Let My Love Open the Door

I heard an interesting illustration this week; God was compared to a parent whose child had been tortured and killed.  Rather than seeking vengeance, he chooses to offer forgiveness.  I intended to write a this illustration as if it happened to me and my son, but I didn't.  No matter how powerful an illustration it would be, I can't bring myself to write about my son being brutalized.  As I was hearing this illustration, I had a mental image of my young son being nailed to a cross by evil hands.  This image was almost more than I could bear; and I found myself moved to tears by it.  If it were in my power, I would never allow anything to hurt my son.  I would freely give my last breath and every ounce of the limited strength I possess to protect him.

In Genesis 22, the Lord tested Abraham to see if he would trust God and obey, even to the point of sacrificing his own son.  God of course had no intention of allowing the sacrifice to take place, but was rather using this test to demonstrate to future generations the incredible faith of Abraham.  I sincerely hope that God never chooses to test me in any way similar to this; I can quite confidently say now that I would not pass, and I'm nearly certain that any parent reading this agrees with me.

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
Hebrews 11:17-19

Many Christians, myself included like to talk about giving everything that they have to God.  I wonder if any of us would go to this extreme if God asked us to?  Wouldn't it be incredible to have such a close relationship with God that He could literally speak to you and there would be no shadow of doubt that you were hearing His voice?  Abraham was a man; he was not a God.  If Abraham could have this type of relationship with God, it stands to reason that we could also.  For myself, while I find it easy to make this statement I have tremendous difficulty believing anyone who claims that God has spoken to them.

Why is it that I am so quick to dismiss the idea of God speaking?  I honestly cannot say.  What I can say is this: the incredible beauty, complexity and vastness of the universe makes me skeptical of the idea that it could have come into being through random chance.  The more I learn, the more I am convinced that some sort of incredibly powerful being whose existence is not tied to our universe had a hand in designing it.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Romans 1:20

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalm 19:1

If there truly is a creator of the universe, it stands to reason that developing a relationship with this being would be a tremendous asset to anyone.  This is where religion comes in; religion is defined as “the service and worship of God or the supernatural”.  There is a problem here however.  We as created beings are strictly confined to our universe, we cannot escape.  There is nothing we can do or not do to change this fact.  In nearly every major religion on earth, the general idea is that we as humans must perform certain tasks and/or rituals to reach God.  The problem is, God by necessity must exist outside of the universe.  We cannot get there.  If we are to have a relationship with God, He must make the first move.

Humans do not like the idea of being controlled.  We like to believe that we are in control of our destinies.  So here we are, trapped in our particular form of existence while all around us we see incredible complexity and deep inside realize that there must've been a designer.  (You might say that not everyone does realize this, but I would suggest that if we did not believe this way, society could not exist; nearly every human would rather choose to indulge in whatever pleasures are available during our time in this life.)  We realize there is a designer, and because this designer is so much more powerful than we are, we become angry and rebel against this authority.  So long as we are in a state of rebellion against God, we cannot have a relationship.

This is why God chose to send an emissary.  God chose to come to earth in human form.  Our acts of rebellion however must still be dealt with.  No matter who else it may hurt, every single immoral thing that we do is an act of rebellion against God therefore, God is the only one who has absolute authority to forgive us.  He, in his human form, Jesus chose to accept the penalty for our sin.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

He loves us.  For reasons that are beyond our comprehension, the creator of the universe chose to also create beings, with the decision-making capacity to either choose to have a relationship with Him or not.  The next move is ours.  Will you choose to take advantage of your opportunity to know the creator of the universe or will you choose to continue on the path of rebellion?

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15

Which path will you choose?

Weekend Fiction - The Visitor

I haven't posted this week; I was busy with another writing job.  I wrote this story in 2007, based on my fascination with Cain, and an episode of Star Trek.  The first person who can tell me which episode wins a prize!  Enjoy.

"Hello there; it's so nice to see you!"

The door slid open noiselessly on a set of hidden tracks.  The old man gestured expansively, welcoming his guest.

"I've been hoping that you would visit for quite a while now.  I've hardly had any company at all since... I can't even remember."

The old man was moving quickly now, clearing the table, turning on lights, busying himself in the tiny kitchen.

"Now, have a seat.  Would you like something to drink; anything to eat?"

The visitor declined a snack, and rather than sitting, simply elected to stay in place near the door.  The old man ignored his visitor's impropriety and took a seat himself.

"So, tell me; what have you been doing since the Others left?  Have you been taking care of yourself?  To tell you the truth I've been beginning to think there was no one else left."

The visitor started to move into the room, but froze after a single step.  The old man moved quickly to his guest, flipping open a hidden panel.  He looked pensively at a display inside as he tapped on a keypad he held in his hand.

"Damn!  General system fault again."

Cain, the Immortal pressed the shutdown key on his latest android companion.  His eyes began to glisten with tears.

"Goodbye, my friend."

Land of Confusion

I don't understand prayer.  In the Bible, there is such an emphasis on God doing specific things that people have asked Him for in prayer.  Hannah became pregnant with Samuel.  When Elijah prayed, fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice and the altar it was placed on.  An iron axe head floated to the surface of a river.  Samson was granted strength to destroy the Philistine temple.  All of these things and many many more, God did in response to the prayers of His people.  There are very few biblical examples of a person praying and God not acting in the manner that was asked of Him.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9

So, what was the problem?  It certainly wasn't a lack of faith; once when Paul prayed, a person was raised from the dead.

Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.  “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Mark 14:35-36

Here is an even more extreme example; Jesus himself prayed that he would not have to face the cross and did not have his prayer granted.

Where does this leave us?  If God cannot be counted on to grant us the things we ask for, why do we serve Him?

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Matthew 16:23

Unfortunately, much of what we pray for falls under the category of “human concerns”.  When God chooses where does not choose to grant a request, we can be certain that His action serves His greater design.  This world is a temporary home.

LORD, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them?  They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow.
Psalm 144:3-4

This life, this world is nothing but a time of preparation for the existence we are meant to have.  This life does indeed have its beautiful moments, but every wonderful thing we see is but a shadow of the beauty we will see when we see Him face to face and all the worries and cares and questions that we have will melt away.  Lord, please let me always be faithful to Your purpose for me.

Weekend Fiction - Threshold

Our research ship, the Threshold, hovered about 800,000 kilometers from the event horizon.  We could've taken better readings by moving closer, but then even the most powerful engines ever designed wouldn't have been able to hold us back from the incredible pull of gravity generated by our test subject.

Though our shielding was sufficient to protect us from the intense X-ray radiation, there was something unnerving about looking at the black hole with the naked eye.  Some compared it to staring down the barrel of a weapon.  I felt more like a projectile; about to be forced through the barrel at inconceivable speed.

We were on the final leg of our mission, examining the black hole known as subject K14-683.  For the last three days, it has been business as usual for us; taking readings and performing tests.

"Sir!" Lieutenant Caruthers shouted; "Positive contact in optical."

"What've we got?" I asked.

"It looks like a vessel of some kind, holding station about 12 kilometers from the event horizon; spherical, 6 meters in diameter."

"Analysis?"

The Lieutenant scowled as he examined the various displays arrayed at his station.

"Unknown, it seems to have no source of propulsion.  I've never seen anything like it."

I ordered a routine scan of the object, probing the object in a wide range of spectra and frequencies.

Ensign Michaels began shouting, bypassing the usual chain of command.  "The unknown is moving.  It's on a collision course!"

Lieutenant Caruthers hit the collision alarm.  "Time to intercept; 25 seconds."

The expected impact never came; the unknown vessel stopped 10 meters off of our bow.  Then our engines went dead.

"Main engine shutdown!  We're being pulled in."  The Lieutenant paused a moment, then continued; “40 seconds to event horizon."

There was nothing left to do, every member of the crew knew there was no hope; the bridge was silent as we each prepared to meet death.  The unknown kept its position off our bow, exactly matching our acceleration.  We reached the event horizon, but instead of being destroyed; we suddenly found ourselves in normal space once again.

The silence was finally broken by Lieutenant Caruthers; "Ensign Michaels; report."

"The unknown is still off the bow; engines operating at station keeping."

"What's our position?” I asked.

Lieutenant Caruthers consulted his stellar maps.  Finally; he responded; "Position... uncharted."

Don't Bring Me Down

When He walked the Earth, Jesus was always accepting of sinners; but he was never apologetic about calling sin sin.  Listen to what Jesus says.


“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.  In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
Matthew 23:27-28


As for those who would say that pointing out hypocrisy is being judgmental, look at what Paul says in first Corinthians.


Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?  Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
1 Corinthians 6:2-4


There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking people who call themselves Christians to behave in a way that reflects Christ.  Not in an angry manner that drives people away from Christ, but in a loving manner.


Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
2 Timothy 4:2


My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
James 1:19-20


The number one priority is to see others as Christ sees them.  This can only happen through faithful study, prayer and worship.  Be certain that if you call someone on their sin that you are not guilty yourself.


How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
Matthew 7:4


To serve God, we should act as He did on earth, speaking the truth while remaining loving at all times.

Who's Crying Now?

On Saturday, I attended the funeral for a member of our church.  He died suddenly of a heart attack at age 44.  This man had a disability, and had lost both his parents and two of his siblings.  At a previous church he had attended, he had been first charged for a ride to church, and later asked not to attend at all.  If anyone had reason to be angry with God, it was this man.  And yet, he was not angry with God.  At every service, this man would sit in the front row, fully participating in every aspect of the church service.  During worship, he would raise his hands, sing and clap as loudly as he could.  During the sermon, no one was more attentive.  Away from church, he would spend hours studying the Bible.  When he would listen to praise music, he would sing along so loudly that it was impossible to watch TV in his house.  Many people would say that this man did not have much to offer God.  He was not a talented speaker; Though he would sing exuberantly, he did not have any musical talent to speak of.  In spite of his limitations, he had a profound impact on our church.  Nearly 300 people filled our church for his memorial service.  I can't remember ever being in a memorial service where God was so truly worshiped as he was on Saturday.  I thank the Lord for the life of this man and the example that he was to those around him.

Weekend Fiction: Stick Bird

“What is it?” I asked, looking at the crudely made wooden sculpture.

“It's a bird, silly! It's made out of old Popsicle sticks!” Great; sticky old used Popsicle sticks… just what I always wanted.

“It doesn't look much like a bird.” I muttered. As I took it she said;

“It's the Holy Spirit! You look like you need the Holy Spirit today!”

The Holy Spirit! Even better. Then, just like that she went back to playing with the other kids.

I wasn't in the mood for silly games, certainly not today. It had not been a good day. First, the dog got sick on the floor just as my alarm went off. By the time I got that (and my foot!) cleaned up, I was already late for my 8 am class. That's the last time I ever take a class on Saturday. So then I thought; "At least I have time to get some breakfast." When I finally got up to the drive-thru window I was really craving that Egg-McMuffin. That's why I was really bummed when I realized I didn't have my wallet. The delay really upset the big redneck in the truck behind me. (What was his hurry anyway? I'm sure the Gun show will last all day) By the time I went home, got my wallet, and came back (At 10:34) what I heard was;

“We stop serving our delicious breakfast menu promptly at 10:30! Would you like something from our delicious regular menu?”

“I want my damn Egg-McMuffin!” I snapped back. Then, I apologized. I didn't mean to take it out on her; it's not her fault that nothing could go right today.

Finally, I made it to the open house at the school I was student teaching for. A Christian school! In all my years growing up, my parents forced me to attend Christian school. They didn't really believe in God, but sending your kids to private school was a status symbol thing to them. Just my luck there happened to be a big church just a few blocks away, and they offered a “Basic Skills” (Cheap) curriculum. My parents wanted to send me to a Christian college, but I managed to get a partial scholarship to the local state college, and work my way through school with a series of part time jobs. Unfortunately, all that work didn't leave me much time to concentrate on getting the best student-teaching assignments. So I ended up here. This school didn't usually take student teachers, but needed someone this semester to cover for Mrs. Thompson's pregnancy leave. It was the only option left, so here I am. In 3 weeks, this assignment is up, and then I'll go to a real school.

“Everyone! May I have your attention please!” Mrs. Smith was getting up to speak. She's probably going to ask the parents for more money. (I don't think she would actually be friendly with anyone for any other reason) She's about nothing but business, 24/7. I've heard the kids whispering that she rode her broom to school every day, sometimes I think they may be right.

“Mrs. Thompson would like to make an announcement.” Is Mrs. Thompson going to be coming back early from her maternal leave? Maybe I can get out of here sooner than I thought. I wonder if Liberty elementary has any openings?

“Ever since Gary and I had the baby, I've had a lot of time to think and pray; and we feel that God is calling the two… no, the three of us to start a school in Cambodia!”  Cambodia?! Are they nuts? I think everyone is crazy around here. I've got to find another job.

Two pm. Open house is supposed to last 'til three, but I think I might be able to sneak out a little early and catch the end of the game.

“Mr. Burke! May I have a word with you please?”

Almost made it! What did I do now? Sighing, I put a pleasant look on my face and turned around.

“Yes Mrs. Smith?”

“Let's go talk in the chapel where we won't disturb anyone.”

In the chapel? This can't be good. If she gives me a bad evaluation, it'll be at least 9 months or so before I can get another student teaching assignment. Trying to look calm and cool, I followed her through the double doors and into the chapel. I haven't been in a church for years, and I didn't want to be in here now.

“I noticed that you were interacting with Rebekah earlier today. You seem to have a rapport with some of the more awkward children.”

“Oh." I said, relieved; "I just try to put myself in their position, and treat them the way I wish my teachers would have treated me.”

“Excellent!” Mrs. Smith said. “That's why we'd like to offer you a permanent teaching position. I feel that you are a great teacher, and will make a wonderful addition to our staff. It may also be good for you spiritually.”

“Can I take some time to think about it first?”

“Of course you may. Come into my office first thing Monday morning and we'll discuss this matter further.”

Then she turned and strode out, leaving me alone.

Sitting down on a pew, I casually put my hand in my pocket I pulled out Rebekah's bird and turned it in my hands, looking at it. Dropping it, I decided to try praying, just to see if I could feel anything.

“Lord, I don't really know what to say. I've never even tried to speak to you before.”

I didn't see a lightning bolt or hear a voice from the heavens, but I felt like I had touched something larger than myself. I glanced down and saw my little Stick-bird, looking up at me. Picking it up again, I said.

“So is this the Holy Spirit I've heard so much about? It's nice to finally meet you. Please do whatever it is you do with me. ”

Now that definitely felt good. I think I'll go find Mrs. Smith.

Highway to the Danger Zone

I've been reading an article by Dietrich Bonhoeffer over the last few days.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer suffered incredible hardship as a Christian in Nazi Germany and was eventually hanged for his faith.  How weak I am in comparison.  I have suffered nothing for my faith.  I'm forced to ask myself why; why am I spared hardship with so many others must suffer for their belief in Christ?  To answer this question, I must ask another question; what is the source of persecution of Christians?

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
John 15:1-2

Based on this passage, it would that a source of difficulty in the Christian's life may be God himself.  That doesn't sit right with me though.  According to the footnotes, the Greek verb that is here translated as “prune” also means “clean”.  It would seem that the process this passage refers to is more like an ongoing cleansing, designed to bring the believer into a closer and closer approximation of the life of Christ.  All right, how about another source of persecution.

The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.
Job 2:6

This time, the source of difficulty is satan, acting within the limits set by God.  Finally, there is this cryptic passage.

Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.
Luke 20:31-32

I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea what this means.  Perhaps “sifting” refers to persecution, but it could just as easily mean something completely different.  I don't think it's a good idea to make judgments based on biblical passages you do not have a clear understanding of.

Where does that leave me then?  I have a gut feeling, but let me stress that this is my opinion, not some bit of wisdom I have gleaned through extensive study of the Bible.  My thought is that I am not persecuted because I am not doing much for the kingdom of God.  If I was, the Christian-hating world would have reason to attack me.  To put it another way way, think of a fish.  A fish that is swimming the same direction as the current and all the fish around it will face little resistance.  However a fish that is swimming the opposite direction will face tremendous difficulty.

I have no intention of making anyone feel guilty, but if you feel, as I do, like you are missing something in your walk with God perhaps you should look around.  If our lives look remarkably similar to the people around us who are walking in darkness, it is likely time to reevaluate our priorities.

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:15-16

Against the World

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.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3-10

The Beatitudes are one of the most well-known passages in the entire Bible.  Each of these eight statements represent a pattern of behavior that Christians should strive to emulate.  Something especially worth noting is that the inverse of each statement represent the values of this world.

Blessed are the poor in spirit.  Who is poor in spirit?  The person who considers that their earthly treasures are worthless.  Whether they have much or little, they have little concern for their possessions, choosing instead to find their worth in Jesus.  The way of the world is to gather as many possessions as you can to make yourself better than those around you.

Blessed are those who mourn.  If someone is in mourning, it is because he or she has lost something.  What we have lost is our close relationship with God.  We were designed to be much closer to God than we are.  Adam and Eve literally walked with God on the Earth.  While we should always strive to have the closest relationship with God that we can, we must realize that, in this life, we will never achieve the ideal.  The powers of this world do not admit to needing God, much less having lost anything.

Blessed are the meek.  Meekness is not a quality that is admired by the world.  The way the world is to demand what you feel you are entitled to and fight anyone or anything that stands between you and what you desire.  To the world, meek means weak.  This is certainly not always true.  When Jesus was being flogged and crucified, He could have put a stop to it with a word.  He did not, instead choosing to take the full measure of punishment for your sin and mine.  Even though He had the power, He chose through strength of will not to exercise His authority.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  Human selfishness knows no bounds.  No matter how much a person attains, there will always be a hunger for more.  Hunger and thirst are uncomfortable; if you have become comfortable without a daily feeding from God's word, a reevaluation of your priorities is in order.

Blessed are those who are merciful.  By not punishing us for our sin, God is being more merciful than we can possibly comprehend.  If we do not show mercy to those around us, we should not expect the same treatment from God.

Blessed are the pure in heart.  When something is pure, gold for instance, it contains no impurities.  The more other stuff that is mixed in, the less pure the substance is.  To be pure of heart means to be singly motivated; no matter what you do, it stems from a single desire, the desire to please God.

Blessed are the peacemakers.  It is one thing to live in peace.  It is quite another to actively bring peace to those who are experiencing strife.  True peacemakers are often not found near quiet streams, but rather in the midst of battle.  In the world, peace is most often achieved through the use of force.  True peacemakers offer peace, they do not impose it on others.

Blessed are those who are persecuted.  If you live in the United States as I do, it is likely that you have not experienced true persecution.  Perhaps this is a mixed blessing.  Perhaps it is truly through persecution that we realize how precious our faith is.

To live up to the example of the Beatitudes is impossible without God.  Fortunately, we are not required to.  If we hope to achieve this goal, it must be with God's assistance.

I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

The Intersection of History

The Cross is the intersection of history.  It is the place where light meets dark, the place where evil meets good and is defeated.  It is the place where the mortal and immortal, God and man meet.  It is both the beginning and end of God's effort to reach humanity.  When you come to the cross, you are forced to make a choice.  You can continue in the way you are going or you can turn and go God's way.  You may if you choose, ignore the cross for a time, but sooner or later, it will confront you.  You'll find yourself forced to make a choice between following your own path and walking in the way of the cross.  Whether you choose to embrace it or ignore it, to love it or hate it; the power of the cross will not be diminished.  The message of the cross will not be silenced.  Any philosophy or government that attempts to quiet the cross will eventually find itself shattered by the very object that it calls worthless and impotent.  What began its existence as a cruel symbol of a brutal empire has now transcended time and space to become the center, about which every other power in the universe must revolve.  Lord please cause Your cross to grow in its influence over my life.  Please use the power of the cross to destroy any lies I have accepted as truth.  Help me to every day take up my cross, in a manner that is worthy of the way You took up Yours.

Weekend Fiction - Meditation on a Miracle

It was a Tuesday morning. I had just sat down in my normal spot, on the steps of the village synagogue. The clink of a few mites in my cup tells me that one of the rulers must have just passed by. Obviously he must have many things to do today, and doesn't have time to stop and talk to a blind beggar like me.

Here come Stephen and Nico, I could hear Stephen's loud voice from the other side of the village. Just like always, Nico snatched my cup off the ground.

"Let's see what you've got for me today!" In his everyday ritual, he pretends to empty the cup into his own pocket. The cup is always a little bit heavier when he gives it back to me though. I wonder if he knows that I've been seeing through his little act for about the last 5 years?

I don't like to sit here begging, but there's not a lot else to do. Today though, Stephen had another plan.

"C'mon lazy bones, get up!" he shouted; "We've got big plans today!"

I hated to think what he had planned; last time he dragged us out into the country for a supposed wedding feast:

"Don't worry about it," he said; "We'll just say we're cousins of the groom. They'll let us right in."

They let us right in all right, it's just too bad the host was a rebellion sympathizer. I wish I could have the seen the look on Stephens face when a contingent of Roman soldiers broke in and hauled off a few zealots.

Sensing my reluctance he quieted down a bit and said

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing like what you're thinking. That prophet Jesus is in town and we're going to go listen to him."

"Jesus?!" I blurted. "Are you kidding?! I've heard the Pharisees talking about him. This is going to be nothing but trouble."

"Don't you know anything?" Nico chimed in; "He does miracles, He's got to be the Messiah."

"Miracles? I'll believe that when I see it." I snapped. They paused, taken back at my sudden anger and my bad joke.

Then, to make them feel better, I decided to go with them. "Why not," I said; "It can't hurt just to go and listen to him."

"All right then!" Stephen said, clapping his hands and pulling me to my feet. "Let's go before the crowds show up."

I've heard about these so-called miracles that this Jesus guy did, but I've also heard too many people telling too many wild stories to believe something like this. I even heard that one woman had been healed just by touching the edge of his cloak, like that would ever happen. Besides, if this Jesus really is the Messiah or the Son of God or whatever, what was he coming to our insignificant village for? If he's anything like any religious ruler I've ever known, he's so tied up in religion that he doesn't have time for anyone insignificant like us.

When we got there, he was talking to the crowds around him, telling them about the 'Kingdom of Heaven' and the corrupt Pharisees. They were all sitting quietly and listening to him. They all watched as Stephen and Nico marched right up to Jesus.

"Rabbi!" Stephen boomed, "Please heal our blind friend here."

I've never been so embarrassed in my life! I wanted to just run away, but then the crowd started shouting. "Heal him, Messiah, Heal him!"

As his disciples tried to quiet the crowd, Jesus led me away, outside of the village. I didn't say anything; I just let him lead me by the wrist.

"Your friend is really bold," He said, "Quite a bit like a friend of mine."

"He likes to talk, but sometimes it gets him into trouble." I said, "This whole thing was his idea"

"Don't you want to be healed?" He asked.

Just like that. "Don't you want to be healed? As if it were that easy. Then I thought about it. There was no doubt in his voice, just the quiet authority of a man who knows exactly who he is and where he is going. What if this really was the Messiah? Then, I thought, what if he does heal me? It's going to turn my whole world upside down. Finally, I thought of my wife, who I hadn't seen for 6 years and my 3 year old daughter who I might never see.

Like a drowning man, I suddenly grabbed on to Jesus.

"Lord, please heal me!"

"You could learn a lot about faith from your friend." He said with a smile in his voice. Stepping back a bit, he spat on the ground, making mud. He took some and put it on my eyes.

"Do you see anything?" He asked.

I looked and said, "I see people, they look like trees walking around."

Again, Jesus put his hands on my eyes. This time, when he took them away I could see!

This man is the Messiah; He has to be!

"Thank you Lord." I said.

"Don't go back into the village" He said, "go home to your family first." "Do you think you can find the way?"

"I could find it blindfolded!" I said; a really bad joke.

He laughed then turned and walked back to the crowds. I ran all the way home, then opened the door and looked into the prettiest brown eyes I had ever seen.

How Deep Is Your Love?

Now He had to go through Samaria.  So He came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.  Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as He was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”  (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

The Samaritan woman said to Him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can You ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can You get this living water?  Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

“I have no husband,” she replied.

   Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband.  The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that You are a prophet.  Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.  You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.  Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

John 4:4-26

This, to me is a great example of what our lives should be like.  If we call ourselves Christians, we should be seeking to emulate the life of Jesus.  Jesus, in plain and simple language, starts with a simple question, “Will you give me a drink?”  and ends up revealing to this unlikely character that He is the long-awaited Messiah.  What He chose not to make public knowledge in Israel, He told to a woman that His culture said He should despise.

I have heard it said by many people that it is important for the modern Christian to be relevant in today's society.  To this end, many Christians behave much the same way as non-Christians so as not to make Jesus seem uncool.  Jesus stands this notion on its ear; He acts in a manner that was completely inconsistent with His culture and would cause many of His contemporaries to dismiss Him.  It is indeed important that Christians not remove themselves from society; our society could definitely use a big dose of God.

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

John 17:14-16

Unfortunately, some Christians go to far in the other direction.  If a person so chooses, there is the so-called Christian media, supplying music, literature, movies, even education and dating websites completely insulated from the secular world.  As Jesus prays, He does not ask that we be taken from the world, rather that we will be protected from the influence of the devil; who is the de facto ruler of the world.

As I have stated before and will likely state again, the real trick is to find a balance between the two extremes.  I have found that the best way to do this is to constantly be searching for opportunities to let the light that is within you, the light of Jesus' love, shine into a dark world.

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

2 Timothy 4:2

If nothing else, let me encourage you to be in God's word each day.  If you are just starting out, let me recommend the book of John.  The more familiar you are with the Bible, the more prepared you will be when you have the opportunity to speak.