Where Are You Looking?

In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered his words.

Luke 24:5-8 NIV

Some people are near sighted, some people are far sighted. I don't know what to call it, but I have this tendency to step over or right past what am I am looking for, go all around the house or job and come back and find whatever I am looking for pretty much right where I started. 

Spiritually, I have the same tendency to do what what the women did her in Luke. They just thought Christ was dead. I can't fault them. They saw him die, they saw him dead. They saw him buried. They went to the tomb. That's what I do. I go to the deadness of my self. Christ is not in the tomb. He's not on the cross. 

Christ is at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf (Romans 8:34, and pretty much all of Hebrews) and he is within us (I Corinthians 6:19). 

Frankly, I have no idea where God is working in your life. I just know he promised to never leave us or forsake us, so he is working. I have seen his answer come in different places than I was looking many times. 

Where are you looking?

What Do You Have In Common With Barabbas?

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.

Luke 23:23-25 NIV

What did Barabbas do to deserve to be set free? Nothing. He didn't deserve to be freed. He deserved to be crucified. 

What did you or I do to deserve salvation? That's right, nothing. 

I wonder what happened to Barabbas? What did he do with the freedom he was giving by Christ's death on the cross? How did he respond? Aren't those the same questions we must ask ourselves?

What are we doing with the freedom we are given by Christ's death on the cross? How are we responding to the grace we have been given in Christ? 

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for taking my place upon the cross and dying for my sins. Help me to live in your grace and may the love live through me. Praise be to you in us today!

Value RIght

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

Luke 16:14-15 NIV

I guess the question is: Do I value what God values?

You Are Always With Me

   The older son became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him...

  "My son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours." 
Luke 15:28, 31

God, always makes the first move. His Spirit is the One who works within us to desire to even think about God. If you are seeking God in any way (even reading this blog), that was not your innate spirituality causing you to do that, no, it's the Spirit of the Living God drawing you to Himself. Every thought of God is proof of the Spirit of God within you. God goes out to you. 

It's easy to forget that God is with us. It shouldn't be, but it can be. Yet, the truth is that God will never leave us or forsake us and even if we are unfaithful, he remains faithful. Notice that in the parable it says, "you are always with me." It does not say, "I am always with you." Jesus is placing the focus on the son knowing where he was. Where are you with God? If you are a Christian the answer is that you are always with God. 

Here's the Keys

But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12:31-32 NIV

When I was in my teens I had a bit of a dare-devil, Evel Kneivel, in me. So, by the time I was old enough to drive my dad (wisely) told me if I wanted to drive I could, I'd just have to pay for the car and insurance myself. Because I really was into sports I didn't have the time to work enough to pay for a car and insurance. 

Eventually, I got my drivers license but not a car. I actually was just graduated from high school and no longer living at home. I was working for  a construction company and driving the company truck. One day my day called me up and said I could use his truck. It was a very nice two-toned four wheel drive pick up truck with mag wheels. He said he noticed me driving the company truck and if I was responsible enough for that then I was responsible enough for him to let me use his. 

In the same way my father was pleased to let me use his truck, our Father in heaven is pleased to give us the kingdom. He will care for our needs. We just have to seek his kingdom, seek to be faithful, seek to lift up Jesus in our lives. 

I encourage you, seek first his kingdom. Let him be king in you today where ever you go and what ever you do. 

Lose It To Save It

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self ?

Luke 9:23-25 NIV

A Prayer for the Heart

But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Luke 8:15 NIV

Father, I pray that my heart would be noble, honest and good so that I may hear Your word and obey it. May Your word find root within me and produce an abundant and fruitful crop of righteousness. 

Enemy Love

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Luke 6:35-36 NIV

Thinking purely in human terms an enemy is someone to be defeated, destroyed and killed. That is a mutual stance. But, in the kingdom of God, that is not necessarily how it works. 

In Christ, God is merciful to us, even though we were ungrateful and wicked. We, even after accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior, often act more like enemies of God than faithful servants. Yet, he still loves us faithfully and mercifully. 

Now the application of this truth is that we need to be merciful to the ungrateful and wicked people in our lives. A few people come to mind that I know I will probably see today. Because I work with them. Who comes to mind for you?

Lord, give us the love to be merciful to our enemies just as you have been and are merciful to us. 

It's Not About the Mat

Legalism always gets us looking in the wrong direction. Legalism focuses on the outward manifestation of right or wrong while faith starts from the inner being, the heart.  

Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Luke 5:22-26 NIV

It may be easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven," but, to say, "Get up and walk," and actually heal the paralyzed man...that demonstrated Christ's authority. 

As my friends in the south would say, "Let me ask you this," which is harder to do heal the paralyzed man or forgive his sins? Frankly, the death of Christ on the cross shows us that to forgive our sins is the costliest and most difficult thing in all of history, if not eternity. 

Think about it. The heavens and earth were created with a word. Our redemption cost the death of Christ, his separation from the Father, his humiliation as a man. He left eternity and was stuck in time. In human form he experienced our need, our pain, our hunger. At the moment of his death he cried out and "the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. The earth shook and rocks split. The tombs broke open..." (Matthew 27:51-52a). 

Back to the mat. Jesus may heal you, but, what you need is forgiveness.  When Christ says he will forgive your sins, it's no mere flippant word by Jesus.  Christ may tell you to pick up your mat and walk, but, don't forget he forgave your sins.