Healing at the Cross Posts

“blessed are those who are homesick, for they shall come home” — they shall find themselves.” A Poet Some pine for independence, some seek individuality. Some go for the independent ride with hopes to develop individuality. Perhaps they are sincere. Perhaps they fear a lack of development will be the ultimate end of merely living and dutifully abiding at home. I am reminded of a statement from Dr. Carl H. Stevens for Christians: “Don’t try to find your place in the body of Christ: You are a place in the body of Christ.” In other words our development as Christians, both of talents and gifts, and most importantly, in character, finds it’s fulfillment not in a quest or search, but in a simple acceptance of a place pre-determined by Christ himself. 1Corinthians 12:27 reminds us : “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. “ The prodigal son of…

Hope maketh not ashamed, for the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. Romans 5:5 “Where waiting ends, that is the end of life itself”. “But what are we waiting for? Aren’t we waiting for the dark and incomprehensible of our life to clear up? Aren’t we waiting for the riddles which we have not yet solved to be explained? Why must some people suffer so shockingly while the rascals always land on their feet ?” “If something blatantly senseless happens , anywhere; if blind and meaningless chance rules anywhere — in just one spot– then our whole life is only a blind toss of the dice, a soulless interaction between energy and matter. Then there are no more higher thoughts that rule over us, and there’s no God to think anything about it, or to watch lovingly over our life.” Thielicke We must refer to the song…

From a prominent theologian of post World War 2.: “Sometimes during the last war, my students wrote me from the battlefield, and one sentence came up again and again in countless variations: ‘ I am so exhausted from marching, my stomach is so empty, I am so plagued with lice and scratching, I am so tormented by the biting cold of Russia and so dead tired, that I am totally occupied, without the least bit of inner space for any speculative thinking. I haven’t only forgotten Holderlin and the other authors I read in school, I’m even too weak to leaf through the Bible. I am even lazy about the Lord’s prayer. My whole spiritual life is disorganized and ruined. I just vegetate.” “How should I answer these Young men? I wrote them, “be thankful that the gospel is more than a philosophy. If it were only a philosophy you…

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.”  Hebrews 4:9-10  Peace and rest avail themselves to mankind from God who Himself rested from His work of creation on the seventh day. In peace, God joined man to Himself in the creative event. After man sinned in disobedience to God in the garden given them, God restored peace again between Himself and fallen mankind in a redemptive work which Christ referred to, proclaiming “it is finished,” from His physical cross of execution. Atonement had been accomplished. Now, we are to give diligence to enter into this restored rest, and it is an effort of faith. The presentation of the Gospel of Salvation, and our positive response, have made us eligible to proceed in this ongoing faith effort. We must…

“Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11  The faith of Sara was firmly founded upon the faithful God. Otherwise it could not be so, it could not have been . Think about these verses: “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”1Thessalonians 5:24  “But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” 2Thessalonians 3:3  I took my eyes off of my own lack and put them on Him who has no lack, and a victorious turning point came in my life several years ago. Out of desparation came to me a kind of faithfulness — to His faithfulness. “Two realities of seeing and needing bring us from childish meandering into a responsible specific walk of faith.” “They take…

 Advocate, “someone who speaks for, supports, or represents a person or group of people who may need extra help or protection.” Cambridge “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: “1John 2:1b An Advocate speaks on behalf of another. Christ’ advocacy is the foundation for our confession spoken of in 1John 1:9. Miles Stanford. What does it mean? Well, in John 14:16, John 14:26; John 15:26; and John 16:7, the same Greek word translated “Advocate” is there translated “Comforter.” “the Holy Ghost should teach them all that truth which was needful for their salvation. Peace I leave with you — Peace in general, peace with God, and with your own consciences.” Benson “The Holy Spirit is God’s Advocate on earth with men, while Christ is man’s Advocate with the Father.” AT Robertson Christ is not a mere suppliant petitioner. One making a plea…

Jesus comes and with Him the door of the sheepfold. Upon entering the fold there comes safety, because Jesus, who is the Door, guards the entry way. A counterfeit Shepherd will try to enter the sheepfold by avoiding the true Shepherd. The sheep, in their simplicity, know the voice of Shepherds, true or false. They follow the voice which feeds them, cares for them, and rescues them when they tumble or get too near the cliffs. Sheep are naïve creatures, but, like children, they know their parents voice. John chapter 9, relates the circumstance which brings the Shepherd story of John 10 near: “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the…