AUGUST 26; POWER IN THE CROSS

Hebrews 12:2 ‘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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God’

DAILY READING; • Luke 1:26-56; Ezekiel 34; Isaiah 58

In 1967 a young man named Charles Murray who was a student at the University of Cincinnati, was training for the summer Olympics of 1968 as a high Diver. He had a Christian friend who often spoke to him about Jesus Christ and how He had saved him. Though his friend often tried to persuade him to receive salvation, Charles answer was a firm ‘No!’
However, one day, Charles called his friend and asked where he could find certain verses in the Bible about salvation. This Christian friend quickly, gave him the reference to several passages. That evening, Charles who had special privileges at the University pool facilities, because of his training for the Olympic games, decided to go and practice a few dives between 10:30pm and 11:00pm. It was a clear night and the moon was big and bright. The University pool was housed under a ceiling of glass panes so the moon shone bright across the top of the wall in the pool area.

As Charles climbed to the highest platform to take his first dive, at that moment the Spirit of God began to convict him of his sins. All the scripture he had read, and the preaching of his Christian friend began to flood his mind. He stood on the platform backwards to make his dive, spread his arms to gather his balance, looked up to the wall and saw his own shadow caused by the light of the moon. With his outstretched arm, his shadow had formed the shape of a cross. Seeing that shape of the cross, suddenly he felt he could bear the burden of his sin no longer. His heart broke and he knelt on the platform and asked God to forgive him and save him.

Just then the lights in the pool area came on. The attendant had come in to check the pool. Now with the lights on, as Charles looked down from his platform he was shocked to see that the pool was empty! There was no water in it because the pool had been drained earlier for repairs. Charles realized he had almost plummeted to his death, had it not been for the shadow of the cross which had stopped him. That little moment of pausing to pray had saved his life both physically and spiritually!

Indeed like that young man, we have been saved by the power of the cross. Many of us could have taken the leap to destruction, but God in His sovereign mercy and by the power of His grace had delivered us.

Grace is often defined as “the unmerited love and favor of God toward the undeserving.”. Grace is the inexhaustible favor or goodness of God, giving to us what we could not earn, do not deserve, and would never be able to repay. Grace is the face that God wears when He looks at our failures.
Truly where would we be without the Lord’s mercy and loving kindness?

Romans 9:16 says ‘it is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.’

Indeed we do not deserve God’s grace, love and mercy. In fact, if we received what we deserved, we would receive judgment, damnation and Hell. And yet, God always extends His amazing grace to us because of the cross.
The cross is the place where Law met Grace! Through the cross the grace of God delivered us from the condemnation of the law. The Son of God came down through 42 generations, wrapped himself in flesh, went to the cross and shed His precious Blood to save us. What grace! What blessing! What a great, wonderful, matchless, glorious Savior we serve!

Hebrews 12:2 says ‘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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God’

Looking unto the Jesus is indeed our key to deliverance. Just like focusing on the cross saved that young man from leaping to his death, focusing on Jesus, will deliver us from every destruction.
To survive the many traps and temptations of this age we must keep our focus on the Blood Jesus shed for our deliverance. Indeed when you keep your eyes on the Blood, every demonic plan set against you will be rendered useless. And we keep our gaze on Jesus through focus on God’s Word. The more we meditate on the Word, the more we will walk in the reality and power of the cross, and the more we will continually enjoy God’s grace and mercy.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the salvation, deliverance and healing You purchased for me at the cross. Truly by the power in Your precious Blood, I have the victory in every conflict in Jesus name.

Quote
Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will make you free. – WORDBITE 222.

DAILY READING; • Luke 1:26-56; Ezekiel 34; Isaiah 58

In 1967 a young man named Charles Murray who was a student at the University of Cincinnati, was training for the summer Olympics of 1968 as a high Diver. He had a Christian friend named Charles who often spoke to him about Jesus Christ and how He had saved him. Though his friend often tried to persuade him to receive salvation, Charles answer was a firm ‘No!’

However, one day, Charles called his  friend and asked where he could find certain verses in the Bible about salvation. This Christian friend quickly, gave him the reference to several passages. That evening, Charles who had special privileges at the University pool facilities, because of his training for the Olympic games, decided to go and practice a few dives between 10:30pm and 11:00pm. It was a clear night and the moon was big and bright. The University pool was housed under a ceiling of glass panes so the moon shone bright across the top of the wall in the pool area.

As Charles climbed to the highest platform to take his first dive, at that moment the Spirit of God began to convict him of his sins. All the scripture he had read, and the preaching of his Christian friend  began to flood his mind. He stood on the platform backwards to make his dive, spread his arms to gather his balance, looked up to the wall and saw his own shadow caused by the light of the moon. With his outstretched arm, his shadow had formed the shape of a cross. Seeing that shape of the cross, suddenly he felt he could bear the burden of his sin no longer. His heart broke and he knelt on the platform and asked God to forgive him and save him.

Just then the lights in the pool area came on. The attendant had come in to check the pool. Now with the lights on, as Charles looked down from his platform what he saw an empty pool! There was no water in it because the pool had been drained earlier for repairs. Charles realised he had almost plummeted to his death, had it not been for the shadow of the cross which had stopped him. That little moment of pausing to pray had saved his life both physically and spiritually!

Indeed like that young man, we have been saved by the power of the cross. Many of us could have taken the leap to destruction, but God in His sovereign mercy and by the power of His grace had delivered us.

Grace is often defined as “the unmerited love and favor of God toward the undeserving.”. Grace is the inexhaustible favor or goodness of God, giving to us what we could not earn, do not deserve, and would never be able to repay. Grace is the face that God wears when He looks at our failures.

Truly where would we be without the Lord’s mercy and loving kindness?  

Romans 9:16 says ‘it is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.’

Indeed we do not deserve God’s grace, love and mercy. In fact, if we received what we deserved, we would receive judgment, damnation and Hell. And yet, God extends His amazing grace to us because of the cross.

The cross is the place where Law met Grace!  Through the cross the grace of God delivered us from the condemnation of the law. The Son of God came down through 42 generations, wrapped himself in flesh, went to the cross and shed His precious Blood to save us. What grace! What blessing! What a great, wonderful, matchless, glorious Savior we serve!

Hebrews 12:2 says ‘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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God’

Looking unto the Jesus is indeed our way of deliverance from every satanic trap. Just like focusing on the cross saved that young man from leaping to his death, focusing on Jesus, will deliver us from every destruction.

To survive the many traps and temptations of this age we must keep our focus on the Blood Jesus shed for our deliverance.   Indeed when you keep your eyes on the cross every demonic plan set against you will be rendered useless. And we keep our gaze on the cross through focus on God’s Word. The more we meditate on the Word, the more  we will walk in the reality and power of the cross, and the more we will continually enjoy God’s  grace and mercy.

PRAYER:  Lord, I thank You for the salvation, deliverance  and healing You purchased for me at the cross.  Truly by the  power in the precious Blood of Jesus I have the victory in every conflict  in Jesus name.

Quote

Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will make you free. – WORDBITE 222.