Coming Out of the World: Following the Lion of Judah

By Jose M. Palacio III

Coming Out of the World: Following the Lion of Judah is author Jose M. Palacio III’s heartfelt testimony of his faith and the divinely inspired vision of God’s infinite character, wisdom, and love for his followers. A veteran with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), he knows the difficulties God’s faithful can encounter. He discusses many of the struggles and obstacles Christian believers may face on a daily basis, including pride, sin, guilt, and other forms of immorality. Palacio also focuses on the godly ideas and tools we need to overcome these obstacles—faith, salvation, trust, and perseverance. Some chapters focus on biblical themes or ideas, while others focus on more practical topics.

Coming Out of the World: Following the Lion of Judah provides readers with an inspiring and encouraging way to better understand their faith and their walk with the Lord. Even though the struggle may seem intense and almost unbearable at times, believers will be reassured they are not alone

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Sep 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781483438146

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Chapter 1

The Blind Leading the Blind

Let them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.

—Matthew 15:14

F irst and foremost, I would like to extend an open invitation to the reader to speak with our Lord and Savior Jesus. I pray that He guides you toward love, truth, and faithfulness. Our Lord is a merciful and loving Father who is slow to punish and quick to forgive if His children ask for forgiveness. One-on-one conversations with God are the pathway to building a solid relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ—our Messiah. No person needs to go to another person on earth to reach the Father, who is in heaven, because the Father has provided a direct line of communication through Jesus so that we may communicate with the one who sits on the throne whenever, wherever, and however we please.

Our Lord is an almighty and powerful God who created everything there is and ever was. He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. He is everywhere and has unlimited power. Yes, the Lord knows all, sees all, and can do all that He sets His character to do. When you think you are alone, He is with you. When you are in great despair, He is with you. When you are engaging in sin, He is with you. Now imagine, if you will, an all-powerful being that is always with you. He has loved you since the beginning of time. He has known you since before you were born. He knew whether you would choose to love Him or reject Him even before you were a twinkle in your father’s eye. Our Father, even though He is rejected by most, allows life to stay in your flesh because He so loves you and wants you to come to the home that He has prepared for you.

So why is it that millions reject the love of God? Why do so many choose to follow the course of flesh? The flesh grows old and will die someday. However, the spirit is forever young. The gift of the spirit is a free gift from the Father, who has created you so that you may have eternal life and dwell with Him forever.

I would like to start our fellowship with a parable about two great lions. Long ago, there was once a young lion who roamed the earth, desiring to start a kingdom. This lion was beautiful and majestic. His nails were as sharp as daggers, his teeth were as long as swords, his mane was as smooth as silk, and each of his paws were as big as a hump on a camel’s back. The lion was smart and cunning. Wherever he went, all the other animals followed him and wished to know his secrets and follow his ways.

Over the course of time, the young lion became so popular that every living creature was infatuated with his beauty and his ways. Because of this, they made him king over the land. The lion was so smart that he was able to communicate with each of the animals in their own language. He spoke in squeaks to the mice, in barks to the dog, in neighs to the horse, and in chirps to the bird. All the animals adored him.

Every day the animals noticed that during the night some of their young had disappeared, never to be seen again. Mothers would lose sons, and fathers would lose daughters. Rumors spread throughout the kingdom that the king was eating the youth. Every day for a time, the animals would come to the king and ask, Sire, have you eaten my child?

Out of great wisdom, the lion’s response always came in the form of a question meant to send the animals into confusion and doubt. His response was always, Have you ever seen the flesh of an animal touch my lips? Surely these sharp teeth are only meant to protect you and keep you safe so that you may do as you please in my kingdom. Because of the lion’s wise response, and since no one had ever witnessed him eating, the animals believed him and continued living their lives in his kingdom. Day after day the animals lived under the rule of the mighty lion, and they all grew in number. The land became full of animals that numbered as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. Although thousands were lost daily, the animals grew accustomed to the disappearances and continued to grow in number while living as they pleased in the lion’s great kingdom.

One day a second lion roamed into the land. This one was also able to speak with all the animals. This lion was bigger and smarter than the first lion, but his coat was dull and without shine. His teeth and claws were longer and sharper than the first lion’s, but he never displayed them. Many of the animals witnessed the second lion eating straw with the sheep and grass with the cows. This made them afraid because never before had the animals witnessed a lion eating at all.

The animals went to the king of the land and exclaimed, There is a lion in the land who is bigger and stronger than you and who has come to challenge you! We have witnessed him doing unheard-of things. This must be the lion who has been eating our young!

These words scared the lion king to the very depths of his soul. Because the second lion was more powerful than he, the king agreed with the animals. The wise king replied, You are correct! This new lion has been eating your youth and is the reason that death is in our land. Surely, if you help me slay him, we will be free of death and you can dwell with me forever. Together with their king, the animals marched against the second lion and slew him. For days they laughed with their king and held great celebrations with him while the body of the lion who had come into their land lay beaten and bloody on the ground.

The king exclaimed, There are none in the land who can challenge me, because you are my brethren and together no one can stand against us! And so the king lived among the animals, still secretly devouring some of them whole in the midst of the night while they lay asleep in his land.

How long will we lie asleep while the prince of the land devours us? We have killed our Savior who once came to live among us. We have killed the one who ate with us, and not in secret. If only we could witness the prince of this world devouring us while we lie asleep, then we could be wakened and pray that the Lion of Judah, who is Jesus, return from the heavens to defeat once and for all the prince who betrays us.

A lion’s family is called his pride. We are so blinded by our own pride that we fail to recognize the one who eats us. When Jesus came to us, He performed many unheard-of miracles, and although He was more powerful than each of us, in His humbleness he allowed us to kill Him so that He could suffer death for us. However, His death was not everlasting; very soon He will return from the heavens. When He returns, He will gather His pride, who are the humble and the meek of His people who love Him, and will deliver them to a new home out of this world, where He will love them forever and ever.

So many times in today’s world we are led astray by what is culturally acceptable to humankind. Humanity has told us divorce is normal. Humanity has told us money is the key to happiness. Humanity has told us through psychologists and various experts in the medical field that masturbation is healthy. Masturbation in turn has created a billion-dollar pornographic industry that convinces people that sexual promiscuity, immorality, perversion, lust, and abuse of women are things that are acceptable. We abuse ourselves—the temples that God has entrusted us to take care of. We pollute our bodies with the lusts of the flesh. We kiss our mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters; then, when behind closed doors, we find great pleasure in the disgrace of other people’s mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters. We have been fooled to believe that our acts are normal. In addition, we are willing to do nearly anything for self-pleasure, personal gain, and comfort.

As a soldier, I know what it means to have pride. I was a testament of a man who quickly advanced through the ranks. Over time, I allowed my career and education to take up most of the time in my week. After work, I would go straight into school and research ideas for a new training lesson or exercise that I could teach my subordinates. I claimed to be a Christian, but I would only consider God whenever someone sneezed and before I ate meals. I allowed the prince of the land to blind me while I lived life as I pleased. I lost sight of the reality of God’s love.

I bore witness to a certain lifestyle. Many of the sharp-dressed leaders I admired stressed with their lips the importance of maintaining high standards, but their actions, when they were in the dark, were full of evil. By night, many of these very leaders whom I admired indulged their addiction to pornography, engaged in lustful adultery, attended drunken parties and get-togethers, and were involved in many other secret, immoral relationships and acts.

It is extremely hard to recognize hypocrisy in oneself. It is even more difficult to change your own character, the thing that makes you who you are. In fact, very truly I say to you, Jesus is the only way to the truth. Jesus is the only name that will allow you to see when you are blinded by the luxuries of the world.

My intent for illustrating the military service is not to bash