The paradox (a truth that appears as a contradiction) of the cross defies reason and is often rejected by those who are searching for meaning within themselves and among themselves. The mantra of today’s culture is to search within oneself and find the answers: such statements as loving yourself  is the greatest love of all; knowing yourself is the highest degree of knowledge, and being yourself is the greatest truth of all, are today’s common philosophy. Their counselors are those who specialize in one discipline of study as authorities, yet are ignorant of oceans of information left unexplored. The most important discipline is the search for meaning. What good is knowledge when life itself is sacrificed? The dead know nothing and can do nothing. Bu the thing we call ‘life’ causes individuals to be too preoccupied to consider life’s meaning. The contradiction is that many people are too busy attempting to make a living to live. They are too busy mouthing the fallacies of existence, popular but divorced from purpose, to consider why they actually exist. (The Walking Dead) Death is not only when the body ceases to function. The dead are those who are detached from the Source of life.

The spiritually blind are dead, but their eyes are closed to how dead they really are. They are totally unaware of preexisting principles that govern life, while still open to accept the ways and means of the masses, who know nothing of how things work together and are held together. Coherency in culture comes from making sense out of life. It is reason rather than mere feeling. Decisions made as result of feelings alone,  or gut instincts rather than grace, are terminal. When we reach the Cross we see (1) Conflict, then (2) challenge, leading to (3) change that will ultimately produce (4) conversion or transformation. The Cross can be further be defined as reaching the crisis point or critical mass. Bits and pieces of information contribute to fragmented lives. The duality existing within the heart, soul, and mind leaves one divided within and that inner conflict hinders him from making progress.  There is a pattern before us as to how life and all things converge together into a symmetry of purposeful existence, how they fit together, and where the individual fits within the whole of God’s eternal plan.

When what we think we know is introduced to the Truth, something has to give.  The inflexibility of self will is tested  when inflexible will is confronted with absolute truth. The challenge will either lead to a deepening of shared values or a yielding to values previously unknown. “Let God be true and every man a liar.” If the Truth is accepted change must occur. Pride comes under siege and the only recourse is to confess a life of wrongness and a lifestyle of contradictions. Change is not a product of the will, it is a decision to trust the only One who can change you. It has to occur from a Source outside of yourself. Only God is able to give you what you need for permanent change to occur. It is called “New Life”. Another way of describing it is being “born again.” The Cross confronts the culture and contradicts the values of fallen humanity, but it does not leave mankind without help or hope. Jesus Christ is placed on the Cross as our substitute so that His perfect life may be freely given to those who would be wise enough to delve into this mystery. It is foolishness to the arrogant, those who are wise in their own eyes. But it is the power of God to those who are being saved and can receive the wisdom that only God can bestow.  On the other side of the crisis is eternal life.

Love is often defined by and through experiences or observation. We experience love on a continuous basis and we observe the evidence of love all around us. However, there is a deeper love that can only come by revelation. When that love is made known to us, it brings all other expressions of love into their proper perspective. Those who love deeply are eventually wounded deeply because what appears on the surface can lose its luster over time. Impressions lead to disappointments if those impressions are not deeply rooted in truth. In our search for love, we must not seek it looking in the wrong places. Otherwise, we may find ourselves traveling down the dead-end path of infatuation. Its attraction is for the moment, while its glory continues to fade as character is revealed, and the deficit is so pronounced that we wonder how we could have embarked on such a journey.

God is love! He is not restricted by our ideas of love, but we grow in our understanding of love as we grow in our understanding of God. There are things that happen in life that are difficult to understand or explain. But God makes everything beautiful in its own time! It is not the journey alone we must seek, but the journey that leads to the destination that really matters. Love endures all things. After the dust has settled on the subjects under our inquiry and the residue of the experiences have long dissolved, love remains and speaks louder than we first heard it speak. God says to us that He loved us through the experiences and loves us on the other side of every circumstance. The challenges of life do not come to disprove God, but rather to show us that He is the only One in whom we can place all of our trust. Those who completely trust in Him will never be put to shame. Disappointments will only last for a moment while we wait on Christ by way of the Holy Spirit to show us the heart of the Father. When we see Him on the other side of the trial, our hearts are enlarged and our confidence will be increased to face future challenges.

Now love is also expressed through the companionship of a faithful friend. Through those who love without partiality and are faithful to the end, we see the Father’s love demonstrated. We cannot give all the credit to the friend. Rather, we must acknowledge Christ as allowing us to see and experience in this life what He wishes us to see, and experience forever that which dwells in Him. Marriage is for that reason. God places a man and a woman together as a means of expressing the love that Christ has for the Church. Nothing is held in reserve as each give their all to the other. The trust that is established over time solidifies the clinging or dependency on each other that only death should separate. It is an awesome thing to need each other. To say my wife is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh is to say that she is a part of who I am. This too can only come by revelation, as it must be with all God-ordained relationships.

Whether it be the corporate gathering of the Church Assembly, the connection that exists between friends, or the bonds of those who are joined together in Holy Matrimony, love holds relationships together. And that which God has joined together, let no man separate.

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! (27) Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.” John 19:26-27

Every mother whose child may have preceded her in death could relate to the agony and pain experienced through the absence of the child to which she gave birth. Even Jesus took time from dying to acknowledge His mother. Two people who stood together, who were both precious to the Savior, now stand together. They were brought together by a circumstance beyond their control. The hell that Jesus suffered was the interval of separation from the Father. His adopted father, Joseph, had already departed this life and His Heavenly Father had turned His back to Him. His pain knew no boundaries. The Cross served as the convergence of physical and emotional pain, and Jesus’ examples sets the stage for some challenging questions: can you love through a broken heart? While bleeding, can you still see others through your tears?

It gives solace when the attempt is made to at least try to understand that clichés and quips are not sufficient. Jesus demonstrated in His dying moments on the Cross what we need in the darkest valley of dismay. He was not delivered from His present circumstances, and they were not delivered from the arrows piercing their own hearts. Much to the chagrin of many, time alone does not heal all wounds. When Jacob wrestled with the angel of God, he was left with a limp. Moreover, the infirmities of Paul remained even though many were healed through his ministry. God can use wounded people, even hurting people, as instruments of healing others who are wounded and still hurting. Yet His love transcended His pain, and He was more concerned with His two most favored people than He was Himself. His words joined them together into a familial bond and His best friend to Him was a part of His family. Now a mother needed a son to nurture, and fortunately, her passion was not interrupted by the piercing of her son’s side and of her heart. Jesus was saying to her, “Look at My friend as your new son.” And to John, “Look at My mother as your own mother.” What a consolation to them through their newfound assignment…The tragedy of His death could not paralyze them from engaging in any future activity. John had a mother to care for and Mary had a son to love, and through this connection, they were not allowed the opportunity to be too preoccupied with their own pain.

Many during this season of life merely reflect upon the death of what is missing rather than what remains. God gives gifts to those who lose love ones. The love remains as a line attached to them in memory. Jesus did not forget His mother, and neither did He forget His friend. Along with the line of memory was an attachment to a person that remained alive. He challenged both His friend and His mother to allow the love they had for Him to reach the people that He loved. To sulk in pity or to glory in piety is not enough. It is our duty to love a child who needs a parent or a parent that needs a child. If you were ever a mother, you are still a mother whether your child is with you are not. If you are a child, God will give you mothers and fathers who are there to compensate for any deficiency that you may experience. This Mother’s Day behold thy mother; and mothers, behold your many children!

Truth is losing the battle of its appeal among those who focus upon the expedient. The mindset of the masses has adapted to the constant changes in thinking, which has lead them away from God’s standard of righteousness. Those who were born in this generation and at the close of the former have seen nothing other than the results of moral decline. What ought to reign has been brought low, and what ought to be celebrated has been mocked and ridiculed. In reverse, those base and demoralizing vices which once caused shame are now given badges of courage and honor. If these patterns were to continue, the future would exclude all semblances of righteousness and truth. These things are not happening as a surprise to those who believe the Holy Scriptures. There were prophesies that spoke about a time that would come when people would not endure sound doctrine. They would reject the truth for a lie. Without the guiding principles contained in God’s Word, they would navigate in the direction of shallowness and falsity.

Jesus had to invade a hostile environment that would reject Him, and ultimately kill Him, so that its hostility and hatred towards His Father might be made evident. They would have never known that their negative attitude towards God had become a part of their culture. Change could never happen unless their hearts were exposed to the warranting need for repentance. The posture of repentance would position them to hear a message contrary to cultural mores but also invoke God’s Presence to dwell among them. Let me ask you a question: Is God at home in your world? Can He find rest among the things you currently embrace as your truth? Those who are products of their environment are no different from those who crucified our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Their religious, economic, social, and educational systems support their premise to either exclude Christ or redefine Him. He did not enter the earth realm to accommodate their evil practices. As John the Baptist stated, “the axe is laid at the root of the tree.” Radical change was necessary. The root is the foundation on which all is built upon. The majority position is usually the measure of sensibility. It is not the standard of righteousness that would produce stability and sustainability in society. It is the majority as the measure of sensibility, and the majority is usually wrong. They elected to crucify Jesus and release Barabbas a robber and a thief!

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; (28) and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, (29) that no flesh should glory in His presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-30

Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again;
The eternal years of God are hers;
But Error, wounded, writhes with pain,
And dies among his worshippers – William Cullen Bryant

God raised Jesus from the grave. The same God who allowed Jesus to suffer, to be crucified, and to buried is the same God who raised Him from the dead. There can be no resurrection unless it is preceded by death. What are you currently killing? What do refuse to allow express life? The process has not changed. No one would be able to love God completely unless they had first recognized how much they once despised Him. Then they can freely receive the gift of His Son and the resurrection life that He offers. Truth shall rise again!

Things are changing more rapidly than most people are aware, and unfortunately, the changes are in areas not given much consideration. But have you ever stopped to think, why are things changing, and what effect will these current changes have upon our future? The prevailing view among the majority is to accept the inevitable. These changes will happen regardless of what we may think or do. Since the world has changed, if one is to be socially and politically correct, it is necessary to adapt to these changes. George Gallop, author of the Gallop poll, stated, “Despite these shifts in attitudes, 72% of Americans say the state of moral values is getting worse in this country rather than better. And almost as many rate the state of moral values in this country as poor or only fair.” The reason cultural shifts can occur without much resistance is the arbitrary approach many take toward necessary things. Cultural shifts and values occur at the same time, where culture is given definition by its values. If cultural shifts were to be motivated by impulse instead of reason, then people would have the option to do whatever they feel.

These shifting winds of popular opinion have sentenced many to a confining prison of hopelessness and despair. The suicide rate has increased over the years, along with robberies, murders, and various acts that express the devaluing of human life. Why respect the sanctity of life when life has no meaning? Those who engage in efforts of resistance have an awareness to a certain degree that all change is not positive and some standards must be maintained, but what standards? The fear of losing freedoms may startle a person that is imprisoned by his own lusts, but he has neglected to realize that his most confining prison dwells within himself. Pogo, a character from the comics once stated, “we have found the enemy and the enemy is us!” Unfortunately, no one possess the power to completely resist the downward pull within himself even when he is aware of his contribution to the shifts taking place within culture. That is why so many have adapted the mindset to just learn to live with the inevitable. They believe that the only thing left for them to do is to get with the program and to learn how to live within the system. If you could just step away for a moment and ask the question, “whose system is this anyway, and was there ever a choice?” Then new questions would come to mind. Questioning a thing indicates the possibility of alternate interests. If you look in the same direction, you will see the same thing, but if you turn your eyes in a different direction, you are positioned to see hope on the horizon. What exists now is a departure from the original. It is hard to imagine that since the only environment you have ever known is this one. Contained within the system is its own demise. The seed of corruption is implanted in every system initiated by humanity. It is corruptible because humanity is corrupted, and time limits are set on every one of his endeavors.

The incorruptible seed of the Word of God is the antidote to the decay and ruin in our world. When received, it reverses the order leading to ultimate death and produces life in its place. Something as simple as a Word from the Lord, the very thing that you are currently reading, has more potential than the strength of armies and weapons of war. It immediately produces life within those that receive and gives the promise of eternal life to those who continue in it. If ever there was a time when the world must recognize its deepest need, the time is now! In the midst of a changing world an unchangeable God offers His Word and message. Yes, times have changed and will continue to do so. But God is the same. Yesterday, today, and forevermore. Let Him produce within you the change that will last.

The shaping of culture takes place through individual decisions made by persons of influence. A single individual can make a difference that can modify the mindset of a generation. Influence can be one of the greatest tools for the good or a weapon of mass destruction. When cultural shifts occur, the agenda and origin of change is rarely explored.

The ebb and flow is reinforced by art, media, entertainment, and yes even politics, while the ideals are embraced as the people’s new reality. Culture is ordained by God but constructed by mankind. The distinctions between people-groups provide an expression of faith in the One True and Living God if He is sought after and the pursuit of Him is not compromised. The beauty of cultural diversity with an overruling standard unifies us while it protects us from uniformity. The horrors of diversity occur when it is sought after without a guiding principle. It is when every person seeks independence from the rules that govern life and does what is right in his or her own eyes. Cultural values must be guarded and guided towards the higher good. The necessary changes ought to be as the result of knowledge rather than convenience or preference. If the whims of society determine the direction of culture, the erosion from within would eventually lead to its demise. Individuals may know what they wish to see happen, but all of us need help in knowing what is best for us. Time tested truths have many witnesses throughout history, yet so many repeat the mistakes of history expecting different results.

Our nation in its Preamble to the Constitution speaks of “a more perfect union.” Unity with the aim of perfection is a grandiose goal. Its target is set on absolute truth, the only perfect standard. If there is such a thing as absolute truth, then there must be One who models that standard before us to whom we must adjust if we are to ever progress. Slavery was the Achille’s Heel of America. The residue remains even to this present day. It expressed the devaluing of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for some while the Constitution speaks of it as a privilege for all. The exception clauses impede motion in the direction of “a more perfect union.” The issues are exacerbated, leading to the devaluing of the unborn and the infirmed. Independent decisions affirm activities initiated as result of the man’s fall, where Adam’s sin affects all who are brought forth from his loins. Instead of striving towards a more perfect union, the bar is lowered in order to reconcile and unify the contradictions that reside within all mankind. Since sin is the nature of fallen man, the religion of those who believe in the absoluteness of God as Holy are holding on to an archaic belief system that does not fit in with the liberties man is now free to express. The implication is to establish a more “pliable” union rather than a more “perfect” union.

There is a need for people who will raise up the foundation of previous generations. The divide between what is practiced and what Christians are to profess must be bridged. If there was ever a need for a revival, that time is now! There are so many expressions today to reinforce the opposing view that God’s Truth is hidden among the rubbish of the world. Judgment has begun first with the Church, the ground and pillar of truth, with the intent of bringing her to repentance for her neglect. We have been called to reconcile the world to Christ and not to the eroding standard of the world. There is room for cultural diversity if we adhere to the best of what each culture offers rather than embracing the idea of exclusivity. We need our White brethren to stand with us, but even if they don’t know it, they also need us if the Body of Christ is ever to become one.