Letter To Our Children

Hello Friends!

Peter Bartholomew was a world-class liar. The year was 1098. Upon hearing the Crusaders, who had gone to Jerusalem to try to take back the city from the Turks, were surrounded and starving; on June 14th Peter told a huge lie.

While asleep, He said the apostle Andrew had appeared to him in a vision and told him that the spear that pierced the side of Christ (John 19:34) had been buried behind the altar of the Church of Saint Peter in Antioch. He also said St. Andrew said if the Crusaders would raise the buried spear against their foes, the Turks, they would defeat them and win back the city. The people became excited.

Immediately they began to dig behind the altar as directed by Peter Bartholomew. For almost the whole day, they found no spear. Peter jumped into the digging site asking the crowds to pray the spear would be found. While their eyes were closed, Peter slipped an old spear he had hidden under his jacket into the dirt and began to dig himself. A moment later, Peter pulled the spear out and, holding it up high, shouted, see what heaven promised, the earth preserved, the apostle promised, and the prayers of a contrite people obtained.

A chaplain, who had been watching everything unfold, was amazed. He kissed Peter's hand, which held the spear. Hope and excitement filled the Crusaders as they paraded through the city, singing, and praising God for giving them the spear. But, of course, it was all a lie.

As a result, Peter was dressed in gold and fine clothes and given many expensive gifts. The Crusaders, two weeks later, energized by the lie and promised victory from the apostle Andrew, carried the 'holy' spear, and attacked the Turkish army, and were victorious.

Because Peter lied, many people would die in war, God's name was misused, and a vision had more authority than the Bible for a people who understood themselves to be Christian.

But there is more, religious leaders promised that if a person fought and died in the Crusades  their sins would be forgiven, and purgatory avoided. Purgatory is the false teaching that said, at death, a person's soul first went to a holding place, to be punished for their sins, instead of straight to heaven.

At this time, religious hysteria became the norm, so much so that about 200 years later, children would go to war to fight to win a city—Jerusalem.

A little lie can travel halfway around the world,

while the truth is still lacing up her boots.

Mark Twain

Nothing good can come from a lie. If the data on lying is true, 91 percent of people in America tell lies regularly. One in five are unable to make it through the day without lying.

If we are honest, we would admit we can lie. We lie about things we have done when we are angry, feel bad about ourselves, cover up our mistakes, want something we probably shouldn't have, impress others; when we are afraid, etc.

Jesus Christ is the only person who has lived and never told a lie. His gracious Gospel says all our lies were laid on Him who perfectly obeyed the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

When He died on the cross, all His perfection, His perfect law-keeping, was given to us. We gave Him our sin; He gave us His righteousness. He who never lied hung on the cross as a liar- for us. What a Savior! What a mercy! What good news! This is not a lie.

God bless you this week in all things great and small.

Pastor Joe