Greetings, dear ones.
Kaden and Nicholas just came into my studio requesting help with fastening a little sign to a stake. The sign announces their desire to sell lemonade for 50 cents. Not sure where this came from. Oh well. It probably beats farming.
I have more delinquent plans in the making—delinquent because I won’t be getting any of my work done. I plan to ski tomorrow at White Pass. I think there will be at least 6 old people in our group. Only one is older than me—my brother—4 years older. Should be fun.
Blessings on the rest of your day. Ray.
It is mind-boggling for me to note how so many people can live in the same world, maybe even the same culture, having the same resources available, yet hold such a wide range of vastly different perceptions of Jesus. To Festus in our reading He was simply a “dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.” As I contemplate this range of perspectives and attitudes, I’m thinking of grouping them into three classes:
THERE ARE THOSE WHO VIEW JESUS AS IRRELEVANT AND UNIMPORTANT. These are are the skeptics and/or unbelievers—either by ignorance or by choice. They may recognize His place in history but not regard Him in any way as deity. They may regard Him as having been a nice, moral, and influential man, but that He is presently no more relevant than “a dead man named Jesus.”
THERE ARE THOSE WHO SAY JESUS IS IMPORTANT BUT LIVE LIKE HE IS UNIMPORTANT. These are the nominal Christians who may say Jesus is alive but live like He was dead. They may pray nice Christian prayers and sing worshipful Christian songs, but the practical output of their lives does not support their claim.
THERE ARE THOSE WHO SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND SUPPORT THAT BELIEF WITH CHANGED LIVES. To begin with, they personally accept the Biblical diagnosis of their need—that they are sinners in need of a savior. They know Jesus is definitely alive and that He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. They know by faith and experience that He imparts His life-giving and life-changing Spirit to those who sincerely seek Him, are sanctified by Him, and passionately love Him. Their lives become practical demonstrators of the Life of Christ.
Let’s state the obvious—that the first two attitudes really play out to be the same in the long run—and, of course, the last one is the right one. It is the only way that leads to Life—to righteousness and peace and joy and blessing and purpose and success and fulfillment and wisdom and victory—and we could go on and on.
“Jesus Christ forgave voluntarily; He died vicariously; He arose visibly; and He lives victoriously.”