Fresh Manna 2009© By Renee Burt
Today is Good Friday, a day traditionally celebrated as the day that Jesus died on the cross. It was a day of supreme sacrifice…the Father offering up the life of His son, so all mankind could once again enjoy unbroken fellowship with Him. I was thinking about that and marveling at the great sacrifice He made. Because just the thought of having to see one of my children die on a cross, especially for people who were abusing him in every way possible, is an unbearable thought. But that’s what God did…willingly…from a heart of love, when we didn’t yet love Him…from a heart of forgiveness, before we ever said we were sorry …from a heart of mercy, when we didn’t deserve a shred of it. Sacrifice… such a huge sacrifice for me…and for you. If you’ll stop to think about it, it can’t help but make you want to know Him more…so you can experience a friendship with Him that Jesus’ death on the cross made possible. But that takes sacrifice on our part too…but such a small sacrifice…a simple sacrifice of our time to get to know Him daily through talking to Him in prayer, and then listening to Him speak to us through His Word. Sacrifice…such a small sacrifice to make for Him…what an amazing friendship as a result!
Romans 5:9-11 MSG ~ Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah
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Published by Pastor Tim Burt
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