Remember Who You're Asking

Pastor Colin Smith

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Paul moves from teaching to praying. Since all this is true of you-God loves you, chose you, saved you, sanctified you, called you through the gospel, brought you to faith, and destined you to share in Christ's glory-come before him with confidence and receive what you need from him! Pray in the light of the truth, so that you may experience its power.  

Notice the direct, personal involvement of Christ: "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself... comfort your hearts..." (2:17). So, when you pray for comfort and strength, remember who you are asking. This Lord Jesus is the one who gives us "eternal comfort and good hope" (2:16). How did he do that? On the cross and through his resurrection.

By His Friendship We Are Healed

by Tiffany Ann Lewis 

"He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

Through God's anointing and the use of modern-day technology, we have been able to experience the fulfillment of this verse almost as if we were right there. Images of the beating, images of the crown of thorns, images of the nails...selah. These images have been burned into my mind and change me every time I ponder the Cross of Christ. I am undone over and over again that Divine Love offered His life for our transgressions and became the source of our salvation and healing.

Yet this year, as I looked at the Hebrew letters of light within this verse, I saw something even more. I saw the friendship of God within the stripes on Jesus' back. Let me explain.

The Centurion at the Foot of the Cross

by Max Lucado

The day began as had a hundred others—dreadfully. It was bad enough to be in Judea, but it was hell to spend hot afternoons on a rocky hill supervising the death of pickpockets and rabble-rousers. Half the crowd taunted, half cried. The soldiers griped. The priests bossed. It was a thankless job in a strange land. He was ready for the day to be over before it began.

He was curious at the attention given to the flatfooted peasant. He smiled as he read the sign that would go on the cross. The condemned looked like anything but a king. His face was lumpy and bruised. His back arched slightly and his eyes faced downward. “Some harmless hick,” mused the centurion. “What could he have done?”

Then Jesus raised his head. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t uneasy. His eyes were strangely calm as they stared from behind the bloody mask. He looked at those who knew him—moving deliberately from face to face as if he had a word for each.

Paid In Full

"When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." - Colossians 2:13-14

Sometimes when I'm studying for a sermon or even just having a quiet time with the Lord, I wonder, do I really comprehend the incredible gift we were given when Jesus died for our sins? Do any of us? Not that we take this act for granted, but we speak about it so routinely that I think we fail to absorb the full scope of this gift.

It's as though all of our sins were listed on a writing board. And then Christ has come along with a cloth and erased them forever...as though they were never even there. On that board, somebody puts a receipt that says, "PAID IN FULL." That's what the nails of the cross did—paid the penalty for our sin in full. Christ has done it all. Our sins have been nailed to the cross; they've been taken care of. Nothing more is needed for forgiveness other than our accepting this amazing gift.

Picture Yourself Healed

By Kenneth W. Hagin

If you need healing, find and meditate on a Bible passage that tells of someone receiving their healing.

In other words, as you drive to work, go about your day, cook dinner—even as you begin to go to sleep at night, imagine that person’s story. Picture the passage in your mind, reliving in your thoughts the experiences that person went through according to the Word. This will paint a picture of God the Healer at work.

Wounded Healer: A great victory looks at first like defeat

Today's reading: Isaiah 53

Isaiah 53:3: He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

In at least ten places, New Testament writers identify Jesus as the suffering servant. In one instance, Philip corrects an Ethiopian official who wonders if the servant refers to an ancient prophet (see Acts 8:26-35). Isaiah 49-55 includes vivid scenes of the servant's sufferings, predictions that find their fulfillment in Jesus' death on the cross.

Indeed this chapter reads almost like an eyewitness account of Jesus' last days on Earth, even though it was composed centuries before Christ's death ... The physical description-the Bible contains no other physical description of Jesus-is shocking. The servant "had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him" (Isaiah 53:2); he was "like one from whom people hide their faces." (Isaiah 53:3).

Jesus Became a Curse for Us?

R.C. Sproul

The key to understanding the cry of Jesus from the cross is found in Paul's letter to the Galatians: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree'" (Galatians 3:13, NIV).

To be cursed is to be removed from the presence of God, to be set outside the camp, to be cut off from His benefits. On the cross, Jesus was cursed. That is, He represented the Jewish nation of covenant breakers who were exposed to the curse and took the full measure of the curse on Himself. As the Lamb of God, the Sin Bearer, He was cut off from the presence of God.

On the cross, Jesus entered into the experience of forsakenness on our behalf. God turned His back on Jesus and cut Him off from all blessing, from all keeping, from all grace, and from all peace.

How is Jesus Our Substitute?

Quote of the Day

"While many cheered His arrival, their faith would be challenged when He did not live up to the conquering Messiah of popular imagination." ~Doug Bookman (from "What Was the Triumphal Entry?")

Today's Answer

How is Jesus Our Substitute?

John Barnett

On the cross, God treated Jesus as if He had committed every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe. 

Did you get that? God treated Him as if He committed, personally, every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe though the fact is He committed none of them. 

That’s the great doctrine of substitution. And that’s the first side of imputation. God imputed our sins to Him. He was guilty of none of them. God treated Him as if He committed all of them. And He just unloaded His fury for all the sins of all the people who would ever believe in Him in the history of the world. He unloaded all His fury against all their sins on Christ.

The Cross: Why We Believe

Written by Dr. Charles Stanley

Please open your Bible and read I Corinthians 1:26-31

The apostle Paul had impeccable credentials, education, background, and a position of authority. But when he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, he discovered their absolute worthlessness. He learned that the only thing of eternal value on earth was that his Savior died on the cross for his sins. Paul understood this so well that he counted as loss all he had once seen as advantageous. (Philippians 3:8) 

Now his only boast was in the cross of Christ. (Galatians 6:14)

Paul attached importance, not to his own resume, but to a “criminal” on a cross and the blood He spilled there. Though this seemed foolish to many people, the apostle knew that the cross was where God kept His long-awaited promise: to provide a Savior. It was there that His Son stooped low and took on all the sins of the world’s past, present, and future. The cross marked the place and moment that God’s judgment was accomplished and His mercy was poured out. 

Did the Crucifixion Take God by Surprise?

Doug Bookman

The phrase "God has a plan" has become something of a cliché—with a negative connotation for many people. But in the circumstances leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, the Gospel accounts provide confirmation that God does indeed have all things well in hand.

Far from being surprised or swept along, Jesus carefully orchestrated the events of the Passion Week (His last week on earth). This doesn't mean He manipulated those responsible for sending Him to the cross; rather, He brought out their seething hatred and true responses to His teaching.

According to Acts 2:23, the crucifixion progressed according God's prior intent, and the Passion Week allows us a glimpse at just how this happened. With His arrival during the Triumphal Entry, Jesus came as the promised Messiah at exactly the right moment in history (see Daniel 9). The common people welcomed Him with Messianic shouts of "Hossana," something completely intolerable to the Pharisees. However, the elite Sadducees enjoyed control of the Sanhedrin (the religious council), and even this type of welcome did not move them.

Knee-Deep In Daffodils

Our Daily Bread 

Our Daily Bread is hosted by Les Lamborn

READ: Luke 24:13-34

The Lord is risen indeed! —Luke 24:34

When the first flowers of spring bloomed in our yard, my 5-year-old son waded into a patch of daffodils. He noticed some debris from plants that had expired months before and remarked, “Mom, when I see something dead, it reminds me of Easter because Jesus died on the cross.” I replied, “When I see something alive—like the daffodils—it reminds me that Jesus came back to life!”

Suffer with Me Awhile

Glynnis Whitwer

"Then he said to them, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.'" Matthew 26:38 (NIV)

I dipped my piece of torn bread in the cup of dark purple juice and placed it in my mouth. I tasted the ripeness of the fruit and savored the texture of the bread. "I will remember, Lord." I spoke the words in my head, silently thanking Jesus for the sacrifice He made for me on the cross.

Within a minute, the aftertaste of the juice distracted my communion meditation. It was more bitter than usual and I thought about taking a sip of something else to remove the flavor from my mouth. Should I grab my coffee, or some water?

Immediately, the Lord spoke to my heart: "Suffer with Me awhile."

Sadness filled my heart as I realized how quickly I wanted to remove the unpleasant taste ... how fast my thoughts drifted from the suffering of Christ to my own comfort. And I wondered how many times my self-focus had led me away from obedience in the hard places of life.

The Bible tells of three disciples who also chose comfort over obedience. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus asked Peter, James and John to watch and wait for Him while He prayed. During the time when our Lord was "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," His closest friends couldn't keep awake. Three times Jesus returned to find them sleeping.

You may be down on Friday, but Sunday's coming!

...for had they known, they would not have crucified   the Lord of glory. - 1 Corinthians 2:8

Dear Loved One, The Lord has an awesome habit of turning things around. What human hands could never change, He does when He is invited into the equation. And just when it seems flesh and the Devil have had their day, the Lord gives them their comeuppance. "Comeuppance" is a great word for Easter. The consummate comeuppance is what Easter is about: Jesus rising from the dead. And while it is such a brilliant strategy on the part of God, the Scripture says that the rulers of this age didn't know what they were doing in sending Jesus to the Cross. If they had known, they wouldn't have done it. What they thought would be their moment of triumph instead set up the mammoth turnaround of the Resurrection. Jesus, of course, becomes the victor and the manifestation of justice that is restored.

What We Can Learn From God's Silence

SCOTT HAGAN

(© Theodor38 / StockFreeImages)

I recently uncovered the amazing mysteries of tranquility while excavating a lost sermon of Jesus. I’d been overlooking it in my gospel quarry for years. Once I knew where to dig, it became a simple discovery—one I invite you to make for yourself.

Take a few moments with your New Testament and look up every passage detailing the crucifixion. Once you’ve found them all, write out the statements recorded as coming from the lips of Jesus while He hung on the cross. Now, slowly repeat those statements aloud, one after the other. You’ll find they barely fill one minute of spoken conversation when strung together. Seven one-liners!

What was Jesus saying during the rest of His six hours on the cross?

There is much He could have said. He could have ended the opening argument of His extradition with an ear-splitting sermon or offered up a plateful of prophetic thunder as a parting shot for Pilate. He could have unloaded an earful at the elders. He could have undressed with righteous rhetoric the Roman cohorts who stripped His clothes, and then showered condemnation on those who spat upon Him. He could have bellowed out a few shots from Jeremiah’s prophecies to wayward Israel or ordered up a few hungry bears as Elijah did.

Your Faith Is Your Answer!

 by E. Davenport !

You have a need to get an answer. It is done as long as you have gone before God in faith which is believing He can make it happen. The good news is He can. The bad news is that the forces of hell will try to convince you that the situation is hopeless! DON’T FALL FOR THAT!

Treasure Digest: Question and Answer: Why Doesn't Your Church Use the Symbol of the Cross?

What does the Bible say about the cross?

Answer:
Thank you for your interest. The Greek word translated as "cross" is stauros. It means the upright or stake portion of an instrument of execution that has been used in several cultures down through history. Sometimes executioners used a crosspiece at the top of or in different places on the stake; at other times, there was no crosspiece. It's impossible to know exactly what type the Romans used in the crucifixion of Christ. It is clear, however, that the Romans attached a sign over His head (Matthew 27:37), which could have been upon a stake or a crosspiece.

Because Christ's death is of such monumental significance to the Christian, some have mistakenly thought that the cross should be a part of Christian worship. But we should remember that it was an instrument of torture. When we stop to realize that fact, it should be clear that it's grossly inappropriate to wear it as religious jewelry or an object of worship. Some would argue that using a cross in this manner symbolizes the value of Christ's death. We disagree.

Roman Forms of Crucifixion

Crucifixion wasn't always carried out the way we've seen it typically depicted in paintings and pictures.

Crucifixion wasn't always carried out the way we've seen it typically depicted in paintings and pictures. In fact, as noted in this chapter, a crucifixion victim likely wasn't nailed through the hands, since their structure cannot support the weight of a human body. Most likely victims were nailed through the wrist or, in some instances, had their arms tied rather than being nailed.

Nor were victims always crucified on the kind of cross typically shown in depictions of Christ's crucifixion. Note what The Anchor Bible Dictionary says in its article on crucifixion:

BARABBAS : The Man Who Had a Substitute

Barabbas [Bārăb'bas]—son of a father or son of return.The notable prisoner, 

committed to prison for 

robbery and murder, but preferred to Christ (Matt. 27:16-26).

Barabbas should have died for his crimes but Jesus occupied his cross, along with the two other thieves. What a night Barabbas must have spent before Christ was selected in his place! 

The thief and murderer had visions of a terrible death. All the torture of crucifixion came up before him. Then as the light of morning looked in through the bars of his prison he hears the march of soldiers coming to take him out to his horrible death.

A New Beginning

Written by Carol Van Atta

A woman gives birth…to twins. An alcoholic pours his bottle of booze down the drain. An abused wife chooses to seek help. A convict is released from jail. A worker becomes the supervisor. A daughter loses her mother to a car accident. A mother survives cancer and chooses a new, healthier lifestyle.

New beginnings can happen any day at any time. A new beginning always involves leaving one thing behind and embracing something new and different. However, sometimes, new beginnings may not be of our own choosing or liking. Maybe the worker didn’t expect or want the promotion; yet, a new beginning has been thrust upon her. The alcoholic, on the other hand, has clearly made a choice to try a different path evidenced by the dumping of his precious liquor. Both have entered a time of new beginnings. And although the birth of a child and the death of a loved one appear very different, they both have two things in common: an end and a beginning.

Facing Marah?

"Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore, it was named Marah. So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" Exodus 15:22-24

Bitter things. No one likes bitter things. But bitter things are part of life. Life is not all honey and no bees. Roses do have thorns ... and all people face "bitter waters" from one degree or another.

The Marah story in Exodus 15 is especially significant. You see, in Exodus 14, God's people had just seen and personally experienced the greatest Old Testament miracle: the parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of Pharaoh and his armies. The people take the first 21 verses of chapter 15 to rejoice and dance and sing over the great power of God. Life is good, and God is awesome! Hallelujah!