Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. – Isaiah 53:4-6

My Lord, The ugliness of this season is all to clear. Isaiah speaks primarily not of Your seen suffering of the wrath of man but of Your unseen suffering of the wrath of God. Being smitten by God, being pierced for our transgression and being crushed for our iniquities speaks of a nearly unbearable pain. As we read that Your punishment brought us peace and Your wounds brought us healng we are reminded of why You needed to do it. The mess that is us. Like stinky directionless smelly sheep we have gone astray. Everything that was wrong with us was loaded on to You. We are now standing in grace and forgiveness. Wow. What a Savior You are.

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. – 2 Corinthians 5:14‭-‬15 ESV

Lord please forgive me when I am not contrained or controlled by Your love. I tend to live for myself rather than for You, the One who died for me and rose again. I have a propensity for selfishness, to seek only  what I want. My sinfulness expressed by my selfishness has caused my life to have the problems it has. My mess is  caused by my messiness. I need more than just forgiveness. I need deliverance. May I live out the words “therefore all have died” everyday this week by counting my sinful self dead and thus powerless to dominate me. In Your name I pray. Amen.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…..This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.1 Timothy 2:1‭, ‬3‭-‬6 ESV

God My Savior, What is Your desire, Your divine wish? Is it not that all men be saved and come to the knowlege of the truth?  Not some, all. You made it possible for all men to be saved by sending Jesus to give Himeself a ransom for all. Not some, all. Jesus, Our Mediator, Your Son, provided salvation for all men because You desire all men to be saved. Not some, all. Lord, it is both an obligation and a priviledge for us to partner with You in this divine wish. We must pray for all, preach to all and pay for all to hear Your life changing message of the cross and for them to be saved. Not some, all. May this mission not our mess be our focus. Not some, all. In Jesus name.  Amen.

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. – Philippians 3:17‭-‬19

Heavenly Father, Because of the cross I can choose not to be captivated by earthly thing. Because of the cross I can choose not to glory in the things that are shameful to You. Because of the cross I can choose not to be ruled by my appetites making my belly my god. Because of Your work in me I am a friend of the cross. I embrace what it stands for and I love the Savior who hung there for me. In His name. Amen

¹ Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:1–2 (ESV)

My Lord, It seems abundantly clear to me that I stink. That is to say that in and of my own self because of my sin my spiritual odor is hideous. The rot of my transgressions and the stench of my iniquity figuratively speaking surely are vile to the nostrils of a holy God. In and of my self I am as rotting flesh and a decaying corpse. But Christ!!! The beauty of His cross can not be overstated. In it He gave His perfect self up for us out of perfect love. What He did is described as  a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God. In contrast to me and my sin, His perfect offering is a good and pleasant smell to God. In other words, the perfume of the cross that now works for me replaces the stench of death that in the past worked in me. Thank You Lord that because of the cross I smell good.

For Such a Time as ThisA

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…                1 Corinthians 15:3‭-‬4

God, I thank you today that the gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is not new. It has been passed to us through the Apostles of our Lord. They in turn got it via revelation from You. But the revelation began with Your holy Scriptures, the Ancient prophecies. These prophecies point to the seed of a woman who would crush Satan’s head, who would be from the nation of Israel whose founder is Abraham, to bless all the nations of the earth, who would be from the tribe of Judah, who would be from the family of David out of the town of Bethlehem, from a virgin girl. This passed down, prophesied, gospel was all planned well in advance, from the foundation of the world. It is ancient yet relevant, it is old but makes us new. It is a plan for all mankind but it is personal to me. It is so  complicated a scholar can’t connect all the dots but so simple someone with childlike faith  can understand and  believe and be saved. Today that someone is me. Thank you for the passed down, prophesied, planned gospel that has saved me through Jesus Christ, Amen

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. – 1 Corinthians 2:2-3

Dear Heavenly Father, When I am tempted to get fancy in my presentation of the gospel may I be reminded to know nothing among the lost but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. When I get reliant on visual images and videos may I be jolted so that I determine to know nothing among the lost but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Should I find myself pushing myself, my Church or my denomination please call to my remembrance that I am to know nothing among the lost but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Should I back away from the cross or the necessity of a blood atonement  or should I began to compromise and fail to but the cross as a central element of my theology may I hear Your Holy Spirit shouting through the pen of the Apostle Paul that I am to know nothing among the lost but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Amen.