Standing

Mary weeping for Jesus!

John 20:10-18 NKJV 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. 11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping; and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." 14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" ( which is to say, Teacher)
17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me for I have not yet ascended to My Father but go to My brethren and say to them. I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God." 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

Crisis!
Are we still standing, when things do not go exactly like we planned? The persistent ones will continue to look but sometimes not at what the "real" is at the moment.
Mary was still looking into the "tomb".  That was the "real" to her at that moment in time.
Now she sees two angels seated at the place where Jesus was laid earlier. She sees them, one at the head and the other at the foot end of the stone cold slab.
And she weeps! Verse 13 gives us some detail: "woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."

She was still looking for the "dead", and life appeared. Verse 15: "woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" And she supposing Him to the the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.
Mary, she turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!"

Life was still present. Jesus continued in life and that which was planned by the Father for good. Sometimes our focus is looking at what did not happen. Ever been in that place????
Yes, I was and for some time. Really do not like that I did but sometimes, we wonder and then meditate on something far too long. But Life appeared and He spoke to her.
Just because something does not appear to happen, we must not look back at the tomb, but look for the Life and speak to Him about what we know did not happen.
Closed doors does not mean it is over! Death could not hold Him down and it will not hold down that what we believe with an expectancy that God is for us and IS still working .........but we must BELIEVE and hold to that which the Lord has given us in our hearts.

Many commentaries write they could not explain why she did not recognize Him. I believe she carried the last image of His battered body, the torn skin and muscle and blood that stained. The most horrendous thing had happened to Jesus to whom she loved and she remembered. The tomb probably reminded her of that day and now she is searching. But Jesus spoke to her as He had at other times. The "teacher" is speaking and she receives His WORDS: :17 Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me for I have not yet ascended to My Father but go to My brethren and say to them. I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God." 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

She had understanding and it appeared in her character. She waited and watched! The other disciples went to their homes. But she watched!  She got to the deliver the message to the other disciples that Jesus was alive among them!

The Dake's Study Bible gives this:  love feels no load. Love revealed in the place of the tomb when one thinks on the good times together. But there is the other too, when one thinks it is all over, and please throw some more dirt on the "dead" thing. Yet, God says it is not over for the believer in Jesus. Because what you and I hold in our hearts, that is of faith and truth will rise when God gives the "go ahead "for no door is closed to those who seek.

Keep seeking, keep searching and knocking and it will be revealed to you for your best days are ahead in His name and to His glory. Amien.

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When Mercy Appeare
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Wheat & Tares-Truth & Compromise

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Who is Speaking into Your Life?

Wherever you go today, you can hear so much music and conversation that the mixture is nothing but noise to the ears! Some malls have the sound of music from the time you enter the front entrance and seems to carry from store to store. But at times, there is so much of it, the noise seems to wrap around you making a simple conversation with your husband or friend impossible. When you have to shout to get the person next to you to hear you speak, then it is not worth having the conversation.

Being bombarded with all that noise is not a welcomed thing. If I find I must go to a mall, I always find the shortest distance from an entrance to the store I desire to shop in when looking for a specific item. Today's society seems to shout to get our attention on anything from buying a new car or pickup to a new washer & dryer. But it does not stop there! It goes on in the drive-through window arena, where they shout at you of the new deals they are offering on the early breakfast deal with coffee added.

But sincerely, who do we allow to speak into our lives?  What carries a weight into our listening when someone speaks? Do we have favor with them or do they really dislike us? What if that which they are speaking is not good, but evil and will hurt you or another person? Who is speaking to you?

In church recently, this young man we have known for a short time brought us this word the Lord had spoken for our pastors. That word was "inspire". I continue to hear that word and looked into its meanings in the Bible and in the dictionary.

to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence, 

to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.):

to inspire confidence in others

to inspire someone with hope; to breathe in (air); to inhale

I believe when we look into the Word of God that has been given to inspire us, to gather us and strengthen us into God's bosom and His plan, we allow Him to speak and show us the "destiny" if you will and the way to get there.
I emboldened the words above that so remind me of the inspiration of God and His word. That quickening to live again with the life of God will be air in my lungs. That God-breathed word when spoken is life I am inhaling to be renewed and invigorated for His plan. It is His Word that is always producing in us the power to move forward and declare His goodness to others. God gives us hope in our darkest hours. Scripture tells us in Romans 15:13..........13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. NIV
As God fills us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, we are those who overflow with hope by the power of His Holy Spirit. We have a joy unspeakable.
1 Peter 1:8............8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: KJV

Jeremiah 32:40-41...............40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.   NIV

What we allow our ears to hear, invades our hearts! Is what we are hearing, truthful, and helpful? Is it an "inspiring" word that will lift us out of the pit of miry clay or is it a vindictive word of harm and hate?

It was said that Augustine had a sign on his wall that read, " He who speaks evil of an absent man or woman is not welcome at this table."

Spending time with God allows us to hear truth and be moved by truth! If what we are hearing is that of violence, gossip and clamor, then our hearts are overtaken to those things.

I pray that we would be people who would continually seek out the Word that inspires us to "the greatness" God placed in us. I pray that we would become the man and woman who God planned to make a difference for the day and time we live it in. If not us, who, and if not now, when?

John 16:12-15................12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. NIV

If you so allow me to speak into your life today, I pray that the God of glory would dwell in your heart by faith. I pray in Jesus' name that you would be inspired by the written word of God that is God-breathed and brings life to your mortal soul. I pray that you would be strengthened to rise out of mediocrity and soar the heights like an eagle and view the world as God our Father does. I pray that your ears are open to hear Him speak and even more than that...........you would see HIM speak............and know that which is life to you. Lord, thank YOU for revelation knowledge that helps us to see HIM who speaks and declares those things to come. May we ever be moving forward in YOUR plan for our lives, consumed by YOUR love and beauty and compelled to tell others of Your truth! Thank You Lord for this word and for Your precious Holy Spirit who tells us the things we must know. We will know all that YOU speak and receive it deep into our hearts and move in power to see Your kingdom on this earth. Amen.

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