Luke 24:44-49 New King James Version
The Scriptures Opened
44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, [a]and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city [b]of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Resolution: “I Will Finally Pray God Opens My Eyes”
After rising from the dead, Jesus met several times with his followers.
On the road to Emmaus, while he walked along with two of them, they didn’t know who he was while he taught all about himself from the Scriptures.
Only later, when he broke bread with them, were their eyes finally opened to see Him as the Messiah, God’s truly Anointed One, the Savior (Luke 24:13-35).
These two heavily enlightened followers ran back to the disciples in the Upper Room to testify to their miraculous experiences with the resurrected Jesus.
Then later that same day, in Jerusalem, resurrected Jesus met with a large group of his disciples – not bothering to knock on the heavily locked door.
And after he opened their eyes to see that He had risen in the flesh, Jesus then explained that all of the Scriptures—“the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms”—were fulfilled in him.
For us to see and understand Jesus in the Scriptures, for us to testify, to witness to the resurrection truths revealed in those days, we too need our eyes opened.
As the Psalmist writes …
Psalm 119:17-24 New King James Version
ג GIMEL
17 Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
19 I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20 My soul [a]breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
21 You rebuke the proud—the cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments.
22 Remove from me reproach and contempt,
For I have kept Your testimonies.
23 Princes also sit and speak against me,
But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
24 Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors.
Although the ancient psalmist when he penned these words couldn’t see Jesus or know what we know about Jesus today, the psalmist certainly understood the need for all generations of followers eyes be opened to understand God’s Word.
One of the more traditional, and probably the one left the most unresolved of all resolutions followers of all maturity levels will make as they are all resolving to do at least one thing better entering the new year-to learn more of God’s Word.
Without first resolving to have our eyes opened, God’s Word can seem like a giant legalistic code to measure how others—and we—fail to live righteously.
With this first resolution first and foremost on our prayer list, taking time with Jesus, taking time to converse with Jesus, taking time to listen to Jesus, with our hearts fully exposed, two eyes become fully opened as on the Emmaus Road, we will see in God’s Word the living God who is graciously revealing himself to us.
Be it Resolved that we will learn more how to live the way God intends for us.
Be it Resolved …
We ultimately find the “wonderful things” of God’s grace and mercy—above all, in God’s gift of Jesus—and we live in gratitude for all he has done for us.
A Resolution, A Task That Is Always Left Unfinished.
Matthew 28:16-20 New King James Version
The Great Commission
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.
“When they saw Him; they worshiped Him; but SOME DOUBTED. ”
By the words of the resurrected Jesus Himself, being the Great Commission, we are called to a task that we cannot accomplish alone: to be witnesses to Christ.
Following His death and resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples in the Upper Room, dispelling their fear and doubt by revealing the nail marks in His hands and His feet (Luke 24:39), reminding them of all that had been written concerning Him (v 44), and opening their minds to the truth of Scripture (v 45).
And before He returned to His heavenly throne He gave them one single task: to witness to the outside world what they had seen Him do and heard Him teach.
The truth about Him needed to be proclaimed “testified to all nations” (v 47).
Since that task is as yet unfinished, and will always remain unfinished, God’s people today are called to witness no less than God’s people of that day were.
Hebrews 12:1-2 New King James Version
The Race of Faith
12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a] author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We may not be able to physically go out and testify with the apostle John, “That which … we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life … we proclaim also to you” (1 John 1:1, 3) – but we are each still called to be among the great clouds of witnesses who laid aside every weight, ran the race of faith.
But from the first verse Genesis to the last verse of Revelation, we have God’s very spoken word, which we are called not only to believe but also to proclaim.
Be it resolved to finish what God has commissioned-yet we are so very limited!
We are steadfast and immovable, resolute and resolved, yet one minute we are faithfully believing; then the next minute our minds are filled with uncertainty.
It is never really our conscious intent to allow it to happen, inevitably Human frailty, somehow, somewhere, always and forever gets in the way of divinity.
We too soon lose our resolve often step back in fear rather than forward in faith.
Matthew 10:27-31 New King James Version
Jesus Teaches the Fear of God
27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [a]hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a [b]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
We find ourselves unable to overcome ourselves, not quite knowing what we are should be, saying about communicating the gospel message to those around us.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows this.
He knows His sheep—He knows our propensity for fear and timidity—and He assures us that we do not have to speak or act merely by our own power.
No, but we have each received what Jesus told those first disciples to wait for:
“the promise of the Father,” His Holy Spirit, so that we are “clothed with power from on high.”
Jesus gives us His Spirit in order that we might be involved in kingdom business—in order that we might each take the good news to the nations and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Matthew 10:32-33 New King James Version
Confess Christ Before Men
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Don’t give in to fear and timidity.
What we cannot accomplish alone we can do in the power He has given to us.
So, go out in complete dependence on the Spirit of God, prayerfully commit, to resolving, to be playing your part in the great, unfinished task of proclaiming, of exalting the name and glory of Jesus Christ to all the nations near and far:
Facing a task unfinished that drives us to our knees,
A need that, undiminished, rebukes our slothful ease,
We who rejoice to know Thee renew before Thy throne
The solemn pledge we owe Thee to go and make Thee known.[1]
1 Frank Houghton, “Facing a Task Unfinished” (1931).
Be it resolved …
– if you cannot connect with the world, then start with your own family, then move on to your neighbors, your friends – maybe start a home bible fellowship.
Be it resolved …
-into your church-with your Pastor, begin a small group bible fellowship there.
Be it resolved …
-make plans to expand your current small group bible fellowships, connect them with other churches in your area-exalt God, create bible communities.
Be it resolved …
-believe that with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, all things are always possible!
Be it resolved …
Can God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit get even ONE WITNESS to make their testimony?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 119:33-40 New King James Version
ה HE
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
36 [a]Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
37 Turn[b] away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in [c]Your way.
38 Establish Your word to Your servant,
Who is devoted to fearing You.
39 Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your judgments are good.
40 Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me in Your righteousness.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 