The Cross in Christmas! (Part 2)
"She brought forth her firstborn son, and she wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid Him in a feeding trough." Luke 2:7
"Joseph took the body (of Jesus), and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock." Matthew 27:59-60
There is nothing more beautiful than the Christmas story and the news of the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord.
I welcome you to the manger on that blessed Holy Night to see the Child lying in a manger. Now let your mind move forward thirty three years later, and let's blend the two to see the story in context.
See the Baby Jesus clean and washed in His mother's arms.
Now see Him crucified, covered in blood and nailed to the cross as His weeping mother watches.
See the Baby Jesus and look at those tiny Hands and fingers.
Now see Him touching the leper, the eyes of the blind and breaking the loaves of bread. Oh, see those hands holding a rugged cross and then see them nailed to the cross with the ringing of hammer against the nail!
See the Baby Jesus with rosy cheeks and soft tender skin.
Now see Him parched from the desert sun as He fasts and prays for forty days. Oh, the soft face now dripping blood as He prays in agony in the Garden. Hear the slap from angry hands upon His face during His trial and beatings. His face now covered with spit and blood!
See the Baby Jesus with his little bits of hair covering His head.
But now witness that head with the crown of thorns cutting through the skin to the scull and causing even more blood and humiliation.
See the lips of this Baby Jesus part and cry out for feeding as His mother comforts Him. Stand still and hear this Man speak: Words of life, and Words like no one has ever spoken. Hear Him saying "Thy sins are forgiven thee", "Arise and walk", "Lazarus come forth!" Years from that moment of birth those same lips cry out "I Thirst", "My God, My God why hast Thou forsaken Me?" And there was 'NO ONE' to comfort Him!
See the chest of this Baby Jesus rise and fall as He breaths His first breaths.
Hear the cry from the cross, "Father into Thy Hands I commend My Spirit", and there is no more breath... just death!
See those feet of this Baby Jesus soft and tender and ever so sweet.
Look now and see this same Jesus walking from village to village preaching and teaching and healing and loving and traveling throughout the land. Now, see those same feet pierced with nails holding Him to the cross!
See the beautiful back of that Baby Jesus.
Oh, we must turn our heads from the awful, horrible view of the Roman scourge ripping skin and tearing flesh with each swing of the whip.
On and on I could go looking at the beauty of that Baby Jesus, and the cost of our redemption by Him who never knew sin, yet became sin for us.
But I leave you with this:
"His Face was disfigured beyond that of any man and His appearance marred beyond human likeness." Isaiah 52:14
All of this for you and I. Jesus arose and ascended to heaven and lives and rules over all things, and is ready to hear your prayer and the prayer of anyone calling on His Name.
There is a mission for us to 'go and tell'; for the glorious news of Jesus to be shared with every person on earth. This is why Jesus came. It is for us now to get the thrilling news out.
I challenge you to get "The Cross" DVD and book and give it this Christmas. Share a gift that can last forever. Give Jesus!
The story of "The Cross" is one of the world's greatest adventures which appeals to both young people and adventurers, and is inspiring and uplifting as well. Give it to your best friends with love. They will love the stories and come to see Jesus and the cross in a new way. They will see the cross as a reflection of the love of God. They will see and feel the love of Jesus.
This is the perfect gift for hurting or struggling people, as well as a challenging gift to people ministering and doing mission and outreach work.
It will also help lead you in sharing Jesus with others and living out your mission and calling.
I am praying for every person that views this movie.
God bless you all.
Arthur and Denise Blessitt
Luke 18:1
www.8x.com
www.blessitt.com
www.thecrossfilm.com
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
My Heart's Desire by Gloria SullivanGloria SullivanMake sure I am in right standing with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Examine my heart, repent of
Gloria SullivanMake sure I am in right standing with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Examine my heart, repent of my sins. Walk in love, forgiveness, and to win as many souls for the Kingdom of God. I have to complete the assignment upon my life. When Jesus here on earth, His goal was to do nothing but the will of His Father. Our commitment must be only His will. Jesus is no longer is walking on earth. We are His body; He is our head. That means our lips are the lips of Jesus. Our hands are His hands; our eyes, His eyes;our hope, His hope. "As my Father hath sent me, even so I send you," are His instructions. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
Going through a test can be very difficult. I have to walk it out, knowing that the Lord is with me. Praying for direction, listening, and obeying the Word of God.
Listen to the Holy Spirit to guide me in all truth. Mainly, telling someone about Jesus. People needs to know that Jesus said in His Word, every knee is going to bow, every tongue is going to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! My citizenship is not on earth, its in heaven. I am a visitor on this earth, doing Kingdom work. To evangelize the unreached people for the Kingdom of God. My heart cries out for a "lost soul." I have souls on my mind. To help fulfill the Great Commission....
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The Great Commission reveals the reason God has left us here in this world, the main activity of the Church until Jesus returns as the King of Kings to gather us to Himself. He desires us to go everywhere proclaiming the love of God to a lost world. Exercising His authority and demonstrating His power, we are to preach the Gospel, make disciples, baptize and teach people to obey all the commands of Christ. I want to see people saved.
Thank you for knowing my heart's desire is to pray for people to be saved! The Word says God will give you your heart's desire; my heart's desire is to keep on winning Souls for the Kingdom of God. You win a soul, others win a soul. Let's believe this generation will be reached for Christ. Pray for my entire family to be saved. God always chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. He shows His might only on the behalf of those who trust in Him. Humility is the place where all Christian service begins.
I got to get my lesson before my professor gives me a bad grade. Have a bless day on this Lord's day!
Love you, Auntie!
December 2 at 11:14am · Delete
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Going through a test can be very difficult. I have to walk it out, knowing that the Lord is with me. Praying for direction, listening, and obeying the Word of God.
Listen to the Holy Spirit to guide me in all truth. Mainly, telling someone about Jesus. People needs to know that Jesus said in His Word, every knee is going to bow, every tongue is going to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! My citizenship is not on earth, its in heaven. I am a visitor on this earth, doing Kingdom work. To evangelize the unreached people for the Kingdom of God. My heart cries out for a "lost soul." I have souls on my mind. To help fulfill the Great Commission....
See More
The Great Commission reveals the reason God has left us here in this world, the main activity of the Church until Jesus returns as the King of Kings to gather us to Himself. He desires us to go everywhere proclaiming the love of God to a lost world. Exercising His authority and demonstrating His power, we are to preach the Gospel, make disciples, baptize and teach people to obey all the commands of Christ. I want to see people saved.
Thank you for knowing my heart's desire is to pray for people to be saved! The Word says God will give you your heart's desire; my heart's desire is to keep on winning Souls for the Kingdom of God. You win a soul, others win a soul. Let's believe this generation will be reached for Christ. Pray for my entire family to be saved. God always chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. He shows His might only on the behalf of those who trust in Him. Humility is the place where all Christian service begins.
I got to get my lesson before my professor gives me a bad grade. Have a bless day on this Lord's day!
Love you, Auntie!
December 2 at 11:14am · Delete
Write a comment...
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Salvation
The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make
Salvation, or the decision to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior is, without question, the most important decision anyone can make. For as one decides to accept or reject Jesus, they are literally deciding their eternal destiny. If you haven't yet received the free gift of salvation paid for on the cross by Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity, then don't wait another second, do it now. After all, why would you commit yourself to hell, when you could live a life of blessing through Him both on this earth and eternally in heaven? But Jesus will never make you choose Him. He never forced anyone. You see, He wants you to come to Him voluntarily, of your own free will.
Perhaps you are wondering how mankind found himself in the position of needing salvation. The answer is, there was a debt created by man for his separation from and disobedience to God, the debt was the penalty of death. It was owed since the covenant between Adam, Eve, and God was broken by man. Man had a perfect and deathless existence provided for him by God. However, man chose sin instead, and incurred it's penalty, death. We see this in the 3rd chapter of Genesis. But God Himself came and clothed Himself as man and paid the price of death once and for all, that you can enter His family, that's God's family, and His grace eternally. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Contrary to some theologians, it's not of primary importance that you immediately understand all the finer theological points of how mankind lost his dominion, incurred the debt of death, and became justified to God - the explanation above will suffice for the moment. If you are considering making Jesus Lord of your life, what you do need to know is that He wants you to take Him at His word, to know that He is who He says He is, and He did what He said He did. (By the way you have His word on it in writing, it's the Word of God, the Bible).
God (that's the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) wants you to accept that He, Jesus, is the risen and living Savior, that He died on the Cross for your sins, was dead buried and resurrected, and that the debt you owed for your sins is paid in full. But you have to accept Him. You have to come to Him voluntarily. You have to say "Jesus, be the Lord of my life. I accept your gift of salvation."
It's up to you how you spend your life both now and eternally. Will you spend it in His service with Him running your life, guiding, directing, and blessing you now and eternally in heaven? Or will you continue to spend your life here under the domination and control of the ruler of this world, the devil, and later, eternally in hell? That's the choice. God says, choose life. (Deuteronomy 30:19)
And now, by accepting Him as your personal Lord and Savior, you enter the family of God with full rights and privileges. That's right, you will have rights and privileges as a family member. And, like an earthly family, you will also have an inheritance, but from Christ‚ literally. You'll also spend the rest of your life understanding the magnitude of all that inheritance consists of. Isn't that a wonderful thought!
Are you ready to make Jesus Lord of your life? Then say this prayer with me:
"Lord Jesus, I believe you died on the cross for my sins. I believe that you were dead, buried, and resurrected and live today. I receive You Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. Guide me Jesus and direct my life. I receive your gift of salvation that you paid for on the cross. All that I have and all that I am I give to You. Come live Your Life through me."
If you prayed this prayer and meant it, welcome to the family of God. But this is just the beginning of your relationship with God. Be sure to pray and read His Word daily. And in your prayer time, spend some time listening for and to God. It's fine to tell Him what you need and what's on your mind...you're supposed to, but be sure also to ask and listen to what's on His mind. Remember, He is Lord. That means the responsibility for directing your life is now His.
In Jesus' Name
Salvation, or the decision to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior is, without question, the most important decision anyone can make. For as one decides to accept or reject Jesus, they are literally deciding their eternal destiny. If you haven't yet received the free gift of salvation paid for on the cross by Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity, then don't wait another second, do it now. After all, why would you commit yourself to hell, when you could live a life of blessing through Him both on this earth and eternally in heaven? But Jesus will never make you choose Him. He never forced anyone. You see, He wants you to come to Him voluntarily, of your own free will.
Perhaps you are wondering how mankind found himself in the position of needing salvation. The answer is, there was a debt created by man for his separation from and disobedience to God, the debt was the penalty of death. It was owed since the covenant between Adam, Eve, and God was broken by man. Man had a perfect and deathless existence provided for him by God. However, man chose sin instead, and incurred it's penalty, death. We see this in the 3rd chapter of Genesis. But God Himself came and clothed Himself as man and paid the price of death once and for all, that you can enter His family, that's God's family, and His grace eternally. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Contrary to some theologians, it's not of primary importance that you immediately understand all the finer theological points of how mankind lost his dominion, incurred the debt of death, and became justified to God - the explanation above will suffice for the moment. If you are considering making Jesus Lord of your life, what you do need to know is that He wants you to take Him at His word, to know that He is who He says He is, and He did what He said He did. (By the way you have His word on it in writing, it's the Word of God, the Bible).
God (that's the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) wants you to accept that He, Jesus, is the risen and living Savior, that He died on the Cross for your sins, was dead buried and resurrected, and that the debt you owed for your sins is paid in full. But you have to accept Him. You have to come to Him voluntarily. You have to say "Jesus, be the Lord of my life. I accept your gift of salvation."
It's up to you how you spend your life both now and eternally. Will you spend it in His service with Him running your life, guiding, directing, and blessing you now and eternally in heaven? Or will you continue to spend your life here under the domination and control of the ruler of this world, the devil, and later, eternally in hell? That's the choice. God says, choose life. (Deuteronomy 30:19)
And now, by accepting Him as your personal Lord and Savior, you enter the family of God with full rights and privileges. That's right, you will have rights and privileges as a family member. And, like an earthly family, you will also have an inheritance, but from Christ‚ literally. You'll also spend the rest of your life understanding the magnitude of all that inheritance consists of. Isn't that a wonderful thought!
Are you ready to make Jesus Lord of your life? Then say this prayer with me:
"Lord Jesus, I believe you died on the cross for my sins. I believe that you were dead, buried, and resurrected and live today. I receive You Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. Guide me Jesus and direct my life. I receive your gift of salvation that you paid for on the cross. All that I have and all that I am I give to You. Come live Your Life through me."
If you prayed this prayer and meant it, welcome to the family of God. But this is just the beginning of your relationship with God. Be sure to pray and read His Word daily. And in your prayer time, spend some time listening for and to God. It's fine to tell Him what you need and what's on your mind...you're supposed to, but be sure also to ask and listen to what's on His mind. Remember, He is Lord. That means the responsibility for directing your life is now His.
In Jesus' Name
Pastor Stabbing
November 02, 2009 Hide Comments (0 comments) Add Comment Print Article E-mail to a Friend
Pastor Returns to Pulpit After Severe Stabbing
from The Christian Post
A Detroit-area pastor who was severely stabbed over 30 times in his home this past summer returned to the pulpit of his church Sunday to talk about the experience that almost left him dead.
"When you've gone through something that we have gone through, you begin to see things in a different light," the Rev. Kevin Ramsby told the congregation at Revival Tabernacle Church in Highland Park, according to Click On Detroit.
"There are so many others hurting in our community, not just because of violence, with the economy and layoffs and jobs," he added. "The message I am sharing today is a message of God's faithfulness."
According to reports, an intruder broke into Ramsby's home around 3 a.m. on Aug. 4 and stabbed him repeatedly during the altercation that ensued. Ramsby's wife and children were out of town at the time of the attack. The pastor had also been out of town but returned home ahead of his family.
"The stab wounds were so many, and so severe that Pastor Kevin lost consciousness and was left for dead by the perpetrator," reported staff at Ramsby's Assemblies of God church shortly after the incident.
"With nothing less than what we know to be the strength and power of the Lord, when the intruder went to another room of the house, Pastor Kevin came to and miraculously gained strength to get himself out of the house and crawl to his neighbors who quickly responded to his cry for help," they continued. "How great is our God?"
On Sunday, Ramsby recalled how his small intestines had come out through one of the knife cuts he sustained.
"I literally had to carry my small intestine," he said.
After Highland Park police and medical emergency teams arrived on the scene, Ramsby was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he underwent immediate surgery. Ramsby had sustained injuries and lacerations to his back, face, neck, and abdominal areas, but fortunately suffered no damage to major arteries or to his lungs.
Ramsby said it was God who saved his life that night.
Though Ramsby arrived in critical condition, the pastor's condition was upgraded to stable after about eight hours and doctors were reportedly able to repair the intestinal damage that he sustained.
Since then, Ramsby has been healing rapidly, released from the hospital on Aug. 18.
He had since been resting in an undisclosed dislocation while the state police searched for the suspect behind the break-in and stabbing.
According to reports, police have identified the attacker as 41-year-old Wesley Mclemore, who is still at large.
Though the attack nearly left Ramsby dead, the Pentecostal preacher said he has forgiven his attacker and would not mind meeting to pray with him once he's arrested.
According to Click On Detroit, Revival Tabernacle Church founder Tim Dilena said Ramsby's message is something many in the church and community need to see.
© The Christian Post all rights reserved.
Pastor Returns to Pulpit After Severe Stabbing
from The Christian Post
A Detroit-area pastor who was severely stabbed over 30 times in his home this past summer returned to the pulpit of his church Sunday to talk about the experience that almost left him dead.
"When you've gone through something that we have gone through, you begin to see things in a different light," the Rev. Kevin Ramsby told the congregation at Revival Tabernacle Church in Highland Park, according to Click On Detroit.
"There are so many others hurting in our community, not just because of violence, with the economy and layoffs and jobs," he added. "The message I am sharing today is a message of God's faithfulness."
According to reports, an intruder broke into Ramsby's home around 3 a.m. on Aug. 4 and stabbed him repeatedly during the altercation that ensued. Ramsby's wife and children were out of town at the time of the attack. The pastor had also been out of town but returned home ahead of his family.
"The stab wounds were so many, and so severe that Pastor Kevin lost consciousness and was left for dead by the perpetrator," reported staff at Ramsby's Assemblies of God church shortly after the incident.
"With nothing less than what we know to be the strength and power of the Lord, when the intruder went to another room of the house, Pastor Kevin came to and miraculously gained strength to get himself out of the house and crawl to his neighbors who quickly responded to his cry for help," they continued. "How great is our God?"
On Sunday, Ramsby recalled how his small intestines had come out through one of the knife cuts he sustained.
"I literally had to carry my small intestine," he said.
After Highland Park police and medical emergency teams arrived on the scene, Ramsby was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he underwent immediate surgery. Ramsby had sustained injuries and lacerations to his back, face, neck, and abdominal areas, but fortunately suffered no damage to major arteries or to his lungs.
Ramsby said it was God who saved his life that night.
Though Ramsby arrived in critical condition, the pastor's condition was upgraded to stable after about eight hours and doctors were reportedly able to repair the intestinal damage that he sustained.
Since then, Ramsby has been healing rapidly, released from the hospital on Aug. 18.
He had since been resting in an undisclosed dislocation while the state police searched for the suspect behind the break-in and stabbing.
According to reports, police have identified the attacker as 41-year-old Wesley Mclemore, who is still at large.
Though the attack nearly left Ramsby dead, the Pentecostal preacher said he has forgiven his attacker and would not mind meeting to pray with him once he's arrested.
According to Click On Detroit, Revival Tabernacle Church founder Tim Dilena said Ramsby's message is something many in the church and community need to see.
© The Christian Post all rights reserved.
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