Branded

Still in use today the old wild west method of branding livestock. Using a hot branding iron, burning into the hide so ownership is always clearly determined. With sheep or animals whose coat is of value, an ear-mark is used and, with a dairy herd, an ear tag in the ear. In this age of technology, a small chip less than the size of a grain of rice is installed in the hide of many pets and, according to the Obama plan, healthcare in the future will be determined by a small chip in the hide of human beings... a chip showing your identity, health history, etc.

When meeting a fellow disabled person, I often say, you are wearing and bearing your brand well. I truly believe that God has branded many of us for His own purpose, with the brand of blindness, deafness, crippled infirmity. Eternal life does not depend on your doing anything, God will take care of everything and, if it means wearing a certain brand, enduring a disability like the Christian life itself, we will handle it well.

The Christian life is an journey not a destination. I can tell you this without fear of contradiction, that if your family, friends, associates do not call you a nut, because of living your faith, you can be sure you are not a Christian. YOU NEED TO GET SAVED.

Jesus preached Himself. His resurrection authenticated His message. His resurrection was an eclismic experience to those who knew Him best. History tells us that Jesus lived, even the agnostics agree to that but, you must believe that He was raised from the dead.

Everything in the universe proves the existence of God, the heavens declare the glory of God. (Psalm 19:1) Our sins were forgiven before Jesus was born, but He expects repentance. And, the world, the flesh, the devil... the sophisticated. Comfortable church members want nothing to do with repentance. The Christian, disabled or not, is branded forever with the eternal security of knowing that in life or death we are protected by His powerful right hand. (1 Peter 5:6) Peter knew the powerful right hand, in the shortest prayer ever spoken, save me. One can always tell earnestness in prayer by it's shortness. Jesus did not ask him about his faith, He just saved him. Most of us depend on Jesus when we have run out of our own resources

They were on a boat in the sea, with storm, wind and waves. Jesus came walking on the waves toward them. Impetuous Peter stepped out of the boat to walk toward Him, and Peter did walk on the water. (Peter walked on water further than any of those who have criticized him) but, like most of us who are branded, he took his eyes off the Lord, looking at the wind and waves. Jesus reached down His hand for him, saved him and, as with us, he got into the boat with him, accompanied them all and, as with us, available for the next miracle.

As with us, the circumstances are always there before the miracle, before our time of need AND they were there afterward. God does not change the circumstances before or afterward, only us. Not one giant in God's Word was changed because of a change in circumstances.

Terrible Roman tyranny, terrible social problems, all fled the crucifixion scene except John BUT, something that proves the resurrection, something that fortifies your faith, those who witnessed His resurrection, amid the circumstances, experienced a radical change in life, they were never the same again. I have seen the Himalayas, I have seen India, one can only imagine the disciple Thomas walking that distance as a witness. Bartholomew, skinned alive in Armenia; Luke, hanged from an olive tree in Greece; Mark, dragged through the streets of Alexandria, Egypt; Peter, crucified, hanging upside down in Rome. There was no communication, no one had conjured up the resurrection story. They were alone, knew they would never see one another again. Men may die like this for truth, but not for a lie. They were witnesses, knew that He had come out of that grave. Molecular displacement was nothing to our blessed Lord, He created it. Near the very end of the Bible, we have these words which should be branded in your heart. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

I thought I understood the eternal security of God through Jesus Christ. Then, I saw a father walking down the street holding on to his son's hand. Then, I knew eternal security. It was not the son holding on to the father but, the strength, the eyesight of the father holding on to the son... Branded.