Dark Calvary


"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." (Matthew 27:45)

The second verse of the grand old hymn "The Old Rugged Cross" contains much truth, rich and deep.
Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

The world despises the cross, and the One on the cross. "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not" (Isaiah 53:3). But yet, even in His bloodied and broken form, there is a wondrous attraction, for "surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: . . . he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (vv. 4-5).

His death substituted for ours. He was the sacrificial "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). This Lamb is none other than God the Son, who willingly "took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: . . . and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:7-8). Remarkably, even God the Father "despised" Him as He hung on the cross, for God is holy, and for our sakes had "made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). The apex of Christ's suffering came, as we see in our text, when God the Father separated Himself from His beloved Son, "forsaking " (v. 46) Christ to suffer for three hours the awful pangs of hell which we deserved. So I'll cherish the old rugged cross.
JDM used with permission from Days of Praise..

♥ THANKFUL THURSDAY ♥

Well praise God we have so much to be thankful for today. With my thoughts on Christ this week of his Resurrection I cannot help but be preoccupied with thoughts of him, Oh what a Saviour God sent to take our sin debt, I am so very thankful for him, and all he means to me.


I love my Jesus, and proclaim his gospel where ever I go, I cannot say enough about him, you know some times we know folks who let us down, or we may think some thing ugly of them, but in all my time of knowing Jesus I have never felt that way, He is lord, He is life, He is my eternal destination. I am thankful this Thursday for him dying in my place, so I may have life and a secure home in heaven.


This reminds me of a illustration my dh used one Sunday in his sermon.


There was a man who had a rebellious son, never wanting to listen, and forever being punished, so one day as the father was praying how to handle his disobedient son the Lord touched his heart. He called his son into his room, and said son, you have been really disobedient this week, and someone has to pay the price for your disobedience, with belt in hand, he handed the belt to his son, then he bent over the bed, and told his son he would take his strapping for him. Well the it really touched the sons heart, and he knelt beside his dad weeping like when he was little, this dad never had to strap his son again, he became an obedient child. We are like that son, rebellious and disobedient to our heavenly Father, so instead of us having to take a strapping, Jesus did it all for us, he paid the price, he paid the debt and now I can go free.


Have a blessed Thankful Thursday, and may we all follow Jesus in his examples for us, and always Do it unto Christ.

Resurrection Rolls
These rolls are a perfect way to help us focus on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The marshmallows placed inside the rolls before baking disappear after they have been baked. See the cute Visiting Teaching gift idea with tag below.


Ingredients & Symbolism
Large Marshmallows - body of Jesus
Melted Butter - oils of embalming
Cinnamon & Sugar Mix- spices used to anoint the body.
Crescent Roll - the wrapping of Jesus’ body or the tomb.
Oven – the tomb
Cavity in bun – the empty tomb or the empty cloths

Directions:

Take a marshmallow. This represents Jesus.


Dip the marshmallow in melted butter. This represents the oils of embalming.

Now dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar which represents the spices used to anoint the body.
Then wrap up the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll up but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside.) This can either represent the wrapping of Jesus’ body after death or the Tomb. Matt. 27:57–61;  John 19:38–42

Place in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or as directed on the package of the crescent rolls.

(The oven can represent the tomb if the roll is representing the wrapping—pretend like it was three days!) Take the role of the guards at Jesus’ tomb. Stand guard at the oven.

Let the rolls cool slightly. Open your crescent rolls and discover that Jesus is no longer there,


HE IS RISEN!!!! (The marshmallow melts and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty.)

Jesus is Risen! Now read Matthew 28:5-8; Mark 16:4-8; Luke 24:1-6; John 20:1-18; Isaiah 25:8

Precious Sunday Prayer

Happy Sonday ladies, and as I was praying, I am thinking oh to be like thee, wow, we are suppose to be like Christ, but I fall so short, he sweat drops of blood when he was praying, now that is some intense prayer. I think our prayers are too short, and to generic, I like to pray in the Spirit, and it really takes some time to do that, once we rattle on and then be still is when God usually takes over, and leads us what to pray. So many times our prayers are so selfish and superficial, that is when we must say, Lord teach us to pray. Then we will get down to serious business with our heavenly Father. Well not sure how I got off on that, just kinda spewed out. Guess the Lord was talking to me, praise God I do hear that still small voice.



I hope and pray you are all well this wonderful Lord's Day, my dh is not feeling well, we did not make it church, he started last night just shaking and freezing, I have never seen him like that, but after many covers, and some hot tea he seemed warm up and settle down, he is still not well, he is very weak feeling, I checked on him a few minutes ago and made sure he was still breathing, amen... So pray for him if you think about it, and I hope your day with your church family is a wonderful one, and that your cup will be filled, and running over, and that your soul will be so blessed to have heard the word of God.
 
Psalm 122:1 "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD."