Greetings fellow RU Directors, leaders helpers, and servers, as you know our labor involves a zealous effort to reach the addicted nation for Jesus Christ. On Friday nights we have the opportunity to make a major impact in lives, and in our communities.  In order to be successful, your chapter must join together to be the best RU Chapter it can be.

For the second week in a row I have been reminded of the seriousness of what we are doing: I received news from Milford, Ohio that a person I dealt with over the summer had overdosed and died. Two precious people dead in two weeks. They tried recovery their own way. This is heartbreaking to me.

I have made some observations over the years that will help any chapter. I challenge each of us to be EFFECTIVE leaders my pastor, Pastor Kingsbury taught us in his message last Wednesday that we should say “Come along with me”.  Don’t be the one who says you “go” while I stay — that’s not a leader, that an instructor. We need leaders that will lead students to recovery!

 While these points listed below may seem like minor things to you, let me assure you these minor things add up (RU Principle #5). These are not minor things to students who are in a life and death battle with an addiction. Students are watching you! These are not minor things to those looking to you for leadership because you are experiencing the victory they so desire.

Here are some tried and true methods for helping students excel in their recovery:
• Arrive at RU early — 6:50pm should be considered late for you and your RU leadership.   Be there to meet and greet RU students.  A comment I frequently heard from in Milford is that new students were amazed at the love they felt in the chapter.  That flowed from the workers who welcomed new students and showed an interest in them.

• Don’t allow students sit alone. Make new students feel welcome. Even regular students can be having a bad day and need a friend. The day they want to sit alone is the day we can’t let them sit alone.

• EVERYONE needs to complete a 300 Club card. How can you make 300 Club if you don’t complete a card? How can you tell others to make 300 Club if you are not? Lead by example.

• Constantly encourage participation in the program by doing Challenges and Daily Journal yourself. Lead by example so that you can say do as I do not do as I say.

• Look for ways for everyone to serve. They do not have to be a group leader to serve in RU. You need a book table lady, greeters, people willing to setup or take down the book table, help in the sound booth, people to sit with new students, etc… There are opportunities for everyone to serve and to minister on Friday nights. If you can get an addicts eyes off of their own problems, and on the needs of others it will drastically improve their chances for success.

• Stay for Happy Hour. This is a great time to deepen friendships with students — they need new friends!

So we challenge you to not be a bystander. Be the kind of leader that leads by example. The lives of hurting people hang in the balance. As always those of us in Rockford appreciate your hard work, and faithfulness to the Lord.

Jay Griffin

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WHY SMART PEOPLE DO DUMB THINGS
Dr. Paul Kingsbury

All of us have done dumb things. But one of the dumbest things that anybody could have done is found in Genesis three. An intelligent man and an intelligent woman made a very dumb decision. This decision was so damaging that six thousand years later we still feel the repercussions of their dumb decisions.

Adam and Eve were no dummies. Adam’s first assignment when God made him was to name all the animals in the world. It takes a lot of intelligence to do that. When God made man in His own image, He didn’t make man dumb. He gave man a 3-pound brain that can do things that super computers cannot do!

What takes place in Genesis three is so intricate to our lives now. I consider this chapter to be one of the foundational chapters of the Bible. It is a key to understanding life, success, eternity, God, each other, and everything in between!

My life and ministry is consumed with people work. And I tell you, as I deal with their problems, I see daily that people do dumb things! Now, we are not speaking of uneducated, simple people here! It’s not even the backslidden Christian of whom we are speaking! If Adam and Eve were members of our local church, they would be the perfect couple! These were intelligent people!

First Timothy 2:14 helps us also better understand what took place on that fateful day in the lives of Adam and Eve. Speaking of that very occasion in the garden, God tells us that, “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”

If we paddle up the streams of sin to the headwaters, we are going to find two sources for why smart people do dumb things. Why the smartest man and woman in the world, living in the best of environments, still sinned. This was extremely dumb! It was for two different reasons. We will first look at Eve’s story and then we will look at Adam’s.

The Bible says that Eve was deceived. It does not mean that Eve was of any less intelligence. Sin by its very nature deceives us.

How was Eve deceived? Well, at that time, there was only one deceiver available—Lucifer, otherwise known as, the devil. In Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28, we find out that Lucifer had superior intelligence, beauty, and incredible skill in music. He was in charge of 1/3 of heaven’s angels! But through his pride, he attempted to be equal with God. This plunged him into the world as Satan. In John 8:44, Jesus said that he is the father of lies, the great deceiver. And at the core of sin in most people’s lives is a deception!

Sin by its very nature is deceptive. Paul put it this way in Romans 7:11, “For sin… deceived me, and by it slew me.” Sin is packaged to look so good! It never shows the real picture of sin. Proverbs 20:1 tells us that, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Sin is deceptive! The world ought to package the sin like it really is! They don’t show the Marlboro man just before death, eaten with cancer. Alcohol never tells of the broken lives, torn families, and regretful consequences. Why? Because sin is deceiving.

People can deceive you. “Deceive” is used 67 times in the Bible. Almost every time it is used it is warning the reader against being deceived by people.

Trace sin back to its roots, and we see that sometimes we sin because we are simply deceived! We actually think we are doing something that’s good, beneficial and helpful! And yet, we sin. Even though Eve was deceived, she still suffered the consequences. Even though you may have been deceived into sin, you will still suffer your consequences.

You see, the greatest deceiver is not Satan, it’s self. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” And that’s what makes this so difficult. We can often think that we are the ones that are okay. But in reality, we are being deceived. But that’s all part of being deceived—you don’t even know it!

Those on the outside, generally being authority, can clearly see the destruction of your foolish choices. But we decide, “Well, I just think it’s the right thing to do.” If it is contrary to God’s Word, then it’s not the right thing to do. You may say, “But I have such a good feeling about this!” Hang your feelings! If you live by your feelings, you will be like a yoyo. Feelings come and go, but God’s Word is eternal. He knows what is best for you.

When Eve took of that fruit, she thought she was doing something good for her husband, something good for her marriage, something good for the family! Why? Because sister Eve was deceived.

But a far more hideous and heinous crime occurred that day. Oh, yes it was more hideous and heinous than Eve’s. In fact, Adam’s sin was so great that God recorded in Romans 5:12 that, “…by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men.” What did Adam do? Adam went into this with his eyes wide open. Adam did not listen to the serpent as he suavely spoke to Eve and think, “Oh, this is a good idea!” He thought, “This is destructive! We can’t do this!”

You see, Adam’s sin was more hideous and heinous than Eve’s because here is what he did: He forsook his position under God’s authority, thus rendering himself ineffective as a leader in a position of authority in his own home to be the provider and protector of his wife. And by coming out from under his authority, Adam became his own authority, thus he lost his authority, and because of that, God said that his sin was the greater sin.

You see, if I don’t stay under God’s authority in my life, and I try to lead my wife and my family, my church, my responsibilities, whatever positions, whatever hats I wear among human relationships, once I vacate my proper position under authority, I marginalize my effectiveness in my positions of authority. That’s why their home imploded.

Sin can be traced back to the headwaters of rebellion against authority. You see, Adam’s sin was not the sin of deception; his sin was the sin of deliberation! He deliberately chose to sin, knowing full well what he was doing. Now, for you and me, six thousand years later, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is this: If you don’t deal with your sin biblically, you are going to destroy your life. I don’t care how ideal your marriage may be, you could have the nicest home like Adam and Eve did, you could have the greatest relationship with God, but if you get deceived by the devil, you will be destroyed. It doesn’t matter who you are; you can’t get into a position with God that you can’t be destroyed. And if you deliberately step out from under God’s ordained authority in your life, it will influence and impact your ability to lead others, and you will be responsible for destroying lives. It’s bad news, but it’s the truth.

The good news is this: Through confession of sin, forsaking of our sin, and trusting Jesus Christ, that sin can be broken. Glory to God! It is as if God puts up a dam at the headwaters and says, “You don’t have to be deceived. My blood can cleanse you from your sin and set you free. I can give you a sound mind, and you can make good decisions and good choices; you do not have to be deceived, glory to God!

And you can come back under His authority. God gave us authority for our protection. Put yourself back under that protection. You will find, smart friend, that it will keep you from making very dumb things!

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SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU

It is our responsibility to be the addictions treatment centers for our community. We ought not forsake this opportunity. In our church, you may walk in and be greeted by a former addict and you would never know it. You might be sitting next to one in your church pew. They are singing in the choir, serving in the different ministries… our students become active serving church members!

However, these miracles don’t come without “unique” happening. These become memories that you will later love. For instance, I had a husband and wife visit our church. They came up to me after the service to have me sign their books. When this distinguished couple approached me, the husband said, “Excuse me, Father, but could we have a word with you?”

I thought to myself, “I’ve got twelve kids and you don’t look familiar!” I didn’t say it, but I knew they were coming from a Catholic background. I didn’t bring out my latest Ian Paisley’s preaching sermon, nor did I make fun of them. I didn’t even rebuke them for that. I simply replied, “Welcome to North Love. We’re so glad you are here! How can I help you?”

They looked at me and said, “You know, this is the first time we’ve ever been in a Baaaaptist church! We thought Baptists rolled down the aisles! But nobody rolled down the aisles! We were taught you were a bunch of Holy Rollers! He inquisitively proceeded, “But, we’ve heard something we’ve never heard in the Catholic church all our lives!”

My friend, Jeremy. God has now blessed him with a beautiful Christian wife and children. When Jeremy first came here it took a while for the truth of RU to stick. First, I loaned Jeremy my car and he stole it. Can you believe that? He stole a preacher’s car! Not once, but twice! My wife said the first time it wasn’t my fault. But the second time? I have no excuse! The second time Jeremy ran away with it for a week. The car disappeared, he disappeared. He was living in it. Several days later I got a call from the police department from central Wisconsin. They found a vehicle registered in my name and had incarcerated the young man that was in it. They told me I could come get my car. But the police officer warned me that the car had been lived in and was not in good condition, if you know what I mean.

So, I called one of our deacons—Jeff Walker. Now, Jeff is a very distinguished, fastidious airline pilot. He is a very neat and clean kind of a guy. I asked him if he would like to go on a ride with me. So, he met me at the church and we headed to central Wisconsin. He eventually asked me what we were doing. “Oh, you’re going to help me pick up a car!” I responded. So, we got to the car, and it was worse than I had even imagined. It was really bad. The odor was unbearable. Jeff’s first question was, “Who’s driving that home?” I laughed.

The entire 90-minute mid-winter drive home all four windows were unrolled as Jeff’s head would reach out the driver’s window every few minutes gasping for fresh air.

But listen, when I walk through the doors on Friday night and I am greeted by a smiling Jeremy, or on Sunday mornings as I watch him with his new little baby and then see his attentiveness during the service and the tears rolling down his cheeks as I preach…it makes all those memories bring a smile to my face. It is worth it to invest in people! We have over 200 adults reached with similar stories. Not funny at the time, but all worth the hassle as I look back on it now.

Pastor Kingsbury

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. . . And there were also with Him other little ships. Mark 4:36

When we sail in Christ’s company, we cannot assume we will always have fair weather, for great storms may toss the vessel which carries the Lord Himself. We must not expect to find the sea less boisterous around our little boat. His vessel has reached the heaven, and so shall ours.

-Charles Spurgeon

Dearest Friends,

I write you this email from within a storm. The last three years have been a financial storm that has tested our courage and faith. While other ministries have gone safely to harbor for lack of funding we have not sought safety but our little boat has remained on station, calling all hands on deck!

Why?  Because never before have we found so many lives shipwrecked and souls in the water calling out for rescue.

Now, after three years in the storm we find ourselves needing to pay our bills.  We have remained in full Rescue Operation Mode for three years but now we need your help. Currently we are behind on our bills by $100,000. I have to admit; I am a little frightened right now and I need your help more than ever before.  $100,000 seems like all the money in the world to me right now, but God has proven His faithfulness through you in the past and I call out to you now for whatever life line and provision you can send our way. Your gift of any amount ($25, $50, $100 or more) will make a difference.

The winds and waves will not spare us, but they will obey Jesus!  Will you obey Him today and send us what He puts on your heart to give?

In this I rejoice and put my faith:  Jesus was in the center of that weather-beaten company in that day of storm-He is with us now in our storm.

And through faith and trust in Him, our vessel shall reach The Haven, but not empty, it will be over-loaded and full of the saved and rescued.

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by Dr. Paul Kingsbury

Last week, we began this study on “compassion”. Let’s remember a few things:

In the language of the New Testament, the word compassion comes from the word sumpathes, from which we get our word ‘sympathy or sympathetic’. Compassion is rooted in a word that means ‘to experience pain together’. Someone said it this way, “Compassion is your pain in my heart.” When you and I have sympathy for someone, we feel their pain. Sympathy, or compassion, is an emotion.

Sympathy or compassion is when someone is hurting, and we hurt with them. I want you to understand with this exhortation of how to have compassion one of another, which is extremely important because usually when there is stress in a relationship or stress in your life, one of the first things to go is your compassion, because you don’t feel like being nice. You don’t feel like being kind. You don’t feel like being gentle. You don’t feel like being sacrificial. But you must remember, compassion is not a feeling! It is imperative that you and I learn how to have compassion when we are under stress in our relationships.

Last week, we discussed that compassion is measureable. In Psalm 78, the Bible says, “God is full of compassion.” That is a measurement. Secondly, compassion is a merciful. Lamentations 3:22, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” Compassion, or feeling another’s pain, is not dependent upon what they cannot do, or what they have done, or what they will do for you or me. Compassion is a merciful emotion. Compassion shines the brightest when we have been mistreated. It is then that we can turn and have compassion for someone else, experiencing their pain. It is because of God’s mercy in our heart and in our life. Compassion is a measurable emotion; in this case, it is full. God says ‘it fails not’. When you and I have compassionate mercy on people, we will not give up on them. It should be our goal to be full of compassion that does not fail – merciful compassion.

Next, compassion is moving. Matthew 9:36 says, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” God has fullness of compassion; He has merciful compassion (it does not fail); and He has moving compassion. Five times in Matthew’s gospel, Christ and His compassion is put on display and specifically named. In each of these five occasions, we are going to see how to have compassion that is measurable, compassion that is merciful, and compassion that is moving. Like it or not, the duty of love or the commitment of love is not very motivating. But, when you mix it with genuine compassion, you are moved! When our feelings are engaged in something, we always do better at it; therefore, if I can love someone and have genuine compassion for them, I can actually feel their pain in my heart and carry it with me and share it with them. If I can successfully do this, I will be better at loving people. I’ll be more consistent at it. I’ll have a greater dedication to it.

How is your compassion? How does it measure? Is it merciful? Is it moving? Believe me, it shows in your relationships!

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“How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations.” (Isaiah 14:12)

“Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there’s no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

Lucifer went from being the “son of the morning” to becoming the “father of lies.”  How did this happen? This is a startling and vivid picture of the danger of losing the truth.  Before God created the world, He made the angels.  Above all the angels were three archangels—Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer.  Each of these glorious beings had a responsibility to lead other angels in praise and worship and service to God.  When God named them, He picked names with meaning.  Michael means “who is like God?” Gabriel means “strong man of God.” And Lucifer means “light-bringer.” God called him the “son of the morning” or a morning star, which is very significant because that is one of the names of Jesus.  (Revelation 22:16)

We are still dealing with Lucifer’s loss of trustworthiness, loss of transparent honesty, loss of integrity and character, and the sin he brought into the world through Adam even today.  The repercussions of the absence of truth in a person’s life last far into the future.  Before you give up truth, consider the consequences of dishonesty, the consequences of lying, the consequences of deceiving others, the consequences of playing the life of a hypocrite. It will destroy everything good and beautiful in your life.  And, you will not be able to limit the fallout—allowing the truth to flee from you will damage your family and those around you, perhaps for many generations to come.

If truth forsakes you, you are already on the way to a destiny of destruction. This drastic transformation is not just limited to the devil—it will happen in your life if you let truth run away.  Many a man and woman of character have forfeited integrity and honesty as the truth forsook them. The question then is, “What happened to Lucifer to so transform him?” The answer is found in Isaiah 14.

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.  Isaiah 14:13&14

Notice that his problem started in his heart.  The loss of truth, the loss of honesty, the loss of integrity always starts there.  The person who trusts his heart is incredibly foolish.  Why? Because your heart is deceitful above all things, the Bible says, and desperately wicked. (Jeremiah 17:9)  You cannot follow your heart. You can follow the word of God. To keep the truth, we must follow what God leads us to do by His Spirit and by His Word. Notice the five statements Lucifer made:

1. I will ascend into heaven.
2. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.
3. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides in the north.
4. I will ascend above the height of the clouds.
5. I will be like the most High.

Now what is, “I will”? It is a statement of ambition. Now, ambition is a wonderful blessing.  It is a part of the character of God; and because we were made in God’s image, we have ambition as well. The problem comes when ambition goes awry.  All sin is an aberration or a distortion of something that God made good.

The thing that destroyed Lucifer was pride.  He was filled with pride over his own achievements, his own abilities, his own accomplishments, and his own God-given nature. The success that Lucifer achieved within God’s rules and God’s will led him to believe that he did not need God.  He forgot that everything he had was a result of God’s design.

That began the decision making process to take his ambition and extend it outside of God’s will; and when that happened, Lucifer lost his integrity. If we allow pride to grow in our hearts, we will lose our integrity also. Every good thing that you have and every good thing that you do is a direct result of the goodness and grace of Almighty God.

The loss of truth from your life and the horrible consequences that follow begin when your ambition is twisted and you start taking credit for accomplishments and achievements that ultimately belong to God. That is how the son of the morning became the father of lies. And it will devastate your life if you do not guard against it.

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Dr. Paul A. Kingsbury

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Charles Haddon Spurgeon called the 85th Psalm “the prayer of a patriot for his afflicted country.” He expressed his belief that David penned this national hymn when the land was oppressed by the Philistines. When we come to the 85th Psalm, we are reading a passionate prayer for revival. In fact, if you will notice, the first seven verses are a prayer that God has inspired, recorded, and kept for us that we might gain a better understanding of how revival comes to an individual and to a nation.  You cannot lose your salvation, but you can lose the joy of your salvation. You can lose the thrill of what it means to belong to Christ and to live for Him and love Him. That is the reality of life…and that is when we need a revival.

David begins his prayer with a look back at history and a remembrance of how God favored Israel with revival in times past. Notice verse one, “Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.” The word revive means “to make alive again.” It is bringing life back to that which is dead or dying.  When the Psalmist looked back on the days of revival, he saw a time of blessing, prosperity, and the favor of God.  When the children of Israel were in captivity because of sin, God brought them to a renewed freedom.

In verses two and three, we see how revival restores our relationship with God.  “Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.   Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.” I have no doubt that God is angry with us as a nation today.  And, it is not “them” out there that is the problem; we are.  I am talking about God’s people. There is no question that we are in desperate need of an old-fashioned, Holy Ghost, God-sent revival.  It is not the iniquity of the world that kindles God’s wrath, but the iniquity tolerated, overlooked, and even enjoyed by His own people.  When revival occurs, there will be remarkable forgiveness of sin and a turning away of God’s wrath.  Oh, how we need that today!

Look at the plea for revival David voices in verse 4, “Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.” We do not hear much praying like this today.  Most of our prayers are short and simple (and not very sweet).   This is an earnest, fervent, passionate prayer from a man who means business with God.  Prayers that do not bring tears to our eyes or a quivering to our lips or an emotion that torments the spirit do not produce revival.  Until we are serious about our need for revival, it is unlikely that we will ever experience revival.  We cannot expect revival until we reach the end of ourselves and recognize that is only through God that we can have life again.

What happens when a real revival comes?  The answer is found in verse six.  “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” Revival always brings a renewed joy to our relationship with God.   A person who experiences revival will rejoice in the Lord regardless of what else is going on in his life. You may be in times of great stress, difficulty, and challenge.   But, when revival takes place, God’s people rejoice; not necessarily in what is happening in their lives, but in what is happening in their relationship with God Himself. It is a rejoicing that is not born out of an appreciation for what God is doing for us, but of an appreciation for Who God is!

David concludes his prayer for revival in verse seven and then transitions to focus on what happens in the heart and life of a person who is looking for revival.  Psalm 85:7&8 says, “Show us thy mercy O Lord and grant us thy salvation.  I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.” What signs can we look for to indicate revival is coming?  The first thing David mentions is that God’s people will be in tune with God’s voice.  God can speak to you, and when He does, you do not want to miss it.  I have noticed in my own life, that when God is about to do something significant, His voice will become a priority to me.   My friend, our country needs revival.  Our churches need revival. Individually, we need revival!! Did you hear His voice today?

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II Kings 5: 1-14

Whatever is not of faith is sin; and faith is integrally linked to recognition of, and conformity to, the Word of Truth. Are we walking by faith, allowing the Word to lighten each step of our pilgrim pathway; or by sight, trusting the frailty of the flesh and the foolishness of self? Are we seeking to please ourselves or our Lord? Elisha and Gehazi illustrate these two different options left to every servant of God. Today, we look at Elisha; and in two weeks, we will look at Gehazi.

He was not well known or highly regarded by the dignitaries (vv. 5-6), but certainly was known as God’s man by a “little maid” (vv. 2-3). A faithful servant of the Lord today is not out to please men or impress the religious masses; his desired recognition is among those who are themselves seeking to walk according to Truth – God’s faithful remnant.

God’s power and glory (v. 8), not Naaman’s honor or self-aggrandizement (vv9-12), was Elisha’s concern. He wanted all to know that there was, in fact, a God in Israel; and that there was still a prophet of God who stood uncompromisingly as his servant. Elisha’s desire was to honor his Lord, not bring attention to self by trying to dazzle Naaman and his cohorts with a sensationalized or colorful ministry. Unpretentious, humble service is the crowning mark of the selfless servant.

Elisha was also careful as to how his ministry was perceived by others; he refused their gifts (vv. 15-16). A clear testimony, honoring to God and honest before men, was far more important than personal gain. Nor did he seek self-vindication when he was misrepresented by Gehazi before Naaman (v. 22). God’s judgment, not his own wrath, was pronounced by Elisha. God will set things straight and administer justice in the end (vv. 25-27). Until God finally sets things straight, we are to obey our Master’s commandments whether the immediate consequences might be favorable or not.

Our motivation for ministry must be pure and selfless, too. We must constantly guard against the temptation to trim the message or let down the Biblical parameters for faithful ministry in an effort to enhance our image or broaden our fellowship. God’s glory is the issue here, not our popularity. If we are identified with Truth in every way possible, then we will necessarily be out of step with this current evil age. God is seeking workers today who are willing to bear his reproach. Let’s all be selfless servants!

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Often I read stories in the Bible and meditate on them before I drift off into sleep for the night.  I love to “re-live” these stories as I close my eyes. Often, I become the “hero” of the story in my mind…

On one such night, I read the story of the Good Samaritan.  In my mind, I became the “Good Samaritan.”  Most sermons I have heard about this text makes the main application be that “we shouldn’t be like the Levite or the priest who passed by the wounded man without helping him. We should be like the Good Samaritan.”  However, God showed me that this is not the meaning of the story. Jesus was teaching us about Himself. The main lesson isn’t that we are to help the pitiful, helpless man – it’s that we are the pitiful, helpless man! Jesus is the Good Samaritan who found us after legalism and religion didn’t lift a finger to help us.

Another time, I read the passage in Matthew 13:4, where the Bible says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field”.

As I began to meditate on this passage, and become the “hero” as the man who finds the hidden treasure.  I have heard it preached as a soulwinning sermon.  We are to go out searching for hidden treasure.  But God, again, gave me insight.  In this parable, Jesus told the man sold everything he had to buy the field so that he could have the treasure. We certainly can’t pay anything to receive Jesus Christ, or to help someone else receive Jesus Christ.  Quite the opposite is happening here!  He, Jesus Christ, paid everything so that He could have us. Again, it is Jesus who is the hero in the story. He did not just see a waste land, a deserted, left for ruin fallen human race.  No!  He saw, amidst the snakes, and spiders, weeds, thorns, thistles, and ruin, a people he wanted to redeem.  Praise God he saw us worthy enough to die for!  I cannot think of better news for the alcoholic, the drug addict, and even self-righteous church member!  God looked on us as sinners, and thought it a worthy cause to “buy” or “redeem” us back to Him.  I love that old song even more, “Redeemed how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb…

Most recently, I read about the pearl of great price described in Matthew 13:45-46,“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

How many times have you heard Jesus described as the Pearl of great price? But, no, He’s not the pearl in this story – you are! The Hero here is the One who paid everything so that He could “purchase [us] with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). He is the One Who gave everything.  He is the Hero!

It’s not about you and me. It never has been and it never will be. It’s all about Him. However, since we always look for the “hero” in the story, let’s consider this – may the resurrected power of Christ enable us to stop making ourselves the main character in the “divine drama”! Babies think everything is all about them, but with maturity comes a true understanding. The story is “His” story and He has the leading role. We are simply the recipients or beneficiaries of His wonderful love and grace.  Is He your Hero??  Have you told Him so?? Jesus….did You ever know that You’re my Hero??

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Benjamin R. Burks

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