Luke 10:16-21 - The Humble have their names written in Heaven.

The Lord said to his disciples, "He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name! " And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. " In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will."

Written in Heaven!
photo by Walt Stoneburner, used under the creative commons license.
check out more photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/waltstoneburner/ 

The real reason why I should rejoice should have nothing to do with any success I may achieve in this life, whether in the temporal or spiritual realm. Yes, victories are great and, yes, it does give satisfaction for me to achieve something whether it be somehow helping another person, thus living out the Gospel or something of a personal nature, expanding upon my talents in someway. Yes, it is okay to be happy about that. But, how much more important it is to rejoice about my name being written in heaven, like those of the Apostles.

To think that God would take notice of me, sinful though I am. To think that God would want my name written in heaven.  How important it is to keep humble and realize that the Holy Spirit will not reveal Himself to the proud and arrogant man but to the one who is humble of heart~ humble like a child.

O Lord, how I desire to remain that humble so that I would see You. The proud and haughty man cannot see You, because they look to themselves. But I want to rejoice in You and see my name written in Your Kingdom. Help me to live like that today, I pray, Amen. 

Matthew 23:29-39 - Like a Hen gathering Chicks

The Lord said to the Jews who had come to him, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this generation.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'

Hen gathers chicks
photo by Jeanette Ozpix
used under the creative commons license
check out more photos at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeanetteb1/

The Lord is always going to tell the truth and in this passage He doesn't hesitate to call it like it is.The truth is that people who claim to be religious, who are the spiritually elite and who relish being looked up to as big-wigs in the Synagogue, are, in fact, children of hell. For they oppose the Kingdom of God and every time a true prophet of God comes along, they kill them for their message is against them.

Yet, the Lord longs to gather all who reject Him and wishes to care for them as a hen cares for its chicks, under her wings. So great is the compassion of the Lord and yet these chicks will not be gathered but instead will meet their own destruction.

O Lord, let my heart always be soft and may I always look to You who gathers those who will be gathered. Let me not be among those who oppose You for they will have no peace.  Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.