I sat in church a few weeks ago during our mission conference, as the speaker told of the number of unreached people groups around the world. These people have no access to the Gospel until someone goes to tell them. All that I could think of in that service was that there were people in the same room that I was sitting in, who come to church every Sunday, and have never let the Gospel and the life altering Truth of Jesus sink in.One of the privileges of working in a mission organization is I hear of story after story of people hearing about Jesus for the first time, and how crave to know more about this man who has come to bring them Life and Life in abundance. There are people in America that have Bibles at their fingers tips, and put the book on the shelf to get dusty, and completely miss the message of Christ. Yet there are people all over the world who are craving to know more about Jesus, who would do anything if they could to get a Bible in their hands, including risk their lives, because that is how much Jesus means to them…. and then they weep as are given their first Bible.
When was the last time you wept because you had an encounter with Jesus?
I strongly believe there is someone who really needs to hear this message. So if this is you, please hear this, and don’t let this moment, this weekend, pass you by like any other weekend. Please let this soak in and be open to what God has for you through His son Jesus Christ.
Who are you Jesus that the murder of perfection was worth it?
Today is Good Friday. Today is the day, over 2000 year ago, where Jesus sacrificed Himself to be hung on a cross, beaten, mocked, and scorned as He died. Today seemed like a terrible day. Who are you Jesus that the suffering of innocence was worth it?
For God so loved the world that He sent His only son, that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
Although everything looked really bad on Friday, three days later He would rise again from the dead. That’s a big deal, but why is this so important? It shows the great power of God… the One who created heaven and earth can raise the dead to life! As Christ followers, we can take refuge in the Truth that God became man, lived a beautifully inspiring life, died on a cross, and rose again. The One in whom we believe could not be held down by death!
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53: 3-5
Jesus said two very profound words in the days and moments before He died. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42), and “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46)
There can be no resurrection without the cross.
Without committing ourselves to a life lived for Christ, we can never know the richness of life that Christ can offer. Without submitting to Him, we can never know what comes after the cross.
Beautiful one, In His name there is healing. In His name there is freedom. In His name there is security. In His name there is joy. In His name there is peace. In His name there is hope. In His name there is everlasting life. Take this time to step into the life He paved for you when He came to earth, died on a cross, and rose again from the dead in perfect love.
