The Gospel of Jesus Christ!
'Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.' I Corinthians 15.1-4
Today, Palm Sunday, the Christian world enters its most important week. This week we remember the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul outlines for us the Gospel, the Good News!
CHRIST DIED for our sins
CHRIST WAS BURIED
CHRIST ROSE AGAIN on the third day
Following Jesus Christ!
We live in a ME-society and a ME-generation. Everyone and everything has to conform to MY wants, MY needs, MY desires, MY agenda.
In contrast, Jesus calls us to a higher way of living, the way of the cross:
'If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.' (Luke 9.23)
This kind of living is so radically different from our society and our generation. It insists on God first, others second, me last. It requires us to be a follower, not a leader, at a time when Leadership is the supreme buzzword. It calls us to surrender, not fight, at a time when Victory at all Cost is the mantra of peoples and nations.
Jesus never requires of us something He himself was not willing to do.
Make Your Life Count for the Gospel
All of us have lives to live, families to raise, things to do, schedules to keep, meetings to attend, bills to pay, and a host of other activities that fill up our calendars.
Most of us too have ambitions we seek to attain, goals we want to achieve, and targets we aspire to reach.
God Provides
'...AND THE LORD PROVIDED...' That phrase appears repeatedly in different ways throughout Scripture.
When God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, THE LORD PROVIDED a ram instead (Genesis 22.8 and 13). When Elijah got tired from his journey, THE LORD PROVIDED ravens to bring him food (1 Kings 17.6).
Living in the Light of God's Love
'Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.' Psalm 97.11.
As the sun dips behind the horizon, the old lighthouse begins to shine. The light sweeps across the sea and pierces through the darkness like a knife. The ship's crew sees the light in the early evening, then they notice it again in the middle of the night. Finally, in the early morning hours right before the dawn, they are once again reassured by its comforting light.
Do you feel alone on the sea of life?
The Presence of God
‘Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually.’ PSALM 105.4
Darkness is nothing more than the absence of light. When the light comes, it fills the darkness and illuminates our way. As the captain of a ship nears the vicinity of the lighthouse, he grows stronger and more confident. He knows that very soon, the light from the lighthouse will fill the darkness before him and guide him to safety. He knows that the light will be there. He can depend on it.
Are you having trouble finding your way in the darkness?
