Job Requirements

TITLE: Job Requirements
DATE: June 19, 2019
TEXT:  1 Corinthians 15:21–22 – ESV - 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
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Do you remember the old song about going out to the ball game? How did it go…”One…two… three strikes you’re out at the old ball game.” That sentiment about having numerous strikes is pretty American and can be applied to many different aspects of our lives.

• Most employers allow a learning curve for their new employees. Very seldom do they expect a new hire to know everything about the job on their first day.
• The entire school learning process is designed to get you from ignorance to knowledge. To do that error and mistakes are anticipated and used to produce the desired result.

But it is not that way all over the world, It is certainly not that way in the upper echelons of North Korea’s government. Let me explain.

Most of you can remember back to February of this year when the US and North Korea came together for a summit meeting. The hype and hope advertised before those meetings was not realized in  the final outcome. 

The discussions broke down and all the hoopla ended with leaders and nations pointing their fingers, and the blame at each other. Those who were of a positive philosophical bent began to dream of what they might do to make thing better next time.

For them the failed summer was only “strike one.”

But, as I said, things weren’t that way in North Korea. A South Korean newspaper reports:

1. The Senior Negotiator was sent to a labor camp for “ideological education.”
2. The head translator who made a mistake translating for Kim is also being reeducated..
3. orea’s Special Envoy to the U.S. was charged with being a spy and was shot.
4. Four other Foreign Ministry officials joined him at the wall of execution

One strike and you are out. Being executed because you messed up once on your job. That’s pretty harsh, don’t you think?
Of course it’s not near as bad as being executed because it is part of your job, is it?
Nobody would ever apply for a job which demanded that you forfeit your life if you wish to be successful. Of course that is exactly what our Lord and Savior Jesus did. Humankind had rebelled and the original relationship between the Father and His children had been shattered.

If hope and salvation was to be restored it would be necessary for the Christ to take our place under the Law.

1. This meant He would have to keep God’s Commandments 24/7 for His entire life.
2. It meant He would have to resist the temptations of Satan.
3. It meant that He would carry our sins to the cross where He would be murdered in an especially painful way.

There you see it Dying was necessary for Jesus to succeed. It was a job He did well; and because He died we will live.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, You died so I might live. Accept my heartfelt thanks for Your great sacrifice. :In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this site: https://www.newser.com/story/275894/report-north-korea-executed-envoy-after-failed-summit.html?
utm_source=8at8&utm_medium=email&utm_content=1636949006617206506&utm_campaign=20190531 and the article written by  Rob Quinn for Newser,:

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html