"THE RUB"

 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if and man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6:51 KJV)

  "The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT)

 As I was thinking back to the times that I was being nudged into hearing about Jesus and the power of the cross of Christ, I remember how much it offended me that anyone would even think I needed to be saved. I was, in my own mind, a pretty good person; my violent way of living had changed; I was just a fun-loving guy that liked to stay stoned and have fun with my friends.  

 At that particular time in my life, God was whoever I wanted him to be, except Christ Jesus! Being raised in as a J.W., we were cautious towards anyone that might proclaim Jesus was God; so you can imagine how that same feeling might have rubbed off on me, even though I was no longer involved with the J.W. way of thinking. I have come to understand now, that there is a very spiritual hold on those that are held captive in that organization. 

 As it is shown in this passage we have before us today, those that were leaders of the Jews, who should have made the connection, were unable to even comprehend what Jesus was saying, let alone see any need for what He was offering! Yes, I am talking about a spiritual issue, not just a heart issue; this is not just an issue of the human heart: this is the working of the prince of darkness, who is not only able to turn away someone from hearing, but is also able to make people turn against God, even though they might think they are serving Him! 

 I remember a revelation I had, but somehow ended up to ignore, while I was standing watch one night during one of our General Quarters drills. My station was one of the worst places to be: the last place on the ship that would be evacuated in case the ship might be abandoned: Port Steering! Our duty was to make sure that the ship kept circling around where there were people in the water; usually a ship that size would circle in a 2 mile circle.  

 Anywho, as I was resting there 13 floors below the main deck, at the very back of the ship, I began to think about God. You can imagine what I must have felt like, as I began to think of my options in case there actually was a real situation happening. In those moments you start really thinking about life and death issues; especially when you consider that your chances of making through, would be totally none! 

 As I was laying there, stoned, my head on the floor, with the vibration of four 30 foot props churning just a short distance from me, I began thinking about what God must really be like and if I could actually have a relationship with him. And then it happened: a voice in my head, out of my head, or from wherever it came, said, "It is me!" But it was not God, it was the devil! 

 You can call me crazy, but I was pretty sure that was who introduced himself to me, because I was feeling peace being stoned, almost as if the fact that I was stoned pleased him and agreed with his nature. I was torn over that encounter for several months, as I question all the things I had known about God, and the things I had learned from my studies of Don Juan, reading Carlos Castaneda books, when I was locked down as a teenager. 

 Why do I share this story? Because this is very important for my brothers and sisters who might think that drugs are okay! With booze, you might be in a drunken stupor, forget who you are, or be out of control; but with drugs, especially mind controlling drugs, you are having fellowship with the devil. Whatever you might think about that statement, you must realize the nature of drugs: what they stand for and how you become connected to the world by using them. 

 That is all I will say about that, so you can pick up your peace pipe and give it some thought. Hope I did not offend, or rub anyone the wrong way; but I felt I needed to share that little bit of knowledge...

"There shall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth." (Psalms 72:16 KJV)