Look to the Cross

An Anonymous Post

He is alive! We serve a risen Lord who could not be held by death or sin in the grave! This makes all the difference!

I know the Lord spoke to me so gently and sweetly during worship Easter morning as I was struggling with guilt and shame over several decisions I had made in the 24 hours preceding our arrival at church.  Two scenarios kept playing over and over in my mind like a broken recording.

The first involved something that has become very near and dear to my heart, loving and evangelizing our neighborhood.  My husband and I had been praying about who we could invite to attend Easter services with us and we have been intentionally praying for several of our neighbors.  Two of them just “happened” to stop over at our house yesterday and I neglected to extend the offer to attend services to both of them.  I allowed my fear of man and my “common sense” to win out.  One of them we have extended an offer to many times and she has always declined.  The other one seems very skeptical of church.  I chose fear over faith.

The other situation involved an ongoing area of sanctification for me…being concerned about my appearance and image.  I got up early with the intention of having some time with the Lord in prayer and praise.  I was really looking forward to it on this Easter morning.  However as I walked into my closet to get dressed the enemy knew I was a sitting duck.  It was Easter and in my heart I wanted to look “cute.”  What could I find in my closet to fit the bill?  So instead of having 30 minutes in holy communion with Jesus that morning I spent it frazzled as I tried on multiple outfits that just didn’t work.

Admitting this to you all is pretty embarrassing, but I am so glad that while my sin at times may describe my struggles it does not define me and that is especially poignant and beautiful on Easter.  The verse Laurie shared recently in her Who Am I in Christ lecture rings true, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

So as I sat in worship try to self-atone for my stupid mistakes the words of the songs we were singing about the cross finally penetrated my heart. Jesus was whispering to my heart, “…look to the cross. It is your sins I bore there.  Confess them and walk forward in newness of life, free from guilt and shame.”

If you are struggling with any guilt or shame today bring it to the cross and remember that Jesus suffered once for all time and bore God’s wrath on our behalf.  Let’s let Jesus and the cross have dominion over our sin today and this week as we walk forward by His grace in faith!

/by

Sand?

by Susan Sampson

Recently my husband saw what he thought were mice droppings in a drawer in our kitchen.  I have an irrational fear of mice.  We had mice several years ago, but we remodeled our kitchen and I thought that problem had been solved.  I was immediately sick to my stomach and started crying so Jeff tried to convince me they were just burnt food pieces off the oven mitts.  Then the other morning as I was making breakfast, I saw mouse droppings in the food pantry and again began to panic.  Jeff said he didn’t think they were in there so I looked again and then actually saw a mouse on the shelf!  My heart was pounding and I was fighting the tears again.

As he was wondering where they were getting in, I suddenly remembered years ago when we did our remodel seeing a small hole in the wall of the pantry which I’m now thinking never got closed up. I didn’t even remember this hole was there, but the mice have silently crept in and have been causing destruction to the food in our pantry little by little.

All our thinking must be built on the Word of God, on the truth of His Word, or else it is sand.  If not, there are holes and the structure will not be able to stand. Feelings are sand.  The waves of our circumstances are not solid ground.

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. (Matt. 7:24-27)

I am really weak in the area of my thought life.  I so easily allow my thoughts to wander and spiral.  I do more listening to myself talk than I do speaking truth to myself.  I want to take God’s Word seriously.  I want to dwell in Christ and on His Word and no longer on how I feel moment by moment.  That is sinking sand.

I desperately need the grace of God to enable me to obey His word in Philippians 4:8-9.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

I could probably recite this verse somewhat accurately from memory, but I do not do this moment by moment day by day.  I know I dwell more on “what if.”  The “what if’s” aren’t truth.  They are sand.  They will cause us to drown and our house to fall.

I also see that God’s Word tells me not just on what to think but also to practice what I’ve learned (Phil. 4:9).  In many ways I do not do this.  But most painfully the Lord is revealing to me how I’m not completely honoring all of God’s Word with respect to the Scriptures of how I am to treat my husband.  I have put myself before him.  I have not considered him more highly than myself.  I have not loved him as myself.  I have allowed my feelings to be more important than my husband.  This is not the gospel. This is building on sand.

But there is good news.  Because 2000 years ago, the Son of God chose to humble himself and become obedient to death on a cross out of His great love for us, all the wrath I deserve for my disobedience and idolatry was poured out on Him instead of me!

…and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Cor. 5:15)

Lord, help us to see the cross of Christ, to see our sin upon our Savior, and to be grieved into repentance (2 Cor. 7:9).  May we turn from our sin of building on the sand and turn in faith to the Rock, Jesus Christ.  As we see Him carry His cross to Calvary on our behalf, may we, by your Spirit, be compelled to pick up our cross and put our selves to death and follow Him, the Chief Cornerstone, in humble surrender. Thank you, Jesus, for bringing us near by the blood of your cross.  In your name we ask this, Amen.

/by

My Really Weird Dream

by Angie Thomas

I have a really weird, reoccurring dream. I am in college and half-way through my final semester I realize that I have not been attending a class that I needed to graduate. The entire dream revolves around me trying to do whatever I can to complete this class, but over and over again I forget to go or something prevents me from going or I can’t get the homework done I need to complete the class. I am so frustrated in the dream! Despite my desire to graduate and attempts to do everything I can to complete the class, I cannot. This dream does not have a happy ending. The issue with the class is never resolved and I always wake up agitated and upset. My three and half years of school never result in a degree because I can’t finish this class. It feels like all my hard work up to that point has been for nothing.

This dream reminds me of our condition before Christ. We were completely unable, by our own good works or ability, to receive God’s eternal blessings. “Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). It doesn’t matter how many “good” things we do, how much we want it, or how hard we try.

Without hope, without God, and without promise is a really sad, depressing place to be. On the surface, it may not appear that this is our destiny. There is much that often gives the illusion of hope and promise in this life: a new job, relationship, car, outfit, or… you fill in the blank. But the reality is all those things are temporal and their promise is fleeting. Our perfect job will change, people will let us down and disappoint us, and material possessions will fall apart or we will quickly tire of them.

But Paul follows this seemingly hopeless statement with an incredible promise, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13). Because of Jesus’ blood we have been brought near, friends. Let this truth wash over your heart and soul. I think of a big, strong Daddy who bear hugs his kids and brings them next to His chest, squeezes them close to his heart. This is the love of our Abba Father. This is the hope and promise we have in Christ. You are now His beloved, precious and honored in His sight (Isaiah 43:5).

This is unbelievable news… truly good news. We are loved and cared for tenderly and compassionately by our Heavenly Father not only in the life to come, but now as we navigate the challenges and difficulties of this life. Our hope is living and eternal and it is Jesus Himself. May you be renewed and refreshed by the realization of His great love for you. Here is one of many amazing promises to you in His Word:

“The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zeph. 3:17)

Hosanna and Hallelujah! Thank goodness Jesus has secured for us a much happier ending than my weird dream.

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