Graveyards of Hope
Graveyards are not usually associated with expressions of joy and happiness. If you are depressed and feeling awful, you don’t go to a graveyard to find relief. Graveyards are for dead people and, as we all know, dead people do not move or speak. If they did, most of us would be scared. Yet, if the Christian faith is about anything, it is about the good news of hope that comes out of a graveyard.
In Mark 5 we encounter a wild man who came running out from the graveyard. The Scripture says he lived among the tombs. No one could bind him, not even with chains. Night and day, he would cry out and cut himself with stones. Nobody could control him. Nobody except Jesus.
Jesus was not impressed by this mad man’s behavior. Jesus got straight to the point. He looked the man in his eyes and said: “Come out of this man, you evil spirit.” And the evil spirits inside this man began to plead for mercy in the presence of Jesus.
The first point I want to make is that this world is a graveyard of sin and vice. But Jesus still rescues people from the graveyard of sinfulness and selfishness. From the tombs of immoral behavior and sophisticated treachery He continues to rescue the perishing. In the sinful graveyard of this world are found dead people’s bones: bones of hatred, bones of destructive criticism, bones of malice, lies, gossip, and backbiting.
Everyday we wake up in the graveyard of this sinful decaying world, crying out and cutting ourselves with the stones of depression and distress, self-pity, poor self-worth, and stones of inferiority and insecurity. But, when we fall at the feet of Jesus like this man in our story, Jesus will cast these things out of us.
Secondly, remember, it was in the presence of Jesus that the power of the evil spirits were broken for this man. The chains which shackled his life were totally broken and the power of the Holy Spirit came over him and transformed his life. I believe our part is simply to bring people into the presence of Jesus and let His power do the rest. The new Atlantic Union Adventist Media (AUAM) production truck, recently inaugurated, will facilitate the introduction of many a needy person to Jesus Christ. This venture is a new partnership between the Atlantic Union and Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN).
What does this partnership propose to do through the AUAM production truck? With this new state-of- the-art truck, we will be able to videotape, edit, and produce programs for broadcast on 3ABN satellite and cable television in New York City.
For more than 20 years, 3ABN has been telecasting the Word of God in various formats for people to make a choice regarding their eternal destiny. It is our privilege to partner with 3ABN to help make that happen in metro New York City with over 20 million people waiting to hear the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please.”
Of course, there was another graveyard, where another rescue was made. But this time, it wasn’t about a mad man being rescued, but about a risen Savior who rescued us. Because He lives, we live also. Because He is free, I am free. Because He is loosed, you are loosed. Because He has power, we have power to help get others ready to populate His kingdom.
I appeal to you today, let Jesus be risen in your life. Let Him uphold you with His righteousness. He is the only one who can bring hope even from a graveyard.
Donald
G. King is president of the Atlantic Union
Conference and chairman of the Atlantic
Union College Board of Trustees.
Atlantic Union GLEANER
August 2005
