*breathes a huge sigh of relief*
Thank you, Jesus!!
We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds.
"At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.
When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep steady its pillars.
I say to the boastful, 'Do not boast,' and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horn;
do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.'"
For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,
but it is God who executes judgment,
putting down one and lifting up another.
For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed,
and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.
But I will declare it forever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up. Verses 1-10
I'm not sure why I felt compelled to quote this entire Psalm today. It's rather ominous. But for some reason, it seems poignant for our time.
He paid them all a day's wages.
The point of the parable is that God's blessings are his to give, and it doesn't matter if someone serves him their entire life or receives him on a deathbad; all people who are his have the same rights and privileges. And those who worked for Jesus their whole lives have no grounds for complaining. In fact, according to the gospels, they should rejoice that the sinner receives Christ on his deathbed.
According to James Dobson, legendary serial killer Ted Bundy accepted Christ shortly before he was executed for his heinous crimes.
How does that make you feel? Here is the interview that Bundy granted to only James Dobson less than 24 hours before his execution. It's very moving.
There are, no doubt, people who are very disturbed at the thought that they will have to share heaven with people Ted Bundy.
But that is reality, and Jesus's parable in Matthew 20 bears this out.
I apologize for going on for so long about this, but it really seemed important today.
Luke 3:16-20
Here, we see John the Baptizer, doing what he did best; baptizing. But he is also doing the the thing for which he was really born, proclaiming Jesus, preparing the way.
Jesus, in the words of John in this passage, is the "main character in this drama." John says he is "a mere stagehand."
The question is asked, "What would it mean to be a 'mere stagehand' where the main character is Jesus?"
I feel that this is exactly what I am. As a worship leader, this is exactly my purpose. I am only a vehicle, a vessel, for bringing people into the presence of the real star, the main character.
John tells us what this "main character" is going to do. He will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within us, changing us from the inside out. He is going to "clean house--make a clean sweep of your lives."
There is still so much cleaning to do. I need the Holy Spirit to complete this "clean sweep" of my life. I constantly feel his change, and yes, it does come from the inside out. Sometimes, I wish, though, that it would be instant. It seems to take so long.
Grace and peace, friends.