Jesus ain’t a Bell Boy

Jesus ain’t a Bell Boy

 

Ok  look…I’m not gonna talk about politics (right now.) But we have to discuss this picture.

First let me say this. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances that aren’t Christians. And all them know that me and Jesus are BFFs. Therefore, I have to answer to all these people for all the stupid stuff my Christian brethren decide to post on social media. And can I just say that ya’ll are posting a lot of crap that I cannot even explain, much less defend?

So let’s just talk about this ridiculous meme my beloved aunt (she divorced my uncle over 2 decades ago but she’s still my aunt because that’s how it works in my family) put on Facebook last week. Completely disregard the Obama/Trump stuff. Look at Jesus in this pic. Just look at him. Now ask yourself this simple question :

WHY WOULD JESUS NEED 4 SUITCASES???????

Jesus was basically a homeless preacher. I can’t prove it biblically but I’d be shocked to find out he owned more than one pair of sandals. The Bible makes a big ole deal about his seamless robe which leads me to believe he probably didn’t have a closet full of them.  So assume the literal KING OF KINGS could be ‘kicked out’ by some American President (spoiler alert : he can’t be). I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t need to pack up four pieces of luggage to make the trip.

And sure, I get what my aunt was trying to convey with this post but we’ve got to do a better job folks. True Christians need to be about the work God has given us and that work is inviting people to discover Jesus. Our job is not to create weird a weird meme Jesus and then try to shame people into thinking they aren’t “True Christians” if they don’t share it.

Bible Thursday – Matthew 10

“When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don’t quit. Don’t cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you’ve run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived.”

Matthew 10:21-23

 

Bible Tuesday – Revelation Part 39

I saw Heaven and earth new-created. Gone the first Heaven, gone the first earth, gone the sea.

I saw Holy Jerusalem, new-created, descending resplendent out of Heaven, as ready for God as a bride for her husband.

I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women!

 

Let’s just stop right here for a minute.  Have you ever read a more delicious piece of scripture?  God has moved into the neighborhood.  I mean can I just have a moment?!?!  Can you even imagine anyone choosing to live among us?  And God has chosen to do so twice!

They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.”

Revelation 21:3-5

This is the very heart of the book of Revelation.  Most people immediately think of destruction and horror when they contemplate this book. I know there is a bunch of stuff here that is hard to understand or contextualize.  But this passage could not be more accessible.  All people in all times know pain and tears and death.  And God reveals here that the time for these things will be soon over.  Seriously, will you take 30 seconds and just try to imagine that?

No pain.

No death.

And not just no tears.  God will wipe every tear from our eyes.  God himself.  Every tear.

My goal in writing is not primarily to convert anyone.  But you can study world religions for the rest of your dang life.  You can round up every deity worshiped by every person ever in the history of the world.  But you will never  find another God who will wipe away your tears.

 

Bible Tuesday – Revelation Part 38

I saw a Great White Throne and the One Enthroned. Nothing could stand before or against the Presence, nothing in Heaven, nothing on earth. And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there—before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived. Sea released its dead, Death and Hell turned in their dead. Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived. Then Death and Hell were hurled into Lake Fire. This is the second death—Lake Fire. Anyone whose name was not found inscribed in the Book of Life was hurled into Lake Fire.

Revelation 20:11-15

All of us will stand before God and be judged.

All of us.

Every atheist.

Every believer.

Every hypocrite.

Every martyr.

Every murderer.

Every adulterer.

Every King, Queen, Prince and Princess

Every President, Chancellor, Prime Minister and Leader.

Every preacher, teacher, priest and saint.

And from Henry VIII to me, Just Rachel, one thing will be true.

Every knee will bow.

We will all acknowledge Jesus.

And those of us who have placed our trust in Him?  Those whose names are written in the book of life.  Will we be filled with self righteous “I told you so’s”?   No.  We will be more aware than ever that we are completely unworthy of such amazing grace.

 

 

 

Bible Tuesday – Revelation Part 37

I saw an Angel descending out of Heaven. He carried the key to the Abyss and a chain—a huge chain. He grabbed the Dragon, that old Snake—the very Devil, Satan himself!—chained him up for a thousand years, dumped him into the Abyss, slammed it shut and sealed it tight. No more trouble out of him, deceiving the nations—until the thousand years are up. After that he has to be let loose briefly.

Revelation 20:1-3

I know a whole bunch of people who blame everything bad that happens in their life on the devil.  And, look, I’m not Satan’s defender here but Satan is not omnipresent or omniscient like God.  He can’t be everywhere and he can’t read your mind.  Maybe you got a flat tire because you ran over a nail.  Maybe you got sick because of a germ.  Spiritual warfare is real but every dang thing that happens to you is not caused by dark forces.  And trust me when I tell you that if you stop looking for Satan in every stupid little thing that happens, you will have a much better ability to see when he really is at work.

So Satan is gonna get locked up for 1000 years.  I have no idea why.  I’m just trusting God on this deal.

 

I saw thrones. Those put in charge of judgment sat on the thrones. I also saw the souls of those beheaded because of their witness to Jesus and the Word of God, who refused to worship either the Beast or his image, refused to take his mark on forehead or hand—they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years! The rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years were up. This is the first resurrection—and those involved most blessed, most holy. No second death for them! They’re priests of God and Christ; they’ll reign with him a thousand years.

When the thousand years are up, Satan will be let loose from his cell, and will launch again his old work of deceiving the nations, searching out victims in every nook and cranny of earth, even Gog and Magog! He’ll talk them into going to war and will gather a huge army, millions strong. They’ll stream across the earth, surround and lay siege to the camp of God’s holy people, the Beloved City. They’ll no sooner get there than fire will pour out of Heaven and burn them up. The Devil who deceived them will be hurled into Lake Fire and Brimstone, joining the Beast and False Prophet, the three in torment around the clock for ages without end.

Revelation 20:4-6

 

So Satan is bound for 1000 years.  That means that at least 50 generations will be born while Satan has no presence in the world at all. Sounds fantastic doesn’t it?  But see what happens when he is released?  Satan is still able to deceive the nations.  You see sin wasn’t bound for 1000 years.  Free will wasn’t bound for 1000 years.  Satan is good at what he does.  In fact, he’s the best at it.  But he can’t do it without our help and we just almost make it too easy for him, don’t we?

But this last stand for Satan is blessedly brief.  And the fire and brimstone that the Baptists love to preach?  Ya’ll it’s real and it’s Satan’s final forever destination.  Pay attention to the way this last ‘battle’ plays out.  This is not a ‘clash of titans’ where God and Satan square off and battle for supremacy. There is no scriptural indication of a fight at all.  Remember that when you are feeling embattled.  Spiritual warfare may be scary and hard for us but it’s not even a skirmish for God.