The Power of the Cross

 My mother loved reading and she encouraged me to read a lot when I was a child. I always enjoyed the books she read to me and had  me read back to her, but one thing I didn't enjoy was the story of the crucifixion which she had me read one Good Friday. I remember hoping that when Jesus was arrested there would be a happy ending like most of the stories I read, that Jesus would not be crucified. But of course, it didn't end that way, and I wept inconsolably.

Today, even as an adult and a Christian, I no longer weep when I think of the cross, but as I reflect on Jesus's crucifixion, my heart fills with horror and sorrow for what He endured for you and me.The pain, the agony, the shame was more than we can ever imagine. However, I know now that the cross was God's plan of redemption for mankind, and that He, and Jesus, agreed on that plan before the foundation of the world. And so instead of the cross being a symbol of shame, it became a symbol of power and victory.

 Everyday cares and concerns may cause you to feel like you are bearing a cross. When you do, remember the cross. Remember that Jesus bore it all for you. Your sin and mine has been wiped away because of the cross. Jesus could have chosen not to go to the cross, but instead He prayed, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matthew 26: 39). Jesus died on the cross, but death could not overcome Him. In the same way, we who believe in Him  have the victory because of the cross.  Sickness, poverty, death all have to bow to the power of the cross. Halleluiah!

Would you like to know more about the cross and what it means for mankind? I have written a short story that you can read in less than an hour. It's called For God So Loved. It won an honorable mention in a Writer's Digest contest. You can  get it free from now until Monday 3/2/2018. Just click on this link.. You will not only get my book but also your choice of other Christian-themed books for your Easter reading AND a chance to win a $25 gift card. Enter this giveaway now.

God bless

The Sun Understood

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As I read and reflected on the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, something struck me. Jesus was in darkness for three whole hours! According to Our Daily Bread, many theologians believe that during this period of darkness the fellowship between the Father, Son and Holy spirit was broken as God,  unable to look at the ugly cloak of sin that Jesus wore, turned His face away from His only begotten Son. .

 Darkness is a time when sinister things happen.  Darkness symbolizes evil, loneliness, depression. Wicked people perform their deeds under the cover of darkness, and Satan, we are told, is the Prince of darkness.

Darkness is fine when you are asleep. But to be in darkness when you are awake is not normal. However, darkness can be a comforting thing. Have you ever gone through one of those times when you felt the need to be in darkness?  To just draw the blinds, turn off the lights and make the world go away. It can be one of the worst times.

Maybe that’s the way Jesus felt as he hung on the cross, weighted down by your sin and mine, and most of all, forsaken by His Father. Hear His cry of anguish: And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) Mark 15 : 34. 

And the sun understood.

The sun drew the curtains of heaven together so both Father and Son could suffer in silence. And in darkness. 

But every period of suffering – yours, mine - comes to an end. After three hours, the darkness lifted and Jesus breathed His last. 

Yes, suffering does end. One day there will be no need for darkness.

“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22: 5).

We will live in the eternal light of God’s presence because one day, over two thousand years ago., Jesus wrapped Himself in the darkness of our sin.

Want to know more about what happened that day? Grab a copy of my ebook For God So Loved today while it’s still on free. Have a blessed Easter.

The Story Behind Easter

Have you ever wondered what the atmosphere was like in heaven when God disclosed that He was sending Jesus His only-begotten Son into the world to die for us? How did the heavenly host react to such news? And how did Satan react when He came face-to-face with the "Bright And Morning Star?" And later, after Jesus hung on the cross, and Satan and his imps returned to hell, expecting to celebrate their victory, they met Jesus, alive, holding the keys of death, hell and the grave. Would you have wished to be present?

As believers, I think Lenten Season is the perfect time to reflect on all these spectacular happenings. Why did God send His Son to die such a cruel death for us? And why did Jesus submit so willingly?

I have tried to capture, in a short story, what I think the scene must have looked like in heaven and on earth on that Good Friday morning. How it must have pierced God's heart having to turn His back on His Son as He hung on the cross. And the pain of this terrible, unprecedented desertion by His Father must have been more horrible than the wounds inflicted on him.

 I believe you will feel as if you were a silent witness to all of this as you read For God So Loved which won an  honorable mention in a Writer's Digest competition. One reviewer stated, "This story is the perfect gift for Easter." So, as my Easter gift for you, from now until Good Friday, April 14th, you can download a free copy. Just click on the image below.



And if you enjoyed the story, kindly leave a review so others can be encouraged to read the book. I would also invite you to sign up for my mailing list below so you can get updates on other great offers.

 

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For God So Loved

I Surrender All

The words of this song came to my mind just before I fell asleep last night. It's a song I've know almost all my life, and maybe many of you do too.

I surrender all,

I surrender all,

All to thee my blessed Savior, 

I surrender all.

 

But even though I've sung it many times in church and I've heard sermons preached on the topic, I still sometimes wonder, what does it really mean to surrender all to Jesus? Does it mean being passive, not taking the initiative to do anything and just waiting on God? Or does it simply mean giving your life to Christ?

Someone said to surrender is to let God take full control. He used the example of the sheep to illustrate his point. Sheep are supposed to be dumb animals, because they simply allow themselves to be led by the shepherd. If the shepherd doesn't keep a watchful eye on them, they may fall off a cliff. That's how dumb they are. Really? No, they are not dumb; they have simply learned to depend on their shepherd. 

Oswald Chambers speaks of surrender this way: "Beware of surrender that is motivated by personal benefits that may result" (My Utmost For His Highest). Even if those benefits include being delivered from sin. In other words, we should surrender to God because we want to be with Him. Like the sheep, we follow Him blindly, not knowing or caring where He takes us because we trust Him.

Rick Warren says, "You know you're surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation." In other words, let go and let God.

We can rid ourselves of a lot of stress if we would only learn to surrender completely to God, to trust Him the way the sheep trust their shepherd. This Lenten season, as we focus on Christ and His death on the cross, let us ask the Holy Spirit to help us surrender all to Him just as Jesus surrendered completely to His Father's will, even though it agonized Him.

It Is Good Friday

I was probably eight or nine the first time I read the account of Jesus's crucifixion. Good Friday had always been a solemn occasion at our house with my mother cooking a special fish dinner and my father reading the Bible. By teaching me to read and reading the Bible and other story books to me, my mother had instilled in me a love for reading from an early age. So that year when she opened the Bible to the book of Luke and told me to read the story of the crucifixion, I didn't hesitate. But as I read, I became more and more anxious and by the time I got to the part where they crucified Jesus, tears were streaming down my face. It's not Good Friday, I thought in childlike disappointment, it should be called Bad Friday.

Jesus died. How could He? Why did He?

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3: 16).


And that's why the day He died on the cross is called Good Friday. Because on that day, we, the lost and fallen human race, were redeemed, forgiven and restored to our rightful place with God the Father.

Are you in your rightful place? Have you been redeemed, restored and forgiven? If not, Jesus's arms are still outstretched, waiting to welcome you in. But you must ask. Do like one of the thieves who hung on a cross beside Jesus.

He turned to Him and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 3: 42 - 43).

Just like that the man was saved. Jesus didn't say, "I'm in too much pain, I can't think about that right now." Or, "You are a bad man. I'm not sure if you should go to heaven."

No, He said, "Today." And He will say to you too, "Today," if you ask Him right now.

And if you haven't yet, don't forget to download a copy of my award-winning story on Amazon Kindle, For God So Loved. I'm sure it will bless your heart.
Just click on the image below.

Lenten Reflections

During the season of Lent, which began on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday, many people change their eating habits. Some may

give up sweets or meat, while others may engage in some form of fasting. All of this may carry some benefits, but I think for Christians the Lenten season should be more than another opportunity to become a vegan or to lose weight.

Why observe Lent?

The forty days leading up to Easter are an opportune time for prayer and fasting and drawing closer to God. It is a time when we remember the great sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf. He left His splendid home in heaven and came down to earth to die on a cruel Roman cross so that we could spend eternity with Him in heaven. Just thinking about it is enough to make us give up all of our bad habits and re-dedicate our lives to Him. Lent is a time when we attempt to empty ourselves and come bare before the cross to find cleansing and healing. As Jesus suffered and died on Calvary, so we too should be willing to suffer and die (to self) with Him.

Lent should be a period of austerity that prepares us for the grand celebration of Easter. This is the day we commemorate Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Contrary to what some religions teach, Jesus literally died on the cross and He literally rose from the grave on Easter Sunday morning (Matthew 28: 1 - 10).

What should we reflect on during Lent?

Our Lord taught us many lessons while He was here on earth, but during the brief period from His arrest to His crucifixion and resurrection, He showed us many examples that we should follow if we are to be His disciples.

Lenten reflections will continue next week.

If you and your family are looking for cards, gifts and decor to celebrate the Easter season, why not check out the link below? There is something for everyone.

Will You Wave Palm Branches?

The church I attended as a child had a Palm Sunday tradition where the congregation would leave the building just before the sermon and walk a short distance into the village waving palm branches. It was something I looked forward to. Why? I'm not sure. I knew the significance of what we were doing. My mother had read it to me, and I'd heard it in church. We were reenacting what took place when Our Lord rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on that first Palm Sunday, and I guessed I liked making believe that I was a part of that parade.

But even as a child, I knew that something awful happened after Palm Sunday. The same people who waved palm branches at Jesus Christ and spread their clothes for Him to ride on were the same people who cried out, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" days later. How could that be? Sadly, we have only to look at our own fickle selves. Today we sing and dance and clap our hands in fervent worship and praise, but tomorrow when temptation and hardship and pain come we quickly forget what He did for us 

Oh, we do not cry out "Crucify Him!" as the Jews did, but every time we give in to sin and temptation, murmuring and complaining we crucify Him, because it was our sin that put Him on the cross.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed . All we like sheep have gone astray ; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53 : 5 - 6).

Today, as we celebrate Palm Sunday, let us make it last. Let us continue to worship and praise Him even when Holy Week is over. Let us praise Him when the bills are not paid, or our children are acting crazy or a layoff appears imminent.  Let us say like Job did, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him" (13 : 15).

Happy Mother's Day

For most mothers around the world Mother's Day is a pleasant time when mothers and their children get together to celebrate this happy occasion. Gifts, hugs and kisses and expressions of love will be exchanged, and that's the way it ought to be. However, for some, Mother's Day may not always be a time of celebration. I hate to interject a note of sadness, but the reality is, there are people for whom Mother's Day is one to dread rather than a day to look forward to. For mothers, especially those who have lost their children, this day can be even more depressing.

IT IS FINISHED

In every role I perform I am well aware how difficult it is to get anything finished. As a housewife, I know my housework is never done. Do I hear an Amen, ladies? As a mother, I continue to mother my children even though they are all adults. As an employee, I leave work every evening knowing that I'm coming back to more of the same the next day, and as a writer, I can re-write until I no longer recognize my own words, but I know the work is never really finished.

However, Jesus' last words on the cross were "IT IS FINISHED!" (John 19: 30). What did He mean by those words? And what was finished? Jesus had been on this earth for thirty three years, but only the last three of those years were spent in actual ministry. During that time, He performed many miracles, cultivated many followers, as well as enemies, and taught multitudes of people about the kingdom of God. But the purpose for which He came to earth – the redemption of Adam's fallen race – was not accomplished until He hung on that cross.

And the reason it was accomplished was because God "so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). When Jesus cried "It is finished", He had completed all the work the Father had sent Him to do. He said, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work" (John 4: 34). So let's look at His record: He fulfilled every prophecy, gave us access into the Holiest of Holies so we could come directly into God's presence, secured our redemption, laid the foundation for the establishment of the New Testament church, set us free from the sting of death, hell and the grave and paved the way for the Holy Spirit to come into the world. He left nothing undone.

But work is always difficult, and Jesus' work, ending with death on the cross, may have been the most difficult of all. But the Bible says, "he became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:8). The excruciating pain of crucifixion was bad enough, but before that, Jesus had to suffer the agony of Gethsemane – the place where the burden of what He was going through became so unbearable, the Bible says his sweat became "as drops of blood" (Luke 22:44).

You may be going through your own Gethsemane right now, and, like Jesus your friends may have deserted you. Your burden seems too great for you to bear. The enemy keeps bringing up your past sins, past mistakes, past failures. He taunts you and makes you think you will never come out of your situation, but he is a liar and the father of lies. However, because of what Jesus did on the cross, you can shout "IT IS FINISHED!" Your hurts, disappointments, failures are nailed to the cross with Christ, your Redeemer. Gethsemane is behind you; Good Friday is over, Easter has come. The dawn of a new day awaits you. Shout for joy and give Him praise. Halleluiah!

Happy Easter