Why All the Fuss, Sisyphus? [Sisyphus Meets Jesus Christ]

Isaiah 40:28-29

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."

Researchers at the University of Virginia have found that most people perceive a hill to be steeper than it really is, especially if they are tired or carrying a heavy load. When asked to estimate the slope of a hill, test participants consistently misjudged it, thinking a 10-degree slant was about 30 degrees, and rating a 5-degree slope as nearly 20 degrees. Hardly any of them believed they could be that far off.

When we are burdened and exhausted, even a minor problem can seem too big for us to handle. As we encounter a trial in life, we are tempted to sit down at the base of that difficult hill and stay there, convinced that the grade is too steep for us.

And yet, Christ is there for the believer (Matt. 11:28-30).

That is why we need the encouragement of God’s Word. It draws our attention to our loving God, who knows our need. Zephaniah wrote, "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."  (Zeph. 3:18).

Trusting in God's Word is key as you'll read in Psalm 119:40-41, "Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. Let thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even thy salvation, according to thy word."

And talk about being upheld by God's word! Look here -

"Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually."  Ps. 119:116-117

Because we so easily misjudge life’s difficulties, we need courage to keep going when we are tempted to quit. Take a step of faith today and put your entire trust on the Lord. Don't lean on your own understanding (Prv. 3:5-6). It's going to get you nowhere except back at the bottom of the hill.

Consider the testimony of someone who knows: Sisyphus. In Greek mythology, he was the founding  king of Corinth (how ironic) who punished by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this action forever. In common parlance, the word sisyphean means "endless and unavailing, as labor or a task." And, in modern terms, the myth of Sisyphus is understood as a representation of a life made meaningless because it consists of bare repetition.

If you are burdened because of life's trials or work or family or physical illness or depression or whatever else that may be draining you, take heart. Jesus Christ never intended for you to carry that load alone. When Paul sought the Lord's removal of his "thorn", Jesus responded that His grace was sufficient (II Cor. 12:7-10).

Remind yourself through God's word (and trust wholly in Him) that God will work things (Rom. 8:28).

Confer with these other verses for encouragement and strength - II Corinthians 4:16; Psalm 29:11;  Isaiah 41:10; Jermiah 31:25

As we live for Christ and follow Him,

The way may seem quite steep;

But if we trust His grace and strength,

Our steps He will guide and keep.

God always gives enough strength for the next step. Wait for the Lord and see that He is faithful to His Word. Isaiah 40:31 reassures us, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

I'm Tired of Going Uphill. Save Me Jesus!

Got any rivers, you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible
He does the things others cannot do.

Feelings (Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!)

Romans 6:1-7

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin."

There was a song, a terrible one, that was sung in the '70's and its chorus had this howl of despair from the singer that went like this: "Feelings! Whoa, whoa, whoa feelings!"

Well, the reason I write about feelings is because there are Christians out there who are like crazy barometers of pathos. If they are feeling good then their faith is good; conversely, if they're down, then their faith is down, too. It's quite a roller-coaster ride if you fall into category. Almost like a bipolar believer!

All jesting aside, this unstable Christian walk is a serious matter in that believers who go through emotional unravelings begin to question their salvation or begin to question God.

Your position in Christ, however, has nothing to do with your feelings. Rather, it has everything to do with the fact that is revealed in Ephesians 1:7: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"

Are you going to trust your feelings or something you may have been taught in the past? Or are you going to trust what the Word of God says about His provision for your salvation?

In Romans 6, we learn the foundational truth that when we accept Christ as our Savior we are baptized into Christ Jesus. This is not water baptism, although water baptism is a symbolic portrayal of this fact. Instead, Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit immerses us in Christ Jesus, identifying us with Him and sealing us in Him forever.

Verse 4 asserts, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

There really is no adequate way to explain this transaction because our minds cannot fathom the infinite depths of the omniscient mind and wisdom of God. Yet in Ephesians 1 repeatedly affirms that we are "in Christ," or "in Him."

God's word, Friend, is fact and not opinion. If you're seeking an opinion go to a doctor or the Op-Ed pages of your favorite newspaper. Here, we're talking about the eternal truth that will stand the test of time. To wit, in Mark 13:31 Christ declared, "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."

Do you believe this today, dear Christian?

Ephesians 2:4-6 adds this gloriously unfathomable security: “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:"

You see, we understand in part, but one day everything shall be made known (I Cor. 13:12).

God has reserved a permanent residence for us with Him in heaven (Jn. 14:1-3). Our eternal destination is both decided and sure.

So, stop living your Christian walk by placing your faith in your feelings and put your entire faith in God' word. The quality of life you'll live as a believer will be determined by where you'll put your trust in. Remember, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:17)

Put Your Faith In Jesus Christ Today!

I care not today what the morrow may bring,
If shadow or sunshine or rain,
The Lord I know ruleth o’er everything,
And all of my worries are vain.

Living by faith in Jesus above,
Trusting, confiding in His great love;
From all harm safe in His sheltering arm,
I’m living by faith and feel no alarm.

I know that He safely will carry me through,
No matter what evils betide;
Why should I then care though the tempest may blow,
If Jesus walks close to my side.

Living by faith in Jesus above,
Trusting, confiding in His great love;
From all harm safe in His sheltering arm,
I’m living by faith and feel no alarm.

Part of this post courtesy Dr. Charles Stanley

In Nothing We Trust

Proverbs 25:28
"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls."

Across the nation, city halls, much like Washington, have become petty, polarized and powerless to deal effectively with the problems they face. Voter engagement is driven down as a result. Mainstream  churches are losing worshippers. Overburdened, crumbling and unruly public schools are prompting parents to pull their children out. Businesses are shuttering their factories & warehouses, leaving behind in its wake, unemployment and helplessness. Labor unions once credited with creating the middle class are now often blamed for the demise of industry. Even the local daily newspapers, once venerated for reporting the news and not editorializing it, have become polarizers in the culture wars.

The bygone days of American institutions holding sway & influence in American culture are things of Norman Rockwell wishful thinking.

In a survey of a Main Street Town in the U.S.A., seven in 10 Americans believe that the country is on the wrong track; eight in 10 are dissatisfied with the way the nation is being governed. Only 23 percent have confidence in banks, and just 19 percent have confidence in big business. Less than half the population expresses “a great deal” of confidence in the public-school system or organized religion.

“We have lost our gods,” says Laura Hansen, an assistant professor of sociology at Western New England University in Springfield, Mass. “We lost [faith] in the media: Remember Walter Cronkite? We lost it in our culture: You can’t point to a movie star who might inspire us, because we know too much about them. We lost it in politics, because we know too much about politicians’ lives. We’ve lost it—that basic sense of trust and confidence—in everything.”

And there is the rub. In that quote - "We have lost our gods" - everything we need to know about the demise of America is encapsulated. God was replaced by Government. People thought that they could govern themselves better without God than with Him.

Please take caution: This attitude of removing God from public life did not begin at the P.T.A. meeting or in the public schools or in the courthouses or in city halls or even in the church. The desire to remove God from public life and private life began in the home.

You see, when God is not the center of your life then you are left to fend for yourself, interpreting the day's blessings and trials through your own lenses, philosophy, mental aptitude, etc. But, the Bible admonishes us, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." (Proverbs 3:5-7)

So when people trust their institutions more than they trust God, or, seek to remove God from private life and public life altogether, is it any surprise that the institutions they've chosen to trust are crumbling?

Government is crumbling, civic life is crumbling, churches are crumbling all because the family is crumbling. And the source of this moral dry rot is the absence of God. By the way, don't think for one minute that we, as a culture, are living in a vacuum. Satan runs right in to that void in your life and public life and fills it with distractions that pertain to lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life (I Jn. 2:16). That's exactly what's happening.

If you want a case study of a nation in decay, study the nation of Israel in the Book of Judges. You'll see what decadence, depravity and destitution look like in all its glory. Sadly, it leads to captivity.

When you are spending more time on Facebook than in the Good Book, then you're bound to find that the fruits of your labor result in nothing. Even your own thoughts come to nothing. Why? Because if it's trash you put in your mind then it's trash you'll get out. You reap nothing but the wind. And then people have the nerve to say, "In nothing we trust"?

In Proverb 25:28, the picture I want you to see is that of a city whose walls have been so nearly destroyed as to be without defense against an enemy; so is the man who has no restraint over his spirit, the source of man's passionate energies. He has no defense against anger, lust, and the other unbridled emotions that destroy him. And the family, culture and society around him.

Dear Reader, if you're American, the time is now to turn back to God. II Chronicles 7:14 states, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Before Nations change, Governments must change.

Before Governments change, people must change.

Before people change, you must change.

And before you change, you must surrender your entire life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Friend, there's no other way (John 14:6). If you're ready for change, if you want to trust in someone other than your Government, if you are tired of the nothingness & meaninglessness of life, then click here: I Want A Real Change In My Life.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is peace
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is love
There is comfort in life's darkest hour
There is light and life
There is help and power in the Spirit
In the Spirit of the Lord

 

The Tiger, The Man and God

I John 2:15-17
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."


A man was being chased by a tiger. He ran as hard as he could until he was at the edge of a cliff with the tiger in hot pursuit. The man looked over the edge of the cliff and saw a branch growing out of the side of the cliff a few feet down. He jumped down and grabbed the branch just as the tiger reached the cliff. The tiger growled viciously as the man sighed a great sigh of relief.

Just then a woodpecker lighted on the branch and began pecking furiously. The man looked down to what was a drop of a thousand feet and sure death and looked to the heavens and yelled out, “Dear God, if you are there, please help! I will do anything you ask but please help!”

Suddenly a voice came booming down from heaven, “Will you do anything I ask?”

The man shocked to hear a reply to his plea yelled back, “I will gladly do anything you ask, but please save me!”

The voice from heaven then replied, “There is one way to save you but it will take courage and faith.”

The branch began to weaken and creak from the woodpecker's tapping and the tiger was still growling a few feet above the man, pawing at him, “Please, Lord, tell me what I must do and I will do it! Your will is my will!”

The voice from heaven then said, “All right then, let go of the branch.”

The man looked down to a fall of a thousand feet and certain death. He then looked up at the hungry, growling tiger a few feet away and saw that the woodpecker was still pecking away on the branch.

Then he looked up at the heavens and yelled, “Is there anyone else up there?”

* * * * *

Isn't it something: When there's a crisis or tribulation, we cry out to God. When He answers our prayer in a way we're not expecting then our reaction is typically the same type of reaction we see in the joke you just read.

God is sovereign, which means He's in control, which means He calls the shots, which means that even when things appear out of control (to us) they're all part of God's plan, which means that we may not understand at all what's going on upstairs in heaven.

We may even secretly ask in our hearts, "God, what are you doing?" when things are falling apart.

I don't know about you, Mr. Christian, but I've never gotten an answer from God outside of His word. When the Lord has answered me, it has been through the Holy Bible. In fact, the Scripture that has spoken to my heart and bears worth noting comes from Romans 8:28:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Thus, God's working it all out for me because I love Him and He loves me. But, why should I go through hardships? Romans 8:29 continues by explaining that the purpose to be conformed to the image of His Son.

Also consider James 1:2 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations."

Notice the 3 keywords: "When" and "joy" and "temptations"

Point #1 - Temptations will come and knock on your door. It's not a question of if, but when. And, you'll get a variety of them, kinda like assorted nuts, to keep things interesting.

Point #2 - When temptations arrive, count it, reckon it as joy. Don't sulk, whine, complain or suck your thumb. God hates complainers. At my job, there's a bevy of grumblers. Their litanies drain the lifeblood out of the workday, which is why I avoid them at all costs! So, why be joyful? Hold on and you shall see the dividend and pay off.

Point #3 - There will be temptations that you and I as believers will fall into. Here's the good news: Falling into temptation is NOT the sames as falling into sin. Therefore, rejoice because temptation does not equal yielding to temptation.

In I Corinthians 10:13, it states and promises: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

By the way, in case you're wondering how to fight temptation, prayerfully read over and study Matthew 4:1-11. This is how Jesus fought the Devil and this is how you should do as well.

You might still be wondering: What's all this got to do with joy? Well, James 1:3-4 clarifies:

"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

Isn't that reason to rejoice!? God is conforming you to the image of Jesus Christ and He's perfecting you! An "Amen!" goes right there.

Therefore, do the right thing, obey God, trust Him and take Him at His word. After all, obedience brings blessings (James 1:22-25). Plus, if you've already trusted Him with your soul in eternity, why aren't you trusting Him with your life now?

Continue here: I Want to Trust Jesus!

When All Else Fails, He Will Never Fail You

Psalm 27:10
"When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up."

A mother is estranged from her son, whom she has not spoken to in over a year. She finds him on Facebook and requests to be a friend. He refuses and she sends him an e-mail, "You're a worthless piece of ----. I never should've had you." The young man gets angry, but quickly resigns himself to his state, reasoning, My mom has always been this way. She hasn't changed one bit.

Even though a person you love might have abused you, mistreated you, or given up on you; even though a parent may have disowned you; even though you may be out on your own, alone and without friends, I want you to know something. Jesus Christ loves you.

But, you say, I've made a mess of my life. Jesus knows, but He still loves you.

But, you say, my family disowned me because I stole from them, abused them, mistreated them, took advantage of them. Jesus knows, but He still loves you.

But, you still don't understand, you might say, I am a drug addict and have burned many bridges. Jesus knows it all and He still loves you.

But, you say, I'm not worthy. You might even think you're a worthless piece of ----. Jesus doesn't think so. He sees your worth. Why else would he die for you on the cross at Calvary?

There are so many "But's" you could interject to keep you from coming to Christ. Here is a truth: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Roman 5:8

That means Jesus didn't wait for you to get your life together and make things right. He took the first step by dying on the cross for your sins. All you have to do is take the next step and believe by faith that what Christ did at Calvary was for your sins and ask Him into your life (Rom 10:9-10).

Then what happens next is another miracle: Christ's Spirit comes to indwell in you (Acts 2:38)! How incredible is that! And to think, you did nothing to warrant this wonderful gift. God not only saves us from our sins but equips us to live for Him through His Spirit (Gal. 2:20).

Indeed, according to God's word, we who are born again in Christ are new creatures (I Cor. 5:17).

To wit, Galatians 4:4-6 states, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

Don't you get it? Once you are His, He is yours as well.

Therefore, comfort yourself in knowing that when you think no one else cares for you or loves you, think on this good report: Jesus loves  you with an eternal love that cannot snatch you away from Him once you are His. Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Only trust Jesus Christ.

Come, every soul by sin oppressed,
there's mercy with the Lord;
and He will surely give you rest,
by trusting in His Word.

Only trust Him, only trust Him,
only trust him now.
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.

To God be the glory!

The Plan of Salvation

A Father's Helplessness

Psalm 23

One early morning in 2006, when my daughter Amelie was just 4 years old, my wife and I heard a blood-curdling shriek no parent ever wants to hear coming from their child. It was about 4 o'clock in the morning. When I heard my daughter's high-pitched scream, both my wife and I shot out of bed and ran to her bedroom, which was next to ours. She writhed in her bed as she cried, clutching her right side.

When she saw me, she yelled, "Daddy, make it stop!"

My wife asked her, "What's wrong?"

"It hurts!" she screamed as tears ran down her face.

I scooped her in my arms and took her to the car. My wife followed behind. She drove her to the emergency room. I stayed behind because we had four other small children. As my wife sped away in the dark morning, all I could remember was my little girl pleading, "Make it stop!"

In the living room, I fell to my knees and cried out to God, pleading with Him to save my little girl and to have the doctors find out what was wrong with her. I had never felt so helpless. My daughter needed me and I couldn't even help her. In that moment of begging for God's favor and mercy, I couldn't think of Scripture to guide me through my prayer.

After waking up the other children and getting them off to school, I drove to the hospital. In the emergency room, my wife told me that they thought it was appendicitis. She was very young and the doctors said that while uncommon, it happens. The pediatric surgeon explained the risks involved in the appendectomy and the risks of general anesthesia. She could die from complications from the burst appendix, or go into a coma from the anethesia, or possible die from the sleeping gas. As they wheeled her into the surgery room, my wife and I prayed over Amelie and then kissed her.

My wife and I hugged each other as we saw our daughter disappear behind the surgery doors.

We sat in the E.R. lobby for what seemed an eternity. Nothing was said. My wife had her eyes closed as she prayed. I couldn't pull my thoughts together, so I pulled out my pocket Bible from my jacket and began reading Psalm 23. I whispered it to myself, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

When I heard my own voice, it sounded shaky, broken. I didn't realize how scared I truly was at the possibility of losing my daughter.

As I repeated verse 1, it occurred to me that I had never considered the phrase, "I shall not want." until that moment in the hospital's E.R. waiting room.

My Father in heaven knew what I wanted; I wanted my little girl back in my arms. I wanted her healthy. Yet, in the first verse of Psalm 23, David says that the LORD is his shepherd, he shall not want or lack because God the Father provides for him.

You see, I knew that God was a provider (of food, health, safety, etc.). But up until then, it had been an intellectual understanding. It wasn't a matter of the heart. Until that very morning of February 2005. When I suddenly realized how God provided life and was the giver and taker of life (Job 1:21) that I realized that Amelie wasn't mine; she belonged to God (Psalm 127:3).

It was then that I prayed outloud to God and, as I did, I cried to Him and told Him that I loved Him, that I acknowledged that Amelie belonged to Him. I asked that He let her live, but that if He took her home to be with Him, I would understand. I told Him that I would continue to love Him no matter what His decision was, but to please consider giving her back to me because I loved her. I ended my prayer but saying, "In Jesus' name. Amen."

Friend, the previous paragraph might've been easy for you to read, but it was the hardest prayer to pray for me. In my selfishness and pride, I wanted Amelie with me. Yet, I had to surrended my desires to God to let Him that His will, and not mine, came first. You see, once you recognize who God is in all His power and glory, you really have no choice but to submit to authority.

If for some reason you are angry at God because things didn't turn out your way then, I'm sad to say, you really don't know Him at all. In Isaiah 55:8-9 , He says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

When the surgeon came out from behind the swining doors of the O.R., he told us that Amelie was in post-op recuperating just fine. I looked up heavenward and said, "Thank You, Jesus!"

We thanked the doctor and as soon as we were allowed, we rushed in to see our four year old daughter. As she slept, there weren't traces of tears on her face or any contorted expressions of pain, only the placid rest of a tomboyish girl who liked to collect ants, ladybugs and praying mantises and then bring them into her bedroom unbeknownst to us.

I was (and continue to be) a powerless father. But, I have a Father in heaven who is omnipotent. For when I am weak, I am strong through Him (II Cor. 12:10). God can do all things. And He does them well (Mk. 7:37).

How about you, Reader? Have you put your trust in God? The only way to a real and meaningful relationship with God is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

Here's how to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son: The Plan of Salvation