love without fault … an endearing, long-lasting love. If you think of God’s love in this manner, you’d be correct.
We are called to mimic not only his sacrifice but also his love for us.
What is it about us … as a people … that causes us to envy one another? What creates our quarrels and causes you to “lose your religion?”
Go to Ephesians 2:10 and read,
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
“… prepared in advance?” A workmanship? Created to do good works? What good works?
Many of us in the body of Christ are excellent in the mission field. We’ve seen countless videos of those who work tirelessly in the jungles of Africa, on the cold streets of Russia, under the watchful eyes of China. Under our breath, we mumble, “I wish I could do that.”
Those wishes sometimes catch us at a weak moment and it turns to envy. Envy causes us to fight.
Go to James 4:1-3 and read,
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
This verse covers more than worldly possessions. It covers any and everything that battles or conflicts with the Holy Spirit living within us. It covers our covetous desires to be like sister “so and so.” It covers the desires for your husband to be more like “Brother Moore, Larry, and Henry Joe.” It covers the desires to contribute hundreds of dollars to missions like the rich family over there and covers your urges to butter up to another brother so you can learn how to preach and gain the respect he’s been given.
God has apportioned all of us a gift and talent he desires for our lives. And one of the most precious gifts he’s given us is the gift of love. He commands it and demonstrates how to acquire it, use it, implement it, and to pass it on.
You see, no matter where you are placed in the body of Christ, we are to sharpen each other like iron sharpens iron and to love without favoritism. (Prov. 27:17; James 2:9)
We must, like God, Love on Purpose. We must plan on it. We must center our lives around loving each other. Our every intent when we come together when we pray, when we’re apart when we have a difference of opinion when our politics have instigated a divide when things aren’t going well financially or otherwise … Our every intent … our forever purpose must be to love one another.
Sometimes, we slip up and … say and do things … that we intended to keep hidden. We intend for our negative attitudes to stay behind the curtain, hidden away from our sisters and brothers in the church. We fool ourselves into thinking that our hearts won’t really be revealed to the naked eye.
But God says in Matthew 6:21,
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
This passage is revealing to us that whatever your intent … whatever it is you deeply feel, it will be known. Really? Yes. Your heart follows what you treasure. Your heart acts out or reveals what you treasure most.
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Luke 6:45)
As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. (Proverbs 27:19)
So, if you have a negative opinion about someone … if you are angry and trying to hide it … if you hate but smile in disguise … if you speak softly, but inwardly want to murder … if you act kindly, but want to belittle and tear down those you love, IT. WILL. EVENTUALLY. BE. REVEALED. Why? Because you will act out what you truly believe. Because your heart cannot be hidden. You may fool yourself into thinking you can hide it. But your heart cannot be hidden.
The love God intended for us to have for one another calls for us to deny ourselves. To carry the burden of others as if it were our own.
To love on purpose is a mindset. It’s not an emotion. It’s not driven by circumstance. It’s driven by the love we have received from God Almighty. When we self-reflect on the weight of our sins and how God himself has removed us from darkness, we become thankful, gracious, uplifted, relieved, and we become receptors of unspeakable joy. We are to pass this love on to our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. And if we do or say anything to destroy or hinder the brotherhood of believers, we might as well fasten a yoke on our necks. For we are not enslaving and hindering a sister or brother, but we are thereby hindering ourselves and have become entangled in the wicked deeds of the evil one. (Galatians 5:1)
Think twice the next time unholy things are spoken. Think twice the next time you disguise your ill-intent. For God hears, sees, and knows the intent of your heart. (I Chron 28:9; I Samuel 16:7; Psalm 139:1-23) Humble yourselves therefore before the Lord. Speak as godly people. Speak holy and righteous messages one to another. For you are a royal priesthood, holy, and unblemished if you follow the Lord our God in your ways. (I Peter 2:9)
Beware,
“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:10)
Amen.
Things to remember and discuss:
- Self-reflect – Examine yourselves.
- Question your motives.
- Be honest with God. Confess your sins.
- Yield to the Holy One and submit yourselves to him.
- Seek the forgiveness of others.
- Don’t follow emotions. Follow truth. Search the scriptures for truth.
- Do what the Holy Spirit is guiding you to do.
- Speak righteously.
The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight. (Proverbs 15:26)
Living the Word Through the Living Word
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may
be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:4 (NIV)
If you prefer to listen to this lesson, click on this link:
To one degree or another, we’ll remember 2020 as the year of tribulation. Each of us can name several instances where we’ve been tested during this pandemic. People are experiencing food shortages. Money is low. And many have lost their jobs, and may never get them back. People have fallen ill. Too many have died. Everyone has been affected in one way or another. All of us are physically, emotionally, and spiritually separated from family and friends. Day by day, we’re growing weary and anxious to come together.
In our walk with Christ Jesus, we sometimes fail to recognize he feels our pain … he’s walked our walk … and he knows exactly what it’s like to be alone and abandoned. Whether we feel it or not, God is with us, just as he was with Christ as Christ hung on the cross. That’s a spiritual fact. A fact we affirm with “Amen” when it’s preached from the pulpit on Sunday mornings. We affirm it by tapping our feet when it’s echoed from a songbook. We affirm this spiritual fact by nodding our heads when someone speaks these words in our Bible class. But when it comes to living out the word through the living word, our faith waivers. Hardships come and we doubt. We forget our hurt is only solved through Christ. We forget that in spite of how we feel or what we’re going through, we are called to stand firm and to Live the Word through the Living Word.
Why do cares of the world easily overtake us and cause us to waver from God?
Could it be we’re sometimes treating God’s word as an insurance policy? Leaving it neatly inside a drawer, hidden away in some special place, easily accessible in times of need? Let me remind you: God’s Word is a love story—a story of reconciliation. His love letters should be read daily, diligently, prayerfully. Occasionally, we spend too much time from the loving words of the Father, forgetting how much he loves us, letting too much time come between us and the Holy One, unaware that the longer we go without reading his love letters, the farther we drift away. It’s like going through the day without eating. When we finally sit down for a meal, we gorge it because we’re so famished.
In the midst of desperation, we divulge God’s word in large quantities like a famished person who hasn’t eaten for days—looking for a quick fix—failing to discern the word, failing to allow his word to marinate. When our lives finally calm down, we realize how exhausted we’ve become. We pull away and rest, unaware weeks have passed … months … apart from the Word until the next crisis.
And there begins the cycle of our lives.
This is not what God calls us to do. He does not call you to live in desperation.
God calls us to meditate on his word. Not gorge it like animals. He wants us to think on it … apply it … be thankful for it … be in prayer about it … ask for ways to share it with others … to live out the word through the living word. To be specific, we are to mimic Jesus … mimic our forefathers who lived by faith … to wait upon the Lord with patience and diligence.
With my husband’s permission, I want to share his story so you can better understand what I mean.
Not too long ago, my husband’s duties changed at work. He’s not a man of words, and he almost hates the English language. English was never his favorite subject in high school. He was more of a math whiz; now a project engineer by trade. In his new duties at work, he has been asked to write large amounts of narratives to summarize the status of on-going government projects.
Because he clearly understands his dilemma, he began spending more time in deep prayer. Shortly after his prayer time, he goes in our second bedroom which we’ve transformed into an office. He works on one side of the room, and I work on the other. After one of his conference calls, I noticed his heightened frustration with people who wouldn’t do their jobs properly. Within days, he became visibly stressed, was restless in his sleep, if he slept at all. He’d often tell me, “I don’t know if I can do this. I’m not a good writer. There’s too much to learn in too short of time.” I asked him, “Have you prayed about it?” His reply was, “All the time.”
Ladies, “What’s wrong with this picture?” Did God not say,
“But when (you) ask, (you) must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” (James 1:6-8)
I looked at my husband in the eyes and recalled the story of Noah … how Noah spent much time physically laboring to build the ark.
I recalled the story of Joseph – how a young seventeen-year-old was sold into slavery by his own family and plunged into a foreign culture; cast among a people who spoke a different language. I stressed to my husband how Joseph served his masters as if serving God Almighty, served prisoners in the same way he wanted to be served … doing all this regardless of his circumstances. And, I would be at fault here, if I did not highlight Joseph’s closeness with God during his time of trials and tribulations. Though he was hurt and alone, he didn’t feed his anger. He didn’t whine over lost possessions or for what he perceived as the “good life.” And let me also say this: Joseph followed God’s lead without ever understanding why God allowed this to happen to him. Joseph didn’t piece it together until later … much later.
If you think your heartaches and pain will come from the world, you might need to rethink this. Your family (or whomever you consider family) can devastate you if you let them.
Joseph is you—devastated by your brothers and sisters. Joseph is me—abandoned, but not alone. And like all of us, he faced hardships, he faced loneliness, he faced false accusations (Potiphar’s wife), he faced people forgetting about him (the cupbearer – Genesis 40:23).
By the time I recited this biblical history to my husband, he shook his head and said, “I got it.”
But … I sat and wondered … did he really understand?
Later that same day, the truth was revealed. My husband’s co-worker telephoned and asked how he was doing. My husband replied, “I don’t know, man. I wish these people …”
I quickly interrupted the call by grunting, loudly. I spoke just as loud, by saying, “God is near. He hears. He will help you. Speak positively. Believe in the one who is able to save.”
After my husband’s call, I thought he would be angry that I interrupted him. But he stopped in front of my desk and said, “Thank you. I needed you to remind me and I appreciate it.”
Ladies, we are praying and reading our Bibles, hiding away in our closets, but sometimes we are “not” Living the Word Through the Living Word. Reading the word of God is of no benefit if we do not do what it says. “We’re like a man who looks himself in the mirror, and walks away and forgets what he looks like.” (James 1:23-24) You and I must not be lazy, but be students of God’s Word. Under pressure, against our will, during hardships, in the middle of family strife, when demands on our time are high, we must still be obedient servants and submit to God’s commands.
What does submission to God look like?
Do you remember Abraham’s faith? Good! Now, you must mimic his faith. Although the odds are against you, you must climb that treacherous mountain in faith, JUST LIKE ABRAHAM. Abraham remembered God’s promise to make him a father of nations, and he believed God would bring his son, Isaac, up from the dead. JUST LIKE ABRAHAM, you must BELIEVE.
Again, I ask: What does submission to God look like?
A change of attitude — by “… counting it all joy … when we face trials and tribulations.” (James 1:2-3) This passage of scripture is calling you to look at your trials from a different perspective. Trials exist to perfect your faith. They don’t exist to sop up your tears. Neither should your trials pull up a chair so the two of you can have coffee to devise a plan to manipulate yourself out of your situation. Trials exist to make you wail. And in your wailing, you are to stand firm, cry out to God, hold tight to God’s word, BELIEVING God is able to help you withstand the forces against you. And once you have persevered through your trials, you become a stronger, more faithful, more steadfast child of God, who is in a better position to be an example to those around you.
You see,
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, and not lacking anything.” (James 1:4)
Let me ask you something: Have you ever met a strong Christian whose faith hasn’t been perfected by hardship?
Aren’t trials in our lives so perseverance can work its good work in you, so you can become mature, spiritual, and godly?
Without trials, there is no perfection of your faith. Without our faith being made perfect, we are no closer to God than the ungodly.
I understand … I get it. Some of us don’t want to be uncomfortable. You might be thinking: “Donna, you don’t understand what I’m going through. My husband won’t get up and go to church with me. It’s better I leave things alone. You see, Donna, my child is rebellious, and I’m doing good just to get him or her out of the door to school … to work. My mother … My family … none of them get along and they lean on me way too much.”
Is it not a fact that there’s always something aggravating and testing our faith, and causing us to stumble? Is it not better to be uncomfortable in our struggles and remain obedient in Christ Jesus who can save us, rather than be comfortable in our wickedness and die in our sins? Who wants an eternal death?
Be reminded—
Perseverance produces Maturity, Completeness – James 1:4
Don’t doubt – James 1:6
“Blessed is the man who perseveres … because he will receive a crown of life.” (James 1:12)
God’s mighty hand will raise us up and set us high on the mountaintops even though there is a calamity all around us. Psalm 91:7-10 reads:
“A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.”
If this is too hard to believe, I want you to sit still for a moment and remember the last tragedy you experienced … the last debacle you encountered … the trouble with your job … the empty refrigerator … the last time you struggled to pay utilities … the last time you were abandoned by family and friends.
Remember that pain?
Now, as you think back, can you relate to Psalm 91:7-10? Let’s read it again,
“A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.”
You believe it now? Can you also see our relationship with God is hinged on belief and faith? If you lack belief … pray to God for your unbelief. If you lack faith … pray God strengthens your faith.
In closing, please remember to act out what you hear and see in the living Word of God. Mimic the life of Christ, the examples of the apostles, the faith of our forefathers, your grandmother’s struggles, your momma’s faith. Change your attitude and learn to look forward to opportunities to persevere in your faith so it can be made perfect.
I have highlighted eight things to do and remember, but I’m out of time. You can find this list on my blog page at: www.awriterfirst.wordpress.com.
Very quickly, here are eight things to do and remember:
- Carve out 30 minutes a day to read the word of God. There are 24 hours in a day. Thirty minutes is exactly eight-tenths of a day. Is it really too much to ask to spend eight-tenths of your day with God?
- Each and every time you become panicky or afraid, read Psalm 91 over and over again until you have it memorized. Read it aloud. When your mind wanders, start over and read louder.
- Don’t let the world impose their wickedness on you. Remember, “…you are in the world, but not of the world.” (Romans 12:2)
- Pray without ceasing. (I Thessalonians 5:17)
- You must develop a sincere love for one another. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. (Romans 12:10)
- Stop engaging in foolish talk.
- Pray for those who don’t know the truth, for their end is near and it will be horrible to hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth. Their end cannot be UNdone.
- Don’t be hardheaded. LISTEN to the Holy Spirit and FOLLOW his lead.
Amen.
Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to share God’s word. May God continue to open your hearts to the truth and help you overcome the flesh so you can Live the Word Through the Living Word of God.
An encouraging video is below.
Donna B. Comeaux
Note: This is a Bible lesson I presented on the 8:00 p.m. Thursday Ladies Prayer Line on July 23, 2020.
If you would like to hear my lesson by telephone, dial: (515) 604-9300; Access Code – 635154; Lesson #229
He is Alive!
He is Alive!
https://youtu.be/PducS0rwLkM?si=G8YUppxoGCpD3eCo
Mary wrapped barley bread, dried olives, dates, and figs in a cloth and placed them in her husband’s pouch. Cleopas extended his arms, allowing her to tighten his girdle with a clasp. Her nervous hands tucked coins in the left side of his girdle, then she fastened his pouch on his right side. When Cleopas lowered his arms, Mary beckoned him to raise his left arm again so she could slip a water-filled goatskin over his shoulder. Mary tugged at his sword attached to his girdle. Satisfied it was tight enough, she stepped back and looked him over. Her sad penetrating eyes pleaded with him to stay.
“I wish you would stay with us,” Mary whispered. “There is danger.”
Cleopas kissed her on the forehead then held her tight. “I will return before nightfall tomorrow. Do not worry.”
Mary gazed over her shoulder at the disciples. “Everyone wonders what the Romans will do next. I am afraid for you.”
“Meydad is with me and we will protect one another if anything goes wrong. There is no need for concern. If Ha’Adon is willing, I will return.”
“Be safe,” Mary said.
“Meydad, come,” Cleopas said as he laid a firm hand on Meydad’s shoulder. “We must go.”
Cleopas took one last look at the disciples, each one standing or sitting in various areas of the room, their faces perplexed from the stories the women had told them. Peter seemed to be the one most disturbed. He couldn’t keep still. Earlier this morning they discovered Yeshua’s tomb was empty. Peter fled the house with John (whom Yeshua loved). Cleopas and several others followed Peter, all rushing to the tomb. It was as the women had said. The tomb was empty. Yeshua was gone. Distraught and weakened by what he had seen, Cleopas returned to the house, wondering what all of this meant.
The disciple hugged his wife again then he and Meydad set out for Emmaus on foot. They took time to labor through memories of the last three days, how they had gone from joy to sadness in such a short span of time. Cleopas couldn’t believe he had witnessed Yeshua riding into the city on a donkey, everyone rejoicing and praising the Messiah. Then the next day, Yeshua was carrying his cross on that long walk to Golgotha.
Cleopas couldn’t reconcile the live Messiah with the dead Messiah who had succumbed to a torturous beating and crucifixion. To complicate matters, Mary Magdalene claimed to have seen him. Cleopas didn’t know what to make of this.
“I am the resurrection and the life . . .”
Those words burned his soul even now, but he no more understood them today than he did yesterday.
“What are you thinking, Cleopas? You have not said a word since we left Jerusalem,” Meydad said.
“I am searching for understanding.”
“I am too. Do you still believe Yeshua was the Messiah?”
“I do, but there is so much that does not make sense to me.”
“Now that he is dead, the answers may have been buried with him,” Meydad said.
“I do not get it, Meydad. One day he is preaching ‘I am the way,’ and the next day he is gone. And we do not have a body to prove he died. I know he died. I saw him. Bloody linen in the tomb attests to the fact that he was there.”
“You think the Romans took him?”
“Perhaps.” After a slight pause, he said, emphatically, “No! But if Mary Magdalene saw him, where is he?” A long silence wedged between Cleopas and Meydad as the two men pondered the question. “You should have seen him in the temple, Meydad. I have never heard words spoken with such authority. He spoke as though he’d spent his whole life above the heavens.” Cleopas stopped and stared at the clouds. “He spoke of love and unity . . . of G-d the Father. He spoke of a new heaven . . . a new earth. His words brought so much peace … so much hope.”
“That may be, but we are still under Roman rule,” Meydad said, stating the obvious. “There is no new heaven or earth here. He failed to rescue us from the hands of these butchers. I am afraid all he may have done was make things worse for us. Our people are nervous . . . scared. They have no idea what will happen next. It seems to me that we are far worse than we were at the beginning.”
“I do not believe it,” Cleopas said, trying his best to hold on to hope.
“You mean you choose not to believe it.”
“Here is what I know, Meydad. Yeshua was crucified for a debt he did not owe. He died in place of Barabbas. It is Barabbas who should have died on that cross. Not Yeshua.”
“Why do you think Yeshua let it happen?”
“What makes you think he allowed it?”
“For one thing, he never defended himself. Do you not find that odd? If it had been me, I would fight with my last breath to prove my innocence.”
“Meydad, that is so troubling to me.”
“For another thing, the miracles he performed are widely known. Are you forgetting about Lazarus, how he raised him from the dead? With that kind of power, I would have struck them down. Why do you suppose he did not prevent his own death? Why not use his power? Why die on a wretched cross?”
“I don’t get it, Meydad. He could raise Lazarus, but he couldn’t save himself. How can that be?”
“Maybe he didn’t have any power. Maybe it was all a trick. Sorcery.”
“Of course he had power. No one could do what he did if he wasn’t from G-d. He fed five thousand people with three fish and two loaves of bread, Meydad! He made the blind see and he healed the sick. Of course he had power.” Cleopas stopped for a moment and dragged his hand on his face. “That is the very part of all this I cannot comprehend. He did not need to suffer.” Cleopas walked ahead, his feet pounding the dusty road in anger. “There he was standing in the midst of all Roman and Jewish authority, in a perfect position to destroy them and declare his kingdom. He had the power to end Roman rule with a mere word from his mouth, but he did not do it. He said nothing. Nothing! Why? Why?” Out of frustration, Cleopas picked up a rock and threw it as far as he could.
“Maybe it was his time to go,” Meydad concluded.
“But there is so much more work to be done,” Cleopas said. He wasn’t quite sure who he was trying to convince, Meydad or himself.
“Do you believe the women? Do you believe Peter? You think he is alive?”
“If so, where is he?”
“What is it that you are discussing?” a traveler asked as he joined in their walk.
Cleopas and Meydad stood still and looked at the traveler in dismay. The traveler had sandals on his feet, a scarf covered his head and draped around his neck, but he had no provisions. No food. No water.
“Are you the only one in Jerusalem who has not heard what happened there?” Cleopas asked as he tried to keep his emotions under control.
“What things?” the traveler asked.
“The things about Yeshua of Nazareth, a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of G-d and all his people . . . how our chief priests and rulers ridiculed him, falsely accused him, then delivered him to Pilate to be crucified. We hoped he was the one who would redeem Israel. Now, he is dead. He has been gone away from us for three days. Our hearts ache for him.” Cleopas choked up, tears welled in his eyes.
“We are lost. We don’t know what to do. We have been huddled in one of the disciple’s home for three days in fear of the Romans. Then something strange happened this morning,” Cleopas continued. “Our women went to his tomb with spices to prepare for his burial, but they returned to the house claiming he is alive . . . that his tomb is empty . . . that they had seen him. I followed Peter to the tomb and we found it indeed empty. How can all this be? How is it that he is now alive? What does it mean? And where is he?”
“Oh, foolish men who are slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for Yeshua to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moshe (מׄשֶׁה) and all the prophets, the traveler explained to them all things found in scriptures.
By the time they reached Emmaus, it was nightfall and they pleaded with the traveler to stay with them.
Women and children helped prepare the evening meal, lit candles, and set wine on the table before their guests. There was something different in the air—an unusual warmth, a welcomed peace that neither Cleopas or Meydad understood. They enjoyed the traveler and admired his knowledge of the scriptures. In fact, Cleopas hadn’t heard such teachings since . . .
Cleopas furrowed his brow as memories of the Messiah flowed through him like warm honey. He paced back and forth as the Lord’s words came back to him. “. . . have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” Cleopas also remembered, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.”
He almost fell to his knees when he recalled how Yeshua sat on the mountain, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth . . . .”
The disciple wiped away tears and forced himself to rejoin the others at the table. When everyone was poised and ready to eat, the traveler gave thanks and broke bread, passing a portion to each of them.
At once, fear and elation rushed through Cleopas, then Meydad, for they recognized the traveler as Yeshua!
“Yeshua . . . Ha’Adon!” Cleopas and Meydad shouted in unison.
Then Yeshua disappeared.
Cleopas and Meydad stared at one another, their breathing ceased, their mouths agape. Joy filled their souls. They were so excited both tried to talk at the same time, but it was Cleopas who was the most outspoken.
“Did our hearts not burn within us while he talked to us on the road and opened the scriptures to us?” Cleopas asked. “Hurry! Hurry!! We must go to Jerusalem and tell the others.”
Once Cleopas and Meydad returned to Jerusalem, they pounded the locked doors of the house where the apostles were gathered. John (the one whom Yeshua loved) opened the door and Cleopas rushed inside and declared, “It is true! The Lord has risen and he appeared to Simon just as he said. And now he has appeared to us!” Cleopas grabbed Nathaniel by the arms and shook him. “It is true, Nathaniel. Thomas, James, Philip, do you hear us. It is true! We have seen him! We have seen the Lord! We have seen Ha’Adon! He is alive. I tell you, he is alive!”
written by Donna B. Comeaux
in memory of our Risen Savior
A Sacrifice With A Purpose
At the beginning of each year, we have the good intention to achieve new and important goals. But I can’t recall a time when I’ve intentionally given up anything to the point of death. I’m not referring to the giving of my time, or putting extra money in a collection plate, or filling someone’s gas tank. All of those things are within my power. The type of sacrifice I’m speaking of is one that hurts through the marrow of your bones; a sacrifice you’ve chosen to perform that causes great spiritual and emotional anguish.
The one real life example that comes to mind is a situation one of our brothers is in today. He’s been accused of stealing money from the church, but unbeknown to his accusers he and another brother are the ones who donated money to make needed repairs to the church building when the church didn’t have enough funds to pay for the repairs. The accuser is threatening to take one of the brothers to court, claiming he’s been threatened with bodily harm. Of course, there’s no basis for this accusation, but the accusation embellishes the accuser’s point so he can acquire sympathy and support from others.
The question is this: Who will back down? Who will deny themselves? And how did things escalate to this point?
Testosterone is high and each man’s pride is at stake. One saying: “You better pray because I’m not backing down for anybody.” The other saying: “I’ve been at this church forever and there’s no way an outsider is gonna come in here and take over my church.”
Is it possible to clamp down on your pride and fall to your knees before the Lord and give him your burden? What happens to us when we face encounters like this? Are we so bent on getting our way that we lose focus on the Word of God? Does it no longer matter what we’ve been taught by the scriptures? As I await your comments to these questions, and perhaps the sharing of your own stories in similar situations in the church, read about another sacrifice that was made, one that, despite all the noise, was given out of a unimpeded freewill to save others.
John Griffith, the Bridge Operator
(Originally posted on CRI at http://www.equip.org/hank_speaks_out/john-griffith-the-bridge-operator/ )
This is a story that takes place in the roaring 20’s in Oklahoma:
John Griffith was in his early twenties. He was newly married and full of optimism. Along with his lovely wife, he had been blessed with a beautiful baby. He was living the American dream. But then came 1929—the Great Stock Market Crash—the shattering of the American economy that devastated John’s dreams. The winds that howled through Oklahoma were strangely symbolic of the gale force that was sweeping away his hopes and his dreams. And so, brokenhearted, John packed up his few possessions, and with his wife and his little son, headed East in an old Ford Model A. They made their way to the edge of the mighty Mississippi River and found a job tending one of the great railroad bridges there.
Day after day, John would sit in the control room and direct the enormous gears of the immense bridge over the mighty river. He would look out wistfully as bulky barges and splendid ships glided gracefully under his elevated bridge. Each day, he looked on sadly as those ships carried with them his shattered dreams and his visions of far-off places and exotic destinations.
It wasn’t until 1937 that a new dream began to be birthed in John’s heart. His young son was now eight years old and John had begun to catch a vision for a new life, a life in which Greg, his little son, would work shoulder to shoulder with him. The first day of this new life dawned and brought with it new hope and fresh purpose. Excitedly, they packed their lunches and headed off towards the immense bridge.
Greg looked on in wide-eyed amazement as his Dad pressed down the huge lever that raised and lowered the vast bridge. As he watched, he thought that his father must surely be the greatest man alive. He marveled that his Dad could singlehandedly control the movements of such a stupendous structure.
Before they knew it, Noon time had arrived. John had just elevated the bridge and allowed some scheduled ships to pass through. And then taking his son by the hand, they headed off towards lunch.
As they ate, John told his son in vivid detail stories about the marvelous destinations of the ships that glided below them. Enveloped in a world of thought, he related story after story, his son hanging on his every word.
Then, suddenly, in the midst of telling a tale about the time that the river had overflowed its banks, he and his son were startled back to reality by the shrieking whistle of a distant train. Looking at his watch in disbelief, John saw that it was already 1:07. Immediately he remembered that the bridge was still raised and that the Memphis Express would be by in just minutes.
In the calmest tone he could muster he instructed his son “Stay put.” Quickly, he leaped to his feet, he jumped onto the catwalk. As the precious seconds flew by, he ran at full-tilt to the steer ladder leading into the control house.
Once in, he searched the river to make sure that no ships were in sight. And then, as he had been trained to do, he looked straight down beneath the bridge to make certain nothing was below. As his eyes moved downward, he saw something so horrifying that his heart froze in his chest. For there, below him in the massive gearbox that housed the colossal gears that moved the gigantic bridge, was his beloved son.
Apparently Greg had tried to follow his dad but had fallen off the catwalk. Even now he was wedged between the teeth of two main cogs in the gear box. Although he appeared to be conscious, John could see that his son’s leg had already begun to bleed. Then an even more horrifying thought flashed through his mind. Lowering the bridge would mean killing the apple of his eye.
Panicked, his mind probed in every direction, frantically searching for solutions. In his mind’s eye, he saw himself grabbing a coiled rope, climbing down the ladder, running down the catwalk, securing the rope, sliding down towards his son, pulling him back to safety. Then in an instant, he would move back down towards the control lever and thrust it down just in time for the oncoming train.
As soon as these thoughts appeared, he realized the futility of his plan. Instantly he knew there just wouldn’t be enough time. Frustration began to beat on John’s brow, terror written over every inch of his face. His mind darted here and there, vainly searching for yet another solution.
His agonized mind considered the four hundred people that were moving inextricably closer and closer to the bridge. Soon the train would come roaring out of the trees with tremendous speed, but this was his son…his only son…his pride…his joy.
He knew in a moment there was only one thing he could do. He knew he would have to do it. And so, burying his face under his left arm, he plunged down the lever. The cries of his son were quickly drowned out by the relentless sound of the bridge as it ground slowly into position. With only seconds to spare, the Memphis Express—with its 400 passengers—roared out of the trees and across the mighty bridge.
John Griffith lifted his tear-stained face and looked into the windows of the passing train. A businessman was reading the morning newspaper. A uniformed conductor was glancing nonchalantly as his large vest pocket watch. Ladies were already sipping their afternoon tea in the dining cars. A small boy, looking strangely like his own son, pushed a long thin spoon into a large dish of ice cream. Many of the passengers seemed to be engaged in idle conversation or careless laughter.
No one even looked his way. No one even cast a glance at the giant gear box that housed the mangled remains of his hopes and his dreams.
In anguish he pounded the glass in the control room. He cried out “What’s the matter with you people? Don’t you know? Don’t you care? Don’t you know I’ve sacrificed my son for you? What’s wrong with you?”
No one answered. No one heard. No one even looked. Not one of them seemed to care. And then, as suddenly as it had happened, it was over. The train disappeared moving rapidly across the bridge and out over the horizon.
Even now as I retell this story, I’m moved by emotion. For this is but a faint glimpse of what the Father did in sacrificing his Son to atone for the sins of the world. Unlike the Memphis Express, however, an express that caught John Griffith by surprise, God in His great love and according to His sovereign will and purpose, determined to sacrifice his Son so that we might live. Not only so, but the consummate love of Christ is demonstrated in that He was not accidentally caught as was John’s son. Rather, He willingly sacrificed his life for the sins of mankind.
Well, the story of course doesn’t end there. Three days later, Jesus arose from the grave. For this reason, we celebrate throughout the year and particularly during Easter, the broken body, the shed blood, the mangled remains of our Savior with joy, because Jesus overcame death and the grave through His resurrection. Moreover, like Jesus, we too shall rise. You, I, John Griffith, his son, and those who believe, we will live forever with our resurrected Lord in Paradise Restored.
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This story was taken from The Christian Research Institute and can be found at: http://www.equip.org/hank_speaks_out/john-griffith-the-bridge-operator/
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Keeping in mind God’s sacrifice for us, is it really so hard to give of yourself in order to serve or save others? Is it not godly for us to suffer for what is right rather than escalating a situation and making it worse? (I Peter 3:8-22) And isn’t it moments like these that reveal who we really are in Christ Jesus?
What’s your agenda? Are you willing to deny yourself for the cause of Christ Jesus?
by Donna B. Comeaux
Need another nudge toward forgiveness?