Tag Archives: Sacrifice

2015 Day 188 – Romans 11

07 Tuesday Jul 2015

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God owes us nothing. In the grand scheme of things, we have done nothing that requires God’s repayment to us. In the doxology at the end of this chapter, in Romans 11:35, Paul says, “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” God has given to us even when we did not deserved it. When we question God for not giving us our own selfish desires, we should be thankful instead for all He has given. If God had given us nothing more than salvation from eternal death through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, it should have been enough. Anything else we desire says more about us than it will ever say about God.

2015 Day 181 – Romans

30 Tuesday Jun 2015

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Our sin is no surprise to God and yet He still sent Jesus to die for us knowing most people would reject Him and His sacrifice. In Romans 5:8 Paul says, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. It was never about what we could provide back to God, it was always about His love for us and what He was willing to do for us. There is nothing we need to do to be saved; there are no prerequisites.

2015 Day 119 – Acts 15

29 Wednesday Apr 2015

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The Law of Moses was put in place to guide the people of Israel. They had no other choice but to try to follow the Law because it was the only way to stay in communion with our perfect God. But the Law was hard and it was impossible to keep fully and to the extent required by God. It was for this reason Christ died on the cross for us; to give us a way to God provided by grace. In Acts 15:10-11 Peter spells this out, 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are. It is a simple process to believe and yet we all know it is conceptually difficult for some. It all comes down to trust and faith in the love Christ has for us all.

2015 Day 111 – Acts 13

21 Tuesday Apr 2015

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The beauty of the Gospel is that we are freed from the guilt of sin. This does not mean we can sin freely, but that we are not slaves to our sin nature. In Acts 13:38-39 Paul says, 38 Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. Previously, the law was like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. But through Jesus’ sacrifice for each of us we are free from the bondage of sin and the effects of it. We are all given a gift we could never give ourselves no matter how hard we try.

2015 Day 95 – Happy Easter!

05 Sunday Apr 2015

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When we say “Happy Easter”, we should be over-joyed by what this day represents. The picture below was taken this morning from my backyard. Every time I see a sunrise I want to be reminded of what Jesus did for me and that He is alive; He rose from the dead for me and now I have eternal life because of Him. Jesus endured a tremendous amount of suffering for each of us so we could experience eternal life. Earlier this week we talked about the beginning of Luke 24:6 where the angel of the Lord says to the women who went to Jesus’ tomb, “He is not here; He is risen!” Imagine the emotions of going from “all is lost” to “He is alive!!”.

HeIsRisen

 

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2015 Day 93 – Luke 24

03 Friday Apr 2015

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The very first sentence in Luke 24:6, “He is not here; he has risen!” How beautiful are those words! Today I also read a quote that said, “Earth’s saddest day and gladdest day were just… three days apart.” So true! While today is Good Friday and we remember the crucifixion, in just three days we celebrate the most hopeful of days, His resurrection! Praise God for loving us so much that even in the darkest of days His light will always shine through. Have a blessed weekend as we focus on all Christ sacrificed so that we can have a relationship with Him for all eternity.

2015 Day 57 – Matthew 19

26 Thursday Feb 2015

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Following Jesus takes some sacrifice. It is not always apparent how much we are called to sacrifice, but when the time comes, if we are faithful, our reward is great. In Matthew 19:29 Jesus says, And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. Ultimately, our reward is not in this life but in heaven. Holding onto earthly rewards, while fulfilling in the moment, does not last. We should always strive for rewards that last through eternity.

2015 Day 40 – Mark 9

09 Monday Feb 2015

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In Jesus’ eyes we are all equal. No sin is great than the other and no amount of grace received is in more abundance than any other. The same is true when it comes to our salvation; none of us is greater than any other. Mark 9:35, Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Ultimately, none of us is greater than any other. We all deserve death, which should give us a sense of overwhelming gratitude for the level of forgiveness we have all received.

2015 Day 38 – Matthew 17

07 Saturday Feb 2015

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Have you ever had something revealed to you that had been previously hidden? It is a special moment when you see things the way they are meant to be seen. In Matthew 17:2 Jesus briefly shows His true Self, There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as the light. This was a vision of Jesus’ true glory. It was a special moment for a chosen few to witness who Jesus really was. What struck me most of all about this moment was the fact that Jesus gave up all that glory, even though it was for a moment in the light of eternity, for us.

2015 Day 36 – Mark 8

05 Thursday Feb 2015

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People spend their entire lives pursuing happiness and fulfillment by seeking the pleasures of this world. But in the end, in this life, it is a speck of dust in the light of eternity. In Mark 8:36-37 Jesus asks the following questions, 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? The answer to Jesus’ questions is simply: NOTHING. The possessions we gain on this earth mean nothing and there is nothing on this earth that is worth exchanging our eternal souls. We must remind ourselves, in everything we do, that what we pursue and what we strive for matters in the light of eternity.