"Jesus Lifted Up" - Too

 "Where they crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst." (John 19:18 KJV) 

"This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life." But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:12-14 NLT)

 For about the hundredth time, I will try to show what it was that changed my life, so many years ago. If you have heard it before, I hope I don't bore you; but it is something I think relates to this moment, as we think about what this one thief might have experienced, hanging next to Jesus.  

 For ten years I walked this earth with a distain for religion; not for God, because I believed that God was real and felt as if I had some kind of a connection with Him; but I felt that the religions of this world were corrupt and only wanted to hold people captive, mostly to receive their money. When I was sent away to serve my time, I was placed in a facility that actually had a church, and real church, with a bell and all that you would expect to see in a small-town church, like the one you would see in the middle of town. 

 Long-story short, I never went into the church, but would sit outside in a field about 100 feet or so away, usually at night, while they were having service. One night I found myself praying for those men inside, as if they were being tricked or sucked into some sort of religion. Having come from such a strange religion, at the age of twelve or so, I really didn't think there was any difference between those in there and those who I knew back then. 

 Not too long after I started to pray, I found myself weeping, thinking that I was weeping for them as if I was feeling sorry for them, that they were being taken into something that would hold them captive. Man, O man, did I ever get that wrong! I found out later that I was weeping for myself! 

 A few weeks later I had an incident that caused them to send me away to another facility, one that did not have a church. One Sunday morning, as I was laying on my bunk, hoping to relax, I heard the voice of a very old Chaplin, saying, "We have a very special group here today that wants to share something with you men; come on down and hear what they have to say." He sounded as if he was speaking with his dying breath, and I felt as though I needed to go, like, right away! 

 As I walked into the door of the cafeteria, they were already singing worship songs, so I moved in to sit in the back and be unnoticed. After the worship was over, a black man stepped up to a podium and took off his watch. He said, "Men, do you see this watch? This watch tells me that there is a Watch Maker out there somewhere that made this watch. And you, me, and all that we see, tells me that there is a Creator, that made all of this! And I am here today to tell you, That Creator is Jesus Christ!"   

 Immediately, I closed my eyes in wonder, seeing a vision of Jesus Christ hanging on the cross, my stoney heart was broken! Just like that, I believed that the Creator of heaven and earth hung on a cross to be a sacrifice for my sins, and I was broken! How could this be, I wondered; that God would die such a brutal death for me! 

 After he shared several Scriptures that show the Jesus created everything, and holds all this together, he asked for us to all bow our heads and pray. And then he asked for anyone that wanted to be saved, to raise their hand; I raised both hands, at once, just because I was so excited to be saved! 

 It wasn't much longer, and I was sent back to the other facility that had the church. Anytime that there was a service, I was there! I even had the privilege of ringing the bell, letting all know that church was about to begin. Fellowship was what I needed, as if there was something that was flowing through my veins, and it needed to flow out! The more I fellowshipped the more I felt the Spirit flowing through me! 

 One day I was sent to the main L.A. jail to attend an early release hearing. When I came into the room, I saw my wife and my employer were there, as support. The three-person panel was seated at the front of the room, and no sooner as I sat down, I was instructed to stand up, as the middle person said, "You have been declined!" I immediately raised my hands, and exclaimed, "Praise the LORD!" 

 Both my wife and my boss looked at each other and then looked at me, as I was taken back to the door, to be sent back from where I came. Later that night I was able to speak with my wife, as she was very concerned about my enthusiasm to remain in jail. I assured her that I really did want to be home, but if God has me here, He has a reason. 

 I shared some of the things that were going on, and just kept assuring her, that with her is where I wanted to be, but God has something He is doing in me, and I need to be wherever He has me. I did finally get the early release and made sure that I got into church as soon as I could.  

 We must stay in fellowship with one another! Do not try to be a loner, as if you are too good or too bad for any other's; we must be connected Members of the Body of Christ...

""Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink - even if you have no money! Come, take you choice wine or milk - it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food." (Isaiah 55:1-2 NLT)