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Come Back To Your First Love: The Cross of Christ

We are all part of the human race. Every man, woman, and child on the Earth belongs to it. For those who believe—those who seek to be Christlike —our belief is in God. And the one thing that connects us to Him, the one thing that made reconciliation, restoration, and reunion with God possible, is the Cross of Christ . We believe that Jesus died on the Cross for our sins. Through that act, we became the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus —through Jesus and what He accomplished on the Cross of Calvary. In believing and accepting what was done for us there, something profound took place: we were clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Himself. Now, when God looks at us, He does not see our sin; He sees the righteousness of the perfect Lamb who was slain, blotting out every transgression. I know I may sound like a broken record, but this is where it all happened for us . This is it. The Cross of Christ is where our focus must remain. It is where our faith must be anchored. A...
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Half of the Truth is not the Gospel

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:23 , “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Gentiles foolishness.” Paul, the author of the epistles— Romans; 1 & 2 Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; 1 & 2 Thessalonians; 1 & 2 Timothy; Titus; and Philemon —was unwavering in the message he proclaimed: Jesus Christ and Him crucified . With this in mind, it is worth asking: when we read Paul’s letters, should we not read them through the lens of the Finished Work of the Cross ? When Paul speaks of faith, belief, righteousness, and life in Christ, is he not pointing us to faith in what Christ accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection? When we return to his writings with Christ crucified as our central focus—and with an understanding of our position in Him—we gain clarity and depth in understanding the message Paul preached. The Word of...
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The Story of the Bible - Jesus and The Cross!

The Cross of Christ As we approach the Christmas Holiday, we will all think about the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And yes, I understand that December 25th might not be the exact day of His birth, but what is important is that He was born, He is who the Word of God says that He is, and He accomplished that which none of us could do for ourselves—defeating sin. Throughout the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, various events, rituals, and individuals serve as types and shadows that foreshadow the perfect and final sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary. These elements point to the need for a permanent atonement for sin, which is found in Jesus alone. The story of the Bible is the Cross of Christ! It is that important . The Cross of Christ is the object upon which the Word of God is centralized and built. If God deemed it so important to build and centralize His Word on this one object, then why would we not place our faith there as well? Thi...
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Thankfulness - The Message of the Cross!

Thankful for the Message of the Cross Today is a day that we enjoy family, friends, and food. It is a time to rest and recoup, as well as a time to reflect on the things that we are truly grateful and thankful for. I am thankful that I am still here among the living, and for my husband, children, and extended family. Some reflect on being thankful for careers, travel, and life in general. With all of these in mind, I have also been reflecting on my thankfulness for hearing and being able to understand the Message of the Cross. It has made such an impact on my life. I want to share some things from the great book—the Bible—that show the importance of having our faith placed in the Finished Work of Christ. Before I begin, I want to stress that everything Christ Jesus did and said is of utmost importance. However, it was at the Cross that God’s Plan of Redemption for all who would believe was fulfilled. Faith in God’s Redemptive Plan is what saves us, justifies us, and sa...
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The Right Mindset - Complete Trust!

A Reflection on Daniel — Devotional Reflection: Daniel’s Kind of Faith A personal devotional on trust, prayer, and lifelong obedience Devotional · Reflection Updated: When I studied the Book of Daniel, one truth became clear to me: my so-called “holy life,” as much as a human being can be holy, wasn’t nearly as holy as I thought. When I looked at Daniel and the Hebrew boys, I realized that my life was nowhere near as consecrated or devoted. I can’t even find the “pah” in perfect! I know that I’m a sinner saved by grace. I also understand now that I cannot live this life in Christ Jesus on my own — I’ve tried, and I’ve failed miserably. I am grateful to the Holy Spirit for showing me this. It hurt my feelings a bit but still grateful that He loves me enough to show me where I have failed and need correction. “Daniel and the ...
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Learn the Lesson!

I’m sitting here studying the book of Ezekiel, and I see a parallel—a mirror—of Judah and Jerusalem of old, and how America, and rather the Church, is looking like Judah and Jerusalem of old. It breaks my heart, because they were God’s people, and we are God’s people. We have been grafted into the Vine, and yet we did not learn the lesson that was taught and given to us in the book of Ezekiel. When we rebel, when we go against God’s way, when we set up idols in our hearts, we must remember this is not God’s way. We must do things God’s way. We cannot do things our own way. We think we are on the path that leads to the Father—Jesus and Him crucified—but we are not looking to Him and what was accomplished at the Cross of Calvary for us. We cannot look like the world. Yet the Church today has adopted many things from the world and has tried to bring them into the Church—just like Judah and Jerusalem tried to look like, act like, and do things like the nations around them. They b...
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Idols of the Heart

In Ezekiel 14, the elders of Israel came to Ezekiel asking for prayer, but they had set up idols in their hearts. An idol of the heart can be anything we put before God—anything that takes precedence over, or replaces, our loyalty and devotion to Him. In our minds, we often think God is first—but is He really? Sometimes we have idols set up in our hearts without even realizing it. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal if you have any idols in your heart as you examine yourself. Sidebar: A Personal Example I love to work out. Years ago, I heard the Holy Spirit say, “It’s easy for you to miss praying or reading the Word of God—you say you’ll do it later, and sometimes later never comes—but you don’t miss your workouts.” Ouch—hallelujah! It hurt my feelings a little, but it was true. So, I started getting up early to study, read, and go on my prayer walks. My workouts had become an idol of the heart in my life. Working out is good, but as a child of God, I shouldn’t have placed ...
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