Mary Jo.
The Wonderful Cross
Happy Halloween, my friends! This is a day that is often associated with darkness, but I'd like to use the opportunity to share the light instead!
The cross is more than just a cool-looking shape to me. It symbolizes what my perfect, loving, amazing, gracious heavenly Father did for me. He sent his only son Jesus (God in the flesh), who lived a blameless life, to die and take on the punishment I deserve. Isaiah 53 describes Jesus's death this way:
"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each one of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth ... He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer."
That's pretty heavy. In other words, Jesus took on our sin and the punishment for it when he went to the cross. How can you read that and still think God isn't loving? He loves you SO MUCH that he's sparing you from the punishment you so rightly deserve, if you will choose to accept him. If there's any chance at all that the Bible is true, then this is of the utmost importance. If you choose to repent of your sins and give your life to Jesus, you WILL LIVE FOREVER! Death will no longer be this awful thing to fear, but rather your gateway to live in a perfect amazing place in the presence of Him who created you and loves you. You will also be changed while you are on earth. I am not who I used to be, only by the grace of God. Of course, I still fail him every day. I return to sin even though I know all of this. But every time, he is gracious to FORGIVE. I am not guilty because Jesus has washed me clean! You guys, it sounds too good to be true...but it is. Won't you give him a try?
The Wonderful Cross
Happy Halloween, my friends! This is a day that is often associated with darkness, but I'd like to use the opportunity to share the light instead!
The cross is more than just a cool-looking shape to me. It symbolizes what my perfect, loving, amazing, gracious heavenly Father did for me. He sent his only son Jesus (God in the flesh), who lived a blameless life, to die and take on the punishment I deserve. Isaiah 53 describes Jesus's death this way:
"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each one of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth ... He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer."
That's pretty heavy. In other words, Jesus took on our sin and the punishment for it when he went to the cross. How can you read that and still think God isn't loving? He loves you SO MUCH that he's sparing you from the punishment you so rightly deserve, if you will choose to accept him. If there's any chance at all that the Bible is true, then this is of the utmost importance. If you choose to repent of your sins and give your life to Jesus, you WILL LIVE FOREVER! Death will no longer be this awful thing to fear, but rather your gateway to live in a perfect amazing place in the presence of Him who created you and loves you. You will also be changed while you are on earth. I am not who I used to be, only by the grace of God. Of course, I still fail him every day. I return to sin even though I know all of this. But every time, he is gracious to FORGIVE. I am not guilty because Jesus has washed me clean! You guys, it sounds too good to be true...but it is. Won't you give him a try?