THE CROSS ......WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE ?

When we reflect upon the CROSS of JESUS what do we see ? Jesus' resolve to go to the CROSS is powerful , life giving and world changing , what alternatively is our response ?
Take time to reflect and see yourself in this scene :It is in the crucified Christ that we see the immense love of a Saviour , there is nothing JESUS will not face , will not endure at the hands of His own creation.

But the cross reveals who we really are to , Judas : for whom money was more important than any relationship, perhaps the zealot who hopes to force Jesus' hand & manipulate Him into supporting his own ideology.Caiaphas; with his impeccable ecclesiastical logic that 'it is better for one man to die for the people'.
Pilate: the victim of circumstance- on the opposite side of the debate to Caiaphas but playing the same rules : someone's head must roll: if not Jesus it will be his own.
The cynical witnesses: who remembered only the incriminating words & forgot the message.
Peter with his inappropriate self-confidence.
The crowd: in it's mindless thirst for blood.
The soldiers :in their casual brutality.
The centurion: who admired from a distance.
The disciples who ran away.
We actually are all part of this human drama; there is a part in all of us which still says that the safest response to God is to kill Him whilst we have a chance, to get Him out of our lives, to make Him leave us alone, so we can have the security of our preferred politics, our 'cosy religion', our form of godliness but denying the power & His Lordship in our lives.

My cry this easter is to JESUS today :''Help us all not to run away, but to face the truth that our sin is more complicated, more insidious, more devastating than we could ever dream and that the CROSS JESUS died on is our only hope of forgiveness , healing , restoration , liberty , cleansing and eternal life with the Father .
Today .......this Easter ..... reach out to the only One Saviour of the world and be set free from yourself .

Every prayer & blessings to my readers over this Easter vigil & celebration.

1 Corinthians 1 :18 "FOR THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS IS FOOLISHNESS TO THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING, BUT TO US WHO ARE BEING SAVED IT IS THE POWER OF GOD".

PROMOTE THE CAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST PASSIONATELY

If you are not practicing servant heart characteristics , it is most probable that you are becoming self-serving, and that is a very sad state to find oneself in . The world is full of self-serving individuals who outrageously promote self-interest at the expense of many others ' basic needs, this behaviour is pandemic and really the only way out is through the cross of Jesus and a sense of deep repentence.Promote the cause of Jesus Christ and you will be less tempted to promote YOURSELF! Here are some thoughts to ponder: 1.With a cause , Samson won many battles ; without one (other than himself), he couldn't beat the temptation posed by Delilah. 2. With a God-given cause, Saul conquered the kingdom; without one , he could not conquer his own jealousy. 3. With God's cause, David conquered Goliath; wothout one, he could not conquer his own lust. 4. With a cause sent by God , Elijah prayed down fire from heaven and beat 450 prophets of Baal; without one, he ran in fear from a solitary woman called Jezebel. 5. With a 'JESUS - CENTRED' cause , Simon Peter preached at Pentecost and 3.000 people were saved; without one and thinking only of himself he denied that he even belonged to the crowd that followed Jesus. Today whose cause are you serving ? Are you only interested in "self -preservation" or the eternal , lifegiving cause of JESUS CHRIST? Read Matthew 7:15-20

WHAT DO YOU SEE ? WHAT DOES GOD SEE ?

At times our vision is so obstructed by our own issues that we miss a great work of God ,as well as inner promptings from The Holy Spirit. All kinds of issues hinder us seeing Gods'vision as He wants it to be, apathy, busyness, own ideas , default character traits (not in God), and straight out sin.In Ezekiel 37 God in effect asks the prophet what did he see ....a big question especially from God , the maker of heaven & earth.Ezekiel responds with a spiritually intelligent response in verse 3 :",'O LORD GOD ,YOU KNOW...."Today I believe God is asking His people what do you see ???The issue here is if we see what God sees then we will more likely act & respond the way JESUS would, in our planning , our thinking , our actions , our choices. Today pray that you might see what JESUS sees and compare that to your own vision(physically, emotionally,spiritually)! It is risky , it will take courage, and most certainly obedience, but it will be as light is to darkness and water in a desert. Read EZEKIEL 37 today and be inspired, dare to pray "Help me Jesus to see as you see" , then buckle up with prayer , the Word & opportunities. I SEE A MOUNTAIN, YOU SEE A MIRACLE. I SEE A WASTELAND , YOU SEE A GARDEN. I SEE DRY BONES , YOU SEE AN ARMY. I SEE OBSTACLES , YOU SEE OPPORTUNITIES . I SEE MY SIN , YOU SEE THE BLOOD. I SEE A BABY , YOU SEE THE SAVIOUR. I SEE FAILURE & FEAR , YOU SEE REDEMPTION. I SEE A BEGGAR , YOU SEE A CHILD YOU CREATED. Today people what do you see ????

DON't STAY STUCK.......(I am back)

I am finally back after some months of challenging circumstances.Today I want to encourage you to not get stuck in the trap of comparing past glories with present realities. This trap can entice you to interpret the future by your past . In Haggai 2:3 the prophet asks some pertinent questions ; ''Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory ? And how do you see it NOW ? The people are complaining in Haggai 1 that a) the job is too large,2)the resources are far too small, 3) what they will build will not be as great as in the past. God's response is in Haggai 2 is amazingly powerful 1)Let us work together, "I am with you..."v4,2 )do not be afraid , I have covenanted with you,3) I will fill my house with resources and shekinah glory v.8+9. Good intentions or even complaints will not build the church of Jesus Christ ,rather prayer , commitment, intentional obedience & sacrifice , faithfulness and so much more is non-negotiably required. Dear friend in Christ go from GLORY TO GLORY ... NOT GLORY TO INERTIA OR GUTTER, Jesus needs His church to be "ON" in this season of history , we cannot afford to fumble this eternal baton . As Haggai asked "WHAT DO YOU SEE NOW ?'' The obstacles or the opportunities propelled by the power of JESUS . Blessings upon my readers today . MARNEY