Dont talk to me about religion he said. I grew up in church and my father was the pastor, I know the theology. Ive read both the Old and New Testaments. Ive heard about the Holy Ghost, grace, and Baptism. I know about Sunday attendance. Pretty songs. Faithful tithing and giving, big choirs, leather bibles, golden crosses, stained glass windows. You all are just a bunch of hypocrites. Church is just a crutch. Tell me the part that matters. Dont beat around the bush, get to the heart of it. I wont to know if anything in that Bible you hold in your hands really counts. If it does tell me. Perhaps you have wondered about that question. What really matters? Among all the dos and donts found in the bible, what is indispensable? What really matters. Maybe you have gone through the acts of religion and faith and yet found yourself on the outside standing by a dry well. No rivers of flowing water for you. Prayers seem empty.You find yourself saying Is this all there is? Theres got to be more, tell me what really matters. Well I have good news for you. The apostle Paul would like to share with you what he said in 1 Corinthians, chapter 15. For I delivered to you as of FIRST IMPORTANCE what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. That he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. That is first importance according to Paul. You dont have to deal with the garden of Eden, Moses, Noah, or any others at this time. But what Paul talks about here, you cant get away from. He states it plainly. Jesus was killed, buried, and resurrected. Thats the part that really matters at this moment. No more and no less. Im talking about the cross of Christ. You can despised it, gold-plate it and hang it around your neck. But you cant ignore it. Once youve heard it message a decision is made. You either embrace it or you turn and walk away from it. But you cant ignore it. Maybe this is not new news to you. Perhaps you have seen it, maybe you have worn it, thought about it, or even prayed to it. But I ask you Do you know it. this piece of wood called the old rugged cross and the man that died upon it, is what really matters. Lets look at it one more time before you accept it or reject it. Being religious without knowing the cross is like by a new car with no motor, looks good, but where is the power? So in several of our next post we will go back to the cross and see what really matters. PS. Thought I better correct something before my inbox fills up. When I said you dont have to worry about other things in the bible at this time. It was because if you dont have the message of the cross rooted deep in your heart, they wont mean much to you anyhow. On the other hand, once the message of the cross has pierced your soul, every word in the Bible will be bread for your hungry soul.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 23:46:07 +0000