Hero in our lives...

There are a lot of heroes in the Bible. David, the Goliath Slayer, Solomon, the wisest of them all, Paul, the disciples who died for Christ....

These have been discussed and if you hear sermon regularly, you will hear them preach and described their strength and how we can be more like them. That's great. We need heroes in our lives. Not only can they lift us up when we are down, they serve a light of hope in our trials.

I have been hearing a radio podcast from Ravi Zacharias International Ministry. One of the topic was "Barriers to Belief". Ravi ended it off with stating that can we follow a path of righteousness without appreciation of prestige and glory in the eyes of others?

There is one person that I want to become more of...that is the criminal who hung with Christ in Luke 23:39-43 (NIV):

39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.^[a]"

43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

If there is a hero in this story, it is the criminal who asked Jesus to remember him in His Kingdom. If there is anyone I am inspired from, it is him. A criminal, a nameless criminal. Someone who is the lowest of the low in society. Hanging on the cross, accepting his sins, in his dying breathe continuing to defend His God.

He know he deserved his death from his actions. He simply ask Jesus to remember him.

As Ravi said, 'when you can follow a commitment of righteousness and dignity and disciple where there is no glory except truth and love at sake, that's whom God is trying to build His Kingdom.'

Lord, please keep me humble. Please soften my heart so that I can continue to be in awe by your presence. Let me continue to rely on your Strength for everything that I do. And let everything that I do give glory and praise back to You. May you remember me when my heart stop beating and I depart from this earth...may I continue to fear you and defend your Name to the very end.