Friday, February 5, 2016
Two topics which are not mentioned as much in churches as they should, or used to be, are blood and the cross of Jesus. I understand that, humanly speaking, these are not pretty sights but were it not for Calvary and the blood of Jesus, not only would we all still be lost, I wouldn’t even be writing this blog today. If your church uses a hymnal, go over the list of hymns and see how many of them have them as part of their title. I don’t know about the cross, but I know for a fact that some church hymnals don’t have any hymns with the word “blood” in the title.
Because the cross of Christ is the central theme of the Bible, Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God, for I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Cor. 2:1-2) The Corinthian church, like so many church members today, got caught up on how eloquent or appealing their preachers and teachers were. They were captivated by those who could fantasize their message telling them things they wanted to hear. Not realizing it, they were straying from the meat of the gospel message. That’s why Paul had to remind them in essence: “Hey folks, lets get back to the basics.”
Like many churches today, we don’t sing “The Old Rugged Cross” very often but when we do, it is rare when I can sing the entire hymn without my voice cracking. I can’t speak for everybody, of course, but I believe this happens when we dwell on it’s message and visualize the scene in our hearts and minds. The thought of the blood or the cross of Christ may be repulsive to many, but to God’s genuine children, they are beautiful.
Memory verse for the week (1 Peter 1:22) “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.”
Note: Speaking of the “Old Rugged Cross” Check this link out. You’ll be glad you did.
