Friday, February 23, 2018

DO NOT MISS CALVARY

I was cleaning, moving, bamming (Shoving stuff in closets or cabinets. Out of sight!) I tend to move things on shelves and counters. As my husband watches me, lol! He is thinking why does she move things only a couple of feet? Explanation! It looked better today in the new spot. Could you laugh with me right now? Picture me moving things and bamming. Wait! In the end I did something and I felt productive. Now my mind is clear and I can settle at my favorite spot to read and write about HIM! Who?

Jesus, of course!

Lately, reflecting, imagining myself sitting at the foot of the cross. Seeing my Lord like that is very disturbing to say the least. I never want to see Him like that, really, yet I realize that reflecting on His pain brings me to a very humbling place where I question, "Why did you have to die in such a brutal way?" I like to also picture the risen Jesus, full of new life and meaning. Beckoning me to come to Him. Him giving me the faith to believe, He went to the cross for my sins. I am personalizing it here because that's my way of letting go. Letting go of my anxiety, impatience, waiting, my temptations, and worldview. To get back. Back to the view Jesus wants me to see. To stop! To see! Remember. Because of His blood my sins are paid. The risen Jesus is alive and seated at the highest place of honor. He sits in heaven and He went there so that the Holy Spirit can come live within me. In me I know that as I rely on this love I have life and peace. Essentially all I need. Satisfaction.

Love is here, love is now, love is pouring from His brow. All of our spiritual blessings, come from the cross.

I pray that as we prepare for Easter we take this time to pray for all of those held in captivity and need to hear the story of love of Jesus. Imagine a world where more new this love story!
To make it personal as I did here.

Pray: I want to pray that the eyes of the heart of_____will be opened. Opened so they will experience forgiveness and your eternal love for them. Amen.

Prayer, the key to everything. God is calling us to the cross. Calling us to Him. At the cross is love, hope, forgiveness and healing!

Facts to know: Jesus carried the cross about 8 football field (end zone to end zone length). The cross was possibly 6x14 and weighing about 300 1lbs. That is incredible that as wounded as He was that he went that far with that much weight.

CALVARY
It's about His story.
It's about who we become at Calvary.
But most importantly it's about Him.
His Mercy.
His faithfulness.
His holiness.
His atoning sacrifice.
How He traded His glory (Identity) for our shameful one.
His flawless character, infinite love and compassion.

Constantly remembering, where we will spend eternity, rejoicing not in us alone but in Him.
Crying out at any moment with those in heaven:
Holy, Holy, Holy...is the Lord God Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory (Isaiah 6:3).
Holy, Holy, Holy...is the Lord God Almighty; who was, and is, and is to come (Rev. 4:8).

Do you hang on His every word?
Do you remember who He is?
Who are you because of the cross?

He is the one who can set you at ease, give you peace.

In light of the truth of the gospel, how do we translate this into our everyday life today?
Gospel: incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death, burial, bodily resurrection, ascension, and eternal reign of the son of God, Jesus Christ.

We can identify. We are CHRISTians. Being a Christian is not a program of self-improvement. When we identify and meet Jesus with our heart at the cross. Self-improving is our work. At the cross is Jesus work, substitutionary death (for our sin), burial, bodily resurrection, new life.
This is the work of Jesus. My old self has been crucified with Christ, I no longer live. The life I now live is by faith (Gal. 2:20). Another way put is the old is gone, the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17).




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