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Luke 24:8- And they remembered His words,… NASU
The disciples had high hopes for Jesus. They thought He was their liberator from the Roman authorities. Little did they know He was their liberator, but the only difference was Jesus was going to free them spiritually and not physically or politically. Jesus had been crucified three days earlier. The disciples watched Him die right before their very eyes. These women have come to the tomb where Jesus had been placed. They are there with spices to anoint the dead body of Jesus. There is one big problem: Jesus is NOT there. HE HAS RISEN! There are two angels at the tomb who appear like men and they say, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? Yes ladies, why do you seek the living One among the dead? Good Question!
Seriously, look what the angels say to them in Luke 24:6-7 - "Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." "Remember ladies how He spoke to you…" No, they don't remember. They FORGOT what Jesus taught them. Listen to me, if you want to forget something, which we all will do, forget anything you want but don't ever forget that Jesus died for you, was buried and resurrected on the 3rd day. DON"T EVER FORGET THAT! The best thing we can do for ourselves is to REMEMBER what Jesus has taught us. Hands down this is the best thing you can do for yourself. Let's do a quick survey: How many of you believe you have forgotten something? If you are in the minority and think I haven't forgotten anything here is a question for you. What was the first sermon you ever heard? What was its title and sermon text? Okay, we can now agree we have forgotten some things. It is okay to forget some things, no big deal, but forgetting that Jesus died on the cross to atone for our sins now that is a big deal. Remember every day of your life that Jesus is the Christ, the One and Only unique Son of God and that death could not hold Him. He resurrected and we will also. Everyone is going to resurrect but your final destination will be determined by what you have done here. Jesus said it this way in John 5:28-29 - for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. The choice is yours. Do you want to be resurrected to life or to judgment? I can't tell you what to do but it would be to your benefit to choose being resurrected to life. Just sayin! Maybe you should give it a thought?
Luke 24:8-10 - And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Don't forget the Words of Jesus and remember to share His words with others. Think About This: We can't do everything we want to do, but we can do everything God wants us to do. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
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Matt. 26:51-52 - And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. NASU
In Gal 5:19-21- Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:… strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions,… envying, drunkenness,… and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Is Jesus telling us to put our sword of "strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, envying, drunkenness," away? Jesus tells us if we don't put our sword away it will be the very thing that kills us.
Look at the person who hasn't properly dealt with bitterness from events that have happened to them in their life. They go around like a time bomb. They're constantly looking for someone to disagree with and unleash an explosion on them. I am sure we probably would all like to relive a few life situations where we lost control. We blew it. We embarrassed ourselves and those around us. If we could only get those hurtful words back in our mouth or as Jesus would say, "Put your sword back in its place". Why does Jesus want us to put our sword back in its sheaf? Jesus tells us "for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword". He doesn't want us to die that way.
He says in Prov. 14:16-17 - A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated. A wise man is cautious. He knows evil and turns around and goes the other way. A fool or in other words a man or woman who is not wise runs right into evil and will pay the price for being foolish. Does this sound familiar to anyone? If you will keep your sword in your sheaf you will not be quick to lose your temper. Again, how many times have we regretted losing our tempers? So the next time we want to get angry and lash out at someone let's say to ourselves you know this is probably a good time "to keep my sword in its sheaf". No sense cutting off someone's ear when I am not being led by the spirit of God. Think About These: "Anger" is just one letter short of danger. He who has a sharp tongue soon cuts his own throat. People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word 1 Kings 17:2-6 - Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."
5 So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. NIV
I am not sure what you know about "ravens" and sharing their food but that just doesn't happen unless you are one of their babies. God orders the "ravens" to feed Elijah and they obey Him. Isn't it amazing how animals will listen to God but humans won't.
Daniel has an encounter with some lions. The king comes early in the morning to find out if Daniel's God had protected him and he says in 6:22 - "My God sent His angel and shut the lions ' mouths and they have not harmed me,…" Jesus tells Peter to go fishing and the first fish he catches will have a shekel in its mouth. He is to take that shekel and pay the tax (He is actually exempt from paying this tax but so that He doesn't offend them He will pay it). Peter does what he is told and the first fish he catches has the shekel in its mouth. Peter goes and pays the tax. Mt 17:27 - "However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. God used a donkey, some lions and a fish to work a miracle.
A friend of mine told me about the time he helped a lady at the gas station pump her gas. She was elderly, confused, frustrated and tears were rolling down her cheek when he went up and helped her. He said she must have thanked me 100 times for helping her. You might be thinking, oh Serago, that was not a miracle and I would say, it was to that lady. Let's be like the ravens in Elijah's day and allow God to use us to bring a miracle into someone's life. Think About These: The most difficult thing to open is a closed mind. Minds are like parachutes they only function when they're open. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Isa 6:8-9 - Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" NASU
Isa 1:2-4: Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, "Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me. 3 "An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand." 4 Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him. Look at all the indictments God lists against the Israelites. They have revolted, act corruptly, abandoned the LORD, despised the Holy One of Israel and have turned away from Him. God names two animals the ox and donkey that has more allegiance to their owner than the Israelites have for God. The ox He says, "knows its owner" and the donkey "knows its master's manger." Isaiah hears God ask, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" and Isaiah answers God with those faithful words "Here am I. Send me!"
First, Noah was told to go from the ark, take his family with him and bring out the animals. Gen. 8:15-18 - Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 16 "Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives with you. 17 "Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." 18 So Noah went out,…" Noah's family consisted of 8 people. He was told to Go out of the ark and be fruitful and multiply. As of the writing of this Pump Up the world's population is 8.2 billion people. I would say Noah obeyed God. Second, Jacob was told to Go down to Egypt. Gen. 46:2-4 - God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am." 3 He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. 4 "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes." Jacob went down to Egypt (75 descendants in all Acts 7:14) and when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt their population it is estimated between 2-3 million people. Exodus 12:37 says there was 600,000 foot soldiers not counting women, children and the elderly. Jacob went and God increased their number. Third, God told Moses to Go to Pharaoh and tell him to let God's people "Go". We know Moses did what he was told after some gentle persuasion by God. Fourth, the apostles in the New Testament were told to "Go" and preach by one of God's angels: Acts 5:19-20 - But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, 20 "Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life." Fifth, Philip was told by an angel and the Holy Spirit to "Go". Acts 8:26 - But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." Acts 8:29 - Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." In both cases Philip did what he was told to do and the Ethiopian eunuch was obedient to the gospel message preached by Philip which led him to be baptized. There are plenty of other people in the Bible where God told them to "Go". Ananias was told to "Go" to the street called Straight and meet one Saul of Tarsus. The Spirit told Peter to "Go" downstairs, meet the men that came looking for him and go with them to Cornelius' house.
God has a plan to help people who have sinned to avoid an eternity in Hell. We are a part of His plan. He wants us to "Go" and make disciples of all nations. God wants all nations to hear about His plan. Matt. 28:19-20 - "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." So what is our decision? Do we have the attitude of Isaiah? Are we ready to say, "Here am I Lord. Send me!" Think About This: Delayed obedience is the brother of disobedience. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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