Check, Please!

I like to think I am improving in some aspects of my life but some things in my existence just never seem to change, even with the best of my intentions. This is from Easter Sunday, 20012.

I was late to worship service this morning. I have a Sunday morning routine, part of which is writing two checks for contributions in both our English and Chinese services. There was a problem this morning- I couldn't find my checkbook. Everything stopped while I searched. I went from one room to the next. Finally, I prayed that I could find it and immediately I did, in very plain sight. Guess what my reading for April 12 was this morning in my One Year Bible? (If you read yesterday, you'll see I've caught up!) It was Luke 15, the three parables of lostness: the Lost Sheep, the Lost Son, and of course, the Lost Coin. In the third one I listed, a woman loses one of her ten silver coins and frantically puts her life on hold until it is found. When she finds the money, she throws a party! In fact, all three of these parables that Jesus combined in Luke 15 end with celebrations. Today, much of the world celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago. But to have resurrection, you have to have death. Death entered the world through sin. That's where you and I come into this story. We were the lost coin, sheep, and son. On Thursday, I asked my students if they thought their moms and dads would let them be put to death to save someone else's life, someone who might even possibly hate them. There were no affirmative answers. Thank God that He had no such qualms when it came to His Son. Yesterday, I spoke of my obtaining a piece of Arkansas real estate where my body will someday be laid to rest. My physical body will never leave that tomb living and breathing, walking and talking. But there was One who did. THANK GOD!

Applicable quote of the day # 1:
"We live and die; Christ died and lived!"
John Stott

Applicable quote of the day # 2:
"Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there."
Clarence W. Hall

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com/
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com