I Saw Jesus Smoking A Cigarette

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40 NIV).

Each week I join in with a handful of men from around the country for a one-hour meeting on Zoom. I really look forward to these meetings and enjoy the conversation. I have learned a lot about these men, life, love, family, and God. I think it is so imperative to surround yourself with Godly people to help position yourself to hear from God. I am convinced that God uses each of us to speak His words to each other.

The host of the meeting is a long-time dear friend of mine that lives in St. Francisville, La. In the Wesleyan style of a good Methodist, he asks each participant two questions. First, “how is it with your soul?” Second, “When were you closest to Christ this past week?” These are two fundamental questions from the The Class Meeting. Historically, Class Meetings “made sure that every Methodist was connected to other Methodists, so no one was left out, ignored, or overlooked,” notes the Rev. Kevin Watson, a United Methodist elder and Assistant Professor of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies at Candler School of Theology. “They relentlessly focused every Methodist on the current state of their relationship with God. And they connected people to others who were at different stages of the Christian life.”

Last week when the host asked me the two questions, I struggled to formulate a coherent answer. I did not want to lie and tell him everything was great, but like most men I did not want to burden the group with my struggles. He gently asked a few more questions, and I told the truth that I was frustrated with several things and the pace at which some things were moving. I am not a big fan of procrastination or going slow.

The wives of one of the men was listening in to the Zoom meeting. She contacted me later and said she wanted to help. Naturally, my inclination was to thank her and politely decline. This is known as pride. As she asked a second time, I responded with humility and agreed. She asked for my grocery list, and I sent it to her. The next day the doorbell rang. I had forgotten about my friend’s wife and assumed it was a delivery person. I went to the door and there she stood with my groceries and a smile.

I was overwhelmed with her kindness and offered to pay. She refused payment so I tried again, and she declined again. I thanked her, prayed for her, and sent her a hand-written thank you note. I was depressed and in mourning, but her presence brought comfort. Isn’t this what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount when He said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

Like many of you I have seen hundreds of paintings of Jesus over my life. Some are Him with children, praying, preaching, or walking the road to Emmaus. That day I saw Jesus on my front porch with a smile and some groceries. I realize it might sound strange, but Jesus was smoking a cigarette. Her name is Lynda Jenkins, and she is the wife of my friend Ed. They live in St. Francisville, La.

Prayer: Dear God, Help us to understand the blessing of giving and receiving to those in need. Amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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When You Walk Through The Fire, You Will Not Be Burned

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2 NIV).

Please closely read the Scripture at the top of this blog. Hopefully, everything is going great for you in your life right now. However, if you are not in a period of adversity now, you will be sometime in the future. More about that later.

As I think about Isaiah 43:2, my mind thinks of situations in which God has delivered His people from water and fire. I can remember as a child in Sunday School listening to the story of the parting the Red Sea as Moses lead his people out of Egypt. Exodus 15:4 states: “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea.”

The reference to fire in Isaiah 43:2 may be particularly relevant to many people today. We don’t often have a 100-year rain event, but it sure does seem that we often have some sort of “fire.” There is an old expression, “The heat is on” when the pressure gets high.

Daniel 3 describes the story of three friends of Daniel that were literally subjected to heat and fire. Daniel’s friends would not bow in worship to a statue of King Nebuchadnezzar. So, the king had them tossed into a fire and had the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual.

The LORD was with Daniel’s friends, and they were not harmed. They actually lived out the last sentence of Isaiah 43:2. “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2).

How did this happen? The furnace was seven times hotter than usual. The men should have been instantly consumed by fire. The answer is in Daniel 3:24-25: “Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, Your Majesty.’ He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Jesus was with them in their actual fire. He was the fourth man. Jesus is also with us in our “fires” when the “heat is on.” How do we know that Jesus also be with us in our “fires”? We can take comfort that He will be with us because He tells us, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Now go back to the top and read Isaiah 43:2 again. Notice that it does not say if you pass through the waters or if you walk through the fire. It states when you walk through them. Scripture is promising that it will happen, but when it does God is also promising that He will be there with us and we will survive.

One more promise – the fire, water, or other problem will ultimately result in good. God promises that in Romans 8:28. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Prayer: Dear God: Thank you for never leaving or forsaking us. Please draw us close to You in both good times and bad. Amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist under the direction of the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is currently in training to become a Lay Minister under the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He enjoys writing inspirational Christian blogs at ToddShupe.com and Todd-Shupe.com .

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Tag: jesus christ