Friday is video day, so in keeping with the season and my posts earlier on The Passion Week and Good Friday, I wanted to show a video about the price Jesus paid for you and I.
There are so many videos to choose from about the crucifixion, I choose a song I had never heard, this song is by Brad Paisley and Sara Evans, I thought you would enjoy it.
Remember Jesus paid this price for you.
Showing posts with label Good Friday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Good Friday. Show all posts
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
What so Good about Good Friday?
It took me almost 30 years to confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in my heart God raised Him from the dead. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior but I have not always been a follower. With that said, I sometimes have a different perspective on Biblical teachings and events.
I always wondered why the church called if Good Friday if Jesus died. What was so good about death, I thought. To an outsider, it sure seemed silly but I didn't mind Easter because we had lots of chocolate and a big dinner.
But now Good Friday is special to me. After watching the Passion of the Christ I have a new visual playing in my head. Reading and meditating on Isaiah 52 and 53 I believe Mel Gibson went light on the way Christ looked. Mr. Gibson even said so in an interview. So what does this all mean?
Good Friday is followed by Easter and that is when the celebration begins but Jesus' sacrifice on Good Friday paid for everything. When I say everything I mean a complete work, lacking nothing. Read 1 John 2:2
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
All sin past, present and future were paid on Good Friday. What about sickness? Great question, Isaiah prophesied about this before it happened in 53:5
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (Emphasis mine)
Peter wrote about this in a different tense in 1 Peter 2:24
who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. (Emphasis mine)
Isaiah wrote "You are healed" and Peter wrote "You were healed", same stripes, the only difference is one man saw into the future and the other looked back in the past. Why would God write this in His book? Because you are healed! It is a done deal just like salvation.
All sickness, like all sin, was also taken care of past, present and future. Jesus paid it all Good Friday. There is so much more He accomplished for you and I but time and space do not permit me to continue.
Meditate on Isaiah 52 and 53, and watch the Passion of the Christ. Jesus died for the whole world. This is the Atonement, it is the completed work. What a great God we serve.
I always wondered why the church called if Good Friday if Jesus died. What was so good about death, I thought. To an outsider, it sure seemed silly but I didn't mind Easter because we had lots of chocolate and a big dinner.
But now Good Friday is special to me. After watching the Passion of the Christ I have a new visual playing in my head. Reading and meditating on Isaiah 52 and 53 I believe Mel Gibson went light on the way Christ looked. Mr. Gibson even said so in an interview. So what does this all mean?
Good Friday is followed by Easter and that is when the celebration begins but Jesus' sacrifice on Good Friday paid for everything. When I say everything I mean a complete work, lacking nothing. Read 1 John 2:2
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
All sin past, present and future were paid on Good Friday. What about sickness? Great question, Isaiah prophesied about this before it happened in 53:5
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (Emphasis mine)
Peter wrote about this in a different tense in 1 Peter 2:24
who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. (Emphasis mine)
Isaiah wrote "You are healed" and Peter wrote "You were healed", same stripes, the only difference is one man saw into the future and the other looked back in the past. Why would God write this in His book? Because you are healed! It is a done deal just like salvation.
All sickness, like all sin, was also taken care of past, present and future. Jesus paid it all Good Friday. There is so much more He accomplished for you and I but time and space do not permit me to continue.
Meditate on Isaiah 52 and 53, and watch the Passion of the Christ. Jesus died for the whole world. This is the Atonement, it is the completed work. What a great God we serve.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Passion Week and the Sovereignty of God
This is Passion week. Christians will celebrate Easter Sunday all around the world.
Part of me is excited and part of me is solemn. I am excited because the grave could not hold my Lord and Savior! I am solemn because I am reminded of everything Jesus did for us.
What a great God we serve. I have been in a discussion with other Christians about why God would allow suffering to go on in this world. My response was God is bound by His word and He gave dominion and authority to Adam.
He did not tell Adam if you mess this up I will take it back. No, He gave Adam the right to mess it all up. Adam did mess up, he gave his authority to Satan and Satan is now the prince and power of this world. God did not create suffering, Satan did.
Satan, in my opinion, is the one who deserves the credit for all of the bad. Satan is the one who tempted Jesus. Satan is the reason Jesus had to die on the cross. By dying, Jesus made a way for everyone to live.
He paid the price for the whole world. Read 1 John 2:2
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
Jesus paid the price, but the individual must accept by faith the grace of God. Jesus did more than redeem us from sin, He totally freed us from the power of Satan. But like salvation we must appropriate it to our lives.
He became poor so we might become rich, by His stripes you were healed, the chastisement of peace was upon Him. He bore it all on the cross, but we must accept it by faith.
That is where many struggle, they don't feel worthy. Let me let you in on a secret, you are not. None of us are, but Jesus completed His work anyway. When He said, "It is finished." The price was paid in full. You name your problem in the flesh; Jesus paid the price.
I know many people think this is over the top but I think anyone who would assign bad things to God after the New Covenant, is not honoring all Jesus did at Calvary.
Why do people suffer? Because sin entered the world. The spiritual law of sowing and reaping did not get turned off, so many suffer because of the sins committed by others. It is as simple as cause and effect. Jesus paid the price, but you must use your faith to appropriate the grace of God for your life.
So what about the Sovereignty of God. It is easier to blame God, than to blame of ourselves. We don't come right out and blame God, instead, we use a (lazy) teaching like the Sovereignty of God to do it for us.
My definition the Sovereignty of God is:
God is supreme, the absolute top, answering to no one. God is everywhere, knows everything and can do anything without getting permission. God is not subject to time, He is the Beginning and the End. God has no limits in heaven.
God's word will come to pass but God can be limited here on earth. (This is for another post, this is way too long already.)
Jesus said, "Be of good cheer I have overcome the world." The war has been won but the battle is still raging here on earth. I believe it is up to His body (the church) to make His enemies His footstool.
The whole concept of One Drop of Blood is we (the church) defeat Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:11) It is all about what God has done for us and through us, but we must open our mouths and tell others.
Remember, your life is all about giving God the Glory. How much glory can God get from giving you cancer? What kind of sick God would give you cancer to show you how much He loves you? That is where the extreme Sovereignty of God teaching takes you. If God controls everything, then He picks and chooses who gets cancer, who gets rich, who gets saved, etc. Not much for you to do except praise God, go to church and hope God does not "bless" you with a disease or calamity.
Sorry, The God I serve does not use bad things to "bless" me. And if He won't do it to me, God will not do it to you.
Romans 2:11 For there is no partiality with God.
That is not to say that God does not correct me, He does, like any good father would. But He does it in love and uses things other than cancer, disease, etc. (God actually uses His word most of the time to get my attention and get me back on track.)
So Rejoice this week and again I say Rejoice, because Jesus arose from the dead. Meditate also on all Jesus did for whosoever believes in Him. It will make you rejoice even more.
Part of me is excited and part of me is solemn. I am excited because the grave could not hold my Lord and Savior! I am solemn because I am reminded of everything Jesus did for us.
What a great God we serve. I have been in a discussion with other Christians about why God would allow suffering to go on in this world. My response was God is bound by His word and He gave dominion and authority to Adam.
He did not tell Adam if you mess this up I will take it back. No, He gave Adam the right to mess it all up. Adam did mess up, he gave his authority to Satan and Satan is now the prince and power of this world. God did not create suffering, Satan did.
Satan, in my opinion, is the one who deserves the credit for all of the bad. Satan is the one who tempted Jesus. Satan is the reason Jesus had to die on the cross. By dying, Jesus made a way for everyone to live.
He paid the price for the whole world. Read 1 John 2:2
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
Jesus paid the price, but the individual must accept by faith the grace of God. Jesus did more than redeem us from sin, He totally freed us from the power of Satan. But like salvation we must appropriate it to our lives.
He became poor so we might become rich, by His stripes you were healed, the chastisement of peace was upon Him. He bore it all on the cross, but we must accept it by faith.
That is where many struggle, they don't feel worthy. Let me let you in on a secret, you are not. None of us are, but Jesus completed His work anyway. When He said, "It is finished." The price was paid in full. You name your problem in the flesh; Jesus paid the price.
I know many people think this is over the top but I think anyone who would assign bad things to God after the New Covenant, is not honoring all Jesus did at Calvary.
Why do people suffer? Because sin entered the world. The spiritual law of sowing and reaping did not get turned off, so many suffer because of the sins committed by others. It is as simple as cause and effect. Jesus paid the price, but you must use your faith to appropriate the grace of God for your life.
So what about the Sovereignty of God. It is easier to blame God, than to blame of ourselves. We don't come right out and blame God, instead, we use a (lazy) teaching like the Sovereignty of God to do it for us.
My definition the Sovereignty of God is:
God is supreme, the absolute top, answering to no one. God is everywhere, knows everything and can do anything without getting permission. God is not subject to time, He is the Beginning and the End. God has no limits in heaven.
God's word will come to pass but God can be limited here on earth. (This is for another post, this is way too long already.)
Jesus said, "Be of good cheer I have overcome the world." The war has been won but the battle is still raging here on earth. I believe it is up to His body (the church) to make His enemies His footstool.
The whole concept of One Drop of Blood is we (the church) defeat Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:11) It is all about what God has done for us and through us, but we must open our mouths and tell others.
Remember, your life is all about giving God the Glory. How much glory can God get from giving you cancer? What kind of sick God would give you cancer to show you how much He loves you? That is where the extreme Sovereignty of God teaching takes you. If God controls everything, then He picks and chooses who gets cancer, who gets rich, who gets saved, etc. Not much for you to do except praise God, go to church and hope God does not "bless" you with a disease or calamity.
Sorry, The God I serve does not use bad things to "bless" me. And if He won't do it to me, God will not do it to you.
Romans 2:11 For there is no partiality with God.
That is not to say that God does not correct me, He does, like any good father would. But He does it in love and uses things other than cancer, disease, etc. (God actually uses His word most of the time to get my attention and get me back on track.)
So Rejoice this week and again I say Rejoice, because Jesus arose from the dead. Meditate also on all Jesus did for whosoever believes in Him. It will make you rejoice even more.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Jesus Christ and March Madness
This is my favorite time of year. Spring brings new life all around. Winter is over and we can start getting outside more. It also brings Easter and March Madness. I really enjoy the college basketball playoffs. It showcases talent and effort, in a winner take all atmosphere.
Easter showcases a winner take all scenario as well. Jesus Christ went against the powers of this world and what looked like a total failure on Good Friday turned out to be a complete victory on Easter Sunday.
The Bible clearly states you shall have no other gods before Me. I want to challenge you (If you are like me and are excited about March Madness) to spend more time with Jesus than you do with your bracket.
We are so distracted here in the United States. We have the freedom to pick and choose what we do with our time and money. Pick someone you can share Jesus with this in this season of new beginnings and make an effort to "connect". Don't just try to "share the Gospel", commit to being a better friend, brother, daughter etc. God will give the opportunity after you have spent some time just hanging out with them.
Try wearing our clothing line as you make an effort to connect. Think about a Final Four party. Jesus went where the people were. I guarantee most people will be watching the Final Four. It may be too late to order from us this year for a Final Four party but pray about getting a shirt or hat and wearing it around your friends and family. Ask God to give you the right words or give them a tract that comes with your purchase.
I am excited about what God is doing in my life. Get excited about God and you will be able to say the same thing. Basketball is exciting because both teams are trying to come out victorious. We watch because we are do not know who will win.
Jesus Christ has already won the victory at Calvary. He defeated evil once and for all. This victory is as powerful today as it was over 2000 years ago. Now you and I need to share the victorious life in Jesus Christ with everyone around us. Make a difference in someone's life today.
Have fun too, I will pick my bracket this year. I will also enjoy watching the games but remember, put God first in all you do. God instructed you through His word to have no other gods before Him. He did not say, "Shut yourself in a room and think of only Me." Take Jesus where the people are and make a difference in their lives.
Easter showcases a winner take all scenario as well. Jesus Christ went against the powers of this world and what looked like a total failure on Good Friday turned out to be a complete victory on Easter Sunday.
The Bible clearly states you shall have no other gods before Me. I want to challenge you (If you are like me and are excited about March Madness) to spend more time with Jesus than you do with your bracket.
We are so distracted here in the United States. We have the freedom to pick and choose what we do with our time and money. Pick someone you can share Jesus with this in this season of new beginnings and make an effort to "connect". Don't just try to "share the Gospel", commit to being a better friend, brother, daughter etc. God will give the opportunity after you have spent some time just hanging out with them.
Try wearing our clothing line as you make an effort to connect. Think about a Final Four party. Jesus went where the people were. I guarantee most people will be watching the Final Four. It may be too late to order from us this year for a Final Four party but pray about getting a shirt or hat and wearing it around your friends and family. Ask God to give you the right words or give them a tract that comes with your purchase.
I am excited about what God is doing in my life. Get excited about God and you will be able to say the same thing. Basketball is exciting because both teams are trying to come out victorious. We watch because we are do not know who will win.
Jesus Christ has already won the victory at Calvary. He defeated evil once and for all. This victory is as powerful today as it was over 2000 years ago. Now you and I need to share the victorious life in Jesus Christ with everyone around us. Make a difference in someone's life today.
Have fun too, I will pick my bracket this year. I will also enjoy watching the games but remember, put God first in all you do. God instructed you through His word to have no other gods before Him. He did not say, "Shut yourself in a room and think of only Me." Take Jesus where the people are and make a difference in their lives.
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