At the cross I first saw the light and the burden of my heart rolled. away. It was there by Faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day. At a bloody cross, Jesus died for my sins. He bare our sins in his own body on a tree. He had become sin, who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. God had laid on him the iniquity of us all. Surely he has borne our sorrow, and by his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53, 1Peter 2:24, 2Corinthians 5:21. Let’s enumerate some benefits of the Cross. First, Matthew teaches Christ became a substitute for us — A vicar, as in the word vicarious — a deputy who acts in the place of another. “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to…
Category: <span>Healing Cross</span>
Walking at my favorite hiking trail, I spied a large bird atop a great pine tree. Four times smaller in size was a pesky bluejay, which held its ground in the presence of the hawk. A pecking fight ensued regarding the jay’s nest of tiny eggs, and instinct dictated a need for mother to protect her helpless unborn. Without questioning or wavering, she attempted to irritate the red-tail into flying away. After some time the blue jay chased the hawk away. It dawned on me — that small creature never doubted her identity as a mom. Pastor Bob Brown wrote a booklet, “Don’t Forget Who you Are.” What a sobering possibility that men have — we can forget who we are. Are you kidding me? I can forget who I am? Yes, a bird never does, but I often do. In fact, I may have never ever realized who I…
As the sun goes down on the world, a Christian looks upward. We must refocus — since we actually and easily belong also to this world — tainted by a sin propensity inherited from our parents. (They got theirs from their parents who got theirs from their parents and so on.) We gaze skyward to where our precious Father and Savior has prepared a sinless residence, which awaits us at the time of our death or even before — at the snatching away of the Church at 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15. The shout of the Lord, as a commander inciting his troops, will pierce the sky. A trumpet will reverberate, or bombastically blast out. Bright angelic tones sound out like the sun bursting through clouds — and all of it happening in a moment, (indivisible time), in the twinkling of an eye. (the flapping of a wing,…
Are we having fun yet? In the generation in which we find ourselves living, wholesome fun seems to have been given a secondary role. Indeed, serious issues dominate our headlines — no one says that they are not. However, at what point is fun to be shelved and straight facedness to be donned permanently? If gone, will fun ever return or has it seen it’s final quash? Is fun done? These questions must find their answers in the nature of God Himself, His creation of Men in His likeness, and also in His redemption of our fallen human race. Websters on Fun : 1 what provides amusement or enjoyment — specifically: playful often boisterous action or speech 2: a mood for finding or making amusement. 3a: AMUSEMENT, ENJOYMENT On “joy” “The validation of earthly joys and the grateful acceptance of them is grounded in the Biblical doctrine we affirm in the “Creed” when we…
A story recalled from Bergen-Belsen — a prisoner “strikes up a friendship with a doctor named Marie. The two are talking one day when a Polish prisoner comes to Marie for help. She is not sick — she is about to give birth. At first Fania and Marie panic, but then they collect themselves and have the woman lie down on a table. Silence is imperative, so the woman, ‘teeth clenched,’ uttered not a word. She knew the fate of children at the hands of the SS. Fortunately, the child arrives quickly, There are no scissors, Marie cuts the cord with her teeth. There is no water, Fania rips the lining out of her coat, fashions a crude version of swaddling clothes, and wraps up the baby, still covered with blood. The woman, who has not yet said a word” — dresses, puts on her shoes, and takes her child…
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils…” “Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron, ” 1Timothy 4:1-2 Sometimes I am taken mentally with a bombardment of regret. It seems, in these times, that I could easily emote remorse for every conversation, every activity of yesterday, even the day before or many days before that. Soon I am reviewing my whole life with a hyper-critical evaluation. The “over-run” results in one sad person. I slowly descended from carefree liberty in my thought life to an inward-turned mindset which reeks with inadequacy. I am being seduced. But, somehow the critical eval bears the flavor of truth; indeed some of it may actually measure up as accurate. O no! Friends, what has gone wrong? Perilous times, brothers and sisters, perilous…
“The voice of my beloved! lo, this—he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hill’s.” Song of Solomon 2:8 When last had we leapt or jumped or even skipped? Buoyant as a bird or gazelle comes a jumping someone, in our allegorical sense it’s the Christ, resurrected from the dead and demonstrating what a post-grave world looks like. Lo and behold He invites you and me into it. “Behold, there He stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice.” Song of Solomon 2:9 From the glory of the resurrected world, our Messiah seeks us who have not yet passed through. My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away,” Song of Solomon 2:10 We were, before salvation came, dead in trespasses and sins , But now, we hear of His love for us, we wonder as He…
Psalm 85:10 teaches, “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. ” Here are some definitions from G. Campbell Morgan: Mercy — the tenderness which bends over in love. Truth — integrity and uprightness, that which is stable and builds Righteousness — a straight line without deviation. Peace — absolute safety. Because of man’s sin, a reconciliation becomes necessary. The nature of God’s reconciliation is “unto Himself.” Colossians 1:20 Reconciliation has this meaning: “an exchange; change in relationship; the bringing into fellowship things that have opposed.” “The reconciliation of things on earth is that of their restoration to the government of God, and the consequent restoration of a perfect order throughout the world, of man, and of all that is beneath him in the scale of being; “Healing of the wound. Closing of the breach. The gathering together into one of all things that have…
” Contrary to popular expectation, Christianity offers no simple solution to man’s problems or to the integration of his personality; it does promise the abiding presence of Christ…..There is no offer of ease, but the promise of grace for the experience.” Morris A. Inch from his book, “Psychology in the Psalms.” As an illustration of this premise I thought of the story of Jesus, walking on the water. Matthew 14 records this for us. “Immediately (Jesus) made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.” “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, “ The disciple were sent on ahead. The crowd which Jesus had been teaching were dismissed. Jesus went alone to be with His Father. The excitement of being with Jesus…
When we get to our after-death resurrection, we will not have a sin nature. I see that quite easily. However, in my present before-death state, I see myself, “black but comely” as did the Shulamite woman in Song of Solomon 1:5-6. Baked by the scorching sun, dwelling among rival siblings, forced to oversee the family business, and all of it neglects personal development — her own vineyard. Song of Solomon is telling the story of a woman traveling from earth to heaven — but all of it transpires while still on earth. Her vehicle is not a horse, wagon or car. No, her road consists in the imagery of her mind, in which she paints a picture of the “New Creation” daily. The journey beholds the glory of the Lord, as in a glass, and then she is changed into that selfsame image. See 2 Corinthians 3:18. Much is expressed…