On the Road Again

In Luke 24:13-35 we meet two fellows on the road to Emmaus. Like many of us, we are traveling along a road without knowledge of where we are going or why we are on the road.

Fortunately for these two men, Jesus comes alongside them. Again, like many of us, Jesus has also come up alongside. The two men are discussing the recent events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus. And like Mary, they did not recognize Him - at first.

Jesus then asks what they are discussing. They told Jesus about the man they had hoped would be the Messiah. Jesus begins to tell the men of the Scriptures and how the Scriptures speak of Jesus.

For Mary, she recognized Jesus when He spoke her name. For these two men, it was when their hearts burned.

So when you seek Jesus, it may not be with your eyes that you will find Him. It will be with your heart.

Whom Are You Seeking?

We are all seeking something. In John 20:11-18, Mary Magdalene goes to the the now empty tomb. She is distressed. There she encounters the risen Christ, but Mary does not recognize Him. Jesus asks Mary an important question, "Whom are you seeking?" Mary does not answer directly. This is a question we all need to ask ourselves. Knowing that we are all seeking something to fulfill our lives, let us consider Jesus' question to Mary - "Whom are you seeking?"

When Jesus then calls her by name, Mary recognizes Jesus. "Mary" is a personal response. Mary doesn't recognize Jesus by sight, but by voice.

We are made to have a relationship with God. Whom are you seeking?

Within a Yard of Hell

Some want to live
within the sound
of church or chapel bell;
I want to run
a rescue shop
within a yard of hell.

- C. T. Studd, 1860-1931, English missionary to China, India, and Africa

Sometimes it is easy to forget just how close hell can really be. On Sunday, when visiting one of the homeless camps, we were told that a resident, 'Brian' was picked up by the sheriff's office on a burglary charge. Brian had been to several of our 'chapel' meetings and we had spent time talking to him about Jesus. Brian seemed like he was on track to putting his life back together.

Yes, this is about choices and we all make some pretty terrible ones from time to time. We all battle against the world, the flesh and the devil. But this was a stark reminder of how close hell can really be.

We hope to visit Brian this week and let him know that someone cares. And more importantly that God loves him. I don't know how to keep Brian out of jail but our prayers are that the Holy Spirit would grab his heart and keep him out of hell.

David's Mighty Men

In First Chronicles 12 we read of David's Mighty Men. These were warriors described as "brave warriors, ready for battle and able to handle the shield and spear." They were "able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed" and had "the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles in the mountains."

Aside from these abilities, David offered this warning, "If you have come to me in peace, to help me, I am ready to have you unite with me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our fathers see it and judge you."

So, are you a Mighty Man (or woman) of God? Do you rely upon your talents and skills only? Or are you joined with God, to be used by Him? Because if you are, God is with you. However if you are duplicitous, with evil on your heart, then God will judge you accordingly.

Two Crosses

In Luke 23, we see two criminals that were crucified with Jesus. The reason there are two is to show the grace of God and to demonstrate that there is a choice to be made. Grace is an unearned gift from God - the Gift of Salvation. Now, the first choice is refusal - denying Christ - not accepting the Gift. The second choice is acceptance - reaching out and grabbing the gift.

We are all guilty of sin. We are all deserving of punishment. Some will deny their guilt while others will acknowledge their guilt. Likewise, some will accept God's Gift of Salvation and others will refuse it.

There were two criminals that day - one on His left, the other on His right. In a very real way, each one of us is one of those two criminals. We are all guilty of something, some of us acknowledge our guilt, and others deny it. Some accept the gift of salvation, others refuse it. Each of those men eventually dies on their cross and stands before God to give an account of himself – alone. However, if there were only two crosses that day, who could be reconciled with God?

With Jesus in the middle, suddenly the responses of each of the men take on a new meaning. The first man denies his guilt, the other acknowledges it. Both die, but the second man joins Jesus in paradise. Standing in judgment before God, only the second man has Jesus as his substitute. The first man stands before God alone. Consider how close salvation was to the second man yet he died in unbelief. The first man only asked that Jesus remember him.

There were three crosses on the hill that day. Each of us takes our place on either side of Christ. The one that you identify with, the one that represents your view of Christ will indicate where you will spend eternity.

Both criminals die and both will appear before God. Those that refuse the gift will stand alone. Those that accept the gift will stand with Jesus.

Which of the two criminals are you?

Lord, Save Me

When we find our faith slipping, the first thing we need to do is run to the cross. When Peter stepped out of the boat he was doing okay until he stopped focusing on Christ. It was when he was sinking that he cried out, "Lord save me." May we all remember to cry out to Christ when we start sinking into sin.