Looking At And Beyond The Suffering Of Christ

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 

  

  The portions of the Bible that I struggle the most to read are at the end of the synoptic gospels. They involve the suffering and death of Jesus.  

 Even unbelievers recognize that the sign of the cross, seen in so many places, is a symbol marking the death of Jesus. 

  When I think of the cross I recall the suffering of one who I love. It is no easier for me to think about the horrible things Jesus suffered and the terrible way He died than it would be for me to think about an awful suffering and death of any of my close loved ones. 

  What makes it even worse is that not only did my beloved Jesus suffer terribly and die, He did so in my place. What He endured should have been my fate, suffering for my own sins, my accountability and just deserts went to Him instead. 

  I don’t think I could face those terrible portions of scripture describing the torment and death of my good Lord if not for the resurrection that followed. Not only am I happy that Jesus arose from death and lives forevermore, I can rejoice in the incredible fact that I will not have to suffer and pay for my sins. Being destined for a dark eternity, instead I will live forever with the One I love! 

  If you have not received Jesus as your Savior you are playing a dangerous game. Even as we Christians live with joy and relief in the knowledge that Jesus paid the price for our sins and bought eternal salvation for all believers, those who do not receive Jesus are without hope. The Easter resurrection is open to all who believe. We who believe can look beyond the suffering of Jesus to the eternal victory He won for us. All others must account for their own sins. 

  Let the cross have meaning and bring joy to you. It is a debt paid, a victory won, but only if you receive Jesus as your Savior. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and redeem you from your sins if you have not yet done so. And if you already are a Christian remember what Jesus endured for you, as painful as that is, and then look beyond it to His glorious resurrection tied to your eternal salvation. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, we owe You everything. It is a debt we can never repay You. As we recall what You endured, and then won for us, help us to keep a heart full of both gratitude and joy for all that You have done. Amen. 

  

Staying Free And Clear Of Sin

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 

  

  I frequently pray: Lord, keep me free from Satan’s power, and my own weaknesses. By saying this I recognize a few things. We have an enemy called “Satan” who prowls about trying to destroy people (1 Peter 5:8), and we have an innate weakness called “the flesh” that pushes us toward sin. We need the Father’s help to overcome both of these challenges. 

  Sin drives us away from God. It is no wonder the enemy of our soul has the primary goal of leading us into sin. That fact is not helped by the reality of living in a flesh-and-blood body prone to sin. We live in a world filled with sin and sinners.  

  So how do we resist sin and survive in such circumstances? Thankfully, we have a Savior in Jesus Christ who has gone before us and defeated sin and Satan. Christ’s death on the cross defeated sin and Satan for all time. 

  The follower of Jesus has advantages that sinners without Christ do not possess. When we accept Jesus into our hearts we are made new on the inside. What was corrupt becomes clean and pure. What was destined for death and destruction is redeemed for eternal life. The old dead self is supplanted by a new holy person united with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Suddenly things look much brighter than what had once appeared. 

  The enemy of our soul is dangerous, yet what terrifies him is a sin-free, born again, Holy Spirit filled, child of God.  

  The flesh, that old man of sin, who once held us in bondage is suddenly kicked to the curb. He cries, begs, pleads for us to welcome him back into our lives with his terrible old habits and filthy ways but our house is now occupied by the Spirit of Christ. 

  We have so many challenges in this world, enemies on every side. Yet we also have priceless advantages and a powerful Friend. God is for us, so who, or what, can truly be against us? 

  Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are beset on every side with enemies, yet we have You as our Friend. Deliver us Lord, protect us from enemies without, and weaknesses within, for You have overcome Satan and sin. Thank You Lord! Amen. 

Breaking Bad Generational Habits

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 

  

  I have heard it called “generational curses”. Some simply label it “bad genes”. However you say it, there is no doubt certain traits and habits can be carried down from one generation to the next. For instance, I have alcoholics on both sides of my family and my own experiences from my youth with alcohol were quite negative. I decided by the time I was in my mid-twenties that I would not drink alcohol again, the only exceptions being communion or a simple toast at a wedding. I have avoided alcohol for nearly thirty years. I broke that “curse” in my life with the Lord’s help. 

  Another example is divorce. There are divorces on both sides of my family tree. My mother was married and divorced four times. Having experienced what that can do to a family I promised myself that with God’s help I would never get a divorce. And with God’s help my one and only marriage is thirty-three years young this June.  

  I share these things with you not to pat myself on the back, but as evidence that with God we can avoid and overcome the bad habits of previous generations. We need never be defined by the bad choices, mistakes, and weaknesses of those who have gone before us. 

  Though we do not pass judgment on our family members, we must judge for ourselves the kind of people we wish to be and ask God to help us fulfill those desires. With faith we can overcome the challenges previous generations failed at. We are not better than they, but we are more blessed and have privileges in Christ they did not know about or fully comprehend. 

  You must make choices and decisions based upon the knowledge God has given you through His word and the counsel of godly people. You are not destined to make the same mistakes your parents and other relatives have made. You can set new levels of success in your walk with Christ. You can be an example to your children and other relatives. You can be the success story someone else needs to help them along in their walk through life. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to stand in faith, overcoming the obstacles that have tripped up those who came before us. Enable us to be good examples to those who come after us. Amen. 

Touched By An Angel

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; Psalm 91:11 

  

  When I was a boy we visited the baby area of a graveyard where my little cousin is buried. There was a marble angel on a pedestal overlooking the baby area of the graveyard. Being a bit precocious, I climbed up on the angel’s pedestal and took hold of the angel’s wings. I did not know at the time, but the angel was not fully attached to the pedestal and the angel and I both fell from the pedestal to the ground, one of its wings striking my leg very hard. 

  I still have a mark on my leg, a white circular area of skin where the angel permanently marked me.  

  Many Christians believe in angels. Beyond my early experience with the marble angel, I have had experiences in my more than 50 years on this earth that have convinced me of real angels protecting and delivering my friends, family, and myself from harm. 

  Angels are one of the ways that God provides for His people. Angels can strengthen us, carry our prayers to the Lord, and protect us from harm as they do God’s will on this earth. To be visited by, or ministered from, or protected by an angel is an awesome experience.  

  The angels stand in the presence of God. It is no wonder they are called holy angels. Let that sink in for a minute. Angels stand in the presence of God. 

  Those same angels that stand before God also stand guard over us. What a blessing, what a kindness that God sends His angels to guard us. 

  Thanks to the mark the marble angel left on my leg I will never forget that experience as a little boy. Yet as a man, real angels have helped and marked me in other ways, leaving me with gratitude for the Father who sent them to protect me and my loved ones. How about you? Have you ever been “touched by an angel”? 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, you have blessed us in so many ways. One of the wonderful ways You bless us is by sending Your holy messengers to watch over and protect us on this earth. Thank You Lord. Amen. 

  

The Problem With Pain

“Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away. Job 16:6 (NIV) 

  

  Last spring, I was dismissed from my hospital stay for major surgery. Before they dismissed me, the physician wrote a prescription for a strong pain reliever medication. I was not in much pain as I left the hospital, and I seriously considered throwing the prescription for the pain medication away. But after several hours, whatever pain medication had been in my hospital IV wore off, and I was more than grateful for that pain reliever prescription. 

  When we are in serious pain we want relief. Nothing steals attention, grabs our focus, and pushes everything else in our life to the back of the line more than pain. 

  

“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” ---C.S. Lewis 

  

  When my generation were children, parents still believed in spankings to punish children for misdeeds. Those spankings worked. They got our attention because they caused us pain. And they made us behave because we did not wish to revisit the pain of punishment. 

  There is pain that is helpful. For instance, when a child first comes into contact with fire it is often a painful experience. Burns hurt. Such burns give a child a healthy respect and fear of fire. Yet not all such pain is helpful or instructive. 

  Disease, sickness, injuries, mental and emotional suffering, such pain is generally neither helpful nor beneficial. Yet even in such miserable circumstances if we turn to God, seek His help and healing, drawing close beneath his sheltering wings, there is the advantage of fellowship with God in our suffering.  

  Pain can make our existence intolerable no matter what the cause may be, yet with God can come peace, comfort, and restoration. When we focus upon God and call upon Him for aid, His presence in our pain gives meaning and hope in place of our misery. 

  

  Prayer: Dear Lord, our pain does not always quickly go away. Be with us in our pain, comfort us and give us peace in place of misery. Amen.