PEACE WITH GOD
Suggested Reading: Colossians 1
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Located just outside the ancient walls of Jerusalem, this rock face is believed by many to be "Golgotha" or "The Place of the Skull" (Matt. 27:33), where Jesus was crucified. Isa 53:10 tells us that,"It pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand." God was "Pleased." "The pleasure of the Lord." What a sublime mystery! Let's think deeply about this.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Colossians 1:19-20
For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Just in case we might miss Paul’s main theme for this letter, he repeats the Name of Jesus, or a personal pronoun referring to Jesus, about 30 times in today’s reading. Jesus is the Lord of creation (1:16-17), the Source of reconciliation (1:20-22), the reason for the believer’s hope (1:5, 1:23, 27), the strength to live a new life (1:11 & 29), our Redeemer (1:14), 100% fully God (1:15 & 19), the reason the cosmos exists and holds together (1:16, 17), the Head of the Church, the resurrected One, the preeminent Person in the universe (1:18), the Peacemaker between God and humanity (1:20), and the One who works mightily in us (1:29). Do we have the message clearly in our minds and hearts? God’s answer to human need is “Jesus.” We got this fact as children in Sunday School. We may remember that when the teacher asked a question, we would guess the answer was “Jesus.” Jesus taught that we are to become as little children (Matthew 18:1-5). In contrast to the first Covenant of God with mankind, which we read about yesterday (about keeping laws and regulations), the New Covenant is all about a Person and a personal relationship with Him.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, I believe IN You, not just about You. I believe IN You as a bride believes in her man whom she meets at the altar of God. I give You, Lord, my entire life forever and ever. As Paul gave thanks and prayed consistently for the people of Colosse, even so I give thanks and pray for all my blog brothers and sisters. I’m praying from the “prayer book” of Colossians (1: 9-11), and I believe God says a resounding “YES!” to my prayers. Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I’ve attached a movie clip to the blog of what I believe is most powerful. It features actor Bruce Marchiano as Jesus, quoting the actual words of Jesus. The Apostle Matthew was Bruce’s script writer. Bruce has often guested on the 100 Huntley Street telecast. My mind is putting Colossians chapter one as an overlay to the movie scene. I am deeply moved! (Click here to watch a short video clip).
I have had the honour in several communities to serve as a Chaplain for veterans associations. Invariably, when I spoke at memorial services, I chose today’s key verse as my text. Those who gave their lives for our country have made a great sacrifice. Jesus gave His life to make peace with God and between all people groups. He “made peace through the blood of His cross.” I share the fact that each of us must receive Jesus into our lives in order to experience the peace Jesus wants us to have. Many veterans and their family members have done this right there at the memorial service.
Yours for knowing and experiencing who Jesus is,
David
I really like the upbeat stride that Paul takes in Collossians 1. You can clearly see that Jesus comes first and foremost in Paul’s preaching and in his life. This was not a game that Paul was playing, nor was he dabbling in religion; to Paul, Jesus was life itself, the very reason for his existence and in his conveying the good news to others. Like Paul, we too have been handed a sacred trust, to know Jesus and to make Him known to a lost and weary world. As Christians living by God’s grace, ours is to honour that trust through our actions and in everything we do and say, today and every day,
Father God
I give you my entire life to you. Speak to me, and tell me what you want me to do
and where you want me to go. Mold me and shape me to be like you for your purpose
I want to see you and follow in your foot steps . I say Yes to you.
In Jesus name
Amen.
Your prayer reminds of the Grail Prayer that is in my prayer book
Lord Jesus
I give you my hands to do your work.
I give you my feet to go your way.
I give you my eyes to see as you do.
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind that you may think in me.
I give you my spirit that you may pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart that you may love in me
your Father and all humanity.
I give you my whole self that you may grow in me,
so that it is you, Lord Jesus, who lives and works and prays in me.
In your book, “This Far By Faith” your story struck me about the scientist who saw the universe so big that God could not possibly care for him. Then he received a telescope and it dawned on him how magnificent our God was to care about creation, even on a molecular, nano level, that God does care and knows us personally. It is so helpful to see Christ as the only answer possible in all the personal pronouns and discriptions of our Messiah. To experience a personal, new covanant relationship with Jesus Christ, provides more strength and comfort than any intellectual or earthly comforts imaginable! He IS the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIGHT! Have a great day, fellow bloggers!
David: A sweet memory just came to me : Glen Rutledge, Bob McDougald and I + a whole mission team went to Ireland to minister on the theme “Peace Through the Blood of His Cross”, your blogs theme verse for today. I wrote a worship chorus for the team to sing in the meetings every night, entitled “Peace Through the Blood of His Cross”. What an impact that ministry had to such a war torn country.
Thanks for your blog today, reminding me of that wonderful time of ministry in Ireland so many years ago.
Love and prayers!
Lorne M.
Jesus paid the full price of our salvation so He is able to” save to the uttermost.” Trust all is well everyone.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus……the sweetest name I know.
Praise, Honour and Glory to The One who paid my debt IN FULL!!
Blessings to everyone today. Praying you are feeling better Pastor David.
Amazing Love! Jesus did it all!
I have a love for Jesus,
His name, it is so great!
There is no other love than Jesus,
That leads me to be saved.
Shout out your love for Jesus,
Your fears will melt away.
Sing loud, in praise of Jesus,
Calling glory to His name.
We swam, this morning, in the choppy, stormy water of Lake Ontario. The skies were dark and tarry, but not quite ready to poor down. I had the love of God and light of Christ in my heart, and kept singing in my head, the entire way, over and over again. ‘Lord, God, I love you. To You, do I praise. Thank you, Lord, my Saviour, for giving me this day.’ There is nothing as beautiful, quite so splendid, as keeping our minds and focus on Jesus, the entire way, and letting go of all fear. He is our rock and our salvation. He is our strength and our sword. To Him be all the glory and praise.
God bless you, fellow saints!
Forgive my typo… pour down.
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Saviour
I come to Thee.
I need thee every hour, teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.
I need Thee every hour Most Holy One
Oh make me Thine indeed, Thou Blessed Son.
So beautiful, Sherry!! God bless you!!
Having just read the comments over from yesterday, I would like to thank everyone for your loving remarks. I had replied to Donna’s beautiful and uplifting poem, but failed to know of comments from regular blog sisters and brothers. My heartfelt thanks to all of you.
I must confess, I became very down once arriving home, this week. Upon learning of Heather’s passing, I was happy for her because I know she is at peace with our Lord. And yet, it took me back to losing my dear sister, Laura, to cancer, 16 years ago. I look at her photo, now. She was the closest person to me in life. Alas, we must move forward.
In addition, I received unsettling news about something else that really affected and got the better of me. It was this blog that put me back to feeling safe in the arms of Jesus and in the comfort of fellow saints that trust and know God’s mercy. God bless each and every one of you. You, indeed, are in my prayers of thanks to our Lord. With a humble heart.
I say AMEN to all the comments this morning!!!
Such Love, such wondrous Love,
Such Love, such wondrous Love
That God could love a sinner such as I
How wonderful is love like this!!!!
Have a great day blog buddies.
Beautiful comments this morning. I love the book of Colossians verse 27,’Christ in me the hope of Glory’ is one of my special verses. What a wonderful realization that Christ chooses to live in us. What strength this gives to living a life worthy of our Lord.
Bless all of you who blog such encouraging words and blessings to David for his devotion day by day.
Dear David M.
Thankyou so much for todays daily prayer .As Ive been working on writing my personal covenant with God to have it included in my will your prayer today is guiding me on how to include prayers for my family , my friends ,my neighborhood ,this province of Quebec in great need of salvationin in this sad secular environment., this country of Canada and may I say the whole world . Let us shout praise ,repent and turn to THE ONE and ONLY SOLID ROCK, SHINING LIGHT ,UNFAILING LOVE
JESUS…..
Have a blessed day everyone
xxxx Carole.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in Him. Psalm 118:24
Praise Him!!!
Blessings to you David Mainse and all fellow bloggers!!!
We so appreciate your 100words and everyone’s comments!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
God’s Peace to everyone!!
Nancy
“Jesus’ Blood never failed me yet, never failed me yet.
Jesus’ Blood never failed me yet,
This one thing I know,
For He loves me so.”
Inspiring words and song of a homeless “tramp” walking the streets of London. Tune recorded by Gavin Bryers in 1971. Clink on the link below to listen to a moving expression of pure faith in Jesus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv21fXVCGRA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
🙂