The Message Of Love
How many of you have or have had someone who you know loved you more than anything else in the world? Can you imagine any love more pure? Got that in your head? Good. This is something you can comprehend. Now, know that your idea, your thought, your entire concept of this love is tainted; impure. We can only attempt a poor imitation of ultimate, limitless love; the love that comes from our Father God. Do you deserve this awesome love? That's an easy answer: NO! But, that's the beauty of grace. He knows that there is NOTHING we can do to earn His love so He gives it to us freely. I'm not just saying we don't deserve it, I'm saying we REALLY don't deserve it. The Bible says that "there is no man that does good; not even one." Also, "For all men have fallen short of the glory of God." We are so off the mark it's unreal. Jesus was sent to earth for our salvation. The master of the universe, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, God on foot came to the house of sin and pain and hatred so that us sinners may live in paradise with Him. "For Jesus, being in very nature God, did not see equally with God something to be grasped. But He made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant. And, being found in human likeness, He humbled Himself. Even to death on the cross. Therefore, God gave Him a name that is above every name. That at the name of Christ Jesus, every head shall bow in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus is lord to the glory of the Father." Imagine, the most perfect thing in all the universe, the purist physical incarnation of love that ever existed, the very embodiment of grace and mercy, and something you did or thought was bad enough to mock it, torture it, nail it to a tree and let it die. Didn't know you were that evil did ya. You think those little things you do aren't that big a deal: lying, hating, gossiping... Well, they were bad enough to nail a God to a cross. Gives you an idea of just how far off the mark you are. This is why we need salvation. This is not one of those "your all going to hell" sermons. I want you to know want a big deal this is. Let me tell you how our savior suffered. If you know about crucifixion, then 'nuf said. For those of you who don't, stick with me. The punishment of crucifixion was the must terrible for of death ever invented. This death sentence had been around for a long time and was used by many cultures but, the Romans, who were known for their knowledge of making war, weapons, and forms of torture, perfected it. Let us go from the beginning of Christ's physical pain. After having His beard ripped out and being whipped with a 'cat of nine tails' (which, at the end of each tail, had bits of glass, rock, and lead hooks for the soul purpose of pulling off strips of flesh), one less time than the death sentence, until the muscles of His back could be seen, He had a royal robe placed on His shoulders in mockery, and a "crown" of thorns forced on His head. These aren't the little thorns that you see on rose bushes, the thorns of this plant were around 1 1/2 to 2 inches long and were strong enough to be driven through His skull. Then, he was beaten by solders and told to prophesy who hit Him. Then, He was made to carry (or drag) his cross all the way up to Golgotha which in roman tongue means THE SKULL. Then, they ripped off the robe that was, by now, held fast to His back by the clotted blood and exposed muscles. After a person was nailed to the cross, there were ropes tied to it and it was hoisted up and at its base was a deep hole for the cross to fall in and stay. When the cross was dropped, the sharp thud was enough to dislocate most of the bones in the body. Then, because of the way a person's arms were positioned above them, their ribs couldn't expand to get in a breath. So the person had to use their legs (quite painful and hard after just having them dislocated) to push them up when ever they wanted a breath (they couldn't just stay up because it was too painful). That's how you died on the cross, you died slowly of suffocation; not of your wounds. You just got too weak to stand up anymore. This was a peasant's and thief's death. The God who made the heavens and the earth was made to die the way the worthless were. Jesus was hung between two thieves and even one of the thieves mocked Him. Up on the cross, Jesus' face was swelling with edema and His tongue was dry and swollen giving Him trouble speaking and helping the suffocation process. Upon the cross, Jesus said "I thirst" and all He was given was a sponge soaked with vinegar on a pike. The Lord of the waters cried "I thirst". The God who gave the breath of life was given the death of suffocation.

Now lets talk of God's grace. But remember, the other thief beside Christ on the cross believed Jesus was the savior and Jesus told him that he would be with Him in paradise. See, it's never too late to be saved. When Jesus was on the cross, He prayed "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." After that, not one blight came against the Jews while that generation lived. Not many people think about that. That might also be why they assumed that they did the right thing. However, 50 years after the crusifiction, the Romans came in and destroyed everything, and the Jews lost their homeland. He asked for His murderers to be forgiven... Imagine again the person who loves you more than anything. Now, in your mind, kill them. What would you expect to see on their face? Now, imagine that their last act isn't to save themselves or anger or fear, but their last act is to hold you close to them tightly and lovingly and to their last dying breath say "I love you." That's how personal this is. Yes, God is a BIG god whose majesty spreads all over existence and, indeed, to Him you are nothing. But KNOW this: If you were the only person, 2000 years later, to come to know Him and ask for salvation, He would have still gone through all of that just for YOU. Every time a person comes to the Lord and finds salvation, the all heavens rejoice. Although when Jesus said "It is finished" (a better and revised translation says "it is accoplished"), His followers and family wept, the heavens raged with a mighty celebration that could be equaled nowhere. The master had FINISHED His task. I give you this verse: 'May the dear Lord keep you close and place favor upon you. Grace and joy be yours for the father loves you. Rejoice for you serve an AWESOME GOD. Again I say REJOICE! May Jesus do an awesome work in your heart so that it may be broken and open to Him. And with the Christ working through you, nothing can stand in your way. Remember, our God is a loving and gracious God. So, rejoice. Again, I say rejoice! May you be in the knowledge that, if you were the only one to benefit from the coming of Christ, Jesus would have STILL taken the shame and endured the pain of the cross so that YOU may have salvation. Therefore, rejoice in the knowledge that you have been made joint heirs with Christ who is reserving a place at His banquet table for you. Again, I say REJOICE!!!'

The message of the cross is foolishness. Who wants to be wise in the world?

The Feeling Of Being A Christian
The feelings for the most part don't make sense it the world view. But, that's my point. The idea I try to stress is that the message of the cross is foolishness. Christian reasoning just doesn't work on those with a worldly view. My problem is that a lot of people don't want to give up this view and, therefore, ignore the reasoning of faith. So I say look, about everybody hates the way the world works and the mindset of those who follow it, right? So, why do you want to base your own beliefs and opinions on a faulty system? Go with the single idea that has been working successfully for over 6000 years (and yes even in Old Testament times they were building up to the Christ). The knowledge of Christianity is meaningless to the world.  So here are my feelings as best as I can explain them.

It is being set free by becoming a slave. It is the sinless being punished for the sins of the world. It's death that brings both sorrow and ultimate joy. It is about the last becoming first. It's having your heart broken over and over again and asking for more. It's deserving 100 death sentences and then being made a king 300 times over. It's losing everything you ever wanted to receive the only thing you ever needed. It's forsaking happiness for the sake of joy. It is the peace the passes ALL understanding, the wisdom of fools, a joy that's unspeakable, and a Love that's unconditional. It is the knowledge that no matter how hard you try, it's not good enough. And the knowledge that your Sovereign gives "it" to you anyway. It is the knowledge that there is nothing you can do to earn His Love, and that there is nothing you can do to lose it.

Why Love?