Can You Comprehend!

 Can you even comprehend the kind of day that Jesus was facing when He was crucified? I hardly doubt it. To have your father give you up to be beaten beyond recognition, nailed to a cross, have your side pierced to make sure that you were dead. Jesus knew all of this before it happened. He knew what He was going to face on the dreadful day that we now call Good Friday.

He knew that He would be scourged, whipped, beaten so badly that He was hardly recognized by others. Then He was made to carry His own cross to the place of crucifixion. It has been said that the cross that He carried weighed around 165#. Can you imagine carrying that kind of weight after what He had just endured? He was bloody, gouges in His back, His arms and legs whipped so badly that He could hardly stand. Then made to carry a 165# cross about a 1/3 of a mile. Sometimes I have a hard time walking that far myself and I didn't have anything like that happen to me.

Once at the final destination, the soldiers took Jesus and nailed His body to the cross. Took His arms and stretched them out as far as they would go and put a nail through each wrist. Took His feet and placed them together and put a nail through both of them. Then stood the cross upright with Jesus hanging between two other criminals.

He hung there for a while and then finally cried out " It is Finished!" and breathed His last. The soldiers couldn't believe that He was dead so they took a spear and pierced His side to make sure.

Now I ask you again. Can you comprehend having a day like that. I know that most of us get upset when meaningless things don't go our way. But nothing compares to this. 

Even Jesus prayed to His Father to take away this cup of bitterness that He was about swallow. But He didn't want His will to go forth, He wanted the will of His Father to be done.

So why am I writing this you may be asking yourself. I want to let you know that Jesus went through all of this, for you and me. He took on all the sins of the world upon Himself. He paid the price for us. He suffered for us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 New Living Translation

21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

The best news about this is. Jesus rose from the dead three days later. He is alive and sitting at the right hand of His Father. Hallelujah!

Hebrews 10:12 Amplified Bible

12 whereas Christ, having offered the one sacrifice [the all-sufficient sacrifice of Himself] for sins for all time, sat down [signifying the completion of atonement for sin] at the right hand of God [the position of honor],

So I urge you today to live for Christ. Live like His death meant something, because it did. 

What Are You Really Afraid Of?

 I had a conversation with some friends the other day. We were asking each other what we were afraid of. The answers varied to say the least. There were the typical answers like snakes, flying, spiders, etc. etc.

My answer to the their fears are this. They are really afraid of death or dying! Afraid of snakes you say. I say that you are afraid of being bitten by a snake and dying. Afraid of flying. I think what you're really afraid of is the plane crashing and you dying. Same thing with spiders. You'll get bitten by one of the poisonous ones, and once again you're afraid you'll die!

My question is, why are we so afraid of death? 

Philippians 1:21 Amplified Bible

 21 For to me, to live is Christ [He is my source of joy, my reason to live] and to die is gain [for I will be with Him in eternity].

When we die, we gain Jesus for eternity. What is there to be afraid of? Heaven is a much better place than the world that we are living in. Streets of gold. No more tears, sickness, disease, hurt. Nothing!

Revelation 21:4 Living Bible

4 He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. All of that has gone forever.”

Now I don't want to die today. But if I were to die, I'm not afraid of death. I know where I am going. Going be with Jesus! He is preparing a place for me. For all of us who believe in Him!

John 14:2 Amplified Bible

2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you.

Like I said earlier. I am not afraid of dying. What I am really afraid of is my family & friends dying without knowing Jesus. That they don't have a personal relationship with Him. I pray that my life, words and actions, point people toward Jesus. I can't save anyone, only Jesus can do that. What I can do is point people in His direction. Again, I hope that I am doing that.

I pray that when I stand before God, I hear the words "Well done my good & faithful servant." 

Matthew 25:21 New Living Translation

21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!

Again I ask. What are you really afraid of? Is it dying? Or dying without knowing Christ?

Accept Him today. It will be the best decision of your life!