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the cross

God’s Word Today – Healing is Your Portion

by Lily Benson May 26, 2023

Healing is your portion and will lead you into a deeper intimacy with God. He desires you whole, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

You have the privilege of experiencing the restorative power of God’s healing touch in your life. It is a journey that asks you to press into faith to see your physical body healed, the renewal of your mind, and the healing of your spirit.

The Scriptures reveal God as your Healer, offering hope and restoration to all who seek Him. Exodus 15:26, it says, “I am the Lord who heals you.” These words spoken by the Lord to His people remind you that healing is not just a distant possibility, but a promise from a loving and compassionate God. His desire is to bring wholeness to every aspect of your being, addressing not only your physical ailments but also the deep wounds that affect your heart and mind.

Physical Healing

Physical healing is one aspect of God’s restorative work. We witness numerous accounts of Jesus healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, and life to the dead. The Gospels are filled with stories of miraculous healings that demonstrate God’s power to intervene in your physical afflictions. While you may not always understand why healing does not manifest in every circumstance, you can trust that God’s ways are higher than yours, and His plans are ultimately for your good.

Emotional Healing

Yet, healing goes beyond the physical realm. It encompasses the restoration of your mind and emotion. In Psalm 147:3, you can find solace in the words, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Your emotional scars, traumas, and hurts are not hidden from God. He sees your pain, and He stands ready to bring healing and restoration to your wounded heart. Through prayer, counseling, and the support of a loving community, you can experience the transformative power of God’s healing touch.

Spiritual Healing

In addition to physical and emotional healing, God desires to bring spiritual healing to your life. Sin and its consequences have left you spiritually broken and separated from God. However, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, you can find redemption and reconciliation with our Heavenly Father. Isaiah 53:5, prophesied, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds, we are healed.” Through faith in Jesus, you are offered forgiveness, healing, and the opportunity to walk in newfound freedom.

Therefore, embrace the transformative power of God’s healing in your life. Whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, seek His touch, trusting that His ways are perfect and His love for you never-ending.

God’s Word For You Today: My Hope Is An Anchor

by GOD TV April 10, 2023

written by GOD TV

Today’s Verse

“People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. ¹⁷Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, ²⁰where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:16-20)

Today’s Message

What does it mean for you to have hope in your life? Hope is a feeling of expectation. A place where there’s a desire for something to happen. It’s the trust in what’s to come. The bible instructs that Jesus himself is our hope! He secures our hearts and minds. His resurrection and defeat of death made Him into our living hope. With our trust in Him, we fulfill the deepest desires of our heart. We experience stability, peace, and a deep trust in the unknowns of our life. As you put your hope in Jesus this week, we pray that you experience the weight of stability in trusting He is who He says He is.

April 10, 2023 0 comment

Faith God's Word for the Day

God’s Word For You Today: Be With Me In Paradise

by GOD TV April 7, 2023

written by GOD TV

Today’s Verses

“Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. ³⁵And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” ³⁶The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine ³⁷and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

⁴⁰But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴²And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:32-43)

Today’s Message

Jesus’s words to the criminal next to Him on the cross are moving. They are telling. God, even on the precipice of His death, chose us. He chose a criminal who put his faith in God. You are not out of time with Jesus. Maybe you’re at the lowest you’ve ever been. Friend, there is Good News for you! Jesus is reaching His hand out to you, just grab hold of it! No matter what you have done, or the person you have become, grace is available to you. He wants you to join Him in paradise. This all may seem too good to be true…but that is the Gospel. A God, who humbled Himself onto death, allowing Himself to be sacrificed on our behalf, He wants you. We are praying for you this Good Friday, wherever you are in your life. That you would encounter the limitless river of love and grace from God. With a repented heart, we declare freedom over your life. Amen!

April 7, 2023 0 comment

Faith

The Great Exchange

by Sarah Crockett October 28, 2022

written by Sarah Crockett

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

This passage of scripture starts out with an interesting, yet complex declaration, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me.” In Luke 14:16-21 Jesus is handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue, reads chapter 61, and proclaims that, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.“

John 14:12 tells us that “…whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these.” Whoever means anyone. Whoever means everyone. As we put these pieces together it becomes evident that the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me…and He’s on you too!

Choosing to Exchange

We have access, by the Spirit, and are empowered to choose to exchange our ashes for beauty, mourning for joy, and despair for praise (see Isaiah 61:3). Jesus’ death on the Cross gave us access to exchange thing things of this world for our Heavenly inheritance.

There is a cost to making any exchange. We may have to forgive. We may have to face pain. We may have to feel and walk through shame. We may have to let go. None of these things are fun, BUT any exchange we make with Jesus is always an upgrade.

He’s waiting and willing and wanting to give us all that He paid for on the Cross. May you choose to make an exchange…or two…

October 28, 2022 0 comment

Faith Featured

Forgiveness

by Lauren Koch May 11, 2022

written by Lauren Koch

It’s easy to think of forgiveness as just the exchange of an apology. Really, forgiveness is the key to freeing your heart to God, yourself, and others. Forgiving others isn’t just a command we are given, it’s helps us live a vibrant and healthy life.

Unlock Your Heart

Forgiveness is foundational to our walk as believers. Because we are forgiven, we live free. At the same time, because we are forgiven, we have the responsibility to release ourselves and others from all offenses. A lack of forgiveness in our lives leads to stagnancy in our hearts. This can look like bitterness, and when grown over time, festers into resentment. Research out of Berkeley University shows that holding grudges negatively impacts your health and physical body, leading to an increase in cortisol and stress.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15).

Jesus Modeled Forgiveness

“Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father. For they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). In the weakest of moments, Jesus modeled how humility leads us into forgiveness for others. We cannot forgive while believing we are better than those who have hurt us. Even more, we cannot forgive ourselves without understanding how God has set us free from our own sin. If you find yourself unable to look past your mistakes, receiving God’s forgiveness for yourself is the way out.

Surrender your right to be “right” as you navigate forgiving in your life. Remember that we forgive because He first forgave us. In Jesus, we were given the ultimate freedom from sin and death. It is from this place God empowers us to walk in radical humility and forgiveness for those around us.

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The Horror Of The Cross & The Beauty Of Exchange

by David Lee Martin June 26, 2021

written by David Lee Martin

When men looked at his body on the cross it was said he no longer resembled a human being. So ravaged, savagely torn, so bruised and shredded, so bloodied and mauled – more a carcass than a king. Christ, the sacrifice. Even those who called for his crucifixion were horrified at what they saw.

“…everyone was appalled. He didn’t even look human— a ruined face, disfigured past recognition.” (Isaiah 52:14 MESSAGE)

And yet, what are we witnessing? What is it that we are looking upon when our eyes burn to behold such brutal inhumanity? How cold, unfeeling, careless and calculated the hands and hearts that devised such torture? What crime could deserve such unspeakable punishment? Have you for a second seen Him? Have you looked upon the One who willingly took your sin? Has “Jesus Christ been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” (Galatians 3:1 KJV)

Have your tears poured buckets when you drink in the terror? Set Christ crucified evidently before my eyes became my prayer for several weeks. I wanted, like the Galatians to appreciate more the price paid for my freedom.

And then I saw him, and it was me…

Then one morning I looked and saw. The man, if he can be called such, nailed to the cross. But it was not the form that struck fear in my heart, it was what happened next. My chest tore open wide in a gaping wound and spilling forth like black stinking tar my sins spewed out like an obscene river. The stench. The horror. The concentrated, thick, sticky, stream of filth. A witch’s brew of pride and lust. Love of money and affection for the world’s lies and licentiousness. Lukewarmness, envy, adultery, shamefaced lying, and conniving. It was all here. No religious fig leaf could ever cover the terror tumbling from my hidden man.

And more…

Like a black hole irresistibly sucking all that comes close into its swirling darkness – Jesus Christ on the cross siphoning my sin into his very own being. Relentlessly and selflessly taking it all into himself. Becoming sin before my eyes. That is why the cross is so horrifying. All were appalled at what they saw there, but what they saw with their natural eyes is nothing compared to what was happening in the spirit.

The Savagery of Sin

Have you ever looked upon your sin with the same disgust as the eyes that beheld the Savior that day? Blood dripping from every orifice? Savage gouges weeping blood from the scourging? Pierced holes dropping his perfect life into the dust?

Friend, the picture of Christ on the cross, evidently set forth in the gospels, is a picture of the savagery of sin. When we dare to gaze upon Him, we see ourselves without Him. We look upon the horror not just of a man so tortured and twisted. But the twisted nature of our heart apart from him, the torture of a soul bound for hell if no daysman can be found.

The Cross & My Sin

My sin nailed him there. It was the heartless, murderous nature of my iniquity that sliced and whipped him raw. Sin has no other aim but your death and mine. Sin’s mandate is your demise. Yet we fail so often to see through sin’s disguise.

Parading in coquettish familiarity with the leanings of our flesh. The lusts of our eyes, of the flesh, the pride of life. All offer themselves daily to our appetites. Smeared in makeup and cheap perfume. Promising delight but delivering death they entice good men and women to forsake their conscience. And count the blood of Christ as a common thing.

And once the deed is done, the thought received, the graceless word was spoken, the gluttonous appetite satisfied, the harlot tears her cloak away and dons the garb of judge and jury, condemning our compromise and berating our weakness.

One minute shameless enticement to sin. The next shameful condemnation. And we join the jury in agreement. Shame beats down upon us in a thousand tearful sorrows. And promises of tomorrow’s fidelity.

How much more the shame of one who never sinned? How must the Savior have turned from the prospect, disgusted by the very thought of his soul being invaded?

The Cross: Beyond Comprehension

Can we ever comprehend the blood that broke from Jesus’ brow as He contemplated the horror of sin upon himself? He became sin. The sinless, spotless, pure Son of God. How great the price that he paid so personally for you!

Could we ever really imagine to true cost that was paid that night in Gethsemane? On the cross at Calvary. Do we for a moment grasp why the Father had to turn his eyes away? The One who sees all, blinded by the horror of our sins and demon lovers savaging His Son. Grace is offered freely to the sinner. But it is far from free. A full and fearful price was paid. How will you respond?

June 26, 2021 0 comment

Faith

God’s Plan Is To Restore And Redeem! Take Heart!

by Alexxa Lowery February 12, 2021

written by Alexxa Lowery

Did you know that God will use suffering, and trials in your life for good? His plan is to restore and redeem us!

For Good – Restore

“What the enemy meant for evil, God turns for good.” Sometimes, this truth is hard to understand right in the middle of something challenging. I think this is because of the anticipation of getting through the storm. Did you know that God actually doesn’t give us suffering?

The Cross

For years, I held some sort of rage towards God because I thought He gave people sickness and suffering. Wrong in every way, the realization set in when I went through my own suffering a few years ago. Before I continue, let us never forget what God did for us on the cross. The ultimate sacrifice, and cost of His one and only begotten son. All in hopes that we would come to know His heart. God’s plan is to restore us.

Take Heart

Furthermore, when I was diagnosed with Bone Cancer in 2014 I didn’t understand why God was punishing me. It didn’t take me long to receive God’s Love in that season and realize that suffering and His heart didn’t align. There was no possible way the same God who encountered me in the hospital room that night, was the same God who “gave cancer” to the new kid across the hall. As Christians, we’re not immune to suffering. God even says so in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Restore, Confirm, Strengthen, Establish

Tribulation is inevitable, but take heart! God also says in 1 Peter 5:10, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” God’s plan is to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish! Be encouraged that He has plans to bring you out of the storm. Always remember, what the enemy means for evil, God turns for good.

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February 12, 2021 0 comment

Articles Video

Satan And The Demons Exposed In An Intense 5-Minute Video

by Christel Berns December 5, 2019

written by Christel Berns

We always hear about God redeeming the world from chaos. We know that God, in His goodness, wants to restore His good, original design of the world. But have you ever pondered on these evil beings called ‘Satan’ and ‘demons’ who always try to sabotage God’s greater plans for His children?

Sin entered the world after a spiritual being, who was in the state of rebellion, enticed Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. The first humans chose to disobey God. They were then kicked out from the Garden of Eden along with the rebellious creature.

Satan And The Demons

The rebellious spiritual being was called “The Satan” which means “The Adversary”. And because of his desire to become like God, he didn’t want to live under God’s wisdom and authority. His mission was to ruin God’s plan. He drags humans down with him in darkness and disorder. Death then became the wages of sin for humans.

Satanist Meets Jesus After His Mom Prayed For 33 Years

The Hebrew Scriptures also revealed that after Satan’s rebellion, other creatures around God’s throne chose to follow Satan’s path of rebellion. Moses identified them as ‘the demons’, that is, the lesser spiritual beings.

Repetitive Chaos In The World

Since then, for thousands of generations, the disarray in the world is interwoven with spiritual rebellion. The Biblical story shows how mankind continues to rebel against God, choosing to be influenced by the evil ones.

Jesus Christ’s Victory

2,000 years ago, after Jesus’ victory on the Cross, Satan and the demons were disarmed and defeated. Because the punishment that is supposed to befall upon us was taken by Jesus on the Cross. While we were still sinners, He died for us. He overcame death for us. Because He judged us worthy of His love.

“[The record of debt that stood against us] he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:14-15)

Watch the video below to learn more about Satan, demons, spiritual chaos, and our victory through Christ!

Understand Evil Spiritual Beings in the Bible

Watch this video on YouTube

Source: The Bible Project

December 5, 2019 0 comment

Faith

Good Friday: Discover The Significance Of The Cross And It’s Place In Our Lives

by Ann Cuddy-Sullivan April 18, 2019

written by Ann Cuddy-Sullivan

As we mark Good Friday, let’s take a fresh look at the Cross of Jesus.

Billy Graham had a profound understanding of the Crucifixion: “The Cross splits the world,” he wrote. “Either you look at it and think – that’s pathetic or you look at it and you think– that’s powerful. If you think it’s pathetic, Paul says you are perishing. But if you think it’s the ‘Power of God’, you are being saved. But it’s one or the other”

Peter, Newman writes In The Meaning of the Cross, “Our faith must begin and end at the Cross. The trouble is that many Christians have bypassed the Cross and are trying to be moral by their willpower and self-effort rather than trusting in the indwelling power of Christ to transform them (Galatians 3:3) But if we attempt to build our spiritual life by any other foundation than Christ crucified, we are doing so by our natural strength.”

“Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)

In April 2007 Decision magazine wrote: “We preach Christ crucified. This is the focal point of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a picture of blood flowing from Christ’s veins as He hung on the Cross. The message of shed blood is repugnant to many, and they turn from such a gory sight, feeling that their delicate sensibilities have been outraged. Many people will accept Christ’s character, but they reject His crucifixion.”

“For the message of the Cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18 AMP)

The Truth of the Cross is that God Himself offered salvation by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die as an atonement for our sins. This atonement, a free, unmerited, undeserved gift, provides each of us the singular path to eternal salvation. While the receiving of this gift is dependent on the receiver, it is only through the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we are saved from eternal damnation and separation from the Kingdom of God as adopted sons and daughters and rightful co-heirs of that Kingdom.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:1) and that name is Jesus Christ!

As RC Sproul says in The Truth of the Cross, ”The Cross of Jesus Christ is God’s intentional method by which to bring salvation. To assume that we mere humans can do anything in our own power to gain entrance into the Kingdom is blasphemy. But for the finished work of the Cross, there is no salvation, there is no hope. The Truth of the Cross is an uncompromising reminder that the atonement of Christ is our gift of grace and mercy from the Throne of God Himself. “If you take away the Cross as an atoning act, you take away Christianity.”

“…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the Cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Newman, Peter; in The Meaning of the Cross says: “We must never lose sight of Christ’s triumph on the Cross. ‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross… (Hebrews 12:2).’ We were saved by faith in Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross and we now over come by faith in Christ’s victory on the Cross. The Cross is the secret to our overcoming. Christ conquered satan and sin on the Cross.”

So, this begs the question – If the Cross of Jesus is the beginning and the end of our faith, then why are so many Churches removing it from view?

The Cross is our message of hope

The Cross is our message of hope and you cannot take the Cross out of the Church. To do so, negates the reason Jesus Christ died. You cannot downplay its role in the life of the Church or the believer. It is on the CROSS of Calvary that we are saved through the brutal barbaric whipping and lashes Jesus took on His body. It is on the CROSS of Calvary that our sins are buried under the blood that poured out of His crucified body. It is on the CROSS of Calvary that we are granted eternal life with Him in Heaven.

As David A. DePra says in The Centrality of the Cross, “The Cross of Jesus Christ is the central truth of Christianity. This is exactly why Satan has tried to minimize its importance, substitute for it, or, in many places, shut it out all together. The Cross is the instrument of Satan’s defeat, the means of our freedom from the power of sin, and is the doorway to newness of life. Take away the Cross, and everything else falls.”

This Good Friday, see the Cross as a place of victory, peace, joy, and newness of life. Accept Christ’s call to run to Him and find rest. Go to the Cross of Jesus Christ. The world needs this message today. This is the message of hope, peace and brotherhood. This is what the world calls “foolishness’ but what God has been pleased to call “wisdom”. What do you call it?

Written in collaboration with Michael Sullivan

Also see:

Why Are Churches Removing The Cross?

April 18, 2019 2 comments

Faith

What Would Your Obituary Say?

by Deborah Armin November 27, 2018

written by Deborah Armin

They say that death and taxes come to us all, but are you ready to die? And what would people say about you after you were gone in your obituary?

Death is a certainty for everyone, but the how and when is unknown, well for most of us. What if you received a terminal report from the doctor? There’s no way to prepare for something like that. But thinking about where you’re going after you die? That you can consider.

Family and friends will gather around at the funeral to hear what others thought about you. But have you ever considered doing your own obituary?

Writing your own obituary

Sonia Todd of Moscow, Idaho did just that. Having had a terminal diagnosis she decided to write her own obituary, peppered with reality and humor her account of her life was down to earth and refreshing

Sonia Todd
Oct, 14, 2012

My name is Sonia Todd and I died of cancer at the age of 38. I decided to write my own obituary because they are usually written in a couple of different ways that I just don’t care for. Either, family or friends gather together and list every minor accomplishment from cradle to grave in a timeline format, or they try and create one poetic last stanza about someone’s life that is so glowing one would think the deceased had been the living embodiment of a deity…

Faced with her own impending death she bravely wrote an honest piece about who she really was. Knowing she had a relationship with the Lord Jesus gave her and her family peace. She knew where she was going and they also knew they would all meet again.

More than an obituary, do you know where you’re going when you die?

“Jesus said ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’.” ( John 14:6 )

What that scripture means is that we have to accept that Jesus is the Son of God, He came to reconcile you to God the Father through His crucifixion. In other words, Jesus was the perfect final sacrifice so that our sins are forgiven and we can enter into a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Sin separates us from our Heavenly Father who is Holy. Once you’ve accepted Jesus as your savior you go to Heaven when you die. Heaven is where our Heavenly Father dwells and being in His presence is heavenly.

Sonia was able to give thanks for her salvation in Jesus and although not stated it would have given her some measure of peace to know where she was going after she passed. Writing your own obituary is one choice, accepting Jesus is another, don’t leave it anyone else’s hands!

The decision is yours, salvation is free.

November 27, 2018 0 comment