All in The Cross

There Has Been No Murder

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , The Cross

I am resting in the shadow of the cross this morning. My thoughts are on Jesus, the cross, and what that moment in human history, when Jesus Christ hung from it, means to you, me, and the world. Jesus was not a victim, the cross was not imposed upon Him. Jesus, the lamb of God, did not come to this world to perform some deed that was cut short by a Roman cross, He came as a sacrifice for our sins, and we were graced with three years of His life so that we would know beyond any doubt that this man was indeed the Son of God, and learn lessons regarding the new covenant that we could not know otherwise.

Picking up our Cross, and Saving the Lost Souls of the World

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , The Cross

We hear the words of Jesus as He tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him, but what is He is really asking us to do? Is Jesus telling us we are to suffer and die for God, or for Him? I don’t think so, and His life, death and resurrection give us the answer. Jesus came because God loved us, and to redeem us from sin and death. He suffered and went to the cross in obedience to God’s will, but that will was for our redemption. The cross of Christ on Calvary was an unrivaled display of love for you and me; so our crosses should be a continuation of God’s love for man through us... just as it was through Christ.

Christ’s Cross on Calvary - our “Thermos Paradox”, and the Battery of our Faith

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional , The Cross

As Easter draws closer day by day does the power of God rise up in us as we contemplate Calvary, and the cross on which Jesus was nailed for us? How is it that these two pieces of rough wood, and three Roman nails, can become the battery that electrifies one’s faith, and saves those who believe, yet means nothing to others who are dying in their disbelief?

Pick up your Cross; the instrument of your Death, and Eternal Life in Glory

Richard Forbes
The Cross, Daily Devotion, Eternity, Christian

When we sit with a saint in their final hours of life and we witness the struggle as their body clings to life, we are inclined to wonder why they are being allowed to suffer in this way. Then, as they take their final breath, and the raspy rattle of death in their breathing grows silent, yielding to peace at last, we thank God for His mercy. Death comes in many forms yet whether in a slow release of breath, or in a sudden heart attack, there is pain, but then comes the peace, joy, and rest from the struggle. This is our homecoming with Christ; this is the transition from simply picking up our cross, to actually being placed upon it, and that which awaits us beyond.

The Albatross, the Locust Posts, and Grace in the Crucifixion of Christ

Richard Forbes
The Cross, Daily Devotion, Acceptance, Grace, Christian

There is sin in the life of each of us, and we struggle with it. What are we to do with this albatross that hangs around our neck? How can we free ourselves from the stench of it? With such a detestable burden, we are fortunate that God sent His Son Jesus to relieve us of it, but the cost to Himself was enormous. When we look at the passion of Christ do we see the enormity of the effort... the true grace revealed in His suffering?

Looking Out from our Cross at Victory!

Richard Forbes
Daily Devotion, Christian, Sin, Victory, The Cross

Are you a professed believer in Jesus Christ but still waiting on the victory? Have you made a conscious commitment to your faith, and yet the sins of the flesh still rule over you? Look to the cross for relief because in it the world has already been crucified to you, and in it lies your power over the sins of the flesh. You have picked up your cross but are yet to be crucified on it. Don’t look up to the cross... look out from it.

Jesus, The Vessel into which all Sin is poured

Richard Forbes
The Cross, Daily Devotion, Christian, Redemption, Sin, Grace

When we look around the world today we see such an overwhelming mess; killing, hatred, carnal sins of every description... the list seems to have no end, and it’s depth is bottomless. Becoming overwhelmed by Satan’s handiwork is easy, and letting it make us despondent, or allowing ourselves to be caught up in it can be equally easy. Is this world too big for God’s love and forgiveness? Is what we see too much for Jesus to carry onto the cross?