Luke 24- Praise: the Answer to Salvation

⁵² And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³ and were continually in the temple praising God.

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 After Christ was resurrected, His disciples saw him and understood all that He had previously told them.  They understood why they were left, to share the Gospel with all nations.  They believed all that He said and were saved...What was their response?  Continual praise...

Lord, help me to be actively praising you, always...

Acts 6- Mercy

²⁷ “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. ³¹ Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. ³² If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. ³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

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 Who can say such things? Only a loving God...

Lord, help me to love you by my actions...  toward others, towards You and in myself.  What a sacrifice to give up justice and ourselves.  Allow this sacrifice to be joyfully given to You.  What incredible salvation you give us freely...the exact opposite of what I deserve! 

Mark 15- Christ Forsaken, Yet Our Separation Removed

³³ When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴ At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” ³⁵ When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, “Behold, He is calling for Elijah.” ³⁶ Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.” ³⁷ And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. ³⁸ And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

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For the first time Christ feels the separation from the Father caused by sin that we all have known.  Only in the first and only time the relationship between the Father & Son is divided because of OUR SIN!  But just three verses later, the veil of separation is supernaturally torn in two...signifying that God would no longer reside in the Holy of Hollies but in each of us!  What a powerful moment in time...

Lord, cause us to run to you so that we will keep the relationship open and strong.  Help us to love you by keeping your commands!