Hanging onto the Words of Jesus

During my time in the Word this morning I read the following:

And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were selling, saying to them, "It is written, 'And My house shall be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a robbers' den." And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging upon His words. Luke 19:45-48

The first thing that struck me as I read this passage was, "for all the people were hanging upon His words." I had never noticed this in this passage before, although I know I have read this portion of scripture countless times.

In my mind, I pictured people gathered around Jesus, eyes intently on Him, hanging on to His every word. Listening so intently that they were practically able to repeat verbatim every word He spoke. They were soaking up all that He had to say.

Then I went back and read the verses before this verse as I wanted to see the context in which this was written. And what I saw was very revealing... Jesus had entered the temple and He became so upset at what He saw happening in God's temple that He began casting out those who were misusing the temple grounds for their own purposes and greediness... I am sure He made quite a scene. I have seen it portrayed in movies and it was not pretty or nice, Jesus was angry, this was His Father's house, meant to be used as a house of prayer. Yet, people who were coming to make sacrifices were being taken advantage of...

What got my attention, was that in spite of all the people who were bound to be angry with Jesus, in spite of the chief priests and scribes and leading men trying to destroy Jesus, there were so many people hanging onto His every word that those wanting to destroy Him could do nothing to harm Him. The Amplified Bible reads this way, "For all the people hung upon His words and stuck by Him,".

Do we hang onto Jesus' words today?? Do we stick by Him no matter what?? Or are we swayed by the voices of this world and the agenda of those with unrighteous plans...

 Just something to ponder...

Living Fully, Intentionally...

I attended a funeral yesterday... for a young wife, mom, and daughter... she was only 35 years old... she died of cancer...  She leaves behind her husband of 11 years, 2 daughers, 9 years old and 5 years old, her parents, and countless other friends and relatives...

Her funeral was by far the most worshipful funeral I have ever attended. Upon leaving, I was struck with the fact that I had attended a funeral but felt as if I had attended a worship service!  I believe this was the first time that I have received encouragement and spiritual renewal from attending a funeral.  I left her funeral encouraged and motivated to live my life to the fullest and to live intentionally in light of eternity rather than living for the temporal things of this world.

Her life made a difference for the kingdom.  She willingly allowed God to use her life and the story He wrote with her life to show His love to a lost, dark, and dying world.  It was said of her that she never complained about her battle with cancer, never asked "Why me?".  Rather, she asked God to give her a testimony and to use her life for His glory.  The gospel was preached through her life and through the words at her "Going Home Party", and at least 10 people accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior at her funeral!!!  I can not remember ever attending a funeral where an invitation was given and where people came to meet Jesus personally as their Lord and Savior!  What a testimony!  What a life well-lived!  What a demonstration of the power of God... to work through death to give life to those who were dead in their sins! 

I want my life to count for His Kingdom.... thank you Jamie Layton Cagle, for motivating and encouraging me to keep my eyes focused on my Savior, and to live my days left here on earth intentionally, for His Glory, and with an eternal perspective...

"The memory of the uncompromisingly righteous is a blessing..."  Proverbs 10:7