Lament Or Laughter

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Scripture

But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.

 ~Luke 19:41, NLT

Quote

The saddest laughter could be the laughter of those who do not realize they are on the brink of destruction.

~Ya’akov

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Yesterday, while reading James chapter 4, verses 8–9 arrested my attention.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

Those verses contain the seed of REVIVAL. Before anyone misunderstands me, let me make something perfectly clear. I love laughter. It is one of God’s wonderful gifts. Personally, I would not want to attend a church where no one ever laughed. Years ago, June loved listening to Dr. Ben Haden, the Presbyterian preacher whose television ministry reached thousands. Just for her, I agreed to take a Sunday off and visit his church in Chattanooga. You couldn’t simply walk in and choose a seat. Ushers escorted everyone to their places. We were seated about eight rows from the front in a packed sanctuary. I couldn’t wait to hear Dr. Haden preach. Early in his message he said something I thought was genuinely funny, so I laughed. Guess what? I was the only one who laughed.

June quickly nudged me in the ribs, and the usher at the end of the pew gave me a look that clearly communicated, “That wasn’t appropriate.” I didn’t laugh anymore that morning, nor did I have any desire to return. There is a time to laugh and there is a time to weep.

I think Jesus understood this better than anyone. Although we have no record of Jesus laughing; I do believe that He laughed on occasions, but we do have more than one story of Him weeping. As He approached Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday, the people were in a celebrative mood due to Passover. The crowds saw a King coming who would liberate them from Rome. Jesus saw a siege coming with all its horror. He saw the starvation, cannablism, suffering and total destruction of the Temple and the city.

Within forty years the Roman army would surround Jerusalem, and the horrors that followed would become some of the darkest pages in Jewish history. No wonder Jesus wept. Adrian Rogers once made this sobering observation:

“We are teaching people to laugh at homosexuality; we are teaching people to laugh at adultery; we are teaching people to laugh at drunkenness; we are teaching people to laugh at fornication… Our children are laughing their way to hell.”

His point was not that laughter is sinful. His point was that we have begun to laugh at sin. We joke about the very things that break the heart of God. We entertain ourselves with what Scripture condemns. In many circles today, the only remaining sin is calling sin a sin.

That brings me back to James.

“Wash your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts… Grieve, mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning…”

James is not condemning wholesome laughter. He is calling God’s people to take sin seriously. The language reminds me of the Old Testament tabernacle. No worshiper could bypass the altar where atonement was made. No priest could bypass the laver where cleansing took place. Before there was worship, there had to be sacrifice. Before there was fellowship, there had to be cleansing.

Perhaps we are making the same mistake Jerusalem made. We have grown comfortable with the very things that should drive us to our knees. We want worship without the washing. We want joy without repentance. We want revival without tears.

David wrote,

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”(Psalm 51:17)

James would surely say, “Amen.”

Maybe it is time for God’s people to draw near again. Maybe it is time to wash our hands. Maybe it is time to purify our hearts. And maybe…it is time to soak the altar with tears.

I had hope for breakfast. I hope to get our pumpkin patch replanted. I hope to finish the cabinet in the bath room. Good service at the POINT last night and we came home to another crowd. Holly and Jeremy were hosting a youth party. Just guessing I would say they had about 50. KFC again this Friday but there will be plenty and you can get more than one piece.

  • Friday at 11:30–49er Feast
  • August 2—Communion
  • August 9—Hawaiian Shirt day
  • August 16th—Deacon Election
  • September 6—Outdoor Church, LABOR DAY weekend {8:00 am}
  • September 13—Wycliff Offering
  • September 16—Hamburger/Hotdog supper {Pavilion}
  • October 26—Morgan Baptist Associational meeting at the POINT and we are serving lunch {Terri is our hostess}
  • October 28—Jambalaya

I don’t think many pastors read the blog but here is the PASTOR APPRECIATION schedule for OCTOBER

  • Monday, October 5…Keith and Judy Blackwood
  • Monday, October 12…New Center Baptist Church
  • Monday, October 19…East Highland Baptist Church
  • Monday, October 26…Grace Point Baptist Church
  • Christmas Breakfast, December 7…{Cracker Barrel} Danville Baptist Church

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