Creative Writing

As I write, it is the day after Easter. And the angel's question will not leave me alone.

Walk WITH Jesus With Jim Reynolds

Today's Walk by Jim Reynolds The Angel's Question As I write, it is the day after Easter. And the angel's question will not leave me alone. Luke 24:1-8 (NIV) 1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee : 7 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" 8 Then they remembered his words. It is the question I secretly want to ask nearly everyone I meet. It is often unspoken, but in the back of my mind, as I listen to people describe their chaos. “Why are you searching for life among the dead?” It is a question that surfaces during my own sleepless nights; why are you searching for life among the dead? I think all of us want life. We want happiness, joy, fulfillment; whatever… we want that hole in the center of our being to be filled. We want success, prosperity, a strong family, a healthy and growing church, a sense of contentment; in truth, we would probably settle for far less than those ideals. Yet, in practice, we often choose the opposite. We sabotage life by ignoring the author of it in favor of our own best thinking or our own depravity. We are greedy, envious, and lack self-control. But, instead of running to life and wisdom, we tighten our shackles by clutching at significance through more “stuff” – mere things that require burdensome debt. We are hurt and disappointed, justifiably angered by the actions (or inactions) of another. But instead of seeking the healing balm of forgiveness, we drive our bitterness deeper. Like a dog who doesn't know any better, we lick our wounds until they become raw and infected. Some are in “unfulfilling” marriages; some are deceived into believing they “deserve” something they do not have (and believe they never will.) All too easily we run into the arms of someone who gives us the tingles or to the anonymity of pornography. Why do you search for the living among the dead? How can we not see the cliff at the ends of these roads? Are we that blind? Do we truly believe we can unearth life in the middle of a cemetery? There is only one place to find life and it is with the One who defeated the graveyard that we dig through. It takes the shock of the angel's question (not to mention the “missing body”) to help the women remember Jesus' words. Prophetically delivered before the crucifixion, they assure that God keeps His word even when He must overcome the “impossible” to do so. God's plan is not derailed even by death. IF death be conquered. If instead we continue to root among the bones, all the while feigning ignorance, we will never find life and death will win; Every, Single, Time. In case you hadn't heard, Jesus rose from the dead. The Author Of Life is alive. The Faithful One did what He said He would do. The Perfecter Of Our Faith is working. The Gate to Heaven is wide open because death has no power over Him. Immanuel – God With Us – is WITH us. When this reality settled on the women first to arrive at the tomb, they “remembered His words.” But others, according to later verses in Luke 24 , considered such news to be nonsense. Even impetuous Peter left the empty tomb “wondering to himself what had happened.” When the angel's question comes to us in the barren hours between midnight and other people waking up, we have the same choice. If you are so fortunate as to hear the angel's question in the middle of or (God be blessed for His mercy) BEFORE you speed down one of these “dead man's curve” kinds of roads, you have the same choice. Remember – and act on – His words… or “wonder” what to do next. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen.” If we were really looking for Him, we would leave these decaying places and go in search of Him… only to learn He is waiting to “find” us. Jesus is the only One to find life among death… for He is the only One with the power to transform our fruitless search for what we call life into an encounter with the Risen Lord. Ephesians 2:1-8 (NIV) 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- Colossians 2:13-15 (NIV) 13 When you were dead in your sins… God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Walk WITH Jesus, Jim A shorter version Walk WITH Jesus is actually published *weekly* , via e-mail. TO SUBSCRIBE send a blank message to walkwithjesus-subscribe@associate.com Then click "Reply" when you receive the confirmation request. If you believe this letter would benefit others, feel free to forward it along / post it to message boards / etc and encourage others to subscribe, please include proper credits. Jim Reynolds – John 14:1-6 Copyright 2009 ----- BIO At this writing , Jim is sitting in his new office, in his new home, in a new city , just a few miles from his new church. It's all very exciting, but though undeniably God-blessed, it is still not “home” – not yet. Jim and his family are looking forward to the day it is. Jim grew up – and sometimes still longs for – the suburbs of Kansas City, but now has the privilege of serving as the pastor of a non-denominational Midwestern church. He and his wonderful, beautiful, multi-talented wife, Deanna, have two children still with them and one “Punkin Seed” waiting for them in Heaven; she “went to live with her other Daddy” at the age of 5 ½ months. Jim is thrilled, humbled, and grateful for the opportunity to write for this magazine.

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Luke 24:1-8 (NIV)
1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.
2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?
6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee :
7 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"
8 Then they remembered his words.

It is the question I secretly want to ask nearly everyone I meet. It is often unspoken, but in the back of my mind, as I listen to people describe their chaos. “Why are you searching for life among the dead?” It is a question that surfaces during my own sleepless nights; why are you searching for life among the dead?

I think all of us want life. We want happiness, joy, fulfillment; whatever… we want that hole in the center of our being to be filled. We want success, prosperity, a strong family, a healthy and growing church, a sense of contentment; in truth, we would probably settle for far less than those ideals.

Yet, in practice, we often choose the opposite. We sabotage life by ignoring the author of it in favor of our own best thinking or our own depravity. We are greedy, envious, and lack self-control. But, instead of running to life and wisdom, we tighten our shackles by clutching at significance through more “stuff” – mere things that require burdensome debt.

We are hurt and disappointed, justifiably angered by the actions (or inactions) of another. But instead of seeking the healing balm of forgiveness, we drive our bitterness deeper. Like a dog who doesn't know any better, we lick our wounds until they become raw and infected.

Some are in “unfulfilling” marriages; some are deceived into believing they “deserve” something they do not have (and believe they never will.) All too easily we run into the arms of someone who gives us the tingles or to the anonymity of pornography.

Why do you search for the living among the dead? How can we not see the cliff at the ends of these roads? Are we that blind? Do we truly believe we can unearth life in the middle of a cemetery? There is only one place to find life and it is with the One who defeated the graveyard that we dig through.

It takes the shock of the angel's question (not to mention the “missing body”) to help the women remember Jesus' words. Prophetically delivered before the crucifixion, they assure that God keeps His word even when He must overcome the “impossible” to do so. God's plan is not derailed even by death. IF death be conquered. If instead we continue to root among the bones, all the while feigning ignorance, we will never find life and death will win; Every, Single, Time.

In case you hadn't heard, Jesus rose from the dead. The Author Of Life is alive. The Faithful One did what He said He would do. The Perfecter Of Our Faith is working. The Gate to Heaven is wide open because death has no power over Him. Immanuel – God With Us – is WITH us.

When this reality settled on the women first to arrive at the tomb, they “remembered His words.” But others, according to later verses in Luke 24 , considered such news to be nonsense. Even impetuous Peter left the empty tomb “wondering to himself what had happened.”

When the angel's question comes to us in the barren hours between midnight and other people waking up, we have the same choice. If you are so fortunate as to hear the angel's question in the middle of or (God be blessed for His mercy) BEFORE you speed down one of these “dead man's curve” kinds of roads, you have the same choice. Remember – and act on – His words… or “wonder” what to do next.

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen.” If we were really looking for Him, we would leave these decaying places and go in search of Him… only to learn He is waiting to “find” us. Jesus is the only One to find life among death… for He is the only One with the power to transform our fruitless search for what we call life into an encounter with the Risen Lord.

Ephesians 2:1-8 (NIV)
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--

Colossians 2:13-15 (NIV)
13 When you were dead in your sins… God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

A shorter version Walk WITH Jesus is actually published weekly , via e-mail.

If you believe this letter would benefit others, feel free to forward it along / post it to message boards / etc and encourage others to subscribe, please include proper credits.

At this writing , Jim is sitting in his new office, in his new home, in a new city , just a few miles from his new church. It's all very exciting, but though undeniably God-blessed, it is still not “home” – not yet. Jim and his family are looking forward to the day it is. Jim grew up – and sometimes still longs for – the suburbs of Kansas City, but now has the privilege of serving as the pastor of a non-denominational Midwestern church. He and his wonderful, beautiful, multi-talented wife, Deanna, have two children still with them and one “Punkin Seed” waiting for them in Heaven; she “went to live with her other Daddy” at the age of 5 ½ months. Jim is thrilled, humbled, and grateful for the opportunity to write for this magazine.

The Angel's Question