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&
Brooksyne Weber
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Wednesday, March
29, 2023
These
male and
female
cardinals each
chose their
own feeder
yesterday in
front of our
picture
window.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
"The
Just For The
Unjust"
Message
summary:
J.M.E. Ross
writes that 1
Peter 3:18 is
"one of the
shortest and
simplest, and
yet one of the
richest
summaries
given in the
NT of the
meaning of the
Cross of
Jesus".
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"For
Christ also
died for sins
once for all,
the just for
the unjust, so
that He might
bring us to
God, having
been put to
death in the
flesh, but
made alive in
the spirit" (1
Peter 3:18).
I
was a wretch,
I remember who
I was
I was lost, I was blind, I was running out of time
Sin separated, the breach was far too wide
But from the far side of the chasm, You had me in Your sight
I was lost, I was blind, I was running out of time
Sin separated, the breach was far too wide
But from the far side of the chasm, You had me in Your sight
John
Piper writes,
“[Our sin]
makes us
guilty before
God so that we
are under His
just
condemnation
and it makes
us ugly in our
behavior so
that we
disfigure the
image of God
we were meant
to display. It
damns us with
guilt and it
enslaves us to
lovelessness.
The blood of
Jesus frees us
from both
miseries.”When
Jesus Christ
died, He
suffered as a
substitute in
the place of
and on behalf
of fallen
humanity.
Christ's death
made it
possible for
men and women
to be declared
righteous,
based on their
faith in Him.
As the song
"Thank You
Jesus For The
Blood Applied"
states, "Sin
separated, the
breach was far
too wide".
Brooksyne has
been singing
this song at
home since the
choir will be
leading it in
worship on
Good Friday.
She tells me
when she gets
to the
line,
"You paid the
debt I owed, broke
my chains,
freed my soul"
she feels like
a bird in
flight, all
her sin being
erased and her
soul washed
white as snow.
Here
is a powerful
illustration
of the
substitutionary
nature of
Christ's
death.
"In
a tribe of
Indians,
someone was
stealing
chickens. The
chief declared
that, if
caught, the
offender would
receive 10
lashes. When
the stealing
continued, he
raised it to
20 lashes.
Still the
chickens
methodically
disappeared.
In anger the
chief raised
the sentence
to 100
lashes--a sure
sentence of
death.
The thief was finally caught. But the chief faced a terrible dilemma. The thief was his own mother!
When the day of penalty came, the whole tribe gathered. Would the chief's love override his justice? The crowd gasped when he ordered his mother to be tied to the whipping post. The chief removed his shirt, revealing his powerful stature, and took the whip in hand. But instead of raising it to strike the first blow, he handed it to a strong, young brave at his side.
Slowly the chief walked over to his mother and wrapped his massive arms around her in an engulfing embrace. Then he ordered the brave to give him the 100 lashes."
The thief was finally caught. But the chief faced a terrible dilemma. The thief was his own mother!
When the day of penalty came, the whole tribe gathered. Would the chief's love override his justice? The crowd gasped when he ordered his mother to be tied to the whipping post. The chief removed his shirt, revealing his powerful stature, and took the whip in hand. But instead of raising it to strike the first blow, he handed it to a strong, young brave at his side.
Slowly the chief walked over to his mother and wrapped his massive arms around her in an engulfing embrace. Then he ordered the brave to give him the 100 lashes."
Isn't that a powerful story! It's so illustrative of what Jesus did for us. In love He became our substitute and died in our place. He overcame our inability to save ourselves by taking the penalty for our sins. In our illustration, a mother's life was extended by the substitutionary love of her son; for us, everlasting life was bought through the substitutionary death of God's Son.
Consider the simple straightforward message in the daily Scripture text. There is so much spiritual richness in this verse. Word by word and phrase by phrase, it expresses the work that Christ did for us when he died on the Cross. J.M.E. Ross writes that 1 Peter 3:18 is "one of the shortest and simplest, and yet one of the richest summaries given in the NT of the meaning of the Cross of Jesus".
A seasoned minister of the Gospel concluded a meeting with prayer. He used an expression that stayed with me and I hope it will for you as well: "Thank you that you bore the cross of sin for us that we might bear the cross of service for you." Amen, and let us each do so.
So
You made a
way, across
the great
divide
Left behind, Heaven's throne, to build it here inside
There at the cross You paid the debt I owed
Broke my chains, freed my soul and for the first time I had hope
Left behind, Heaven's throne, to build it here inside
There at the cross You paid the debt I owed
Broke my chains, freed my soul and for the first time I had hope
Stephen
and Brooksyne
Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
in
denying
ourselves we
become Your
servants,
seeking to
follow after
You and
learning Your
will for our
lives. We want
to align our
desires with
that which
honors You,
for You told
us, "If
anyone would
come after Me,
let him deny
himself and
take up his
cross and
follow after
Me." We
have now taken
up our cross
that has
bridged the
great divide
that separated
us when we
were covered
in darkness.
But now we are
covered by the
blood of Jesus
who washes us
white as snow
turning our
darkness into
light, for our
sins are now
forgiven and
we are on our
way to heaven.
Thank You,
Jesus, for
Your precious,
life cleansing
and life
saving blood
shed on my
behalf. Amen.Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental
Resources
"Thank
You Jesus For
The Blood
Applied"
Click
to listen on
YouTube
Charity
Gayle
"7
Reasons Jesus
had to Die"
David Guzik
Moments after
I took the
photo of the
cardinals in
our lead photo
we had some
horse and
buggy traffic
on Kraybill
Church Road in
front of our
home. Look at
how green
covered lawn
and pardon
Mollie's
smudges on the
bay window
(her favorite
resting place
is right at
the base where
she can watch
for passersby
including
buggies which
get all our
pets very
excited).
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
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Wordpress
iHeart
radioPermissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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