The Cross

“Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭23:32-43‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Do you find it strange that a tool of torture would Come To Embody Movement Of Hope?

Look there is the place called the skull. Do you see the two thieves, one on each side of Jesus?  One looks over and sees Jesus. He hears the insult and sees the man remain quiet. He sees the fresh blood on Jesus' cheeks, the crown of thorns scraping Jesus' scalp, and he hears the hoarse whisper, "Father, forgive them."  They are shouting bitter words, crucify him, shaming him as a criminal. Weren't the nails sufficient?  Was the crown of thorns too soft?  Had the flogging been too short?  Why do they want him dead?

Slowly the thief's curiosity offsets the pain in his own body. He begins to feel a peculiar warmth in his heart, he begins to care about this peaceful martyr who has no anger in his eyes only tears. He doesn't retaliate. Make any threats like - just you wait until after the resurrection buddy!  No Jesus entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He left the judging to God.

Then the soldiers steal his attention as they throw dice in the dirt and gamble for the ragged robe.  He looks up and sees the sign above Jesus' head. It s painted with sarcasm; King of the Jews.

All of sudden his thoughts are exploded by the accusation of the criminal on the other cross. He too has been studying Jesus, but through the eyes of cynicism. "So you're the Messiah, are you?  Prove it by saving yourself - and us, too, while you're at it!"

Here we have two individuals, each see the same Savior - one sees hope, the other sees nothing but himself.

The first criminal places himself between Jesus and the accusers and speaks on his behalf,while the other criminal protested, "Don't you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?  We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn't done anything wrong."  The soldiers look up. The priests cease chattering, Mary wipes her tears and raises her eyes.  All eyes turn to the criminal. Perhaps even Jesus looks at him. Perhaps He turns to see the only one who had spoken when all others were silent. Perhaps he fights to focus his eyes on the one who offered this final gesture of love  he is receiving while still alive. Maybe he smiled as this sheep straggling into the fold. This criminal's two statements are what everyone needs to recognize in order to come to Jesus let me repeat it: "We are getting what we deserve" and "This man has done nothing wrong".

We. Are guilty and he is innocent.
We are filthy and he is pure.
We are wrong and he is right.
He is not on the cross for his sins. He is there for ours.
The criminal understands this, his request seems only natural.  He makes the same request any Christian has made: "Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom".  No stained glass homilies. No excuses. Just a desperate plea for help. At this point Jesus performs the greatest miracle of the cross. Greater than the earthquake, greater than the tearing of the temple curtain. Greater than the darkness. Greater than the resurrected saints appearing on the streets. He performs the miracle of forgiveness. A sin-soaked criminal is received by a blood-stained Savior.

And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise."

If anyone was ever worthless this criminal was. If any man deserved to die, he probably did. If any fellow was ever a loser, this fellow probably was at the top of the list. Perhaps that is why Jesus chose him to show us what he thinks of the human race.

Maybe this criminal had heard the Messiah speak. Maybe he had seen him love the,lowly. Maybe not.  But something told him he had never been in better company and somehow he realized that even though all he had was prayers, he finally met One to whom he should pray.

The hand painted sign placed above the head of Jesus was written in three languages: Hebrew, Latin, and Greek - "This is the Kimg of the Jews".  Pilate had inteneded the sign to threaten and mock the Jesus, but God used it as an instrument for spreading the gospel. Everyone in Israel spoke one of the three languages. Christ was declared Kng in them all.  Jesus was a king for all people.

We don't have to look very far in any direction without seeing a cross. It might be a cross perched atop a chapel, or carved in a headstone or on a ring or suspended on a chain.  The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. An odd choice?  A tool of torture as a movement of hope. Why the cross for our symbol of faith?  It really is very simple: One beam horizontal the other vertical. One reaches out - like God's love, the other reaches up - as does God's holiness. The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards.

Christ lived the life we could not live and took the punishment we could not take to offer the hope we cannot resist.  It wasn't the soldiers who killed Jesus nor the screams of the mob, but His devotion to us.

Christ stretched one hand to the right and the other to the left and had them nailed in that position so we would know He Died Loving You and Me!!!  Christ came to earth for one reason to give his as a ransoms for you and me - for all of us. He sacrificed himself to give us a second chance. His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives.

Let There Be Peace On Earth

 “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:20-21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

On my way to church, the song Let There Be Peace on Earth kept coming to my mind.  When this happens I know in my heart it is something my Father wants me to share.  I had been praying for clarity, reciting Psalms 13, and putting to memory:  “But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the LORD because he is good to me.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭13:5-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬
During the sermon preached by John Thornburg I received the answer to my prayer.  He talked about John the Baptist crying in the wilderness. That John still speaks to us today.  His message change.   In this troubled world, with all the prejudice, hate, and injustice, this is what My Father wants me to share.

CHRISTMAS SONG
Let There Be Peace on Earth

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father
Brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
With peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.

As we celebrate Jesus' Birthday, give Him the gift of your heart.  Allow Him to fill it with love.  After all He gave His life for all of us.  I am a gentile, and my Father has adapted me.  We are told in the Bible Genesis 17:19 - 20 that God  will confirm His covenant with Isaac and will bless Ishmael, make him fruitful.  . . . .; Acts 3: 25 says . . .And In Your Seed All The Families Of The Earth Shall Be Blessed; “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.”‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:26-29‬ ‭NLT‬‬
God wants us to see the world through Jesus' eyes, to allow the Holy Spirit to put right thoughts in our minds, words in our mouths, and understanding.  We must rely on the Holy Spirit's wisdom.
Will you join me in letting the peace begin with us?
Remember God loves you and so do I.

FAITH

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:17-18‬ ‭NLT

Faith is not denying reality, or pretending you don't have a problem.  It isn't saying I'm not in pain, when you are, or saying I don't hurt when you do, or that you are happy when you are grieving inside.  Faith is facing the facts without being disheartened by them because you know God is greater than the problem. There is a Christianity today that basically says, "Deny all of your problems. Just have a positive confession. Name it and claim it."  I don't think that kind of thinking comes from Jesus. Faith is facing reality without being discouraged by it.  You know God can change a situation.  You can build a family on Faith, not fantasy.  The same is true in the business world.  You can't build a life on fantasy but you can on Faith.   How?  Look beyond your circumstances: "We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen (the problem) is temporary, but what is unseen (God's Power) is eternal" 2Cor. 4:18 NIV.

If you look at the world you will become distressed, if you look inside you may become depressed. The world is full of problems, and all of us  have things that need changing in our lives. But if you look at Jesus you will be at rest.  You will see your deliverer and not your difficulty - you will make it.
Remember God loves you and so do I.

WISDOM OF BEING A PEACEMAKER

“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”
‭‭James‬ ‭3:13-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

James is teaching us that if we say we believe it, we better behave accordingly.  Our affirmation of faith must be fleshed out in our actions.  Verse 13 ask a question: "Who is wise and understanding among you?"
We are living in a time when information is exploding and immediately accessible on our phones, tablets, or computers. With all this knowledge and information, do you think we are wiser?
Wisdom doesn't come just as part of getting older.  You will get wisdom if you go after it.  What price are you willing to pay to get wisdom?  What sacrifices are you willing to make?  "For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her " (Prov. 8:11).
Knowledge comes from books, but wisdom comes from the BIBLE / GOD'S WORD.  Knowledge is the accumulation of facts but wisdom is the God-given ability to apply them in every situation. The true test of wisdom is works, not words, not your IQ but your CQ / character quotient.
James says we demonstrate wisdom by the way we live so we must act with humility. Some think humility is a weakness. Humility actually means "strength under control "
There are two kinds of wisdom: wisdom from below and wisdom from above.  James says wisdom from below is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  He says wisdom from above comes from heaven, is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Wisdom from below produces drama, disorder, confusion and a state of chaos.
Wisdom from above produces, a harvest of righteousness, peace,quietness and confidence forever.
At one time or another we all have felt anger, bitterness, hurt, and as if we have been miss-treated. There are three ways to deal with conflict:
1. peace-faking - trying to escape the problem
2. Peace-breaking - being in the attack mode
3. Peace-making - trying to reconcile
Jesus pronounces a blessing upon the "peacemakers".  James 3:18 " Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."  The Good News is: Jesus paid the price for all those wrongs. We need to let go and give it to God. If you hold a grudge you are cheating God from His justice. I am so grateful that Jesus came down low in order to bring salvation and forgiveness and peace to people like you and me.
I want to leave you with this thought: We cannot humanly win the battles we face, but God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can.  So just simply pray, asking God to take over and He will fight battles for you and He will be victorious.
Remember God loves you and so do I.

Hopeless End Turned into Endless Hope

“In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have you ever felt you were at a dead end?  Have you ever asked God why do you let things get so bad and out of control?  Whatever situation you find yourself in, what do you expect God to do about it?   Maybe you don't expect God to do anything. But God works in your life according to your expectation.  That is called FAITH!

The scripture 2 Corinthians 1:9-10 has to do with deliverance.  The purpose of dead-end is to teach you to trust in God.  Bad things / out of control things, force you to learn to trust God, instead of your own ingenuity and cleverness. 

God promises to deliver you, but you must put your trust in Him.  He has delivered you, He will deliver you, and He will continue to deliver you.  There are three different kinds of deliverance:

1) God uses circumstantial deliverance - sometimes God may miraculously alter the circumstance like the Red Sea, but it won't happen all the time. 

2) God uses personal deliverance - God changes you: a new dream, new wisdom, new attitude, and a new perspective. 

3) God' ultimate deliverance is Heaven - While on earth we will experience problems. There will be pain, sorrow and suffering. In Heaven no more sorrow, or suffering or heartache. 

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is only one way to Heaven.  When you feel like you have reached a dead-end, Jesus can take that hopelessness and turn it into endless hope. Stop relying on self, and rely on God.  He did rescue us from mortal danger.  He will rescue us again. Place all your confidence in Jesus and He will continue to rescue you.  Take all your problems, concerns and give them to Jesus. 

Remember God loves you and so do I. 

Hopeless End Turned into Endless Hope

“In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have you ever felt you were at a dead end?  Have you ever asked God why do you let things get so bad and out of control?  Whatever situation you find yourself in, what do you expect God to do about it?   Maybe you don't expect God to do anything. But God works in your life according to your expectation.  That is called FAITH!

The scripture 2 Corinthians 1:9-10 has to do with deliverance.  The purpose of dead-end is to teach you to trust in God.  Bad things / out of control things, force you to learn to trust God, instead of your own ingenuity and cleverness. 

God promises to deliver you, but you must put your trust in Him.  He has delivered you, He will deliver you, and He will continue to deliver you.  There are three different kinds of deliverance:

1) God uses circumstantial deliverance - sometimes God may miraculously alter the circumstance like the Red Sea, but it won't happen all the time. 

2) God uses personal deliverance - God changes you: a new dream, new wisdom, new attitude, and a new perspective. 

3) God' ultimate deliverance is Heaven - While on earth we will experience problems. There will be pain, sorrow and suffering. In Heaven no more sorrow, or suffering or heartache. 

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is only one way to Heaven.  When you feel like you have reached a dead-end, Jesus can take that hopelessness and turn it into endless hope. Stop relying on self, and rely on God.  He did rescue us from mortal danger.  He will rescue us again. Place all your confidence in Jesus and He will continue to rescue you.  Take all your problems, concerns and give them to Jesus. 

Remember God loves you and so do I. 

Hopeless End Turned into Endless Hope

“In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have you ever felt you were at a dead end?  Have you ever asked God why do you let things get so bad and out of control?  Whatever situation you find yourself in, what do you expect God to do about it?   Maybe you don't expect God to do anything. But God works in your life according to your expectation.  That is called FAITH!

The scripture 2 Corinthians 1:9-10 has to do with deliverance.  The purpose of dead-end is to teach you to trust in God.  Bad things / out of control things, force you to learn to trust God, instead of your own ingenuity and cleverness. 

God promises to deliver you, but you must put your trust in Him.  He has delivered you, He will deliver you, and He will continue to deliver you.  There are three different kinds of deliverance:

1) God uses circumstantial deliverance - sometimes God may miraculously alter the circumstance like the Red Sea, but it won't happen all the time. 

2) God uses personal deliverance - God changes you: a new dream, new wisdom, new attitude, and a new perspective. 

3) God' ultimate deliverance is Heaven - While on earth we will experience problems. There will be pain, sorrow and suffering. In Heaven no more sorrow, or suffering or heartache. 

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is only one way to Heaven.  When you feel like you have reached a dead-end, Jesus can take that hopelessness and turn it into endless hope. Stop relying on self, and rely on God.  He did rescue us from mortal danger.  He will rescue us again. Place all your confidence in Jesus and He will continue to rescue you.  Take all your problems, concerns and give them to Jesus. 

Remember God loves you and so do I.