Psalms 119:11 (KJV) “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

The other day my daughter was being particularly difficult. (When babies start to get mobile, they stop complying with necessary things like diaper changes—they think they can just roll over and crawl away!) Well, in my frustration with her screaming and wriggling, I shouted, “You are impossible!” And that still, small voice said to me “Nothing is impossible with God” (that’s Luke 1:37).

Now I’ll be really honest with you and say at the time I did not appreciate the Holy Spirit bringing that fact to my attention. But the last few times my darling girl has pushed me to my limits, I’ve repeated it to myself: “Nothing is impossible with God.” It reminds me to let God help me even in my little difficulties.

-Kevi

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Luke 10:33-37 (ERV) “Then a Samaritan man traveled down that road. He came to the place where the hurt man was lying. He saw the man and felt very sorry for him.  The Samaritan went to him and poured olive oil and wine on his wounds. Then he covered the man’s wounds with cloth. The Samaritan had a donkey. He put the hurt man on his donkey, and he took him to an inn. There he cared for him. The next day, the Samaritan took out two silver coins and gave them to the man who worked at the inn. He said, ‘Take care of this hurt man. If you spend more money on him, I will pay it back to you when I come again.’” Then Jesus said, “Which one of these three men do you think was really a neighbor to the man who was hurt by the robbers?” The teacher of the law answered, “The one who helped him.”

Rick Warren writes that there are three responses to those in need. 

1) Some people keep their distance (Luke 10:30-31). This was the example the priest gave us in the story. He simply avoided the problem altogether. He didn’t even want to know what the problem was. This is what I call the lifestyle of avoidance. We tell ourselves, “Don’t get too close to people; you may have to help them. You may get your hands dirty.” That was the priest’s problem: he was too “holy” to be helpful. He didn’t want to be stained by the stuff of life. When we live a lifestyle of avoidance, we try to keep all our relationships superficial. If we can keep everyone at arm’s length, we can pretend we don’t see their pain and their needs. If we don’t get involved, we can avoid getting hurt or inconvenienced.

2) Some people are curious but uninvolved (Luke 10:32). The Levite, who was the second man to walk by the injured man, demonstrated this response. The Bible says he “went over and looked at the man” (Luke 10:32b GNT) before passing him by. In a way, this response is even worse. In the first attitude we “see” the problem from a distance and pretend it isn’t there. In this response, we acknowledge the need through our curiosity, but we don’t do anything to help. When we do this we’re simply saying, “Sorry, I can’t be bothered. I’ve got more important things to do.”

3) Some people get close enough to care (Luke 10:33-37). Of course, this is the Good Samaritan. He went above and beyond to help the injured man at his own expense. The Bible tells us, “Our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action” (1 John 3:18 GNT). Mercy takes action where others take off. Mercy isn’t afraid to get its hands dirty. And Jesus calls every one of his followers to have the attitude of the Good Samaritan.

-Rick Warren (pastorrick.com)

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Luke 10:29-37 (ERV) But the man wanted to show that the way he was living was right. So he said to Jesus, “But who is my neighbor?”  To answer this question, Jesus said, “A man was going down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Some robbers surrounded him, tore off his clothes, and beat him. Then they left him lying there on the ground almost dead. “It happened that a Jewish priest was going down that road. When he saw the man, he did not stop to help him. He walked away. Next, a Levite came near. He saw the hurt man, but he went around him. He would not stop to help him either. He just walked away. “Then a Samaritan man traveled down that road. He came to the place where the hurt man was lying. He saw the man and felt very sorry for him. The Samaritan went to him and poured olive oil and wine on his wounds. Then he covered the man’s wounds with cloth. The Samaritan had a donkey. He put the hurt man on his donkey, and he took him to an inn. There he cared for him. The next day, the Samaritan took out two silver coins and gave them to the man who worked at the inn. He said, ‘Take care of this hurt man. If you spend more money on him, I will pay it back to you when I come again.’” Then Jesus said, “Which one of these three men do you think was really a neighbor to the man who was hurt by the robbers?” The teacher of the law answered, “The one who helped him.” Jesus said, “Then you go and do the same.”

Again, Lord Jesus, this is Dennis, help me!

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Luke 10:25-29 (ERV) Then an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. He said, “Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you understand from it?” The man answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ Also, ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ Jesus said, “Your answer is right. Do this and you will have eternal life.” But the man wanted to show that the way he was living was right. So he said to Jesus, “But who is my neighbor?”

Who is your neighbor?

Again, Lord Jesus, this is Dennis, help me!

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Luke 10:33 (ERV) “Then a Samaritan man traveled down that road. He came to the place where the hurt man was lying. He saw the man and felt very sorry for him. The Samaritan went to him and poured olive oil and wine on his wounds. Then he covered the man’s wounds with cloth. The Samaritan had a donkey. He put the hurt man on his donkey, and he took him to an inn. There he cared for him. The next day, the Samaritan took out two silver coins and gave them to the man who worked at the inn. He said, ‘Take care of this hurt man. If you spend more money on him, I will pay it back to you when I come again.’”  Then Jesus said, “Which one of these three men do you think was really a neighbor to the man who was hurt by the robbers?” The teacher of the law answered, “The one who helped him.” Jesus said, “Then you go and do the same.”

Who is “you”?

Lord Jesus, this is Dennis, help me!

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Acts 1:9-11 NASB And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

We host Easter lunch at our house every year for my husband’s side of the family. So the week before Easter is always busy with preparations: cleaning, planning the meal, stuffing Easter eggs. Today, I felt a little lost; with the busy holiday behind me, I had no sense of purpose for my day.

I imagine the days between Jesus’s resurrection and his ascension were a busy time for his disciples. I’m sure they wanted to spend as much time with Him as they could. I would have had a lot of questions, myself! But after He left, I wonder if they experienced that post-holiday let down…now what?

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 2:19-20 NASB

-Kevi

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Paid In Full

by Charles Billingsley

See our Savior hung between two thieves.

Hear the soldiers mock His name.

See His followers as they cry in disbelief,

This could not be the reason why He came.

See Him realize His life is through.

And see the love burn from His eyes.

Behold the temple veil as it is torn in two.

And hear the One on Calvary as He cries

Paid in full, I've done the work I came to do.

Paid in full, I've paid love's final price for you.

When all hell tries to tell you that you'll never win,

Just remember that the debt for your sin is paid in full.

See His children torn between two ways.

Some still choose to mock His Name.

Hear His followers now as they can boldly say,

We are the reason that He came.

See the ones who trust themselves alone,

To do what only Christ can do.

Through Jesus' blood alone we may approach the Father's throne,

And hear the words that He still calls to you

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What a blessing to think that Jesus knew me, yet He loved me! He knew how wretched and sinful we would be, but He went to the cross anyhow!  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Consider the source of this payment: “God”

How amazing, God paid the ransom to save lost sinners! Just like we can’t wash ourselves clean …We couldn’t pay the sin debt! …but JESUS DID!

Consider the scope of this payment: “He forgave all our sins” - All of our sins were nailed to the cross. This wasn’t a partial payment! IT WAS PAID IN FULL!!!!

-Kevin Jones (from sermoncentral.com)

Jesus paid it all

All to Him I owe

Sin had left a crimson stain

He washed it white as snow

-Elvina M. Hall

Lord Jesus, this is Dennis, thank you for paying my sin debt!

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“There was a custom in Rome, when a man was condemned for a crime, if he were put in prison, they would nail a certificate of debt to the prison door. On that certificate of debt would be written the crime that this man was guilty of, the number of years that he would stay in prison—days, months, or whatever. And, when he had fulfilled his duty to the law, his certificate of debt was marked paid in full. It was taken, given to the judge, who would have it notarized; and, he would carry it with him. And, if anybody were to accuse him of that crime again, he could pull out the certificate of debt, and say, “Yes, I may have been guilty, but I have paid in full. You’re not going to bring me into double jeopardy; I’ve already paid for that crime.” - (Adrian Rogers: Nailed to the cross)

If a man was guilty of a capital offense and condemned to die, they would write that offense on a placard and nail it to his cross above his head. Remember that Pilate did this to Jesus. Above His head, nailed to His cross was a sign that stated “Jesus Christ, the King of the Jews”

Roman crucifixions were done in public. The authorities wanted people to see a man die in agony. On that cross, would be the crime that was committed. The goal was for every citizen who walked by to say, “I’ll never do that!  In Colossians 2:11-15 we find that there was something else “Nailed to the cross of Jesus” – v. 14 speaks of “the handwriting of ordinances that was against us”

We know that Jesus was sinless - 2 Corinthians 5:21 “Him who knew no sin, God had made to be sin for us” - Christ became sin for us and from God’s point of view, our sin was “nailed on the cross.”

If we had been on that cross God could have nailed many different sins over our head! What would yours say?”

-Kevin Jones (from sermoncentral.com)

Lord Jesus, this is Dennis, thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.

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Johnny wasn't doing well in school and his parents had tried everything. He especially seemed to struggle with math. As a last resort they enrolled him in a catholic school. He instantly began making good grades, bringing home nearly perfect scores in math, and began doing well in all his subjects. When his parents, who were overjoyed, asked him why, he gave this reply: "Well, the first day I went to class I saw that they had Jesus nailed to a plus sign! I said to myself, these people are serious about math and I better be, too!

Got a question for you: how serious are you about the plus sign, I mean, the cross?

“At the cross at the Cross where I first saw the light and the burden of my heart rolled away, it was there by faith, I received my sight and now I am happy all the day.” –Isaac Watts

Lord Jesus, this is Dennis, thank You for the cross.

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