Discernment

Things I wish I would’ve known when I was 20

2 Comments / October 28, 2014

20I was thinking the other day of some of the things that, had I known them when I was 20, would have made life much more enjoyable.    Here are some of the things I would tell my naive 20 year old self, if it was possible-

1.  Let it roll. If someone says something that offends you or doesn’t buy you a gift (even though you bought them one) or steals your boyfriend or simply says something that just irritates you just let it roll. Because life is just too short for grudges.

2. The greatest personal satisfaction comes from giving–not getting.

3. You are not overweight! Just because you don’t look like a magazine cover or a movie star doesn’t mean you are overweight. Appreciate the body you have now, because it won’t last.

4. Stepping out of your comfort zone will often yield incredible rewards.

5. Appreciate your parents. They have given more of themselves than you could ever realize. Don’t take that for granted. Don’t be so wrapped up in your own affairs that you forget they have feelings, too.

6. Expect good times less often. Appreciate them much more.

7. Don’t assume you know why someone is acting or reacting in a certain way. It is hard enough to understand your own motives, much less someone else’s.

8. Face your fears head-on!

9.  You don’t need a loan to buy a car or a piece of furniture. Live on what you make.

10. Just because someone tells you your nose is too big or your feet are too small, doesn’t mean its true. Find your worth in Jesus Christ, not in the opinions of others.

11. Money doesn’t make you happy.

12.  Don’t dwell on your fears and worrisome details of life. Figure it out as best you can, do what you can to resolve the problem, pray hard, and then think about something else.

13. You will blink and life will be half over. Savor every single moment of it.

This list certainly isn’t exhaustive. Feel free to comment below and add some of the things you wish you would have known!

Crossing Hadrian’s Wall

Leave a Comment / July 28, 2011

Who we are sometimes changes depending upon where we are.   Let me explain.   The other night I was watching a movie about a Roman soldier in Britannia and his slave boy, Esca, from the North.  Marcus was the confident, perhaps even arrogant, slave owner.   But when a mission crossed them over Hadrian’s Wall into enemy territory…the homeland of the slave boy…things changed.  When found by a rival tribe, the slave boy became the slave owner.  The slave owner became the slave.   But through everything, the slave boy’s loyalty remained pure and true to his owner.  At that point, he could’ve run away.  But he didn’t.

While Esca was in Roman Britannia, he was a slave.  There wasn’t a question, there wasn’t an option, it was who he was.  While in difficult times, I easily remember that I am a slave of Jesus Christ.  I don’t question it, but cry out to Him for wisdom, for grace, for mercy.  I find comfort in being a slave…of knowing my future lies in the hands of my Slave Owner.

While Esca was in his homeland, he had an option.  He could have chosen to be the leader, the slave owner, or, at the very least, he could have chosen to be free.  I would like to put forth here that his homeland is a little like our everyday, modern America.

Most of us make a choice on whether or not we will be Christ’s slave each day.  We have that choice because we are well-fed and clothed, with homes full of stuff.  Many of us are surrounded by family and friends who love us.  The resources in this country seem unlimited.   We have everything we could ever need and many of us have forged a path towards living out our dreams.  But what all this does is put us in charge.   Because we don’t really need God.  We can live our daily lives, call ourselves Christians, and have days go by without ever giving thought to God’s will for us.  We aren’t praying for wisdom or direction…but we are praying like we are the slave owner…”Lord, give me this” or “Lord, I really need that.”

As I write this, I see this tendency in my own life.  The natural bent towards wanting to run “me”, instead of submitting to the will of my Heavenly Father.   May we, instead, be like Esca–making the choice to be a slave each and every day.   May we remain loyal to our Slave Owner, even in a land where we have the option to make a choice.

When right feels wrong

Leave a Comment / June 27, 2011

It is so much easier to do the right thing if our percentages for a positive outcome increase.  For example, drinking and driving leads to a much greater chance of an accident…succumbing to a fit of anger leads to strife within your family…stealing could lead to an arrest and jail time.

But…it gets a little harder to do the right thing when the percentages for a positive outcome look a little fuzzy…or even downright nonexistent.  What happens then?   When you have a friend who is living in sin, do you confront them in love, like the Bible tells us to?  Or what about a child who says they will “hate” you if you don’t let them do “X”?  Do you stand up for what’s right, even in the face of that heart-breaking statement?

You see, when we choose to do what’s right, we do not always have instant gratification.  We do not always see the benefit of that right away.  And, frankly, sometimes we never see the benefits.

Many, many years ago, I watched someone confront someone about something that was sinful in their life.  It was done with love and grace.  But it didn’t really matter…because that person’s heart was hard.  And the relationship between them was affected permanently.   To my knowledge, it was never restored.  So, did the person who did the confronting do the right thing?  Yep.  Did they have a positive outcome?  Nope.

But sometimes you just have to wait for awhile to see the positive outcome.  Like, take me, for instance.  I have written in journals since I was in 6th grade.  One day, while dealing with my own teenagers, I decided to read over what I had written as a teenager. What I found there was surprising.  I did not remember the anger…true anger…I felt towards my parents when I was not allowed to do certain things.   The anger was shocking!  But here I was, 30+ years later, and it had all faded.   The only feeling that was left in me was deep appreciation and a grateful heart for my parents’ solid commitment to be obedient to the Lord above all.

So often we find ourselves caving in to the “possible outcomes”  instead of doing the right thing.  We think through all of the possibilities.  And then we grow scared.  And we do nothing.   But, in the long run, we pay.   That friendship you are guarding will grow weaker as you and your friend travel in different directions.  That child, who is crying out for boundaries (no matter what their mouth is saying), will often walk away from God, figuring it just doesn’t matter.

But not everything needs a conversation, either.  After much experience, I have learned to speak up with much more hesitation and discernment.   Let’s be honest–some things…many things…are not worthy to be confronted.   And many people who are outside your intimate circle have no interest in listening to you (unless you are their pastor or another spiritual leader).  We need to be wise!

If we determine that we need to take the step for a conversation, here are a few other questions to ask that are helpful:  Is the sin I see habitual?  Is the person committing the sin truly committed to the Lord?  Will this sin destroy their life if they continue on in this path?

Doing the right thing is not always easy.  In fact, it is often the opposite.  But we need to strive to do the right thing in all circumstances.   Not just when we can rely on positive results.   Easier said  than done.

2 Thessalonians 3:13  But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

God isn’t surprised.

2 Comments / October 12, 2014

porchswing

The other night our family was on the back porch on a lovely evening. We were talking about something. I can’t even remember what it was. But our whole family was surprised about a decision someone had made or something someone had said when out of the darkness we heard a small voice say, “God isn’t surprised.”  Some of the wisest statements come from 12 year olds sometimes.

God isn’t surprised. So simple and yet so profound. God knows everything you and I will think–do–speak–accomplish–or not accomplish while we live on this earth. He knows when we will leave this earth. He knows absolutely everything about us and about everyone else. So nothing surprises Him.

The cancer is not a surprise. The car accident is not a surprise. The betrayal of a  friend is not a surprise. The lost job is not a surprise. The tornado, the tsunami, and the flood–none of these surprise God.

I know we all “know” this. But have you ever thought about what this means? It means that God is in control. God is Sovereign.  And if we believe what the Bible says–that God loves us–then we can rest in His will for our lives. It will not always be pleasant.  It will not always be easy. But we can trust Him. We have to trust Him. What else is there? What else is there for us to grab hold of?

We have a choice to make every day. We can respond to the trials of life, be them great or small, by trusting our Heavenly Father or we can grow bitter and angry. It is a choice. God will not force you into His will.

I would like to leave you with something that was written by Octavius Winslow from a book entitled Soul Heights and Soul Depths (1841)–

The royal path to glory is a divine mosaic paved with stones of diverse lines. Today, it is a depth almost soundless; tomorrow a height almost scaleless.  Now, a shadow drapes the picture, somber and rayless; then, a light illumines the camera, brilliant and gladsome. Here, the “song” is of mercy, sweet and entrancing; there, it is of judgment, sad and mournful. “When men are cast down, then you shall say There is lifting up.”  But, a divine Hand, veiled and invisible to all but faith’s eye, shapes and directs the whole; and, assured of this, the believing soul is trustful and calm.  “He led them about, He instructed them,” was the history of the Church in the wilderness; and each stage was a school, each condition a blessing, each event a lesson learned, and a new beatitude experienced, –learned and experienced as no other.  Variety, rich and endless, is stamped upon all God’s works and operations; not less is this seen in the circuitous path by which He is leading His people home to Himself.  It is this ever-dissolving, ever shifting scenery of the Christian’s life that unfold new views of God’s character, and brings him into a closer acquaintance with His own.

“It makes sense, if you don’t think about it”

1 Comment / May 12, 2011

I heard this in a movie once.  It made me laugh.  But it also made me wonder.  How many of us live life like that?  Just having the perspective that was handed down to us by our grandparents and parents.  Never stopping to think if that perspective is in line with God’s perspective.

When my husband was just out of college, he got a job in a machine shop over the winters.  Working there was a guy who had a real chip on his shoulder about the owners.  They were thoughtless, careless people who didn’t give a rip about him.  Any new plan they put into place was viewed with suspicion.  Everything new was bad.  And, yet, we knew, that wasn’t the case.  This man had grown up thinking the boss was always bad.  Perhaps his dad or his grandfather really did have an evil boss who took advantage of his employees.  Who knows?

Ironically enough, this man’s son came to work for us.  And guess what?  He, too, came with the same large chip on his shoulder.  I will never forget the time we tried to put a matching and fully voluntary IRA in place as a benefit for our employees.  He thought that somehow we were trying to take advantage of him and take something from him.  He refused to participate for years, because of his fear that we were out to get him.

He never stopped to truly think about it.  To truly understand that there was no possible way the company could be taking advantage of him by giving him a matching IRA.   In his mind, he could not comprehend that owners would ever want to do something nice for their employees.

We can judge these guys I have talked about, but you know what?  We do it, too, don’t we?  We have assumptions and perspectives that we never stop to think about.  We go along in our lives daily and just assume them.   As I already said, some of them come from our heritage.  But some of them we have made up along the way.

Perhaps someone said something in an irritating or angry way a time or two and you made an assumption about them that will never leave you.  Even if that person is aware of that sin and is working on it, people like you and I do not make it very easy on them.  We continue to hold it over them, remembering one or two (or a thousand) moments when they have hurt us.

But I am not really sure that we are to live like this.  Wouldn’t it be better, for peace and unity, to examine our perspectives from time to time and figure out if they are truly a godly perspective or just something that was handed down to us or perhaps developed from our past experiences?

And perhaps-if we really stop and think- we may even realize that the Christian brother or sister that isn’t quite like us is a really nice person.  Or perhaps we might realize that our supervisor is filled with anxiety over some issues outside the office or that our professor has a child in the hospital.

Of course, sometimes, we will reach the conclusion–the boss is really out to get me.  That Christian sister or brother really doesn’t like me.  That salesman really likes himself.  But that does not mean all bosses are out to get me.  Or that all churches are filled with hate and dislike.  Or that all salesmen really like themselves.   We cannot make assumptions like that.

Let’s live our lives, instead, by the motto “it makes sense, if you DO think about it.”

Not all Muslims are Terrorists

Leave a Comment / May 5, 2011

So, imagine with me, if you will…It is September, 2000, and you are a man who wants better opportunities for his family.  You were born in an Islamic country that provides few opportunities.  And, so, with excitement you decide to pack up your family and move to America–the land of opportunity!  Things go pretty well for a year…until that fateful day.  September 11, 2001.  Suddenly, you and your family become the “enemy”.  You love your new country and you despise what happened.  And, yet, somehow you are labeled and branded.

The same thing happened in this country in World War II with the Germans and the Japanese who lived here.  Suddenly, innocent people who had moved here years ago and had proven themselves wonderful neighbors and friends were viewed with suspicion and fear.

The purpose of this blog is not to discuss immigration law and it is not to discuss the Muslim religion.  What I want to think about for a moment is the individual Muslim.

The individual who is hopelessly following a man-made religion that their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers followed before them.  They are trying to please a god that cannot be pleased and working frantically to get to heaven through their good deeds.  But most of these lost souls are not our enemies.   They are just people trying to work their way to heaven, just like many other people in your neighborhood.

If we are to go to all ends of the earth to tell the world about Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20), then we need to approach all races and people groups with love and the good news of Jesus Christ…not with hate and fear.  Imagine how often Satan has used hate and fear among Christians to shut them up through the centuries!  But perfect love casts out fear.  (I John 4:18).

My fellow believers in Christ, we cannot afford to allow hate and fear to grow in our hearts.   If God provides an opportunity for you to share the good news with someone, do so with love and boldness…no matter their religion or race.   And let us remember that  NOTHING good comes from hate and fear.

On Election and Education

Leave a Comment / May 2, 2011

Okay…so the two things have very little in common.  Except for one thing.  They are huge topics of debate in Christian circles.  Are we elected or does man choose God?  Should you public school, homeschool, or Christian school your kids?  Of course, there are many other topics and many other sides to arguments…too many to recount here.

While I believe healthy debate is a good thing and is instrumental in helping us to grow and think, we need to be careful lest we make our side of an argument the all important thing, while not caring that we make the other person feel like an idiot.

Now, of course, we have biblical principles upon which to stand.  The election of the saints is clear in the Bible (Ephesians 1).  It cannot be denied.  But if you search there are also some Bible verses that would imply that man has a choice (Proverbs 1:24).  I am unapologetically a Calvinist.  But the point of this is:  Why do we think we have to understand how it works?  Only God knows.  Why do we– in our finite human minds– think we have to get this?   Perhaps we should just submit ourselves to the fact that we can’t understand how the two work together?

And schooling…why do we have to preach that one is better than the other?  Yes, I have a pretty strong opinion on what I think is best for my family.  But maybe…due to circumstances unknown to you and me…a different option is better for another family.  Maybe for them, the opposite of what you are doing is the best choice for them.   Why does this choice have to be such a source of division among believers?

Why do we argue and debate on the things that we can’t understand (i.e. election)?  Or the things that do not have a biblical principle to support them (i.e. education)?

I know I am putting myself out on a limb because so many people have such strong feelings about these two topics.  And, again, I am not saying that there is no place for argument and debate…because there IS.  But not at the cost of broken relationships and hurt feelings.  Is it more important that we prove we are right than that we edify one another in the body of Christ?  Perhaps a statement given with dignity and love would actually cause a person to think much more about the other side than a heated statement that implies the other person is unintelligent for even holding their viewpoint.

And, lest I be misunderstood (if you know me, you already know this)…I do believe it is of utmost importance to develop biblical opinions about things…and to encourage believers to adhere to biblical principles.   But when it comes to the stuff we can’t quite understand or state with unequivocal certainty…well, perhaps we need to state our opinion with love and then walk away.

Idol Building

Leave a Comment / April 28, 2011

The other day I read the following verses in Isaiah 46.  As I read them, I found myself wondering how Isaiah might have worded them in modern day America–

Here is how it is written in Isaiah 46:5-7:

5 “ To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal
      And compare Me, that we should be alike?
       6 They lavish gold out of the bag,
      And weigh silver on the scales;

They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god;
      They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.
       7 They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it
      And set it in its place, and it stands;
      From its place it shall not move.
      Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer
      Nor save him out of his trouble.

Here is Leslie’s Modern American Translation–

 “ To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal
      And compare Me, that we should be alike?
       They lavish gold to buy tickets for athletic events,
      And they spend oodles of time watching screens;

They hire a trainer, and he makes the care of his body a god;
      They miss church for their children’s sporting events, yes, they worship.
       7 They dwell on these things
      And set it in its place, and it stands;
      From its place it shall not move.
      Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer
      Nor save him out of his trouble.

Of course, I am not saying it is wrong to watch sporting events, TV, or our children on an occasional Sunday morning.  I am not saying it is a bad thing to take care of your body.   I am, however, concerned about the priority these things take in many of our lives.   They often start taking first place in our hearts.  Sometimes I think I am caught up in these things unawares…and, all of a sudden, I realize they have eaten up a ton of time.   And, yet, while these things are okay, and even good, in moderation, when we invest too much time in them, these things often become an idol for us.

When trouble comes, we cannot save ourselves with our TV, our sports, or our perfectly sculpted body.  God is our help in time of trouble.  He is our rock.  He is our shelter.  May we invest our lives in Him, so that we already know Him when trouble comes.  May the other things that we do in life take second place to the God that loves us.

Communicating Like Jesus

Leave a Comment / April 25, 2011

Communication is a big deal.   How we communicate can lock hearts or open hearts.  It can make us look like a jerk or make us look like an empathetic listener.  It can show that we care only for our own selfish agenda or it can show that we care about others.

Communicating is done through many ways, isn’t it?  Of course, talking is what comes to mind first but just because someone doesn’t talk  a lot , does not mean they are not communicating.  Folded arms and a big sigh speak very clearly to the person one is “talking” to.   Ignoring someone says “I don’t care”.   Rolled eyes say “You are weird” or “not this again”.

If our desire, as a Christian, is to be like Jesus, then it should follow that our communication should be like His, as well.   But what exactly does that mean?  Jesus gives us a wonderful example of communicating in the Bible.  While we do not know His body language, we do know that He was perfect.  That would lead me to believe there wasn’t a lot of disgusted sighs or rolled eyes or huffy walking away.  But what do we know about how Jesus communicated?

1.  Jesus was kind.

In Matthew 9 we read of a woman who had been bleeding continuously for twelve years.   She had faith that even if she touched the garment of Jesus she would be healed, so she jostled her way up through the crowd to do this.  When Jesus turned around to greet her, he said “Be of Good Cheer, your faith has made you well.”    He treated her kindly.  He didn’t say, “Don’t touch me!  Leave me alone!”    I don’t know about you, but it is tempting for me to react in anger or sarcasm if someone is invading my personal space (young children are really good at doing this) or infringing upon my time.   But Jesus shows us clearly that we are to think of others and not of ourselves.

2.  Jesus had compassion for others.

In Mark 1, we find the account of the leper.  This poor man has been stricken with leprosy, but he comes to kneel before Jesus, crying “If You are willing, You can make me clean“.    The following verse is beautiful.  In NKJV it says, “Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, I am willing; be cleansed.”    Don’t you love that line “moved with compassion”?  Jesus truly cared about that man.  Can you understand how unloved and cast out lepers were?  They were the scum of the earth in the days of Jesus.   To associate with them was to put yourself at risk.   And, yet, Jesus had compassion on this man.  He didn’t just say “be healed” and walk away.  He genuinely cared.    Makes me wonder if I genuinely care when someone requests something of me?  Do I have compassion when I see someone in a difficult situation?  And do I give voice and action to that compassion or do I just feel it for a moment and then get on with my life?

3.  Jesus wanted to keep His message the priority.

After He had healed the leper in Mark 2, He asked him to keep it quiet.  He asked him to say nothing to anyone.  It is recorded that the leper did not obey Jesus (I can’t judge that leper too harshly–I have to admit, I would have struggled with that command, too!  Can you imagine how exciting it would be to be healed of a disease like that??)  But why did Jesus issue that command, anyway?  MacArthur notes state that “The ensuing publicity would hinder Jesus’s ability to minister and divert attention from His message.”   Jesus could heal people, but that was not His mission for coming to earth.  And I think, as believers, we need to remember this, too.  We can do wonderful, temporary things for people.  Give them food, help them with shelter, give them eye glasses and dental help.  But if we do this without sharing the gospel, what eternal good is it?  Let’s keep the gospel a priority, in the midst of our good works.

4.  Jesus was not prejudiced.

I know that this sounds basic.  But, every now and then, I will still hear of a believer in Jesus Christ make a statement that would be inappropriate regarding a specific group of people.  I don’t think Jesus would approve.  Jesus was not a respecter of persons.  Do we have a specific example of this?  As a matter of fact, we do.  In John 4, Jesus witnesses to the Samaritan woman.   She asks Jesus in verse 9, how he, being a Jew, would request water from a Samaritan woman?  You see, not only was she a Samaritan, she was also a woman.  She had two counts against her.  And, yet, Jesus took time to talk with her.  Jesus didn’t care about her sex or her race.  But he did care about her.  If you are ever tempted to avoid someone because of their race or to make a blanket judgment about a group of people, remember this account in the gospel of John.

5.  Jesus was honest.

As we continue on in John 4, we read more of Jesus’s conversation with the woman at the well.   Jesus confronts the woman’s sin.  Of course, he had a bit of an advantage, as He knew all about her sin, before she ever opened her mouth!  But, still, He talked with her about it.  And then witnesses to her.  As we share the gospel, we can not hesitate to lovingly reveal people’s sin.  How else  can they be saved?   Unless a man or woman realize that they are a sinner, there is no need for repentance or for a savior.  But…and maybe I am stretching it a bit…could this possibly be carried over into other areas of life?  Should we be more honest with each other?  I think most of us spend our life not being truthful with those around us.  We figure it is just easier to avoid the conflict.   And sometimes that is true.  But we need to ask God to show us when it worth being truthful.  Because, oftentimes, the avoidance tactic ends up growing into a mountain that takes a miracle to move.

6.  Jesus did get angry but only with righteous cause.

In John 2, we read of the temple cleansing.  When Jesus saw the marketplace the temple had become, He grew angry and took action.  Jesus was not angry because of how they treated Him personally, as a human man, but He was angry at the treatment of God and His Holy Place.  And while He took forceful action (driving them all out of the temple), there is no indication that He was cruel in His actions.   Perhaps we could follow His example?  I can’t help but think, in contrast, of the cross.  Not only did Jesus not grow angry in their treatment of Him, as they spit on Him and cast lots for His clothing, but He asked the Father to forgive them.  Wow.  What an example.  I don’t know about you, but I find that my anger usually centers on ME and my unsatisfied desires.  Sobering thought, isn’t it?  I think the other lesson to be learned here is that we have a right to get angry when someone is teaching false doctrine.  We are not supposed to tolerate this!  Nowhere in scripture do we read that we are to keep peace at the expense of pure doctrine.  We are to drive false teachers out of the church…both on a local level and on a larger scale.

While there are other examples of how Jesus communicates in scripture, that is probably long enough for today.  I hope that God’s Word challenges you today.  To God be the Glory!

Is my eternal destiny really dependent on invisible scales?

Leave a Comment / April 19, 2014

scales of destiny

When asked, many people–even those calling themselves Christians–will say that they think they are a good person. They believe the good things they do outweigh the bad things they do. And they hope that the scales is tipped enough to the “good deeds” side to get them entrance into heaven when they die. They often believe Christ died for the sins of the world. But, for some reason, they think that they still need to do enough good things before they can be reconciled with God and spend eternity with Him.

I know many, if not most, of my readers fully realize that there is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor. But if you have landed here and do not truly understand this, it seemed well worth the effort to write about it this week. On Good Friday we contemplate Jesus’s death on the cross. And then on Sunday we celebrate Easter, the glorious day that Jesus Christ rose from the dead to reign forever more! But why does it really matter, if I can be good enough anyway?

Do you truly realize the message of the cross? Do you realize that Jesus died on that cross for your sins? So that you can  be reconciled with God? To provide the ONLY way for reconciliation? In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

There are lots of vague, fuzzy beliefs out there right now. Beliefs that you can believe whatever you want. False teachers who tell us we can all believe differently and still get to heaven. But Jesus tells us in the Bible that we cannot all believe different things. He tells us that He is the only way.

And, lest you think you are tipping the scales pretty heavily on the “not guilty” side and in no need of a Savior, Romans 3:23 sets us all straight:“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Our pastor said yesterday that our good deeds are akin to our taking dirty water and filthy rags and washing windows. Will you end up with clean windows? No, you will still have dirty windows.

Isaiah 64:6 says:

But we are all like an unclean thing,
      And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

So, we can do all the good deeds in the world, and yet, we can never reach perfection. And so, God made a way for us. He sent His Son to die on a cross and to rise victoriously over sin! He sent His son so that we can stand clean–white as snow–before God (Isaiah 1:18). Instead of our sin, God sees Christ’s righteousness. Oh, the glorious cross! It made a way of salvation for you and for me!

So, you may say, if our righteousness is as filthy rags, why do anything good? Why bother? Why try to live a good life? I will tell you why! Because if you are truly a believer in Jesus Christ and if you truly understand what He did for you on the cross then you will love Him so much that you will want to please Him in all that you do. Your main goal in life becomes glorifying Him and sharing the wonderful good news of the gospel with others.

I am afraid that I have “preached to the choir” in writing this. If you have already repented and trusted Jesus for your eternal salvation, may you take this week to truly ponder and rejoice in what Christ did for you on the cross. But, if you have not, may I encourage you to search the scriptures, so that you may understand what it was that Christ did for you on the cross. And, although I do not know your name, please know that I will be praying for you.

AT CALVARY

  1. Years I spent in vanity and pride,
    Caring not my Lord was crucified,
    Knowing not it was for me He died
    On Calvary.

    • Refrain:
      Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
      Pardon there was multiplied to me;
      There my burdened soul found liberty
      At Calvary.
  2. By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;
    Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
    Till my guilty soul imploring turned
    To Calvary.
  3. Now I’ve giv’n to Jesus everything,
    Now I gladly own Him as my King,
    Now my raptured soul can only sing
    Of Calvary!
  4. Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
    Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
    Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
    At Calvary!


Scroll to Top