"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of the Lord and God which He purchased with His own blood." (Acts 20:28)
One translation can be, "....the Church of the Lord and God which He made His own with His own blood." You see, without the Cross, you and I would still be, "dead in trespasses and sin," under the power of the prince of darkness, slaves to him, his rebellion toward Jesus Christ and Jesus' Kingdom. As Ephesians declares, "without Christ,...having no hope and without God in the world."
This could be the reason someone wrote, "In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time
....Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the cross are sanctified; Peace is there that knows no measure, joys that through all time abide." The writer was a man born in 18th Century England, born just a few years after the American Revolution. "Jesus, The Very Thought of Thee" was written by a Medieval monk, born in the 11th Century. When "doubts and fears assail," I encourage you to remember that Jesus Christ, His Church, His Kingdom knows no end. Since Adam, Jesus has ruled in the hearts of those who, "rejoiced to see [Jesus'] day. They, as Jesus said (literally) of Abraham, "saw and were glad." Jesus has been saving, delivering, keeping, sustaining, providing for His Followers from, "In the beginning." There should be absolutely no doubt that He will continue in His Faithfulness to us. Our text proclaims that Jesus, "made (you and me, all humanity) His own with His own blood." Jesus did not need any "help" or "assistants" in this. It is something of what the hymn writer said, "Jesus Paid It All."
The power to save humanity is in Jesus' Cross and in Jesus' Cross alone. Billy Graham called the Cross, "the pivotal point of history." Man was familiar with the Laws of God, "the Words of God," viz., God's will for mankind, but had no power to walk in His will, His purposes for us. There was power "released" in the Cross of Jesus which enables us to walk in what Jesus commanded, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as Your Father in heaven is perfect." Yes, you and I are commanded to be, "just as Your Father in heaven...." And you know as well as I, that is a human impossibility. "In the Cross of Christ I glory," because "In the Cross of Christ," we can be, "just as []our Father in heaven...." I did not say that, though I accept it. This is, and only could be, the Words of the, "Word of God," Himself, Jesus. It would be absolutely absurd, ludicrous for any man to say such a thing, other than the "God/Man," I mean.
Now, today, what are you and I going to do with this? You may be facing sickness, discouragement, heartache. It is is purpose of, "the power of darkness," to destroy you and me in such battles. Take up the theme once again in this moment: "In The Cross of Christ I Glory."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I do. In You, Your Power, I continue this day. Amen.
One translation can be, "....the Church of the Lord and God which He made His own with His own blood." You see, without the Cross, you and I would still be, "dead in trespasses and sin," under the power of the prince of darkness, slaves to him, his rebellion toward Jesus Christ and Jesus' Kingdom. As Ephesians declares, "without Christ,...having no hope and without God in the world."
This could be the reason someone wrote, "In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time
....Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the cross are sanctified; Peace is there that knows no measure, joys that through all time abide." The writer was a man born in 18th Century England, born just a few years after the American Revolution. "Jesus, The Very Thought of Thee" was written by a Medieval monk, born in the 11th Century. When "doubts and fears assail," I encourage you to remember that Jesus Christ, His Church, His Kingdom knows no end. Since Adam, Jesus has ruled in the hearts of those who, "rejoiced to see [Jesus'] day. They, as Jesus said (literally) of Abraham, "saw and were glad." Jesus has been saving, delivering, keeping, sustaining, providing for His Followers from, "In the beginning." There should be absolutely no doubt that He will continue in His Faithfulness to us. Our text proclaims that Jesus, "made (you and me, all humanity) His own with His own blood." Jesus did not need any "help" or "assistants" in this. It is something of what the hymn writer said, "Jesus Paid It All."
The power to save humanity is in Jesus' Cross and in Jesus' Cross alone. Billy Graham called the Cross, "the pivotal point of history." Man was familiar with the Laws of God, "the Words of God," viz., God's will for mankind, but had no power to walk in His will, His purposes for us. There was power "released" in the Cross of Jesus which enables us to walk in what Jesus commanded, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as Your Father in heaven is perfect." Yes, you and I are commanded to be, "just as Your Father in heaven...." And you know as well as I, that is a human impossibility. "In the Cross of Christ I glory," because "In the Cross of Christ," we can be, "just as []our Father in heaven...." I did not say that, though I accept it. This is, and only could be, the Words of the, "Word of God," Himself, Jesus. It would be absolutely absurd, ludicrous for any man to say such a thing, other than the "God/Man," I mean.
Now, today, what are you and I going to do with this? You may be facing sickness, discouragement, heartache. It is is purpose of, "the power of darkness," to destroy you and me in such battles. Take up the theme once again in this moment: "In The Cross of Christ I Glory."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I do. In You, Your Power, I continue this day. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
