Looking For Joy

 

Last week, I posted about a Christian comedian, John Crist. John has definitely brought me some laughs over the years.   Watching a good comedian can take the edge off and bring some temporary relief to a monotonous day or even some more serious struggles.   But lasting joy only comes from a connection with our creator - and that creator sent his son, Jesus, to earth to reveal himself to us.  I was looking for a worship song to help express that feeling and found this one by Tauren Wells and Elevation Worship.  "If it's not good, then He's not done, no He's not done with it yet, there will Be Joy in the morning".   Take a few minutes and meditate on those words.

Seriously?

Let's face it, this blog usually deals with some pretty serious topics - serious to me, at least.  Last week, I had some thoughts on the war in Gaza/Israel.  A lot of times it is about something I heard at church or in our small group, and sometimes it is about something that inspired me.  I admit to taking myself way too seriously most of the time, but that is my nature.   My son, Michael, and his wife went to hear John Crist at the Fox Theater this past Saturday.  You may be familiar with John from some of his YouTube videos.  He is a Christian that is all about finding laughs at our own expense.  I'm pretty sure God has a great sense of humor, and I know he loves humility.  Here is a short clip of John doing stand-up.  I know I need a few more belly laughs, and maybe you do too.

Terror Rains Down

The military leader of the terrorist group in the Holy Land announced his intentions to kill every Jew within reach - his barbaric actions based on centuries of hate.  Fortunately, God placed two people, their Jewish heritage hidden, within the trusted circle of the terrorist and his cabinet.  At great risk to their own lives, the two Jews were able to convince the terrorist organization's leader to spare the Jews, and a notice was sent to the Jewish towns warning them of the threat and encouraging them to prepare their defense.  Many Jewish lives were spared 2500 years ago due to Esther and Mordecai's courage to stand in the face of danger.   I wish that last Saturday, someone would have had the same influence within the Hamas organization that could have saved thousands of Jewish lives.  Now, my prayer is that Hamas would feel the unrelenting resilience of the Jewish people and fold quickly under the threat of annihilation, hopefully sparing more innocent lives in Israel and in Gaza.  I pray that God will show his face to anyone with a desire to see Him.

Refusing To Bow

 

In the Book of Esther, Mordecai refuses to bow down to the ruthless Haman, who had been appointed as the right-hand-man to King Xerxes.  After Mordecai revealed his Jewish ancestry, Haman ordered not only Mordecai to be killed, but all Jews.  What happens next is for future posts, but Mordecai's refusal to kneel paints a picture of faith under fire.

In 1936, August Landmesser attended a rally, led by Adolf Hitler, to christen a new ship and was identified in this photo as the man with crossed arms refusing to salute Hitler.  He had become disenchanted with the party when the party tried to intervene in his relationship with Irma Eckler, a Jewish woman.  Both Landmesser and Eckler were sent to separate concentration camps.  Eckler died among 14,000 others exterminated by the Nazi's there.  Landmesser died performing dangerous service as a part of the penal battalion that he was assigned to.

We may not be faced with genocide and concentration camps, but every day we have the opportunity to stand up for our faith or hide it from the world.  I want to stand more.