Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 9:25‭-‬26 

Lord, You have provided such an amazing path to Yourself. The New Covenant in Your blood is so incredible. Your sacrifice is not one that covers my sin for a year but  it is one that cancels my sin forever. It is not like the animal sacrifices repeatedly daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. It is a once for all sacrifice.  It’s an eternal sacrifice made by an eternal person, You Lord Jesus, to secure for us, for me, an eternal salvation. Hallelujah. What a Savior. 

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” – 1 Corinthians 1:18

Lord, the world just doesn’t get it. When I speak of Your cross and the salvation found through its work they find my words foolishness. They think serious followers of Yours are fanatics.They find our faith in Your blood sacrifice offensive. Thank You that the preaching of Your cross is the power of God. Thank you that the message of Your cross changes lives, that it changed and is changing my life. Thank You that those who meet You at Your cross are never the same. Thank You that it doesn’t matter that the wise of this world find the cross foolishness. You have made their wisdom to be foolishness by what you’ve done in countless  lives through centuries. Thank You that my life is one of those lives. In Your Name I pray. Amen

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But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. – Galatians 6:14 

Lord, there are so many things I take pride in, so many things I want others to know I have accomplished. Thank you Lord for Your cross. It reminds me that it is not about what I have done, am doing or will do. It is about what You alone have done! Your work on the cross accomplished my redemption and provided salvation for all who have placed their faith in You. By it the world has been crucified to me. It has nothing to offer me. It is dead to me. I have also been crucified to the world. I need not  seek it’s approval. It is only in the cross of Christ that  I make my boast. This season may my heart and mind be occupied with these three crucifixions, My Savior on the Cross, the world to me and me to the world. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies… 2 Corinthians 4:10

Lord may I never forget your death for me. Beyond that Lord may I always keep it in mind not morabidly but victoriously. Not morbidly because You willingly died for me. No one took Your life. You gave it up willingly for me.Victoriously because as I focus on Your death for my sin  I am reminded that I am dead to sin.  I can now began living for you because sin has no power over me. It need not reign in me.  Because of Your death, Your cross, I’m free from the slavery to sin. May I apply daily the freedom from sin found in the cross. In Your Name I pray, Amen.

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Friday, March 3rd, 2017

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” – Colossians 2:13‭-‬14 ESV

Dear Lord, We wish didnt stumble.  We wish we didn’t sin and fall short of Your glory, Your divine standard. We wish we didn’t trespass, stepping out of the divine boundaries often on purpose. We wish we weren’t twisted, messed up inside and out. Lord, You tell us that the wages of our sin is death, separation from You both know and eternally. Lord, I had one big debt with You. Thank you for canceling my record of debt, my I.O. U. with You for my sins past, present and future. Thank You for nailing my debt to Your cross and paying for it all with Your precious blood and life. I can never repay You my Savior. Your love is so amazing, so divine, it demands my heart, my life, my all. In Your Name we pray. Amen.

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

Lord, as we focus on you, may your love for us control us. May we be constrained and motivated by your love for us as we meditate on the cross. You died for us, for our sins, for our salvation, in our place, to bring us to God. Tomorrow may I love you more as I think about your love for me. May my love for you be reflected in my obedience to you and my service for you  not just by words to you. In your Name  I pray. AMEN.

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From Dr. Ray Pritchard

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