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Luke 24:41 says, The followers were amazed and very, very happy to see that Jesus was alive. Jesus had just appeared to the disciples after his resurrection and they were obviously very happy to see him. We can be happy that Jesus rose again because it means that we can spend eternity with him. He took the punishment for all our sins. I can't think of a better reason to be happy. No matter what else is going on in your life, the fact that Jesus died for your sin and rose again doesn't change.
 If you feel overlooked, outcast or oppressed, Jesus sees you. These are the kinds of people Jesus is friends with.
 Proverbs 13:21 says, Trouble chases sinners wherever they go, but good things happen to good people. The book of Proverbs has a lot of verses about God blessing righteous people, that is, people who do right.
Proverbs 3:33 The Lord curses a wicked family, but he blesses the homes of those who live right. Proverbs 10:16 The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. Proverbs 10:24 The righteous get what they want, but the wicked will get what they fear most. Proverbs 11:8 The righteous person is rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead. I could go on, but you get the idea. This doesn't mean that bad things don't happen to good people - that's part of living in a broken world. Romans 8:28 says, 'we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.' Paul is saying that God redeems the bad stuff and uses it for good with the people who love him. In Luke chapter 10, Jesus had sent out 72 people to preach the Gospel.
Luke 10:17-20 says: When the 72 followers came back from their trip, they were very happy. They said, “Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we used your name!” Jesus said to them, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from the sky. He is the enemy, but know that I have given you more power than he has. I have given you power to crush his snakes and scorpions under your feet. Nothing will hurt you. Yes, even the spirits obey you. And you can be happy, not because you have this power, but because your names are written in heaven.” They were happy because: 1. Jesus has defeated Satan. 2. He gave us power over Satan and his demons when we use the name of Jesus. 3. We can be happy because our names are written is heaven. Some Christians are fearful of Satan and his demons. We shouldn't be naive because Paul warned that we are in a Spiritual battle. But we should remember that Jesus defeated Satan when he died and rose again on the cross. He is only allowed to work on the earth because God has allowed it until Jesus comes again, then he will be cast down to the Pit (Hell). So how do we defeat Satan? When Jesus was tempted by Satan he used the Word of God to answer him (Matthew 4:1-11). Put on the armour of God - belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of readiness, shield of faith, sword of the Spirit (Bible), prayer (Ephesians 6:10-11) Resist him (James 4:7). Be alert (1 Peter 5:7). Proverbs 13:6 says, Righteousness guards the person of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner (NIV). The Easy to Read Version says, Goodness protects honest people, but evil destroys those who love to sin. Basically this means that God will look after people who love Jesus and try to live right. People who love sin will be dragged further down the path of sin. A sin that seems small, can lead to bigger sin (note: it's important to remember that God doesn't grade sin, it's all equal). This doesn't mean that nothing bad will happen to righteous or good people. I think it means that they won't get dragged down a sinful path if they are loving Jesus and trying to live by his Word. The Enduring Word Commentary says, deeds can reflect destiny. Small sins can lead to bigger ones.
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