Has Something Gone Terribly Wrong?

Photo by Warren Wong on Unsplash

"Have you ever known someone, where at some point in their life, something went terribly wrong? And you thought, 'If they continue down this path, they are going to wind up in jail, living on the street or maybe even dead?'”

For nearly 10 years I served inmates in our small rural county jail as a minister, and saw many come through our Bible studies and outreaches. They were there because of drugs, alcohol, theft, sexual violations and more. Men and women. Young and old. While they sat with me in their white and orange jail issued clothes, I would often say, “When you were young and thought about the future, you never set out to be in jail. You are here because something went wrong.”

Have you ever known someone, where at some point, something went terribly wrong and one bad decision seemed to pile on another? And maybe you thought, “If they continue down this path, outside of a miracle of God, they are going to wind up in jail, the hospital, on the street or maybe even dead?”

Jesus told a story about a young man like this. One day he came to his father in a spirit of anger and hate and demanded his inheritance while his father still lived. His dad amazingly and graciously complied and gave his younger son what he wanted. Then his son packed up his belongings and abruptly left home and family. He travelled far away to a large and bustling city, where bad decisions began to mount, and there he, “squandered his property in reckless living” (Luke 15:13) and eventually he spent everything he had been given. Then the situation turned even worse.

A serious famine hit the region where he was living. Consequently, He became penniless, friendless, jobless, foodless and homeless. At this point in his life, his dad described him as dead and lost. Things had gone terribly wrong, and he was speeding head-first down a path of destruction and ruin. His only hope was a miracle.

And that is what began to happen! God’s invisible hand was mysteriously working on the young man’s heart, where in a moment of wise reflection he said to himself, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!” (Luke 15:17) This led to a key turning point where he stood up and began a long and discouraging walk back home.

While still a long way out, his father saw him and immediately ran to meet his son. After the father’s compassionate embrace, the son began his humble confession, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21). Wow! That was all his dad needed to hear, when he said, “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate (Luke 15:24).

That miracle caused the young man’s life to go from death to life and ruin to overflowing joy. What everyone else thought was impossible; God knew was possible.

This is why Jesus was sent from heaven to earth. This is why he died and rose again. To do miracles just like this. When people are living for themselves and leaving a wake of heartache and pain wherever they go, it is easy to get frustrated and angry with them, to look down at them and write them off. But even in their sinful choices, God is merciful and patient. He does not treat us as we deserve. Instead, in His kindness, He keeps drawing us to Himself until we humble ourselves and surrender all to Him.

A prayer for you - “Lord God, there are many who are living destructive lives. God, you are their only hope. Intervene, I pray. Save their physical lives and their eternal souls from destruction. Open their spiritual eyes to see the danger they are facing, then mercifully bring them to repentance that they might live again. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Are You Carrying a Heavy Burden?

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"What burden are you carrying? There is someone that can lift your burden. He can set you free from it. His name is Jesus."

There are millions of people carrying heavy burdens all across our world. They cannot sleep at night and wake up tired. They have regular appointments with their counselors. Their attempts at hobbies and exercise are strategies to find relief. What burden are you carrying? There is someone that can lift your burden. He can set you free from it. His name is Jesus.

Once He was invited to dinner at a religious leader’s home. Other religious leaders also came, and together they sat down at the table and began visiting. At the time, Jesus’ fame as a preacher was spread far and wide, so word circulated quickly where He was. A certain prostitute who was impacted by Jesus and His ministry learned of His whereabouts. She made her way into the house and found herself standing before Jesus and the other guests. She stood without saying a word, then began weeping. So much, that her tears fell on Jesus’ feet. Seeing that, she bent down and began wiping the tears off with her hair and then proceeded to anoint His feet with a flask of oil she had brought.

During the whole process, the religious leaders were incensed at the woman and Jesus. Noticing this, Jesus spoke to the dinner host, addressing the host’s attitude toward her, then eventually turned back to the woman and said, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:48). That incensed the leaders even more. Then He spoke one final word before she humbly slipped out, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace” (Luke 7:50).

This prostitute was carrying a burden, just like all those preachers in that room, all the people in her city, and like you and me. Her burden was that of prostitution, for others it was different.

But when she heard of Jesus, something awakened in her that no doubt said, “This is it!” And she overcame the barriers before her to get to Jesus and when she got there, He did not disappoint her.

She found forgiveness for all the wrong she had done! The guilt and shame she had been trying to outrun was finally washed away. How did that happen? Faith. Jesus said, “Your faith has saved you.”

It was her faith that provided forgiveness. It is interesting to note what Jesus did not say. He did not say anything about religion, morality, goodness or education. Just faith. He did not refer to anything about personal will power, having a positive attitude, perseverance or working hard. Just faith. And what is faith? It was her belief, trust and full confidence in Jesus.

We are all naturally wired to be independent and achieve. We want to earn what we have. Our culture is set up that way from our parents and high school coaches, to our professors and bosses. “Work hard and succeed,” we are told. “It is up to you,” other says. Faith in Jesus is opposite. This woman simply had faith and her life was instantly transformed. She believed Jesus was the Son of God. She believed she had done wrong and needed forgiveness. She trusted that Jesus had the power to forgive. She was confident He was sufficient for all she needed. She believed with all her heart Jesus could lift her burden.

Then He said, “go in peace.” No doubt the immoral life she led weighed on her. She not only needed forgiveness, but peace. Often the foolish things we do cause great amounts of stress and anxiousness. In one moment, her simple faith brought forgiveness and peace. Lay your burden down at the feet of Jesus, and fully trust Him to lift it from you.

A prayer for you - “Lord God, I pray you will help us to release our burden of sin to you, and in exchange provide us forgiveness and peace. Only you can do this. No one, nor anything else. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Pushing Others Down, While Lifting Yourself Up

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“There is a mysterious evil within us, that causes us to treat people with contempt. It is a corruption we are born with, but through Jesus we can become new people.”

Contempt. In relationships with other people, it reflects how one treats another person. A customer treating the waitress that is serving him with disrespect, or a homeowner feeling the man that picks up his trash is beneath him. When we relate to others this way, we are lowering the other person, and thereby elevating ourselves above them. Such actions are a strike against the image of God they were created in, no matter who they are or what they have done.

Jesus once told a story about this, “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” (Luke 18:10-13)

The differences between the two men are startling. The religious man saw himself as a good person because of the good things he did. He was not like everyone else. He was better. Meanwhile, the tax collector saw himself as nothing. There was an admission of all he had done wrong. A sense that he was undeserving, so in brokenness he called out for mercy.

Our world is filled with people like the religious man. Multitudes that are filled with contempt toward others. Morally, spiritually and in other ways they feel good about themselves and are better than certain groups of people. They are superior to the neighborhood drug dealer or the local corrupt politician. They see “those type of people” as the ones who really need prayer, or the ones who really need saving. Privately they admit they have flaws and have fallen short in different ways, but counter that with their efforts at trying to be morally or spiritually good. To them, it is akin to insurance when they stand before God.

These attitudes are dangerous. They will produce a spiritual obnoxiousness that will lead to a sterile church, empty of spiritual power. It will also lead to a divided nation between those whom are good, and those whom are not good enough.

We all are sinners with evil lurking in our hearts. Regardless of our religion, political party or standing in our community. We have all done wrong. Who has never told a lie, never had a bad thought about another person or never has done something from a selfish motive? Who? God once said, “None is righteous, no, not one . . . no one does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:11,12)

There is a mysterious evil within us, that causes us to treat people this way. It is a corruption we are born with, no matter if we grew up in a religious home or not.

Because of this we face the judgement of God and His penalty of eternal death. But there is good news! This was the reason Jesus came from heaven to earth. He came to go to war against the evil within us by dying on a cross. There He took our place. He took our penalty. Then He rose again, securing the promise of forgiveness and a new life in Him.

Admit before God you have treated others with contempt. Admit you have tried to put others down, in order to lift yourself up. Admit this darkness inside you, then take on the humble spirit of the tax collector, and cry out to God for mercy. And because of what Jesus did on the cross for you, you can become a new man, a new woman.

A prayer for you – "Lord God, examine our heart. Point out to us if we have treated people with contempt. Let us no longer live this way, where we disgrace the image of You in others. Forgive us O, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen."