Yesterday, on the way home from jail, I was still in a state of Jesus-joy, Jesus-high, from sacrificing self to nothing, in order to serve the inmates in the jail all afternoon. I always travel home right through parts of downtown, such as on Vine St. Some men in a very nice car were throwing garbage out of their car for a few miles while I happened to be behind them. I happened to then pull up next to them at a stop light. Filled with a Jesus high, due to just coming off the jail floor of four hours of ministry with the inmates, I found myself saying to them kindly, right next to them as we stopped at a light (it was a car full of young men, six of them),
“Brothers, why are you throwing garbage all over,” I said. The LORD had me say it lovingly, full of Him, due to the Jesus high I was on from coming off the jail ministry floor. Seemingly ready to turn this into an unfriendly interaction, the man in the passenger’s seat said,
“Why don’t you go and pick it up for us.” I responded,
“Brother I would, but I am in a hurry to get home to my family.” The LORD had me full of such love! It was a statement of service! The LORD, in this situation, put me in more service, like in the jail, but right there at a red-light at Lovell and Stadium. It was awesome! I think they could feel it, feel GOD shining through the situation! They stared at me, the conversation was a mix of pure lovingness, and also violent tension.
But then, after a pause, the driver said, quickly,
“We will go around and pick it up.” I was quite shocked. It felt like there could be a negative reaction after I spoke to these fellas, but then the driver suddenly said that. I wonder what his friends thought. Right then then light turned green, and we were all off going in different directions, and I am sure I will not see them again in this life. It was a really powerful moment. When you are with somebody and they lower themselves to bring unity and peace, you can really feel GOD’s love all around (see Ps. 119:64).
There is a high that GOD brings. It is His joy; His elation. In this high, death, body-pain, and fear, all do not make sense any more, and are transformed into shocking joy in Christ. His love overtakes everything. Think of Stephen, at the end of Acts 7, as he’s being murdered by stoning:
Acts 7:59-60 Authorized (King James) Version
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
It is often when you take the plunge, suddenly, deep into self-sacrifice, for another who is not worthy, just as you are not worthy, we can then deeply feel GOD. What man meant for evil, GOD meant for good–you have to meditate on that verse, which is Genesis 50:20. If you take that verse for simply what it says, it leads directly into the presence of GOD. It leads to a beauty, an elation, that the world (the culture) does not know about.
I don’t think anybody can know these deepest feelings in Christ without prayerfully making themselves nothing and imagining themselves lower than others (see Phil 2:3-4), and wanting to serve those who do not deserve it (which is, ultimately, all of us). I think this is where that Jesus high is revealed in our souls.
Jail Theology. June 1, 2023
