What Is Our Focus? Our Good Shepherd:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

The word “fixated.” I heard this great song written by a blind woman. It takes a blind woman to tell us the right thing to do. “Turn your Eyes on Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. Than the things on earth will grow strangely dim. In the light of this glory and his grace.”

Jesus had just died---Peter discouraged went back to fishing. All the disciples were hiding out. Mary Magdalene was devastated weeping for two days when she came to the tomb. She was the woman who had seen and experienced the supernatural power of God. She had seven demons that Jesus delivered her from. Mary was a prostitute. She traveled with Jesus so she knew Jesus healing powers, provision and miracles (And also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Luke 8:20).

Mary came to the grave site risking being unclean and then found out his body was gone and she was upset. Thinking it was the Gardener and not knowing they were angels who had rolled away the stone and folded up Jesus grave clothes, she said to him “They taken my Lord away” I like how she said, “My Lord.”

They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." John 20:13

David said, “my God, my deliverer, …..It’s like saying that is my daddy.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2

As soon as Jesus said her name she recognized his voice.

Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). John 20:16

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice and a stranger they will not follow.” It’s the good shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep so the wolf won’t take them away.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. John 10:27-29

But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." John 10:5

When I first became a Christian I had dream that I was walking on an evil road and it was very dark and I became afraid, but then I heard this voice say, “Mary” and all this peace and love flooded my soul. I know the evil road is my walk on this earth. The Lord knows every one of his sheep by name. Mary then recognized that Jesus is the Messiah. She wanted to hug/hold on to Jesus.

Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" John 20:17

Does condemnation and preaching on the wrath and judgment of God lead people to Jesus? What did Mary Magdalene fail to see? The resurrection power of Jesus. It’s the same thing that Jesus told Mary and Martha – he that believes in me although he is dead, yet shall he live. Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; John 11:25

“To live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philip 1:21

So what about this Christianity thing? We have the example of Job how when God pointed out to Satan how he was righteous. Satan told God that Job only was serving him for nothing (Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. Job 1:9) Satan accused Job that he was not serving God for love. Christians only serve God for prosperity, but if Satan was allowed to strike all of Job’s stuff than he would not serve him anymore. Not sure why Job’s wife did not get boils on her body like Job did too since they were “one flesh.”

Job continued to trust in God. Very difficult to trust in God in hard times when everything is going wrong and all hell is breaking out in our lives. That is why it talks about taking the “helmet” which is the hope of salvation.” Corrie ten Boom had that experience in her country when the Germans arrested her family for hiding the Jews during the war and she went to a concentration camp.

But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 1 Thess 5:8

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

Turn Your Eyes On Jesus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czxd5oa-gi0