I Walk with The King

To Heavenly Land; the Kingdom of Right–the Pathway of Light…

Tag Archives: Jesus

Find Your Role with Jesus

Our very own author, Craig Hayes, has just done a spot in another fine publication, the Norman Transcript! Please check out his fine work by clicking the link above. I’m not sure why he didn’t post it himself (being modest, I guess!). Feel welcome to read, Like, Share and discuss on Facebook.

God Bless!


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The Devil Had Us Right Where He Wanted Us

The devil got his foot in the door immediately.  Eve disobeyed, Adam followed suit.  Death is ushered in.  Murder quickly ensued (Cain slew Abel).  By Noah’s time God repented that he had even created man, so He destroyed the earth and man.  But it wasn’t long after that men set out to reach the heavens with a tower so God had to confound their language.  God reached out to His people again and acted to deliver them from slavery in Egypt.  He performed miracles to save them.  He sent manna to feed them.  But they complained vociferously.  Even while He showed Himself to Moses on the mountain and gave a law for His people, they were at the foot of the mountain crafting false gods.  A law was given that they couldn’t keep completely.

The devil was relishing all of this, having his way with man.

Judges were introduced to benefit His people, but they were not good enough for them.  They wanted a king.  So they got what they (and the devil) wanted.  God’s people forgot Him over and over, time and again.  God tried reaching them.  God punished them.  All to no avail.  Yet He wouldn’t give up on them.  He had one prophet after another speak of a Messiah that would come.  They waited.  And waited.

And then Messiah came.  Regardless, King Herod and all Jerusalem was troubled when they learned of His birth, so Herod tried killing him at the very outset.  The devil himself got in Jesus’ face and tempted Him.  The religious leaders of the day, Jews, tried to entrap Him and make Him look bad.  They envied Him and sought to destroy Him.  Rome feared Him and would just as soon He went away.  Judas betrayed Him; Peter denied Him.  He was mocked and lied about.  Jesus was sentenced to death for nothing He had done wrong, and a convicted and noted robber was let go free to ensure that He was crucified.  He was hung on a cross surrounded by common thieves.

The devil had everything going according to plan, right?  Sin ruled.  Surely God would send a flood to wipe man away again.

Oh, God sent a flood alright — He flooded us with Grace, through Jesus and His resurrection!  …But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:20-21 NIV


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Who I Am, Who He Is

491TIMES

Last night, Laura and I were in the kitchen unloading the dishwasher; just talking about stuff, when our conversation turned to the things of God. Our discussion was about forgiveness and mercy, because we had just watched a television show where a bad man repented and was baptized at the end. Laura commented that it’s amazing how anyone who truly turns to God can receive His forgiveness for each and every sin in his or her life.

That made me reflect on how anyone can change and become a new person. Sometimes it’s tough for me for give others that second chance–especially after they have betrayed my trust, or if I’ve seen them revert back to old behaviors again. When the second chance becomes the third and fourth, it’s easy for me to become skeptical and hard-hearted toward that person. It makes me doubt their sincerity. The apostle Peter also struggled with forgiving others, and asked Jesus how to handle the oft-offending brother:

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  Matthew 18:21-22 NKJV

Jesus used a euphemism here with Peter. The takeaway here is not that Jesus commands forgiveness up to 490 times per day (for who could even offend that much?), but that we should offer sincere forgiveness of trespasses against ourselves. And in case the disciples thought Jesus’ command unreasonable, He teaches them a parable to reinforce the point:

Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”  Matthew 18:23-35 NKJV

Jesus commands personal forgiveness to all who wrong us. Why? He offers personal forgiveness to all His servants. Just as in this parable, what right does the recipient of the king’s grace have to grab his fellow-servant by the throat and demand recompense? None. As a servant of the King, I am called to emulate His most important attribute–mercy. Therefore Jesus commands me to personally forgive those who sin against me (from the heart) if I wish to receive His mercy.

You may argue that everyone should pay their debts (they should), and that this arrangement isn’t fair for the one to whom a debt is owed (it’s not). The exact same is true between God and me. So, to the main point–that God doesn’t forgive me because of who I am. He forgives me because of who He is.


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A Nation of Cowards

I learned something important about America today: we are a nation of cowards. I caught bits of news today as we all learned that the older brother of the Boston Marathon bombers died in a shootout with police, while his younger brother continued to evade arrest. The officials in Boston and the surrounding municipalities put a major U.S. city of approximately 2 million people on a lockdown because of one killer on the loose. One.

A scared 19-year-old kid who felt the entire weight of the United States law enforecement agencies bearing down on him hid in a boat. And 2 million Americans hid in their homes. Our fear-filled response to even small-scale attack (yes–this attack was small-scale) is that we allow other terrorists to witness validation that all they have to do is kill a half dozen of us, injure a few hundred, and the rest hunker and hide. With such a predictable effect, it’s no wonder that enemies of the American people persist in these same tactics, even when fighting overseas.

In difficult times, I tend to seek the words of Jesus Christ for guidence and answers to tough questions. How would Jesus have us respond to acts of terrorism?

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  Matthew 10:28 NKJV

See it now? Our response to acts of terrorism is totally opposite of what Jesus commands. There are two commands for us here. First, Jesus commands us not to fear anyone who has the ability to kill our bodies, but have no power over our eternal being. Second, Jesus commands us to fear God; who, if He wishes, can kill the body, but can also condemn us to total, eternal destruction in Hell.

In America, we cower before those evil people who use violence against our lives and the threat of such violence to control and manipulate us. And it works. Every time. At the same time, we pro-actively demonstrate our hatred for God, and deny His power over our very lives and souls. He hate His Word, we hate His ways, we hate His followers.

In the coming days, our citizens and elected officials will join in a debate over the balance between personal freedom and public safety; between government control and national security. I pray that in making decisions about America’s response to future threats, that our leaders will stand tall before our enemies and bow low before God. Until then, I will be no coward. What will you decide?