OUR DAILY BREAD : WE BELIEVE AND JUST JEWELRY

[cimi]

March 23
Sunday


WE BELIEVE

READ:
Romans 8:11-18
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Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who...has
begotten us again to a
living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus
Christ. __1 Peter 1:3
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In 2005, Hurricane Katrina put New Orleans underwater. But an unlikely event gave the city a new lease on life just 17 months later. The New Orleans Saints, a perennially woeful football team, made a run at the Super Bowl championship. The whole region grasped the excitement. Signs saying "We Believe" reflected a new day.

Commenting on the phenomenon, producer Quint Davis said, "When the season is over, the miles of devastation are still going to be devastated." But he added, "If this can happen for New Orleans, this miracle, then anything can happen for New Orleans."

The Saints fell one game short, but the idea remained enticing. An "impossibility" has so captured the hearts of a people, they began thinking anything was possible.

In an infinitely more important way, this is what we have in Jesus' bodily resurrection from the dead. Christ defeated death on mortality's own turf, declaring the power of God to give us new life and hope. Paul wrote, "He who raised christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you" (Rom. 8:11)/

No other event in human history is more significant. No other event is so full of immediate hope and ultimate victory for the saints in Christ Jesus. __Mart De Haan
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```````````````````Jesus Christ today is risen,````````````````````
````````````````And o'er death triumphant reigns;`````````````````
`````````````He has burst the grave's strong prison,````````````````
`````````````Leading sin herself in chains. __Luther````````````````
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Christ's resurrection is the bud of promise__
our resurrection is the flower of fulfillment!

***************Today's Bible Reading __ Romans 8:11-18***********

11 But if the Spirit of Him
who raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in you, He who
raised Christ from the dead
will also give life to your
mortal bodies through His
Spirit who dwells in you.

12 Therefore, brethren, we
are debtors--not to the
flesh, to live according to
the flesh. 13 For if you live
according to the flesh you
will die; but if by the Spirit
you put to death the deeds
of the body, you will live.

14 Ffor as many as are led by
the Spirit of God, these are
sons of God. 15 For you did
not receive the spirit of
bondage again to fear, but
you received the Spirit of
adoption by whom we cry
out, Abba, Father." 16 The
Spirit Himself bears witness
with our spirit that we are
children of God, 17 and if
children, then heirs--heirs
of God and joint heirs with
Christ, if indeed we suffer
with Him that we may also
be glorified together.

18 For I consider that the
sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory
which shall be revealed
in us.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

As believers, the evidence of our salvation is the Holy Spirit of
God who indwells us (Rom. 8:11-14), and guarantees our salvation
(Eph. 1:13-14) and resurrection (Rom. 8:11). The Spirit adopts us as
children of God, and enables us to affectionately call God "Abba,
Father" (vv.15-16). He gives us the full privileges (heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ) and responsibilities (suffering) of sonship
(v.17). __SKT

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March 24
Monday


JUST JEWELRY?

READ:
Matthew 27:22-26
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God forbid that I
should boast except in
the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
__Galatians 6:14
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Some Christians make it a habit to wear a cross. It may be on a necklace or a lapel pin. It may be worn thoughtlessly as a decoration or prayerfully to let people know of the wearer's personal faith.

In April 2006, a Methodist church in the city of Dudley, England, found out that it would have to pay a fee to put a cross on its new building. Yes, a fee was required because under British law the cross is an advertisement. It proclaims to the world, whether on a person or a building, that the bloodstained cross of Calvary is our only hope of forgiveness and salvation.

Our Bible reading today tells us of the cross--the instrument of execution used on our Savior (Matt. 27:22-26). The crowd in anger shouted, "Let Him be crucified!" The cross is a sign of His death, and must not be taken lightly. This should cause us to examine what the cross means to us. Is it a witness to our eternal hope in the saving death of Jesus on calvary?

While wearing the cross may be a challenging mark of discipleship, far more challenging is our Lord's command that we "take up [our] cross daily" and learn what it means to follow in His footsteps (Luke 9:23). And that includes a willingness to practice costly discipleship.
__Vernon Grounds
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```````````````"Take up thy cross and follow Me,"`````````````````
`````````````````I hear the blessed Savior call;```````````````````
````````````````How can I make a lesser sacrifice`````````````````
```````````````When Jesus gave His all? __ Ackley````````````````
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Because Jesus bore the cross for us,
we should be willing to take it up for Him.

**************Today's Bible Reading __ Matthew 27:22-26***********

22 Pilate said to them
"What then shall I do with
Jesus who is called Christ?"
They all said to him, "Let
Him be crucified!"

23 Then the governor said,
"Why, what evil has He
done?"

But they cried out all the
more, saying, "Let Him be
crucified!"

24 When Pilate saw that he
could not prevail at all, but
rather that a tumult was
rising, he took water and
washed his hands before
the multitude, saying, "I
am innocent of the blood
of this just Person. You see
to it."

25 And all the people
answered and said, "His
blood be on us and on our
children."

26 Then he released
Barabbas to them; and
when he had scourged
Jesus, he delivered Him to
be crucified.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Jesus was charged with blasphemy before the Sanhedrin, the highest
Jewish judicial authority (Matt. 26:65). The punishment under Jewish
law was death by stoning (Lev. 24:15-16). But before Piilate, the
charge was changed to sedition (Luke 23:2). The punishment under
Roman law was death by crucifixion. Pilate found Jesus innocent of
this crime (Luke 23:4). Succumbing to pressure, Pilate sentenced
Jesus to death. This act of injutice is remembered each time we
read The Apostles' creed: "[Christ] suffered under Pontius Pilate."
__SKT