Why did Jesus have to die?

Dear Blogger Friends,

Here is your inspirational message below!

 

We remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ who died on an excruciatingly painful Roman cross two thousand years ago. A Daily Encounter reader asked, “I understand Jesus died for our sins. I believe it but I just can't understand why he had to do it. Didn’t God have power over everything? I have looked for the answer to this question for a long time. Please help.” I'm sure that many people struggle with this same issue, so let me explain. The apostle Paul says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering,” (Romans 8:1-3, NIV).

This goes to say that all sin must be judged according to the moral law of God and the universe. We can no more defy this law and live than we can defy the law of gravity by jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. The end result will be death unless we apply another law, the law of aerodynamics. This law makes it possible for an airplane to fly and a parachute to lower us to the earth gradually and thereby save us. Indeed, the “the law of sin and death,” which means that the judgment and penalty of all sin is death and eternal separation from God. Unless we apply a higher law which is “the law of the Spirit of Life,” which is a God-given “spiritual parachute” to save us from eternal death. God provided this law through the death of Jesus who died in our place to pay the penalty for our sin.

 
Yet, God gave his very own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins to meet the automatic demands of his (God’s) justice and holiness. Christ's’ death made possible God's “law of the Spirit of Life”- our God-given “spiritual parachute” – to save us from eternal death.

All we need to do is confess our sinfulness, believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died in our place for our sins, and ask God for, and accept His forgiveness and pardon.

 

Let’s confess our sins to God today!

 

(Written by Richard Dick, Founder and International Director of ACTS International, 29th March 2018)

Profile Background Source:

Richard Dick is the Founder and International Director of ACTS International, commenced the literature outreach ministry of ACTS in 1968. He also works part time as the webmaster’ of the Narramore Christian Foundation (NCF), a Christian mental health organization, located in the Los Angeles area in California, and was for several years the editor of the NCF Psychology for Living magazine. Richard Dick has been a pastor in Lansing, Michigan, U.S.A., the South Australian Director of Youth for Christ, and has been the Founder/Director of ACTS International since 1968. He has lived in Southern California since 1981. He is also an instructor in the Divorce and Grief Recovery ministry at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California.

 

Remembering Rev. Dr. Rick Seaward in Memorial

Dear Blogger Friends,

We join our hands together with our brothers and sisters-in-Christ, in Singapore and around the world to grieve the loss of Rev. Dr. Rick Seaward who was involved in a car crash accident on 24th March 2018 in Brazil. Rev Dr Rick Seaward was the founding pastor and Apostolic Overseer of Victory Family Centre (then known as Calvary Charismatic Centre) in Singapore. Founded in 1977, Pastor Seaward, together with his wife, Diane, started the first church service in Mandarin Hotel. A man of great faith and vision, he was well known around the world for his firm conviction that every local church has a part to play in world missions. Under his leadership, Victory Family Centre was raised to become a missions-sending force, which to date, has planted over 10,000 churches in over 90 nations.

 

Pastor Seaward was renowned for his revolutionary strategies in planting churches that would in turn plant more churches. He also dedicated his life to raising disciples and leaders who would have the same heart and vision for missions. In the most recent decade, Pastor Seaward's vision for global missions became synonymous with the transformation of entire nations. Fondly known as a spiritual mentor who demonstrated a heart for discipleship, Pastor Seaward prioritized time to personally mentor leaders and pastors from around the world. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who deeply inspired his family to live a life sold out for the Gospel.

 

We pray for his legacy to be remembered that will continue to bear lasting fruit through many lives of others globally. As such, we want to honor his life and the work he has done to expand God's kingdom in this nation and the nations surrounding us.

 

To Stop Being Afraid

Dear Blogger Friends,

 

Here is your inspirational message below!
 

“Are you better off than you were four years ago”  In today's vicious, gutter-level political arena, this question, used to great effect by a campaign barely two decades ago, seems harmless.  It wasn't; it isn't.   Now Christians are encouraged to imagine what effect a candidate may have on their jobs, their security and their quality of life.  In other words, instead of voting on what will advance the Kingdom of God, more and more Christians are voting based on what makes them feel safe, secure and prosperous.    We've forgotten, or we pretend to forget: There is no such thing as a guarantee of safety, success or even provision, regardless of who’s on earth is in charge. This ability to make Christians dwell on self doesn't just open the door to politicians playing to our deepest fears it sucks us into their circle, making us not only hearers of their dark diatribes, but sellers and spinners of it as well.    In this way, the ambassadors of hope are removed from the equation; the front lines of service and sacrifice are abandoned, and the character of Christ ceases to be front and center in the public face of the Body of Christ. We who are rescued from our own destructive sinfulness should be bursting with energy to share the hope that makes it possible for us to face total loss and start over. When we encounter Jesus Christ as Saviour, we are called to live the rest of our earthly days in service to something, anything, Everything is bigger than self.  We're to walk the second mile, offer up our only coat, pray for those who use us, all while measuring our sacrifice against that of Jesus', and thereby remaining meek, humble, grateful and increasingly compassionate. Those who have met Jesus must have our souls turned inside – out again so that everyone – be they democrat or republican, native or immigrant, weak or powerful – becomes someone whose sight of the face of Jesus is more important to us than our own circumstances. We can start, right here, right now, by reading Jesus' own words in the Beatitudes, where He lays out clearly who He wants us to be until He takes us home with Him.    Ask the Holy Spirit to refresh these words in you, and then show you how to give them life by becoming their lived-out version. Written by Randy Kilgore, 13th October 2016 – Made To Matter)

Profile Background Source:

Randy Kilgore is a Senior Writer and Workplace Chaplain. A workplace chaplain for nearly a decade now, Randy received his M.Div. in 2000, from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (including two years of study at Covenant Theological Seminary) after a twenty-plus year career in business, most of which was spent in senior human resource management positions. Randy has written many MarketPlace devotional messages to professionals, church ministers, pastors and workers. Randy did co-founded’ the Rutland (VT) Dependent Care Collaborative. As a writer and chaplain, Randy has released six volumes of workplace Bible studies, and two books: Made to Matter: Devotions for Working Christians (Discovery House Publishers: 2008); and Talking about God in the 21st Century Workplace. His writing also appears regularly in magazines and online.