Jesus Is Lord

Romans 8:33-39 ‘Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(ASV)

         During the summer of 1975, I experienced an infusion of bliss that continued until the fall of that same year. My Lord Jesus was rocking my world. Prior to this epiphany, I had been a Sophomore, at Eastern Nazarene College, studying to be a minister. I knew in my head what the Lordship of Jesus consisted of through study, prayer, ministry and music. Jesus Lordship meant God offering of Jesus saved me from sin. I became a Christian two years earlier and my studies amplified my understanding. The word "for Lord in Greek was "Kurios", a word used at the time to indicate that someone was a ruler. Jesus was the earthly name that given before Jesus was born, meaning "God will save us from sin". Over time Jesus showed His followers a different type of rule that was based on being a servant. Over and over Jesus talked about the kingdom of God being at hand as he preached to the poor, healed the sick and cast out demons. The experience I had was more about knowing Jesus Lordship in a relationship than cognitively. The Bible became a three dimensional tool from which God in Jesus communicated to me eternal truths. During this time I felt connected to all that God created and was ecstatic about sharing new revelations that God gave me. Jesus as Lord meant I was adopted with others as God's best friend. I longed to minster to persons as never before. I felt so close to Jesus that I could touch Him. It was an experience that I had hoped would last forever. Then as mysteriously as it came it disappeared. In October of that year the positive ecstasy was replaced by confusion. I had much more to learn about what the Lordship of Jesus meant.

         I was cast into the throes of depression in January of 1976. I thought for sure at the time I was being punished by God. After all I had felt so close to God only months ago. Jesus was Lord for me during that time meant sweet communion with God and passion to share this with others. The depression I experienced was nothing short of awful. I was constantly thinking of suicide, which was something I had strong feelings against. It was during this time that members of the church thought I must be demon possessed and God was making an example of me for something I did wrong. There were persons that were sure that I was not saved. After all where was my smile? Persons literally took me by the hand to the front of the church and told me that I needed to be born again. As the depression lingered the same people that sang my praises began giving up on me. I did not feel like eating or sleeping. Music and reading, two of my previous passions became mundane and meaningless. I spoke little. Where was the God I felt so close to? Persons in the medical profession called this a major depression. I thought for sure for some unknown reason that I had been cast into hell. I could not sleep for months. I was too scared to live and too scared to die.
         It was April of that same year that I experienced a renewed sense of hope. While lying in bed I was given a vision of Jesus dying on the cross. Jesus Lordship meant that God understood all my pain and sorrow! It was nothing I had ever thought about before. The next day I woke up from slumber still battling a mild cold that served only to amplify my depression. This day I felt something different inside. It was as if I had been set free and Easter was only days away. I went to my grandparents that same day and it was the first time I laughed and talked freely in months. We had lobster for dinner and it tasted like ambrosia. My whole worldview had changed. I had been dead and now I was alive.

         Life has had its ups and downs since then. The only constant is Jesus is Lord. Every moment I live and breathe is a testimony to how God can raise one considered dead back to life. Since this time I have been married, had three beautiful children and seen many how God adopted many others into the household of faith. I have been pastor in hospitals and small churches and live to share my testimony with whoever will hear it.

Philippians 2:10-11 “Therefore God exalted him(Jesus) to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."(ASV)

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