Luke 23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
23:40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
23:41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
23:42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
23:43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Two criminals hanging on the cross, one repentant, one bitter and selfish, both about to die for their sins. One will be in Paradise with Jesus and the other, well, lets just say Jesus wasn’t speaking to him.
This is one of about three places that Jesus speaks of heaven: Luke 16:20-25 Lazarus and the rich man, Luke 20:29-37 the seven brothers and one wife and here on the cross.
Jesus wasn’t about bringing the kingdom of God to people after death but here and now. Jesus wanted people to know about God’s Kingdom, what it means to each of us to know about it and how we need to live in this kingdom He was teaching us about. Jesus’ parables were about searching for those lost, seeking those who have wandered off and sometimes waiting patiently for those who will not hear His call. Jesus taught us most of all to love our fellow man, to help those who are in need and heal those who are sick. This means we need to bolster up our faith, make ourselves bold in His love and choose to make a sacrifice or two of our gifts that have come from Him. Jesus wants us to live in the Kingdom of God not in the secular world of today. Seek out the Kingdom and the Kingdom will find you. I believe these words of Jesus, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise” will truly become very meaningful to you.
Have a blessed Holiday Season, you know, Thanksgiving and Christmas,
Randy
Wesley United Methodist Church, Orange TX 
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