The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it? — Jeremiah 17:9 WEB

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. — Mark 7:21-22 ESV

You say, ‘I’m rich. I’m wealthy. I don’t need anything.’ Yet, you do not realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. — Revelation 3:17 GW

All of us are dirty with sin. All the right things we have done are like filthy pieces of cloth. — Isaiah 64:6 NCV

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WE DON’T STAY AT THE MOUNTAINTOP FOR LONG, DO WE?

Nothing is more energizing than to join in Christian community in a weekend retreat. Without fail, retreat centers are strategically placed along mountain ranges, or beside pristine lakes, or shaded by a forest of bright leaves.

The joyful sounds of praise and worship ricochet off the walls, as celebrants eagerly jot down telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of newfound friends and pledge to keepin touch, just to encourage one another in their faith walks.

It’s all great stuff.

But a few days later, if that long, the bubble bursts, and we’re thrown right back into the midst of real life.

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ON THE MOUNTAINTOP, we can forget our sin for awhile. Sin takes a back step when we’re feeling alive in the Holy Spirit.

But Satan is watching our drive home, just waiting for his chance to pounce. We won’t see it coming; we’re still resonating to the joy of our holy huddle.

Temptation will creep in, and we’ll be a little slow in batting it away. Then it will grow and sprout its evil leaves, and we’re thrown into a head spin.

What happened?

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LIFE HAPPENED.

The Bible is clear that since the Fall — meaning the Book of Genesis, Chapter 3 — when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, sin has encased our hearts. We are driven by our love of sin … and we’re usually blind to it, even as it eats holes in our soul.

Sin is so much a part of who and what we are that Jesus, Himself God in human form, told us 

that what defiles us is not the food groups we  should avoid or whether we wash our hands or cups before eating, but what comes from out of our hearts, our minds, our inner selves.

God sees the filth that we hide, or at least try to hide, from ourselves and from one another, even while we recognize — at some conscious level — that it resides within us and that we’re not being honest with ourselves when we deny its existence.

The apostle John hit this one hard when he wrote, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 ESV).

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IN HIS BOOK THE PURSUIT OF HOLINESS, Jerry Bridges says “One of Satan’s most powerful weapons is making us spiritually blind—unable to see our sinful character.” Bridges goes on to describe the cure that God has provided for us: “No one can understand it [sin] and expose it except the Holy Spirit.”

Yes, it is God’s Holy Spirit that exposes our sinful selves to us and stirs within us the desire to be holy, to be Christ-like in our thoughts, words, and actions.

It is God’s Holy Spirit that convicts us of our disobedience, whether it’s  the commission of an immoral act, a casual conversation that slips into a slanderous or judgmental remark, or even a careless thought or fantasy.

As Bridges says, “The Holy Spirit opens the inner recesses of our hearts and enables us to see the moral cesspools hidden there. This is where He begins His ministry of making us holy.”

It’s an uphill climb, but the “good work” that Christ has begun in us will continue until the day Jesus returns or calls us home (Phil. 1:6). Bridges notes that our sinful natures, combined with the evil powers of spiritual warfare, “are too strong for us to persevere unless the Holy Spirit” is alive and working within our souls.

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GOD IS SO MERCIFUL.

The immortal, merciful, invincible God could, if He wanted to, blot us all out as a horrible experiment gone wrong from the first. He washed away the first bunch of humans for their unrestrained evil (Genesis 6:5), so He could do it again.

How fortunate we are that He promised not to resend the floodwaters to wash mankind away (Genesis 9:15). Instead, he sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for the evil we do and thereby give us the promise  of reconciliation with Him (John 3:16; Romans 5:9).

We’ve seen this “mountain top high leads to valley low” before in the Bible.

Remember Moses, spending 40 days and 40 nights on the mountaintop with God, who gave him the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets? When Moses began the long trek back to the Israelite community, as recorded in Exodus Chapter 32:7 (NIV), God said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt.”

Moses returned to the camp to see his countrymen dancing drunk around a golden cafe they made to worship. He was so angry, he smashed the two tablets.

Then, in Matthew 17, we see Jesus take three disciples with him to the mountaintop to witness the Transfiguration, where the LORD’s appearance was changed to reflect His glory. When He and the three disciples began their descent, it was to find a commotion among his remaining disciples and a man who had brought his epileptic son for healing.

Jesus was so distraught, He said, “O unbelieving and perverse generation, … how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?” (Matthew 17:17 NIV)

The mountain top may be where inspiration and emotion reign, but it’s only in the valleys that we encounter real life — that’s where the growth occurs.

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THE APOSTLE PAUL TELLS US that “we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4 NIV)

James, the half-brother of Jesus, counsels us to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” (James 1:2-3 NIV)

God gives us those blessed moments on the mountaintop to reassure us, to comfort us, and to pour His love and peace on us in an unhindered way. It’s really the closest to Heaven we experience in this world. It’s just a sample of what lies ahead.

God will take us to the mountaintop, but He doesn’t leave us there. He has work for us to do and work He has to do in our hearts to prepare us for those tasks that lie ahead. Paul tells us, “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of  Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6 ESV)

Paul goes on to encourage us. “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?” (Philippians 2:1 NLT)

If that’s the case, if you are filled with the Holy Spirit from your time on the mountaintop, then go, you believer in Christ, as He calls you to minister to a world hungry for His message.

Leave the mountaintop and mingle with the world. “Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4 CSB)

God wants us to leave the mountaintop and do the Kingdom work to which we are called: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you. Then you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8 GW)

Once He can show us the sin in our hearts and our total dependence on Him, then and only then can He use us as His ambassadors.

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PRAYER: Heavenly Father, too often we are content to stay on the mountaintop, where we can huddle with fellow believers, hear inspirational testimonies, praise You in song, and engage in spirited discussions, when the real work of Kingdom building is done in the valleys after we descend. Forgive us our hesitation to leave the good feeling of that peace — and thank You for allowing us that respite. Please quicken our hearts to engage the world with our witness with eagerness and humility. In Jesus Name, Amen

And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. (James 3:6 NLT)

“It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” (Matthew 15:11 ESV)

Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29 BSB)

What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words. (Proverbs 18:21 GNT)

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HERE’S A QUIZ.

How many of us have heard the nursery rhyme that ends with these words: “but names can never hurt me”?

Most of us.

Now, how many of us believed it?

I never did. Anyone else?

Years gone by, when a playmate’s taunt got to me, I got defensive. Then some adult (usually my dad) would recite that little rhyme, with the admonition not to let the little stuff get to me.

Well, it did … and it wasn’t little stuff, either.

Instinctively, I sensed with my little-boy brain what the grown-up me has come to know:Behind whatever the “mean” words were was a mean feeling. It came from the other person’s heart and merely shaking it off  was not enough for me.

Jesus spoke about the heart to His disciples when the Pharisees complained that they were not ritually washing themselves before eating. Our LORD looked sadly at the speaker, then searched the faces of each of the synagogue leaders gathered before Him.

“It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person,” our LORD declared, enunciating each word for effect, “but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” (Matthew 15:11 ESV)

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WORDS NOT ONLY CAN HURT, they can set into motion a whole set of actions and reactions that quickly spin out of control, often to the speaker’s surprise.

Here’s an example:

“That’s not what I said!”

“Yes, it is. I was right here. I heard it.”

“Well, I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Maybe you didn’t, but that’s what you said. How was I supposed to know what you meant?”

Or these examples:

“Did you hear that …”

“You know what really galls me?”

“You’re about one inch from getting a piece of my mind.”

“You’re such a brave woman. I could never wear that shade of green this time of year.”

“You know what the matter with you is?”

While many of the bromides thrown about are not intended to hurt, many are.

Try this. Cue up FaceBook and scroll through the offerings. Don’t comment on anything, just go through the list of what your “friends” are posting. Now look at some of the comments posted in response to the original posts and the responses to those comments.

Don’t count them, but just notice the number of times someone uses the occasion — maybe it’s the anonymity of cyberspace — to lance someone.

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NOW, LET’S GO BACK TO THE BIBLE.

Let’s compare the types of words many of us hear every day … and maybe even we say … with how Almighty God wants us to talk.

Try to hear our conversations against the backdrop of Jesus, who said that a person’s speech marks his or her character, because the words come from the person’s heart. They reflect what the speaker is feeling.  (Matthew 15:11)

Or listen to the apostle Paul remind us to say only those things that will benefit someone else, not harm them. He said: “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29 BSB)

Or Solomon, the wise king of ancient Israel, writing that we’re responsible for what we say, both the good and the bad. He said: “What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words.” (Proverbs 18:21 GNT)

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SO WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US?

God left it to James to “tell it like it is.” James is such a good choice because he was the oldest of Jesus’ younger half-brothers. (Imagine growing up with God as your older brother! James never caught on to who Jesus was until He was resurrected from the dead.)

James tells us that the “tongue is a flame of fire.” He said it is “a whole world of wickedness, corrupting the entire body.” (James 3:6 NLT)

That’s pretty serious.

If we go back to the Gospels and watch how Jesus handled his accusers, we see that He never, ever sunk to their level rhetorically. He modeled love, patience, and understanding. Yes, He had the advantage of being divine, but He also was fully human.

Speaking just for myself, I find the standard set by Jesus very difficult to match. Even when I graciously hold my tongue, I am still frustrated because I often do not have a replacement sentence immediately available; you know, a sentence that would encourage my accuser or signal forgiveness and fellowship. Instead, I remain silent and pray that my silence will be a form of reaching out.

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IN THE END, OUR MASTER HAS GIVEN US the words to say … and a mission to fulfill.

After His resurrection and immediately before His ascension into heaven, our LORD told His disciples (and, by extension, all of His followers down through the ages — including us), what that mission is. 

He wants us to go to our neighborhoods, and our communities and states, and throughout our country and even to the ends of the earth with a message of hope and redemption.

He said our mission is to share the fruit of the Holy Spirit: words of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 (CSB) directs us to spread the word, to tell everyone the world over about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.”

Instead of using our tongues to spread lies or hatred or zingers or greed, the Christ wants us to use our tongues to speak for Him. In His final words on earth, He says it this way: (Acts 1:8 ESV), “You will be my witnesses.”

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PRAYER: O LORD, our God, hear our prayer. How often we grieve the Holy Spirit with our words. We use our words to reduce others, to put them down, to spread rumors about them, to malign them. Oftentimes, we don’t actually say the words out loud, but we say them to ourselves. That’s just as grievous to the Spirit. Guard our tongues, O LORD, and help us see how hurtful our words can be. Our LORD and Savior told us to use our words to tell others about Him and His love for us. We undermine that message with our sinful talk. In Jesus’ loving Name we pray. Amen

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16 NIV)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 NIV)

You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:22 NLT)

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CONFESS MY SIN TO SOMEONE ELSE!

Well, that’s not going to happen.

Those are the so-called famous last words of someone whose faith wasn’t strong enough or developed enough to understand how much healing occurs when we unburden ourselves to one another (man to man or woman to woman).

There is a reason God put those words in His Bible, and it wasn’t just to give us another entry on our Bible verse memory flash cards.

What’s more remarkable is who God called on to give us those words. It was James, Jesus’ half-brother. James was the oldest of the pesky younger brothers who failed to understand during childhood and adolescence that their “perfect” older brother, the goodie two-shoes, was actually God, himself.

Talk about having some sin to confess.

How about, “Jesus, my Lord and Savior, please forgive me. I’m the one who told our father — actually, my father, I guess he wasn’t yours — that it was you who spilled the sawdust from his workbench into the cake Mom was baking for his birthday. Actually, it was me. I did it. I’m sorry.” Pause. “You knew? How?” Pause. “Oh, right, of course you did.”

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I REMEMBER HOW LIBERATING IT WAS TO CONFESS MY SIN TO A MORTAL.

Severals years ago on a Sunday morning, I was given several opportunities to place my father on our small group’s prayer list. My mother had passed shortly before.

I chose to skip each time the offer was extended, choosing instead to lift prayer for other members’ aging parents, marital and financial issues, and probably even their sick pets,
as well.

I simply wasn’t willing to “give” my father the healing power of corporate prayer. Now, I was not a Christian at the time — still a seeker — but still the irony of my father-less prayer circle should not have been lost on me.

At lunch that day, I received a text message from one of my brothers telling me that Dad had been diagnosed with Stage 4 bone cancer.

I was crushed. It wasn’t so much my sadness for my difficult dad’s physical trauma — it was the weight of my own failure to extend the blessings of  God’s healing grace, not only to my father for his illness, but also to me, for my hardness of heart.

That afternoon, I picked three close friends from the prayer circle and “confessed” in an e-mail my sin and my father’s need.

Immediately, the Holy Spirit went to work. Among other things, He led me to contact Dad’s local church across the country and inform them of his condition. Without his being able to tell them, there was no other way anyone would know, at least for awhile.

One person I shared this story with said, “Thank God you called his church.”

“Yes,” I replied. “Thank God.”

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AS THE NEXT FEW YEARS PASSED, I became a Christian, confessing my sins and telling the Father I believe His Son is the Christ and that I need Him to reign in my heart. Please send me the Holy Spirit. Thank you very much!

I also became more comfortable with the notion of confessing sin to another man. I also learned why the confession-acknowledgement ritual could not be man-woman because their mutual interest would interfere with the information that would need to be shared.

The verse in James to confess your sin “to each other” and subsequently pray “for each other” implies a mutuality here, wherein each person confesses sin to the other. Unless one man’s (or woman’s) heart is unduly burdened and needs immediate relief, this is not a one-way deal. This is a  sharing among believers.

The larger point is that (a) God knows of our sin even before we confess it, (b) our confession of sin to God grants us forgiveness from the eternal consequences of sin, but it is only in (c) where we are granted forgiveness from among our peers that the real healing takes place.

Let us not forget that God is not our peer and that sin confessed to God, while necessary and liberating, still remains secret in the eyes of our friends and family.

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ONCE I CONFESSED MY SIN, the Holy Spirit was able to use the opening in my heart to inspire me to appropriate action to help my dad, to relieve his suffering, even though he lived across the continent from me. Absent my confession of sin, I have no reason to believe I would have thought on my own of seeking help for him. The confession softened me.

Of course, the example drawn here in which confession was given is different from many of the examples we tend to face in that I was not confessing to the one against whom I had sinned. Still, the principle of emptying oneself in submission to Divine authority is the same.

Once we learn the confession part of forgiveness and the healing power of joint prayer, we can see how much easier it is to grant forgiveness.

The practice of confession to one another requires humility, especially because there’s no guarantee the other person will grant forgiveness. Still, confession must be given.

More recently, I’ve taken to heart the maxim that the partner who is stronger-in-faith should confess first. That can be taxing over time but probably is a worthwhile practice. God is calling on the stronger partner to act according to his greater faith.

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GOD IS SO FAITHFUL.

Yes, He requires us to act according to biblical principles that seem easy when Jesus did them but difficult for us to emulate, but He doesn’t leave us helpless.

He gives us grace as our reward.

David was not only a warrior and ancient Israel’s greatest king but also a musician and psalmist. After a battle won for Israel by God’s intervention, David wrote these words, but they may comfort us in so many circumstances today:

“Those who sow in tears will reap with sounds of joy.” (Psalms 126:5 NIV)

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PRAYER: Dear LORD, You are so merciful in giving us a way out of our sin. Not only have You shown us Your grace by offering us forgiveness when we repent, but You’ve shown us that by confessing our sin to fellow believers, we can experience further healing. LORD, protect us from the arrogance of pride that prevents us from taking advantage of this gift. Thank You, LORD, for Your grace and mercy. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

 

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And the king [King Josiah] stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. (2 Chronicles 34:31 ESV)

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. (Galatians 6:9 NASB)

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 NLT)

YOU SAY YOU’VE GOT PROBLEMS.

Well, me, too, but let’s take a look at the mess King Josiah faced.

Haven’t heard of him? Let’s change that.

Six hundred years before Christ was born, Josiah became king of Judah (the southern portion of Israel) at the age of 8. The Bible says he “did what was right  in the eyes of the Lord,” which means he purified the land of totems to pagan gods and cleaned up the Lord’s Temple.

About 10 years into his reign, the priests came across a book of writings from Moses. This book was given to the Israelites in the desert after God freed them from slavery in Egypt. In it, Moses told the Israelites of God’s rich blessings if they worshipped Him and remained faithful.

If they worshipped other gods, however, then God’s wrath would be upon them.

Remember this: the priests found this book of God’s instruction shoved in a dusty back room of the Temple, covered, no doubt, with dust and cobwebs.

Josiah knew his kingdom had been disobedient and that JUDGMENT was on the way.

A prophetess confirmed for Josiah that not only was God angry with the Israelites, but there was nothing Josiah could do to prevent judgment. God’s actual words: “My anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched” (v. 25).

Ouch!

But God in His mercy gave them a break: Because Josiah was faithful, humble, and showed remorse for his people, there would be peace in his time. Judgment would come following Josiah’s death.

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FACING THESE LONG ODDS, WHAT DID JOSIAH DO?

What would you do?

I know what I would do. I would cave.

I would figure no matter what I did or said to serve the Lord, no matter how helpful or encouraging I was, no matter how loving, forgiving, and worshipful I tried to be, it would make no difference. No one would benefit. Nothing useful from me. No souls saved. No fruit born.

Zip.

Friends, there’s a reason we’re writing about Josiah and not about me — and here it is.

The Bible tells us, the king marched over to the Temple and called the elders of his country to join him, and he stood in his place. His place. This was not a pew in the back of the room, where he could hide in the shadows, slipping in when the service was half over only to leave early.

This was a prominent spot, from which he could command the people’s attention.

From that spot, Josiah “made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.” (2 Chronicles 34:31 ESV)

With firm determination, knowing the odds were stacked against him, he did all he could do — he declared his love and devotion to the God of heaven and earth and ordered his subjects to join him in obeying God’s commands.

We’re told the people obeyed their king “as long as he lived” but reverted back to their old ways once the new king took over.

The result? God’s judgment was swift, and the populace was taken into captivity.

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SOMETIMES THE ROAD IS SO PITTED AND TORN, the headwinds so strong, even the bravest among us turn back.

Some 650 years after King Josiah made his stand, the apostle Paul faced a similar test. Paul dealt with crippling divisions in the church, where believers split up, siding with different evangelists. Paul would have none of it.

He had the right answer for the argument about which evangelist — Apollos or Peter or Paul, or anyone else, for that matter — was the most influential.

Paul said, “None of us.”

None of us?

“None of us,” he said. “All of us are called by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word of God, and God uses us each one of us according to the speaking and writing and service gifts he’s given us. We’re not the ones changing people’s hearts and claiming them for the Lord. We don’t accomplish anything on our own. “

Then who does?

“It’s the Holy Spirit of God,” Paul said. “It’s the Holy Spirit, not man, who works in people’s hearts and changes them.” (1 Corinthians 3:3-9, paraphrase mine).

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THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PUSHBACK.

Every time a door opens, and the Lord gives us an opportunity to enter in to give God glory, there will be a competing wind, trying to blow us back. The enemy hates God’s rule and is dedicated to gumming up the works.

We might never have the influence that King Josiah or the apostle Paul had, we might not have our names in the Bible as they did, and no pastor may ever cite to our lives as one might to theirs for a biblical lesson to ponder.

But God didn’t call us to that role. Paul noted that it was by “the grace [of] God” that he became an apostle for the Lord, but even so, he was just beginning the pathway. “I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it,” he said. (1 Corinthians 3:10 NIV)

We’re all builders on that foundation laid down by others before us, just as long as we heed Paul’s words to build only on the foundation laid by Jesus Christ. (v. 10-11)

Every time Christ’s people try to make a difference in the world, they will face pushback from the enemy.

Oh, it is so easy to quit.

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USUALLY, THE PUSHBACK MAKES SENSE:

“It’s raining pretty hard. Maybe now’s not a good time.” “Oh, my, look at all the traffic. Probably should wait.” “I’m feeling tired this week, and my back’s been acting up. I should rest.” “I’m not sure I want to commit right now to something regular. Let the young folks (retired folks, folks without children, folks with children, married folks, single folks, employed folks, folks on vacation) step up this time.”

(Those excuses, reworked slightly, were said recently by someone I know well.)

We may not want to, but too often, too easily, we say:

• “Why bother? It’s not worth it.”
• “This is not how I want to do it.”
• The odds are long, the payoff uncertain. I don’t see what difference I can make.”
• I don’t like the deal, Lord. Better not count on me.”

We’re not likely to cite Cain, but we all know his comment to God about Abel. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 NIV)

Short answer from God … to me and you: “Yes, you are.”

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GOD WON’T LET US DOWN. He knows the obstacles in our way. So, He’s given us some words to cheer us up and keep us in the game.

The Holy Spirit inspired them, Solomon wrote them, and we can live by them:

In spite of many daydreams, pointless actions, and empty words, you should still fear God.  (Ecclesiastes 5:7 GW)

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PRAYER: Heavenly Father, sometimes we are so ashamed of our faithlessness, our weakness, our willingness to quit. The Lord Jesus said the road would be tough and only a few people would find their way and persevere. O LORD, help us be mindful of the Kingdom’s work and how you left the job in our hands, with the Holy Spirit’s counsel and power. The Lord Jesus urged us to abide in Him. He promised us He would abide in us. Without Him, Heavenly Father, we can do nothing. With Him, we can do more than we could ever ask or imagine. May we rely on the LORD with all our heart and understanding, knowing that as we acknowledge You, You will make our paths straight. In Jesus’ loving name we offer this prayer. Amen

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And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16 NIV)

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. (Genesis 3:4 NIV)

“The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that [you] may have life and have it to the full. “ (John 10:10 NIV)

You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44 CSB)

SHE: I’LL BET MY WEEKEND WILL BE MORE FUN THAN YOURS!

HE: Why’s that?

SHE: John’s in town.

HE: John?

SHE: Yeah, Dodo. John. He’s like this really cool guy I knew at State. He’s divorced and all, so he’s, like, free, you know?

HE: Okay. And?

SHE: And? Like, we’ll party with some friends, go to a club, you know; then he’ll  spend the night at my house. Way more fun than what you’ll do.

(SHE nudges him and winks)

HE: I don’t know about that.

SHE: Why, what’ll you do? Hang out with some boring Christian friends and spend the whole time in church?

HE: Oh, I see. I don’t think you understand. Can we talk?

SHE: Sure, but it’ll cost you.

HE: How much?

(SHE points to a coffee shop)

SHE: I want a mocha latte.

(THEY enter coffee shop)

(HE orders a latte for her and dark roast for himself)

(THEY find a quiet corner)

SHE: So, tell me, what’s the mystery?

HE: No mystery.

(HE sips coffee and puts cup down)

HE: I know you think your weekend will be more fun than mine. I’ve got to admit, it sounds really attractive.

SHE: Told ya.

+++

HE: IN FACT, BECAUSE OF MY SINFUL NATURE, I could imagine spending a weekend like that, too. Not with John, of course, but maybe with his sister. Does he have a sister? Never mind. Oh, sure, I can think of all sorts of pleasures — self-serving, self-gratifying — that sound like fun. Fun until you do them.

SHE: What do you mean, fun until you do them?

HE: Some of that fun you’re talking about will lead to misery. Okay, there could be an excess of alcohol. That’ll impair your judgment. Or, there could be some hard drugs. Illegal for starters; addictive, if continued. Then, there’s the sex. Sounds great, right!

(SHE smirks)

HE: How many unwanted pregnancies do you think will get started this weekend? How many diseases will get passed around? Not only that, but how many hearts will be broken when hookups end? Any abortions down the road?

SHE: I don’t think you get it.

HE: I get it. I do. You might not get caught — this time — but is your life on track to fulfillment? I mean, you’re, what, 34, 35? Never married. No husband, no kids. Living in a condo listening to the same tunes you rocked to in college. Nothing to show for it.

SHE: You’re a downer.

(HE chuckles)

HE: That church thing you mentioned. Yeah, I’m going to church Sunday, but it’s not the boring gig you think it is. I’m joyful. I’m praising the living God who created me, who loves me so much He sent His Son to die for me, to pay the price for my sins. Not just things I do or even say, but the things I think about or imagine.

+++

SHE: GET OUTTA HERE! WHAT EVIL STUFF DO YOU THINK ABOUT, DUDE?

HE: Pretty much the same things you think about. Maybe even some of the things you’re hoping will happen this weekend. You see, we’re pretty much the same. Here’s the difference: I took stock of my life three years ago, and I just realized things were not adding up right, you know? I mean, I have these talents, or gifts — everyone does — but I wasn’t using them for anything useful.

SHE: Yeah, I remember you saying something about that.

HE: Do you remember my searching around for something better to hold onto than parties, booze, and girls?

SHE: Yeah, you were a real pain then, asking us all of those questions about why we’re here on earth, and whether there’s any plan for us, and where we’re headed. You seemed to have found an answer — for you, of course — but that Jesus thing just isn’t for everybody.

(HE opens the Holy Bible app on his smart phone)

HE: Yes, it is. He’s for real, and He’s for everybody. Sooner or later, each of us has to answer the one question He asked his disciples. “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” It’s in Matthew, Chapter 16, Verse 15. I’m quoting from the NIV translation.

(SHE scowls)

SHE: And?

(HE flicks through the Bible app)

HE: Well, one of the disciples, it was Peter, said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That’s in the next verse, in Matthew. That was from the English Standard Version.

SHE: All those versions. You’re a regular smarty pants, aren’t you?

(HE ignores her taunt)

HE: You see, each one of us — you and me, and your friend John, for that matter — will have to answer that question some day.

(SHE sips coffee nervously)

HE: So, who do you say He is?

+++

(SHE DOESN’T ANSWER. CONTINUES SIPPING COFFEE)

HE: Let me guess, the Great Cosmic Killjoy. The Big Meanie. SuperCop. Something like that, right? Someone who’ll steal your vibe, knock the fun right out of your weekend, and the next thing you’ll be doing is dishing out slop in a soup kitchen to a homeless vagrant with fleas in his hair. And to top it off, you’ll sport a Happy Face with a big grin and sparkling eyes.

SHE: Something like that.

HE: You know, the Bible says something about that.

(HE consults his Bible app)

HE: It’s in 1 Corinthians 1:18. One translation, the New Century Version,  quotes it this way: “The teaching about the cross is foolishness to those who are being lost, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

(HE looks directly at her)

HE: What that means is that without the Holy Spirit in your heart, everything Jesus had to say sounds like gibberish, but once you accept  the truth of who He is, everything falls into place.

SHE: Okay, I’ll bite. Tell me more.

HE: CS Lewis put it like this in his book Mere Christianity. Let’s see if I can remember this right: “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance; the only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”

(HE pauses)

HE: Put another way, Jesus told us He’s God. He could be lying or He could be delusional. In either case, we could ignore Him. But if Jesus is Who He says He is, then He is God. Then, we had better look at what He tells us. He says He came into this world to give us life and to give us a life that’s robust and full of grace.

(SHE frowns)

HE: See, the Bible tells us that God loves us so much that He didn’t even spare the life of His own Son, giving Him to death to pay for our transgressions. So, with that being said, how will He not also give us all good things?

SHE: You mean, like that church thing?

HE: No, I don’t mean going to church. I mean worshipping the living God! I mean giving praise and thanks and blessing to the One who makes all of this worthwhile.

+++

SHE: I FEEL SICK.

HE: What’s the matter?

SHE: Suddenly, this weekend with John doesn’t sound like so much fun, after all.

HE: Okay, so what are you going to do about it?

SHE: I don’t know. Probably still go through with it. I mean, our plans are made already, you know? It’s way more easier to go through with the plans than to change them, right?

HE: Easier, right.

(SHE drains her coffee)

HE: Maybe not smarter.

(SHE looks at him. Discards her cup. Returns to table)

SHE: Are you done with your coffee?

(HE looks at her sadly)

HE: Yeah, I’m done.

(HE stands up and discards his cup, pouring out the remaining coffee)

(THEY leave silently after a quick hug)

HE: Would you like me to pray for you?

(SHE shrugs)

SHE: Okay

HE: Jesus loves you. Satan doesn’t.

(SHE nods)

(THEY depart in opposite directions)

+++

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Creator of the the universe and all of life. Help us see the benevolence of Your grace and mercy. Help us see Your love as You reach out to us. Help us see the gift of Jesus Christ, who bore our punishment. Help us live our lives in gratitude for Your saving grace. In Jesus we pray. Amen