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Can a holy God overlook our mistakes? Should a kind God punish our mistakes? From our perspective there are only two equally unappealing solutions.  But from God’s perspective there’s a third.  It’s called “the Cross of Christ.”

The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards.  How could he do this? In a sentence:  God put our sin on his Son and punished it there. “God put on him the wrong who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God” (2 Corinthians 5:21 MSG).

Why did he do it? Because “God so loved the world that he gave his only son” (John 3:16 NLT).  Aren’t you glad the verse doesn’t read “For God so loved the rich”?  Or “For God so loved the famous”? No. We simply (and happily) read: “For God so loved the world!” And you my friend, are included in that love!

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Garments can symbolize character, and like his garment, Jesus’ character was seamless. He was like his robe: uninterrupted perfection. A seamless fabric woven from heaven to earth…from God’s thoughts to Jesus’ actions. From God’s tears to Jesus’ compassion. From God’s word to Jesus’ response. All one piece. All a picture of the character of Jesus.

But when Christ was nailed to the cross, he took off his robe of seamless perfection and assumed a different wardrobe– the wardrobe of indignity. Shamed before his family. The indignity of nakedness. The indignity of failure. Shamed before his accusers. Worst of all he bore the indignity of sin. The scripture says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24 NIV).  The clothing of Christ on the cross? Sin. It was yours and mine.

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Think about the thief on the cross who repented! We know little about him, but we know this: He made some bad mistakes in his life. But is he spending eternity reaping the fruit of all the bad choices he made?  No, just the opposite. He is enjoying the fruit of the one good choice he made.

You may look back over your life and say, “If only. . .if only I could make up for those bad choices.”  You can!  One good choice for eternity offsets a thousand bad ones on earth.

How could two thieves see the same Jesus and one choose to mock him and the other choose to pray to him? When one prayed, Jesus loved him enough to save him.  When the other mocked, Jesus loved him enough to let him. He allowed him the choice.  And He does the same for you.

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In so many areas of life we have no choice. “It’s not fair,” we say. But the scales of life were forever tipped on the side of fairness when God planted a tree in the Garden of Eden. All complaints were silenced when Adam and his descendants were given free will, the freedom to make whatever eternal choice we desire. Any injustice in this life is offset by the honor of choosing our destiny in the next. Wouldn’t you agree?

It would have been nice if God had let us order life like we order a meal. Would’ve been nice. But it didn’t happen. When it came to many details of your life on earth, you weren’t given a choice, a voice or a vote.  But when it comes to life after death, you were! In my book that seems like a good deal.  Wouldn’t you agree?

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Much has been said about the prayer of the penitent thief on the cross next to Jesus. But dare we forget the one who didn’t pray? He offered no request. He, too, could have requested mercy. He, too, could have asked Jesus to remember him in the new kingdom. But he didn’t. He offered no prayer of repentance. And Jesus didn’t demand one.

Jesus gave both criminals the same choice. One said, “Remember me.” The other said nothing. There are times when God sends thunder to stir us. There are times when God sends blessings to lure us. But then there are times when God sends nothing but silence as he honors us with the freedom to choose where we spend eternity.

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God has penned a list of our faults. The list God has made, however, cannot be deciphered. The mistakes are covered. The sins hidden. “He has forgiven you all your sins:  he has utterly wiped out the written evidence…and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 Phillips).

He knew the price of those sins was death. He knew the source of those sins was you, and since he couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without you, he chose the nails.

The verdict behind the death was not decided by jealous Jews. With a flex of the biceps, Jesus could have resisted. No. Jesus himself chose the nails. He knew that the purpose of the nail was to place your sins where they could be hidden by his sacrifice—nailed to the cross, covered by his blood.

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Come with me to the hill of Calvary. Watch as the soldiers press a knee against a forearm and a spike against a hand, as the soldier lifts the hammer to strike it. Think about the hand that received the nail. The fist doesn’t clench, the moment isn’t aborted.

A mallet drove a nail into the hand, not just of a carpenter, but into the hand of God. Fingers that formed Adam out of clay and furrowed truth into tablets felt the pain of crucifixion. The same hand that stilled the seas stilled your guilt. And as the hands of Jesus opened for the nail, the doors of heaven opened for you.

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What is the fruit of sin? Step into the briar patch of humanity and feel a few thistles. Shame. Fear. Disgrace. Discouragement. Anxiety. Haven’t our hearts been caught in these brambles?

The heart of Jesus, however, had not. Jesus never knew the fruits of sin—until he became sin for us. And when he did, all the emotions of sin tumbled in on him. Can’t you hear the emotion in his prayer at the Cross? “My God, my God, why have you rejected me?” (Matthew 27:46). These are not the words of a saint. This is the cry of a sinner. He stood silent as a million guilty verdicts echoed in the tribunal of heaven.

Do you want to know the most amazing thing about the One who gave up the crown of heaven for a crown of thorns? He did it for you. Just for you.

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Have you ever wondered why God gives us so much? We could exist on far less. God could have left the world flat and gray—we wouldn’t have known the difference—but he didn’t. Why give the flower a fragrance? Why give food its taste? Jesus asked, “If you hardhearted, sinful men know how to give good gifts to your children, won’t your Father in heaven even more certainly give good gifts to those who ask him for them?” (Matthew 7:11).

Every gift reveals God’s love, but no gift reveals his love more than the gifts of the cross. They came, not wrapped in paper, but in passion.  Not covered with ribbons, but sprinkled with blood. The gifts of the cross!  Have you taken time to open these gifts? If you do, perhaps you will hear him whisper, “I did it just for you.”

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Life comes with surprises.  On our list of fears, the fear of what’s next demands a prominent position.

In John 14:27, on the eve of his death, Jesus promised his followers, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

Heaven’s message is clear. When everything else changes, God’s presence never does.  As Jesus sends you into new seasons, you journey in the company of the Holy Spirit. So make friends with whatever’s next.  Embrace it. Change is not only a part of life; change is a necessary part of God’s strategy. To use us to change the world, God makes reassignments.

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Maybe you share this deep desire: a desire to face death unafraid. To die without fright or a fight, perhaps even with a smile.

Some say that’s impossible. But Christ promises in John 14:1-3, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (TLB).

Jesus experienced a physical and factual resurrection. And—here it is— because he did, we will too! If Jesus’ tomb is empty, then his promise is not. So let’s die with faith. Jesus grants courage for the final passage, death.  No need to dread it or ignore it. Because of Jesus Christ, you can face it.

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Are you “rich in this present age?” Almost half the world lives on less than $2.50 a day. So, if your income is higher, then you are rich, and your affluence demands double vigilance.

How can a person survive prosperity? Well first, do not be haughty. Do not think for a moment that you had anything to do with your accumulation. Money is an untrustworthy foundation.  The United States economy endured ten recessions between 1948 and 2001.

Don’t trust money. Trust God. He owns everything and gives us all things to enjoy. Move from the fear of scarcity to the comfort of provision. “Do good … be rich in good works, ready to give, and willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:18 NKJV).

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In Luke 12:19-20, the rich man said to himself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.” But God said to him, “You fool!  This very night your life will be demanded from you” (NCV).

The rich fool went to the wrong person—  himself. And he asked the wrong question— What shall I do? His error was that his plans did not include God. Jesus did not criticize the man’s affluence. He criticized his arrogance.

Accumulation of wealth is a popular defense against fear. We think the more we have, the safer we are. God does not want his children to trust money. God is the great provider. The great giver. Absolutely generous and utterly dependable. Trust him, not stuff!

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Good people aren’t exempt from violence. We aren’t insulated. But neither are we intimidated. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus says, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (NKJV).  Jesus had just told the disciples to expect scourging, trials, death, hatred, and persecution.  To their credit, none defected.

Psalm 118:6 declares, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Satan unleashed his meanest demons on God’s Son.  Yet the devil of death could not destroy the Lord of life. I pray God spares you such evil.  May he grant you long life and peaceful passage. Remember, God wastes no pain.

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What’s your worst fear? Jesus did more than speak about fear. He faced it. In Mark 14:35-36, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane’s garden, “Abba, Father,’ everything is possible for you.  Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet, I want your will to be done, not mine” (NLT).

The cup equaled Jesus’ worst-case scenario— to be the recipient of God’s wrath, to experience isolation from his Father. And what Jesus did with his fear shows us what to do with ours. He prayed.  He even requested the prayer support of friends. Jesus’ prayer was brief. It was straightforward and trusting.

Do likewise.  Be specific about your fears.  Call them out in prayer.  Make them stand before God and take their comeuppance!

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What’s your worst fear? Jesus did more than speak about fear. He faced it. In Mark 14:35-36, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane’s garden, “Abba, Father,’ everything is possible for you.  Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet, I want your will to be done, not mine” (NLT).

The cup equaled Jesus’ worst-case scenario— to be the recipient of God’s wrath, to experience isolation from his Father. And what Jesus did with his fear shows us what to do with ours. He prayed.  He even requested the prayer support of friends. Jesus’ prayer was brief. It was straightforward and trusting.

Do likewise.  Be specific about your fears.  Call them out in prayer.  Make them stand before God and take their comeuppance!

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Peter and his fellow storm riders knew they were in trouble. According to Matthew 14:24-26, “But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.” About 4:00 a.m. the unspeakable happened. They spotted someone walking on the water. “‘A ghost!’ they said, crying out in terror!” They didn’t expect Jesus to come to them this way.

Neither do we. We expect to find Jesus in morning devotionals, church suppers, and meditation. We never expect to see him in a storm. But that’s where he does his finest work, for it is in storms that he has our keenest attention. He said. “Take courage; I am here” (Matthew 14:27 NLT).

Look over your shoulder friend; that’s God following you. Look into the storm friend; that’s Christ coming toward you.

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Peter and his fellow storm riders knew they were in trouble. According to Matthew 14:24-26, “But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.” About 4:00 a.m. the unspeakable happened. They spotted someone walking on the water. “‘A ghost!’ they said, crying out in terror!” They didn’t expect Jesus to come to them this way.

Neither do we. We expect to find Jesus in morning devotionals, church suppers, and meditation. We never expect to see him in a storm. But that’s where he does his finest work, for it is in storms that he has our keenest attention. He said. “Take courage; I am here” (Matthew 14:27 NLT).

Look over your shoulder friend; that’s God following you. Look into the storm friend; that’s Christ coming toward you.

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Jairus heard two voices and had to choose which one to heed. The first, from the servants in Luke 8:49, “Your daughter is dead.”  The second, from Jesus in verse 50, “Don’t be afraid.”

We need to know what Jesus will do when we entrust our kids to him. In the case of the story of Jairus, Jesus united the household (vs. 51).  “…he let only Peter, John, James, and the girl’s father and mother go inside with him.”  Next, he banished unbelief, the scoffers. “He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, ‘Little girl, arise” (vs. 54 NKJV).

God has a heart for hurting parents.  After all, God himself is a father. Keep giving your child to God, and in the right time and the right way, God will give your child back to you.

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Fear turns some parents into paranoid prison guards who monitor every minute and check the background of every friend.  A family with no breathing room suffocates a child.

On the other hand, fear can also create permissive parents.  Fearing that their child will feel too confined or fenced in, they are high on hugs and low on discipline.  They don’t realize that appropriate discipline is an expression of love.

Permissive parents.  Paranoid parents.  How can we avoid the extremes?  We pray. Jesus’ big message to moms and dads?  Bring your children to me. Pray that your children have a profound sense of place in this world and a heavenly place in the next. Parents, we can entrust our kids to Christ.

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