I began to write in my journal after a dinner discussion. I knew in the moment the discussion was bigger than the words. There was a spiritual message in the exchange and I received Holy Spirit clarity as I wrote.
Acts 26:14-18 (TPT)
We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, saying, ‘Saul,Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are only hurting yourself when you resist your calling.’
“I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Get up and stand to your feet, for I have appeared to you to reveal your destiny and to commission you as my assistant. You will be a witness to what you have seen and to the things I will reveal whenever I appear to you. I will rescue you from the persecution of your own people and from the hostility of the other nations that I will send you to. And you will open their eyes to their true condition, so that they may turn from darkness to the Light and from the power of Satan to the power of God. By placing their faith in me they will receive the total forgiveness of sins and be made holy, taking hold of the inheritance that I give to my children!’”
The call/promises are the same today for me.
And Verse 20 “….telling people everywhere that they must repent and turn to God and demonstrate it with a changed life.”
We were sharing observations about the rampant trend of changing our nation’s history to fit into an “acceptable” view. What started this was a dinner conversation about a famous figure in our American history having her name removed from a literature award because of her references to a sad part of our country’s history. I declared, mostly for the benefit of my young nephew and son, that my history was awful before Jesus and Jesus makes all things new. It is not Jesus’ way that we so often witness in the world today, changing history, omitting facts, changing reality to fit a worldview that is embraced by many. The changing measures that are on shifting sand versus the Rock. Lord, I pray that you had your way in our conversation. Lord, I pray for your wisdom.
Man’s definition is a changing measure of who or what in history is acceptable, to be honored or disdained. It’s why we all need Jesus. My history, before you Jesus, was a mess and my attempts to put it in order were broken. Only you can make all things new. We each have stuff in our history that is messy. We are broken without you and we do and say things that are broken, hurting and judging and making messes everywhere we go without you. Man’s way is to change it, expose it, cover it, lie, cheat, honor and then disdain. The world’s measure is a moving target based on man’s definition of good and right and true.
And then. Jesus says, “Come to me” (Matthew 11:28), “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6).
Only Jesus can restore, redeem, and reverse the damage done. The history is the history and the truth is the truth. Our perspective shifts – either by man’s definition or yours Jesus. By man’s it often dishonors those that don’t meet the current “correct” behavior. Frequently there is no compassion, awareness, understanding and sometimes, maybe often, there is only judgment. Man’s view of history shifts and changes. Your view, Jesus, does not. The truth is we are sinners saved by grace and once saved, our old is laid down and we can pick up our new. We get to choose. We get to choose to believe Jesus died for our sins and the sins of all.
Sin is sin. Why are we surprised with sin in history and why do we choose to disdain and dishonor? Instead, we can choose to love. Jesus is the only way to life and life everlasting. Choose grace. He does. He chooses to love, to welcome, to embrace, to forgive, to celebrate. The sin is not the surprise. The response is what perplexes. The world chooses judgment. Jesus chooses love.
Lord, I pray that your words through me to my nephew and son will impact them. Lord, I pray your view will be embraced. Lord, I pray for your supernatural power in the futile attempts of the world to bring order.
Excerpt from An Encourager’s Heart