I would not hesitate to say that most, if not all of us are familiar with the song “Amazing Grace,” which has been an integral part of Christian worship for years.
While there are many attempts to define “Grace,” one definition that often speaks to my heart is God's “unmerited favor.” In other words, we have done nothing to earn it, but the Father extended this Grace to humanity in the person and life of His only Son, Jesus Christ.
In the time of the Romans, the Cross was regarded as the cruelest way to die. The Cross was reserved for the most hardened of criminals.
One of the most beloved scriptures in the Bible is the following:
John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
One of the worst lies of the enemy is that God is a “taker” and not a giver. This lie had its beginning in the Garden of Eden as Satan did his best to deceive Adam and Eve with the idea. And, of course, we know he succeeded in that and plunged humanity into sinfulness in need of a Savior.
We are looking forward to celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Easter Sunday, 2021!
While the past year has been challenging in so many ways, we must never forget that over 2,000 years ago Jesus rose from the grave! No tomb could hold our sinless redeemer who had come to take the guilt of sin to the cross just as if He was the one who was the sinner!
The cross was the cruelest of deaths in that day and was reserved only for the most hardened criminals. As we know, Jesus was not at all anything like that, and as a matter of fact, the main thing He was “guilty” of was loving and forgiving sinners!
I wanted to take a moment to send you this note of encouragement as you are going through this challenging time in your life.
I'm often reminded of the beautiful story in the Book of Daniel of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It's important to know that the same God that was there for them at that time is here for you and me now!
You may want to read the full story in Daniel Chapter 3, but I wanted to share a couple of verses with you that I trust will minister to you.
Jay E. Adams writes that under the roof in his back yard hangs a hummingbird feeder that he keeps filled with sugar water. There are four openings in it from which birds may suck the nectar. Yet, day after day, from early morning until after dusk, the feeder is the source of their own private version of star wars. One bird chases all the others away.
“As I said,” Adams writes, “there is room for four birds at a time, and fully that number attempt to feed. But the top dog (excuse my use of this metaphor for a hummingbird!), who now ‘owns' the feeder, will not let them. All day long he sits on the branch of a nearby apricot tree guarding ‘his' feeder and defying others to transgress on what he has established as ‘his' territory.
