For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. – 1 John 3:16
Christ and the Cross. True love. I do not know about you, but I am often amazed at the love of God. My understanding still is not able to grasp completely the love of God. How do you completely understand a love that is so great, you would sacrifice yourself for your enemy? God loved us so much that he gave his son that he loves for our sin. He allowed the innocent to die for the guilty, how do you completely understand that?
Or how do you understand that the cross was on the mind of God even before man was created? Before the foundation of the world, God was preparing a way for man’s release from sin. God’s love is patient with us. When we were his enemy he could easily have required our lives, but instead he granted us mercy so that we would have the opportunity to accept his love. We foolishly believe that what we do (in our sinful state) is because of who we are and in our own ability. We get in our cars, go to our jobs, and accomplish the things we think we should all with a pat on our own backs. What we do not realize is if God had not granted us his mercy we would not be able to get in our cars (without God we wouldn’t have use of our limbs), go to our jobs (it’s his mercy that granted us the job) and accomplish anything (all done in his mercy).
God gives to us his love. He plants it down within our hearts. If you cannot love, then it is safe to say that you do not have God. God is love and when we accept his gift of Jesus’ sacrifice, he imparts to us his love in us. If you find yourself not loving your brother, it is a safe sign that you need to check yourself. The scripture from 1 John tells us that because we have the love of God, we are now empowered to love our brothers. Jesus our example laid down his life for you and I, and we ought to do the same for someone else.
This takes us back to having deliverance over ourselves. Because we have the freedom of “self” we can sacrifice ourselves so that God can use us to reach someone else. We can let go of our agenda, our plans, and our ideas for God’s agenda, God’s plan and for godly ideas. Today I pray for us that we rejoice in what the gift of Christ has offered to us. There are so many more godly provisions that have been opened to us we only need seek them. When you go to worship this week, go seeking God’s direction so that he can show you his plan for your life.
Showing posts with label Christ and the Cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christ and the Cross. Show all posts
Friday, March 14, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Words of Encouragement
But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. - Philippians 1:18-20
Christ and the Cross. Deliverance. What enables Paul to rejoice while in chains? He is in chains and could possible lose his life at any time, yet he encourages others to continue for the sake of Christ. What can make a person while in bondage rejoice?
It could only be Christ. We (me included) oftentimes forget the great significances of Christ and the cross. We tend to preach the “cross”. Meaning we preach only that Jesus saves us from our sins. While that is a great deal, it isn’t the entire story. Sometimes we tend to preach “resurrection” only. We preach because Jesus was raised, we too will be raised. This is a great gift, yet it isn’t the entire story.
The only way we can teach or preach the entire story is to preach Jesus. Jesus came to do so much more than we can even grasp at one time, so we do not want to limit the message. One of the many things Jesus came to bring is deliverance. He brings deliverance from sin, but he didn’t stop at that when he hung on the cross. He brought us deliverance from the tricks of the enemy and most importantly from ourselves. He gave us deliverance from the stronghold of “self”. That was a losing battle we often fought, when trying to do anything that would cause us to have to limit ourselves.
Why do you think Paul could rejoice while in chains? He had received the deliverance from the stronghold of self. Paul says in the scripture that he knows with the prayers of the righteous and the power of the Holy Spirit, the situation he finds himself in, will turn out for his deliverance. He wasn’t necessarily talking about his release from the physical chains he was in, but in any spiritual chains that might try to attach themselves to him and then truly make him one in chains (spiritual ones). He had freedom to move in the power of the Spirit, even with the captor thought he had him limited. He has the power of God to rescue him from whatever would keep him from fulfilling the will of the Father. And Paul was ready to go even to death, if it meant fulfilling the will of the Father.
Today we can rejoice because that same power of deliverance that was there for Paul is available to us. We can fulfill the cause of Christ in our lives because he has delivered us from ourselves. He has given us the Holy Spirit to equip us to stand even in the situations where the captor tries to hold us back. What rejoicing we can have, because even though Paul was in chains, it did not stop the spread of the gospel it actually encouraged the spread of the gospel. That is what God will do in our lives. He will allow the chains we find ourselves in to encourage others because they see in us the hope of glory. They see in us a made-up mind and a determined spirit. They see that even though our situation has us seemingly locked up, we move freely in the power of God.
I pray for us today that we meditate on the goodness we have been give through the total sacrifice of self that Jesus did for us. He examples us what total surrender to the cause of God can do. Today Lord help us yield completely to you, so that we can experience total freedom through your gift of deliverance.
Christ and the Cross. Deliverance. What enables Paul to rejoice while in chains? He is in chains and could possible lose his life at any time, yet he encourages others to continue for the sake of Christ. What can make a person while in bondage rejoice?
It could only be Christ. We (me included) oftentimes forget the great significances of Christ and the cross. We tend to preach the “cross”. Meaning we preach only that Jesus saves us from our sins. While that is a great deal, it isn’t the entire story. Sometimes we tend to preach “resurrection” only. We preach because Jesus was raised, we too will be raised. This is a great gift, yet it isn’t the entire story.
The only way we can teach or preach the entire story is to preach Jesus. Jesus came to do so much more than we can even grasp at one time, so we do not want to limit the message. One of the many things Jesus came to bring is deliverance. He brings deliverance from sin, but he didn’t stop at that when he hung on the cross. He brought us deliverance from the tricks of the enemy and most importantly from ourselves. He gave us deliverance from the stronghold of “self”. That was a losing battle we often fought, when trying to do anything that would cause us to have to limit ourselves.
Why do you think Paul could rejoice while in chains? He had received the deliverance from the stronghold of self. Paul says in the scripture that he knows with the prayers of the righteous and the power of the Holy Spirit, the situation he finds himself in, will turn out for his deliverance. He wasn’t necessarily talking about his release from the physical chains he was in, but in any spiritual chains that might try to attach themselves to him and then truly make him one in chains (spiritual ones). He had freedom to move in the power of the Spirit, even with the captor thought he had him limited. He has the power of God to rescue him from whatever would keep him from fulfilling the will of the Father. And Paul was ready to go even to death, if it meant fulfilling the will of the Father.
Today we can rejoice because that same power of deliverance that was there for Paul is available to us. We can fulfill the cause of Christ in our lives because he has delivered us from ourselves. He has given us the Holy Spirit to equip us to stand even in the situations where the captor tries to hold us back. What rejoicing we can have, because even though Paul was in chains, it did not stop the spread of the gospel it actually encouraged the spread of the gospel. That is what God will do in our lives. He will allow the chains we find ourselves in to encourage others because they see in us the hope of glory. They see in us a made-up mind and a determined spirit. They see that even though our situation has us seemingly locked up, we move freely in the power of God.
I pray for us today that we meditate on the goodness we have been give through the total sacrifice of self that Jesus did for us. He examples us what total surrender to the cause of God can do. Today Lord help us yield completely to you, so that we can experience total freedom through your gift of deliverance.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Words of Encouragement
And there rejoice before the LORD your God, you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns, who have no allotment or inheritance of their own. Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. Offer them only at the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you. – Deuteronomy 12:12-14
and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. – Romans 24-26
Christ and the Cross. The right kind of sacrifice. In the Old Testament times the people were required to bring sacrifices unto the Lord. If you read in the Law you see they were to make several types of offerings in several different ways. The scripture verses here, remind them about one such sacrifice. When the people are to come, they must be careful not to come offering the burnt offering anywhere they chose, but to offer them only in the place where God has chosen. We may read this and say, what’s the big deal; they were offering the sacrifice, why does it matter where they did it? It matters greatly. It matters because to follow part of a commandment of God and not the entire command is complete disobedience.
What does this have to do with the cross? God sent Jesus to the cross to die for you and I so that we would not have to stand accused of the sins in our lives. God had a complete plan on how Jesus was to accomplish this. Jesus was to present himself as the sacrifice of atonement, just as the priest had done in Old Testament times. It was through the shed blood of the animal that the people’s sins were “temporarily” cover. Jesus was to shed his blood to “permanently” cover our sins. Jesus did not follow His Fathers instructions partly, but completely. In doing so, he opened up the opportunity for you and I to be forgiven.
Now it stands to us. We cannot accept the cross partly, because to do so, we are in fact rejecting it completely. To accept Christ and the cross, we must accept that this is the only way to God. This is the specific place we have been told to go to offer our sacrifices of ourselves before God. Jesus lifeblood was shed so that we could have a right relationship with God. And the instruction to us today is, do not make your sacrifice (of your life) anywhere you so please. In other words, don’t think you will say to God, well I lived for you, I read my Bible, I do this or that, but I just couldn’t accept that I needed Jesus in my life or that I needed to follow those things he said. Then let me tell you what you have done, you have in fact said, I refuse to accept you God, for this way of salvation was God’s plan.
Today, I pray for us to be careful in our sacrifices. We do not want to do as we please, but we want to do as God says and what is pleasing to him. Lord, help us to be living sacrifices your way, and in your power and might. Help us to see the example of Jesus. He was the right kind of sacrifice because he was obedient to your will. Help us to be the right kind of sacrifice, by being obedient to you.
and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. – Romans 24-26
Christ and the Cross. The right kind of sacrifice. In the Old Testament times the people were required to bring sacrifices unto the Lord. If you read in the Law you see they were to make several types of offerings in several different ways. The scripture verses here, remind them about one such sacrifice. When the people are to come, they must be careful not to come offering the burnt offering anywhere they chose, but to offer them only in the place where God has chosen. We may read this and say, what’s the big deal; they were offering the sacrifice, why does it matter where they did it? It matters greatly. It matters because to follow part of a commandment of God and not the entire command is complete disobedience.
What does this have to do with the cross? God sent Jesus to the cross to die for you and I so that we would not have to stand accused of the sins in our lives. God had a complete plan on how Jesus was to accomplish this. Jesus was to present himself as the sacrifice of atonement, just as the priest had done in Old Testament times. It was through the shed blood of the animal that the people’s sins were “temporarily” cover. Jesus was to shed his blood to “permanently” cover our sins. Jesus did not follow His Fathers instructions partly, but completely. In doing so, he opened up the opportunity for you and I to be forgiven.
Now it stands to us. We cannot accept the cross partly, because to do so, we are in fact rejecting it completely. To accept Christ and the cross, we must accept that this is the only way to God. This is the specific place we have been told to go to offer our sacrifices of ourselves before God. Jesus lifeblood was shed so that we could have a right relationship with God. And the instruction to us today is, do not make your sacrifice (of your life) anywhere you so please. In other words, don’t think you will say to God, well I lived for you, I read my Bible, I do this or that, but I just couldn’t accept that I needed Jesus in my life or that I needed to follow those things he said. Then let me tell you what you have done, you have in fact said, I refuse to accept you God, for this way of salvation was God’s plan.
Today, I pray for us to be careful in our sacrifices. We do not want to do as we please, but we want to do as God says and what is pleasing to him. Lord, help us to be living sacrifices your way, and in your power and might. Help us to see the example of Jesus. He was the right kind of sacrifice because he was obedient to your will. Help us to be the right kind of sacrifice, by being obedient to you.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Words of Encouragement
When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. – Matthew 27:35-44
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. – Mark 8:34
Christ and the Cross. The truth of the cross. We often times look at the cross of Christ and think about all that we received because of the cross, but we tend to miss all that Christ gave because of the cross.
The cross was an insult. The cross was punishment for the criminal. There was horror in the cross. The cross was a means of disgrace to the one being hung upon it. As we read the scripture in Matthew we see the treatment Jesus received. He was charged as a criminal, yet he was innocent. He was counted among the criminals when he was placed between the robbers. Those that stood around insulted him. He was mocked and told to show himself by coming down off his cross. He was yelled at to save himself as they continued to heap insults upon him.
This did not stop Jesus from finishing the task of the cross. Jesus was counted as unrighteous so that the righteousness of God could be fulfilled. Jesus withstood the insults and the mocking because he knew in God’s perfect timing he would be shown righteous again.
Jesus was counted as a mere criminal so that you and I could be counted as children of the most high. Jesus did not come down from the cross because he knew that if he did, all would be lost. He willing died so that we could live.
So when we hear the command from Jesus, to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him, what does that mean for you and I? The truth in the cross is you and I were give liberty or freedom from sin, so that we could be the avenues for freedom for someone else. When we take up our cross we must be willing to stand under the insults and mocking. There will come those that will insult you for what you do and mock you as a fool. There will come those that will count you as a criminal, yet God knows you are righteous. Yet you willing stand up to the mocking because you know in God’s perfect timing he will show you righteous before all. To take up your cross you willing die to your desire to prove who you are. Jesus could have proved who he was and come down from the cross, but in doing so, he would have turned aside God’s plan. So instead he stayed on the cross and proved who he was that way, but showing his ultimate power over sin.
You and I must withstand the trick of the enemy to make us come down from where God has placed us. We must resist the pleas to show who we are. Instead we must continue to carry our cross until God himself shows to all, who we really are.
Today I pray for us that we thank the Lord for not only what we received from the cross, but to show our thankfulness for all that Jesus gave up for us. He gave up all, and mainly he gave himself. Today let us take the stand, the challenge of Jesus, let us give up all, and mainly ourselves and follow him.
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. – Mark 8:34
Christ and the Cross. The truth of the cross. We often times look at the cross of Christ and think about all that we received because of the cross, but we tend to miss all that Christ gave because of the cross.
The cross was an insult. The cross was punishment for the criminal. There was horror in the cross. The cross was a means of disgrace to the one being hung upon it. As we read the scripture in Matthew we see the treatment Jesus received. He was charged as a criminal, yet he was innocent. He was counted among the criminals when he was placed between the robbers. Those that stood around insulted him. He was mocked and told to show himself by coming down off his cross. He was yelled at to save himself as they continued to heap insults upon him.
This did not stop Jesus from finishing the task of the cross. Jesus was counted as unrighteous so that the righteousness of God could be fulfilled. Jesus withstood the insults and the mocking because he knew in God’s perfect timing he would be shown righteous again.
Jesus was counted as a mere criminal so that you and I could be counted as children of the most high. Jesus did not come down from the cross because he knew that if he did, all would be lost. He willing died so that we could live.
So when we hear the command from Jesus, to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him, what does that mean for you and I? The truth in the cross is you and I were give liberty or freedom from sin, so that we could be the avenues for freedom for someone else. When we take up our cross we must be willing to stand under the insults and mocking. There will come those that will insult you for what you do and mock you as a fool. There will come those that will count you as a criminal, yet God knows you are righteous. Yet you willing stand up to the mocking because you know in God’s perfect timing he will show you righteous before all. To take up your cross you willing die to your desire to prove who you are. Jesus could have proved who he was and come down from the cross, but in doing so, he would have turned aside God’s plan. So instead he stayed on the cross and proved who he was that way, but showing his ultimate power over sin.
You and I must withstand the trick of the enemy to make us come down from where God has placed us. We must resist the pleas to show who we are. Instead we must continue to carry our cross until God himself shows to all, who we really are.
Today I pray for us that we thank the Lord for not only what we received from the cross, but to show our thankfulness for all that Jesus gave up for us. He gave up all, and mainly he gave himself. Today let us take the stand, the challenge of Jesus, let us give up all, and mainly ourselves and follow him.
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