Showing posts with label crucifixion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crucifixion. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Magnificence


O yes, He cares, I know He cares,

His heart is touched with my grief;
  When the days are weary,
  The long night dreary,
  I know my Savior cares.


The place called Calvary!

(John Stott, "The Message of Galatians")

"When they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him!" Luke 23:33

Every time we look at the Cross, Jesus seems to say to us,
"I am here because of you! It is . . .
 your sin that I am bearing,
 your curse that I am suffering,
 your dept that I am paying,
 your death that I am dying!"

Nothing in the universe cuts us down to size, like the Cross! All of us have inflated views of ourselves--until we have visited the place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the Cross, that we shrink to our true size.
"When we were utterly helpless, Christ died for the ungodly!" Romans 5:6

Addition Dr. Morris: 

It has always been interesting to hear the uninformed talk about religious subjects. One woman said, "Golgotha was the giant who slew the apostle David." There was nothing pretty about Calvary, Golgotha, where crucifixions occurred. There were flies, still parts of crosses, sniffing dogs roaming around, and it was there our Blessed Lord was put to death.

Every day of this writers life, I thank God for what Jesus did for me at Calvary... salvation of my soul and the healing of my body. "By his stripes we are healed," (Isaiah 53:5) and Peter looking back, "By his stripes we WERE healed," (1 Peter 2:24). The cross is at the epicenter of all creation and civilization. Those on the other side of the cross look forward to the cross, we, on this side of the cross, look backwards to the cross. Just two pieces of timber. The vertical piece of wood points towards heaven, the horizontal piece of wood points east and west around the world. There are many symbols in the world, not one of them compares to the cross.

We sing, talk, even wear crosses. but is the cross the centerpiece of our life, the constant remembrance in our church. I can remember going to so many church houses and never seeing a cross (this was back when I had sight). There are many things with which I cannot agree in Catholicism. One thing which I can agree on is their emphasis on the cross, in their cathedrals, hospitals and schools. There are many things with which I cannot agree, in recent years, attempting to please young people, the beat and clatter of modernistic music in the church house... I like the old hymns which remind us of the cross... "Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross", "Beneath The Cross of Jesus" etc.

The soil is level at the foot of the cross, just as available to the poor as for the rich, the ugly as well as the beautiful. Too many stumble at the foot of the cross. Not depending on it's complete fulfillment, wanting to cling to a denominational belief, some book or some interpretation of man. The cross is complete, free, glorious. We are expected to deny self and take up his cross (Matthew 16:24). Jesus chooses the cross for us to bear... even disability, even poverty, even blindness.

Must Jesus bear the cross alone, 

And all the world go free? 
No, there's a cross for everyone, 
And there's a cross for me.

Friday, April 2, 2010

The Case For Christianity




#545

The Case For Christianity

Albert Einstein, one of the world's greatest minds, Jewish, said Christianity was the greatest topic he could discuss, particularly the Eucharist, Holy Communion, substantiation, meaning Thanksgiving. The symbolic taking of the body and blood of Jesus Christ into our body...in memory of what Christ did for the believer on Calvary.

Libraries are filled with books on Christianity. On this Holy Thursday, the day, probably on which Christ was crucified, 200 years ago, we think again of the real essence of Christianity. Antioch was one of the largest cities of he world at the time of the Disciples. Peter preached in Antioch and Antioch is mentioned more than any other city in the Acts of the Apostles. The Gentile believers were first called Christians at the city of Antioch. (Act 11:26) Those who are born again, believers in Jesus Christ, call themselves Christian or, Christ-Like. I do not call myself Christian because I am not Christ like and I know very few who are. Rather, I call myself a born again believer in Jesus Christ. In the act of Baptism, we have portrayed the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. One who believes in Christ, wants to be Baptized by immersion in water. This symbolic act, the initial ordinance of the New Testament Church, shows to the world that you are a new creation in Christ, that you have been washed from your old life of sin and rejection, raised to walk in newness of life...Jesus, when he was Baptized went up, straight-way out of the water. (Mat 3:16)

The recurrent ordinance of the New Testament Church is Communion, wherein you take a small piece of bread representing stripes of Christ's body and a small sip of wine representing his shed blood for your sins. It is Christ's atonement, redemption, the sacrifice made by God that we as Christians have salvation.

It is unbelievable that God would use his only begotten son for the forgiveness of the entire world (John 3:16). It is unbelievable that sin, whether small or large, whether acts of war or acts of defiance, would be forgiven by the God of the universe...omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, the one who knows our every thought. It is unbelievable that God, who breathed into man life and soul, would forgive the taking of life...the most innocent of life...in the abortion holocaust or, the God of life who designed man and woman for reproduction would forgive the homosexual agenda...homosexual marriage, homosexual pastors and bishops...pedophile priests.

It is unbelievable that the very hairs of our head are numbered but, it is unbelievable that every snowflake that has ever fallen was individually designed by God. It is unbelievable that in the nano-technology available at our fingertips is just a small impression of God's power..

It is unbelievable that the first Passover in Egypt, involving his chosen people or our salvation today, is just as profound as our devotion to Christ. How could anyone not be thrilled by the knowledge found in his precious word? We walk either under the banner of Christ or the banner of Satan...there is no middle ground. Many pretend, many participate in the masquerade, particularly at the church house. I find that many cheat themselves of the joy of salvation.

In the mediocrity which surrounds us, most give the excuse of not being able to understand the mystery of God's sacrificial profundity. Those who cannot understand the mystery at the end of the telescope or the mystery at the end of the microscope should rejoice in the knowledge that even a small child can know the joy of eternal life. I heard the dean of the Union Theological Seminary say, “the thirteen most important words in the world are these; Jesus loves me, this I know, for the bible tells me so”. On this day, when we rejoice in the sacrifice made for us, we know that the tender heart of Jesus Christ forgives, and so should we. We know, from the shortest verse in the bible, “Jesus wept”...just two words that he still weeps because of our disbelief. We do what we do because we believe what we believe. The second shortest verse in the bible is just three words, “God is love”. Take refuge in the fact, in this Easter season that God loves us and will, according to his last words on earth, never leave us.

[Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. (Heb 13:5-6)