We live in a fallen world – period. The truth is: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). That pretty much means – everybody! But the media will have it’s ‘selected tolerance ‘ and its voice will be spoken everywhere, to ears that hear but have no understanding. When a politician lies and cheats, the news get washed away with the next natural catastrophe. But when a Christian, or one that professes to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, is found to have ‘sinned’, even close to a decade ago at times, there is NO TOLERANCE!
The media is NOT your friend! You see, the ‘media’s voice’ is like a camera that takes a picture of ‘selected stuff’ – the media’s voice takes a picture of the garbage, and leaves you there! No wonder when people turn off the voice of the media they are left without hope and depressed! But for a Christian, one who believes and trusts in the blood that Jesus shed on the cross, his or her sins are forgiven! His or her sins are washed away. (Acts 22:16). His or her sins no longer remain on him, (Is. 53:6). His or her sins were put on Jesus, and they have become healed, (1Peter 2:24). YES, “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory”, AND yes, “The wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23), but God’s word doesn’t leave his children there – there is hope, there is truth, there is a gift of God – and that is “eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 6:23, exclamation point,mine.) This is the message of the gospel: Jesus! HE came as a baby. He died on the cross for our ugly and intolerable sins, and He rose again!
(Acts 22:16),”‘And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'”
(Isaiah 53:6), “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him, the iniquity of us all.”
(1 Peter 2:24,25), “…who Himself, (Jesus), bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteiousness – by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
The media is NOT your friend. Jesus Christ IS! Jesus is a ‘friend of sinners!’
The media’s voice rings like this: “THEY did wrong! That Christian messed up! That Christian isn’t perfect!” “This is INTOLERABLE!”
You better believe this or that Christian messed up! It’s because we, they, them – are human beings and we are ‘all’ part of that ‘ALL’ in the ‘all have sinned…’ verse! But NOT EVERYONE is part of being forgiven, and being washed clean… each human being that has been aloud breath on this broken earth has to, at one point of time in their life, BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ, the precious, gracious gift of God, in order to receive that!
Why do you think believers cry when they sing, “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.” We all are ‘wretches!” BUT GOD has made a WAY for hope, God’s voice speaks TRUTH, and God sent His Son that those who believe have LIFE. Each one of us has to receive Jesus in our life to receive His forgiveness. Each of us has to make the choice to receive the the free gift of salvation that He offers to each of us personally. His arms are not in a fist and with pointing finger – NO, His arms were stretched out willingly on the cross, for ‘whosoever’ would believe! Jesus died for the sins of the world – the whole world that is -‘red, brown, yellow, black, and white, they are precious in His sight…’ to ‘whoever will believe on His name'(John 1:12).
Everyone has the free choice! The voice of the media is ‘damnation’ and ‘condemnation!’ “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1). “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2). For those who ‘choose’ to believe and receive the forgiveness and grace offered on the cross, THEY have the gift of God which is eternal life through Christ Jesus! But the invitation has been sent to the whole world!
The media, the voice of the world and our own flesh fight against us every day, condemning, oppressing -but when we receive Jesus in our lives, we can be lifted to a ‘higher law’ so to speak! Just as we see the engine of a plane rev up and the wheels spin on the runway with all the effects of gravity pulling down, there is a force of ‘aerodynamics’ at work that is more powerful than gravity, which then lifts that plane to fly in the sky! “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death!” (Romans 8:2, exclamation point, mine.) “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 8:1).
The media is not our friend! The word of God through Jesus Christ our Lord IS. If you have not considered receiving and believing in Jesus as your Savior, perhaps you take a minute to put down the ‘voice of the world’ and hear the voice of Jesus, a friend of sinners: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10).
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”(John 10:11).
“”But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand.”(John 10:26-28).
Don’t believe the media, believe the Savior, the Good Shepherd! Make the choice to ‘believe on Him whom the Father has sent: “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:29,30).
Jesus spoke to ‘doubting Thomas’: “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” (John 20:27).
“And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” (Can you see the tears as he sang a new song in his heart? “Amazing grace how sweet the sound…”)
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believe. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:28,29).
“‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believed.”
“”Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares I have already come, ‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”
You will not find grace in the media toward Christians, but Jesus warned us already, “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to theFather except through Me.” (John 14:6).
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you!” (Romans 8:11, exclamation point, MINE!) Now that is aerodynamics!
“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear…” Now we must continue to go on singing new song after new song as we seek to live in the Spirit, with an aerodynamics to rise above the mess, in this tough and condemning world. And we can do it, because Jesus… He has overcome the world!
* * * * * *
Do you see the three crosses on the hill? As you pass by, take some time to realize that our life’s journey is for the sole purpose of this: deciding which ‘thief we be.’
As for me, I choose to believe and receive and …to sing! ‘Amazing grace how sweet the sound…” “What a friend I have in Jesus…”
Skip to content
