Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Yesterday I briefly addressed the tragedy that happened in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. There have been politicians of all stripes responding to this event. Our tax dollars have been poured into programs that are supposed to prepare “grief counsellors” to know how to respond to such events. Those tax dollars have been wasted, but they try to make lost people feel better about themselves. All the wasted time and money to develop what the state calls “experts” has suggested that we do not know why this young man would commit such a crime.
There is a book that any person can purchase for less that $50.00 that has all the answers man needs. That book is the King James Bible for the English speaking world. There are more expensive options of that Bible, but there are less expensive ones as well. God has also raised up local churches that use that Bible, who are willing to reach out and help people, not just when they face such a tragedy, but to show people how to live.
God is not a figment of a certain segment of society’s imagination. We have politicians and others who would like to have us stop talking about God. There are others who have invented their own idea of God and they take offence to anyone suggesting their idea is wrong.
Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
The phrase “I am the LORD” is found 163 times in 161 verses of the Bible. It is found 11 times in the book of Isaiah. God wants man to know Him. He is not one of many gods. He is the only true God. If we want real help we need to go to the only One Who can provide help, and that is God.
In the Old Testament, God spoke to people through angels at times, or through prophets. He chose holy men to record His words for all future generations. The New Testament begins with the promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was prophesied of many times in the Old Testament. He is the Only True Saviour of mankind.
The need in Tumbler Ridge is the same as all across this land, and that need is the acceptance of the Truth. Truth will not come from the premier of B.C. or any other province. It will not come from the Prime Minister, or any other politician. Sadly it will not come from many places that call themselves churches. However, God has given man the ability to think and He is working to draw people to the Truth right now.
The situation in Tumbler Ridge did not happen over night. The foundation of this tragedy was laid a long time ago. The whole sodomite/transgender philosophy is a destructive philosophy. Read Romans 1, one of the passages our government wants to ban, and you will see what the cause of the tragedy in Tumbler Ridge is. When a person rejects the true God and is not thankful, corruption multiplies.
As our opening verses declare, Jesus offered an invitation to “come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden”. We are all born as lost sinners. We all need a Saviour. The right time to seek God is always now. Tomorrow is never the right choice. Tomorrow never comes.
God invites people to come to Him “To day”. In our text, Jesus promised to provide rest for the soul of those who would come to Him. He was not lying then and He is not lying now. He offers true rest for the soul, which also provides rest for the heart and mind.
The hurt of the losses will be there for some time. That is natural and it is right. We can never bring back the past. Things happen and then there is either regret or sorrow or anger or frustration, etc.
God shows us from His Word that He wants us to come to Him. He uses many ways to get our attention. Sometimes He has to use a tragedy to get a person to stop and listen to Him. The Holy Spirit has been working and is now working in the hearts and lives of each one affected by this tragic event. He is doing several things.
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
The Holy Spirit knows the heart of each parent and each sibling left behind due to this tragedy. He is showing each person how to address that need right now. The Holy Spirit is also working in the heart of every true child of God that is available to help those grieving families. It is essential for those true saints to be willing to speak up and tell the truth. A mushy worthless word salad will not meet the needs of the people. The truth in love will be the answer needed. Whether or not it is accepted, that is what is needed. Jesus did not act like a politician. He came as the embodiment of Truth. He is Truth. He provided the Truth to Nicodemus, who later was saved; to the woman at the well who told the men of her town what she had discovered; to the woman caught in adultery who was told to go and sin no more, etc. He provided the Truth to the Pharisees who most of the time rejected it and developed an increasing hatred for Jesus. They were human instruments to condemn Him and have Him crucified. Ultimately, Jesus came to lay down His life for the sheep. He came to provide the only way for lost sinners to be forgiven and saved.
In our opening verses Jesus invites us to take His yoke upon us and learn of Him. That is what is tragically missing in most people’s lives today. There is not that interest in learning of Jesus. For some there is an interest in learning of a Jesus of their imagination. They will settle for the rock&roll Jesus or the CCM Jesus. However, they do not want the holy Jesus Who came to lay down His life for the sheep. That Jesus provides the rest that every soul needs, but few find. The difficulty in finding that rest is not God’s fault. It is the unwillingness of man to accept the Truth and want his or her truth to be good enough.
Don’t settle for that. Choose life today and if you know the Lord, then make sure you are being honest with others in helping them to find true hope in the midst of a chaotic world.
Pastor Bartel