What's my crime

I remember the line from a great movie in the Count of Monte Cristo.

There were so many in what my wife would call one of her favorite movies.

An innocent man was sent to the worst of the worse jails.

Edmond claimed innocence, but received an awful prison sentence.

They would drop food off at his cell and he would try to talk to anyone and ask this line, “What’s my crime?
He was alone without an idea of what he was doing there.

Ever feel like you were being punished and didn’t know why?

Maybe you were accused of doing something even without any proof, they figured you were in the wrong?

Edmond didn’t do anything wrong and was jailed, so was Paul.

Enough people conjured up lies and as a result Paul was in jail.

Yet the judges who were seeing this man that the people asked for death and couldn’t prove anything wrong.

Finally year after year, trial after trial, Paul appealed to Caesar.

Yet before going there, Festus wanted King Agrippa to hear this man so he could send Rome a report.

Acts 25:27…

“For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”

They had a good sense about knowing who they were sending in this report.

Such is life that we don’t always know the reason.

While Paul was on trial for a very long time, they at least wanted to send him a report of what they found.

Often that is not the case.

We are often accused and have to deal with that.

Edmond had faith in God but it was a struggle after a while.

He was hung up and told you might be thinking ‘Why me, oh God’ and kept on with God has nothing to do with this.

Edmond responded it was all about God and he was everywhere.

The guy responded I am going to whip you and will stop the moment he shows.

Edmond was beat for a long time.

He ended up losing his faith after a while.

Yet a cell mate told him, God said vengeance is mine.

He responded I don’t believe in God.

He told him, “It doesn’t matter, He believes in you.”

No matter what you are going through or how you have been accused or feel you are under the gun God believes in you.

Even in the worst of times, Paul believed in God and didn’t hesitate.

No matter what you are going through, trust in God.

He can understand what you are going through and is there for you to call out too.

Jesus loves you.

God believes in you even if you don’t believe in him yet.

Have a great day.

You think you’re right but you have been wrong plenty of times

Politics and I do not go in the same sentence.

It gives me a migraine looking at Facebook and everyone throwing your two cents into the political conversation.  Neither candidate is a saint nor are they the devil in human skin.  Yet I have seen everything in-between on Facebook and Twitter from both sides of the situation. When we think we have all the answers we can have none of the answers.

I pray Christians care more about keeping people from hell then this election.  We as humans do not have all the answers, nor will we ever.  Sometimes we can get stuck in-between a rock and a hard place.  Yet it’s still not as bad as Paul had it.

He was standing up for what he believed in and that was Jesus.  He believed in a resurrected Christ and lived his life for him.  You don’t read in the Bible about Christians voting in an election but you hear how they are put on trial for that faith.  Paul was on trial for a great chunk of time.

He was sent to Festus with his accusers.  His accusers were lying about him and saying he did stuff that wasn’t true.  Yet he faced politics.  Festus felt he owed the Jews a favor and tried to move the trial to Jerusalem. This could have been a death sentence to Paul.

Paul answered with this in Acts 25:10-11…

“I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried.  I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die.  But if the Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

As a Roman citizen he had the right to appeal to Caesar with his case.  He knew the bad things that could happen in Jerusalem and went the other way.  Sometimes you have to fight for what you believe in.  Paul believed in Jesus and was willing to stand trial for him.

Would you be willing to do the same for your faith?  Faith goes beyond who you vote for, it’s so much more.  If you are a Christian please think about someone who might be going to hell and try to show them the eternal life that Jesus offers. 

Have a great day.