dW 04.11.07

scripture

Romans 7:9, 12

Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died… So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

 

thought

The law is like a gas gauge. If you drove without a gas gauge in place then you are at risk of running out of gas and being stranded. For those of us who have gas gauges in our vehicles, do we get angry when it hits the big E? No, of course not. Imagine someone getting angry and yelling at the gas gauge - “Why do you have to judge me? I just want to drive.” Instead we say, “Okay the gauge reads empty that means I need gas.” In the same way the law works. It simply makes us aware of our need for a savior.

 

quote

The Bible illuminates our darkness and makes us see what truly is.

dW 04.10.07

scripture

Psalm 1:1

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

 

thought

In the verse above we see the progression toward sin. First we look at it, then we get next to it, and then we find ourselves in the midst of it. No sin happens suddenly, there is always a drift prior to a collision.  

 

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The One to Fear

 

Read 1 Samuel 13:16 through 15:35

 

Saul had clearly disobeyed the Lord. He was to attack the Amalekites, totally destroying them and their belongings. Yet, he did not complete the task as God had commanded.

 

When confronted about his disobedience, he only added to his sin. He lied, stating that he had completely destroyed the Amalekites despite having spared the king and choice livestock. Saul blamed the soldiers instead of taking responsibility for his own actions. Finally, he rationalized his sin by saying that he had planned to sacrifice the plundered animals to God.

 

During Samuel’s confrontation, Saul identified the base reason he sinned.

 

“I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them” (1 Samuel 15:24).

 

Saul was so eager to gain the people’s love and respect that he feared them more than he feared the Lord. He was willing to sin to attain their approval. His pride cost him his position as king.

 

Like Saul, we want others to like and esteem us. However, we must live to please the Lord. He is the One to be feared. His character evaluations are eternal.

 

Thought for Today: What is my sinful pride costing me?

 

Contributed by Heather

dW 04.09.07

scripture
Luke 23:44-46
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

quote
God's way of answering the Christian's prayer for more patience, experience, hope and love often is to put him into the furnace of affliction.
Richard Cecil

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From: Jerry Falwell
Date: April 6, 2007

THE EASTER STORY

Have you ever pictured in your mind the morning of Jesus’ resurrection?

Picture it with me, if you will.

We see Mary, Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene, Joanna and other unnamed women walking toward the tomb where Jesus had been laid to rest three days earlier. The women are dismayed because they earlier witnessed the brutal crucifixion of Jesus and are unaware that He has already conquered death and arisen. While they had heard Jesus foretell of his sacrificial death and resurrection (Luke 9:22), they did not know the actuality of that claim.

And so they approach the stone, carrying spices and oils that are used to lessen the odor of decaying bodies. But as they arrive at the site, they discover the giant stone at the tomb has been rolled away. Imagine their astonishment as they cautiously creep into the tomb and observe that it is empty.

And as they are standing there “perplexed,” as Luke describes their demeanor, they are met with another astonishing sight: two angels adorned in shining garments. The women drop to their knees; it is almost too much to bear. But then the angels proclaim to them the message of the ages: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!”

It is then that they remember Jesus’ promise that He will arise from the tomb three days after His crucifixion. Their hearts burst with excitement as they realize that His promise was not a hollow claim. They now understand that Jesus truly is the Son of God. The women rush to the 11 Disciples to tell them what they have discovered: Jesus is alive!

But the Disciples greet their words with doubt, believing them to be “idle tales” (Luke 24:11). And then we see Peter. Ever tempestuous and unpredictable, Peter must see the tomb himself. He bursts from the room, racing to the tomb where he finds only the linen cloths that wrapped Jesus’ body.

What a scene, my friends. This was not a figurative resurrection, as some have recently suggested. He literally arose — bodily — from the grave. Later, Jesus appeared to the Disciples and invited them to touch the wounds of the crucifixion in His hands and feet. “Handle Me and see,” he said, “for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

This is the Easter story; but it’s not the end of the story. You see, Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection are the fulfillment of only two parts of God’s plan. The third part is yet to come. That part will be fulfilled when He returns and raptures unto Himself those living and dead who believe in Him.

And so that brings every person to a crossroads. Do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior? The great writer C.S. Lewis wrote: “You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse ... You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God.”

I would like to encourage readers who do not know Jesus as Savior to visit the Thomas Road Baptist Church website (www.trbc.org) to learn more about Him. Under “New to TRBC” click “Who is Jesus?” to understand who He is and how He wants everyone to follow Him.