Valerie Rae Hanneman
Matthew 10:34-35 (NIV)"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn " 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—“
Matthew 27:38 (NIV) “Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left.”
Matthew 25:32-34 (NIV) “All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world”
When I quit the drugs I had to make a radical change in my life. It did not take me long to realize that if I was going to make the transition from practicing drug addict to recovering drug addict then I had to stay away from people who were practicing drug addicts. I had to stay away from most of my friends. Kicking the drugs was hard. Kicking my friends to the curb was just as hard. But I had to do it - I had to get away from that lifestyle if I was going to survive.. When I came back to Jesus I had to face a similar decision - was I going to live the world’s lifestyle - or was I going to live Jesus’ lifestyle - and was I willing to pay the price of either decision?
Ask most people why Jesus came to earth and they will talk about Him bringing peace on earth and good will to men. They will talk about Jesus making us all brothers and how He makes us all the “family of God ” That’s so nice - that’s so sweet. It’s not true - but it sure is sweet.
The truth is that Jesus came to bring a sword among us. He came to be a divider. He divides families, He divides communities, He divides nations, He divides the world, and He divides eternity. In the middle east, a family member who converts to Christianity is ostracized from the family, and - if they don’t kill the convert - he is considered dead to them. In India, a Christian family grieves the loss of their father. The grief is compounded by a Hindu village that will not allow them to bury their dead in the village cemetery. In China people are taken from their homes, imprisoned, tortured and their only crime is that they are Christian. Even here in the United States it is becoming more and more politically incorrect to be an evangelical Christian. Recently a talk show hostesses said that there was no difference between evangelical Christians and radical terrorists. Her comment went largely unnoticed and unchallenged. Had she made that outrageous comment about Muslims, Hindus or Buddhists she would have lost her job.
Jesus on the cross stands as the divider of history and our relationship with God. Prior to the cross our relationship with God was based in the law and imperfect sacrifices that had to be offered time and time again. At the cross, mercy replaced the law, His perfect sacrifice replaced the imperfect sacrifices and our forgiveness of sin is eternal.
Jesus even divided the two robbers that hung on either side of Him. When I was on drugs, there was a whole network of people that I knew and who did the same thing that I did. It is highly likely that if these two robbers were not partners - they at least knew each other because they interacted in the same network. On that day both of them started out mocking Jesus - but then one of them had a change of heart. He separated himself from his companion with the words, “We deserve what we’re getting, but this Man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me...” Then Jesus completed the division between them, “Today you will be with Me in paradise.”
After I started back attending church, there came a time when, like the robber, I had to make a decision about the direction of my life. I had to choose between Jesus and the world. If I chose to follow Jesus then I would have to give up certain aspects of my life. There were things I couldn’t do, words I couldn’t say, places I could not hang out in. If I chose to stay with the world then I could continue in that lifestyle I was used to - but I would never have peace of mind or spirit. I chose Jesus and he divided my life. There was the life before my choice when I was in the world and of the world, and there is the life I live today where although I am IN the world, I am not OF the world - I am of Jesus. I have learned in my life journey that I cannot straddle the fence when it comes to Jesus. I cannot live on the fence with one foot in the world and one foot in heaven. All that lifestyle does is give me splinters from rocking back and forth on the fence and they are in places that - although unmentionable - are nevertheless, highly uncomfortable.
There is a great day coming, the day when Jesus will divide eternity. On that day it will not make
a difference if you are a liberal or a conservative, a man or a woman, good or bad, rich or poor. In eternity all that matters is - do you know Him as your personal Savior - or do you not? We who know Him as personal Savior will be divided to His right, those who do not will be divided to His left. Those on His right will then go into eternal life in the presence of God, those on His left will go into eternal death and hell, never again to be in the presence of God.
To His believers who are sitting on the fence - aren’t you tired of picking out splinters? Get off the fence and choose to follow only Jesus - discover what life is worth living for.
To those who do not believe in Him - on that last day it will be to late for you to choose Him. Choose Him today and live forever in the glory and light of His presence. Call (559) Bap-tist and ask to speak to a pastor or go to “Knowing Christ” at our website - www.fresnofirst.org
Jesus, the best decision I have ever made was to get off the fence and follow You. Thank You for dividing my life into before You and after You. I choose to live for You today and with You for eternity.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of Fresno First Baptist at valerie@fresnofirst.org
Posted by Valerie at June 3, 2007 03:55 PM