Quote from Forum Archives on April 1, 2002, 4:57 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

I generally send out the Weekly Verses from Crosswalk.com near
the beginning of the week when they reach my mailbox. I think
they have a nice blend of scripture, thought, and prayer, that
can be used, either as a single study, in themselves, or as a
brief guide for weekly devotional messages.

In this week's edition, we can read about confessing our sins and
receiving forgiveness. We read how Christ has taken our place.
I've kidded about this before. Do you know what the OLD word for
that substitution is? Jesus Christ is the propitiation for sins!
What that means in plain, ordinary English is that Jesus is
without sin, we have sin. Jesus took on the sins of the world
and bore them in our place. In that way, those who place their
complete trust in Him not only are forgiven, but we are also
freed from the imprisonment that comes with sin - the guilt, the
shame, and the tendency to continually sin.

Now in order to lead a victorious life, where sin does not
continue to win, we have to be transformed, our lives, the
attitudes we have, and the actions we take, have to be
transformed. Though this is not the only way, one reason I send
out the weekly verses is so that people can get into the habit of
reading scripture and praying, even if time is at a premium.

So I offer these messages to you. They are not the answer alone,
but they are useful tools to add to your spiritual arsenal.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Weekly Verses
from Crosswalk.com
www.crosswalk.com
4/1/02

These verses are taken from TODAY'S VERSE, by Phil Ware
< devotionals.crosswalk.com/TodaysVerse >

~~~~~~~~~
MONDAY

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
--1 John 1:9
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
We can be forgiven of our sins! That's great. We can be
purified of any stain from sin!! That's incredible. But only
because of God's grace and his willingness to give us the
perfect sacrifice for our sins.

MY PRAYER...
Forgiving Father, please forgive me today for my lack of
passion to love and forgive others in the way you have forgiven
me. Create in me a heart like your own. Through Jesus I pray.
Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

TUESDAY

It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to
believe on him, but also to suffer for him.
--Philippians 1:29
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
When we read the book of Acts, we find the disciples
overjoyed at suffering "for the sake of the name." Jesus'
followers consider it a privilege and not just a hardship. The
truth of our commitment is often best shown to the skeptical
when we are "under fire."

MY PRAYER...
What a precious name you have given to your son, O Lord.
May it be exalted in all the earth and through out all the
heavens, until all existence knows that he is truly Lord.
Through him I pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

WEDNESDAY

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock,
my refuge.
--Psalm 62:7
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Who we are, what becomes of us in life, is in God's hands.
We cannot purchase or achieve lasting honor for ourselves
without his blessing. We cannot secure the future or our
safety without his protection and blessing. The basis of all
achievement and glory is dependent upon us placing our lives in
his care.

MY PRAYER...
O Rock, Fortress of my life, I place myself in your care.
Take charge of my future and use me for your glory. In you I
take refuge, and on your strength I rely to make my days
worthwhile. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

THURSDAY

There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men.
--1 Timothy 2:5-6
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
We do not need another person, no matter how mighty, pious,
or special, to intercede for us before God. As his children,
we can go freely, knowing that God himself has provided the
perfect mediator between us and himself. That mediator alone
is head of the church and chief priest before God for us. His
name is Christ Jesus, our Lord.

MY PRAYER...
O God, you are my God, and I praise you for making yourself
so available. I know that in my power, I have no right to
approach you. Yet in your grace you not only provided a ransom
for my sin but a mediator for my approach to you. Jesus, I
thank you as well, for paying the price and staying at the
Father's side to intercede and speak for me! Thank you for
making this prayer known to the Father. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

FRIDAY

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we
might become the righteousness of God.
--2 Corinthians 5:21
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Righteousness! That's what we are. God's righteousness.
We are the testimony of how holy, just, and gracious he truly
is, because in Jesus, we are his righteousness!

MY PRAYER...
Thank you, O Almighty God, for making me righteous in the
blood of your son's death. May people see in me a reflection
of your holiness, justice, and mercy. Through Jesus, who
sacrificed for my sins, I pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

SATURDAY

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and
familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their
faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took
up our infirmities and he carried our sorrows, yet we
considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
--Isaiah 53:3-4
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Jesus was everything and became nothing and we didn't notice
what he did for us. We just assumed he deserved it, and so we
did not repent. But there was something about that sacrificial
story that grabbed our hearts and called us home we found in
him not only a Savior, but a servant.

MY PRAYER...
God Almighty, your plan to redeem me takes my breath away.
How and why you chose to take your precious son and expose him
to such public disgrace I will never comprehend. But this I do
know: you love me with an everlasting love. I pledge to you
that I will serve you with all of my strength in thanks for his
great sacrifice. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~

SUNDAY

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our
iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone
astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has
laid on him the iniquity of us all.
--Isaiah 53:5-6
New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
I don't know how Jesus could stand up under its weight. He
had my sin, your sin, our sin, placed upon him so we would not
have to bear the consequences of it. But in that sacrifice, as
horrible as it was, we find ourselves healed, cured of the most
awful disease a sin-sick soul. In its place, he has left us a
transforming peace.

MY PRAYER...
God of peace, fill my soul with the wonder of your grace.
Let me not forget the cost of your love. Stir in me the
constant and abiding memory of your redemptive grace. Thank
you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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____________________________________________________________

--
Brian Masinick
mailto:masinick@yahoo.com

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

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