“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2)

Is God primarily wanting to catch you doing something wrong, or is God watching and celebrating our successes?

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

You choose what you think on.

Stop, and pause on that thought.

You choose what you think on.

God is saying, “Take your eyes off the things that drag you down, things that discourage, depress, and disappoint. Instead, set your sight on the things above: on the things that lift you up, things that inspire, and things that encourage you.”

You choose what you think on.

Set…

YOU…

Set your mind on things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.

You choose what you think on.

God’s not out to point out everything wrong with us; God’s desire is to show us who we were created to be!

So, today, set your mind on things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.

“When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher) – John 20:14-16

Say whaaaat?

How are we supposed to make sense of these resurrection appearances of Jesus where the people closest to him don’t recognize him.

Come on! They saw him just days before and they knew what he looked like, they knew who he was. But within days, they can’t recognize Jesus even though he is there talking with them?

This is truly hard to believe.

And as I wrote that in my journal, I wondered how often I miss Jesus in the world around me.

The Bible is clear.

• Jesus is Immanuel – God with us
• Jesus promised that wherever there are two or more gathered in his name that he is present
• Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit to be present with us
• Jesus invites us to dwell and abide in him, and he in us

In the midst of this pandemic, are we so focused on the virus that we fail to see Jesus and his followers at work all around us? God is at work all around us. God is here. We are never alone. The fingerprints of God are all around us…if we would just open our eyes and our hearts. Can you see him? Can you see Jesus?

Open your eyes. Open your heart. See Jesus and his presence all around us.

“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb” (Matthew 28:1)

In every gospel account, the first eye witnesses of the empty tomb are women.

In every gospel account, the first human beings the angel announces the resurrection of Jesus to are women.

In every gospel account, the first human beings the resurrected Jesus shows himself to are women.

In every gospel account, it is the women who are told by the angel or Jesus to go tell the disciples that he has risen from the dead.

In every gospel account, the first human beings to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ are women.

Are you getting this?!?!

In the days of Jesus, the testimony of women were not even allowed in the court of law because people didn’t think women could be trusted.

Yet, in every gospel account the first witnesses to the empty tomb and the resurrected Jesus are women. Not only that, women were the first preachers of the resurrection!

Women told the disciples about the empty tomb and that Jesus has risen from the dead (John 20:18).

Women told the disciples where they were to go so that they could meet Jesus (Mt 28:10).

God didn’t have any problems with women proclaiming the truth of the resurrection of Jesus. And neither do we at the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace.