LIFE AFTER DEATH

Luke 16:22-23  "Finally the beggar died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham.  The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead.  There, in torment, he saw Lazarus in the far distance with Abraham." NLT

       Death is real.  Everyone will die a physical death unless the Lord comes to take him home without it.  The Scriptures only tell us of two people who were taken by the Lord without death, Enoch and Elijah.  The probability of your dying is very high.  We don't usually dwell on dying until we are confronted by it directly.  Death does not care who you are or what you have accomplished in life. 

       In our text today the rich man was a man who lived in luxury.  We are not told how he got his wealth; all we are told is that he had it and was enjoying it.  He was not concerned about being ready to die; all he cared about was his living in the moment.  When he died, he went to hell, where the spiritually dead souls dwell.  He was in great torment and when he caught a glimpse of Abraham, he called out to him in order to get some kind of relief.  But, there was no relief to be had.  He had made his life choice and now was paying the price for it eternally.

       Lazarus, the beggar, on the other hand had prepared himself for death.  We don't know why he was so poor, but he was.  He ate off the crumbs of the rich man's table.  He understood that there was more to life than the moment and he lived a humble life before God.  When he died, he went to heaven where Abraham was.  His faith was now real life.  He lived amongst the saints in the presence of God.

       Like so many, the rich man missed his opportunity to prepare for death.  He squandered his life on the things of this world and his soul was in eternal torment because of it.  Perhaps he had had many opportunities and thought he would have one more, but he didn't.  Don't be like this man; seize the opportunity the Lord gives you to be saved while you can.  You don't know when you will die; it could be today.  Are you ready?  Are you living for Christ today so that you will live with Him for all of eternity?  Always remember; death is but one breath away for any of us.

LOOKING GOOD TO GOD

Luke 16:14-15 The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, naturally scoffed at all this. Then he said to them, "You like to look good in public, but God knows your evil hearts. What this world honors is an abomination to God."  NLT

      We live in a world where looking good often leads to popularity and money.  Multi-billions of dollars are spent trying to make one look good to others and compared to others.  The mindset is that if one looks good then he will automatically feel good about himself  However, we know that it's just not so.  No matter how pretty the outside is, if the inside is in a mess, the person will be a real mess.  Appearances can only get a person so far.  They can never fix what is wrong with the soul.

      There are a lot of people in the Church who work really hard at making good impressions on others.  The mindset is that the more accepted they are by the majority, the more secure their place in the church is.  And when the person is being supported by the church, appearances become very important to them. 

       It's easy to come across as being spiritual beings.  We can easily fool one another about our relationship with God.  We may be scholars of the Bible, good preachers or teachers, have persuasive personalities, be popular in the church, or be powerful and influential, and still be far from the heart of God. 

      God isn't concerned about the things we see.  He sees the heart.  He judges the heart and when it is corrupt with evil, He rejects it. God does not mess around.  If the heart is not right with Him, all the fluff that surrounds it is worth nothing and the soul will be condemned. Be sure your heart is right with God.  Appearances and the things of the world all fade away, but the righteous heart endures forever.

FAITHFUL IN SMALL THINGS

Luke 16:10 “Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” NLT

       How important is it that we obey God even in the little things of life?  Jesus says that how we handle the small things determines how we handle the big things.  A little white lie becomes a big lie so don’t do it.  A little thievery becomes a big thievery so don’t get started.  A little moral failure becomes a big failure so be careful not to even get started.  Gazing on a little sinful behavior grows into an addiction.  Boasting on one’s accomplishments turns into sinful pride.  We cannot get away with compromise.  Little sins turn into big sins.  Never let down your guard when it comes to doing what is right before God.

       If the Lord finds you faithful in the little things, He will give you bigger things to do.  If you want to make a difference in the world for Christ, you must first let Him make a difference in you.  You cannot overlook this basic principle of faith.  Trust is earned.  The Lord will trust you with more when He knows He can trust you with little.

       Pay attention to details.  Do what is right before God in the little things of life and you will do what is right in the big things.  The size of the responsibilities does not matter.  What matters is the integrity of the heart that moves us to do what we do.  Great is the reward for those the Lord finds to be faithful in the little things of life.

TRUE REPENTANCE

Luke 15:31-32  His father said to him, "˜Look, dear son, you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!" NLT

      This is the story of the prodigal son. This is a wonderful picture of what the Gospel is all about: true repentance, righteousness, recognition, and remorse. In order for the heart to be right with God, true repentance must take place. There is a lot of what passes as repentance that is no real repentance at all. True repentance involves a recognition of one's sinfulness, sincere remorse for the sins committed, and righteous behavior that follows. Until we come to the awareness that we have indeed sinned against God, we will never have a relationship with Him. "I did it. I am a sinner. I am guilty as charged by God. I have no one to blame but myself. I chose to do it and I did it.”

       Remorse is true sorrow for what we have done. It is not lip service, but a heart grief over our sins. It is being ashamed of ourselves and sincerely falling at Jesus' feet and pleading for mercy. It is a sincere desire of the heart to not do it again.

       Righteousness is what follows true repentance. It is acting and thinking in a right way before God. It is turning away from sinful habits and thinking and striving to be holy in all we do. It is a mindset that enables us to change and become godly before man. It is the natural outcome of true repentance. Unless there is an obvious indication that change has happened, the heart is still in sin. Everyone changes in different ways and at different paces, but everyone who truly repents changes.

ARE YOU READY?

Luke 12:35-36 “Be dressed for service and well prepared, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.”  NLT

      Are you ready?  Have you taken care of your soul so that at any given moment you would be ready to stand before God in judgment?  Have you opened up your heart to the Lord and invited Him to come in?  Are you careful how you live?  Or, is there a sense of uncertainty about it all and you are afraid what it would be like to face God if you were to do it today?

       It is very important that we ask ourselves these questions because we don’t know when it will be our turn to face God.  No one knows if he will live beyond the moment.  No one can be assured he will live a certain number of days.  No one knows for sure when the Lord will return. The way things are looking, I believe the Lord is coming very soon. 

       In order to know for sure that you are ready to stand before God, you must live in readiness today.  You must confess any sin in your heart that you have been letting lie there.  You must seek the Lord out in His Word and in your prayer closet.  You must be involved in Christian fellowship for the nurturing of your soul.  You must be using your time and energy to serve the Lord and not yourself.  You must live compassionately amongst men and strive to help others know Him too. 

      You must stand guard over your soul and resist the lures of temptation.  You must take responsibility for your mind and heart and fill them with godly and not ungodly things.  The more you do these things, the readier you will be for the Lord to come for you.  You can look for that day with confidence or fear.  Are you ready?

GREED

Luke 12:15.21 Then he said, “Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you don’t have. Real life is not measured by how much we own. Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”  NLT

       One of the hardest things most of us have to deal with is greed.  We live in a very materialistic world.  We are bombarded daily by the things we don’t have.  We have to constantly stand guard over our souls so we don’t confuse our wants with our needs.  We see things we don’t have and begin to think that we can’t live without them.  We measure our worth by things rather than relationships.  It’s a constant battle that we all fight.  Greed often determines the course of our lives.

      Jesus reminds us that there is much more to life than things.  Real life is measured by relationships, especially our relationship with Him.  There is nothing to gain by pursuing things and everything to lose.  If we are consumed by the things of the world, we will lose out on a relationship with the Lord.  The only thing in life that matters is the state of our souls before God.  God measures our worth by Christ not the things we own or do.

        It is utter foolishness to let things become more important to us than our relationship with Christ.  Examine yourself and determine what you are living for.  Are you longing for what you don’t have more than you are Christ?  How much time are you investing in the pursuit of earthly things compared to godly things?  If you must be driven by greed, let your greed be directed towards God and not the things of earth.

REAL LIFE

Luke 12:15 Then he said, "Beware! Don't be greedy for what you don't have. Real life is not measured by how much we own."  NLT

      This truth cannot be proclaimed enough, especially in our day when so much importance is placed on materialism. We live in a world that is driven first by self-gratification. We are led to believe that it is ours to have and that we must have it. We excel in things that don't matter and care very little about the things that do. Greed drives us and causes us to disregard God. He becomes nothing more than window dressing on our lives. We use Him to serve our needs. We want Him around to give our lives a semblance of respectability. We want Him more in the sense of fire insurance than we do anything else. We live for the things we can have and drag the Lord along with us. Is it any wonder why God is such a problem for so many of us?

       We can't have it our way. The Lord will not live with us like that. He will only live with those who understand that our real need in life is Him and Him alone. Only those who know that God is Spirit and must be sought and worshiped in the spirit will have a personal relationship with Him. Real life is measured by our relationship with God. All that really matters is how we are connected to God. All that is not of the spirit is going to vanish away someday. The spirit of man is eternal and we determine what kind of a life our spirits are going to live, both now and for all eternity.

       Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and He will give you all that you need for life and eternity.

KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT KNOWING

Luke 11:52 "How terrible it will be for you experts in religious law! For you hide the key to knowledge from the people. You don't enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering."  NLT

       I fear for many who "represent" God before man. So many hide themselves behind Biblical "knowledge" and have very little compassion for others. Many pride themselves in their knowledge or position in life. Many are driven to excel in how they are portrayed before others instead of before God. Many strive for academic knowledge at the expense of spiritual knowledge. Many seemingly know the Scriptures well; yet, they barely know He who is the author of the Scriptures. It is so easy to hide ourselves behind the Scriptures and lose sight of how to live them.

       If that's not bad enough, these "leaders" in the church influence others and keep them away from God.  Many hold the Scriptures in low esteem and offer people the wisdom of man instead of the wisdom of God.  They confuse the minds of their people to the point where they don't know the truth and as a result, they don't know Jesus as Savior and Lord.  They create religious people, but not a people with a relationship with God.

       The Lord holds each of us accountable for how we handle the Word. We are to be learners of it, but more importantly, we are to be livers of it. What we know about God won't get us to heaven, knowing God will. Knowledge without the relationship is valueless and vanity. There is nothing more tragic than to get wrapped up in what we know and lose grip on Who we should know.

        The Lord desires a relationship with us, not a people who are religious fools. Religion will not get you to heaven, a life-changing relationship with Christ will. Don't let your religious thoughts keep you from Christ. Get to know Him well and He will teach you all you need to know. He is the way, truth, and life.  He alone can get you to heaven.

GATEWAY TO YOUR SOUL

Luke 11: 33-36 "No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, it is put on a lamp stand to give light to all who enter the room. Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not really darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight is shining on you."

      A couple of things jump out at me from this text. The eye is the gateway to the soul. What we choose to gaze upon determines the condition of our souls. It does matter what we gaze upon. It does affect us whether we think it does or not. Imagery is captured in the brain and often comes back to haunt us later on. It is important that we protect our eyes from what we watch and read.

      We have to be careful about the quality of light we use to guide us. We determine how pure our light is. If we allow sin to hang around it will dim our light. Sin is sin and any sin will affect the quality of light within us. The less sin we harbor, the more radiant our light will be. The more we radiate the Light, the more light we will shed on our world. The more Light we have, the more we will enjoy dwelling in the Light.

       A dim light may get us where we are going, but it won't keep us from seeing the pitfalls along the way. We can easily stumble and fall and even lose our way sometimes. Protect your soul and stay connected to the Light without any obstructions so that your light may shine brightly and be a floodlight on all around you.

      One other thing, make sure the light you think you have is not really darkness. Sin is deceptive and often masquerades itself as light. Get into and stay into the Word of God so that you will be guided by truth and not lies.  The Holy Spirit will never lead you astray if you keep your eyes focused on Christ, who is our light, and stay in the Word which speaks to us of Christ and His way.

      Let Christ shine in your heart and let Him have access to every part of it.  Do not try to hide anything from Him.  The more you let Him shine in you, the more you will radiant Him through your life.

THE NOT SO EMPTY TOMB

John 20:3-8  Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see.  The other disciple outran Peter and got there first.  He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in.  Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside.  He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.

      It has always intrigued me when I think about the linen cloths Jesus left behind in the tomb.  I believe that they were left there as a witness for His disciples.  Notice that the cloth that covered Jesus’ head was lying there folded up.  Whether Jesus folded it up or the angels doesn’t really matter.  The message was very clear, Jesus rose from the grave and in essence His bed was made when He got up.  Even though the Scriptures do not say anything about it, there must have been as well scattered on the floor the 75 pounds of burial spices they put His body in when they wrapped Him in his burial cloths.  However, it would not surprise me if it had been swept up in a neat little pile as well.

       God had planned the death and resurrection of Jesus before the foundation of the world was laid.  Everything had gone exactly as He had planned.  Jesus knew that His death on the cross was temporary, that He would rise from the grave three days later.  He absolutely had to die, but He also absolutely had to rise from the grave.  Without the resurrection His death would be meaningless.  

       Peter and John were the first disciples to see evidence of Jesus’ resurrection; they saw and knew that it had happened!  Jesus appeared to the rest of the disciples numerous times so that they too would have no doubt about it.  Paul tells us that there were over 500 people who bore witness of His resurrection before He went back to heaven to stay. 

        Yes indeed, Jesus is alive!!  He opened up the door to heaven for all who would believe.  Jesus did exactly what He said He would do and today He lives in the heart of all who believe.  Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

BETRAY HIM, WHO ME?

Luke 22:48  But Jesus said, “Judas, how can you betray me, the Son of man, with a kiss?”

We often look at Judas and shake our heads.  We wonder how he could have betrayed the Lord.  He had lived with the Lord for the past three years.  He was an eyewitness to all that Jesus had done and had heard Him teach about the things of God.  He was included in all of the things that Jesus had done for the disciples by themselves.  He belonged.  Yet, Judas was not on the same page as Jesus and the rest of the disciples.  He was with them and one of them, yet he was on the outside looking in.  However, before we are too hard on Judas, we need to look at ourselves.

Are we guilty of betraying the Lord?  Let's take an honest look at ourselves before we answer this question.  There are many different ways that we can betray the Lord.  We betray Him when we are given opportunities to be a witness for Him and we pass them up.  We betray Him when we use His name flippantly as if He were no one special.  We betray Him when we give Him only lip service.  We betray Him when we treat His children with contempt.  We betray Him when we withhold from Him our tithes and offerings.  We betray Him when we put people before Him.  We betray Him when we put other things before Him in our lives. 

If Jesus is not the influencer of all we do in life, then we need to recommit ourselves to Him.  There is room in the heart for only one Lord.  God is a jealous god.  He will not share His rightful place in our hearts.  If He is not Lord of all, He really is not Lord at all.  Is Jesus really your Lord?

DESPISED AND REJECTED

Is. 53:3  He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief.  We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by.  He was despised, and we did not care.

Written around 700 years before Christ came to earth, this passage about Christ’s death was right on.  Everything Isaiah said about how and why Jesus died is exactly what happened.  Less we be critical of those who crucified our Lord, let us look at ourselves.

He was despised and rejected.  We may never publicly despise or reject Christ, but in reality do we do it by the way we live life?  Think about it.  How much of a difference do we really let Jesus make in us?   We are usually okay with the minor stuff, but what about making drastic changes in our lives?  Do we let Him have His way with us by letting Him change the way we think about things?  Do we let Him change our feelings about others?  Do we let Him change what we believe to be true and admit that we were wrong in our understandings?  Do we always choose to do things His way, or do we reject it?

What about turning our backs on Him?  Be honest, now.  Are you always comfortable with letting others know that you are a child of God?  How many people that you rub shoulders with daily know that you are a believer in Christ?  Do people at work know?  Do the people you do business with know?  Do your friends and neighbors know?  Do you shy away from opportunities to make your faith known to others?  Do you fear what others may think or do more than you do letting your faith shine?

Do you really care?  Do you care that most people don’t want to deal with Christ?  Does it bother you that most people do not want to hear about it?  Do you care that so many negative things are being said about Him?  Do you care that so many show disrespect for Him in how they talk?  What about those who claim to be His and yet live like they don’t, do you care?

WE WERE HEALED!

Is. 53:5  But he was wounded and crushed for our sins.  He was beaten that we might have peace.  He was whipped, and we were healed!

       Jesus was wounded and crushed for our sins, your sins and mine.  He loves us so much that He did for us what we, nor anyone else could ever do; He satisfied God’s wrath for our sins.   He fulfilled the demands of God’s law that life had to be given to atone for sin.  His blood alone was satisfactory to God to wash away our sins since He never sinned in thought or deed. 

       Jesus was beaten so that we might have peace.  Jesus suffered in two ways on the cross.  He suffered the excruciating pain of being beaten to a pulp with whips, had a crown of thorns jammed down on His head, and was nailed to a cross.  His body was so broken and racked with pain that we can only feebly imagine what it must have been like.  He knew first hand just how cruel man can be in meting out physical pain.

      As unimaginable as the physical pain that Jesus endured was, I believe He suffered far more spiritually.  He took upon himself our sins, and not just our sins, but the sins of all humanity for all time.  He took all our guilt and shame upon himself.  He took upon himself the full wrath of God against us for our sins.  There was a darkness that overshadowed the Lord, a darkness so great that darkness filled the earth for three hours in the middle of the day.  Time stood still as God hid His Son from gazing eyes.  Jesus paid the price for our salvation all alone, no one could help Him, not even the angels.  The agony of bearing our sins was so great that God himself could not look at Him or help Him.  

        Jesus did what only He could do.  He suffered, bled, and died for our sins.  He opened up the gateway to the throne of God and made it possible for us to be healed.  He heals the brokenhearted, the shattered life, and the worst of sinners.  Hallelujah, what a Savior!

WHY JESUS DIED

Is. 53:4  Yet, it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.  And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins!

        Jesus did not carry His own weaknesses to the cross, because He had none.  He was God incarnate, God in the flesh.  He was in firm control of every facet of His being: mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  He spent countless hours alone with God in fellowship and as a result was in perfect harmony with God’s will in everything He said and did.  He was not fazed by man’s threats.  He knew exactly what He came to do and when He was going to do it.  He was strong in character and always in control.

        It was our weaknesses that Jesus carried to the cross.  We are prone to wander away from God, prone to not obey Him, prone not to pray as we should, prone to make excuses when we falter and fail.  On our own, we simply are not well or strong enough to stay in fellowship with God.  We must have the help that only Christ can give.

        It was our sorrows that Jesus took with to the Christ.  Jesus was not plagued with sorrow because He lived a perfectly righteous life.  He faced all the temptations we face in life and never sinned.  He never had to regret the things He said or did, but we do.  We sin against God.  We often have to confess our sins before God.  We are often sorry we have sinned and messed up our lives.  We often have to live with the consequences of sin.  Jesus made it possible for our sins to be forgiven and our burdens to be made light.  He conquered sin’s hold over us and gives us victory and the freedom to not sin.

        No, Jesus did not die on the cross because He deserved it.  He did not die because He had failed God and sinned against Him.  He died because of our sins.  He died so we can be forgiven by God and have eternal life.

GOD'S UNDESERVED FAVOR

Is. 53:6  All of us have strayed away like sheep.  We have left God’s paths to follow our own.  Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.

      How many have strayed away from God?  All of us.  Lest we think we are better than anyone else, we need to let this truth sink in.  All of us are guilty of wandering away from God.  We may not even know we have done, but we have.  Some have wandered away from God and don’t even care.  Some wander away quickly and some do so gradually that they don’t even realize they have. 

      We wander away from God to do our own thing.  We want to have things our way, to set the course for our lives.  We want to be in control.  We want to enjoy the pleasures of sin instead of denying ourselves of them.  We want to pretend that sin doesn’t affect us instead of facing the guilt and shame it brings.  We want to put off until tomorrow what we need to do for our souls so we can dabble in the world today.

       God knows our natural inclination to wander away from Him.  He knows the draw of sin for us.  He knows that we are guilty and deserve to pay the ultimate price for our sins.  Yet, God in His indescribable and infinite love laid on Christ all of our sins, guilt and shame.  We don’t deserve God’s love, mercy and grace!  We don’t deserve to be treated so compassionately and graciously.  But, God does.  He loves us so much that He willingly paid the price for our salvation.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

KEEP ON ASKING

Luke 11:9-10 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.”  NLT

      Don’t give up asking.  Our tendency is to give up on God way too easily.  We pray for a while over people and things and when we don’t see the results we want to see, we give up.  We think God’s lack of response to honor our requests is a no.  We seldom have the determination to keep on praying over that which is not given to us right away.

      Yet, Jesus tells us to keep on praying, to not give up.  Persistence in prayer is a must.  We don’t know how often we should pray for something so we keep on praying.  We don’t know what the Lord is doing in heaven in response to our praying so we keep on praying.  We don’t know the things that have to fall into place on earth in order for our prayers to be answered so we keep on praying.  We don’t know how our praying will affect us, so we keep on praying.  We don’t know when the timing is right for our prayers to be answered, so we keep on praying. 

      One thing that does happen when we persevere in praying is that we draw closer to the Lord.  The more time we spend with Him, the more precious He becomes to us and the more likely we are to pray submissively to His will.

      Don’t give up praying for people or over the circumstances of life.  God answers our praying at just the right time and in the right way.  Our prayers never fall on deaf ears.  Our Father knows just how to respond to our prayers and He always does so out of the goodness of His heart.  His answers may be immediate, delayed for a while, or a denial, but don’t give up praying.  It is the best medicine for the soul you will ever find.

DETAILS, DETAILS

Luke 10:41-42 But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it--and I won't take it away from her."  NLT

       Details, Details.  Many of us are very concerned about the details of things.  We get so wrapped up in them that we lose sight of the bigger picture and often fail to do well what we set out to do.  Details are important, but when they become more important than the whole, we get into trouble.

      What I believe Jesus is saying here to us is that we need to strive to be more a people of grace than perfection.  When we insist that everything has to be done "just so" we are limiting what God wants to do in and through us.  We must strive to do things right before God while still allowing for the fact that we are not perfect and never will be.  We need to give ourselves, and others, permission to mess up. 

      Martha was so caught up in the doing that she missed the being.  Mary was more concerned about Jesus and His presence.  She understood that being with Jesus was all that mattered at the moment.  Martha wanted to make sure that everything was done before she worshiped and all that mattered at the moment to Mary was Jesus. 

       Jesus made it very clear that Mary's way was the better way.  We must learn to keep our eyes focused on the Lord.  He is far more important than anything else we may think we have to do.  The whole purpose of serving is to honor and glorify Christ.  Don't get so caught up in the doing that you forget why you are doing it.

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?

Luke 10:29  The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?  NLT

       An expert in religious law wanted to test Jesus so he asked Him what he had to do to receive eternal life.  Jesus asked him what he understood the Law of Moses to say he had to do.  The man's reply was to love God with all the heart, soul and strength he had and to love his neighbor as himself.  The man knew that he was not measuring up so he tried to justify his actions under the guise of not knowing who his neighbor was.

       And so it is.  It is one thing to know what the Scriptures teach, it's quite another thing to live them.  Because we know we fail to live up to God's standards, we often try to justify ourselves before God.  We convince ourselves that because we are "good people" we are good enough for God. 

      The expert of the Law knew the does and don'ts of how to live for God.  He was a devout follower of the Law and thought he had it made.  He just knew that God was pleased with his efforts and would accept him into heaven.  Imagine his surprise when Jesus knocked the props right out from underneath him.  Jesus went way beyond where this man was in his understanding and living.

       It isn't what we think we know that matters; it's how we are living out what we know that matters to God.  If we are not applying to life the Word of God, we are no better off than this religious "expert."  Saving faith is a life-changing faith and not just a mind-changing faith.  Faith without works will certainly keep us out of heaven as well as works without faith.  It's either God's way or no way.

PRAY FOR THE HARVEST

Luke 10:2 These were his instructions to them, "The harvest is so great, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask him to send out more workers for his field."  NLT

      Are you praying for the lost? Do you know anyone who is not a Christian? Are you concerned about their soul? Do you care enough to take the time to pray?

      We need to pray for those who need a Savior. If you are not able for any reason to share with them the Gospel message, pray that the Lord will send someone their way who can and will. Pray that the Lord will raise up workers and send them into the harvest field. The need for workers far exceeds those who are laboring in the field. Pray. Pray for those already working in the field that they won't get discouraged or too tired to carry on. Pray for them that they will remain faithful and not be swayed or overcome by sin. Pray that they will be encouraged and be bright lights where they are planted. Pray for those whom the Lord has given gifts for service that they will use their gifts and not be discouraged in doing so. Pray.

      The harvest is so great, but the workers are few. If you can't join in the harvesting yourself, pray for those who can and pray that their numbers will increase. The souls that are saved may very well include those whom you are most concerned about.

      The harvest is great, the workers are few, and I fear, so are those who pray for the harvest workers. Nothing of significance is going to change until we change and return to our knees before God.  The day of salvation is now.  Jesus is coming soon and then it will be too late.  Pray and go into the harvest field now.  Maybe the lost ones you have been praying for will be amongst those who will be saved.

DON'T LOOK BACK

Luke 9:62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”  NLT

       We must live in Christ with no regrets.  Anyone who looks back on the life he had without Christ and longs to relive it is not really living in Christ.  Jesus wants a total heart commitment to Him.  There can be no returning to the life once lived.  There can be no longing for the things that once captured the soul.  There can be no returning to the days in which living for Christ didn’t matter.  There can be no going back and undoing the changes Christ has made in you.  There can be no hesitation about letting Christ have His way with you.

      We cannot live in Christ in the present and still live in the past.  We cannot be fit for the Kingdom of God without putting our old self behind us and letting the Lord create a new self in us.  There are only two options for us if we want to spend eternity with Jesus:  we must never return to the life we once lived and we must keep our eyes focused solely on Christ so He can change us into citizens worthy of heaven. 

       Have you let go of all that would hinder you from being fit for the Kingdom of God?  Are you completely committed to living in Christ?  Are you straining to obtain that which is before you?  Are you keeping your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your salvation? 

       If you are not focused on Christ and His Kingdom, you are not fit for the Kingdom of God.

PLOWING AHEAD

Luke 9:62  But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."  NLT

      I have never walked behind a plow in a field.  While for most of us those days are a thing of the past, most of us understand what it means to plow a field with a plow.  It is not an easy way to farm a field.  The going could be really tough.  If the ground was hard, it would make the task even harder.  In order to make progress, one would have to keep moving forward regardless of how hard it was.  One would have to look at the bigger picture and be willing to sacrifice momentary comforts for the bigger picture.  Plowing a field is always tough and sometimes the reward for the labor was not very big.  Plowing a field was a necessary part of producing a crop.  Yet, there was no guarantee that one would see the fruit of his labors.

       When plowing a field, one must constantly be looking forward all the time.  If you look back at where you have been, you would most likely get off track.  Instead of accomplishing one's goal, a mess is usually created.  Things might be so messed up that one may have to do things all over again.  Looking behind you prevents you from seeing what is ahead of you.  Looking behind you can give you a false sense of what you have achieved.  Looking behind you can cause you to be less diligent in your pursuit of what is ahead of you. 

      The Kingdom of God is for those who keep their eyes fixed on Jesus.  It is for those who are pressing on no matter how rough it may get.  It is for those who never lose sight of where they are going and who are doing all they can do to finish life strong.  It is for those who persevere and do not give up when they are tired or when the going gets tough. 

       Forget what is behind you.  Don't look back at where you have been.  Don't pine for whatever is back there.  Keep your eyes focused on Jesus, the author and finisher of salvation and you will not only see God, you will be rewarded with much fruit for your labors.                      

A PRICE TO PAY

A PRICE TO PAY

Luke 9:51 As the time drew near for his return to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. NLT

       I have always been struck by Jesus' determination to do God's will. He knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem. He knew better than what we do what price He was going to have to pay for our sins. He knew that this was something that no one could do for Him. He knew the full extent of the physical, and more importantly, spiritual suffering He would have to endure. He had counted the cost of His obedience to God's will, and determined that He would let nothing keep Him from carrying it out.

      Submission and obedience to God's will often come with a price. The Lord does not promise us an easy road to heaven. It is not a pathway to heaven that many can travel successfully. It is filled with a lot of trials and tribulations. There are many obstacles that must be overcome along the way. Satan will throw everything he can at us to hinder us or get us off the road. Many of us will suffer greatly for getting on board. Those who claim that accepting Jesus as their Savior will have an easy road to heaven filled with nothing but the blessings of earthly life do not understand properly Biblical truth. Those blessings may come our way, but then they may not. We don't get on board with Jesus for the "good life."

       If we were more honest with people in our teaching and preaching perhaps there would be less people abandoning the faith along the way. We need to warn others that there is a price to pay and that we need to count the cost before we surrender our lives over to the Lord. It is the loving and merciful thing to do. We do well in telling people about the price to pay for continuing to live in sin, but rarely talk about the price to pay for living in faith.

FOR OR AGAINST CHRIST?

Luke 9:49-50 John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons. We tried to stop him because he isn’t in our group.”  But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.”  NLT

      We can be very fickle in our thinking sometimes.  We somehow get the idea that we are the only ones that get it right.  We want others to do things our way.  We want others to know that we know what we are doing.  We want to think that if others are not on the same page we are on that they are on the outside looking in.

      Jesus makes it clear that we are not all the same.  We don't all do things the same way.  We don't have to belong to a particular church or group in order to serve the Lord.  God blesses the ministries of all who are rooted in Him.  What matters is not how we go about serving the Lord.  We serve Him the best way we can in the best way we know how.  There is no one way to effectively serve the Him.

      We should embrace all who are genuinely ministering in Jesus' name.  If we don't think that what they are doing is right, let the Lord handle it.  If Jesus is receiving the honor and glory, rejoice in what others are doing.  It should never be about us or our particular church family.  As long as Christ is being lifted up, we are on the same team and what is being done is good. 

       Do not discourage anyone who is genuinely serving the Lord.  Encourage them and don't undermine their work.  Support them with love and in your prayers.  Don't envy their work for the Kingdom.  Don't hinder them in any way.  Give God the praise and glory for all that is being done in Jesus' name to reach the lost for Him.

         The Lord puts us all to work where we fit best.  We do what He has given and gifted us to do.  We cannot do some things others can do and vice versa.  Rejoice for what is being done in Jesus’ name to redeem souls, no matter who it is or how it’s being done.

WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?

Luke 8:24-25a  The disciples woke him up, shouting, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"  So Jesus rebuked the winds and the raging waves.  The storm stopped and all was calm!  Then he asked them, "Where is your faith?"  NLT

      Where is your faith?  It's easy to find your faith when everything is calm and going your way.  It's easy to find your faith when you are surrounded by like-minded believers.  It's easy to find your faith when you are excited by something new the Lord has done for you.  It's easy to find your faith when you are in your comfort zone.  But, where is your faith when things aren't going your way, when life gets stormy and scary?

       There are times in life like it was for the disciples out on the stormy sea when everything seems like you are drowning.  You may find yourself in over your head financially and there doesn't seem to be any way out of your storm.  Maybe things are really bad at home and they are falling apart at the seams.  Maybe your job is on very shaky ground.  Maybe your storm is health issues.  Or, perhaps you find yourself in way over your head due to sinful choices and you are hanging on by a thread.

      When life's storms overwhelm and overpower you, do like the disciples did.  They went to the Lord and cried out to Him for help.  They knew that without His help they had no hope.  They didn't know what He could do, but they believed He could do something to help them.  Jesus heard their cry and quickly rebuked their storm and immediately there was a calmness, a peace.  Jesus may not calm your storm, but He will calm you if you cry out to Him.  He may not make your storm go away, but He will show you a way through it.  He may not do just what you want Him to do, but He will work things out for your good in a way that glorifies Him.

      Where is your faith?  Do you believe Jesus can help you through your stormy life?  Do you have enough faith in the Lord to trust Him to help you?  Call out to Him today and you will find the peace of the Lord to see you through.  Call out to Him and He will calm you and it will be good. 

      Where is your faith?  Is it only good for you during the good times, or is the Lord able to help you through the bad times?  Do you have faith in God’s ability to help you in the times you can’t figure out what is going on or why? 

        Where is your faith?  Is it rooted in your abilities to handle what is going on, or is it rooted in God’s ability to help you do all things through Christ our Lord?