Journal of Faith: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling Philippians 2:12

Today is good Friday which means that it is this day in history that innocent Jesus, God's only begotten son, died with all of our wrong on him.  I don't know if people recognize this, but when Jesus died he died in sin.  This means that when he died he went to Hell, not Heaven.  Yes Jesus experienced that horrible cross for us, and then he went to Hell for us too.  The good news is that when Jesus went to Hell he took the keys to Hell and death from Satan.  Jesus did go to Heaven, but he went to Hell first.  What love the Father has for us that he would die and go to hell for a people who rejected and reviled him.  Thank you Jesus for loving me. This is what makes me a Christiana.

All God wants from us is our trust and love.  God doesn't take advantage of us or lie to us like people do.  Christ died the exact way that it was prophesied because he said he would.  He died by us and for us because he loves us.  Then he rose again just like he said he would.  His every word is true and therefore he has earned my trust.  Has he earned yours?  Give him your life and watch him do amazing things with it.

If you saw someone making a sign like this, would you think they were representing peace or victory?  If you are from a country outside of the United States this might represent neither peace nor victory, but in the U.S. it means both.  I was meditating on this today along with the scripture that says "blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God" (Mathew 5:9) I believe that when we make peace everyone has the victory.  My mother is such a wise woman, and she believes in only working with "win/win" situations.  She specializes in listening and finding the area of connection between two opposing parties and creating solutions where everyone walks away feeling like they have won. As Christians we are supposed to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.  The ultimate win/win situation is the salvation that we have through Jesus Christ.  We have peace with God because Jesus has the victory over sin and deat...

   It amazes me how the exact same words can mean so many different things.  this is why context is so important in all forms of communication.  It breaks my heart to realize when I , or someone else, have used the Word of God out of context.  This is why it is so important to study to shew ourselves approved, workmen that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.   Take the simple statement, "you got me", and it can be used in so many different ways that show different relationships.  I use that phrase with God often.  Firstly, I use it to recognize that God has clearly seen where I was trying to hide.  "Okay Lord, I really didn't feel like being kind today, and I didn't mean what I said in my heart.  You got me."  This is my moment of truth that frees me from trying to mask how I really feel.  Nothing gets past God anyway.  The second "you got me" seems more painful than the first, but to me it is ...