Sept 8th, 2018

“… If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

     Early in August we took a trip to the Shenandoah Valley and to Luray Virginia. We had been in the Linville Caverns but I had heard that the one at Luray was much bigger. So we decided to take our vacation there.  The Cavern certainly did not disappoint. It was awe inspiring and beautiful. On the second day that we were there, I saw the cleaning lady headed toward our hotel room. I stepped outside and told her that all we needed was three clean bath rags. She looked at me with a puzzled look on her face, paused for a moment and handed me three hand towels. I said, “I am sorry, I should have said bath cloths”. Bath rags is a term that we still use but it came from a day when people cut up their old cloth, fabric or feed bags to make a rag to bathe with.  Today we are a little more sophisticated and we buy readymade cloths. But again, she had a look on her face as if I were speaking a foreign language. So I took matters into my own hands and reached on the cart and picked up three bath cloths. Her face lit up and she replied, “OH, you mean wash cloths.”  I guess I was then the one with the puzzled look on my face, but I thanked her and went back to my room.  Later that afternoon our son, which is in the United States Army and is stationed in Germany called and I told him the story.  He told me that he has met people from all around America and the world during his service and most folks call them wash cloths.  I guess ultimately it doesn’t matter what you call them, as long as you use one to bathe.

     But it does matter what we call Jesus. In my talking with people I often hear people refer to Him as “The Man Upstairs” or “The Big Guy”. I have heard people of different religions call Jesus “A good man” or “a prophet”. I see well-meaning people with bumper stickers that read, “Jesus is my co-pilot”. I have seen a t-shirt that reads, “Jesus is my homeboy”.

     The Bible is crystal clear; there is one thing that Jesus must be called and that is, “Lord”. The Apostle Paul puts it as plainly as it can be put, Jesus must be called Lord. It doesn’t matter if you call Him “Friend” if you don’t call Him “Lord”.  “Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28.  Even good old Doubting Thomas realized the need to call Jesus “Lord”. Beloved ultimately nothing that you do in this life matters unless you profess Jesus to be your personal Lord and Savior. Scripture tells us that unless Jesus is Lord of our life, we do not have an eternal hope.  If you have never asked Jesus to come into your heart and proclaimed Him with your mouth as Lord and Savior, please do so today.