THE RESURRECTED LIFE -- Day 37

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Day 37:  Saul and Ananias (Acts 9: 1-22)

Saul hated all Christians, and he wanted them dead.  They threatened the belief system upon which he had built his entire life.  He was more than happy to be used by his God to put an end to their destructive ways that threatened his religion.  As he traveled to Damascus, he had the support of the Jewish priests to bring all traitors of the Law back to Jerusalem.  He reveled in his thoughts while he approached Damascus, but suddenly his thoughts came to an abrupt halt.  The brightest light he had ever seen flashed around him, and being unable to withstand the power of it, he fell to the ground.  The men with him were startled as well, but it was the Voice that came from heaven that rendered them all speechless.  “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting Me?”

Who was this who knew him by name, Saul questioned with great fear in his heart.  Yet, something inside of him knew it was Jesus.  Getting up from the ground Saul quickly realized that he had been blinded, perhaps by the bright light itself.  The men that were with him led him into Damascus, and it was there that he waited for more instruction from the Lord.  Saul then chose to neither eat nor drink for the next three days.

Ananias was told by God to go to the place where Saul was staying.  Struggling with his assignment, he questioned the validity of Saul’s conversion.  He knew all too well of Saul’s brutality toward the believers in Jerusalem.  But God had clarified to him what Saul’s mission would be—he would be used to bring Jesus and salvation to the Gentiles.  God deemed Saul a “chosen instrument,” much to Ananias’ surprise.

Arriving at the house where Saul was staying, Ananias confirmed Jesus’ involvement in both of their lives.  Immediately Saul could see again, he was baptized by Ananias, and he began to prove to the Christians in Damascus that he solemnly believed that Jesus truly was the Messiah.

Do you think (like Saul might have) that your sins have been too great to be completely forgiven, let alone to be used by God for ministry?  Do you use that as an excuse to not serve Him as He desires?  Do you question the validity of the salvation of those who have greatly sinned?  Do you support those who are newly saved?  Are you a chosen vessel?

THE RESURRECTED LIFE -- Day 17

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Day 17:  The Woman Caught in Adultery (John 8: 1-11)

Early one morning Jesus was walking by the temple and entered.  He sat down and began to teach those who had already gathered there for the morning teaching.  Commotion filled the air outside, and the sounds of a struggle could clearly be heard.  The voice of a woman crying caught Jesus’ attention over the angry, loud words of the men with her.

“Rabbi, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the VERY act!” the Jewish leaders cried.  Filthy, humiliated, and ashamed, the woman stood in the center of the entire gathering.  The eyes of the crowd burned holes in her heart.  Anger welled up inside of her as she considered the injustice of this law.  “Where is the man who was with me?” her thoughts screamed out. “Isn’t he just as sinful as I am?  Have I been set up?  How did the religious leaders know?  They didn’t just “happen” by that early in the morning, did they?”

Her thoughts were interrupted by, “Our law says such a woman must be stoned!”  It was then that all attention turned toward the Teacher.  It was the first time the woman had taken notice of Him.  It seemed like hours passed while He wrote in the dirt.  She wondered if He would condemn her.  Her eyes dropped to the ground as she realized she had no hope of forgiveness. 

Jesus answered the Pharisees who had brought the accusation against the woman.  “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Her eyes still cast downward, she heard the murmurs, then the shuffling of feet, and when she dared to look up, she met the eyes of her Savior.  Turning to where her accusers stood she discovered that not one of them remained in the street.

Do you run in to be the first to accuse, judge, and condemn when someone has been caught in a sin?  Or maybe you are the “adulteress”—caught and in need of repentance.  Either way, we must know who we are……SINNERS, all of us!  Jesus told the woman, “From now on, sin no more.”   It applied to both the woman and the Pharisees in this story.  It applies to us as well.  Which sin do you relate to?  Stop sinning now, if you are.   Or begin now to be the first to love and restore the sinner.

THE RESURRECTED LIFE -- Day 15

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 Day 15:  The Immoral Woman (Luke 7: 36-50)

He was coming to her town—the Man who forgave sins.  Surely there was no one who needed that more than her.  Her immorality was well-known by all.  She felt dirty, unclean, and unworthy of His forgiveness.  Yet, something inside of her was prompting her to go and find Him.

Asking a woman on the street where she might find Him, she returned her look of judgment and condemnation with a downward glance to the ground.  She was thankful that the woman had told her where Jesus could be found, but her shame made her feel like running home instead.

Pushing her feelings aside, she continued on her way, holding very carefully the alabaster vial of perfume in her hands.  Arriving at Simon the Pharisee’s home, she quietly slipped in the side door undetected.  There He was, reclining at the table.  Lowering her eyes, it became quite obvious that the well-known tradition of foot washing had not been offered to Jesus.  His feet were as dirty as her own heart.  Had He been treated with disrespect, she wondered?  She knew exactly what that felt like?

Overcome with her identification with Him, she slowly moved so that she was standing right behind His feet.  Her tears flowed freely and unceasingly, making rivers over the dirt and dung caked on His feet from His travels.  The tears made clean paths on the way to the floor underneath.  Bending down, she took her hair and began to wipe His feet completely clean.  Over and over she wet them and wiped them as years of shame, guilt and regret poured from her heart to His feet.  Then she took the vial of perfume, broke it, and poured it out on them, kissing them as she worshiped the One who might forgive her guilty stain.  Love for Him welled up in a heart once hardened by her own wrong choices.  Moved by this ‘love in action,’ Jesus turned to her and said, “Your sins have been forgiven.  Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace.”  Never had her heart felt so clean.  In peace she left her old life behind.

What are you willing to do to worship Jesus?  What if it humbles you?  Do your feelings ever dictate whether or not you will obey your inner voice? Do you bring to Jesus a clean or dirty heart?  Do you have peace?

THE RESURRECTED LIFE -- Day 13

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Day 13:  The Paralytic and His Determined Friends  (Luke 5: 17-26)

Three of the four Gospels record the story of the faith of a paralyzed man and his friends who were quite determined to see their crippled friend healed of his paralysis.  The measures they went to were extreme, and the result of their faith brought blessings untold.  Their faith was a witness as well to those who were content to live by the Law of Moses.

“What a blessed day this will be,” the Lord mused to Himself, for he knew power would be going forth from Him today for healing.  “The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees will also be present to witness the Father working through Me.”  Quietly He began to teach.  When He noticed some men making a desperate attempt to enter the room, He continued with His lesson, keeping His eye on the situation. 

The room was just too crowded.  No one budged.  Since they could not gain entrance, the men slipped back out the front door.  Moments later there was a commotion over the place where Jesus stood.  Looking up, Jesus drew everyone’s attention to the ceiling above Him.  A hush fell over the room as one tile after another was removed.  Amazement filled their eyes when they saw a man on a stretcher coming through the hole!  With great strength, the four men lowered their friend carefully into the presence of the Lord.  A collective sigh of relief escaped from the onlookers as the stretcher came to rest in the center of the room, right in front of Jesus.

Jesus knew the faith it had taken for these five men to come before Him, and the great compassion displayed toward their friend also revealed their love.  That faith and love resulted in the paralytic’s spiritual healing as well as his physical healing.  Because they acted on their faith, Jesus was able to clearly establish His authority over forgiveness and healing.

How determined are we to come into the presence of the Lord?  How determined are we to see our lost friends spiritually healed by salvation?  To what lengths do we go to be able to grow our relationship with God?  Are we willing to go outside of the norm in order to show our faith to God and others?  Or do we live in our comfort zones that keep us from intimacy and from receiving all that we need to live victoriously?

Stop Hiding--Gen. 44

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For twenty years, ten brothers hid a secret deep inside their hearts.  They had followed a devilish plan to get rid of their favored, tunic-ed, arrogant, little brother.  They lied to their father, causing him grief beyond words, their explanation calloused and unfeeling.  They went on with their lives as if nothing sinful had happened.  They could do that because they were now avenged, delighted that their brother would not be around any more.  Yes, they thought the trouble was over.  But it was only the beginning of the trouble they would feel in their hearts for the next two decades.

Little did they know that their sin was being woven into My perfect will for the entire nation of Israel.  Their extreme jealousy set into motion My plan to move all of Israel to Egypt, to a land where the natives would have NOTHING to do with foreigners.  My Israel, My precious nation, would dwell 430 years in a country in which they would never be allowed to integrate.  Israel would not be polluted by Egypt.  A pure and holy Israel was My desire.  But something must draw them to Egypt.  Enter a severe famine in all the land, and one man, Joseph, the favored brother, who would keep My Israel alive and unpolluted.   Evil used for good?  In My economy, I can use everything to bring about good.  And I chose to use the ugly sin of ten brothers to accomplish My good purposes.

I can also use your evil for good, but too often you are hiding, not from Me, but from the reality of the sin you have committed.  The ten brothers did, telling themselves many lies that they soon believed.  You, My precious one, do the same.  You cover your eyes as if to say to Me, "If I cannot see it, then maybe, just maybe, You won't see it as well."  So many times you ignore your sin instead of confessing it.  That is what happens when you cover your eyes to it.  When you cover your eyes, you have no ability to look into Mine.

Come to me, and remove your fingers slowly.  I know that it is painful for you to look at Me.  But look straight into My eyes.  In doing so you might still feel pain, but it will be much less severe than the pain you feel as you carry around in your heart the reality of who you are without Me. Dare to strategically move just one finger so that you can see Me.  My eyes are full of love and forgiveness.  My eyes will enfold you into Me.  Come, see, be set free . . . in Me.