The King and the Beasts   

   Children's version   

A bad lion has ruled the brute beasts of earth for many years.

The good King loves the beasts, but the lion deceived them.

Beasts would never be allowed to live in the castle.

So, the King had a plan.

His good Lamb came down to take their punishment, 

allowing the roaring lion to destroy his body.

On the third day, the Lamb rose to life in a new body

which can never be destroyed. 

Ever since, for those who believe in the Lamb, 

he transforms them into sheep, renews them,

and saves them from the bad lion who roars around.

And that is how beasts become sheep and live in the King's castle 

with the Lamb, who is really a good Lion, happily ever after.

~ ~ ~

If you prefer the adult version, see the words to

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

by Martin Luther

   Do not weep for me    

   The exhausted man is thrown down, backwards onto the cross. A soldier drives a heavy, square, wrought iron nail through a wrist into the wood, then repeats the action on the other side, allowing some movement in the arms. 

   They lift the cross into place and drop it into a hole. When the upright beam hits the bottom, flesh begins to tear. The left foot is pressed back against the right foot, and a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. 

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  (Psalm 22:1)    

   As the man slowly sags, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the fingers, up the arms and into the brain. Nails in the wrists are putting pressure on median nerves. 

   He pushes himself upward to ease this torment. Again, he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.

   The arms fatigue, and cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them in relentless, throbbing pain. He is unable to push himself upward to breathe. 

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.  

   He fights to raise himself to get one small breath. Carbon dioxide builds in the lungs and blood stream. 

   Hours of pain, cycles of twisting, joint-wrenching cramps and intermittent partial asphyxiation occur. His movements tear any remaining tissue in his lacerated back. 

It is finished.      

   A deep, crushing pain deep in the chest occurs as the pericardium (sac) fills with (watery) serum and begins to compress the heart, which struggles to pump sluggish blood. Finally, he can allow his body to die. 

   Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.

Back to Earth   

   After three days with Father God, we bring you news on Mother Earth. 

   A political adviser to the United Arab Emirates reportedly distributed millions of dollars to an American fundraiser, to promote UAE's agenda in Congress. He wired $2.5 million through a company in Canada. 

   The fundraiser used the money to lobby U.S. lawmakers to target Qatar, a rival of the UAE. He sponsored a conference.

   There, a House committee chairman announced that he would introduce legislation labeling Qatar as a terrorist-supporting state. Two months after he introduced the bill, the fundraiser gave him the maximum-permitted $5,400 in campaign gifts. 

   The fundraiser also spread more than $600,000 among other U.S. lawmakers. 

   We don't know the truth about Qatar or the UAE, nor do we know what the fundraiser did with the rest of the $2.5 million. 

   This investigation was reported by WORLD magazine, online. We've also heard on TV, can't vouch for it, that American "advisers" to foreign governments - no matter how corrupt - receive enormous sums to lobby Congress. 

   It is said, former legislators from both parties play this game. (Can you and I compete with that?) 

   The above case involves mostly Republicans. What's the old saying...We have the best Congress money can buy? 

   TOMORROW: Details of crucifixion      MONDAY: Conclusion 
                                                                         His Presence series 

   Creatures on land and sea kill some 200 Americans each year. Who would not fear a roaring lion, for example? Even bees kill.  

   Spiritually, people not protected by God don't fear him or the lion. They don't know any better.

   Shouldn't God's children pursue his face, his presence, daily? And what if we don't? 
 

Our Pursuit of His Presence 

   Peter tells us to be alert, because our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5). If the roaring lion of Psalm 22 opened his mouth wide against me (Jesus, the Lamb), why wouldn't all of us be his prey? Daily! 

   Peter's fellow disciple, John, also wrote about Satan, the ruler of the world, who enslaves and keeps captive those without Christ (1 John 5). 

   In the revelation given to this same John, he saw a vision of an enormous red dragon, with multiple heads, horns and crowns, who leads the whole world astray
(Rev. 12). Brothers, John writes, can overcome the dragon (or lion) only by the blood of the Lamb and the testimony. 

   We may suffer for awhile, but God cares for our troubles (see Psalms and Matthew). 

   The roaring lion also appears in Ezekiel 22, as a conspiracy of princes. These include leaders masquerading as believers, who devour people and talk profanely. 

   The prophet also uses wolves who shed blood to describe those who speak the viewpoint of the world, the spirit of falsehood. 

   We can dare Satan to deceive us - which he undoubtedly will - or we can keep him under our feet by pursuing (present tense) the greater Power, The one who is in you... (1 John 4). 
 

Whoever would ... see good days ... must ... seek peace and pursue it.

The face (presence) of the Lord is against those who do evil. (1 Peter 3).

   Lion, dragon, wolf or honey bee - the Holy Spirit is our guardian.

   Religion, as Protestants have practiced it - separating ourselves into denominations - may leave our witness a bit unconvincing. Whose truth is real, or is there any truth? Some believers then turned to "personal relationship." Is that what pursuing his presence is about? 

                                 Our Pursuit of His Presence

   If religion means rules - dead orthodoxy - ask the Pharisees what Jesus thinks. 
If religion is a belief in and reverence for a supernatural power, we do have a religion ... in which this relationship exists. Early believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching (Acts 2:42), including the prophets, the foundation of the church, of which Jesus is the chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20). 

   Relationship alone didn't suffice when Jesus taught difficult lessons, predicted impossible events, and finally submitted himself to death by crucifixion. 
 

If you love me you will keep...

Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them... 

Why do you call me "Lord, Lord" and not do ... ?

   For every believer, the relationship may look a little different. There will be different views on nonessential matters.

   Rather than pursue relationship outside of religion, we seek it within the family of believers and pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance. 

   Only the Holy Spirit renews a human mind (Rom. 12:2). Only the Holy Spirit turns information into transformation.

   Our offensive weapon is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. We use it not against fellow believers, but against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph. 6).

   If we disagree on lesser points, let's pursue peace, and may God be God.

With much input from WORLD magazine columnists

   Do we really want God's grace, presence, blessings and love?    
   

Come near to God and He will come near to you.

James 4:8

 Our Pursuit of His Presence 

   This is the week we celebrate: The curtain hiding the Most Holy Place, the veil hiding God's Presence, was torn open. The time had come for true worshipers to worship the Father in spirit and truth. 

   Jesus had already turned the page: You have heard that it was said ... but I tell you...

   Later, converted Paul wrote: All meat is clean. Every day is holy. Every (moral) act is acceptable. The Spirit interprets. The Son intercedes. 

   The world was no friendlier to believers than it had been to the Son himself. They sought refuge in organized, state-approved religion. Along with relative security came an unnecessary return to distinctions: special days, seasons, times, places, persons and sacraments. 

   In the "priesthood of believers," one man's deed may differ from another's. Paul wrote letters now considered Scripture, while supporting himself by making tents. 

   Winning a soul is far better than planting a garden, but both are good. Gifts differ, but all are accepted. Motives matter. 

   All this we do in a world ruled by Satan (the prince of this world; John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). 

   With his presence, we are different than the world (Exodus 33). Without his presence...we have no song of hope and joy to sing.  

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,

who was, and is, and is to come.

Rev. 4:8

  

 If your Presence does not go with us, 

do not send us up from here. 

What else will distinguish me and your people 

from all the other people on the face of the earth?

Moses

Exodus 33:15-16

~ ~ ~

TOMORROW:

Come near to God and He will come near to you.

  James 4:8