It's all right to dream again!

I am home on vacation today. I posted about 60 minutes ago or so the last message "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord". I am about to leave and go on a hike a friend at work told me about that has a waterfalls. Before I leave I have to share this with you all. I just finished a book by my favorite author, Max Lucado. It is titled 3:16. Its all about the famous verse John 3:16 that is shown on signs at sporting events etc. I had just a few pages to read to finish it. Last night I started to read it but then my wife and I started talking so I put it down. Today I read the last 10 pages or so. This is one of those moments where God shows up and he shows off. Its like my wife said last night, God can raise us up from the ashes. Anyway, I came to page 199 of the book. The last section of the book is designed to be a 40 day devotional but I have just read through them quickly to get the book back to my friend who I borrowed it from. I am just going to type in the section from the book so here it is.

Day 33

Two thieves - Two Choices

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Rom 8:1

Ever wonder why there were two crosses next to Christ? Why not six or ten? Ever wonder why Jesus was in the center? Why not on the far right or the far left? Could it be that the two crosses on the hill symbolize one of God's greates gifts? The gift of choice.

The two criminals have so much in common. Convicted by the same system. Condemned to death. Surrounded by the same crowd. Equally close to the same Jesus. In fact, they begin with the same sarcasm: "The two criminals also said cruel things to Jesus" Matt 27:44

But one changed. "He said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. "Jesus said to him, I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise" Luke 23:42-43.

Think about the thief who repented. Though we know little about him, we know this: He made some bad mistakes in life. He chose the wrong crowd, the wrong morals, the wrong behavior. But would you consider his life a waste? Is he spending eternity reaping the fruit of all the bad choices he made? No, just the opposite. He is enjoying the fruit of the one good choice he made. In the end all his bad choices were redeemed by a solitary good one.

You've made some bad choices in life, haven't you? You look back over your life and say, "If only... if only I could make up for those bad choices." You can. One good choice for eternity offsets a thousand bad ones on earth.

The choice is yours.

End

As I read those words and thought of what I had just typed in the blog about as for me and my house we will serve the Lord, I realized I had made a choice. A choice to believe God, to not give up, to keep the faith. How about you? Have you made your choice for eternity? Have you given up on God?

So I kept reading the book, tears now beginning to stream down my face as God was lovingly encouraging me. I then came to page 207 and I realized God was all over me this morning. Here is what it said.

Day 37

It's all right to dream again

"As the new day was dawning..." Matt 28:1

Mary, the mother of James, and Mary Magdalene have come to the tomb to place warm oils on a cold body and bid farewell to the one man who gave them reason to their hopes.

The women think they are alone. They aren't. They think their journey is unnoticed. They are wrong. God knows. And he has a surprise waiting for them.

"An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the stone away from the entrance" Matt 28:2

Why did the angel move the stone? For whom did he roll away the rock? For Jesus? That's what I have always thought. But think about it. Did the stone have to be removed in order for Jesus to exit? Did God have to help? Was the death conqueror so weak that he couldn't push away the rock?

I don;t think so. The text gives the impression that Jesus was already out when the stone was moved! For whom, then, was the stone moved?

Listen to what the angel says: "Come and see the place where his body was" verse 6

The stone was moved-not for Jesus-but for the women; not so Jesus could come out, but so the women could see in!

Mary looks at Mary Magdalene, and Mary is grinning the same grin she had when the bread and fish kept coming out of the basket. Suddenly it's all right to dream again.

"Go quickly and tell his followers, Jesus has risen from the dead. He is going into Galilee ahead of you, and you will see him there," verse 7

Mary and Mary dont have to be told twice. They turn and start running to Jerusalem. The darkness is gone. The sun is up. The Son is out.

End

Did you see it. Lucado said its ok to dream again. I chose to believe God, to keep the faith, and he reassured me. Its ok to dream again!