Musings and Nuggets

No one can take my life from me.  I sacrifice it voluntarily.  For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again.  For this is what my Father has commanded.  John 10:17-18 (NLT)    This season is one of the most consequential & unforgettable periods of time in Christiandom.  A painful time which ends triumphantly! Passion Week or Holy Week began on Palm Sunday and continues to Resurrection Sunday/Easter.   Jesus, motivated by His love for us and desire to redeem us, suffered unbelievable torture and humiliation to pay our sin debt.   He who was without sin. * It is called Passion Week because Jesus was motivated by His passionate love for us and desire to provide a path back to a restored relationship with the Father through Him.  The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. (John 10:17) .  He accomplished it through His suffering, death, and resurrection.  Those of us who are followers of Christ should always fe

...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of  our  faith, who  for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God .  Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV) (Emphasis is mine.) Jesus knew His purpose, and the weight of fulfilling that purpose was great.  Yes, He was fully God and fully man. In His humanity, Jesus prayed to the Father saying, " ...if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.   That was His flesh talking, however, He did not stop there.  His spirit kicked in and overrode His flesh by praying ...nevertheless, not as I will but as You will .   (Matthew 26:39)                                                                     He knew that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22b),  and that He was the only one pure enough to pay that debt.  What is joy that He referenced?       He kept the goal in mind knowing that His suffering and death would provide the only conduit

for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.                                                Matthew 25:42-46 (NKJV)                                                         ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * I was hungry and you formed a humanities club to discuss my hunger.   Thank you.  Photo by Steve Knutson on Unsplas h   I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your chapel and prayed for my release.                              Photo in Collaboration with Getty Images on Unsplash   I was naked, and in your mind you debted the morality of my appearance.    I was sick, and you knelt and thanked God for your health.    I was homeless and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of God.  In collaboration with Getty Image on Unsplash   I was lonely, and you left me alone.   Pray for m

  When you look at a glass of liquid, are you the person who will see it as half full or half empty?  Your answer will depend on your perspective.  I held such a glass  in a group setting and posed that question.                                                                                                            Photo by Joseph Greve on Unsplash Their responses were predictable.  Some said "half empty" and some said "half full". My answer was that it is "full". Prospective. There is the natural world (physcial) that can be seen by the natural eye, and there is the spiritual world that can only be                                                          seen through spiritual eyes of faith. So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that connot be seen.  For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.                    2 Corinthians 4:18.   (NLT) Each one of