Can you even begin to imagine how much Jesus loves you? What words can we possibly use to describe His love? While we may not be able to fully comprehend our Lord’s love for mankind, we can see His love! All we need to do is look in faith to Calvary! There Jesus gave the greatest demonstration of His love for mankind in His suffering and death! It’s vital that we witness His Passion! We need to see the unimaginable price Jesus paid to redeem us. We can and should be certain in our hearts of His unfailing and eternal love for each of us!

We’ve heard the facts concerning Jesus’ death so many times that we may fail to remember just how profoundly immoral and wickedly He was treated by those He came to save. Pilate, around 8 am, ordered that Jesus be scourged, and handed Him over to be crucified. Those sentenced to crucifixion were often scourged to maximize the pain inflicted and hasten death. It wasn’t unusual for prisoners to die from the scourging or the blood loss that it caused, rather than the crucifixion itself.

Scourging was so brutal and so feared that it was forbidden by law to use on Roman citizens! Try and imagine what it was like for Jesus. The Romans attached pieces of metal,

bone, wire, or hardened clay to the strands of the whip so that it would rip the skin open. Under Roman law, there was no limit to the number of lashes that could be administered. It’s possible that Jesus was sentenced to 39 lashes!

The whip (or scourge) was designed to inflict the most possible pain, it literally tore the flesh off our Savior’s back! Deep gashes covered His back and His precious blood was flowing freely. Jesus willingly endured it for us! The soldiers … stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, parading Him around like a common criminal. At about 9 am, they put a crown of thorns on his head and a reed in His right hand.

They bowed before the Savior mocking Him, Hail, King of the Jews! To show their complete contempt for Him they spit on Him, they took the reed and struck Him on the head, driving the crown of thorns ever deeper into his skin. When they had finished tormenting the Lord of Glory, about 10 am, they led Him away to be crucified.

Once on the cross, they offered Him wine vinegar as prophecy foretold. It was a pain killer of sorts, a Jewish concoction designed to dull the senses and help relieve pain, but Jesus wouldn’t drink it! He wouldn’t even allow Himself this small bit of relief. They mocked Jesus, If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!

To further humiliate Jesus there was a written notice above him. Written on it was His crime, it read in full, this is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews. It was written in Latin for legal purposes, Aramaic for the Jews, and Greek for everybody!

Jesus, the eternally blessed God, mankind’s Redeemer, was crucified (the most horrible form of death) between two criminals. One of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, if - You are the Christ, save Yourself and us. In his dying moments, he was cursing the Lord. That’s like a man dying in a desert from thirst and exposure, while right next to him is an oasis with water and shade that could save him! But he ignores it, looks the other way, and curses his misfortune!

Instead of asking for Jesus’ blessing and grace, he uses his dying breaths to curse the only One who could or even wanted to save him. The only One who truly loved him! Next to him, the other criminal said something you wouldn’t have expected! Both of the criminals had mocked Jesus at first, but now one believed! When he was given faith, if he was baptized, or, if he had ever seen the inside of a church – doesn’t matter, Jesus forgave him! He might have been a hardened criminal, but now, in faith, he reprimands the other for his shortsightedness and unbelief! Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence?

We’re getting exactly what we deserve, but Jesus hasn’t done anything wrong, He is innocent! Hanging next to Jesus, dying, and nothing would stop it, imagine his fear. Until just recently he had been a rank unbeliever, but now, in faith, he turns to Jesus and says, Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom. Behold the Spirit’s miracle of faith that changes people completely! He now knew Jesus as his Savior!

Jesus said to him, Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise. Jesus put all his fears to rest and gave that dying man perfect comfort and assurance! That’s the unconditional and undeserved love of God in Jesus freely given to all who ask! Imagine his joy, death no longer mattered, he would soon be with Jesus forever!

Our Lord, dying with the weight and punishment of mankind’s sins upon Him, suffering unimaginable pain and the horrors of hell, still took the time to assure that one man of his salvation. He mattered to Jesus - just like each of us! Jesus didn’t see him as a condemned criminal, but as a redeemed sinner, a dearly loved child, and heir of life eternal! Jesus sees us the same way! He has assured us of His unconditional love and forgiveness, He has guaranteed our salvation! Jesus says to you and me personally, Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.

In Jesus saving Name, Amen!

CAN A DEMOCRAT BE CHRISTIAN?

You must read it all to answer the question!

It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Often times a picture or symbol can convey a meaning more effectively than someone can describe it! For example, the cross above the altar! It’s a beautiful work of art and it’s precious to us because of all that it represents. It keeps before our minds and hearts the greatest act of love in all eternity, our Savior’s atoning death on Calvary! It pictures God’s saving grace in Jesus! The cross has long been a symbol of all that the Christian faith is and teaches. But the cross Jesus was nailed to wasn’t a beautiful work of art but a hideous implement of torture used to inflict the most pain possible! Jesus had been condemned to die, most rejoiced. It seems they loved to  hate Him. Spirit bless…

The Romans who carried out our Savior’s crucifixion were members of the 10th Legion, they were mercenaries known for their brutality. To them, Jesus was just another criminal to be crucified. Jesus, having been led out of the city with two criminals as prophecy foretold, was then shamefully stripped naked, nails like railroad spikes were hammered through His hands or wrists. (In Jesus’ day, the wrist was considered to be part of the hand ) His feet, one foot on top of the other, were nailed to the cross through the middle and arch of each foot. The way Jesus’ arms were stretched out caused cramping and paralysis of the chest muscles, making it impossible to breathe unless some of the weight was held up by the feet.

Jesus had to push up against the nail in his feet to breathe causing excruciating pain. After taking a breath He would have to slump back down to  relieve the pain in His feet and legs. The breathing process had to be repeated over and over again. Most of those crucified ultimately died of asphyxiation, what a horrible way to die, they suffocated to death! Crucifixion was a slow, torturing death. the most painful death ever conceived, but  that was only the physical pain!!

Our Redeemer willingly embraced the death of the cross because of His love for mankind! On Calvary Jesus carried the sins of the world in His own body, He had to endure the full fury of His Father’s wrath against our sins, the pain of hell itself. God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ! that saving Message was unknown to most who witnessed His crucifixion. It had been cunningly and purposely hidden by the Jewish leaders.

Most present celebrated the fact that soon they would be rid of Jesus who they saw as their enemy, He was feared by the leaders of the Jews. Their unbelief blinded them to His love and reason for coming, to save mankind by taking our place under the Law and suffering what we deserved. By what they said, He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is God's Messiah, the Chosen One, and by their cries of crucify Him, they showed their vicious rejection of Jesus! The accusations they used to have Jesus condemned were lies. Even Pilate, a rank unbeliever and evil man knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. they loved to  hate Jesus!

The spiritual leaders of the Jews were afraid the people would hear Jesus’ saving Gospel and believe in Him. Many Jews and Gentiles had already been brought to faith and they wanted that stopped! They weren’t the least bit concerned about the spiritual welfare of those they served. If Jesus wasn’t silenced, they would lose what they held dearest, their status and the praises of the people! You’d think they had to see the Savior’s love, it was abundantly evident, but no! Unbelief is blind and deaf to God’s Word, it can’t understand the love, forgiveness, and peace the Gospel proclaims. Even so, Jesus had no bitterness, no resentment in His heart; not even against those who carried out Pilate’s sentence. With all they said, with all they did to Him, in all His pain and suffering, Jesus didn’t condemn them, instead He prayed for them! His prayer had no conditions, no strings attached to it. He asked that all involved in His death be forgiven! From Pilate down to the lowly soldiers of the 10th Legion whose grim duty it had been to nail the Savior to His cross! Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them. they do not know what they do!

Though the world was made through Jesus, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Their hardened hearts refused to even consider that this carpenter’s Son could be Israel’s hope, mankind’s Redeemer. The beaten, bloodied, dying Savior had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. They saw Jesus only as a criminal and danger to Israel. Jesus’ forgiving grace, His undeserved love, was lost on them! Though Jesus had come to die for them, to win forgiveness and life eternal, they chose to reject Him.  they loved to  hate Him! We’re just as guilty; it was our sins as well that nailed Jesus to the cross, but it was His love for mankind that kept Him there.

The guards who remained as the Lord suffered sat down under the shadow of His cross. They had no clue that all around them raged the final battle in the war for salvation. They were oblivious to what was going on and spent their time gambling for the Lord's clothes. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Nothing has changed!

Most people today live within walking distance of a church, oblivious to their soul’s needs. Most have no clue that they’re dying a needless death, gambling away their priceless time of grace until it’s too late. Their hearts have been deceived by the world and its prince! Father, forgive them and us for the times we’re sluggish and cold toward our Redeemer and His saving grace, for the times we take His love and salvation for granted, for the times we think we’re too busy or tired to serve Him whose blood has redeemed us! Father, forgive us for Jesus’ sake, and He has! The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin!

Amen!

EVOLUTION is PSEUDOSCIENCE

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth!

What a beautiful, and all important message our Lord gives in the first Words of our Bibles. How often have we considered their importance?      

Today we encounter evolutionary indoctrination wherever we turn. It may be incorporated into almost any subject at any grade level in our schools, it’s especially prevalent in classes dealing with social studies, history and science. Outside the classroom, evolution is heavily promoted in our newspapers, popular magazines, television, radio, movies, national parks, museums, science centers, zoos and even on the backs of breakfast cereal boxes. What is evolutions appeal? 

Maybe we should look to evolutionists for the answer. Leading anti-creationist philosopher Michael Ruse admits that evolution is a religion: “Evolution (pseudoscience) is promoted by its practitioners as more. Evolution is promulgated as an ideology, a secular religion—a full-fledged alternative to Christianity, with meaning and morality.” “I am an ardent evolutionist and an ex-Christian, but I must admit that in this one complaint the literalists are absolutely right. Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today. Evolution therefore came into being as a kind of secular ideology, an explicit substitute for Christianity.”

“Science” admits, grudgingly, that there is absolutely no proof of any kind to support evolution - not one shred! Even though this is common knowledge the members of their religion burn with a passion to spread their message anywhere and everywhere! They defended their “faith” as if it were the absolute truth. They work feverishly in every area of society to make disciples who will worship at evolution’s altar. Why are evolutionists so adamantly committed to anti-creationism? It is their desire at all costs to explain the origin of everything without a Creator.

Evolutionism is thus intrinsically an atheistic religion. Some may prefer to call it humanism, and New Age evolutionists may place it in the context of some form of pantheism, but whether atheism or humanism (or even pantheism), the purpose is to eliminate God from any active role in the origin of the universe and all its components, especially man. That makes their religion of evolution attractive to them – they think there is no God to be accountable to!

Prove me wrong - if you can!

The fool has said in his heart there is no God! Psalm 53:1a

THE DANGER OF ORGANIZED RELIGION

            We live in perilous times for Christian’s; an understatement I know, but bear with me. In our day it would appear that our biggest danger comes from organized religion itself. If we look around we can understood why. We have entire “church” bodies dedicated to proclaiming, teaching, trying to justify, and officially endorsing the very opposite of what our Lord teaches!  What true Christian, who holds to the Word of God, can bear the abominable heresies of today’s "teachers"? Those who dismiss the Word as anything other than the verbally inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God have chosen their fate. They have cast their lot with the enemies of Jesus.

It Only Takes One

If we (as many have) deny even one Doctrine of Scripture – all must be denied!  What is referred to as “liberal Christianity” in our day - is no Christianity at all! But rather an anti-Christian cult, an alien philosophy at war with Scripture! It operates through deceit manipulating the hearts and minds of sincere Christians. Those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple (Romans 16). So, to the point; is there still time to proclaim the Truth, to “fulfill our ministry” - of course! The question is – do we? If not what’s our excuse? Moses had one; O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue (Exodus 4:10). Well if Moses felt that way who are we to try and tell others of our Lord?

But that’s not what our Lord is getting at! Our Lord teaches us a valuable lesson. We need to hear His Words and quit making excuses. So, the Lord said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say (Exodus 4:11-12). Well surely that settled it for Moses, he went right out and got busy right? Wrong, he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send” (Exodus 4:13). Often times we’re just like Moses when it comes to telling others of Jesus or inviting them to church or Bible class. We often seem hesitant and we console ourselves thinking it would be better for others to speak about such things. Those who are better at it or “trained”.

But again, we would be wrong. It’s not humility that leads us to this thinking but our sinful nature, our adversary’s number one ally. After all, why does our Lord leave us here after our conversion? It would seem that the best thing that could happen after our conversion would be for our Lord to call us home immediately. Get us out of this world and home where we belong. But our loving Savior leaves us here for a time to serve Him. There are many ways we can serve our Savior. However, the “best” way is by sharing the Gospel of Christ crucified for the sins of the world. Only the Gospel can change the heart! Only the Gospel can turn a creature of sin and death into a reborn believing child of God. The same precious message that someone, somewhere, shared with us. What if they hadn’t? Be grateful someone loved you enough to actually tell you about Jesus!

            Well, getting back to Moses, granted God gave him Aaron but you will notice the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses.  We will most likely not be given a companion like Aaron to speak through! More than likely we will have to speak ourselves or opportunities will be lost! Precious chances to share the Gospel; that which the Holy Spirit works through to create faith! A chance we should never let pass. Again, we are told by our loving Savior; faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Consider this; we’ve all sat and listened while people have droned on and bragged about their children and grandchildren. We’ve listened to or expounded countless meaningless stories of loved ones and their accomplishments or exploits. Why? WE can easily talk about what we love! Well surely, we love our Savior so we can talk about Him to others. Jesus is our dearest loved One of all! Therefore, we can tell others of our Savior even as we tell others of our children or grandchildren. Our enemy does his absolute best to convince us that we aren’t “qualified” and our sinful nature is quick to take hold of and use that excuse!

We often console ourselves thinking that we will pray for and contribute to missions/evangelism. We try to convince ourselves that we’ve done all we could. Have you been deceived into this foolish thinking? Has he gotten you to exchange the good for the best? Most certainly pray for and contribute to the spread of the Gospel but don’t stop there! Share the message of Christ crucified for the sins of the world!  Many try to rid themselves of this most sacred and highest calling, but who was the Lord referring to when He said, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations? Don’t we call that the great commission? Are we not part of Christ’s Church? Yes, so GO!

If you feel uncomfortable talking about your Savior think less of yourself and more of Him who suffered hell in our place; I bet that wasn’t very comfortable. Again, I have never known anyone who couldn’t talk about the things they love. We love our Savior Jesus therefore we can talk about Him. It does not take a seminary education to witness the Gospel; it just takes Spirit worked love! The love that cares so much for someone that we are actually willing to share with them life eternal! Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear!

LIFE OR DEATH - WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?

             Many years ago, a woman I knew became pregnant. She and her husband were of course excited and grateful to the Lord for the blessing. After a short while they received some terrible news; she became ill with German or “Red” Measles. At that time, it was a very serious matter as the German Measles could be devastating on unborn children and often caused deformities or brain damage. Her Dr.’s encouraged, even pleaded with her to have an abortion! They said the child would be horribly disfigured or worse. The woman was a Christ believer and prayerfully considered this and knew instantly that abortion was wrong in any circumstance.

Understand, everyone knows in their heart abortion is wrong, but people allow themselves to be convinced otherwise by their sinful desires and faulty reason. They in essence “kill” their conscience. The argument of fools that is often used is that a woman’s body is her own and she has every right to do as she pleases. She should have the right to decide. But sadly, nothing could be farther from the truth! A woman’s body is not her own as all were purchased by the blood of Jesus and one does not have the right to kill. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Even in Old Testament times our Lord warned sternly about causing injury to an unborn child. “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” (Exodus 21:22-25).

If the Lord God calls the unborn baby a child, it’s a child—not a mass of tissue. When women and their husbands or fellow fornicators, as the case may be, are blessed with a child and they want the child destroyed they say they have an unwanted pregnancy. Why do they say they are pregnant if it is but a mass of tissue? Pregnant is defined as; “carrying unborn offspring inside the body.” But alas this debate is well known to all and we will not rehash the truth here. Suffice it to say that when one is pregnant, they are carrying a living child and to abort is simply murder! Our Lord reminds us; “As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything” (Ecclesiastes 11:5). People think they know better than our Lord but what fools they are! Abortion is an act of unbelief, it can be explained no other way! Again, we are reminded; for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18).

But back to the story.

The woman defied her Dr.’s “advice,” his pleading and warnings and carried the child full term. The child was born healthy and with all parts in proper working order. We see the hand of satan at work in trying to destroy the child, but our gracious and merciful God had other plans. The mother that chose life over convenience was mine! I am forever grateful to my Lord for giving me a Christian mother who was willing to raise me and care for me no matter what! I worked while in Alaska to supplement my salary for seven and a half years as an Employment Specialist for the developmentally disabled. I have seen firsthand the devastation caused by birth defects, Dr.’s mistakes, and mothers who drank, smoked, or continued using drugs during their pregnancy. I never met one person—no matter how horribly disfigured or brain damaged—that wanted to die or wished they had been aborted. They worked, lived, loved, and had wonderful lives.

Why would anyone think they know better than our Lord what is best for a child? Yeah, pregnancy can cause weight gain, leave stretch marks, cause a person to be responsible for the care of another person; but that does not give any individual the “choice” of who will and who will not be born. You think that is over simplification; you are wrong! People often chose abortion, and can do so legally, for no better reason than they do not want to hinder their fornicating with multiple partners by being pregnant! Think of the millions—I believe 56 million and counting since Roe vs. Wade—who have been butchered. Jesus died for them as well as those mother’s and father’s who chose abortion! I would have been discarded, butchered as unwanted by most today. Will this small story change anything? Probably not but we Christian’s must stand and fight for those who can’t. Prayer is crucial-- The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much! Who are the righteous—all who trust in Jesus alone for forgiveness and salvation! Our gracious and loving Savior died for the sins of all who ever have or will live. Jesus came to give life in the place of death and forgiveness instead of condemnation. And He Himself is the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (1 John 2:2). That forgiveness extends to all who in faith repent, even murderers of children. May the Lord grant that His Gospel would abound as never before that all may know of the salvation and forgiveness won by our Savior for you, me, and the unborn as well!