Quote from Forum Archives on April 13, 2001, 10:26 am

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

Today, which is known as "Good Friday" to Christians, we
celebrate the day that Jesus suffered and died for our sins.
That might, at first, sound strange to some of you. How could we
possibly celebrate someone suffering and dying, even if it were
on our behalf? Well, the story of Jesus is a story of love, the
utmost demonstration of love ever shown. Jesus died because He
is the only One who could have gone in our place. He died to
bear the burden of all the errors we commit, yet, even our
errors, heaped upon Him, could not keep Him in the grave. For as
some of You know, by Sunday, He arose from the grave and appeared
to many followers.

So it really is a Good Friday, for it is the day that Jesus
Christ conquered both sin and death - His ultimate gift of love
to us. Do you want to respond to Him? I sure do!

Dear Lord,

I receive Your gift of love, and I am forever grateful that You
came to find me - lost in the error of my own ways. What a new
breath of life You have given to me, and I rejoice, not because
of death, but because You have conquered, even death.

I pray that Your Holy Spirit will sweep down upon our nation and
our world. I pray that You would teach us, individually and
personally, the power of Your love, that teaches us to forgive
one another, building relationships and healing broken
relationships. I pray for our leaders, that they will personally
seek You and that they will in turn use the wisdom You have
granted them to lead us, and restore an upright and moral
character to our land. Amen.

Brother Brian
=============

www.dailyguideposts.com/lmdaily.asp?date=4/13/01

Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves
with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Mark
15:31

None of my earliest memories of Holy Week are religious. Theyre
of watching my mother sew a new dress for my sister or color
boiled eggs with bluing or food coloring. One year I stood on a
piece of paper, and she traced the outline of my foot and had our
neighbor bring me new shoes from town. They were too tight, but I
didnt mention it for fear she would send them back.

When I was nine, my folks moved from the farm to an industrial
community in northern Illinois, and my grandmother enrolled me in
a Sunday school class at a nearby church. A very caring woman
taught it. That first spring she guided my study of the story of
the Crucifixion. I remember thinking, If Jesus had only come
today, Im sure that I wouldnt have treated Him that way. I
think my childs heart was completely sincere, but Ive come to
doubt that Jesus would have been treated any differently in
ouror anytime.

If someone came to us preaching a God Who is defined by
compassion, spent time with people we look down on, encouraged
people not to keep all the rules religion has developed and
demanded that we radically remake our lives, our sins would cry
out to silence that one. The Cross was inevitable.

It hurts me to admit it, but its true: There is a little bit of
each of the people of that first Holy Week in me. So when I hear
again the words of the spiritual, "Were you there when they
crucified my Lord?" I know that the answer is "Yes, I was there.
In Gods love and in my sin. And that fact makes all the
difference in my life."

Thank You, God, for Your love and grace, which continue to be
poured out for me, a sinner.

By Kenneth Chafin

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
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