Showing posts with label cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cross. Show all posts

Monday, April 10, 2017

Billy Graham Shares the Real Reason People Wanted to Kill Jesus - JESSILYN JUSTICE CHARISMA NEWS

Why would someone want to kill Jesus? (Public Domain)

Billy Graham Shares the Real Reason People Wanted to Kill Jesus
JESSILYN JUSTICE  CHARISMA NEWS
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Easter Sunday allows many believers the opportunity to reflect on their faith, why they surrendered all to a man who sacrificed Himself so we wouldn't spend eternity apart.
As Christians, we know Jesus is love. We know He is perfect.
But today, as when Christ Himself walked the earth, He is despised by many. As the apostle Paul said, He humbled himself to the death of the cross.
Those who wanted to kill Jesus did so for one main reason: They didn't want to hand over the control of their lives to Him. To put it another way, they realized that if Jesus was the Son of God (as He claimed), then they couldn't keep on living the way they wanted to.
Think, for example, of King Herod. When the wise men came to Jerusalem they asked one question: Where can we find the new king of the Jews? When Herod heard this, he was enraged; he had no intention of giving up any of his power. As a result, he made a determined effort to have the young child killed, forcing His family to flee to Egypt. (You can read about this in Matthew 2.)
Herod soon died—but throughout Jesus' ministry, some people felt threatened by His claim to be the Son of God and were determined to kill Him. In spite of His miracles and His teaching, they refused to believe in Him. They knew that if they did, they'd have to change their way of living and become His followers. They refused—and eventually they urged Pilate to condemn Him.
Although we live in a different world, the human heart has not changed. We want to run our own lives, and we don't want to hand control over to Jesus. Like the people in one of Jesus' parables, we bluntly declare, "We do not want this man to reign over us" (Luke 19:14b). But Christ hasn't changed, and neither has His power to forgive us and save us. Have you given your life to Him? 
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Saturday, February 4, 2017

The What Ifs - Now Think On This by Steve Martin


The What Ifs

Now Think On This
Steve Martin


"…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2, NKJV)

We all have asked the “What if?” questions. Usually they come after a major tragedy in our life, or before a long anticipated event is about to happen, and we start asking the question.

Our son was involved in a single car accident very recently, resulting in the hospital ER and the ICU; with one surgery completed and another yet to come. On top of that, no insurance was in place by him to cover anything. No auto coverage except the bare bones, and no medical insurance either. It didn’t take long for the “What if” questions to start coming, both of those that came inwardly to our minds and the ones that came from without, from others who heard of the tragedy.




After seeing the mangled 2009 Hyundai Elantra he had been driving, just bought the week before, at its final towed location, the questions really started to flow in my brain.



“What if he had hit that tree head on?”

“What if there had been a passenger on that side, which took the major blunt of the horrible wreck?”

“What if another vehicle had been coming head on the other side of the median which he had crossed over during that midnight moment, which normally has much traffic on that city street?”

More and more they came, as further observations were made of Ben lying in the hospital bed fully sedated, the vehicle and the tree.



But then there was the tree. We most certainly know of the other tree, the one which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ hung on, to save us from the world which seeks to kill and destroy, and the eternal damnation hereafter for those with no hope.

Paul put it this way, “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then the Messiah has not been raised; and if the Messiah has not been raised, then what we have proclaimed is in vain; also your trust is in vain; furthermore, we are shown up as false witnesses for God in having testified that God raised up the Messiah, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.

For if the dead are not raised, then the Messiah has not been raised either; and if the Messiah has not been raised, your trust is useless, and you are still in your sins. Also, if this is the case, those who died in union with the Messiah are lost.

If it is only for this life that we have put our hope in the Messiah, we are more pitiable than anyone. But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man.” (1 Cor 15:13-22, Complete Jewish Bible)

So I am most grateful for the “what” that did occur. I am most grateful that our son’s life was spared, to fulfill the call on his life which began 37 years ago at birth. I am most grateful for the uncertainties that will become certainties – being certain because His Lord still has him in the palm of His hand, directing his steps along the way, using His guardian angels to cover the missteps with their protection assignments on that path.

Both Ben, Laurie and I and his family will face a lot of “what ifs” in the coming days, but we are standing on solid ground that our Lord Jesus’ grace, provision and assurance will always be ours, as we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

The “what ifs” have, and will yet to be, the completed “See what the Lord has done.”

For this and all things we certainly give thanks to the Lord for His abundant grace and His ongoing mercy and love daily in each of our lives.

You can be certain of that too.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People, Inc.

  
P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

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Now Think On This - In the Year of our Lord 02.04.17 - #274 – “The What Ifs” – Saturday 8:30 am

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This



Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Trump Orders Removal Of Islamic Symbols, Practices In The White House - Ike A. Offor The Republican News

worldmost20

© Jamel Toppin for Forbes 2. Donald Trump President-elect, United States

Trump Orders Removal Of Islamic Symbols, Practices In The White House

By Ike A. Offor   The Republican News

Obama was seen storming away from the West Wing after staffers from Donald Trump’s transition team began preparing the executive offices for the new administration. 

On Trump’s orders, one of Obama’s most secretive rituals is being reversed and all signs of it removed from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

For the past 8 years, to appease any Muslims working at or visiting the White House, silence has been ordered during the 5 times of Islamic prayer each day. In addition, prayer rugs and crescent moon symbols are available in several areas of the executive mansion to make Muslims more comfortable.

The administration has defended the practice by asserting that it also observes several other religious moments of silence and prayer out of respect, including a full 15 seconds for Christianity on Sunday morning while a chaplain blesses a staff breakfast.

None of the prayers is mandatory or led by a government official, which has allowed the administration to subvert 1st Amendment issues, but the obvious favouritism towards Islam, which is observed for 25 minutes per day 7 days a week, tells a story this president has denied for 8 years.

President-elect Trump, who acknowledges that this country was founded by Christians and was built on Christian morals, is having all pagan symbols removed from the property unless they offer some historical significance. Only the cross in the White House chapel will remain for worship. 

Jim Mergernerlerny, head of the team that will transform the White House from the Obama’s home to the Trumps’ second home, told MSNBC:

“Mr Trump doesn’t see the need to provide prayer rugs and false idols in a house built by Christians. Washington, DC offers a diverse cultural centre for the worship of any kind. You won’t find any special considerations for Judaism or crucifixes to appease Catholics, either. 

There is a simple chapel with a single cross on one wall that is suitable for prayer by anyone. Our government doesn’t need to be forcing prayer rituals down people’s throats just so we don’t “offend” apologising people looking to blow us up.

Patriots around the U.S. can rest assured that apologising for our faith has come to an end.

Friday, January 6, 2017

Israeli Hikers Discover Rare Engravings - CBN News Julie Stahl

Israeli Hikers Discover Rare Engravings

01-03-2017



CBN News Julie Stahl

JERUSALEM, Israel – Three Israeli hikers discovered ancient engravings of a menorah and a cross in the Judean plains over recent the Hanukkah holiday, the Israel Antiquities Authority said on Tuesday.
Mickey Barkal, Sefi Givoni and Ido Meroz, all members of the Israel Caving Club, were exploring a water cistern, when they found the engravings on the chalk bedrock of the walls.
"That's how we came to this cave, which is extremely impressive, with rock-carved niches and engravings on the wall," said Meroz, according to an IAA statement.
"Just before we were about to return we suddenly noticed an engraving that at first glance seemed to be a menorah. When we realized this is an ancient depiction of a menorah, we became very excited. Its appearance was quite distinct," Meroz said.
The hikers reported the find to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The menorah engraving has a base with three feet and evidently portrays the menorah that stood in the Temple during the Second Temple period. A cross was engraved near the menorah and third engraving resembles a key, "characteristic of antiquity."
There was also a columbarium – niches used to raise doves – nearby. Doves were part of the Temple sacrifice.
"It is rare to find a wall engraving of a menorah, and this exciting discovery, which was symbolically revealed during the Hanukkah holiday, substantiates the scientific research regarding the Jewish nature of the settlement during the Second Temple period," said IAA archaeologist Sa'ar Ganor.
According to Ganor there are buildings and hiding places from the second century AD – from the time of the Bar Kokhba revolt, as well as buildings from the Byzantine period.
"The menorah was probably etched in the cistern after the water installation was hewn in the bedrock – maybe by inhabitants of the Jewish settlement that was situated there during the Second Temple period and the time of Bar Kokhba – and the cross was etched later on during the Byzantine period, most likely in the fourth century CE [AD]," Ganor said.
The IAA said only two other engravings of menorahs like this have been found in the area. The exact location of the engravings was not made public to protect them.
The hikers who discovered them will be given good citizenship certificates and invited to participate in upcoming IAA archaeological surveys.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

When You Are Up Against a Wall - JAMES W. GOLL CHARISMA MAGAZINE

A swallow's nest
A swallow's nest (Flickr )

When You Are Up Against a Wall

JAMES W. GOLL  CHARISMA MAGAZINE
A Voice Calling Out, by James W. Goll
Have you ever "hit the wall" with no seeming way forward? How do you keep getting back up again when it appears to be setback after setback?
I have been in this place multiple times, and I seem to be there once again. Right now, many people are up against the wall.
So in my own search for light and guidance, the Holy Spirit has highlighted some truths in the writings of my late wife, Michal Ann Goll. In the book A Call to the Secret Place, I found nuggets of truth in the last chapter, titled "The Shelter of the Swallow." So let me take a moment and share some wisdom from her vantage point.

Lessons from the Swallow

Of all the men and women in the Bible who came to know God intimately, David seems to have been the premier one who understood what it meant to enter the secret place of the Holy Spirit. In Ps. 84, David paints a sensitive and inviting word picture for us:
"How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my body cry out for the living God. Yes, the sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even at Your altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they continually praise You. Selah" (vv. 1-4). 
Often, the Lord has drawn my attention to verse 3: "Yes, the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even at Your altars, O Lord of Hosts, my kin and my God."
I treasure this psalm, as did my mother and grandmother before me, especially this one line. It has become part of my family heritage. I gained further insights from it through a personal experience.
My girls were taking riding lessons at our neighbor's place. As the horses were being brought in, groomed and saddled up, I was enjoying myself by watching everyone and all the animals. I happened to look up and see a barn swallow's nest built against the rafters of the barn. What a delightful find! I thought.
My excitement was genuine, because my mother had been an avid bird-watcher and had taught me to highly value these beautiful creatures for their unique qualities. I think barn swallows are some of the most beautiful birds in God's creation, their iridescent bluish-black bodies contrasting with rich shades of deep orange on their faces, throats and breasts. These little creatures perform like flying acrobats as they swoop and dive after insects in the early evening light.
As I stood there admiring these fascinating birds, the Lord reminded me of the words of Psalm 84. I found myself thinking, What an accurate picture David painted of their nature and their nests.
When a swallow builds its nest, it will first find a barn or other structure with a supply of mud close by. It will carry mud and twigs in its little beak, making trip after trip, carefully constructing a sturdy nest on joist, strut or rafter beam of the barn. The outside of the mud-dauber-type structure dries and hardens, becoming very solid and secure. Yet the inside of the nest is lined with downy feathers and is soft, warm and inviting.
The thought struck me: Swallows build their nests the way they do because, instinctively, they know that the safest place to build is up against the wall. Now, we humans use the expression "up against the wall" to describe feeling trapped or being out of options, when we have no place to run and no way out.
Oh, that we would learn from the graceful swallow the wisdom of God, allowing our divine shepherd's leading and guiding to become such a deep part of us that we can mirror the powerful instincts He has built into His creation. May He weave into the fabric of our lives this truth: the place of abiding is found where difficulty crosses our will and our fear. My husband, James, has often stated, "Going to the cross is going to the point where my will crosses God's will." How desperately we need to abide in God by "nesting" close to the cross.

The Perfectly Designed Cross

Each one of us must go to the cross. There are no exceptions. The cross is the place where our will and God's will cross each other. The cross is always the place where God's will stands before me—and I am afraid of the pain. I want to run from it as fast as I can.
We do not realize that God will meet us right there—where we are spiritually weakest. If we let Him meet us there, He will give us His grace and strength in place of our weakness.
The truth is, God has designed a cross perfectly for each one of us. He knows the details of our lives, and He knows exactly how to direct us into situations where our natural strength will be tested. He knows how to apply pressure so every natural desire—those forces in us that make us want to cling to anything but Him—can be exposed and cleansed.
Spiritual storms, winds and billows will blow into our lives, pulling us this way and that. Sometimes, in the face of winds and danger, we know there is a place of safety in God, but still we don't fly to that safe place in Him. Instead, we fly away, resisting the wisdom that tells us to fly to Him. Why do we all seem to do this? I believe it's because we all know in our spirits what flying toward Him will mean. It will require first going to the cross.
Peace, safety, comfort and rest are found in God, but testing and discomfort are also woven into His design. Therefore, we should turn around and start running toward what is uncomfortable, because that is exactly where we are going to find Him. We will find our rest only after we choose to nest on a crossbeam.
David knew this. In Psalm 84, he tells us to fly to that place in God—the secret place, often the place of our greatest testing, known only to God and us. By abiding in this place, we build a strong history with God. Every trial and storm He brings us through becomes a part of the nest. Day by day, He lines our nest with His faithfulness, His goodness, His mercy and His comfort. We rest secure in His strong tower, built to last.
David said, "The sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young—even at Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God" (Ps. 84:3). We can rest our "young" in the shelter of His wonderful presence also. Our young may be our children, our dreams, our goals, our ministries, our gifts or anything we cherish. The shelter of the secret place is not for us alone; it's also a place for those concerns in our lives that matter most to us.

Do You Have a Nest?

What's so wonderful about David's imagery in Psalm 84 is that a nest is more than an emergency shelter. A nest is where you can live always. Here you can abide in peace whether everything around you is being shaken or everything around you is calm.
Where is your nest? What do you trust in for your security, peace and strength? If you know the Lord as your God and Savior, let me ask you: Has He become for you a nest for your spirit, a secure shelter?
David and so many others found their rest at the altars of the Lord. And now it's your turn. How will you respond when life seems hard and you don't even know which way to go? Will you allow Him to take your hard place and turn it into your next secret place? That is what I have learned to do when I'm "up against the wall." 
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus, Your Son. I am longing to enter a deeper place of fellowship with You, but I'm not quite sure I know how to get there. Help me to open up the room in my heart that is meant for only You and me together, forever. Lord, come, and take all the bits and pieces of my life and heart and make them into a beautiful resting place of love of devotion to You. I love and need You so very much! 
For the original article, encountersnetwork.com.
Dr. James Goll is the founder of Encounters NetworkPrayer Storm and helps carry on the work of Compassion Acts. For information on his online school visit:geteschool.com. James continues to live in Tennessee and is a joyful father and grandfather today.
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Sunday, October 16, 2016

'Mr. Trump Has Heard the Gospel': 'Duck Dynasty' Star Reveals Sharing the Bible With Donald Trump - BILLY HALLOWELL CHARISMA NEWS

Phil Robertson meets VP candidate Mike Pence.
Phil Robertson meets VP candidate Mike Pence. (Phil Robertson/Facebook)










'Mr. Trump Has Heard the Gospel': 'Duck Dynasty' Star Reveals Sharing the Bible With Donald Trump

BILLY HALLOWELL  CHARISMA NEWS
Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson is known for speaking candidly about his faith and politics, and he has sometimes come under fire for his blunt commentary. 
Robertson, who has a new documentary out titled, Torchbearer—available in theaters and on demand—recently told "The Church Boys" podcast that he held little back when he sat down face to face a few weeks ago with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The topic of discussion? The ins and outs of the Christian gospel.
"(I discussed) God becoming flesh ... dying for the sins of the world, and, in his case, I said, 'Dying for your sins, Donald, all of them, I figure there's a lot—what do you think?'" Robertson recounted. "He didn't disagree with me."
The Duck Dynasty star said he felt compelled to speak with Trump about his faith after accepting an invite from the candidate's team—and Trump was reportedly receptive to the biblical message.
"I shared that with him, and here's my point—at least he listened and ... I wrote it in symbols, an arrow coming down out of heaven ... God becoming flesh, a cross, where Jesus took away the sins of the world," Robertson said.
He continued, "He was just looking at the symbols—a tomb where they put (Jesus) and three days later an arrow coming out of the tomb, and him going to sit down at the father's right hand."
Listen to Robertson explain his conversation with Trump:
Robertson said Trump asked at the end of the conversation if he could take the illustrations with him, and the reality star agreed.
"Mr. Trump has heard the gospel from my lips," he said. "I owed him that. I loved him enough to tell him." 
Robertson said he felt Trump had an "open heart" to the message he shared.
As for the many critics—many of them Christian and Republican, alike—who have refused to support Trump, Robertson had a message.
"Better a man who sticks his foot in his mouth every once in a while than a woman who pours out lies from her mouth," Robertson said, going on to issue one other comparison between the candidates. "Better one loose cannon that will fire than 10 that are all rusty and worn out."
Robertson also discussed Torchbearer, saying the documentary explores what has happened throughout history when God is pushed to the side.
"If you look at past history—you look all the way back to Adam and Eve—where there is no God the crime rate is always high," Robertson said. "When the love rate is low, the crime rate is always high."
He said it's entirely problematic to allow man—rather than God—to determine right from wrong, claiming that such a dynamic "never ends well."
"Life becomes brutal when there is no God," Robertson said.
The reality TV star said he's concerned that America is separating itself from its historical underpinnings, particularly when it comes to reverence for God.
"We started with God. Thomas Jefferson made that clear in the Declaration of Independence ... the grand experiment was to base a nation on God and his word," he said. "America has replaced biblical correctness with political correctness."
Robertson lamented the idea that God has been cut out of Hollywood, the mainstream media and universities—and said it's time to bring the Almighty back into those cultural arenas.
He also said he's hoping to help people understand the value of repentance and changing their lives, sharing that he too had his struggles early on in life.
"I've been drunk and high and immoral with the worst of them," he said. "(People) have been given life as a gift and immortality through Jesus."
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Monday, March 21, 2016

Jesus: The Silence of the Lamb - SCOTT HAGIN CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Jesus spoke very few words when he hung on that cross for six-plus hours.

Jesus: The Silence of the Lamb

Jesus spoke very few words when he hung on that cross for six-plus hours. (Lightstock )

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Take a few moments with your New Testament and look up every passage detailing the crucifixion. Once you've found them all, write out the statements recorded as coming from the lips of Jesus while He hung on the cross.
Now, slowly repeat those statements aloud, one after the other. You'll find they barely fill one minute of spoken conversation when strung together. Seven one-liners!
What was Jesus saying during the rest of His six hours on the cross?
There is much He could have said. He could have ended the opening argument of His extradition with an ear-splitting sermon or offered up a plateful of prophetic thunder as a parting shot for Pilate. He could have unloaded an earful at the elders. He could have undressed with righteous rhetoric the Roman cohorts who stripped His clothes, and then showered condemnation on those who spat upon Him. He could have bellowed out a few shots from Jeremiah's prophecies to wayward Israel or ordered up a few hungry bears as Elijah did.
Yet the Bible says, "when He was reviled, [He] did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten" (1 Pet. 2:23). In the natural, Jesus' actions made no sense. When taunted, He remained tight-lipped. When abused and pierced, His words of forgiveness flowed as quickly as His blood.
He didn't require His wounds to dry, scab and scar before He forgave. There is no record that Jesus calculated His personal pain before discharging His pardon. Each bruise and blow was met with silent mercy.
In His silence, Jesus was doing more than dying. He was communicating in red ink the timeless secrets of the kingdom. He was openly showing His bride how to embrace the cross that awaited her—and no true disciple can escape the cross.
We all know that it is tough at times to maintain a pure perspective through strenuous seasons of cross shaping. My only hope of success comes when my eyes remain fixed on the body language of Calvary's quiet Lamb, when I carefully listen to the words He didn't say. For when my eyes and ears tune out the cross, I fast become exasperated with people and plummet into spiritual defeat.
There will always be people who make big things out of small things in my life. But then, I remember the cross—and how Jesus went through it first.
I can always count on uninvited guests who enjoy watching my heavenly Father discipline me—and that can be terribly embarrassing. But again, I remember: Jesus went through that, too.
Even if God sends spiritually immature Christians into my life as part of His mysterious blueprint to grow me—to school me in silence—I must not forget that Jesus felt that too. All of this was the cross! At least it's the one Jesus knew.
But for all the strains you and I face as followers, no one will ever pay a toll like Jesus. His death is filled with endless grace and boundless perplexity.
For it was I, not Jesus, who should have died for violating my Creator's commands. And it was I who deserved the burden of transporting heavy timbers barefoot over jagged hillsides for my iniquity. It was I who merited loud public laughter and the agony of pointy thorns stabbing through my forehead.
And it was I who should have felt my ribs being pierced as pagan spittle dripped from my face. Yes, it was I who should have hung incapacitated for six millennia, not six hours.
Yet it was Jesus, not I, who violently died in silent payment.
So this Easter, I encourage you to rise early, don the bonnets and polish the shoes. It's the day when God's people around the world colorfully rejoice in His resurrection!
But while you're celebrating, pause to remember the greatest silent sermon ever preached—the one that lasted for six hours. It's the one that's easy to memorize but difficult to emulate—the one that was lived, not spoken, by a silent Lamb.
Prayer Power for the Week of March 20, 2016
This week as you focus on God's wonderful gift of reconciliation through Christ, pray that many will find repentance and receive eternal life through Him. Remember Israel and ask for the protection of its citizens and seasonal travelers this week. Continue to pray for revival in our churches, especially during this Easter season. Pray that Christians would unite in prayer and purpose for God's kingdom to expand. Remember the persecuted church and ask God to send more laborers into the harvest field. Thank Him for directing your steps this week and giving you opportunities to share His love with others (John 3:14-17, 1 Thess. 5:15-19, James 5:16-17).
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Dare to go deeper in your faith. Our "Life in the Spirit" devotional takes you on a journey to explore who the Holy Spirit is, how to interact with Him, and how He works in your life. Are you ready to go deeper?
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