JESUS SPEAKING

                And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.”  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, “Where have you laid him?”  They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”  Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”  And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11: 28-37.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS   

                Four days earlier, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother Lazarus had taken ill and was in grave danger.  Despite his great love for Mary and her family, Jesus did not set out for Bethany until two days later; after Lazarus had died (he purposefully allowed Lazarus to die so he could raise him from the dead.)  When Jesus arrived Mary and Martha were weeping over the loss of their brother.  Jesus was filled with compassion and empathy; his heart began to grieve with theirs, and he joined them in weeping.  His tears were not shed for the loss of Lazarus (for he knew that he would soon be resurrected); instead, Jesus cried because he deeply felt their suffering.  They believed their loved one was lost.  Concerning compassion, God has no equal; he is filled with it.  Compassion is defined as “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”

                One day I happened by a man named Eric.  He was sitting outside of the coffee shop, slouching in a chair; he looked more dead than alive.  Eric was sweating profusely and his skin was pale and clammy.  His clothes were old and tattered and he badly needed a shower.  Seeing his pain, I was moved to sit down and talk with him.  He was experiencing heroine withdrawal and was very sick.  I took him out to eat and got him some clean clothes.  Later, as his condition became increasingly worse I took him to the hospital.  I sat in the emergency room with Eric for hours; eventually I accompanied him in to see the doctor.  He was treated, and released.  Before dropping Eric off, I bought him some food and supplies, and told him that I was available if he needed anything.  Nearly a year later, Eric showed up at the coffee shop to say hello.  He told me that after our interaction, he had nearly died and was hospitalized for an extended period of time.  He thanked me for my efforts, and said that without my assistance, he might not be alive.  He was grateful that (even when his friends had abandoned him) someone had cared enough to help.  Although Eric thanked me, I reassured him that it was God who deserved the credit; for it was God who felt compassion for him and moved me to action; without God’s Spirit, guidance, and direction, I would have kept walking, just like everyone else.

                The Holy Spirit brings the love of God in to the hearts of men.  God shares his emotions, concerns, and compassion with those who believe, and in so doing, human beings are moved to acts of great kindness and mercy.  The closer we grow to God, the more compassion we feel for those who are hurting.  God carries the wounds of the world around with Him every day.   When someone is beaten, God feels every strike.  When someone is sick, our Father comes down with the flu.  When a child falls, God inspires their parents to comfort them.  Wherever love abounds, God’s spirit can found.  Where there is indifference and a lack of compassion, there is an absence of God’s presence within the human heart.  There are so many broken people in this world who need to be loved; many pass by the afflicted every day without stopping to consider them; but God compels some to act.  May God’s compassion lead you to action; may you feel what God feels; may you see with His eyes; may you be used to relieve the suffering of others, and may you be a vessel of God’s mercy in a world filled with hurting people.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, we desire to know You and to be filled with Your compassion.  Inspire our hearts to be sensitive to those who are hurting; give us the strength to reach out and be kind to the needy.  May we love even strangers, knowing that they are Your children.  Use us to express Your goodness and mercy to those who need to know that there is a God who loves them.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.

JESUS SPEAKING

                “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.  But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.  Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer.  For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist” (Luke 21: 12-15.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                Jesus prophesied that his disciples would suffer persecution; they were all eventually arrested and 10 of the 12 disciples were put to death.  Although they had committed no crimes, they were brought before kings and rulers, and compelled to testify concerning their faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus commanded them to refrain from rehearsing their testimonies prior to being questioned.  Preparation had the potential to hinder the proclamation of God’s wisdom.  Human effort needed to be abandoned, and God’s power had to be embraced.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, God spoke through the disciples, and He continues to speak through His people today.  Questions are still being asked and God is still answering them clearly and without error.                           

                A woman who had recently gone through brain surgery reached out to me to discuss matters of faith.   Seeking answers she wrote, “I don’t understand why some suffer such heartache and trials beyond our choosing, and others, often those who are seemingly evil, are blessed beyond belief.”  The Holy Spirit immediately gave me the answer to her question.  The answer did not come from me, but from God.  I simply quoted one of Christ’s parables: “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate; desiring to be fed by the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.  The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torment in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’  But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.”

                The correct answers are not ours to give.  All true wisdom and understanding comes from God, and the Holy Spirit directs and guides those who will let Him speak.  Only God has the right answers.  Only God speaks without error.  In this world, human wisdom battles against human wisdom.  True victory occurs when God’s wisdom is proclaimed.  Let God’s words flow from your mouth; give Him the opportunity to speak to those who have questions; let them find real meaning; let them be satisfied with the correct answers; and may the one true God, make Himself known to all those you meet.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, we come before You and ask that You fill our mouths with Your words.  Speak through us to those who will question and examine our faith.  May You reveal true wisdom to those who lack understanding.  May we be Your messengers to a world that does not know You, and may all those who oppose You be put to shame.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.

JESUS SPEAKING

                “Therefore as the tares are gathered together and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.  And will cast them in to the furnace of fire; where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Mathew 13: 40-42.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                Tares are weeds that disguise themselves as wheat in the early stages of growth.  These parasitic imposters infected the wheat fields of many 1^st century Judean farmers.  They unknowingly cultivated tares with their wheat.  When the tares had matured enough to be identified they could no longer be removed (the roots were inseparable.)  Tearing up the weeds would damage the surrounding crops.  The farmers had no choice but to allow them to grow together until the harvest.  During the reaping season the farmers cut the stalks and collected and stored the wheat; the weeds were uprooted and burned.  In this world, the wicked and the just live side by side; but the harvest day approaches; a day of judgment dawns on the horizon.  In that day God will separate the evil from the good; those who have obeyed His commands will live forever with Him in paradise.  Those who have denied Him and practiced evil will be gathered together and burned in hell.  Hell is a place where “there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”  Very few things can produce enough pain to cause a person to gnash their teeth (un-medicated amputation; stomach trauma; compound fractures; large kidney stones, etc.)  Gnashing is a symptom of extreme suffering; the brain, overwhelmed by pain, flexes the jaw muscles, forcing the teeth together.  Only those who have experienced gnashing can truly comprehend the level of misery that awaits those who deny God.    

                June 28^th, 2011, was a day I will never forget.  Early in the day, I began to feel a slight gnawing pain in one of my teeth.  I finished my shift in the church office and began picking up friends for a Tuesday night bible study I taught in my backyard.  Before arriving home, I stopped off to pick up some oral anesthetic.  Although it initially relieved the pain, it did not stop its progression.  I was able to teach the study, stopping from time to time to put more gel on my tooth.  After concluding the message, we began the sharing portion of our discussion.  The pain had become so great I excused myself briefly and headed inside.  I pulled ice from the freezer and put it to my jaw (no relief.)  Desperate, I held an ice cube directly against the afflicted tooth (no reprieve; the pain continued to increase.)  I stammered back and forth in my living room, slobbering, drooling, and wincing in pain; I didn’t want the men outside to know just how bad my pain truly was [for an instant I remember thinking back to all of the movies I’ve seen where a spy facing torture had said something like, “No matter what you do to me, I won’t talk.”  In that moment I knew how ridiculous such a claim was […] I was experiencing a level of pain that would open the lips of any spy.]  The pain overwhelmed me, and I staggered to the backyard, unable to hold my posture or composer; I announced that I was going to the emergency room.  A friend recognized that I couldn’t drive, and offered to take me.  As we raced to the hospital every red light made my heart sink.  My muscles were clinched and my body contorted.  I drooled, and moaned, and my legs began to shake.  I imagined getting to the ER, storming past the nurses’ station, and demanding that someone, anyone, give me something to stop the pain (Thankfully when we arrived, God gave me the grace to act properly.)  When I was taken to the back I was given something for the pain, and I returned home.  Much to my delight, the very next day the dentist cleaned out my infected tooth.  Throughout my ordeal, I had done quite a bit of “wailing and gnashing of teeth.”  The suffering had been so great that the idea of running out in front of a bus had actually crossed my mind.  The hope of relief and the knowledge that the pain would end is what allowed me to hang on; I’m not sure what I would have done without medical attention.  Unfortunately, the same or greater pain awaits those who enter hell.  They will wail and gnash their teeth without hope; there will be no escape from their pain; no redemption; no death; no one to save them from their unending misery.

                Eternal suffering is not a popular discussion topic (but it is an essential one.)  Hell is a very real place, created by a very real God; it cannot be avoided by denying that it exists.  Embracing, acknowledging, and fearing the pain of eternal torment arouses fear of the Eternal God.  Do you fear Him today?  Do you fear Him enough to obey Him?  Show me an unmarried couple going to church and sleeping together, and I’ll show you two people who have lost the fear of God.  Show me an atheist, and I’ll show you someone who doesn’t know his true destination.  Show me someone who entices other people to deny God, or to fall in to sin, and I’ll show you someone who has no understanding of the terror and misery that eagerly awaits.

                “Lord Heavenly Father we fear You.  We desperately desire to avoid the agony and pain of hell.  By the power of Your Holy Spirit, help us to serve You, to obey You, and produce fruit for You.  We want to do Your will, and Your good works in this place; but without You we cannot.  Give us the strength, the desire, and the ability to do good and not evil, and to enter in to Your eternal kingdom.  We love You Father, we praise You, we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.