1 Peter 3:18

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh.

The cross of Calvary appeals to us in power, affording a reason why we should love our Saviour, and why we should make Him first and last and best in everything. We should take our fitting place in humble penitence at the foot of the cross. Here, as we see our Saviour in agony, the Son of God dying, the just for the unjust, we may learn lessons of meekness and lowliness of mind. Behold Him who with one word could summon legions of angels to His assistance, a subject of jest and merriment, of reviling and hatred. He gives Himself a sacrifice for sin. When reviled, He threatens not; when falsely accused, He opens not His mouth. He prays on the cross for His murderers. He is dying for them; He is paying an infinite price for every one of them. He bears the penalty of man's sins without a murmur. And this uncomplaining victim is the Son of God. His throne is from everlasting, and His kingdom shall have no end.

Come, you who are seeking your own pleasure in forbidden joys and sinful indulgences, you who are scattering from Christ, look upon the cross of Calvary; behold the royal victim suffering on your account, and while you have opportunity be wise, and seek the fountain of life and true happiness. Come, you who complain and murmur at the little inconveniences and the few trials you must meet in this life, look on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. He turned from His royal throne, His high command, and, laying aside His divinity, clothed Himself with humanity. For our sakes He was rejected and despised; He became poor that we through His poverty might be made rich. Can you, beholding by the eye of faith the sufferings of Christ, tell your trials, your tale of woe? Can you nurse revenge in your heart while you remember the prayer that came from the pale and quivering lips of Christ for His revilers, his murderers: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do"?

There is a work before us to subdue the pride and vanity that seek a place in our hearts, and through penitence and faith to bring ourselves into familiar and holy converse with Christ. . . . We must deny self, and fight continually against pride. We must hide self in Jesus, and let Him appear in our character and conversation. While we look constantly to Him whom our sins have pierced and our sorrows have burdened, we shall acquire strength to be like Him. Our lives, our deportment, will testify how highly we prize our Redeemer, and the salvation He has wrought out for us at such a cost to Himself. And our peace will be as a river while we bind ourselves in willing, happy captivity to Jesus (Signs of the Times, Mar. 17, 1887).

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Happy Sabbath to all of God's Children. As I was reading for part of my devotions this morning I read the above quote from the "Pen of Inspiration". This had touched my heart this morning. I have read this before but for some reason this morning this passage has a bright light around it for me. As we all know Satan loves for us to think of the things that have been done to us unfairly in this world. I sure have had my share as I know you all have...Satan loves for me to ask myself, "if Jesus loves you so much Avalee why did He let this happen to you...why did He not set things right for you?" I praise God that those questions do not come up in my mind as much as they use to. These are God's problems...not mine. I did my part in whatever the problem might be...and now it is in His hands. He knows how to take care of it all....I MUST trust in Him to take care of HIS children in the way HE knows how. I know what I would do....but maybe that is not the correct way to straighten out the problem at hand. It has been a very very hard lesson for me to learn..my prayer is that each time something comes my way I am able to do what I know is the right thing and leave the rest of it all up to God. When I do not leave it at the foot of the cross for Jesus to handle my mind is all stirred up all the time...I do not have that "inner peace" that I have found by trusting and loving Jesus. Have a very blessed Sabbath Day everyone.

In The Blessed Hope

Avalee

Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

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In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl Fawcett :)

"If our eyes were fixed on Jesus as He died on Calvary; we'd see the perfect Son Of God giving life to you and me!" (E.G.White).

Oh praise the Lord! There was One without blame on the middle cross!

As the Bible puts it: Rom.5:10: "If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life!"

What does this verse mean to the Christian, in the year 2000?

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"The joy of the Lord will be your strength." (Neh.8:10).

Your brother in Christ

David T. Battler

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. Ps. 30:4, NKJV.

If we thought and talked more of Jesus, and less of ourselves, we should have much more of His presence. If we abide in Him, we shall be so filled with peace, faith, and courage, and shall have so victorious an experience to relate when we come to meeting, that others will be refreshed by our clear, strong testimony for God. These precious acknowledgements to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christlike life, have an irresistible power, which works for the salvation of souls.

The bright and cheerful side of religion will be represented by all who are daily consecrated to God. We should not dishonor our Lord by a mournful relation of trials that appear grievous. All trials that are received as educators will produce joy. The whole religious life will be uplifting, elevating, ennobling, fragrant with good words and works. The enemy is well pleased to have souls depressed, downcast; he desires unbelievers to gain wrong impressions regarding the effect of our faith. But God desires the mind to take a higher level. He desires every soul to triumph in the keeping power of the Redeemer. . . .

In the gracious blessings which our heavenly Father has bestowed upon us, we may discern innumerable evidences of a love that is infinite, and a tender pity surpassing a mother's yearning sympathy for her wayward child. When we study the divine character in the light of the cross, we see mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness blended with equity and justice. In the language of John we exclaim, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." We see in the midst of the throne One bearing in hands, and feet, and side the marks of the suffering endured to reconcile man to God, and God to man. Matchless mercy reveals to us a Father, infinite, dwelling in light unapproachable, yet receiving us to Himself through the merits of His Son. The cloud of vengeance which threatened only misery and despair in the reflected light from the cross reveals the writing of God: "Live, sinner, live! ye penitent and believing souls, live! I have paid a ransom."

We must gather about the cross. Christ and Him crucified must be the theme of contemplation, of conversation, and of our most joyful emotion. We should have special praise services for the purpose of keeping fresh in our thoughts everything that we receive from God, and of expressing our gratitude for His great love, and our willingness to trust everything to the hand that was nailed to the cross for us. . . . We should learn to talk the language of Canaan, to sing the songs of Zion (Southern Watchman, Mar. 7, 1905).

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I received such a blessing from this today I wanted to share with all of you.

In The Blessed Hope

Avalee

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

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In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. 1 John 3:1

Through the merits of Christ, through His righteousness, which by faith is imputed unto us, we are to attain to the perfection of Christian character. Our daily and hourly work is set forth in the words of the apostle: "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." While doing this our minds become clearer and our faith stronger, and our hope is confirmed; we are so engrossed with the view of His purity and loveliness, and the sacrifice He has made to bring us into agreement with God, that we have no disposition to speak of doubts and discouragements.

The manifestation of God's love, His mercy and His goodness, and the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart to enlighten and renew it, place us, through faith, in so close connection with Christ that, having a clear conception of His character, we are able to discern the masterly deceptions of Satan. Looking unto Jesus and trusting in His merits we appropriate the blessings of light, of peace, of joy in the Holy Ghost. And in view of the great things which Christ has done for us, we are ready to exclaim: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God."

Brethren and sisters, it is by beholding that we become changed. By dwelling upon the love of God and our Saviour, by contemplating the perfection of the divine character and claiming the righteousness of Christ as ours by faith, we are to be transformed into the same image. Then let us not gather together all the unpleasant pictures--the iniquities and corruptions and disappointments, the evidences of Satan's power--to hang in the halls of our memory. . . .

There are, thank God, brighter and more cheering pictures which the Lord has presented to us. Let us group together the blessed assurances of His love as precious treasures, that we may look upon them continually. The Son of God leaving His Father's throne, clothing His divinity with humanity, that He might rescue man from the power of Satan; His triumph in our behalf, opening heaven to man, revealing to human vision the presence chamber where Deity unveils His glory; the fallen race uplifted from the pit of ruin into which sin had plunged them, and brought again into connection with the infinite God, and, having endured the divine test through faith in our Redeemer, clothed in the righteousness of Christ and exalted to His throne--these are the pictures with which God bids us gladden the chambers of the soul.

And "while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen," we shall prove it true that "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17, 18) (Testimonies, vol. 5, pp. 744, 745)

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Amen...what beautiful promises from our Lord Jesus Christ...Happy Sabbath to all.

In The Blessed Hope

Avalee

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I bolded something that I wanted to find easily whenever I read this most excellent post.

[This message has been edited by Daryl Fawcett (edited September 10, 2000).]

For God sent not His Son to condemn (destroy) the world(us, the people of His creation)but, that the world through Him might be saved.
Jn.3:16,17

We forget that He came to 'seek and save that which is lost',Lk.19:10
The cross is the supreme example of love, He (Jesus) could have come down anytime, but, He chose to stay up there for you and for me.

The central theme of the cross, as I read it, is love. God's love..... for us.

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What is popular is not always right.
What is right is not always popular.
Gerry B.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

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In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl