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I answered, “You know, sir.” And the elder said to me, “These are the people who have come out of the great distress. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14 (NCV)
A commercial going around on TV lately shows a man named ‘mayhem’ that causes all sorts of destruction and pain to people. Property is damaged. Cars are destroyed. Lives are changed. While the commercials are humorous, the reality it, mayhem is coming. A mayhem that has never before been seen in our world.
We see the rumblings on the horizon. Nations once thought strong and invincible have crumbled through political unrest. Natural disasters are happening in places once thought paradise. Secure economies are no longer secure. Careers that once seemed safe are gone. The family, as we once knew it and God ordained it, is under huge attack. Sounds like mayhem to me.
There are many theories about how the end times will shake out. I’m not going to go there. But it’s what happens after the mayhem, the tribulation, the time of distress, which excites me.
In the book of revelation John sees a vision of that happens afterwards. Those of us that have gone through the mayhem will one day wear robes of white. White, the symbol of purity. White, by definition is free of color. Pure. Nothing there. That’s the description of our robes. Once we were filthy rags (Paul’s writing to the Ephesians), but now we are made new, white pure. All because of the blood of Jesus.
I love the word picture from Zechariah 3, “Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to Jeshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.” Zechariah 3:1-3 (NLT)
So it will be for us. We are washed in the blood. When we get to heaven our clothes will be spotless, cleansed by the blood of Jesus. We will be without fault. The accusations of the enemy will have no basis. New clothes. New life. Grace!
There, in the midst of all of us one will stand with clothes stained with blood. Revelation 19:13 says Jesus will be among us with clothes stained with blood. The stains Jesus wears are the stains of my sin and yours. Stains we should be wearing because of our guilt, stains he took on himself to declare our innocence.
PRAYER: Jesus, Son of the Living God. My Lord. My Savior. In the midst of the trials I face help me to remember that because of you I am free to live in the grace given through your blood. Amen.
She answered, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “I also don’t judge you guilty. You may go now, but don’t sin anymore.” John 8:11 (NCV)
When Jesus stood before the woman caught in the act of adultery, he held in his hands the power to forgive or condemn. Not based on the law, for according to the law her guilt was established. Her condemnation rested in the fact that he was God.
Still, when he asked her who condemned her, the answer was “No one, sir”. Her accusers were gone, only Jesus remained. And in his eyes the woman didn’t see condemnation, she saw forgiveness. Imagine what a relief that must have been. One moment surrounded by her accusers with death imminent, the next, alone with Jesus!
Mankind is so ready and willing to condemn us for our sin, especially those steeped in religion. There is no feeling so painful as being guilty and surrounded by those intent on reminding us of our guilt. Human forgiveness is often dependent on our ability to prove ourselves worthy; or proof of a change in our lives; or our asking forgiveness.
The adulterous woman had no opportunity to prove herself worthy of forgiveness. The law was clear. There were no second chances. There would be no waiting period on Jesus part to see if life-change occurred. His forgiveness came without a single word from the woman. No record of her remorse. No record of a single word spoken by her until Jesus asked “Who condemns you?”
I’ve heard a million sermons on what Jesus wrote in the sand that day. The words written in the sand weren’t nearly as important as what was written on the heart of the woman. Not condemned. Forgiven. Free of accusation. Clean. Valued. Loved. Those are just some of the words that come to mind.
Whatever Jesus wrote in the sand that day isn’t as important is what he writes on our hearts everyday of our lives. He didn’t come to condemn you. He didn’t come to point out your faults or remind you of your failures. He didn’t come to punish you. He came to forgive you and grant you mercy and grace.
Your past isn’t important. Your current situation has no bearing on his love and willingness to come to you to heal you. The most important words Jesus has for us are written on our hearts, and they are written in his blood. It’s time to let go. It’s time to move on. He’s engraved your freedom on your heart with his hand.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I fail so miserably and so often. I’m still haunted by the scars of my past, still reminded by the enemy and other people that I’ve failed. Thank you for the words of forgiveness engraved on my heart. Empower me to live in the freedom you have given me. Amen.
“Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 (NCV)
Isn’t it nice to feel chosen by someone? When we are growing up we love to hear mom or dad pick us up and say “You are my little boy/girl”. Our children long to hear the words “I’m proud of you!” As young adults it’s exciting when that special someone says, in a variety of ways, “I choose you. I want you to be with me forever.”
Unfortunately, the opposite is true far too often. Children, especially those from families torn apart by divorce, grow up wondering why they were put into this world. Young people see the world wracked by war, disease, and political turmoil and wonder why things are the way they are, how long before we self-destruct and why they were put in this world. We adults worry about being able to stay healthy, make our financial obligations, and hold our relationships together.
Life seems to go easier when we feel we have a purpose for being here. The path we travel can take us through times of wilderness. We can travel through areas of our lives when the path is shrouded in darkness, or at best enveloped in a fog that keeps us from knowing our direction in life. Our journey can elevate us to the highest mountain top, or through the deepest valley.
No matter what you are going through right now; regardless of the reason for finding yourself in the situation you are in, life is easier when you know you have a purpose for being here and that someone cares if you are successful.
Remember this, with God there are no unplanned pregnancies, no ‘accidents’ when it comes to conception. You are here as a result of a plan God instituted long before your mother gave birth. Regardless of what people tell you about your lack of value, God formed you as you are. The aimlessness of life you feel is God’s call to bring you closer to himself. Your failures are God’s instrument to help you grow stronger in life.
For Jeremiah, his calling was a prophet. For you it may be to show Christ’s love to the kids you teach, the people you package the fast-food burger, the lonely old couple at table 7, or the sick child in the hospital room. Whatever your calling, you were placed here by the Creator God of the Universe to grow in relationship to him and show his love and grace to those who cross your path.
You are NOT an accident my friend. You are a masterpiece created by the master creator himself. Don’t listen to the voices that want you to believe otherwise.
PRAYER: Thank you God for making me just the way I am. Thank you for putting me where you have in life so I can show those around me the love of Jesus. Strengthen me for the battles ahead through your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Think about Jesus’ example. He held on while wicked people were doing evil things to him. So do not get tired and stop trying. Hebrews 12:3 (NCV)
The writer to the Hebrews challenges us to press on in the face of ‘wicked people’ intent on doing evil things to us. The example he uses is the ultimate example of love, grace, patience, mercy and forgiveness, Jesus Christ. Jesus, the writer reminds us, endured attacks by evil people yet he held on to accomplish the task before him in spite of the adversity.
You mind may conjure up visions of these ‘wicked people’ who were a constant thorn in Jesus side throughout his ministry. You may see battles similar to Cowboys and Indians, or Cops and Robbers. Maybe you see some heavenly version of ‘Star Wars’ being played out with Jesus in the center of the battle and enemy warriors surrounding him.
Before you let your imagination run wild, think for a moment of whom the ‘wicked people’ were that the writer is referring to. Maybe you are thinking it was the Romans. After all, they were ruthless warriors whose army ruled the known world with an iron fist. But frankly, the Romans weren’t interested in Jesus. Caesar was perfectly fine letting the Jews have their religion and their prophets as long as they remained in political subjection to the Roman Government by paying taxes and behaving themselves. Jesus was just another religious zealot in a long line of kooks that walked the paths of Palestine.
The ‘wicked people’ probably weren’t women in Galilee and the surrounding area. Jesus’ treatment of women was remarkable compared to society of the day. When Jesus walked the paths of Galilee the top priorities were livestock, children and women, in that order. Jesus elevated women to a place of importance equal to men.
Robbers? Tax Collectors? The poor and destitute? Prostitutes? The wealthy? Were they the wicked people? Not likely. These were the very people that sought Jesus out for comfort and a word of hope and forgiveness. Nor were those who opposed the Roman Government. Even though Jesus never spoke in opposition to the Romans, he certainly spoke a message of freedom and hope. Many mistakenly thought he would become King of Israel.
So, again, just who were the people the writer of Hebrews is referring to? Who were these wicked people that were always a constant thorn in the side of Jesus? Sadly, those who opposed Jesus the most were the religious people of the day. The ones with the status and respect of the people.
As you struggle through the path of life you are on, remember this. Jesus endured the same scoffing you have endured. He saw firsthand how people who ‘failed’ were treated. They are the ones he reached out to.
It doesn’t matter what struggle you are enduring right now, Jesus understands. Don’t give up on yourself. Don’t allow those who are intent on reminding you of your failures and weaknesses to pull you down. Jesus knows all about your struggle. He didn’t come to condemn you. He came to encourage, to offer hope and forgiveness. To extend the grace of God to you.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank you today for the fact that you understand my struggles and love me even though I fail. Empower me with your spirit to stop listening to those who want to pull me down. Help me rise above the attacks so I can live in the freedom a relationship with you offers. Amen.
So be very careful how you live. Do not live like those who are not wise, but live wisely. Use every chance you have for doing good, because these are evil times. Ephesians 5:15-16 (NCV)
“I don’t have enough time.”
How many times do we say that in a day? There are, of course variations of that saying. The reality is that sometimes ‘time’ is our biggest enemy. Everyone on earth has exactly the same amount of time, 24 hours or 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds a day. That’s it. You can’t stretch them out. You can’t bank some today for use at a later time.
Someone once said, “Yesterday is a cancelled check. Tomorrow is a promissory note.
Today is ready cash. Spend it wisely!” You can’t do anything about the time you wasted yesterday, so forget about it. No sense crying over spilt milk. Planning for tomorrow it a wise thing to do, but putting things off until tomorrow only adds to the workload and stress for that day.
Today, more than ever we are being pulled in a multitude of directions. We have opportunities socially, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically like never before. We can get tired out just going over our day planner!
The key to wise living is balance, but balance is hard to attain to. Take the story of Mary and Jesus and his disciples). One was concerned about Spiritual things (sitting at Jesus feet and listening to him). Jesus responded to the stress and frustration of Martha by saying (my paraphrase), Martha what you are doing is noble, but don’t sweat the small stuff.
There’s no easy formula or 12-step process to avoiding stress and making the most of our time because each of us has unique situations and opportunities. But here are a few things I am trying to learn in living wisely.
* ‘Just say no’. This is more than a quip to keep us off drugs. Sometimes we need to say no to some very good things in order to do better things well. We aren’t called on to save the world. During those tough decisions on whether to say yes or no, pray first, decide later.
* “Will this enhance my walk with God?” Our spiritual lives must take the forefront in all of our dealings with others. Is it more important to [blog, be on Facebook, get my ‘tweet’ in] than to spend time in God’s word and prayer? “Oh, (you say) but I use my blog, my FaceBook, my Tweet account to spread the gospel and encourage people. While these are noble gestures, Jesus is more concerned about your relationship with him than the number of blog readers, tweets or FaceBook Friends.
* “Will this benefit my physical health?” We are God’s holy temple. Take that walk (or run). Visit the gym. Skip the second helping at the dinner table or pass on desert. When our physical bodies are out of sync it can affect the way we think and act towards God, ourselves and others. Take care of your physical body before you take care of others.
* “Will this improve my emotional/intellectual ability to perform?” There are many good things out there. Things that can change society. Things that can make the lives of other people better. But if your own emotional or intellectual well-being is strained you eventually burn out and that never helps anyone.
When the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Church in Ephesus he mentioned wise living before ‘doing good’ for a reason. Even during his life people were being pulled in many directions. Paul knew the importance of living wisely so that we can ‘do good things’ better and for a longer period of time.
The four ideas mentioned are not profound, but they take a lifetime to master. Allow God’s Spirit to lead you in what is best for you so that, as a Christ-follower you can change your world without destroying yourself and those around you in the process.
PRAYER: Father God, I won’t ask you for more time. You’ve given me all the time I need. What I do ask is that you empower me with your Spirit to see the wisdom of simple living, taking the time I need to take care of me so I can take care of those around me. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 