My family loves animals. One quick look over our home & you can easily deduce that. We have two dogs, four cats & a rabbit. We go to the family farm often that has 3 horses, one mule, 100+ head of cattle, two bulls & a few & sundry cats & dogs. They even had a couple of buffalo & a jack & jenny (donkeys for the uninitiated) at one time. We’ve owned birds & a dwarf hamster (mean little boogers!). We love to go to any zoo or drive through Animal Park when we can. While I admire it, there’s one animal I have no desire in owning: a lion.
I have visited an animal sanctuary/recovery facility a few times in Eureka Springs called Turpentine Creek. They house lions & tigers that have been rescued from zoos, or worse, when individuals attempt to own them & find they are not house pets! One man even let loose a full grown lion on Mt. Magazine as it got big, difficult to handle & costly to feed. Glad I didn’t happen on him while hiking or camping on the mountain!
Years ago, while dating my soon-to-be-wife, we went to the Memphis zoo. There was a large lion that was lying around his enclosure, docile & un-intimidating. Wrong! As I began to lean over the rail & make cat calls & faces the lion casually looked at me & turned on a dime. A roar came out that seemed to have come all the way from his tail! I went white and almost lost bodily functions at that point. Moral of story: don’t mess with a lion.
As I’ve learned about & studied animals I’ve found some facts about lions in particular. They are a majestic, powerful beast. Their roar can be heard for up to 5 miles & lets you know he is ‘King’! While they often are the only cats to live in a family group (except at my house!) called prides, when a male reaches maturity he is forced to leave the pride & search for one of his own to take over or to make. Thus, many male lions are left for years to hunt, forage and fend for themselves. That’s the dangerous, solitary lion on the prowl.
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
I Peter 5:8 NLT
Often lions, rightly so, are depicted as regal & top of the predatory chain. They are often used & portrayed as symbols of leadership & courage. Most scriptural reference is favorable & Jesus is even called the Lion of Judah. The reference in I Peter depicts the devil as a lion. He is that solitary, prowling lion. He lurks in the darkness searching for someone unwary to devour. Devour he will.
I hope your have a right standing with God. My prayer is that you seek His power & strength & help. Know this, there is an enemy that is powerful & will not hesitate to disembowel you. Make no mistake, he will devour you alive!
While the Apostle Peter wrote this letter, the imagery was clear to the audience of the first century church. Christians were being persecuted & thrown defenseless to wild beasts. People could be about their lives & hear the roar of the lions from the Coliseum wondering if they were next.
Here’s one other fact to know about lions. As they get older & lose teeth & strength, they become vulnerable to attack of the young & mightier males. They are driven away & have little left to ward off others than their roar. Jesus is the Conquering Lion of Judah. He has already overcome the devil! You have no need to fear the stealth, prowess, & power of the devil…if you are walking with the King! Satan is a defeated lion with a roar. He can still eviscerate you if you stand alone, but if you walk with the King he must cower in the distance.
Please don’t try to walk the jungle of this life alone. Find your rest, strength & protection from our Conquering King, the Lion of Judah. As always I’ll pray for you & please return the favor. If I can be of any help or you have a prayer need call on me.
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
-“No Good”-
You can probably think of a lot of things that are ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ On the ‘good’ side could be your favorite meal (maybe a steak or lobster?), or a message from an old friend. How about an unexpected check? Finding a $20 bill in your favorite old jeans might be in that category.
On the ‘bad’ side could be many things: a flat in the rain, an audit from dear old ‘Uncle Sam’, a pink slip or a bad grade on the test you thought you did okay on. Those are some of the simple little bummers that you might encounter. Of course, there are far better ‘goods’ or far worse ‘bads.’ Last week a couple had a pretty good ‘good.’ They had a baby girl born on 9-9-09. Funny thing is they also had a baby born on 8-8-08! (No plans for ’10 however!). Bless her heart, Taylor Swift could probably name a ‘bad’ after having the mic ripped from her hand while trying to make an acceptance speech at a music award the other day!
All of these are simple little ‘goods’ or ‘bads.’ In my ‘line of work’, so to speak, I see people trying to DO good all the time. Try to be one of those myself. Friend of mine quoted W.H. Auden (teacher and writer) the other day: “We are here on Earth to do good to others. What the others are here for, I don't know.” Funny & true. While this altruism & goodwill is admirable, there’s a little more to life than that, but give me just a bit more space.
I also meet folks who try to BE good. Again, I aim to place myself in that category, as well. I agree that we should strive to be the best we can be always. Unfortunately, I find myself in the company of the Apostle Paul & many of you, I fear, when he said, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.” Romans 7:15-18 NLT. Yep, I guess I’m right there with him; good for nothin’!
We also run across people all the time who want to HAVE good. They’re all about all of the good things in life. Consumption at it’s best! Thankfully, I don’t have Caviar tastes on my McDonald salary! But, sure I like the good things of life to some degree. It’s just not my do all-be all of life. Sadly, there are those who must have the ‘good’ things of life even if it means rob, kill or steal. Don’t believe me? Just turn on the news tonight or check your paper.
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.”
Mark 10:18 NLT
There’s a story in the gospels of a man who ran to Jesus. Matthew & Luke tell that he was actually a synagogue, or church ruler. He HAD all kinds of ‘good’ stuff & apparently, by his own admission, had tried to BE and DO good. He started blowing smoke at Jesus about all this as the first thing out of his mouth was, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus’ answer cut straight to the heart of the issue: having, doing, or being ‘good.’ He reminded the man that only God was truly good. The man wanted to know how to earn a spot in heaven. Jesus gave a list of some commandments that involved ‘doing’ and ‘being’ good. The reaction, ‘why, I’ve done all that stuff since I was a kid!’ Jesus surmised (or perhaps in His Godhood he KNEW the reality-another discussion for another day) that the man had really NOT kept all these commands perfectly. He went on to the real heart of the matter: “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”
Sad picture of a sad man trying to ‘DO’ good & ‘BE’ good & ‘HAVE’ good too. What was more important? Apparently, it was the latter? What all this comes down to for you an me is the only way to really ‘DO’ good is to ‘BE’ good, and the only really way to ‘BE’ good is having Jesus in our lives. He’s really the only true good. Then, we’ll HAVE what’s really good. May not be the top of the list of consumer cravings, but it will truly satisfy. Jesus said,
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Matt. 6:33 NLT
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
On the ‘bad’ side could be many things: a flat in the rain, an audit from dear old ‘Uncle Sam’, a pink slip or a bad grade on the test you thought you did okay on. Those are some of the simple little bummers that you might encounter. Of course, there are far better ‘goods’ or far worse ‘bads.’ Last week a couple had a pretty good ‘good.’ They had a baby girl born on 9-9-09. Funny thing is they also had a baby born on 8-8-08! (No plans for ’10 however!). Bless her heart, Taylor Swift could probably name a ‘bad’ after having the mic ripped from her hand while trying to make an acceptance speech at a music award the other day!
All of these are simple little ‘goods’ or ‘bads.’ In my ‘line of work’, so to speak, I see people trying to DO good all the time. Try to be one of those myself. Friend of mine quoted W.H. Auden (teacher and writer) the other day: “We are here on Earth to do good to others. What the others are here for, I don't know.” Funny & true. While this altruism & goodwill is admirable, there’s a little more to life than that, but give me just a bit more space.
I also meet folks who try to BE good. Again, I aim to place myself in that category, as well. I agree that we should strive to be the best we can be always. Unfortunately, I find myself in the company of the Apostle Paul & many of you, I fear, when he said, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.” Romans 7:15-18 NLT. Yep, I guess I’m right there with him; good for nothin’!
We also run across people all the time who want to HAVE good. They’re all about all of the good things in life. Consumption at it’s best! Thankfully, I don’t have Caviar tastes on my McDonald salary! But, sure I like the good things of life to some degree. It’s just not my do all-be all of life. Sadly, there are those who must have the ‘good’ things of life even if it means rob, kill or steal. Don’t believe me? Just turn on the news tonight or check your paper.
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.”
Mark 10:18 NLT
There’s a story in the gospels of a man who ran to Jesus. Matthew & Luke tell that he was actually a synagogue, or church ruler. He HAD all kinds of ‘good’ stuff & apparently, by his own admission, had tried to BE and DO good. He started blowing smoke at Jesus about all this as the first thing out of his mouth was, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus’ answer cut straight to the heart of the issue: having, doing, or being ‘good.’ He reminded the man that only God was truly good. The man wanted to know how to earn a spot in heaven. Jesus gave a list of some commandments that involved ‘doing’ and ‘being’ good. The reaction, ‘why, I’ve done all that stuff since I was a kid!’ Jesus surmised (or perhaps in His Godhood he KNEW the reality-another discussion for another day) that the man had really NOT kept all these commands perfectly. He went on to the real heart of the matter: “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”
Sad picture of a sad man trying to ‘DO’ good & ‘BE’ good & ‘HAVE’ good too. What was more important? Apparently, it was the latter? What all this comes down to for you an me is the only way to really ‘DO’ good is to ‘BE’ good, and the only really way to ‘BE’ good is having Jesus in our lives. He’s really the only true good. Then, we’ll HAVE what’s really good. May not be the top of the list of consumer cravings, but it will truly satisfy. Jesus said,
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Matt. 6:33 NLT
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
-“Where Were You in the 8th Grade?”-
Singer/songwriter extraordinaire, Chris Rice has a song entitled, “Eighth Grade.” Premise is simple: take a trip back in time with me to the eighth grade. Where “the worst thing I could mess up is dipping yesterday’s corndog in last week’s ketchup.”
Not too sure if I share Chris’ optimism & happy recollections about the 8th grade. Sure it had it’s moments of carefree living & happy-go-lucky youth. Right between zits & pre-Algebra! I have some great memories of friends & hanging out with little thought for the future. But unfortunately, where & when I grew up there were race riots, civil rights problems & drug issues. It was at the end of the Viet Nam war & Nixon had just resigned over Watergate. Not the rosiest of eras.
I’ll say this though; I had begun to learn more of following Christ. I began to find out about being a true disciple of Jesus. Of course, naturally that’s when the Devil made all hell break loose to stop that. Beautiful part was God was bigger. He still is! While I had twists & turns & challenges, God had plans. He already knew what I would be & His plan for me before I even took that first breath in the Helena hospital. Before I screamed, as the doctor popped my little hiney, He knew what all the bumps & problems would make.
What about you? What were you doing in 8th grade? I’m sure it was a different time & place, but what was life like for you then? No matter the good or bad, God has always been up to something in your life. How aware are you about that activity? Are you clued into His purpose & seeking His will for your path?
"I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me." Jeremiah 33:11-13 NLT
In the O.T. book of Jeremiah we find a stark, difficult time for God’s people & the prophet. As they looked on with fear & a very bleak outlook for the future, God spoke up. He reminded them that He was ultimately in control no matter how things appeared. He had a plan. Only there was a little catch, they had to trust Him & follow His purpose to find the fulfillment.
Same stands true today. God has a calculated outcome in mind for you. Not to do you harm or be a cosmic killjoy if you follow Him, but rather to help you understand what life really is!
How bout it? Are you looking for Him wholeheartedly? We have an opportunity to do just that together. We will be joining in a study called ‘Chazone’ (Hebrew for Life Purpose). Sign up & join a life group. Check out all the sites & contact info & connect.
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
Not too sure if I share Chris’ optimism & happy recollections about the 8th grade. Sure it had it’s moments of carefree living & happy-go-lucky youth. Right between zits & pre-Algebra! I have some great memories of friends & hanging out with little thought for the future. But unfortunately, where & when I grew up there were race riots, civil rights problems & drug issues. It was at the end of the Viet Nam war & Nixon had just resigned over Watergate. Not the rosiest of eras.
I’ll say this though; I had begun to learn more of following Christ. I began to find out about being a true disciple of Jesus. Of course, naturally that’s when the Devil made all hell break loose to stop that. Beautiful part was God was bigger. He still is! While I had twists & turns & challenges, God had plans. He already knew what I would be & His plan for me before I even took that first breath in the Helena hospital. Before I screamed, as the doctor popped my little hiney, He knew what all the bumps & problems would make.
What about you? What were you doing in 8th grade? I’m sure it was a different time & place, but what was life like for you then? No matter the good or bad, God has always been up to something in your life. How aware are you about that activity? Are you clued into His purpose & seeking His will for your path?
"I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me." Jeremiah 33:11-13 NLT
In the O.T. book of Jeremiah we find a stark, difficult time for God’s people & the prophet. As they looked on with fear & a very bleak outlook for the future, God spoke up. He reminded them that He was ultimately in control no matter how things appeared. He had a plan. Only there was a little catch, they had to trust Him & follow His purpose to find the fulfillment.
Same stands true today. God has a calculated outcome in mind for you. Not to do you harm or be a cosmic killjoy if you follow Him, but rather to help you understand what life really is!
How bout it? Are you looking for Him wholeheartedly? We have an opportunity to do just that together. We will be joining in a study called ‘Chazone’ (Hebrew for Life Purpose). Sign up & join a life group. Check out all the sites & contact info & connect.
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
-“What is Truth?”-
John 18-19
A famous Dutch museum just found out the hard way you have to be careful who you trust. Seems back in 1969, after the historic moon walk, a U.S. envoy gave the Dutch prime minister a piece of ‘moon rock.’ At least, that was the story at the time. They promptly insured it for a healthy chunk of change & proudly displayed their rarity amongst Rembrandts & other precious items. That was until recently when they found it to be a simple piece of petrified wood. Last account, there aren’t any trees on the moon. Yep, you can’t seem to trust anyone these days!
That’s pretty much what many of us feel. In a world trying to hawk all kinds of things from ‘prime land in Florida’ to other ‘for a limited time only’ offers, usually what’s ‘too good to be true’ really is. It makes it hard to know who to trust. A friend recently ended a several year battle with a university to finally get a class needed & graduate. Apparently an ‘adviser’ didn’t advise too well & he’s had to pay for that mistake.
There is a pervasive thought across the planet that says there is no ‘absolute’ truth. What’s ‘truth’ for you may or may not be ‘truth’ for me. While I agree what some people might call a ‘truth’ may simply be so much fantasy, fairy tale or fiction, there is absolute truth. Hey, gravity is still gravity no matter what you believe. Jump off a building & all the way down you can decry & disclaim the force of gravity, and if you live through it, the experience might otherwise help you understand that particular ‘absolute.’
Most of us have had ‘heart hurts’ from trusting someone when their ‘truth’ was not so much! It makes it hard to trust. I’ll admit it’s one thing to get shafted & burned on a financial deal, but when you’re talking about spiritual matters you definitely don’t want to get ‘burned’!
I regularly meet people who have been hurt by a church, a ‘Christian’ individual, or ‘religion.’ Their answer has been to write off all ‘religion’ or Christianity, as a whole, & have a go at life on their own. Gotta say, that’s a drastic solution that’s not a very good solution at all. If some yahoo has hurt you or a particular church has given your grief or otherwise disillusioned you, you will ultimately only be hurting yourself in swearing off God!
Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked.
John 18:37-38NLT
There is an individual in the account of the crucifixion that you may have heard about. He was faced with the question, ‘what is truth?’ His name was Pontius Pilate. If you research any you’ll find he was a Roman leader stationed at the occupied territory of Jerusalem. His job was to keep the peace in the province. Also, if you’ve done any research about Israel, you’ll find that a tall order at best. He was away from home & beleaguered with the political & religious infighting & fractions.
As he tried to keep the precarious balance, this new ‘prophet,’ Jesus, came along & really stirred up the pot. Pilate tried at first to pawn this Jesus off on the existing religious leaders & even one from the man’s own province. No go. As Rome’s leader over the area the situation fell into his lap.
I have no doubt that Pilate was weary of dealing with uprisings & bickering of the religious leaders. The Jewish had no particular love loss for their latest conquerors. Some accounts put Pilate on the outs with Rome & have him relegated to this foreign outpost with little room for mistakes . He was even enemies with the pagan religious leaders of the area.
Lest I paint a rosy picture that Pilate was some innocent man caught up in Jewish religion & politics, realize this: Pilate had a choice as to what to do with Jesus as do we all. The gospel of Matthew’s account even tells how his wife forewarned him not to have anything to do with ‘that innocent man.’ At his hand Jesus was ultimately put to death. This common distrust & denial of Jesus helped forge common ground with the political & religious leaders, pacifying them for a time & ensuring a small measure of peace.
Pilate faced a dilemma we all face: what is truth? How do I know what is truth? What do I do with truth? The very question Pilate asked was, “What is truth?” I suppose a better question would be, “Who is truth?”Jesus made a statement, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Across the globe are myriads of religions claiming ‘truth.’ Each promised they have the inside word on truth. They have the ticket to heaven. What makes Christianity any different? Why should anyone believe this ‘religious system’ over any other? While I could spend much time in arguing apologetics to you, that might be better suited for an individual, perhaps on-going, discussion. I’ll just say this, I’m betting my eternity on it! If I’m wrong, well, I’ve missed out on a few parties & denied myself some temporal pleasure. Then what’s eternity?! If I’m right, well, heaven will be really sweet.
Every one of us, like Pilate, will have to answer ‘what is truth?’ We’ll all have to decide what we’ll do with Jesus. As Pilate handed Jesus over to the religious leaders, who by the way said, “may his blood be on us and on our children’, he washed his hands of him. The symbolic gesture meant he was guilty of whatever fate became of the man & any repercussions that might follow. Not so tidy in reality. Historians say that Pilate went mad no long after this & spent the remainder of his days washing & wringing his hands.
Back to the question: “What is Truth?” Better yet, ‘Who is Truth?’ Simple answer is Jesus. My prayer is you know the truth about Jesus. I don’t claim to have all the answers but would love to talk with you & find answers together. I’m always open to pray with you & ask you return the favor.
Check out all the sites & contact info & connect.
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
A famous Dutch museum just found out the hard way you have to be careful who you trust. Seems back in 1969, after the historic moon walk, a U.S. envoy gave the Dutch prime minister a piece of ‘moon rock.’ At least, that was the story at the time. They promptly insured it for a healthy chunk of change & proudly displayed their rarity amongst Rembrandts & other precious items. That was until recently when they found it to be a simple piece of petrified wood. Last account, there aren’t any trees on the moon. Yep, you can’t seem to trust anyone these days!
That’s pretty much what many of us feel. In a world trying to hawk all kinds of things from ‘prime land in Florida’ to other ‘for a limited time only’ offers, usually what’s ‘too good to be true’ really is. It makes it hard to know who to trust. A friend recently ended a several year battle with a university to finally get a class needed & graduate. Apparently an ‘adviser’ didn’t advise too well & he’s had to pay for that mistake.
There is a pervasive thought across the planet that says there is no ‘absolute’ truth. What’s ‘truth’ for you may or may not be ‘truth’ for me. While I agree what some people might call a ‘truth’ may simply be so much fantasy, fairy tale or fiction, there is absolute truth. Hey, gravity is still gravity no matter what you believe. Jump off a building & all the way down you can decry & disclaim the force of gravity, and if you live through it, the experience might otherwise help you understand that particular ‘absolute.’
Most of us have had ‘heart hurts’ from trusting someone when their ‘truth’ was not so much! It makes it hard to trust. I’ll admit it’s one thing to get shafted & burned on a financial deal, but when you’re talking about spiritual matters you definitely don’t want to get ‘burned’!
I regularly meet people who have been hurt by a church, a ‘Christian’ individual, or ‘religion.’ Their answer has been to write off all ‘religion’ or Christianity, as a whole, & have a go at life on their own. Gotta say, that’s a drastic solution that’s not a very good solution at all. If some yahoo has hurt you or a particular church has given your grief or otherwise disillusioned you, you will ultimately only be hurting yourself in swearing off God!
Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked.
John 18:37-38NLT
There is an individual in the account of the crucifixion that you may have heard about. He was faced with the question, ‘what is truth?’ His name was Pontius Pilate. If you research any you’ll find he was a Roman leader stationed at the occupied territory of Jerusalem. His job was to keep the peace in the province. Also, if you’ve done any research about Israel, you’ll find that a tall order at best. He was away from home & beleaguered with the political & religious infighting & fractions.
As he tried to keep the precarious balance, this new ‘prophet,’ Jesus, came along & really stirred up the pot. Pilate tried at first to pawn this Jesus off on the existing religious leaders & even one from the man’s own province. No go. As Rome’s leader over the area the situation fell into his lap.
I have no doubt that Pilate was weary of dealing with uprisings & bickering of the religious leaders. The Jewish had no particular love loss for their latest conquerors. Some accounts put Pilate on the outs with Rome & have him relegated to this foreign outpost with little room for mistakes . He was even enemies with the pagan religious leaders of the area.
Lest I paint a rosy picture that Pilate was some innocent man caught up in Jewish religion & politics, realize this: Pilate had a choice as to what to do with Jesus as do we all. The gospel of Matthew’s account even tells how his wife forewarned him not to have anything to do with ‘that innocent man.’ At his hand Jesus was ultimately put to death. This common distrust & denial of Jesus helped forge common ground with the political & religious leaders, pacifying them for a time & ensuring a small measure of peace.
Pilate faced a dilemma we all face: what is truth? How do I know what is truth? What do I do with truth? The very question Pilate asked was, “What is truth?” I suppose a better question would be, “Who is truth?”Jesus made a statement, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Across the globe are myriads of religions claiming ‘truth.’ Each promised they have the inside word on truth. They have the ticket to heaven. What makes Christianity any different? Why should anyone believe this ‘religious system’ over any other? While I could spend much time in arguing apologetics to you, that might be better suited for an individual, perhaps on-going, discussion. I’ll just say this, I’m betting my eternity on it! If I’m wrong, well, I’ve missed out on a few parties & denied myself some temporal pleasure. Then what’s eternity?! If I’m right, well, heaven will be really sweet.
Every one of us, like Pilate, will have to answer ‘what is truth?’ We’ll all have to decide what we’ll do with Jesus. As Pilate handed Jesus over to the religious leaders, who by the way said, “may his blood be on us and on our children’, he washed his hands of him. The symbolic gesture meant he was guilty of whatever fate became of the man & any repercussions that might follow. Not so tidy in reality. Historians say that Pilate went mad no long after this & spent the remainder of his days washing & wringing his hands.
Back to the question: “What is Truth?” Better yet, ‘Who is Truth?’ Simple answer is Jesus. My prayer is you know the truth about Jesus. I don’t claim to have all the answers but would love to talk with you & find answers together. I’m always open to pray with you & ask you return the favor.
Check out all the sites & contact info & connect.
www.myspace.com/davejacksonnewport.
Dave Jackson on facebook
ASUN website www.bcmasunewport.org
Dave Jackson-Campus Minister djackson@absc.org
Cell: 870-217-9376
Dave’s Desk - http://bcmasunewport.blogspot.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)