cross

The Message of the Three Crosses

9:00 AM

 

Have you ever wondered why there were three crosses that fateful day and what was the significance of each? I hope you'll never look at the three crosses the same way again after today. 

 There was a hill just outside the city of Jerusalem known as Golgotha, which is often translated today as Calvary. Long ago the Roman soldiers raised three crosses on this hill and what happened next changed the world! 

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”-Luke 23:32-34a

Most people like to focus on the center cross, but today, I'd like us to focus on all three, for each is very significant. 

“Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.’ But the other, answering rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you today you will be with Me in Paradise” -Luke 23:39-43


The First Cross was The Cross of Rejection 

"...one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.’

IF!? 
Such a small word, but so powerful here in this statement, for it holds the power to destroy a soul. It's clear in this thief's statement that his sins did not bother him even though he is about to die. He wasn't sorry for all he had done, but was simply searching for a way out of his predicament.  

Jesus, Himself was very clear when He said, "  “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6)

John once admitted in his gospel that there was plenty of evidence to point to Jesus as being the Messiah,  “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30,31) Yet men still reject Him in spite of the evidence even today. 


Max Lucado once wrote:

“You don’t turn your back on Christ, but you don’t turn toward him either.
You don’t curse his name, but neither do you praise it.”

Rejecting Jesus can seem very subtle at times, but The Bible is very clear- we are either for Jesus or against Him. We either believe or we don't believe. There has never been any middle ground. 


The Second Cross was The Cross of Repentance 


"But the other, answering rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ 


Notice this thief's faith and reverence in Jesus' presence in spite of all the pain he is in. He begins by recognizing Jesus as who He is,  “Do you not even fear God?”

  • And then immediately admits his own guilt when he says, “We receive the due reward of our deeds.”
  • He expresses his belief that Jesus was suffering “wrongfully”. But “this Man has done nothing wrong.”
  • He then openly confesses Jesus' deity when he calls Him “Lord.”
  • And lastly, we see genuine repentance and humility, “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

Here on this second cross is the perfect picture of repentance, for repentance is simply a change of heart. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says it best: “For godly sorrow that is in accord with the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation..." (AMP)


The Third Cross was The Cross of Redemption 


"'And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you today you will be with Me in Paradise'” 


Someone once said that the greatest thing about this day is that there wasn't any miracles preformed that day. Jesus took on the weight of all our sins and died; paying sin's penalty for each of us. Here we have the picture of redemption. 


Jesus our Redeemer dying for the sins of the world. By His blood only we can be brought back to God. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”


It was a cross of suffering. Isaiah 52:14 tells us, "Just as many were appalled at Him—His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness" (emphasis mine)

A cross of shame and reproach reserved for the vilest of criminals, and Jesus suffered the mocking and verbal abuse of the people who had come to witness His crucifixion that day.

Our Lord was under no obligation to pay our debts for all we have done. Someone had to suffer for sin, so he was willing. Peter reminds us, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the un-just, that He might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit”- 1 Peter 3:18


Why would Jesus choose to give up all the glories of heaven to come down to this sinful earth to die for our sins? 

I believe John said it best in  1 John 4:9-10, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Each one of us must choose the cross we will look to, for along with the two criminals on either side of Jesus, we too must choose between two eternal destinies:

  • Eternal separation from God.
  • Or Paradise with Jesus
I pray you too will hear your Savior say, "One day you shall be with Me in paradise."

Blessings, 

Sue

cross

The Greatest Exchange {Matthew 16}

8:45 AM

 Matthew 16

Imagine if a caterpillar decided that he would rather remain a caterpillar. He was quite content to crawl up plants and munch on all the leaves he wanted day and night. Why, he could crawl up the tallest trees and look over the landscape, but he'd always be tied to the ground. What if he decided that flying was simply overrated and not worth going through all he would have to go through to become a butterfly? 

If we were able to communicate to caterpillars, what would you say to him to convince him his new life would be worth it all?

Many Christians are like this caterpillar. They've come to Christ, attend church regularly, pray and read their Bibles occasionally, and are quite content with their lives just the way they are right now. They believe there's no need to mess with a good life. 

But what if they are missing out on the abundant life Jesus came to offer all of us? (John 10:10) What if He intended them to soar, not sour?

It's interesting that Jesus makes this declaration just after He predicts His death;
 ...“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.  What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?  For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. (Mt. 16:24-27)

There's sooooo much I'd like to say on this subject for it's life-changing! 

Let me begin by saying, Jesus explains here that a true disciple not only believes in Him for his salvation and the forgiveness of sins but also trusts Him to break the power of sin in his life by denying themselves, taking up their cross and following after Him. Therefore, you're NOT a "sinner saved by grace". That would be like saying a butterfly is merely a worm with wings. No, you are a new creation, just like the butterfly!

Paul knew it! "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." (Galatians 2:20)

And in Ephesians 3:20, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us," (emphasis mine)

To deny yourself is, not giving up of things, but surrendering yourself wholly and completely to our Lord Jesus. To deny yourself and take up your cross has nothing to do with the daily burdens you carry, or problems you may have to face - it is to live for Christ and allow Him to live THROUGH YOU. 

It's a matter of abiding in Him, or stepping out of our comfort zones with all our wants, wishes and desires and allowing Him to take over. Trust me, what HE can do in and through you cannot even begin to compare to anything you could do on your own! 

Not even close! 

It's truly the difference between crawling and soaring! 

All of this does come at a cost, however. We will need to deny/surrender ourselves to fully abide in Him each day, take up His identify with every aspect of His rejection, shame, suffering, death and mission; always mindful that the suffering we may endure for our Savior will one day lead to glory! 

Beloved, I promise you, one day it will be worth it all, if you will only surrender and let Him live through you! 

See you in glory, 

sue

 


Barabbas

What Does Forgiveness Look Like? {Luke 23}

10:00 AM

Today's Passage: Luke 23



 How would you describe forgiveness to another and how best to attain it? What does it look like to you? 
Did you know that nearly every religion in this world is centered on the idea that forgiveness must be earned; that we must do something, or behave a certain way in order to be forgiven? The only exception is Christianity.
The crux of the Christian message is that sin must be punished, and there’s no way people can earn their own forgiveness. Therefore, Jesus had to come to earth, live the perfect life that we could not live and die the death we deserved to die so that He could pay the penalty for our sins, and we could gain the forgiveness we so desperately need and could never be good enough to earn.
Here in this chapter are two perfect examples of this truth. The first is displayed through Barabbas. I don’t think anyone knew the meaning of forgiveness better than Barabbas that fateful day he was set free.
If you studied a map of Jerusalem during that century, you’d discover that Barabbas was placed in a cell far enough away from the crowd before Pilate to hear the roar of the crowd and what they were shouting, but not close enough to hear the words of Pilate. I’m certain he sat there knowing "the jig was up", he'd been caught and was about to pay for the crimes he'd committed. What we don't know is if he felt any remorse for all he had done in the past.

I'm sure his ears must have perked up when suddenly, while sitting there, he heard the crowd yelling, “We want Barabbas!” I like to think he pressed as close to the window as he could at that moment only to hear the crowd next yell, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” At that point he must have felt his fate was sealed. There was no way of escape; he was about to get exactly what he deserved.
I wonder what he was thinking as he heard the guards footsteps coming closer to his cell knowing they were coming for him…hearing the key in the lock and seeing the door swing open… only to hear the guards tell him he was free to go!

Can you imagine the moment Barabbas heard the words, “You’re free to go, for another will die in your place this day.”?
I can’t know for certain, but if I had been the one set free that day, I believe I would have wanted to see this man who was about to die in my place. I would have wanted to be among the crowd watching the three crucified, all the while knowing I should have been the one hanging on that cross. What could have Barabbas been thinking as he heard the crowds mocking and laughing at this man who took his place? And then to hear this man, who had been beaten so badly that he hardly resembled a man at all (Is 52:14) say,” Father, forgive these people, for they don’t know what they are doing?” Who could be so forgiving?
 I also wonder if Barabbas had known the other two men on either side of Jesus. Had they been friends; co-convicts? Surely he must have know them by reputation, and knew they were getting exactly what they deserved, what he deserved as well. What did he think when Jesus promised the one, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”? If he did know them, then he, more than anyone, knew that he was the last one who deserved to be in paradise! Just imagine that criminal breathing his last and being ushered into paradise! No more pain, no evil or hate- his heart now flooded with love.
We don’t know what happened to Barabbas after he was set free from the punishment of his crimes. We don’t know if he ever gained eternal freedom, but we do know it was possible! Our God is an equal opportunity God and we all are offered the same gift of forgiveness and able to spend eternity in paradise!
It doesn’t matter what we’ve done in the past, we all are able to gain the same forgiveness as the murderers did that day. We can be forgiven and set free to forgive others.
When you know you are forgiven, your past can stay in the past and your future can be totally different because you’ve been set free from all the guilt and shame over what you’ve done, because nothing you could ever do is more significant than what Jesus has already done for you on the cross that day. When Jesus declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30), He meant that the full price for our sins had been paid. 
Forgiveness comes from simply asking Him for it: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.- 1 John 1:9-10
And once we’ve confessed to Him, any accusations you keep hearing won’t be from Him, because he won’t bring up your past again:
“For as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us”- Psalm 103:12
When you know, that you know, that you know, you are forgiven, you’re set free to live a new life with Him for all eternity!

Blessings! 

sue


2 Peter

A Choice and Precious Stone {1 Peter 2}

1:46 AM




When people of old built their houses, they chose for themselves only the finest of stones. The rest they cast aside as junk, good for nothing. This is how Peter describes Jesus. He was rejected, seen as no more than a useless piece of rock. But where men saw rubble, God saw His “choice and precious stone”, and the cornerstone of His spiritual house. “The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very cornerstone” (vs. 7) Why is the cornerstone important? The cornerstone is the first stone set in the foundation of a home. And all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, determining the position of the entire structure. 

Messiah Jesus is the Living Stone, and He calls us to become living stones ourselves, valuable parts of the foundation of God’s house. No matter who rejects us, who calls us worthless, He will not. He is our “precious value”, and sacrificed all to make us His. Knowing full well the agony He would endure, the Lord willingly and lovingly left His glorious place at the Father’s side to pay a debt He did not owe, to give us a gift we do not deserve. Jesus, “who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth, He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross.” (vs. 22,24) And it is only through His great love and sacrifice that we can have eternal life. I love the quote by D.A. Carson which says, “It was not nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross; it was His unqualified resolution, out of love for his Father, to do his Father’s will—and it was His love for sinners like me.”

Jesus suffered for us. He suffered for you, for me, and for all who receive Him as their Savior. He was beaten, flogged, spit upon, ridiculed, and nailed to a Cross to die an excruciating death. It is by those wounds, that shed precious blood, in which we are healed. (vs. 24) And in those times when we feel rejected, unwanted, or useless, we need to remember who we are in Jesus. We are royalty, chosen by God to be His very own; part of a holy nation, paid for with the blood of His only begotten Son. And while the world may see us as rubble, God who has, “called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (vs. 9) sees us as the bright, shining, choice and precious stones we are. 


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Scripture Saturday~My disciple...

12:00 AM

Saturday, September 29, 2018




Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

This coming week's memory verse is Luke 9:23,24...

Then He said to them all, "Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it." (NIV)

 Have a blessed and precious day and week everyone!

Andrew's cross

Jesus' Model of Leadership: The Servant of the Lord

12:00 PM

‘Who is the servant of the Lord?’ This was the question that the Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ethiopia asked the evangelist Philip in Acts 8: ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ (v.34).
The title ‘servant of the Lord’ is one of great dignity, reserved for leaders such as Abraham, Moses and David. But in the four ‘servant songs’ (Isaiah 42:1–4; 49:1–7; 50:4–9; 52:13–53:12) a distinct concept of ‘servanthood’ comes into sharper focus.
The role of this ‘servant’ can be demonstrated visually with the St Andrew’s cross. (St Andrew, brother of Peter, is believed to have died on a diagonally traversed cross, which the Romans sometimes used for execution. It therefore came to be called the St Andrew’s cross, and is the flag of Scotland.)
 

Originally, God intended that all humankind should be his servant. Then, after the fall, God chose the whole nation of Israel to serve him. But even his chosen race was not faithful to him. So the focus, continuing to narrow, became a mere ‘faithful remnant’. Ultimately, only one individual was completely faithful (shown by the central, most narrow part of the cross). This was Jesus.
Jesus revealed what Israel (and indeed humankind) should have been. He was an Israelite sent to Israel, totally identifying with his nation, and yet remaining distinct from it. No earthly king or prophet meets the description used in all the servant passages. Yet, Jesus does – perfectly.
Where Israel failed, Jesus succeeded. Furthermore, it is God’s plan that the church, through the victory of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, can and should succeed. So the St Andrew’s cross broadens out again as the members of the church of Jesus Christ become the servants of God with a mission to call all humanity back to their original creation purpose. 

Love ya, Roxy