Three Men on Crosses: The Gospel in its Simplest Form

Luke 23:32-43

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him, along with the criminals-one on His right, the other on His left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” The soldiers came up and mocked Him. They offered Him wine vinegar and said, “If You are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”There was a written notice above Him, which reads: This is the king of the Jews. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: “Aren’t You the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”  But the other criminal rebuked Him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.”

 

This year at Easter I was struck by the simple significance of the three crosses of Calvary.  I have glossed over this part of the Easter story many times without really thinking about it, but this year I had to pause and reflect on its significance. 

 

First it’s significant because of what Jesus did while on the cross, second it’s significant because of what the other 2 crosses symbolize, and lastly it’s significant because of what it represents for me, and the world, today.

Giving Thanks

This year I am especially thankful for three things.  As it turns out these three things are the Trinity: The Holy Spirit, The Son, and The Father. 

1.) I am thankful for the Holy Spirit.  1 Corinthians 2 talks about the Spirit of God, verses 10-12 say:

“The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”

Verse 14 goes on to say:

“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

I am thankful that I have the Holy Spirit to reveal to me the mysteries of God.  I am thankful that my very first memory was accepting Christ and therefore I can say that I can’t remember a time in my life that I wasn’t guided by God’s Spirit.

2.) I am also thankful for Jesus Christ, the Word of God.  Not only did He die to set me free but He sustains me daily.  I have some friends living overseas in a Muslim nation.  Last Spring a Muslim woman first believed in Jesus.  This fall a friend of hers asked her what her favorite book was.  To this she declared “the New Testament!”  Her friend asked “why are you reading that book?” The woman replied “you wouldn’t ask a starving man why he is eating; this book has changed my life!” 

The Word of God has changed my life.  Jesus is the Bread of Life and I am thankful for Him.

3.) Lastly, I am thankful for God the Father.  I am thankful that my God, my Father, loves me and desires a relationship with me.  My same friend living overseas had a spiritual conversation with a Muslim man about God.  At the end of the conversation my friend asked “what do you think about God?”  The man replied “I do not want to believe in a God who is angry all the time.”  My friend replied, “what about a God that loves you and wants a relationship with you?”  This concept was completely foreign to the man.  He did not know why God would love him or want a relationship with him.

I am thankful that I know God as my Father.  I am thankful that I have experienced His love and that I know Him in a personal way.  I am thankful that I can pray to Him and know that He hears and will answer.

Thank You God for being God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Thank you for how intimate and personal You are.  For Your willingness to make known to us Your thoughts and the secrets of Your heart.  Thank You that You invite us into relationship with You through Your word and that You are the Bread of Life.  Thank you that you are not distant and angry, but present and loving.  Thank You that You listen to our prayers and answer them.  You are my tender and loving Father and my fierce and trustworthy protector.  I am thankful that You chose me. I love You! -Bethany

Standing On The Promises of God

Things I'm Thankful For

A cozy corner in the morning

 

 

A warm fireplace

 

  

Blooms on my hibiscus

  

 

 

Buds on my hibiscus

  

 

  

A God who loves me

Prayer For Contentment

Dear Lord,
Teach me true contentment.  Teach me to be so fully satisfied in you that I am content in myself, content in my things, and content in my situation.  Teach me to trust you, knowing that everything that I desire, really may not meet my needs.  Help me to seek first Your Kingdom, and You’ll provide for me.”  Teach me to live simply.  “To be content with what I own, and generous in giving.  And when I cling to what I have, please wrest it quickly from my grasp.” May I live as though You are enough for me.   “If you take it all, this You’ve given, still me heart will sing for You” because “I am Yours.”

Amen

More On Christ’s Return

As I was talking with my parents one night the topic of Christ’s return came up.  During the conversation my mom made a comment stating how great it would be for Christ to return that week.  I responded by pointing to Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:14 (as I referred to in my previous post Come Lord Jesus, Come) and saying I don’t think He will be returning this week.  My dad jumped in the conversation and said, I am not so sure about that, there are a lot of theologians out there that think Christ could return anytime.  Although I don’t disagree with my dad (Christ could return anytime, it just depends on what Jesus meant by “the whole world” and “the nations” in Matthew 24:14) I do think that God’s purposes on earth have not yet been accomplished; and thus I think Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:14 have yet to be completed. 

One of the reasons I think this is found in Revelation 7:9-10:

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”

 

My Testimony

I had to write out my testimony for a class I am taking at Church.  So since it is all written out I thought I might as well share it on here as well.  It's the condensed version, but it will do.

I have been extremely blessed in my spiritual walk.  Ever since I can remember I have been a follower of Christ.  Literally, my first memory is asking Jesus into my life.  On February 18, 1991, when I was 2 years old, I accepted Christ’s invitation to become my savior.  As a 2 year old, I can’t say that my life was noticeably changed as a result of accepting Christ, but I can say that my life wouldn’t be the same if I hadn’t.

I have attended New Covenant my whole life and have grown up in a home where Christ was modeled.  Even before I was old enough to fully understand the gospel, God used my family and New Covenant to speak to me and draw me to Himself.  I accepted Christ on a Wednesday night after my older brother came home from Awanas.  I remember laying in my mom’s room reading books before bed, my brother on her left and myself on her right.  Then I remember my brother wanting to ask Jesus into his heart, so my mom prayed with him and then we all sang “Come into my heart, come into my heart, come into my heart Lord Jesus.  Come in today.  Come in to stay.  Come into my heart Lord Jesus.”  After my brother accepted Christ I remember wanting to accept Christ too.  So my mom prayed with me and we all sang “Come Into My Heart” again.

This is the testimony I shared when I was baptized in 5^th grade.  Afterwards my mom asked me if that was really how I remembered accepting Christ, because that was not how she remembered it.  She told me that she prayed with Jordan on the night that I remember (although he does not remember this night at all) and that she prayed with me about 6 months later.  She said one night as she was tucking me into bed I seemed sad.  When she asked me what was wrong I replied that I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart like Jordan did.  That may be the night she remembers praying with me, however it was the first night, on February 18^th, that I truly said yes to God (even though on that night my mom had no idea I was even listening to her and Jordan’s conversation).

It still amazes me that God sought me out at such a young age and I am grateful that He has blessed me with knowing Him.  Since I first asked Jesus into my life I have steadily grown in my relationship with Him.  He has given me a love for reading His word and has used it to influence me in countless ways.  Without Christ in my life I wouldn’t have the confidence, peace, or contentment that He has instilled in me.