The Cross, The Blood, The Love
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened
not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before
her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Isaiah 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who
shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out
of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Isaiah 53:9 And he made his grave with the
wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his mouth.
The old rugged cross
ON a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame,
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it some day for a crown.
2 O 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
3 To the old rugged cross I will ever be true,
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then he'll call me some day to my home far away
Where his glory for ever I'll share.
George Bennard (1873-1958)
What words, what a song, it touches me each time I hear it sung,
the words are powerful, it carries a strong message.
How many are there who are true to The Cross, and who carry the
cross without complaint.
Who of us deny ourselves, and just live for Jesus, how many of us
have this Love that Jesus has!!!
A true communist, lives to die, he or she will live expecting to
die for their cause, but a true Christian will die to live!!! What a big
difference, as a true Christian will die to himself or herself, so that Jesus
will be glorified, and only Jesus glorified!!!!
What attraction has the Cross for us, that
is for you and me, do we follow Jesus cheerfully, or do we try and get out of
carrying our Cross, and maybe take the easy way out. Maybe
taking short cuts in our different lives, to by pass the difficult things in
our life, and to each of us that is different.
The Cross being an emblem of suffering and
pain, but not sickness, as some seem to think, but the pain of being crucified
with Christ, forsaking ourselves, to win souls for the Kingdom. The pain of
rejection from those we care about, and the misunderstandings that each of us
suffer, sometimes the fault of ourselves or just misunderstandings, because we
are doing what the Holy Spirit has asked us to do for the Kingdoms sake.
Those who live for, and to themselves, shall lose their Heavenly
Eternal life with God the Father, but the ones who die to themselves for the
sake of the
Is this worth it our discomforts that others will have Eternal
Life, only you and I know what God wants each one of us to do for others
Matthew 16:24-25 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his
life for my sake shall find it.
John 15:13-14 Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye
do whatsoever I command you.
That love described by its actings, how are we, that is you and me, acting out our love for others,
do we consider others when we see them in need. Do we consider our friends in
every day activities, how do we treat our friends? Do we place ourselves in the
other persons shoes, and feel how they feel, to share
their pain and their troubles, or do we hide.
It is so easy to share another's joy, their laughter, but when they
are in trouble where are we?
1 John 3:16-17 Hereby perceive we the love
of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our
lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth
up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth
the love of God in him?
Matthew Henry's Notes 1 John 3:16: Verses 16-21. Here is the
condescension, the miracle, the mystery of Divine love, that God would redeem
the church with his own blood. Surely we should love those whom God has loved,
and so loved. The Holy Spirit, grieved at selfishness, will leave the selfish
heart without comfort, and full of darkness and terror. By what can it be known
that a man has a true sense of the love of Christ for perishing sinners, or
that the love of God has been planted in his heart by the Holy Spirit, if the
love of the world and its good overcomes the feelings of compassion to a
perishing brother?
The Lamb to the Slaughter, what a way to describe Jesus, as He went
to the cross to die, just the same way a sheep would go if it was being
slaughtered. No fuss, no fighting to save His life, no calling on the Angels to
stop the pain and humiliation He was suffering. Just being led like a lamb,
without even a murmur, how many of us squeal and carry on, when we are done an
injustice, how we make sure we justify ourselves over small matters.
The pain the agony of the cross, the humiliation of being on the
cross naked in front of His friends and family, the agony of the nails holding
Jesus to the Cross, the bitter, grievous, unpalatable pain.
Wouldn't matter how many words, or what words I use to describe the
pain Jesus suffered none of them would go near to what He really suffered for
us, that is you and me, let us make this personal, as it is very personal!!!!
It was not only the nails that held Jesus to the Cross, it was His
Love for each of us, that is you and me, that held Him
to the Cross. In fact it was His Love alone that held Jesus to the Cross of
Calvary
He did not suffer for Himself, but for us, that is you and me!!! So
that you and myself could have Life and have it more abundantly!!! John 10:10b
The stripes, The scourging, Jesus
suffered, was for the healing of our sicknesses, so we would have good health,
by His stripes we ARE HEALED!!
How many Christians reject God's Word here when it comes to our
health, Jesus paid a high price for our health, and we are not agreeing with
God, in what He says!!!
Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He
was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our
well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
HOW MUCH LOVE OF JESUS HAVE YOU TO SPARE TO SHARE
HAVE A BLESSED CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION WEEKEND!!!
WE DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE SOME ONE NAIL
Our life can make a difference to this world for good or for the worst, Jesus gave His Life to make our life the better. How
is your life making a difference to others???
Shalom my friends, have peace and joy and
reverence this weekend, for the one who did so much for us!!!!
Love Ivan
