The Messiah, Yes or No..?!

Written by David DiCrescenzo on . Posted in FAITH

Did you ever think about why there were two thieves crucified with Jesus the Christ on that day 2000 years ago at a place called Calvary?  There was one on either side of Him, and except that they had to have done some really bad things to have deserved such a punishment, which was reserved for the most heinous of criminals, little is known about them.

It occurred to me the other day that those two men, which are traditionally referred to as the “penitent thief” and the “impenitent thief,” and some ancient texts have named them “Dismas” and “Gestus” respectively, are very reflective of the world where it comes to recognizing Messiah.  For the purposes of this article, I will refer to them as “Yes” and “No,” because then and now, those are the only two possible responses to the Cross, and I think very possibly that is why there were only two others being crucified with our Lord that day.

On that day, many people turned out to witness which was both the most blessed and the most terrible event in the history of the world, and besides His mother and a handful of His disciples and followers, most of the rest of them were full of hate and on hand to curse Him.

Then and now, the percentages of those who recognize Him are about the same.  

As far as “Yes” and “No,” they were both hanging from crosses close enough to talk directly to the Light of the World, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Truth, the Epitome of Love, the Messiah; yet both joined the crowd in taunting Him.  

And then, probably very suddenly and certainly by virtue of the Holy Spirit, “Yes,” probably recalling and connecting among other things what he had been taught about the coming Messiah by the rabbis as a child, and that he had heard about this man Jesus who had done nothing wrong and had been performing miracles, recognized who he was next to and pondered that while he himself clearly deserved what he was getting, this man Jesus who was dying next to him did not deserve the punishment.

“Yes” certainly would not have had all the details and wasn’t there for the miracles, but somehow he understood that just asking Jesus for forgiveness was sufficient, that Jesus would save him, because only Jesus can.

With his eyes wide open to this fact, he rebuked “No,” who was still jeering at Jesus asking him “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?”  Luke 23:40  

Then he turned to Jesus and said “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom!” Luke 23:42, to which Jesus immediately replied, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”  Luke 23:43  

My friends, my brief description of that scene, discussed so many times since, is where the rubber meets the road.  

Those two criminals, “Yes” and “No,” are you and I as well as everyone we know and don’t know.  Just like us, because we are all dying from our sin and are hanging on those crosses with The Truth right in front of us, each of them and each of us had/have a choice to make,  One of them, “Yes,” understood what was happening on the Cross only inches away from him.  The choice he made was in the waning moments of his life and he asked to be remembered by the only One who could save him once he breathed his last breath on that horrific instrument of death, and has, since that afternoon, been in Paradise. 

“No” on the other hand, sealed his own fate by choosing to go along with the gathered crowd, rejecting and cursing Jesus until he was ushered into an eternity of damnation and hellfire.  

I am here to tell you that except for 2000 years passing, nothing has changed since that day.  Our Heavenly Father loves us and is still reaching out to us via the work done on that Cross by His Son and according to 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.”  

None of us was there that day, but we are all metaphorically part of that crowd and our Lord had each and every one of us in mind when He allowed Himself to be scourged almost to death and then nailed to that Cross as a final sacrificial atonement for our sins.

That day two men made their decisions.  One of them, who couldn’t even put his hands together to pray is now with our Lord.  The other is NOT.

The offer of Salvation through the Blood of Jesus the Christ is still on the table for all who would simply say yes to Him.  Just like the “penitent” thief, there is nothing you can do to be worthy.  It doesn’t matter what you might have done or not done, if you are 10 or 110; as long as you are breathing, He is ready and willing to accept you as you are and wash away your sins and burdens and welcome you into His Eternal Kingdom.  

But, just like those condemned men next to Him that day, and everyone else since, you have to make that decision.  

How will you respond..?

 

A lesson learned from Jonah

Written by David DiCrescenzo on . Posted in FAITH

I was in church on Sunday and heard a guest pastor deliver a great message concerning the story of Jonah and maintaining an attitude of gratitude.  If you are unfamiliar with the story, Jonah was a “minor prophet” who was commanded by God to go to a city called Nineveh, which was the last place that Jonah wanted to go, (kind of like how I might feel about going to Canada) so he decided to go as far away in the other direction as he could.  I guess perhaps he figured that God was only “suggesting” the journey and would somehow forget that He commanded him to go to.

Anyway, to make a long story short, he boarded a ship and before long a violent, life threatening storm developed, and Jonah found himself thrown overboard by the crew, at which time he was swallowed by a large fish of some kind and remained in the belly of this fish for three days and three nights before he was vomited out onto the shore.  

In spite of the Scriptural support of this story, some people, including some theologians, will suggest to you that this is some sort of myth or parable because no fish exists in the Mediterranean Sea that is large enough for the job, however I believe it is clearly true for several reasons.  

First, does anyone really think that the Creator of all things, the God of the entire Universe, the Great I Am could not create a creature on the spot for His own purposes..?!  Next, aside from the Cross, the “fish” is probably the biggest symbol of Christianity and Salvation.  The three days and three nights that Jonah spent in the wretched, hellish darkness of a fish’s belly protected him from drowning*, (*maybe, because it is entirely possible/likely that he perished and was resurrected while inside the fish before being vomited out) which reflects directly to the three days and three nights that our Lord spent in the bowels of hell which is supported in Matthew 12:40 where Jesus is recorded as saying, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."  NKJV

You might be asking, so what...?!

Glad you asked.  As many of my readers know, a little more than two years ago I started reporting on the story of a woman, a sister in Christ, and now a dear friend, who has been raked over the coals by some very corrupt and high-profile lawyers who in turn were supported by a very corrupt judicial system, and I thought of her immediately during the message I heard.  I thought of her because while many of my friends are currently forging through some serious storms, I know hers very well and I know that for a long time it looked like there was no way out, and I believe that like Jonah, she needed and got safe haven and has metaphorically been in the safety of the hellish belly of a fish while riding out a long and severe storm.  I might add, I believe she is close to being redeemed from that hellish environment very soon.  Stay tuned.

And then I really thought about it and realized that while I do believe the story of Jonah is absolutely true, it also serves as a metaphor we can all draw upon because at any given time, we are all either entering a storm, already in a storm, or exiting a storm.  The storms occur to test us and keep us strong.  I know for a fact that while my friend still has a way to go before she reaches home port, the winds are diminishing, the clouds are breaking up, the light is finally illuminating her situation, and she is emerging stronger from her private storm, renewed and ready to help others navigate theirs.  

I also know that regardless of the storms any of us face, and whether we hear the audible voice of YHWH or not, all of us can take a lesson from Jonah and simply do as God commands via His written word and understand that He always has our best interests in mind, and even in the midst of a raging storm we can find shelter in the most unlikely of places.

Anytime you find yourself focusing on how big your storm is, remember how big our God is, take shelter and find comfort in His loving embrace, and remain grateful of how much He loves you.

Finally, remember the words of Isaiah 54:17

“But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

Blessings my friends.

His Name Is Flowing Oil

Written by David DiCrescenzo on . Posted in FAITH

Back in the beginning of the summer I heard about something very interesting happening up in Dalton, GA and it was one of those things that just sort of attached itself to my brain and I couldn’t let it go.  I tried calling and a bunch of other attempts at contact to gain more information to no avail.

So about two months ago I got a very strong feeling that I had to visit.  Not just curiosity either.  This was more like something from on High telling me to go up there and check it out.  At first I fought it because, what the heck, I live in West Palm Beach, FL and Dalton is as far to the NW of GA as one can get before entering TN.  But the calling to visit would not leave me, so I checked their very static website for a good day to visit and decided to drive up there and check it out.

For a little background, I had heard that there was a man name Jerry who owned a Bible; nothing special about that really, except that it began to do something that can only be described as otherworldly on January 27, 2017.  Defying explanation, this Bible starting oozing some sort of very clear, very thin oil, and lots of it.  So much in fact that they now keep it in a Tupperware container like any of us can get at Walmart.  So much that they regularly ladle it out and fill tiny vials with it which they give to anyone who wants one.

With that background you can understand why I was more than a little skeptical.  I might add that I had already decided that if anything about what I found gave me the willies, I was going to get as far away as fast as I could.  But my skepticism changed very quickly upon arrival.  First of all, have you ever been to Dalton, GA..?!  Except for the cars and a few modern looking buildings, the downtown area looks as if it hasn’t changed a whole lot since the Civil War.  Just a very sleepy, welcoming town.

I arrived a couple of hours before the morning’s event at the former Wink Theater, now the Brotherhood Church and grabbed a quick breakfast at a local diner across the street that was so relaxed I almost expected to see “Aunt Bee” from the Andy Griffith show walk out of the kitchen. 

Anyway, I entered the Wink Theater about an hour early and had a good chance to look around and chat with some of the locals, including the man who owns the Bible.  Just a regular guy who seems to know and get along with everyone.  So I asked him about the oil and the Bible.  All he or anyone knows is that his Bible started to ooze this oil back in 2017 and has not stopped since; although it does slowdown from time to time.  They have had it checked by several independent laboratories and they all said the same basic thing.  It is some kind of thin, colorless, odorless oil but they have no idea beyond that.

And oh, by the way, as if that isn’t crazy enough, every so often, they find a small nugget of silver in the bottom of the bin which has also been examined and found to be raw silver ore.  To date, seventy pieces of the precious metal have appeared in the bin with the oil.

Anyway, after the room filled up almost to capacity, it started off like a regular Sunday Church service with Worship Music, and then there was a very brief “sermon” which was really an introduction of what was happening and then we heard testimonies of what has taken place in many of the lives of those in attendance who have had the chance to be anointed with this oil.  I heard everything from miraculous cancer cures and formerly crippled people now walking to healed marriages and lots of other amazing things.

Is this a sign from Heaven..?  I don’t know because I’m certainly not an expert on such matters, as if anyone really can be; but I do know what I saw, heard and felt.  There was something very special in that room.  If ever I have felt at peace and the presence of the Holy Spirit, I felt it that day in that room.  I had to leave, but I surely did not want to.

One final note, when I mentioned this at a church group that I attend, all but a few of them asked me to anoint them with the oil; so I did as I prayed over them for whatever they need.  Before I left my group, a woman around my age who I hadn’t met approached me and told me that she remembers when she was very young that people from her area used to make special trips up to Dalton, GA for healings that she never really understood and that certainly took my breath away. 

I imagine the scoffers will say that this is a bunch of nonsense and that’s okay, however everyone in that place believes it and so do I.  One thing is for sure and that is something very good and not of this world is taking place up there and I cannot wait to return. 

Albeit I plan on flying up the next time.

To learn more about when you can visit or when they might be near your area, visit their website by CLICKING HERE.

The Cross Holds The Answer

Written by David DiCrescenzo on . Posted in FAITH

Did you ever hear something that just couldn’t be unheard or erased from your thought process for the rest of the day…?!  That happened to me the other day and I wanted to share the essence of that story because I think so many miss the really big point made by it.  Given that we are celebrating the most important event on the Christian Calendar, I felt it very important to bring to light.

Here is the essence of the story, which with some slight alterations, has probably played out countless times in many different settings for the past 2000 years.  A little girl is enrolled in a school run by Nuns, remember them…?!  Now I don’t know what this little girl, now a grown woman was doing beyond being a normal little girl, but the Nun in question looked at her, rather sternly I’ll bet, and said “…you’ll never be good enough to get into Heaven.”

However true, what a harsh, potentially life altering thing to say to any child.  Yes, I said “however true” because while the Nun’s delivery was straight out of any child’s nightmares, it was indeed a very accurate statement.  Not just accurate for this poor child who did have a very rough go of things for many years thereafter until she learned the truth; it is accurate for me and you, and for everyone we know or don’t know.  That is to say that with One exception, no one, not one person has ever been “good enough to get into Heaven.”  It just isn’t possible..!

That little snippet of memory in that little girl’s life, or anyone’s life which causes so much anguish and so many poor decisions by so many people, is one that is answered so simply at the foot of the Cross.

That message, which has been so over complicated and corrupted by so many men for so many different reasons over the centuries boils down to this, “…we are never going to be good enough to get into Heaven” of our own accord.  We are sinners and the wages of sin is death.  

There is however good news, very good news indeed.  Simply put, we lost our fellowship way back at the beginning when original sin took place and we lost fellowship with God because of that sin.  Just like any parent, He didn’t stop loving us because we did something wrong, but there were consequences; major consequences in fact.  For millennia after “the fall,” the faithful were required to temporarily atone for their sins via the use of a sacrificial system, but those sacrifices had to be done over and over again.

And that is where Jesus entered the picture and offered Himself as the once and for all permanent sacrifice.  He took every sin ever to be committed and bore the burden and paid the price in full for all who would believe.  He conquered death and is still alive today waiting to welcome everyone who accepts His free gift of Salvation.

And that is why when that Nun said, “…you’ll never be good enough to get into Heaven,” she was right.  All she neglected to do was add that because of the sacrifice of our Lord, you can absolutely get into Heaven by putting your faith in Him.

Such a simple message; too simple for some I suppose, but never the less, there it is.  

So if you’ve ever wondered if you can enter Heaven after you breathe your last, if there is a way, the answer is yes.  It doesn’t matter how bad or unforgivable you may think you are, all you need to do is recognize that He bore your sin and paid the price for that sin on that Cross, and in your own words simply tell Him that you believe, ask Him to forgive you, and invite Him into your life.  He will do the rest.

He is Risen, He is Risen indeed.  Hallelujah.  Happy Easter my friends.

Lighting The World One Menu At A Time...

Written by Karen R. Vaughn on . Posted in FAITH

Publisher’s Note:  A dear friend posted this simple but powerful memory and thought.  It really convicted me because as much as I’d like to be that guy every time, I recognize that I’m not always “the light” for those around me.  I hope this reminds everyone of how the simplest of things can mean so much. 

Karen Vaughn:  As my Grandma Hazel aged she used to get so frustrated in restaurants as she struggled to read the menu, "Why is it SO dark in here?!  What's so terrible about light?!"  Being honest here, I'd usually roll my eyes (privately, of course) and think to myself, “What is she talking about?  The lighting is perfectly fine.”

Well...NOW I get it…!  I often find myself grabbing my cell phone and flipping on the dang flashlight so I can read the menu, grumbling under my breath about the lack of light; and every time I do, I remember my impatience with Grandma and feel a little bit ashamed.

These memories hit me this morning as I was pondering how many times the Bible tells us to be...light.

So often I think of that phrase, “be light,” like some aura we're supposed to carry around, sort of a mystical form of consciousness that's always emitting some character trait that drives others to want to know more about God and about Christ.

But maybe it's simpler than that.  When you're trying to pick out what you want for dinner you have lots of choices; choices you can't really make if you can't see the menu well.  But if I'm sitting beside you, seeing you struggle, the least I can do is grab my cellphone and flip on the flashlight.  I can shine light on those choices because I have the tool to do so.

As believers, we have the tools to shine light into the darkest choices people are dealing with.  If we step up and utilize that tool, we may keep them from choosing the salad that has "anchovies" hidden in the text, (BTW - that happened to me not long ago because I couldn't freaking see the menu!).  

Be the light, that's all.  Don't let a sister order up a salad with dead fish on top.