Grace and Peace

Harry Houdini, the famed escape artist, issued a challenge in every city where his travels took him. He would allow himself to be locked in any jail cell and yet promise that he could set himself free quickly and easily. In every instance, he made good on his promise until he met a challenge that would not yield to his talents. 

In a small town in rural Ohio, Houdini allowed the heavy, metal doors of the jail to be clanged shut behind him. This was a familiar senario and he took comfort from the metallic sound and the accompanying isolation as his jailors left the area.  In private, he quickly took a concealed piece of strong and flexible metal and began to work, but something seemed to be unusual about this lock. For 30 minutes he worked and got nowhere. An hour passed and still he had not opened the door. By now he was bathed in sweat and panting in exasperation.

Finally, after laboring for 2 hours, Harry Houdini collapsed in frustration and failure against the door he could not unlock. But when he fell against the door, it swung open! It had never been locked at all!  In his mind, he had bought into the false assumption that the door was locked and that illusion was all it took to keep him from opening the door and walking out of the jail cell.

That story reminds me that many people are overwhelmed by the thought that their sinful past has doomed them to a life sentence of separation from God.  The Devil keeps them locked in a cell of regret, guilt and self-loathing or he convinces them that they can escape by their own efforts. 

What they need to realize is that God has already dealt with our sin problem throught the sacrificial and atoning death of Jesus.  Jesus has opened the door - He is the door - and our self efforts are worse than useless.  They could actually hinder us from realizing that the door is open.  What we need to do is throw ourselves on the mercy of God.

Psalm 51 (NKJV)

    ¹ Have mercy upon me, O God,
         According to Your lovingkindness;
         According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
         Blot out my transgressions.
    ² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
         And cleanse me from my sin. 
    ³ For I acknowledge my transgressions,
         And my sin is always before me.
    ⁴ Against You, You only, have I sinned,
         And done this evil in Your sight—
         That You may be found just when You speak,^[a]
         And blameless when You judge.  
    ⁵ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
         And in sin my mother conceived me.
    ⁶ Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
         And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 
    ⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
         Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
    ⁸ Make me hear joy and gladness,
         That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
    ⁹ Hide Your face from my sins,
         And blot out all my iniquities.  
    ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God,
         And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
    ¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence,
         And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 
    ¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
         And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
    ¹³ Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
         And sinners shall be converted to You. 
    ¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
         The God of my salvation,
         And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
    ¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
         And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
    ¹⁶ For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
         You do not delight in burnt offering.
    ¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
         A broken and a contrite heart—
         These, O God, You will not despise.

Check out this article I read this morning:

Pulling of 'Prayer' Posters in Classroom

Results in 1st Amendment Lawsuit

Jim Brown, AgapePress

A public high school in Virginia is being sued for removing prayer-themed posters from a Christian teacher's classroom wall while he was out sick for several days last fall. A poster promoting the National Day of Prayer and depicting George Washington praying at Valley Forge, and a picture of President George W. Bush praying were among the items school officials confiscated from Spanish teacher William Lee's classroom at Tabb High School in Yorktown.

Even a small cross in a display about a former student was cut out with scissors and thrown away by the school while Lee was out. Lee's attorney, John Whitehead with The Rutherford Institute, says York County school officials wrongly claim the prayer posters violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. "The problem with most school officials is they forget that there are other rights that are in the Bill of Rights that counterbalance the so-called separation of church and state," the attorney says, "and that's our rights to free speech, freedom of religion, [and] to be treated equally under the law." Lee had also put up posters of the Peruvian Inca sun god festival and Mayan creature gods -- things often discussed in his Spanish class. However, those religious items were not removed. Whitehead has filed the lawsuit in the eastern district of Virginia on behalf of Lee.

This is another example of the double standard that exists in our country in regard to the activities of believers in society.  Any other group can propagate its message no matter how nonsensical or vulgar.  But if Christians speak about their faith outside the church walls or, God forbid, publicly express their faith; they are remonstrated for being extremist or divisive. 

Are we not called to take the Gospel of Christ to a world dying in sin?  Of course we are!  It was Jesus who said:

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)

Salt was a preservative in the world of Jesus time.  It was also a condiment for food preparation.  As "the salt of the earth" we are to be a preserving influence in society preventing decay.  We are also to "flavor" our relationships with the grace of God and make men and women "thirsty" for Jesus.

A light in the room dispels darkness and allows us to move freely about without stumbling over items of furniture.  As "the light of the world" Christians are to dispel the "darkness" of sin and bondage and shine light on the pathway to freedom and life through Jesus.

Earlier in the fifth chapter of Matthew, Jesus warned about persecution that would come as a result of living for Him.  But along with the warning, He also gave a promise:

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)

So, don't loose heart in times of persecution, my friends.  Instead rejoice that our glorious Lord and Savior has made us worthy to suffer with Him and later enjoy the riches of heaven with Him.