The Message of the Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV)

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Our Verse of the Day tells us the message of the cross is considered foolishness to those who are perishing. What is the “message of the cross”? Why would it be considered foolishness? Well, let’s put this verse in its context and see if that will help us:

1 Corinthians 1:17-25 (NIV)

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” (Citing Isaiah 29:14) Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

What I think Paul is trying to drive home is that it was incomprehensible to most Jews (and certainly to most non-Jews) that a Messiah … a Warrior King … a Savior and Deliverer sent by God to His people would have been mightier than to have suffered a torturous, humiliating death on a cross. What kind of Messiah could Jesus have been to have suffered such a fate? Why would anyone believe in such a weakling? Such thinking is foolishness … beyond irrational. Perhaps this was the mindset that drove Paul (formerly Saul) to persecute the “fanatical” Christian Sect before He encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. They were dangerous “lunatics” subverting Judaism and had to be stopped. Yet, we have to keep in mind what caused the earliest believers to persist in their faith was the resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus had not been resurrected … this “foolishness” would have long since abated. Indeed, if Jesus were not resurrected … our faith would be in vain. It would be foolish and we would still be in our sin. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 15:12-17)

As Paul reasons, God ordained for His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Jesus had to die … to pay the debt of sin (death) on our behalf. This appeased the justice requirement of a Holy God; and also demonstrated the incomprehensible love of God for us. He paid the debt for us! Thus, in Christ Jesus, we see the wisdom of God because the resurrection demonstrates the sovereign power of God. Those who reject the grace of God as foolishness will perish in their pride and arrogance. But those who believe in Christ Jesus, the power and wisdom of God, receive His gift of grace, salvation, and eternal life. Again, the Prophet Isaiah comes to mind. The Jews should have known from their own Scriptures that the Messiah would suffer and die for their transgressions. Their blindness became their foolishness….

Isaiah 53 (NIV)

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked—but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

To the world, the death of Jesus upon a cross is meaningless and foolish. A victorious, warrior King would not have let that happen … certainly not the Son of God. But the wisdom of God required a demonstration of His wrath against sin and iniquity. Sin is an affront to His holiness and to those created in His image. Sin stains and mars. It kills and destroys the souls of man. But Father God loved us too much to allow such devastation and destruction to annihilate our souls. So, He ordained His own plan of salvation for us through His Son. Through faith, we just need to trust in Jesus; His finished work on the cross; and receive His gracious offer of forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. Our faith in Christ Jesus is the life changer; and you can rest assured, He is the wisdom and power of God.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

The message of the cross is love! Romans 5:8; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10

The message of the cross is forgiveness! Acts 10:39-43; Acts 13:32-39

The message of the cross is reconciliation! Romans 5:10-11; Colossians 1:19-23

The message of the cross is liberty! Romans 6:1-14; 8:1-4; Galatians 5:19-25

The message of the cross is power! Romans 1:15-17; 1 Corinthians 2:3-5; 2 Peter 1:3-4

The message of the cross is triumph! Colossians 2:13-15; Revelation 12:10-11

The message of the cross is hope! Acts 26:4-8; Romans 8:19-25

I Want To Know What Love Is

1 John 3:16 (NIV)

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 and sisters.

Our Verse of the Day captures a great truth that Jesus desires each of us to attain from our personal encounter with Him; namely, the truth of God’s unfathomable love for those He created in His image … and all of His creation. Indeed, we find this truth repeated in the inspired writings of the New Testament authors. John wrote: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. (Cf. John 3:16) And Paul wrote: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Cf. Romans 5:8)

What the Apostle John affirms here is that the sacrificial death of Jesus is how we KNOW what love is! Jesus Christ defines the love of God in terms that we have yet to fully comprehend. Yet, Jesus assures us that this truth can be known and understood by us. Consider the following text:

John 17:20-26 (NIV) ~ Excerpt from the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus

“My prayer is not for them (the apostles) alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

My friends, we can know God and know His love because of Jesus Christ … His Son. The veil covering the holy place in the temple was torn in two – opening our access and revealing our capacity to have fellowship with the God who created us in His image. Jesus attested that He was sent to reveal the Father and to make Him known. Because of Jesus, we can know God … His Being and His passionate love for us. Paul understood this revelation; and his prayer for the Ephesian believers in Ephesians 3:14-21 encompassed a deep, heartfelt desire for them (and us) to KNOW “this love that surpasses knowledge.”

Indeed, God has spoken His love for us. God has revealed His love for us. God has shown and demonstrated His love for us. All the Father asks of us is to believe in His Son, Jesus, and to love one another as He has loved us! His will is not mysterious or unknown. His expectation of those created in His image is attainable. The reciprocation of His love can be achieved. The only question for us is whether we truly desire in our hearts to make it actual in our lives. For love requires us to humble ourselves … to subdue own wills … to exalt God above all else. And Christ Jesus, who ascended into heaven to become our High Priest before the throne of God, has demonstrated what this submission entails. Indeed, the Son, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage;rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Cf. Philippians 2:6-8)

When we humble ourselves and exert our own wills to be obedient … to pick up our cross daily … to die to sin … to believe God at His Word … to see God through His Son; I am persuaded that we will intimately experience His love that surpasses knowledge and be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. We will have the capacity to love others as we have been loved. Indeed, that is the purpose of God … to complete His love. The Apostle John shared these insights with us:

1 John 4:7-17 (NIV)

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.

All of these scriptures reveal the meaning and purpose of our Lord Jesus Christ being sent by the Father to this earth. God sent His Son to fulfill all of these truths because of His great love for us! I pray we will continue to reflect on these things as we recount His crucifixion and celebrate His resurrection!

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then Jesus said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then Jesus returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” He asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When Jesus came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So, He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. ~ Matthew 26:36-44

Jesus Died For All…

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

Our Verse of the Day brings a great opportunity for deeper understanding of the purposes and implications of the resurrection of Christ Jesus. I have decided to reprint the entire chapter to afford the context because it is packed with theological applications for us to consider. For me, there are lessons that impact not only my view of the world, but my understanding of finding my identity in Christ Jesus. Paul helps us discover who we are and what we are supposed to be doing with our lives as new creations who has been born of the Spirit to abide in Christ Jesus forever. Yes, this portion of scripture captures a myriad of faith-building tenets; and I hope you will find faith-growing encouragement as you review these insights of Paul….

2 Corinthians 5 (New Living Translation)

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God Himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God Himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee He has given us His Holy Spirit.

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So, whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please Him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love compels us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

So, we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know Him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So, we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

I’m not quite sure how the theological thoughts and applications of the resurrection could be more succinctly presented. What God has done for us through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, our Lord and Savior, is overwhelming to contemplate! His great mercy; His amazing grace; His abiding Spirit; His everlasting love are fulfilled and completed in Jesus! His last words while on the cross were: “It is finished!” And with that, Jesus bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (Cf. John 19:30) There is nothing else to be done except to receive His gift of reconciliation!

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

For this reason. I kneel before the Father, from whom every familyin heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. ~ Ephesians 3:14-21

The Riches of God’s Grace

Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace … that He lavished on us.

Our Verse of the Day is central to the Gospel message we have been called to declare: In Jesus we have redemption – through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace! And I believe we should look deeper at this verse … its declaration of redemption in Christ within the full context of the prologue of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:

Ephesians 1:1-10 (NIV)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He (God) chose us in Him (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will— to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, He (God) made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

By the grace of God the Father, we have been saved! This is not of ourselves … but through the lavish gift of grace given to us. And this grace is received through the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. Yes, our redemption and salvation is the will of God; and we can know it without fear or doubt! Everything else given to us by God can be understood once this foundation of truth has been laid within our souls. As Paul instructed, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 2:12) But before the Spirit of God can give us this discernment, the testimony of God in Jesus Christ must be believed! As Paul addressed the believers in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NRSV)

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery (testimony) of God to you with superior speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were made not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Why is this so important? Because there is a spirit of deception permeating, enveloping, and encircling the world right now. There is a veil of darkness that is blinding people to the truth concerning Christ Jesus. (Cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4) People are searching for answers and seeking truth; but there are world powers, spiritual forces of darkness, and false prophets who cloak the truth with a lie. The seeds of doubt are being sown and watered under the disruptions of wars and rumors of war; world economic instability and collapse; pestilence and famine; and the birth pangs of coming tribulation. (Cf. Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21) Indeed, the spirit of deception and doctrines of demons is spreading rapidly in these last days. Even now, as Jesus declared to the lukewarm Church at Laodicea: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Cf. Revelation 3:20)

My friends, we are in spiritual warfare for the Truth to be unfettered and released! For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Cf. Ephesians 6:12) And within this spiritual war going on … and we need to hold fast to this Truth: In Christ Jesus we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us. We need to remain steadfast and confident … to trust God at His Word. Yes, even now I am reminded of this scripture Jude 3-4:^“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.”

It is my prayer that the message of the cross will be declared in this season. I pray for those who have wandered from the faith to repent and return to Jesus who willingly and joyfully shed His own blood for the forgiveness and atonement of our sins. And I pray in hope for those who have rejected the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ that God would grant them repentance … so that we, the Body of Christ, can lead them to a knowledge of the Truth. Yes, I pray they will come to their senses and escape the deceptive schemes of the devil (Satan), who has taken them captive to do his will. (Cf. 2 Timothy 2:25-26) Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. ~ Titus 2:11-14

Palm Sunday … Reflections

Matthew 20:17-19 (NIV)

Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, He took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!”

Today is Palm Sunday and the beginning of a solemn time to reflect on the events that culminated in the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Verse of the Day affirms that Jesus told His disciples in advance what would soon take place. Jesus prophesied His condemnation to death by the authorities; His abusive treatment and torture ending with crucifixion; and His triumphal resurrection on the third day! Jesus had shared and explained these things before (Cf. Matthew 16:21; 17:22), but it appears the disciples could not comprehend what He was saying to them. And I wonder if today we truly comprehend the significance of a Suffering Messiah becoming our Passover Lamb. (Cf. Genesis 22:8; John 1:29: Revelation 5:6)

Jesus explained the events that would happen to Him because He knew that a blood atonement was required for our iniquities and transgressions. God the Father had ordained this sacrifice for atonement of sin before the creation of the world. (Cf. Revelation 13:8) And I think Jesus did not want His disciples to miss the significance of what would take place … the prophetic requirement that must be fulfilled through Him … or that there would be a New Covenant mediated by Him through a final sacrifice. Yet, there are people who resist the thought that God would require such an act of justice for sin. There is some notion that a loving God (as they define loving) would never have assented to the unjustifiable murder of His Son. Such a proposition is implausible and incomprehensible in their eyes. But that is what Jesus foretold would happen, before it happened, so that we might know the truth. Hebrews Chapter 9 affords us a theological explanation of this requirement, and I have provided some excerpts here:

Hebrews 9:6-15; 24-28 (NIV)

When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a New Covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But He has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

The blood of Jesus, through His sacrificial death on the cross, not only atoned for our sins and transgressions committed under the Old Covenant, but He removed the power of sin through His resurrection to life again! He is seated at the right hand of God. (Cf. Luke 22:69; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1) It is there that our Lord Jesus is interceding for us! (Cf. Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25) It was the Father’s intent for Jesus to accomplish His will … our reconciliation … through a mechanism of substitutionary justice so that the penalty for sin (death) would be met. Jesus is the MERCY of God toward us! Jesus is the LOVE of God toward us. Consider what Paul wrote in Romans 5:8 on this issue: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And in 1 John 4:10 we find this affirmation: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son (Jesus) as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” There is no question or vagueness here. In His mercy toward us, God ordained that His One and Only Son would make the atonement for us because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Indeed, the crucifixion was intentional on the part of God because of His passionate love for us!

My friends, I hope we will think deeply about what God has done to reconcile us to Himself – to clothe us in righteousness and to empower us for sanctification and holiness. God did so because of His great and enduring mercy … His everlasting love. I believe all God has ever wanted for His people is our holiness … for us to bear His image as we were created to be. And He has made it possible through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus! So, as the Season of Lent ends this coming week, I pray we will take time to prepare our ourselves for the table of communion to be served on Easter Morning. Let our celebration be a foreshadow of the wedding supper to come!

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) Then, the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” ~ Revelation 19:6-9

My Salvation and Honor…

Psalm 62:7 (NIV)

My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Our Verse of the Day comes from a Psalm of David, and I believe it will inspire you with hope and encouragement in your walk of faith. His meditation affirms the faithfulness and sovereignty of God over our lives; and it challenges us with three theological conclusions to consider:

Psalm 62

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

¹Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him.
²Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will never be shaken.

³How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down—this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
⁴Surely, they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.

⁵Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.
⁶Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will not be shaken.
⁷My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.
⁸Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.

⁹Surely the lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.
¹⁰Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

¹¹One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God,
¹²and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”

Verses 11-12 stirred my thoughts, so I looked for some companion scriptures to expound on them:

Power Belongs to You, God:

My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone. Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. ~ Psalm 71:15-18

With You, Lord, is Unfailing Love:

Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you. ~ Psalm 143:7-9

You Reward Everyone According to What They Have Done:

“Here is the king’s spear,” David answered. “Let one of your young men come over and get it. The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.” Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, David my son; you will do great things and surely triumph.” So, David went on his way, and Saul returned home. ~ 1 Samuel 26:21-25

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

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. ~ Matthew 16:26-27

Like A Shepherd … Lead Us

Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV)

The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters; He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.

With all of the uncertainties going on in the world – economic turmoil, geopolitical unrest, cultural division, etc.; perhaps we needed this reminder that the Lord Jesus is our Shepherd! We lack nothing when we have Him! He will keep us calm when the world panics. Jesus will refresh our souls with His peace in our hearts as we keep our hearts and minds focused on Him. As the Prophet Isaiah wrote: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Cf. Isaiah 26:3) Yes, God will meet all our needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus! Amen! (Cf. Philippians 4:19)

I want to reprint the entire Psalm for us to read:

Psalm 23 (ESV)

¹The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
³He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

What comforts me the most through this meditation of King David is the sense of peace we can have in God. It is a relational peace like none other; and I believe we need to remember the peace that He gives … that we can have within us. So here are a few Scriptures to keep us remain close to the God of Peace:

John 14:25-27 (NIV)

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Oh, my friends, I pray that you are filled with the peace of God … that His peace will abide in you as we walk through unsettled times in this world of tribulation. And I pray we will be diligent to share with unbelievers how they too can experience the peace that Jesus gives as our Shepherd. He leads … He provides … He restores … He comforts … He secures. Yes, let us proclaim what Jesus has affirmed to all: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Cf. Matthew 11:28)

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So, when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” ~ John 10:11-14

There Is No Other…

Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Our Verse of the Day extols the character of God … declaring that the Lord, the God of Israel, He IS God. He alone is God! There is no other God! There is none besides Him! And I think that we might need to be reminded today of His Supremacy … His Sovereignty … His Faithfulness … His Everlasting Mercy and Love!

Deuteronomy 4:32-40 (NIV) – An Exhortation of Moses

Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides Him there is no other. From heaven He made you hear His voice to discipline you. On earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words from out of the fire. Because He loved your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, He brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and His great strength, to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today. Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep His decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time.

1 Kings 8:56-61 (NIV) – A Prayer of King Solomon

“Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel just as He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He gave through His servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our ancestors; may He never leave us nor forsake us. May He turn our hearts to Him, to walk in obedience to Him and keep the commands, decrees and laws He gave our ancestors. And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God, day and night, that He may uphold the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel according to each day’s need, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

Isaiah 45:4-7 (NIV) – A Prophetic Word from Isaiah

For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.

Yes, God is faithful and has kept His covenant of love with His people. He is worthy of all praise and honor! Give unto the Lord the glory due His Name! (Cf. Psalm 29:2) Oh, how I pray that we would be faithful to the Lord God … that we would walk faithfully with Him who loves us with an everlasting love (Cf. Psalm 103:17-18; Jeremiah 31:3) … who gave His only begotten Son (Cf. John 3:16) … who demonstrated His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Cf. Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9) Yes, let us worship the Most-High God … and keep His commands with the obedience that comes from faith!

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

I will give thanks to the Lord because of His Righteousness; I will sing the praises of the Name of the Lord Most-High. ~ Psalm 7:17

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your Name, O Most-High. ~ Psalm 9:1-2

For you, Lord, are the Most-High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. ~ Psalm 97:9

Great Is Thy Faithfulness!

Isaiah 25:1 (NIV)

Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.

Our Verse of the Day from the Prophet Isaiah is a call to praise and worship … exalting God for His “perfect faithfulness” toward His people. We first find this gratitude for the faithfulness of God in the Book of Genesis – so this understanding of His nature has been affirmed at least since the time of Abraham. Let’s look at that passage and some others:

Genesis 24:26-27 (NIV)

Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His kindness and faithfulness to my master.

Exodus 34:5-7 (NIV)

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the Lord. And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

Psalm 57:9-11 (NIV)

I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

Psalm 71:22-23 (NIV)

I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you – I whom you have delivered.

These are just a few of OT Scriptures attesting to the faithfulness of God. The earliest believers recognized and praised God for His manifested love and faithfulness toward them. So likewise, I think we need to be mindful and grateful ourselves. As you look back on your life and all of your relationships and experiences … can you see the hand of God over it? Can you see the faithfulness of God in sustaining your life … creating the unique story of you? I know that I can! In fact, without the faithfulness of God to guide me through the pitfalls and challenges I have faced, I would not be here to share this testimony. I have absolutely no doubt about the faithfulness of God in our lives. Perhaps, the more salient question is whether we have been faithful to Him. Ask yourself, “Have you been as faithful to God as He has been to you?”

I’m sure we all feel indicted by that question. None of us have lived a perfect life. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Cf. Romans 3:23) Even after we came to a knowledge of the truth; received Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior; and experienced rebirth through the Spirit; most of us have stumbled at best to walk the narrow road and to love one another as He has loved us. I think of Peter who boldly and rashly proclaimed that he would die for Jesus at the time of His arrest … only to swear that he “did not even know the man” just a few hours later. (Cf. Matthew 26:74-75; Mark 14:72; Luke 22:60-61; John 18:27) So zealous was his boast and so vehement was his disownment. And note how every Gospel writer recorded what happened! Oh, I’d say each of us has wept as bitterly as Peter at some point in our life because of our unfaithfulness to God….

What amazes and encourages me, though, is that Jesus takes the initiative to comfort Peter and restore him to fellowship. You can read about it in John 21. Yes, when we find ourselves in despair over our sin and unfaithfulness to God, the Apostle John shares with us this word of encouragement: “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (Cf. 1 John 1:9) John reminds us of that timeless truth: God is Faithful. And so, I repeat that message here because someone needs to hear it. Someone needs to know that the discouragement and despair of unfaithfulness that has been extinguishing their life can be defeated. Yes, you ARE forgiven! Your life and fellowship with God will be restored! God is faithful even when we fail…. Like Paul, I am convinced that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Cf. Romans 8:38-39)

One other thing that caught my attention about our verse was the phrase “things planned long ago.” I thought about that a moment. I thought about the plan of salvation was in the mind of God before the foundation of the world. I wondered, “What other things did God plan long ago?” Well, He planned my birth. He determined the date, the generation, the place, the nation, etc. God knew when and where He wanted me for His plans and purposes. And despite a rebellious time of youth … in spite of disobedience, failures, and unfaithfulness in my life … God planned my reconciliation and salvation. I am His handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for me to do. (Cf. Ephesians 2:10) And each day of my life becomes a revelation of things He has planned long ago for me. Indeed, God is faithful over the span of your life and mine….

Oh, I am certain there is someone who needs to know that God is willing and ready to restore your life just like He did for Peter – a man who disavowed even knowing the Lord Jesus … just like He did for Paul – a blasphemer and a murderer … just like He did for me – another sinner saved by grace through faith. God planned your Day of Reconciliation long ago! God knew just the right time … when you would bitterly weep … and open your whole heart to Him. God knew your moment of confession would come, and He is faithful and just to forgive your sins because you have called on Him. He is at the door of your heart … knocking even now. And I can assure you, it is an indescribable feeling to experience the great mercy, love, and faithfulness of God will pour out upon your life! I urge you to open the door and bid the Lord Jesus to come in … and let your healing begin!

Father, I thank you and I praise you for your perfect faithfulness. You have done wonderful things … too many to count as well look back over our lives. Each one is a testimony of your surpassing kindness and your steadfast love. Help, Lord, each one of us to embrace that you have been faithful to redeem us … to give us a hope and a future … to give us eternal life. These promises were established long ago … and we can receive them by placing our faith in you. You have proven yourself trustworthy, and I pray any person who has questioned the depth of your love will see the truth in your Word. In the powerful Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ~ Lamentations 3:19-23

God Showed His Love…

1 John 4:9 (NIV)

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.

Our Verse of the Day has been cited in previous commentaries numerous times. I want to think that since this verse appeared today, there is an anointing on this Scripture that we need to grasp and embrace. We have read this verse. We have quoted this verse. But do we really understand what this verse means? Do we truly comprehend this love that surpasses all human understanding? Indeed, God has shown His love. God has demonstrated His love. It is revealed in the life of His One and Only Son, Christ Jesus! Yet, I wonder, have we fully embraced this truth….

I have often become overwhelmed with thoughts and mental images of the crucifixion – the visage of blood trailing down sunken cheeks … a piercing crown of thorns penetrating His brow … jagged tears of flesh … whip-inflicted wounds covering every square inch of His back. The magnitude of unconscionable, demonic-filled physical torture that Jesus suffered is just beyond imagination. And I find myself weeping in my spirit at the unimaginable pain He bore … the sacrifice His endured to atone for the iniquity of us all.

Yet, the Lord Jesus reminds me that He knowingly and willingly went the cross. (Cf. John 10:11-18) For the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross while scorning its shame. (Cf. Hebrews 12:2) God sacrificed His own life … His own blood … according to His own plan and purpose. Jesus died to reconcile me to God the Father. He paid the debt of sin for me. I am redeemed. I have been purchased by His blood. Not because I was good or worthy or merited His favor; rather, He died for me and set me free from the ultimate cost of sin within the human heart. He did that for me! He did that for you! Why? So that we might truly live through Him!

I am convinced there is no true life outside of life within Christ Jesus. Jesus proclaimed, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Cf. John 14:6) We either believe Him at His word … or we arrogantly reject the sacrificial death He suffered to bring us eternal life. Jesus Himself affirmed: “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise Him up on the last day.” (Cf. John 6:40) “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (Cf. 1 John 5:11-12)

The cross is a hard message. It is hard to understand because it is not rational to the human mind. I feel like Paul … when he expressed this message to the Corinthian Church: “And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony (mystery) about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (Cf. 1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

This is the message of the cross, and for that matter, all of the Holy Scriptures. This is the Gospel … the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. (Cf. Romans 1:16) The Son had to do this for us! It was required by God; and He sent Jesus into the world for this very purpose – at the appointed time in history … at the appointed place of birth … in the chosen nation of inheritance … for the appointed children of God. Our Savior Jesus was slain for us … for the forgiveness of our transgressions … ordained by God the Father before the foundation of the world. Yes, “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 and sisters.” (Cf. 1 John 3:16)

Can I leave you with a passage of Scripture from the Prophet Isaiah? I believe he can best orate what I am trying to share here as he foretold the suffering, death, and resurrection of the Messiah 700 years before it occurred! I just think God wants us to focus on this message – maybe as we begin to prepare ourselves and our hearts for the season of Easter:

Isaiah 53

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem. Surely, He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression (From arrest) and judgment He was taken away. Yet who of His generation considered that He was cut off from the land of the living; that He was punished for the transgression of my people? He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life an offering for sin, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

After He has suffered, He will see the light of life (see the fruit of His suffering) and will be satisfied; by His knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will give Him a portion among the many, and He will divide the spoils with the numerous because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. ~ Ephesians 3:14-21