salvation

The Message of the Cross…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. Spring is springing in Virginia, and it seems like even the birds are celebrating the way I am. I’ve had my most important meeting of the day with the One who died for me, and I’ve picked up some Wisdom and Direction from my Instruction Manual. Like a bird perched on the highest limb it can find, I’m on top of my World too. Life looks a whole lot Clearer from here, and I can see my Journey with 20/20 Vision when I’m Living Higher and when I’m reaching for the Son. What a sweet Reminder to me directly from the Throne of a Mighty God this morning. If He “keeps my path straight” and if I’m “the apple of His eye”, how could I ever be surprised when He sends the Sweet and Subtle messages my way?

The Sweetest Message ever known to mankind is the message of the Cross, and somehow, so many people manage to complicate it OR avoid it entirely. Lots (if not most) people of Faith stay pretty busy talking about God, and His Word, and “His Ways” and ALL of that is Good….but unless the Message of the Cross is loud and clear FIRST, none of it means much at all. The world is filled with “experts” on the Word of God but so many of them completely miss out on the Sweet salvation message, and they don’t mention the Message of Hope that is ONLY possible because of the Cross. No matter who is or who IS NOT bold enough to speak up for the sake of Salvation, the Core of our entire Belief system as Christians comes down to the Message of the Cross. Sadly, even countless pastors refrain from mentioning the Cross, or hell or sin for fear of offending the flock. But I’m thinking that a large portion of their flock will be pretty offended when they die not knowing the Message of the Cross and their destiny looks a whole lot different than they were told it would be from a pulpit. Just sayin’.

The Message of the Cross is the Most Significant message of all…and it’s one that ALL people are commanded to share!

It’s a Simple Message and it’s the ONLY Message of Hope. It’s at the Cross that the biggest Sacrifice was made for all of mankind….from the beginning of time and until the end of time… and it’s at the Cross that Love was Defined. It’s at the Cross where the burden of ALL of our Sin was “washed away” and all the consequences that go with it was taken on by Someone we’ve never “met”. It’s at the Cross where we meet Him, and we “thank Him” by accepting Who He is and What He did for you and for me…and it’s at the Cross where we find Hope and Freedom and a Future.

It’s pretty simple when you think about it…We either accept the Message of the Cross and the One who died to Pay the Price for you and for me that we might have Life Everlasting OR we reject it and have eternal damnation. The Message is Simple enough for anybody to share…and when Eternity is involved, it’s not optional to refuse to share it. This IS what we’re ALL commanded to do, but it’s the one thing that most people of Faith refuse to do. For the ones refusing, it might be time to evaluate the Simple Message of the Cross all over again…because if they don’t see the significance and they refuse to share…perhaps they need a Reminder of the Gift and the Price all over again themselves.

I’ll be sharing the Message of the Cross today, and every day, for all the days of my Life because without Him, I could do nothing…without Him I’d fail…without Him I’d have no hope…without Him I’d be lost…without Him I’d have a Future in Hell instead of in the Place He has Prepared for me. Because of the Cross, my Future is bright, and my life is eternal.

How about you?

Are You Absolutely Sure?

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s too cold to spend my mornings on the front porch these days, but not too cold to step outside to see how God has Painted this new day. As I sat in the Presence of the Most High God I thanked Him for all things new…a new sunrise…a new day…a new opportunity to Serve and a New Word for such a time as this – it was a long list of New Things. But along with those New Things I thanked Him for in my own life, I thanked Him for the New that several of my friends are a part of today – friends that have drawn their last breath here on earth but are now in the New of Eternity. The sting of death isn’t easy for family and friends to endure, that’s for sure. But behind the tears of mourning, there is a Heavenly Celebration of the New Life for those who Know and Love Jesus Christ. Without the Promise of a New Beginning, life would be meaningless for us all and the sting of death would be unbearable. But with Jesus Christ, the Future is New, Bright, and Beautiful forever and ever, for those who Believe! Isn’t that the way you look at death too?

Mourning is a natural process and it can’t be rushed along. Parting from a loved one is excruciatingly painful and the emptiness they leave behind is felt forever. There is no right or wrong way to mourn. In the days of Moses, the Israelites had a 30-day mourning period. In the Jewish culture, loved ones are buried the same day they die – in Bible times there was a 7-day mourning ritual that sometimes included “mourning musicians” to help in the process and a tearing of their clothes to express their agony. Back in the day, widows were required to wear black for two years as a sign of respect for their dead husband and to let the world know she was off-limits until the time of mourning had ended. Some funeral homes employ a nurse to be present during a funeral service to assist the emotional loved ones with medical attention for their hysterical reaction to death. But no matter what the mourning process looks like or what kind of “rituals” people practice, it doesn’t matter how long it takes the human Heart to heal, there is a Celebration in Heaven for those who Know and Love Jesus Christ that NO AMOUNT OF EARTHLY MOURNING CAN DIM. Thank God for the Promise of Heaven for those who Believe!

We often hear “May they rest in peace” and see R.I.P. on almost every headstone in the graveyard, but not everybody will rest in peace One Day. Eternity is waiting for each of us, and it won’t be a dormant, “peaceful,” lifeless, forever resting place the way some people like to believe. For those who Trust in Jesus, the Bible says “No eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him”. I celebrate for my friends and loved ones who now see and hear what they longed for in this life. For all the others who don’t Trust in Jesus, the future isn’t bright, and they’ll be gnashing their teeth in torment for eternity. Now that’s something to mourn! For those who don’t (or won’t) place their Trust in Jesus, then this life is as good as it gets for them. But for all the rest of us, death of the body is just the Beginning – you see, our Victory only comes through death where we’ll finally be ushered into the arms of our Savior. Even Jesus (temporarily) struggled with death – just the idea of being beaten and crucified caused Him to sweat blood. But it was His Father’s Will for Jesus to die, and it’s His will for all the rest of us to die one day too! His death (and Resurrection) was the only way to achieve God’s Redemption Plan! Death is not a curse…at least not for those who Believe…it’s where we’ll step into Eternity with no more sadness, sickness, pain or tears Thank God for the Promise of Heaven for those who Believe!

The stakes are high and the Results everlasting which is what keeps Christians like me busy sharing the Truth that has the Potential to save the world. I don’t want even one person to die without knowing the Truth, so as long as there is breath in my body I’ll do whatever it takes to share it with the world! The ones to die without Trusting Jesus…now THAT’S something to mourn about – the others we Celebrate! There are no words for how blessed I am to Know that everyone in my family and my closest friends who have already gone before me Trusted in Jesus Christ, and I KNOW that they instantly entered into a Heavenly Celebration that will last forever! What joy and peace I have! Will I cry? Of course. Will I miss them? Absolutely! But you won’t find me wishing they were still here no matter how much it hurts on this side of Life. The day that they lived for is finally here and THAT’S something to celebrate through the pain!

Do you Know and Trust Jesus?

Are you absolutely sure of what Eternity will look like for you OR are you hoping just to “rest in peace forever”?

If you have doubts, I’m here to help. Don’t let even another minute pass until you find the Peace that leads to Victory.