Jesus is the Greatest Valentine’s Ever!

February 19, 2018 2 Comments

This Easter season is unique because Ash Wednesday fell on Valentine’s Day and Easter will be on April fool’s day. So here is some food for thought on this. See why Jesus is the God’s greatest valentine to us!

Valentine’s Day/Ash Wednesday

What an excellent way to the beginning of the Lenten season! On Valentine’s Day, we give our loved ones a gift to show our love. Yet, the greatest expression of love is that God sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to show us how great His love is for us. Our sins came between us and God. Therefore, Jesus paid the ultimate price in order that we would be reconciled to God. As my sister once said, “God would rather die than live without us.” Can you think of a greater act of love?

April Fool’s Day/Easter

Furthermore, I can’t think of a better day for Easter to fall on. For Jesus fooled the devil into thinking that he had won when Jesus was crucified. Yet again, God pulled the wool over the devil’s eyes on the third day when Jesus rose from the dead. Yes, you can’t keep a good man down. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow.

Easter Triumph

Do you want more food for thought? Then I suggest that you mark your calendar for March 24^th 3 pm or 6 pm and go see The Easter Triumph. This is the 60^th year of this live-action Passion Play. They also have a Facebook page The Easter Triumph Passion Play. I have been blessed to have been a part of this a couple of years ago and I have family members who are actively involved in it this year.

Don’t take my word for it. Go see it for yourself and experience the greatest Valentine ever given! My Redeemer lives!

Seasons of the Church

Excruciating Means Out of the Cross or Crucifixion.

April 13, 2017 10 Comments

Excruciating: What is it Origin?

Have you ever wondered about the word excruciating? Or have you pondered on the suffering that Jesus Christ went through for your sins? Well, I learned about it in regards to the crucifixion of Christ in world history in the 8^th grade. Where we looked at from a medical perspective.

The origin of the word is “Latin excruciātus, past participle of excruciāre to torment, torture, equivalent to ex- ex-¹+ cruciāre to torment, crucify (derivative of crux cross); see -ate [1]. Can you see how it means out of the cross? When you look at the medical aspect of what Jesus went through on the cross, you can understand the word even more.

If you really want to read more about suffering Jesus went through, this check out this link Medical Aspects of the Crucifixion of Christ.

As we are approaching Good Friday, there is a hymn that comes to mind. O Sacred Head Now Wounded brings tears to my eyes when we sing it in church. Though it is 10 verses long, this hymn sings so mournfully of the woe He went through and that He bore my burden to the cross. In verse 8, I sing of how can I thank Him for this dying sorrow and ask Him to make me His forever. “O Lord, let me never, never out live my love for Thee,” is how this verse ends. The final two verses close with seeking Lord Jesus to be near me when I am at death’s door.

Thus, I pray that you will contemplate His true suffering and how He died on the cross for you. As you do, I hope that you will have a new appreciation for the word excruciating.

In Closing

I leave you with Luke 22:44.

⁴⁴And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.[2]

Good Friday Meditation. Pondering the suffering of Jesus.

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[1] excruciate. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved April 13, 2017 from Dictionary.com website http://www.dictionary.com/browse/excruciate

Seasons of the Church

O Perfect Life Of Love – Jesus Died to Make us Whole

April 10, 2017 2 Comments

O Perfect Life of Love

O perfect life of love!
All, all is finished now;
All that He left His throne above
To do for us below.

No work is left undone
Of all the Father willed;
His toil, His sorrows, one by one,
The Scripture have fulfilled.

No pain that we can share
But He has felt its smart;
All forms of human grief and care
Have pierced that tender heart.

And on His thorn crowned head,
And on His sinless soul,
Our sins in all their guilt were laid,
That He might make us whole.

In perfect love He dies;
For me He dies, for me;
O all atoning Sacrifice,
I cling by faith to Thee.

In every time of need,
Before the judgment throne,
Thy work, O Lamb of God, I’ll plead,
Thy merits, not my own.

Yet work, O Lord, in me,
As Thou for me hast wrought;
And let my love the answer be
To grace Thy love has brought.*

This hymn is most inspiring to me as we enter Holy week. The first four verses speak to what Jesus came to do for us, how he did it, and how it pierced his tender heart. Jesus died to make us whole. In verse 5, I especially like how it becomes personal. Jesus died for me and I cling by faith to Him. When my time here on earth is done and I face the judgement throne, it will be on the merits of Jesus and not my own I plead. The last verse is such a beautiful plea that Jesus would work His love in my heart.

*http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/p/operfect.htm

Meditation for Your Holy Week

Here is a link to hear the hymn sung.

I encourage you to read and meditate on Psalm 22 as you go through Holy week.

Jesus died to make us whole. Meditation for Holy week.

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Mining 4 Silver

Can You Find Jesus in Psalm 22?

March 18, 2015 No Comments

Find Jesus’ Crucifixion in Psalm 22

Psalm 22:1a,16-18 (NIV)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

¹⁵my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
¹⁷I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
¹⁸they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”

I remember reading this psalm back when I was still in the military at Bergstrom AFB. For me, it was amazing to see Jesus in this. It was like visiting the cross myself. This Easter, I hope that you would take the time to consider what Jesus went through so that you might not perish but have everlasting life. Therefore, I want to encourage you to study it for yourself. The following references are taken from the NIV. To clarify, I am listing the verse from the Psalm and then where I have found the similarity in the New Testament.

22:1 – Jesus cried out, “My God , My God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

22:15 – Jesus was weakened from loss of blood from sweating blood and from the flogging. (Luke 22:44; Mark 15:15)Jesus complains of thirst from the cross. (John19:28)

22:16 – The Roman soldiers mocked Jesus and drew lots for his clothing. (Matthew 27:27-31) Jesus’ hands and feet were pierced. (John 20:25b-26)

22:17 – The chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked Him. (Matthew 27:41-43)

The Purpose for the Cross

After all, Jesus willing went to the cross for everyone. Hebrews 12:2b-3 explains it so beautifully,
“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

For You to Consider

Celebrate this Easter with joy and thanksgiving to our risen Lord and Savior! Be sure to go and see the Easter Triumph Passion Play if you are in the Austin, Texas, area.

When you read Psalm 22 do you find Jesus?

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