I’m reposting my March Blog because we need a sure place, a sure word about safety right now. It’s found only with God!
I’m lost for words this month. I’ve been distraught by my personal circumstances; events taking place in my country and world; the younger generation being slaughtered or committing slaughter; the ease by which whole communities are shattered and people are instantly homeless in natural disasters; the various financial collapses and scandals; and the public rhetoric. At times, it’s surprising, other times perplexing, and other times daunting. There’s nothing I can do, I think. In fact, I’ve had to work through a few panic attacks this past month, until I recalled this verse of scripture. It’s one I recite to myself when I get overwhelmed by what I see and hear. This verse brings me back to the realization of how, in the land, there is no place where we can really feel secure; there are no guarantees. Wickedness still abounds, our material possessions are expensive yet tawdry, and love for our neighbors is waxing cold. The younger generation is dying in droves. Are you “watching” and “praying” as Jesus told us to do on several occasions while He walked the earth? There’s no age disparity or protected group from all that’s occurring in our world. But there is a Place where we can hide.
Gladly, Old Testament scribes recorded this, as they witnessed and lived through the troubling life events of their time. They too finally concluded that there’s only one sure Person and Place. More than ever, children, young millennials, and older persons of any ethnicity should find, enter into, and live under God’s safe shelter.
I’m lost for words this month. I’ve been distraught by my personal circumstances; events taking place in my country and world; the younger generation being slaughtered or committing slaughter; the ease by which whole communities are shattered and people are instantly homeless in natural disasters; the various financial collapses and scandals; and the public rhetoric. At times, it’s surprising, other times perplexing, and other times daunting. There’s nothing I can do, I think. In fact, I’ve had to work through a few panic attacks this past month, until I recalled this verse of scripture. It’s one I recite to myself when I get overwhelmed by what I see and hear. This verse brings me back to a realization that in the land, there is no place where we can really feel secure; there are no guarantees. Wickedness still abounds, our material possessions are expensive yet tawdry, and love for our neighbors is waxing cold. Are you “watching” and “praying” as Jesus told us to do on several occasions while He walked the earth? There’s no age disparity or protected group in all that’s occurring in our world. But, there is a Place we can hide.
Gladly, Old Testament scribes recorded this, as they witnessed and lived through the troubling life events of their time. They too finally concluded that there’s only one sure Person and Place. More than ever, children, young millennials, and older persons of any ethnicity should find, enter into, and live under God’s safe shelter.
In my upcoming book, I tell the story of how I met Jesus Christ, Savior of the World. It was the best day of my life. I’ll never forget it. It was as real as real can get.
Back and forth to church, it was for me, starting in my mother’s womb, they told me. At age 7 or 8, I recall those walks to church. Not only did I travel to church each week, but my home was a place where the Bible was always taught. My mother held community Bible clubs there with children in the neighborhood, which my siblings continued. So, from a baby–at home, in church, Sunday School, or VBS, I heard many stories about God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
As I grew into my teens, I followed my brother Ron a lot, one place being a small Pentecostal church near our home. The pastor and his wife were very kind and loving people, and the church was filled with lots of younger people. We sang, played instruments, taught the Bible, served, and freely worshipped God without inhibition. We also had fun together at church outings—picnics, roller skating, swimming, sporting activities, etc.
Each year, there were two well-known (to us) brothers from New York who would come speak at our church. They were awesome teachers and preachers who always seemed to easily bring in God’s spirit as they spoke. It’s like God was backing them up. We enjoyed hearing them and always felt uplifted and encouraged by their sermons. The brother who was coming this particular Sunday taught and preached on a high level. He expounded on the scripture academically and with emphatic diction. His voice was strong and fiery as he preached. Excitement and anticipation were in the air, as preparations were made. The church would be packed, with no available seats. I was looking forward to hearing His message. “What verse of scripture would he come from? What life occurrence would he relate it to? I hope it’s something I need to hear. Would he preach so powerfully that God’s Spirit would fall on us like a mighty rushing wind, as He did on the day of Pentecost, where we all would dance together in praise to God?” I liked this Pentecostal fervor; it’s what I was anticipating. Unbeknownst to me, however, it wouldn’t be the preacher who would astound me that day.
Sitting in my pew, the minister did not disappoint me as he preached fervently. But, there was something different this time. As he was concluding the sermon, he began to talk about Jesus Christ. He explained who He was and all He had done for us by dying on the cross for our sins. He told us how we needed a personal relationship with Jesus. I was no longer enamored by his teaching charisma, but by his message. It was the same message I had heard many times in the Bible clubs. The difference this time, however, was what was going on inside my heart. The message had grasped my attention and intrigued me so much so, I leaned forward in my seat. It’s as if the congregation was no longer there; he was talking directly and only to me. I became serious. My heart began churning inside. I clearly understood what he was saying. Suddenly, clearly, softly, and gently, I heard, “This is for you.” It was clear; Jesus Christ wanted to come into my heart. Christ’s quiet words were so compelling that when the minister asked the congregation to come to the altar to receive Christ, I had no hesitation. I jumped to my feet, walked to the front, and accepted Jesus Christ into my heart as my Lord and Savior. After what I shared with you about my upbringing, one would think that I already knew Christ. Right? Nope. Obviously, I didn’t, because that day at church, as I heard the message of Jesus Christ, He personally tugged at my heart to let me know I needed Him. Surely, I could have argued with the Spirit of God about how my family had already told me about You. I didn’t. I knew this was my call. I had to believe that I needed Jesus. I did recognize my need, and I asked Him to come into my heart. And, I felt a difference too.
I’m 60 years old now, and that day is still vivid in my mind and brings me joy. In fact, as I’m writing about it, I had to stop, get up, and dance around my house while listening to Cece Winans’ song No Greater from the Believe It Album. 😊 That’s the impact Jesus Christ has on you–year after year, through all your ups and downs and good and bad days.
So, no matter…
Who you are,
What you’ve done,
When you did it,
Where you’ve been, or
Why others have rejected or mistreated you…
GOD loves and wants you, my friend! John 3:16-17 declares, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, [Jesus Christ] so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” What is eternal life, you may ask? John 17:3 tells us, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Wow! The God of the Universe wantsus to know who He is, and His Son He sent to save us.
Do you feel a tap on your heart right now? Don’t be afraid. Yep, it’s God; He wants you. Allow me to pray with you to receive Christ, just as that minister did with me over 45 years ago. Email me a message at eparks03@verizon.net. You’ll never regret receiving Jesus because you’ll discover how deep His love goes, and there’s none greater.
While settling into this new year of 2023, one verse of scripture had a profound effect on me. I’d like to meditate on it and keep it at the center of my thinking and being as I watch the overwhelmingly negative, chaotic, confusing, troublesome world news headlines splashing across my television screen, flooding my daily email inbox, and posting around social media platforms.
The verse reminds me there is someone who really is in charge, who really is powerful, who really is great, who really is high and lofty, who really has won battles (fairly), who really is beautiful and majestic to look on and strong enough to draw from, who really is the biggest real-estate mogul. 🙂
1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (ESV) says,
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty,
for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.
Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all.
In your hand are power and might, and in your hand, it is to make great and to give strength to all.
And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
I would like to keep this truth about God at the forefront of my mind for the rest of 2023, and thereafter. It assures me I have a safe place to run, where I can talk about the crises that sometimes threaten or shatter my well-being on earth. I’m confident that He’s unlike the self-aggrandizing person but is always sitting high but looking low, carefully circling the heavens and the earth–perusing, watching, monitoring, seeing, knowing, providing, and in complete control of all the people, places, and things He owns—even if it seems He’s not.
Maybe you have never heard about Jesus Christ. This blog is your first-time hearing His name mentioned. Allow me to introduce Jesus Christ to you. One of the biblical authors, the apostle Paul, tells us good news about Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 in the Bible, Paul says,
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve…”
Jesus was a real human being who lived and died on earth, my friend. This is not a fictional story. John 3:16-17 from the Bible tells us why Jesus came. It says,
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
So, you see, Jesus came from God on a mission born out of love. Unlike others, God did not send Jesus to shake His finger in your face to scold you about how “bad” you are, or to stick his nose up at you to show how much your actions “repulse” Him. In fact, the intent was just the opposite.
Emanating from God’s heart of love for humanity, and His compassion and mercy which He has plenty of, God was propelled to send His Son, Jesus Christ–to save us from sin. The idea of humanity needing a savior is true. We do! Being “saved” from something suggests a problem or danger exists that we need to be rescued from. There’s something bad or negative lurking around in the shadows. Right?
Well, yes, there is a danger lurking around in our human hearts and world – it’s called “sin.” Sin is not something God likes or participates in. On the other hand, humans, unfortunately, have a natural proclivity for it. We were born in sin and have the instinct to partake of sin’s fruit. At one point, God recognized how humankind’s proclivity for sin and evil was so great, He relented (or regretted) that He had made mankind. That’s pretty saddening, I’d say. It says, in the first book of the Bible, Genesis chapter 6, verses 5-7,
“But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended.”
We have an opportunity to understand here how God does take issue with sin (the word we hate to say); it is the problem or danger in us that stands in the way of Him and us. It’s in the way of us rightly relating with God because He is Holy and, as the younger generation would say, He’s “all good.” Yes, God is good and therefore sin must be faced, addressed, and dealt with in order to know Him.
Bing! This is where a Savior is key and Jesus Christ is important to get to know. Jesus Christ stood in the gap for you and me to handle this sin problem that offends God. Sin has a penalty—death–and somebody has to pay a price for it to stay in God’s company. This is what Jesus did. One time, for all, Jesus took the punishment for sin that humanity deserved so that we could become the righteousness of God. Jesus, a good guy, died a criminal’s death on the cross. The Bible says it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:19-21,
“In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses [sins] against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his plea through us. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God!’
God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.”
The good man Jesus, the Savior, took the fall for the bad guys (you, me, and the rest). We can, however, be reconciled (made right) before God right now and begin a relationship with Him because of the fall Christ took and the price Christ paid on the cross for our sins. Please, do so.
God wants us near and close to Himself, as family members. God, the Father wants you to know and experience His life. Simply believe and receive this truth about his Son, Jesus Christ—that He came as the Savior of the world and died, was buried, and rose again to bring you to God. He was more than just a religious prophet and teacher. In fact, Jesus Christ is the only One who can bring us to share in God’s eternal life, as Acts 4:12 shows us this about Jesus’ name. It says,
“This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which
we must be saved.”
Don’t reject the message about Jesus Christ any longer. It is true. Believe and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior right now. Ask Him to come into your heart and give you God’s eternal life. Then the truth about what this eternal life is, as recorded in John 17:3, will immediately begin in you. It says,
“Now this is eternal life—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.”
“Welcome…nice to meet you. Please, come in and have a seat at my table,” you will sense God saying, once you do! 😊
Inspiration by Ellie 