What are you looking at?



This week in my bible reading I was looking at the crucifixion of Jesus.  As I was reading the account, I closed my eyes for a moment and imagined Peter and the disciples.  For 3 years, they've been doing life with Jesus.  They've seen amazing things, not only at Jesus' hands, but at their own.  They have recognized that he is the Son of God.  They've seen healings, deliverance,  and even people raised from the dead!

Suddenly they are looking at Jesus as he dies and life looks black.  

In that moment, I imagine Peter took a deep breath and thought "What the heck is going on.  I I thought for sure he was the Messiah, I mean I even said that.  I saw him shining on the mountain. Did I imagine it all? What am I gonna do now?"

Peter and the others, must have been lost, devastated, afraid. 

Several people I know are facing some pretty challenging situations, maybe you are too.  We can look at what we see and forget what God has said to us.  We look at the situation and we see nothing but defeat.

But remember what Jesus had said? Mark 8:31 (KJV)
And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Jesus told them before hand what would happen, but they were so busy looking at the wrong thing, they forgot. They gave up and expected the worst. 

In our own situations, we need to remember what God has said to us, and we need to remember that there is life-giving, resurrection power coursing through us!   Romans 8:11 says that if the same spirit that raised Christ lives within us it will quicken (bring to life) our mortal bodies!!!

Mortal speaks of the here and now - this is not some prophetic thing for the future! It's about your body here and now! 

But more than just power for healing, if the same spirit that could raise Christ from the dead, lives in you, do you think that he can't deal with the other death-bringing things in your life?  Debt, depression, sickness, oppression, fear and so on! Of course not!  The fact that he lives in you brings life to EVERY situation you face.  

Whatever it looks like on the outside it's not over yet!  You have God's very life on the inside of you and that overcomes all the lies and deceit of the enemy.

Today, get your mind and eyes away from what you see.  Get your head buried in the word, in worship, in praying in the Spirit and look at what happened at the cross.  The devil was utterly defeated and Jesus was totally victorious, and that same Spirit that won for all eternity is now on the inside of every believer. 

You may be facing a serious trial in your life, but don't let it be what you focus on. Today take a look and remind yourself, think on, the fact the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead that lives in you! 

Happy Saturday




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