Minstrels in the Gallery – Stranger on the Shore

Greetings Dear Reader,

I can often hear in my head the voice of S.M. Lockridge asking the question “Jesus is my King. I wonder; do you know him?”  This is from the amazing sermon from so many years ago that I had the privilege to hear.  It is worth the time to listen to it.

I am always amazed at the number of people to whom Jesus is a stranger.  Whether by never knowing him or by knowing him and walking away it astounds me how little understanding there is about the nature and character of Jesus.  People reject and malign him without really knowing who he is.

They do this primarily because of the poor example his followers set.  I suppose I should not be surprised at this, however, because his closest followers forgot who he was and walked away from what he wanted for them.  They went back to fishing.  Jesus intervened directly.  He had to ask them if they still loved him. 

Every time I move away from what I am called to be as a Christ follower I do the same thing.  It must not allow circumstances to deter me from the path.  I cannot afford a moment of the life I left behind.  I must never get to the place where Jesus standing before me is a stranger.

Stranger on the Shore – Michael Card

In the early morning mist they saw a Stranger on the sea shore

He somehow seemed familiar asking what the night had brought

With taught anticipation then they listen to His order

And pulling in the net found more than they had ever caught

The one He loved first recognized the stranger there was Jesus

And he alone remembered this had happened once before

The one who had denied Him who had once walked on the water

Jumped in and swam to Him to be confronted on the shore

You need to be confronted

By the Stranger on the shore

You need to have Him search your soul

You need to hear the call

You need to learn exactly

What it means for you to follow

You need to realize that He's asking for your all

The meal He had prepared for them was waiting on the fire

The smell of bread the sizzle of the fish upon the coals

The laughter and the joy that once more being all together

They didn't realize that He was searching all their souls

Then came the painful questions that would pierce the soul of Simon

A threefold chance to reaffirm the love he had denied

The gentle eyes that saw his heart and waited for an answer had seen the look upon his face the moment he had lied

You need to be confronted

By the Stranger on the shore

You need to have Him search your soul

You need to hear the call

You need to learn exactly

What it means for you to follow

You need to realize that He's asking for your all

Now realize that you must face and answer all His questions

As you stand before the Stranger on the shore inside your heart

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."