Practically everyone has heard about some "civilization" that sacrificed children to their evil deity. The feeling of disgust it creates in us is nearly universal, and rightly so.
Thousands of years ago, the son of the greatest king ever, was destined to die a horrible death. The king's subjects had been told it was coming for quite some time, most of them discounted its importance.
Put this into the proper perspective... is there ANY WAY you'd agree to sacrifice YOUR child? I don't care what the benefit to ANYONE is! Under NO circumstances would I ever let any slimeball hurt my kid, nor any other child I care about, either! I'd proudly die to protect that child!
But, I'm talking here about Jesus, the Son of the living God.
The Father loved the Son much more than we are capable of loving... and yet, He loves each of us so much that he allowed the sacrifice of His Son to pay for all of our sins!
What does the Bible have to say?
"God is to us a God of deliverance. To Yahweh, the Lord, belongs escape from death." (Psalm 68:20) wev
"Death" here means eternal damnation.
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." (Rom 5:8-10) kjv
We do not deserve salvation. Nothing we can do by ourselves will pay for the sin we have committed. Only the death of Jesus can suffice, His sacrifice paid the cost!
"Have no feeling of shame, then, for the witness of our Lord or for me, his prisoner: but undergo all things for the good news in the measure of the power of God; Who gave us salvation, marking us out for his purpose, not on account of our works, but in the measure of his purpose and his grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal, But has now been made clear by the revelation of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who put an end to death and made life unending come to light through the good news." (2Tim 1:8-10) bev
Eternal life - that is the incredible gift, available to us only because of Christ's sacrifice!
"For Jesus during his earthly life offered up prayers and entreaties, crying aloud and weeping as He pleaded with Him who was able to bring Him in safety out of death, and He was delivered from the terror from which He shrank. Although He was God's Son, yet He learned obedience from the sufferings which He endured; and so, having been made perfect, He became to all who obey Him the source and giver of eternal salvation." (Heb 5:7-9) wnt
Jesus prayed, wept and begged God for safety and deliverance. He knew the terrible fate of those who will not accept salvation. He is God's Son! Yet He accepted the awful death he knew was coming. His obedience to the Father made Him the reason we can look forward to eternal life.
He was Born to Die!
...for us!
...in our place!
If you've never done so before, pray earnestly and accept His sacrifice! "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved." (Rom 10:13) drv
See you soon, in Paradise!
Showing posts with label sacrifice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sacrifice. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Were You There?
Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?
Sometimes, it causes me to tremble... tremble.
Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?
Imagine, if you can, being THERE on the day Christ died for us.
God's anger would truly been of "Biblical" proportions! Only His love for us kept Him from destroying the entire earth, but I would still be willing to bet that He had to restrain Himself from doing so.
Some people ask why it is that we do not see God being as active in our world, as they did back in Old Testament times... perhaps Jesus' death is the reason. Seriously, if somebody killed YOUR kid, would you REALLY want to hang out with his/her family?
This Christmas season, celebrate the birth of Christ, enjoy the happiness you see in your kids' faces and have fun passing out gifts. Just remember the most important thing...
Jesus was born to die in our place, so that we could get to heaven.
Sobering, isn't it?
See all of you soon, in paradise,
and have a Merry Christmas!
Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?
Sometimes, it causes me to tremble... tremble.
Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?
Imagine, if you can, being THERE on the day Christ died for us.
God's anger would truly been of "Biblical" proportions! Only His love for us kept Him from destroying the entire earth, but I would still be willing to bet that He had to restrain Himself from doing so.
Some people ask why it is that we do not see God being as active in our world, as they did back in Old Testament times... perhaps Jesus' death is the reason. Seriously, if somebody killed YOUR kid, would you REALLY want to hang out with his/her family?
This Christmas season, celebrate the birth of Christ, enjoy the happiness you see in your kids' faces and have fun passing out gifts. Just remember the most important thing...
Jesus was born to die in our place, so that we could get to heaven.
Sobering, isn't it?
See all of you soon, in paradise,
and have a Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Living in a hog-wallow?
Are you going to heaven?
Are you really sure?
Most, who consider themselves to be Christian, would respond like this... "I go to church when I can, I try to behave myself, and I think I look pretty good, well... compared to most people, anyway. I'm convinced I'm good enough to get into heaven."
This belief is fairly commonplace, and totally wrong!
"And now apart from law hath the righteousness of God been manifested, testified to by the law and the prophets, and the righteousness of God [is] through the faith of Jesus Christ to all, and upon all those believing, -- for there is no difference, for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:21-23) ylt
Not one of us is anywhere good enough to get to heaven on our own; we're not even close.
Think of it like this...
Living in our world is a lot like hanging out in a hog-wallow. If you roll around in the filth you WILL get covered in it! The problem is that even tiptoeing through the sludge will NOT keep you clean! No amount of being careful will keep you clean. It cannot be done!
Worst of all, any amount of this world's foulness will keep you away from God, and out of heaven! Sin is NOT allowed in God's presence! Even the slightest trace of sin, no matter how small, will forever prevent you from entering heaven.
So, how can any of us get there?
God loves us enough that He made a way for us to get clean again! A way to get into heaven despite our sin... but how could this be possible? He sent His Son, His only Son, to pay the price on our heads, to redeem us, just so we could join him in heaven!
Look at it from your own perspective. How many people do you know, who've done terrible things to you... for how many of them would you be willing to sacrifice your own child's life?
Yeah, I know! I feel the same way! Yet, God thinks we are worth it! So, what do you need to do?
First of all, you must admit you are a sinner. Shouldn't be too hard, not if you are honest with yourself (and think about the hog-wallow).
Second, you must believe in your heart that Jesus' death on the cross was for your benefit. Even if you were the only one that He'd died for, He'd still have sacrificed Himself, just for you.
Lastly, you must tell others about it. God's gift of His Son's life for all of us is the most important news anyone could ever hear. Spread the word. Confess your faith!
These three steps are often called the "A-B-Cs of salvation."
Sometimes people wonder why it is that God placed us in a situation wherein we'd need salvation. The truth is, we did it to ourselves...
Imagine a beautiful place where heaven and earth came together, a wondrous place where the joy of being in the presence of God co-existed with the happiness of life among the incredible beauty of His creation. Such a place would be a garden of infinite delight, right? We call it the "Garden of Eden." Heaven on earth might also be a good description, don't you think?
Humans fouled it up, and brought sin into the garden. Remember that sin cannot be in the presence of God, so humanity had to be banished. We've never been back.
We brought it upon ourselves. We've all sinned, and we know it. God has offered us a way back into His grace, and yet He loves us so much that He will not even force us to take the necessary steps. He leaves that up to us.
Nobody has ever loved you so much!
Nobody!
Take the steps! Remember...
A - B - C
See you soon, in paradise!
Are you really sure?
Most, who consider themselves to be Christian, would respond like this... "I go to church when I can, I try to behave myself, and I think I look pretty good, well... compared to most people, anyway. I'm convinced I'm good enough to get into heaven."
This belief is fairly commonplace, and totally wrong!
"And now apart from law hath the righteousness of God been manifested, testified to by the law and the prophets, and the righteousness of God [is] through the faith of Jesus Christ to all, and upon all those believing, -- for there is no difference, for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:21-23) ylt
Not one of us is anywhere good enough to get to heaven on our own; we're not even close.
Think of it like this...
Living in our world is a lot like hanging out in a hog-wallow. If you roll around in the filth you WILL get covered in it! The problem is that even tiptoeing through the sludge will NOT keep you clean! No amount of being careful will keep you clean. It cannot be done!
Worst of all, any amount of this world's foulness will keep you away from God, and out of heaven! Sin is NOT allowed in God's presence! Even the slightest trace of sin, no matter how small, will forever prevent you from entering heaven.
So, how can any of us get there?
God loves us enough that He made a way for us to get clean again! A way to get into heaven despite our sin... but how could this be possible? He sent His Son, His only Son, to pay the price on our heads, to redeem us, just so we could join him in heaven!
Look at it from your own perspective. How many people do you know, who've done terrible things to you... for how many of them would you be willing to sacrifice your own child's life?
Yeah, I know! I feel the same way! Yet, God thinks we are worth it! So, what do you need to do?
First of all, you must admit you are a sinner. Shouldn't be too hard, not if you are honest with yourself (and think about the hog-wallow).
Second, you must believe in your heart that Jesus' death on the cross was for your benefit. Even if you were the only one that He'd died for, He'd still have sacrificed Himself, just for you.
Lastly, you must tell others about it. God's gift of His Son's life for all of us is the most important news anyone could ever hear. Spread the word. Confess your faith!
These three steps are often called the "A-B-Cs of salvation."
Sometimes people wonder why it is that God placed us in a situation wherein we'd need salvation. The truth is, we did it to ourselves...
Imagine a beautiful place where heaven and earth came together, a wondrous place where the joy of being in the presence of God co-existed with the happiness of life among the incredible beauty of His creation. Such a place would be a garden of infinite delight, right? We call it the "Garden of Eden." Heaven on earth might also be a good description, don't you think?
Humans fouled it up, and brought sin into the garden. Remember that sin cannot be in the presence of God, so humanity had to be banished. We've never been back.
We brought it upon ourselves. We've all sinned, and we know it. God has offered us a way back into His grace, and yet He loves us so much that He will not even force us to take the necessary steps. He leaves that up to us.
Nobody has ever loved you so much!
Nobody!
Take the steps! Remember...
A - B - C
See you soon, in paradise!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Our perspectives...
.
It happens all the time...
Your light has just changed to green when somebody going "the other way" runs the red, and narrowly misses turning your vehicle into an accordion...
What is your reaction?
On a busy street, in a school zone, you see an SUV swerving all over the place, and going at least 15mph over the posted speed limit. As it passes, you see the driver is busy texting...
"What a stupid idiot!" you think out loud.
A very young child is playing in a busy street, but, where are the parents?
You read in the paper that some nut set his clothes on fire, and burned his belly, while trying to get his barbecue pit started.
You're shopping at the local Stuff-Mart, and somebody has her purse stolen. As it turns out, she left it in the basket seat while she was trying on clothes...
Every day, we are amazed at the foolish things people regularly do without thinking of the consequences. Quite often, our response is, "What an idiot!"
Jesus did have something to say about our reactions, and it isn't what most people expect, either! "Ye have heard it said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Ra-ca, shall be in danger of the counsel: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother has ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come offer thy gift." (Mat 5:21-24)kjv
You see, the commandment says "Do not kill," but it means more than just that. We must also not belittle others, even in our own minds, by thinking them to be fools or idiots. If we find ourselves reacting in this manner, we are supposed to ask forgiveness of those about whom we find ourselves feeling superior! You should not even give your offering at church until you've made peace with these folks!
"But, why?" you ask. Actually, Jesus has explained this to us, as well...
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam that is in thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Mat 7:1-5)kjv
Jesus spelled it out for us. Not one of us is good enough to look with disdain on others! We all have our faults, but He died for each one of us, anyway!
You...
...me...
......everyone, even the worst mass-murderer in history!
So, who are we to judge?
It happens all the time...
Your light has just changed to green when somebody going "the other way" runs the red, and narrowly misses turning your vehicle into an accordion...
What is your reaction?
On a busy street, in a school zone, you see an SUV swerving all over the place, and going at least 15mph over the posted speed limit. As it passes, you see the driver is busy texting...
"What a stupid idiot!" you think out loud.
A very young child is playing in a busy street, but, where are the parents?
You read in the paper that some nut set his clothes on fire, and burned his belly, while trying to get his barbecue pit started.
You're shopping at the local Stuff-Mart, and somebody has her purse stolen. As it turns out, she left it in the basket seat while she was trying on clothes...
Every day, we are amazed at the foolish things people regularly do without thinking of the consequences. Quite often, our response is, "What an idiot!"
Jesus did have something to say about our reactions, and it isn't what most people expect, either! "Ye have heard it said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Ra-ca, shall be in danger of the counsel: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother has ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come offer thy gift." (Mat 5:21-24)kjv
You see, the commandment says "Do not kill," but it means more than just that. We must also not belittle others, even in our own minds, by thinking them to be fools or idiots. If we find ourselves reacting in this manner, we are supposed to ask forgiveness of those about whom we find ourselves feeling superior! You should not even give your offering at church until you've made peace with these folks!
"But, why?" you ask. Actually, Jesus has explained this to us, as well...
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam that is in thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Mat 7:1-5)kjv
Jesus spelled it out for us. Not one of us is good enough to look with disdain on others! We all have our faults, but He died for each one of us, anyway!
You...
...me...
......everyone, even the worst mass-murderer in history!
So, who are we to judge?
Friday, July 8, 2011
Before time passes on...
I ask you to consider that our time may be unbelievably short. If you have not been saved, and wish to do so, please pray this simple prayer;
Father, I know Your Son died for me, because of my sins. I accept His sacrifice, though I am not worthy. I will tell others about this incredible gift.
Then watch your values change! You will on fire to spread the word!
But, what if you are not sure of what to believe? I was once in that boat. I often wanted those Christians to just leave me alone. One day, more in desparation than anything else, I prayed; "God, I don't know what to believe. If You're really there, please help me."
I don't know that I expected anything to happen, but, in a little while, I began to find it was easier to believe.
I do not think anyone can believe in God without His grace, but He gives it freely.
Ask Him!
Father, I know Your Son died for me, because of my sins. I accept His sacrifice, though I am not worthy. I will tell others about this incredible gift.
Then watch your values change! You will on fire to spread the word!
But, what if you are not sure of what to believe? I was once in that boat. I often wanted those Christians to just leave me alone. One day, more in desparation than anything else, I prayed; "God, I don't know what to believe. If You're really there, please help me."
I don't know that I expected anything to happen, but, in a little while, I began to find it was easier to believe.
I do not think anyone can believe in God without His grace, but He gives it freely.
Ask Him!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Where is the evidence of your Passover Lamb?
"Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, 'Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your house to smite you. And ye shall observe this thing for an accordance to thee and to thy sons forever.' " (Ex 12:21-24)kjv
"Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people." (Luke 22:2)kjv
"Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed." (Luke 22:7)kjv
"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bead of sincerity and truth." (1Cor 5:7-8)kjv
"Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them." (Heb 11:28)kjv
Christians have been adopted into (or grafted onto, if you prefer) the Jewish faith. We have inherited salvation, not because we deserve it, but because we have accepted Jesus' death for us, confessed our sinful nature, and proclaim our beliefs to others.
Jesus was, and is, our Passover Lamb for eternity! In no way have we ever done anything deserving of His sacrifice! Yet He freely offered Himself up for each of us!
Does the blood of our Passover Lamb show on your lintel and side posts? Do you proclaim Him as your Savior?
Or have you scrubbed all evidence off your doorway, so as not to be different from everyone else? To be "politically correct?" To not "offend?"
Jesus offered Himself up as our Passover Lamb! Wear His sacrifice with pride! He said you were worth it.
Prove Him right, and ask everyone to join us in Paradise!
"Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people." (Luke 22:2)kjv
"Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed." (Luke 22:7)kjv
"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bead of sincerity and truth." (1Cor 5:7-8)kjv
"Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them." (Heb 11:28)kjv
Christians have been adopted into (or grafted onto, if you prefer) the Jewish faith. We have inherited salvation, not because we deserve it, but because we have accepted Jesus' death for us, confessed our sinful nature, and proclaim our beliefs to others.
Jesus was, and is, our Passover Lamb for eternity! In no way have we ever done anything deserving of His sacrifice! Yet He freely offered Himself up for each of us!
Does the blood of our Passover Lamb show on your lintel and side posts? Do you proclaim Him as your Savior?
Or have you scrubbed all evidence off your doorway, so as not to be different from everyone else? To be "politically correct?" To not "offend?"
Jesus offered Himself up as our Passover Lamb! Wear His sacrifice with pride! He said you were worth it.
Prove Him right, and ask everyone to join us in Paradise!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Hey! Who loves ya?
I've heard this as a greeting, quite a few times. It was much more common 40 years ago, but I still hear it occasionally today.
Who loves you?
Without thinking about it, we Christians always say, "God loves us..."
It is time to think about it. God, our Lord, our Creator... He gave up His only Son for us, for you, for me! Think of it this way. Whom do you care enough about that you'd willingly give up your child's life for that person?
Anybody?
My kids have all been grown for some time, so for me, the question has always been a bit blurred. For some reason, today, I considered this question from the standpoint of my feelings for my granddaughter.
Wow! Boy, did that ever put it into perspective for me! There is nobody on this planet I value anywhere near as much as one scratch on my Princess! Nobody! Not even if you put everyone who's ever lived onto the other side of the equation! If anybody ever hurts her in the slightest way, he better get struck by lightning before I get there! Could God possibly care any less for His Son? I think not!
And yet... He did sacrifice His only Son. And He did it to save countless people who showed Him no respect, no concern and no love. It really boggles the mind. He loves even people who live an evil lifestyle, & loves them enough that His own Son was not too big a price to pay!
Look at how He's been paid back. Crime, lies, filth, and various forms of unspeakable vileness are commonplace today. A large percentage of people don't want to even be bothered with God. Who among us would have been capable of enduring all this satanic back-stabbing?
"And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." (Deut 30:6)kjv
"...and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, thou art my God." (Hos 2:23)kjv
"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will rejoice over thee with singing." (Zeph 3:17)kjv
"But God commanded his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."
(Rom 5:8-10)kjv
Almost puts tears in your eyes, doesn't it? And it should! God loves us all with a love that infinitely exceeds anything we are capable of! Jesus died for each one of us. My sins killed Him, so did yours, so did the sins of each and every person who's ever lived. He died on the cross to save each of us.
Separately...
Individually...
Completely...
There is no way to respond to a love like that, except to hit your knees, thanking Him with all that you have, promising to do better, and meaning it.
Then get out and tell (or remind) others; after all, He values each of them that much, too.
See you soon, in Paradise!
Who loves you?
Without thinking about it, we Christians always say, "God loves us..."
It is time to think about it. God, our Lord, our Creator... He gave up His only Son for us, for you, for me! Think of it this way. Whom do you care enough about that you'd willingly give up your child's life for that person?
Anybody?
My kids have all been grown for some time, so for me, the question has always been a bit blurred. For some reason, today, I considered this question from the standpoint of my feelings for my granddaughter.
Wow! Boy, did that ever put it into perspective for me! There is nobody on this planet I value anywhere near as much as one scratch on my Princess! Nobody! Not even if you put everyone who's ever lived onto the other side of the equation! If anybody ever hurts her in the slightest way, he better get struck by lightning before I get there! Could God possibly care any less for His Son? I think not!
And yet... He did sacrifice His only Son. And He did it to save countless people who showed Him no respect, no concern and no love. It really boggles the mind. He loves even people who live an evil lifestyle, & loves them enough that His own Son was not too big a price to pay!
Look at how He's been paid back. Crime, lies, filth, and various forms of unspeakable vileness are commonplace today. A large percentage of people don't want to even be bothered with God. Who among us would have been capable of enduring all this satanic back-stabbing?
"And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." (Deut 30:6)kjv
"...and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, thou art my God." (Hos 2:23)kjv
"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will rejoice over thee with singing." (Zeph 3:17)kjv
"But God commanded his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."
(Rom 5:8-10)kjv
Almost puts tears in your eyes, doesn't it? And it should! God loves us all with a love that infinitely exceeds anything we are capable of! Jesus died for each one of us. My sins killed Him, so did yours, so did the sins of each and every person who's ever lived. He died on the cross to save each of us.
Separately...
Individually...
Completely...
There is no way to respond to a love like that, except to hit your knees, thanking Him with all that you have, promising to do better, and meaning it.
Then get out and tell (or remind) others; after all, He values each of them that much, too.
See you soon, in Paradise!
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