Cross

What Am I Worth Today?

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:30-31 ESV

I remember the day when we brought our first child home. We just held him in our arms, amazed by everything about him. From his tiny toes to the softness of his skin every detail to us was beautiful. We were discovering the delight of experiencing that life is God’s first gift. It is not something to throw away, treat cheaply or forget. Even if no one else was impressed with our baby we were entirely convinced that he was a treasure.

So if we as imperfect parents loved our son so much, imagine how much God values every one of us. He isn’t impressed by how much money we have in the bank; our family’s status or the color of our skin. He isn’t worried if we are beautiful, smart or strong or even if we can do all sorts amazing things. In fact the good news is that no matter what anyone else in the universe thinks God values us because we are His creation. He has specially designed us and has chosen to give us life. He is busy counting even the hairs on our head because He loves us. He sent Jesus whose own hair was covered with a crown of thorns to show how much we are worth to Him. Remember the words of Jesus “Don’t be afraid. You are of far more value than you know.” Jesus valued us more than His own life so that we could trust Him with ours and be with Him forever!

Why is Racism Sin?

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Most thinking people know that racism is wrong but strange to say; not many seem to know why. Even defining racism can get pretty tricky. For example: is racism something only white people can do? Do Asians practice racism? If the inclusion of only certain ethnic groups in an activity is inherently racist then would that include The Sons of Portugal back in my hometown of Danbury Connecticut? Since it is unlikely we can overcome a problem without knowing what it is; why not start with the God who never changes and His word that points both directly to our sin and clearly to His solution?

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But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. Matthew 5:22

“There is only one race…the human race.” Rosa Parks

Racism actually breaks both the sixth and ninth commandments. “Thou shalt not murder.” (included by Jesus with anyone who is angry with his brother.) And – “Thou shall not bear false witness” because anyone speaking and acting hatefully is also believing and propagating a lie. God is no respecter of persons i. e. – He is more concerned about heart color than skin color!

God is not passive. He doesn’t lightly look at the death of George Floyd or any other innocent person. In fact God was so angry about sin that He sent Jesus Christ to the cross to suffer and pay the price with His own blood for our forgiveness. Without the cross there is no hope for any of us..

I draw hope from the story of Jesus and the woman caught in the act of adultery. It begins with a crowd of angry men dragging a woman into the public square and asking Jesus if He was okay with her being stoned according to the law. Jesus strange response has a lot to do with our situation today. He didn’t say a single word. Instead He stopped down and began to write with His finger in the dirt while the mob continued shouting. Then Jesus stood up and said, “Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone.” There was suddenly a silence among the men as His words found their mark. What would Jesus be saying today as He looks over America? What would He say about me and you? Maybe He is silently waiting for us to see our need and remember the love of His cross. Maybe He is praying and weeping until we come to Him with our sin and find that at Calvary enemies become brothers and sinners of every color are made true friends.

In Remembrance

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For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you; that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread and when He had given thanks He broke it and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.                                           1 Corinthians 11:23-24 ESV

That night when Jesus sat down for the last supper it seemed that just about everything was going wrong. Judas had gone to the high priest to betray him. The Sanhedrin had decided to have Jesus put to death. The other eleven disciples were spending part of their time at the table arguing over which one of them was the most important. But in the presence of so much going wrong the Bible tells us that on that night when he was betrayed Jesus blessed and shared the bread and then the cup. Not one single detail of His plan was stopped.

In some ways this scene reminds me of what we are passing through now with the Corona virus snatching away from us innocent lives. And in the middle of our own time of testing if we look to the Lord and remember we will find a promise of a rejoicing in faith; hope in the face of any sufferings and most of all the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord even in the shadow of the cross.

KIMG0025

For those wishing to share in an online service that includes communion I invite you to join us today at 9 Am 11 AM and 5 PM Eastern Standard Time. We are Generations Christian Church of Trinity Florida and whether you live in our community of not we would be delighted to have you join us! You can either just click on the link below or look for us online at Generationscc.com  – God bless and have a wonderful Lord’s Day!

Generations Live Worship