Today You Will Be "With Me"

        

39 hOne of the criminals who were hanged irailed at him,1 saying, “Are you not jthe Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds;but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me kwhen you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in lParadise.” (Luke 23:39-43, ESV)

The picture of human suffering and the wages of sin are graphically displayed in the crucifixion story. However we also we the beauty of God's plan of redemption clearly set forth in the conversation. One thief, represents unrepentant sinners. Mocking and deriding God to his last breath. The second thief represents repentance and faith which includes:
1. The awareness of his sin ("Don't you fear God? We are getting the justice our deeds deserve)v.41a
2. The recognition of Christ's sinlessness ("this man has done nothing wrong")v.41b
3. The belief that Jesus is entitled to a kingdom - thus, acknowledging His right to rule ("Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom... the most religious of Jesus' day should have been the one's most eager to welcome the King - but although He fit God's criteria, He didn't fit theirs)v.42
Jesus' response to the man's confession - The greatest promise we could ever hope to hear ..
"TODAY - You will be with me in paradise." v.43 - To be "with Christ" is paradise- no matter the suffering at the present time (Romans 8:18).
Grace for the guilty. Peace for the restless. Mercy for the sufferer. All in God's garden. All in God's Son.

Lift The Veil From Our Eyes

 

“It is he who made the earth by his power,
  who established the world by his wisdom,
 and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
 When he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
  and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
 He makes lightning for the rain,
  and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses..." - Jeremiah 51:15-16

God created the earth by His sheer power and established the universe- and how nature works- by His brilliant wisdom. God is in all senses of the word a genius.

In His understanding of all that He would create, He designed all things in such a way as to bring Him glory.

The natural, created order is prepared by God's design to cause mankind to marvel.  

 

"Every man is stupid and without knowledge;
  every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
 for his images are false,
  and there is no breath in them.
 They are worthless, a work of delusion;
  at the time of their punishment they shall perish.
 Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob,
  for he is the one who formed all things,
 and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;
  the LORD of hosts is his name." Jeremiah 51: 17-19

 

By comparison, does everything he can to look the other way - to reject the Creator in order to create gods that they can control. The ancient struggles continues -

man seeking to be God...

But the eternal, all-powerful, ever-present God will win this battle (v.18) the created, putting themselves in the Creator's place is delusional thinking and they are of no worth. No value will be given to God rejecters on the day of judgment: The self-exalting man will receive what is due him. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a); But God will lift the veil off the eyes of His people (v.19). They recognize the greatness of the Creator - "but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23b).

Power and Status vs. Humility and Helplessness

An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
                                                                                                           Luke 9:46-48 ESV
In our sinfulness, we, like the disciples, seek out power and status - But Jesus only receives the humble and helpless. The faith of a child is one of absolute dependence.. Jesus will have it no other way. 

The Angels Are Jealous?

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look." 
                                                                                                               - 1 Peter 1:10-12 ESV   
Christian - the angels long to look into the gospel that we have..  and all to easily ignore. 

Think Big!

Isaiah chapter 40 gives the answers to a lot of questions about God. 
Here are a few to consider: 

How big is God? (v. 12)
"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
 How wise is God? (vv. 13-14)
Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD,
or what man shows him his counsel?
Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
How powerful is God? (vv. 15-17) 
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.
Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
Does anyone else compare? (v. 18) 
To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?  (Isaiah 40:12-18 ESV)
Idolatry rears its ugly head when we allow ourselves to have small thoughts of God - Think big when you think of God... Think as big as you can - and He is bigger still. 

All I need I already have

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.     (Ephesians 1:3-14 ESV)
The Christian is - 
 adopted by the Father (vv. 3 - 6) 
 redeemed by the Son (vv. 7-12)
 sealed by the Spirit (vv. 13 - 14) 
The key to true revival is to remind ourselves of who we already are and what we 
already possess. 

What More Do You Need?

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."   - Romans 8:38-39 
I was reminded once again this morning about this passage from a good friend. What a promise we have in Christ.. Paul himself had to be awestruck as he wrote these words through the power of the Holy Spirit ..  

"For I am sure... Not just a hunch - A rock solid belief.
 that neither death nor life,... The things I encounter each day and what my ultimate end of days in my earthly body consist of.
 nor angels nor rulers,... heavenly beings that I do not see and those in positions of authority that I do see and submit to in my earthly existence.
 nor things present... My everyday experiences.
 nor things to come,... The unknown events of this present moment and beyond. 
 nor powers, nor height nor depth, ... Powers- both earthly and unearthly.
 nor anything else in all creation,... Anything not covered in the above statements.
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord..." Not even in my own stupidity and sin trying to "help God" .. He's loved with an everlasting love, and given His Son so that we can have Him, and with having Him we have eternal life and hope.                                                                                                             
That pretty much sums it all up doesn't it? .. God loves His children and will not let us go. He loves us just like we are, and loves us too much to let us stay the way we are. He's got all the bases covered... If we'll trust in Him.