The Wings of an Eagle

Matthew 5:10 (KJV) Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

      Samuel Rutherford, a Scottish pastor from the 1600’s, wrote from his prison cell, "I never knew by my nine years of preaching so much of Christ's love, as He taught me in Aberdeen by six months imprisonment. Christ's cross is such a burden as sails are to a ship or wings to a bird.”

     In Acts 5:41 the Apostles “departed the presence of the council”, which had just beaten them and commanded they stop preaching in Jesus name, “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”

      And in our own time, a Romanian pastor described how he was imprisoned and tortured mercilessly and yet experienced joy. Locked in solitary confinement, he had been summoned by his captors, who cut chunks of flesh from his body, and was then returned to his cell, where he was starved. Yet in the midst of this sadism, there were times when the joy of Christ so overcame him that he would pull himself up and shuffle about the cell in holy dance. So remarkable was his joy that on his release from prison and his return to his home, he chose to fast the first day in memorial to the joy he had known in prison.

      The annals of the Church overflow with such accounts. I recently watched a video called “Father of Lights” that recorded the interview of a man imprisoned in the Middle East where his captors burned him with cigarettes all over his body. When asked how he endured the torture he stated that every time they would burn him Jesus would embrace him. The interviewer stopped and asked do you mean you felt Jesus? He replied, “No, he was there. He comforted me.”

     It is in the midst of our darkest night that we have the greatest opportunity of our life to experience grace. Not a theoretical dissertation but the mighty hand of God extended to us. A touch that brings us from the clutch of the tormentor to be seated in the Heavenlies with the King Himself, for a child of God there is no greater reward. Even now my spirit stirs as I think of the God of all Comfort moving on my behalf, reaching through the vastness of space to uphold my hands and breathe upon the wounds inflicted for His Name sake. What could move Him more than to know that just as His body bore the stripes and wounds for me, I offer my body as a living sacrifice unto Him. There is no greater place of worship.

      My spirit is willing, but I must admit my flesh is weak. No one wants to suffer the torments of unspeakable evil and to do so for any other reason is folly. But when we lay down our life for the Master – The Kingdom belongs to a child.

      If you wish to read more accounts of saints that were martyred for the Kingdom, I recommend “Foxes Book of Martyrs” Amazing true stories of the Kingdom.

God Has A Plan

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7

Mercy is not just feeling compassion but it is taking action to help the one in need even when we have been wronged. In Genesis 37 we read the story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers. If you remember the story his brothers were going to kill him. They didn’t repent of that motive but only saw a chance to make some money from Joseph’s misery by selling Him to the Midianites. Because of their actions Joseph spent 13 years as a slave and in prison before being made Pharoah’s overseer.
Separated from his family at the age of 17, a slave or in prison for 13 years, and then 9 years serving Pharoah, Joseph never wavered in his trust for God. He was not controlled by the rejection and vitriol of his brothers. He never gave place to bitterness. It would have been easy to become angry with God for the trouble that he went through because of his brother’s actions. Instead Joseph accepted the will of God and ordered his life to bring God glory.
It was 24 years after that fateful day when Joseph’s brothers stood before him. He had power to payback every injustice they had done to him. He held their lives in his hand. He not only forgave them but he embraced them, wept with them, and provided for them – abundantly! His mercy was epic and foreshadowed the Messiah.
Jesus was despised and rejected by men. Sold to the tormentors and imprisoned, He willingly gave Himself to God’s will. Raised up by the power of God, Jesus is seated at the Fathers right hand and has been given all power in Heaven and Earth. When we stand before Him guilty of the betrayal and pain that He endured it is in His power alone to decide what should become of us. Jesus lifts His hands so that we might see the scars in them as He reveals Himself to us. Weeping He embraces us and draws us into His presence. Forgiven and loved we stand recipients of divine mercy and are ushered into the abundant blessings of the One that gave Himself for us.
When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers he told them,

"Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

This is the place where mercy is found, the place where we can reach beyond the struggle and passions of betrayal to a higher plane. Can you say of the struggle, hurts, and pitfalls that others have caused in your life, “but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done”?

Turning Point

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7

      I had struggled all of my life to be somebody. I am smart and worked hard to get ahead, always looking for a way to make it big. When the King became an investor in my latest business venture it was the biggest break of my life. The King gave me over a million dollars to start my business but then it seemed like everything went wrong. It wasn’t my fault the orders fell off and my partners pulled the plug. There was nothing I could have done to salvage the business. I’m a ruthless business man that can squeeze blood from a turnip but sometimes that just isn’t enough.
The King has summoned me to the throne and demanded His money back. The future was bleak. Prison and the cold hunger of solitude were destined to be my tomorrow. There was nothing I could do. I was broke and my friends deserted me long ago. Then I thought, perhaps I could appeal for mercy. If the King sees my misery, maybe he will empathize.
As I approached the throne, the grandeur of the palace overwhelmed me. The King sat high and lifted up regally viewing all that took place around him. I saw the man who had been summoned before me shaking his fist at the King in defiance.

“I will never bow to you!” He shouted.

      The King ordered him to be thrown into prison. The guards drug him out of the room screaming and kicking. Chills ran down my back as I watched. I was next.
I knew I had to do something. Falling down on my knees I crawled to the steps that ascended to the throne. I don’t think I could have bowed any lower.

“Have patience with me, Lord. Give me a little time and I will pay you every cent” I cried. There were even tears streaming down my face.

      I waited for the judgment. Maybe He would shave off a few years from the punishment. What? I must be mistaken! Did He just say what I thought He did?

“Loose him! I will forgive him this debt.”

     Yes! I knew I still had it. I had lived my life to succeed. I had worked hard. The King must have seen that in me. It is good to be me. I thought.

      Walking out of the palace that day I saw one of the deadbeats that owed me a little money. It wasn’t much but a debt is a debt. If guys like him had paid me on time I wouldn’t have had to grovel before the King. When I asked him for the money he started whining and telling me about his family and little boy being sick. That sure doesn’t pay my bills. I summoned the police and had him thrown in jail. Let him sit and think about what it’s like to be without and have to grovel.

      I was at home enjoying a fine dinner with my family thinking how blessed I was to be able to enjoy the fruit of my labors when they came busting through the door. The Royal Guard! Before I knew it I was back in front of the King and this time I didn’t get a chance to bow. The guard was forcing me to the ground, his foot on my neck.

“You wicked servant! I forgave you all your debt because you asked me.”

    Yeah! That’s right, Lord! You did. Remember! I deserve better than this.

“Should you not have had compassion on your fellow servant like I had on you?”
     What? He didn’t deserve mercy! He had never done anything for me. He was a deadbeat. This is totally not fair!

      Anyway, that is how I got into this place of torment. There is no way I can ever make the money to pay the King what I owe Him. I will die in this place without hope because I didn’t understand that in order to receive mercy we have to give mercy.

So why are you here?

The God of All Comfort

Matthew 5:4 (KJV) Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

     Today I would like you to consider the Apostle Paul.  Here was a man that never knew if he was going to be alive the next day.  Compassed about on every hand by those that would like to kill or imprison him.  Pressed daily by the enemies of the cross.  Persecuted by those that disagreed with his theology.  His enemies were many and they were powerful.  Yet, Paul could be found in all places, at all times, praising and glorifying the Lord Jesus.  We find him in prison with Silas twisted in the cruel stocks of the Romans singing praises to God.  We find him in the midst of a storm that was about to leave him ship wrecked encouraging those around him to trust in the Lord.  Paul was not a victim of his circumstances.  Oh no!  Paul seemed to rise above his circumstances with purpose and clarity that defied explanation.  Men and women like Paul walk into disastrous situations with calm assurance and bring clarity and comfort to those around them. 

     As a police officer, I was dispatched to many situations where civility and calm had broken down into chaos.  When you walk into a bar or home and people are beating each other or threatening each others with weapons the last thing that is needed is another hot head.  You can’t have a melt down and feel sorry for yourself because your perfect day has been interrupted by this overwhelming problem, so, you rely on your training and knowledge to bring calm, comfort, to the situation.  It always helps to know that there are 500 more police officers to back you up.  Your response is from a position of strength.  You never stand alone.  Walking with Jesus is like that.  He said that “Anything you ask in my name the Father will give it to you.”  (John 15:16)  He said, “I will never leave you”.  We can depend on God to be with us as we face the storm. 

    In our passage today Jesus tells His disciples, “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.”  This week we have spent much time discerning the blessedness of mourning our sin.  The emptying of self establishes the foundation for the filling of our souls with the Spirit of the Living God.  “You are not your own, you were bought with a price.” (1 Cor. 6:19)  This is the comfort, the peace, which passes all understanding.  I’m not here trying to figure out a path to victory.  I am here to follow Jesus!  I am here to obey His command!  He will lead me beside still waters!  He will restore my soul!  We cry out with Job, “Though God slay me yet I trust Him…He also shall be my salvation.”  (Job 13:15)  We can stand in calm assurance even though our enemies rage like a roaring lion. 

    Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:3, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.  Who comforts us in all our tribulation…”  On this journey we may find ourselves ship wrecked, imprisoned, cast out of town, cast down into a pit, compassed on every side, but no matter what may come our way we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ.  Why?  Because He loves us!  He died for us!  He rescued us!  He restores us!  Child of God know this, there is nothing too hard for God and there is no where that He cannot go, that He will not go, for you.  I don’t know about you but I feel like praising His name!