Two journalists, one man

So there was no power for a couple of days this week, but I saw this story on TV elsewhere during that time and I come back to it now that we're plugged in again.

As I'm sure most of you saw, two American journalists were released after being held prisoner by North Korea for several months. But here's the part of the story that I grabbed onto. Listen to the words of Laura Ling as she describes the release.

"We feared that at any moment we could be prisoners in a hard labor camp. Then suddenly we were told that we were going to a meeting. When we walked through the doors, we saw standing before us President Bill Clinton. We were shocked, but we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end. And now we stand here home and free."

Think of that. One minute, you're fearing the very worst and in the twinkling of an eye, you see one man that guarantees freedom.

That's the very promise of what will happen to us if we believe in Christ. When our time on earth is through, and we head to that meeting realizing that we deserve the worst punishment for our sin, we will see Jesus standing there as a guarantee of our freedom.

And we need not wait until that moment to make the most of this assurance. Not so coincidentally, the text for this Sunday's sermon fits most perfectly.

Hebrews 10:19-24: Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Take that confidence, that assurance, that unswerving hope of ultimate freedom and make a difference here and now that will last forever.