Today's Passage - Luke 23:13-25

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Luke 23:13-25   With one voice they cried out, 'Away with this man!  Release Barabbas to us!'  (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)  Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.  But they kept shouting, 'Crucify him! Crucify him!'  For the third time he spoke to them: 'Why? What crime has this man committed?  I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty.  Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.'  But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.  So Pilate decided to grant their demand.  He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.   Pilate didn't want to cause any trouble.  When Jesus was brought before Pilate, he could find any sin committed by Jesus, so three times Pilate told the crowd: "I find no basis for a charge against this man."  In the meantime, the priest lured the crowd to ask Pilate to release Barnabas, but to put Jesus to death on the cross.  Pilate knew that they brought Jesus to him because of jealousy, but he also knew that he didn't want to upset this crowd.  Between the rock and a hard place, Pilate chose to listen to the voice of the crowd.   Today, we live in a time of confusing truth.  What is the truth?  Whoever has the loudest voice holds the truth, whoever has the strongest opinion holds the truth, and sometimes even who ever throws the hardest punch holds the truth.  We are often impacted by the trend of the world, and we're afraid to take on the way of the truth.  In this time of wickedness and disobedience, would you courageously stand up for the Lord and for the righteousness and fairness of God's Kingdom?  Would you courageously testify for your faith?  I've heard a preacher said with a heavy heart that in today's world, God's Kingdom doesn't need more master and PhDs, but more martyrs and warriors, those who can sacrifice themselves for God's Kingdom.  Brothers and sisters, are you willing to be such a person for the Lord?    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, please give us a courageous heart, so that we may testify in glory for your truth in this wicked and disobedient age.  May your light of truth shine into this time of darkness, and let the world completely turn back to you.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!