What To Do, Which Way to Go?

It has come to my attention that many people are at a dilemma in their lives, they just don't know which way to turn, they are at a crossroads and the direction signs do not give clear instructions. Indecision, indecision, what to do? Maybe you are one of those people who are at a crossroads in your life, you really do not have a clue in which direction to go, if you are, then let me share with you something that just may help you to not only choose which direction to go now but give you guidance when you encounter other crossroads in your life later.

1 Kings 18:21 tells of a prophet of God giving the people a choice, follow God or follow Baal.  Choices have been around since man has been on earth.  Adam and Eve had a choice, follow the rule or die. We are faced with choices every day, so which way do we go?  When making decisions gets difficult it is sometimes best to seek out advice from someone more experienced in the area we may like to go. There is nothing wrong in asking for help.  For instance, if you want to make an investment in something of high value, and you are not sure just who to go through or where to purchase your product, then it is wise to consult a financial advisor.  Maybe you are looking at buying a new car but you are not sure which is the best one for the budget you have, then you should talk to people who know cars and seek the counsel of your bank on how much you can borrow.  There are choices that involve personal relationships and making the wrong choice could affect the rest of your life as well as your family.

Choices can be difficult but not impossible.  The worst thing that anyone can do is just stand at the crossroads and never make a choice.  Doing that stops all progress, creates frustration and stifles growth.  

Let me switch gears a little and look at some spiritual aspects when it comes to choices.  Look at Joshua 24:15; here the people of Israel were being confronted as to whom they were going to serve, the gods of their ancestor's or the gods of the people in whose land they were living.  Joshua stated that he and his family would serve the Lord.  "But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."  So why were the people of Israel given this choice?  It helps to understand just what was taking place during that time.

Who were the gods of their ancestors?  Looking back in Exodus 23:24, 32, 33 when the people of God, the Jewish people, had left the land of Egypt they carried with them four hundred years of slavery and the influence of their captor's.  They were influenced by the gods of Egypt which were idols and statues of animals, birds, people, and many other man-made images.  These were construed out of the minds of people who did not know who the true God was.  These were false gods, which had no power, no authority, no deity.  Yet people worshipped them.  Now the people of Israel were being given a choice, serve these gods or serve the one true God, the God of creation.  The people of Israel were now getting ready to enter into a strange land that worshipped idols and strange gods.  So Joshua by the direction of God gave them this mandate; "You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars."

So choices are always going to be at the forefront of our lives.  In relationship to God, we like these Israelites have a choice.  We must choose who we are going to follow, the idols that are created out of the minds of fallen man or worship the Creator of everything, the Lord Jesus Christ, God.  This is a crossroads that every human being must face.  You cannot avoid it, you will have to choose, there will be no avoiding a decision.  Just like Joshua, we must choose;  "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Too many want to serve both sides of the fence, too many want to take both roads in their spiritual journey, but, that is impossible, you cannot take both forks in the road, you have to go one way or the other.  For instance, many want wealth and will do almost anything to gain it, it becomes their god, yet, they also want to maintain some form of spirituality.  The scripture in Luke 16:13 tells us that "no one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."  It is not to say that you cannot be wealthy and serve the Lord, but that one must be master over you.  Which one will you serve?  

Choices can be difficult for sure, yet, they must be made.  The question put before you and all the rest of us is whom will you serve this day?  I say as Joshua said, as far as myself and my household we will serve the Lord, that's our choice and there is no turning back.  In John 3:15-18 we are offered a choice, to believe in Gods only begotten Son or to reject Him, that's the choice.  If we truly believe in Gods Son then we are guaranteed eternal life with Him.  If we reject the Son, we are saying we do not want eternal life with Him, but choose to have eternal life spent in Hades/hell. 

What about you, are you facing choices today? There are many choices to make every day, choices concerning finances, marriage, relationships, careers, and the list can go on.  We can always seek help from professionals and usually get some good advice. But, have you considered consulting the God of creation for advice on which way to go? You can do this by putting your trust in Gods son, and then consult the Word of God to find out what God has to say about your situation.   Maybe that would be the best choice of all, it is for me.

The Storm Ahead

With all the technology the media uses to broadcast today, we receive an abundance of news from all over the world.  We can find ourselves constantly bombarded with bad news on a daily basis.  News of unrest in other countries and how their conflict affects our nation, news of politicians that cannot figure out how to run our country, reports of earthquakes and tsunamis unlike any we have heard of with devastating results.  We listen to weather reports that tell us of approaching storms that are going to wreak havoc on large areas.  The economy worldwide is on such unstable ground that anything could shake it from its foundation.  In the midst of all these negative reports once in a while, we hear a little good news, news that makes us feel compassion for others or news that draws us into someone else's life for a moment.  But these reports are overshadowed quickly by more storms approaching us from all directions.  The question we ask ourselves so many times is, what is this world coming to?  Then there are our own personal storms that confront us bringing fear, anxiety, and unrest in our own private world.  

No matter what type of storms are in our lives, whether they are weather-related, some form of financial storm, or storms of unrest in our personal lives, the one thing almost all of us will do at some point is to focus in on the storm.  When we focus on the storms that surround us we accomplish one thing for sure, we allow fear to take over.  When fear takes over our decisions become driven by that fear.  It's interesting to read the scriptures and look into real-life situations we can all relate to and learn from.  For instance, Jesus wanted to cross the Sea of Galilee with some of His disciples so he approached them by their boat and said: "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."  Luke 8:22  In examining this verse we find that Jesus had a need to go to the other side, so He told His disciples they were going to take Him.  Here we see some of Christ's closet friends and followers who said they put their trust in Him and made the decision to follow Him not only to the places His journey would take Him, but they said they believed in what He was saying about Himself as being the one they had been looking for, the Messiah.  


Let's examine the scriptures that follow this statement from Christ.  As these experienced fishermen got in their boat along with Christ, they set out to cross the Sea of Galilee.  The disciples knew these waters well from their years of fishing to support themselves and their families.  Now, these very same fishermen made the decision to follow Christ believing He was the long-awaited Messiah.  They had no worries at this point and wanted to be good followers of their Lord.  Somewhere before they reached the other side of the lake a fierce storm hit them.  These fishermen more than likely battled many storms while out fishing and knew the dangers of a treacherous sea.  This storm had created such waves that it was filling the boat with water and was about to swamp their fishing boat.  Fear began to overtake their thinking because their experience told them that this was not going to get better.  Now, you and I both know that if we were in that same situation we would be white-knuckling it the whole time and would be manning the lifeboats, provided there were any.  We would be crying out to God with all intensity to save us.  


As the disciples turn to Christ they find Him sleeping.  The disciples were struggling to save their lives, they needed all the help they could get. Waking up the Master would, of course, be the next step, recruit His help. Christ, when awakened didn't seem to be bothered by the storm though, He just took control and rebuked the wind and waves.  Let's read the account from the scriptures and draw a couple of conclusions from it. We will pick up the story as recorded by Luke, Chapter 8 verse 23; "As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap.  But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake.  The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger.  the disciples went and woke him up, shouting, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"  When Jesus woke up, He rebuked the wind and the raging waves.  Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm.  Then He asked them, "Where is your faith?"  The disciples were terrified and amazed.  "Who is this man?" they asked each other.  When He gives a command, even the wind and waves obey Him!"


I want us to notice three observations in this portion of scripture.  1.  The word 'us' in the first encounter with His disciples by the boat.  2.  The question Jesus asked the disciples.  3.  The question the disciples ask each other.  In these three observations, I believe we will find ourselves relating to the disciples in the way God speaks to "Us" in our storms of life.  We all have faced something in our lives that caused fear to take hold of us. When Christ told His disciples "Let's go to the other side," He said they were all going to the other side.  The word 'us' gives us this indication. The destination was the other side and it is indicated that all were going to reach that destination.  The problem the disciples had, like so many of us, is that they focused on the storm forgetting who Christ was and did not catch what He said before they even started out.  It would seem to me that the full impact of just who Christ was had not completely set into their hearts and minds yet.  When we are in a crisis mode and fear has overcome us, we like the disciples are focusing on the storm.  We forget who Christ is and fail continually to turn to Him and acknowledge who He really is.  


When Christ was awakened by His disciples He was not stressed out and was not afraid of the storm, He simply rebuked the storm causing the waves to calm down.  Christ knew His destination, He knew who He was, He knew the authority He had and He knew they were all going to reach the other side of the lake.  He used that authority to take control of the situation.  Jesus asked the disciples "where is your faith.?"  In other words, did you forget who I am?  Do you still not believe in me?  The disciples still had a lot to learn and they just learned a valuable lesson, Christ has authority even over the wind and waves.  Seeing this the disciples now asked the question "who is this man?"  By asking this question we can see that they still were not aware of just who Christ really was.  Like the disciples, when the storms approach our lives we focus not on Christ but on the storm.  Christ is continually asking us, "Where is your faith?"  And we are continually asking, "Who is this man?"  Has not the very nature of Christ still not fully entered our hearts and minds yet? If we focus on the storms and allow fear to take over, I would have to say, we really do not know Christ in the way that we must know Him as the Son of God.  The reason that Christ asked His disciples "Where is your faith?" is because they did not recognize His Word, "Let us...", meaning all of them, "... go to the other side," giving the clear direction of their destination.  Here is a statement by Smith Wigglesworth that gives us some insight on how we should face our storms:

"I am not moved by what I see.  I am not moved by what I feel.  I am moved by what I believe!"  

In Peter Stones' book, "Purging your House, Pruning your Family Tree" offers three lessons he learned from a spiritual storm he found himself in. These three lessons we can all benefit from.  Take a look at them.

(1).  God is not moved by your feelings but by your faith. Hebrews 11:6.  (2).  God is not moved by your circumstances but by His Word.  Jeremiah 1:12.  (3).  God will deliver you from the attack if you will remain steadfast.  1 Corinthians 10:13.

When we are faced with the trials of life and we are not sure what to do, remember, God is faithful and will never let you down.  He has overcome the world by His Word and His Word will not come back to Him until it accomplishes what it was sent to do.

Peter Stone, in the same book as above, received an answer to his spiritual struggles when the Holy Spirit spoke this to him:

"The Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit, saying, Son, as long as you live, satan will use what you see and what you hear against you.  It is time that you stand on the only thing that can never be shaken or changed; stand upon My Word!"

After hearing this from the Holy Spirit, Peter Stone found victory over the influence satan was having concerning his life and ministry.  In our journey with Christ, we will encounter many trials that will offer us the opportunity to place our trust in the Lord and as we do we will have many victories along the way as long as we keep the Word of God in our hearts and minds.   The problem most of us tend to have is we focus on the storm and look at the waves in front of us which results in fear, and very possibly defeat us. Keep in mind that Christ is with us at all times just like He was in the boat with His disciples, He was focused on the destination, the disciples focused on the storm.  If we want to make it to our destination we like Christ must focus on His Word, not the storm. The writer of Hebrews left us with this quote from the Lord; "For God has said, "I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you."  So we can say with confidence, "the Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear.  What can mere people do to me?" Hebrews 13:5b


What are some of the storms you are facing right now?  Are they financial?  Could it be your family situation?  Or maybe you are struggling with life itself and just don't know what to do.  The solution to any storm in your life is to focus on Christ and His Word, not on the storm that faces you.  Yes, the wind and waves before you can be scary, your boat may be about to capsize, you may find yourself struggling to keep your head above water, but realize this, as long as you focus on the trouble you will not be able to see through the storm, your focus is in the wrong place and your strength is in yourself.  Don't let fear take over and make the decisions for you, put your faith in Christ and He will calm the wind and waves that are hitting you head-on.  "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  John 14:27.  No matter what kind of storm you are facing today, you can have full confidence that if you place your trust in Jesus Christ, He will not leave you in the storm, He will bring you to the other side of the troubled sea of life and place your feet on solid ground.

If you have not placed your trust in Jesus Christ yet, then you will have to face the storm alone.  Why not at least get in the boat like the disciples did.  Even though the storms of life are frightening and seem overwhelming you can be assured you are not alone and you can have the hope in Christ that you will get to the other side.

May the Lord bless and keep you safe in your journey through this life.

Where is the Church?

I have two or three scriptures that have been on my heart and mind for the past couple of months.  These scriptures began to trouble me when I was asking God just what He wanted me to do.  It is one thing to write encouraging words for people hoping you have helped them in some way or possibly got them on the right path to serving God. It is quite another matter when it comes to putting words into action and begin meeting the needs of your neighbors.  If you are like me and sometimes find it hard to know the will of God for your life, would you read these scriptures and allow them to speak to you today.  I titled this message "Where is the Church" because I feel the church has let not only the world down but our neighbors.  Our neighbors and the world outside the church walls need to "feel" the presence of God and they can only feel His presence through His church or His body.  That means all those who claim to know Christ as their personal savior must reach out and touch someone else.

You will need your bible or look the scriptures up on-line.  Isaiah 58  is the first passage I would like you to look at.  Pay attention to verses 6 and 7, "Is this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?  Is it not to share our food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?


You will notice in the first 5 verses of chapter 58 that God was not pleased with all the rituals of His people during the time of Jacob.  God was calling their actions a rebellion and sin.  His people were wondering why God had not heard them or seen their fast.  They humbled themselves but God had not noticed.  In Verse 4 God tells them why He does not hear or notice them.  It seems they end their fast and then go about exploiting their workers and quarreling among themselves.  God was going to go beyond the law and get to the heart of the matter.  In verses 6 and 7 God shows them the true meaning of a fast and expects more than just humbling themselves or going through the motions of worship.  God is making His will for His people known.  In these verses, God is showing us just what He expects from us.

Now let's look at one other passage of scripture.  Matthew 28:18-20, "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."


I believe that to many of us Christians have forgotten some of the most important factors of our Christian walk.  Yes, we are to make disciples of all nations, starting in our own neighborhood.  The question we need to look at is, what does it mean "teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you?"  To answer this we need to return to the basics of the gospel.  Even though we are taught many things throughout the gospel, the basic of the gospel is what Christ stated to the Pharisee's when they tried to trip Him up by asking Him "Which is the greatest commandment in the law?"  His reply stumped them all and put them to silence.  His reply was simple, to the point, and enveloped the whole law, Matthew 22:34-40, "Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.  One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  Jesus replied: " "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."


This would be a good time to consider the implication of these scriptures.  For instance, do we really love God like we claim?  Are our hearts truly sold out to Him and nothing else matters except to please God and do His will?  Richard Stearns, in his book 'The Hole In Our Gospel', says:

"To love God with all of our heart, soul and mind means that we must love God with our whole being--totally and completely.  This command to love God in this way sits above the many detailed requirements of the Old Testament Law, because it recognizes that all forms of obedience to God must first and foremost flow out of our love for Him."

So the second commandment Jesus referred us to is just as powerful in its position of importance.  Jesus made this commandment equal with the first and therefore is saying that to love our neighbor is to show our love to God.  It cannot be separated.

 If we truly love God then we will express it by loving our neighbors, and when we truly love our neighbors, it expresses our love for God. (Richard Stearns)

In Richard Stearn's book, 'The Whole In Our Gospel,' he suggests a third commandment that would clearly go along with the two "greatest commandments," Matthew 28:16-20. (previous scripture). I believe this ties the suggested third commandment into the two greatest commandments very well.  

This is a new commandment, which is the beginning of a totally new age, to take the whole gospel to the whole world.  This new commandment is a bookend to the momentous announcement in Luke 4:14-20 that Christ came to preach the good news to the poor, restore sight to the blind, release the captives, and proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.  But it is more than a call to proclaim; it is a call to make disciples. (Disciples are those who, because of their belief, live lives of obedience to "everything Jesus commanded" v. 19.)  The first two commandments, then, call believers to love God and then love their neighbors, and the third one calls them to go and disciple new believers who will do the same.  (Richard Stearns)

This is where the challenge comes to the church, you and me.  This entails not only the local body of believers but entails the whole body of Christ throughout the world.  We cannot isolate ourselves in one body and close our eyes to the rest of the body and the world outside of our comfort zone.  We are all connected through Christ.  So the question goes out to all, "Where Is The Church?"  As I drive around our city and neighborhoods and notice the poor, the needy, and the injustice that seems to prevail and I don't reach out a hand in some way, then am I serving God as He intended?  When I raise my hands in worship and kneel in prayer saying God help the poor and do nothing, am I just like the people in Isaiah 58?  When you drive by a street beggar, do you just keep on driving looking the other way hoping not to make eye contact?  Maybe you stop and give a few coins then drive away thinking you have done your scriptural duty and feel satisfied with what you gave.  I wonder about the homeless who have lost everything through no fault of their own, who sleep under makeshift shelters or in their cars trying to stay protected from the elements and struggle to find some means to buy enough food to get them through another day.  Do we just write them off and say, 'That's life,' too bad they are in that situation.

When Christ came, He brought with Him something we all desire, a physical touch by God the Father Himself.  He reached out in our pain and suffering to touch us in some way that would bring hope and happiness to each.  When Christ left and went back to the Father, He left us with this message, "You go and do the same."  In other words, we are to reach out physically with all that we have, holding nothing back in service to Him.  Loving those who are unloved, caring for those who are sick, helping those who are orphaned, and widowed.  The next time you go to the store to buy your groceries, remember the one who has nothing, the next time you go to the drug store, remember those who have no means to purchase medicine for their children, the next time you feel the need to buy a new jacket or wardrobe, remember those who feel the bite of the cold winter days and nights with nothing to relieve them.  When you snuggle up in your warm comfortable house with all the extra's, remember the one who cuddles up against a heating duct or pulls cardboard around them to block the cold wind.

There are those with diseases that will destroy them if medical attention is not provided.  When you hear of someone with a disease like HIV/AIDS, what do you think?  Do you say, that's what they deserve, they should have known better?  Or, maybe you say, that is God's judgment for their sinful nature?

The church has an awesome responsibility to do what God expects us to do.  In the simplest form, here is what God expects from His body:  "We are to Love God, We are to love our neighbors, We are to go and make disciples of others who will do the same."


If we truly want to worship God in a way that He will receive it, then we need to pay attention to what God truly expects of us all.  We are not to judge anyone, we are to "Love Them."  Think of yourself as a change agent.  A change agent is one who has been changed by the whole gospel already and now works to bring that change to others.  Look at Richard Stearns thoughts on change agents:

Any of us who have ever been on a diet or embarked on an exercise regimen know that fitness and weight loss don't just happen.  They require us to make a choice and then change our behaviors in deliberate ways--it cannot be "business as usual."  And it's not easy.  The same is true of discipleship.  We won't really become change agents for Chirst just by going to church every Sunday.  We will have to make some "on purpose" life choices and then change our priorities and behavior.  Only then can God transform us and use us to change the world.

When we dedicate our lives to Christ and say we will follow Him, remember that what you own is not yours, it belongs to God.  It belonged to Him before you were thought of, and it will always belong to Him.  If God wants us to use it for the furtherance of His Kingdom then we must, by all means, give it back to Him.

So here it is, are you going to love God, love your neighbor, and go and make disciples so they can also do the same?
"God cannot steer a parked car."  (Pastor Earl Palmer)

If we sit in the parking lot with our engines turned off, just waiting for a voice from the sky, we'll never get anywhere in our quest to solve the world's problems.  We need to at least "start our engines." (Richard Stearns) 

If we are to meet the needs of our neighbors, we are going to have to take one person at a time and take a step towards that person.  When we pass that person asking for a handout, or we see someone that is struggling with their expenses, maybe a child has lost hope and seems to have no friends, we need to see each person how the Father sees them, we must feel what the Father feels for them, we need to "see each one through God's eyes."  Remember that no matter what condition a person may be in, each one is a creation of God, they are one of His children.  Some have just lost their way and the Father loves each one of them just as much as He loves you and me.

Do not turn your back on the world, reach out and touch them with the love that God has placed in you, the same love that He showed us when He willingly went to the cross.  John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."  John 3:16 brings it all together, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  

(Please leave a comment if you like, I want to hear from you.  If you have any ideas on how to reach our neighbor, again, leave a suggestion in the comment section).

2 Chronicles 7:14,

This passage of scripture I have used to title this blog has been one of my favorites for years. I have prayed this prayer many times asking God to heal our land.  Somehow I just don't think that my prayer was sufficient, not because I was not sincere but because I failed to take the time to meditate on it and understand its true meaning.  Let's examine this scripture that almost all Christians have stood on throughout our nations history, especially this past four years.  

Solomon is recorded as the wisest man who has ever walked on this earth.  Why was he the wisest man?  He believed in God and trusted in Him.  When God gave him the opportunity to ask Him of anything he wanted, Solomon, instead of asking for wealth or any other selfish thing, ask for wisdom to lead God's people.  God granted him that request and because Solomon did not put himself first God not only granted him wisdom He also gave him great wealth and a place of honor with all the surrounding nations and even his enemies.  Solomon had just finished having a great temple built that his father King David wanted to build for God to dwell in among His people, but David was not the one to build the temple, so God passed the task to David's son Solomon.  Now Solomon was ready to lead his people, and he had some reservations about leading a people that continually sinned against God.  He knew that when they sinned and did not repent God would judge them.  So, Solomon prayed asking God to help him. Solomon had prayed a prayer of dedication for the temple, 2 Chronicles 6:12-42. Then one night God appeared to Solomon and told him that he would dwell among his people and bless them as long as they followed and obeyed His laws.  2 Chronicles 7:14 is just a part of God's answer to Solomon's prayer but it is the most relevant part of God's answer to not only Solomon and the Jewish people, but to us today.

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

When we examine this scripture we find some very unique parts to it.  For instance, look at the word "then." What does that mean?  Well by reading the scripture before it we find that God may well bring hardship to His people, especially when they have neglected God or have sinned against Him. Sometimes God wanted to test His people to show them their faults and lack of trust.  It is during these trials or hardships that God said "then" or in other translations "if" indicating that they had a choice to turn to God or continue trusting in themselves.  The next word we will notice is the use of the word "called."  Called is nothing more than those who have heard the voice of the Holy Spirit calling them to repentance and becoming one of God's children or people.  So anyone today who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as God's only begotten Son, and places their trust in Him becomes one of His people with all the benefits and blessings God has to offer.  "Name" is the next part we must understand.  Jehovah would be the most logical name the Jewish people would recognize as to who God is.  Jehovah refers to God who is to His people whatever they would need, such as, healing, prosperity, protection, banner, etc.  Now we look at the difficult part, a word we usually don't like to hear or do, "humble." Humble falls in line with subdue or being subdued. We subdue ourselves before Jehovah recognizing Him as God, our King, the one who has power over us.  We bow our heads or kneel in submission to one who is greater than we are.  "Pray" is now used which as we know means to converse with God, to pour out our heart to Him and place before him our request.  We are to intercede for ourselves and our nation "seeking" His "face."  In seeking we are more like searching and concerned enough to beg for God's favor.  Seeking God's face is to come before Him by searching for His presence.  Coming before God is to know that He is God and we must come close to Him.  To be before one's face is to be in the very presence of someone.  Now we must realize the most difficult aspect of this command, we must "turn" from our "wicked way," repent, turn and go the other way, change our mind about the direction we have been going and start going the way God had originally told us to go.  Wicked way is what infers, bad, evil. When you become a believer we are instructed to renew our minds, Ephesians 4:23.  Once you become a believer in Jesus Christ your original sin has been forgiven and your are given a new spirit, you become a new creation.  All your sins our wiped away and forgiven, past, present and future sins.  The problem is when you became this new creation it is your spirit that was born again, not your body or your soul or mind.  That old man that we were before left behind all those old habits and thoughts in our minds, so we struggle daily with temptation and sin.  This is where the renewing of the mind comes into play, we renew our mind with the word of God which replaces all that old junk left behind with Gods life giving word that will destroy the old ways.  God said when we do this He will forgive or pardon our sins.  In Christ this has been done, and He, Christ intervenes for us.  "Heal" is a welcome word to everyone.  When we are sick, we want to be well or healed, nothing else really matters at the time, we just want to be healed. This word carries with it the ability of a physician to heal from your sickness. God is the ultimate physician, He "will"heal, and the word will is a word that is positive and a promise.  The word used here refers to complete healing, nothing left undone.  The last part of this scripture is the word "land." This does not just mean your particular part of property, it means country, or countries and their land or earth.  Basically it refers to their nation and all that is included in it.

This is a powerful scripture but can only benefit when it is followed to the letter.  One part that still needs to be mentioned is the word "my people."  My people refers to tribe, those who are united, or of one connection.  Today as a believer we are united in Christ, of one body or tribe.  This does not refer to unbelievers or those who are not connected through Christ.  So God is telling us today that those who are believers or as mentioned in the New Testament the church or the body of Christ.  In other words, the weight is placed on believers, God's people, to humble themselves and pray, repent of our sins and seek Gods face.  This is an action, not just a prayer to repeat.  We must sincerely repent and seek Gods face.  Just mouthing the words won't cut it.  

Do you really want this nation healed, then read this scripture with a new light, read it and apply it to your life, don't depend on others to do it, you must do it.  The whole body of Christ must humble themselves daily and come before God.  Our sins are forgiven, but we must renew our mind and let God fill us with His Holy Spirit and His Word.  Our redemption is already done, but we must in faith receive that which God has for us.  The more we read and meditate on Gods word the more our minds will be free from the old left over junk that drags us down and keeps us from the blessings of God we seek.  He will heal our land when we seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, Matthew 6:33

Thank you for reading this message, I hope it has helped you in some way.  Now I must leave you with this final request.  I am interested in how many actually read these blog posts.  So if you have read through the entire message I would like you to leave a comment on this post.  If I do not receive several comments then I am must seriously consider stopping the writing of these posts.  I will however be about Gods business elsewhere.  May God bless you all and may He be with you on your journey through this life.

Is it well with your soul?

I would like to take this time to ask you a question, a question that we all should be asking ourselves frequently.  Is it well with my soul?  In order to answer this question we need to truly examine ourselves from within.  It is easy to go through life when things seem to be going well and you don't have to many worries or cares.  Everything seems to be falling into place.  You know the feelings, you can wake up in the morning, look out the window and see the world as a wonderful place.  The birds are singing, the air is fresh, the sun is warming, your finances are in good shape, you have people that love and care about you.  You can say with certainty, life is good.  Everything is just great, at least for the most part.  It's not to say that you don't have a struggle now and again and some stressful times, but at the end of the day, your good.  Go home, kick back in the back yard or in your favorite chair, pop some popcorn and enjoy a good program or movie.  Maybe just recline and read a good book.  Yes, Life is good.

Lets examine an Old Testament patriarch named Job.  I am sure you have heard of him, the one with all the troubles.  In a lot of ways we can we relate to Job.  He had a good family, kids, plenty of land and flocks.  He was considered a wealthy man, respected throughout their community and land.  Job was a person that had faith in God and lived his life accordingly.  He was considered righteous.  Yes, Job could get up in the morning and look out the window and truly say, life is good.  Look at what the scriptures say about Job.  Job 1:1-5.

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job.  This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil,  He had seven sons and three daughters, and owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants.  He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.  His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their sisters to eat and drink with them.  When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified.  Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts."  This was Job's regular custom.

Job feared God and took extra precautions for his family just in case one of them might have sinned in their hearts towards God.  Job knew that God would bless him as long as he followed the ways of God.  Since Job did this God did bless him abundantly.  Yes, Job could wake up in the morning and say, "It is well with my soul."


You and I can also be like Job and say life is good, "It is well with my soul."  You see, when we accepted Christ, God made us righteous through the blood of Christ.  It was by the amazing grace of God that we can say this. Job lived a righteous life and made every effort to keep his life in tune with God.  We through our faith in Christ obtained righteousness, the righteousness of Christ.  We can truly say because of what Christ has done for us, life is good. Yes, Job had it good and was virtually without worry, except for his children. Job would make sacrifices just in case one of them might have sinned against God.  As you know the story goes on.  Job's faith was about to be tested and tested hard.

Take a couple of minutes and read Job 1:6-22.  Here you will find that Job's first test came, everything he had was lost, even his children.  At the news of this devastation Job did not lay blame on God, Job said this,

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."  Job 1:21

If that was not enough, a second test came not long after the first.  Job 2:1-10 tells of the test of "skin for skin".  A time of suffering in his own body, painful sores like boils that caused much suffering.  His wife even told him to curse God and die.  Job still did not sin against God.  Look at what he says in response to his wife's statement,

He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman.  Shall we accept good from God, and not Trouble?"

Now here's the thing, look at what Job went through, he lost everything he had, even his children, he suffered immensely with pain.  Through all this Job did not lose his faith in God, Job did not lose hope in a better life.  Job maintained his standards and held onto his belief's.  You and I have gone through many things of our own and have maintained our belief in God.  If Job would have had the song Amazing Grace in his time I am sure he would have been singing it all the time.  Listen to the song by clicking on the link below.  The little girl singing it surely does not know the meaning of all the words, but she sings it with conviction.  Think about what you have been through in your life and remember what God has done for you throughout your life.  Christ set you free from the burden of sin and has delivered you from the pit of darkness.  Through Christ God has brought us back into His presence.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS93Q4jQAO0


I am sure that Job could say through all his trials that "it was well with his soul." Even though it may have seemed like God had abandoned him as his friends may have suggested because they thought he had sinned, Job held onto his faith and never gave up.  Through all the pain and suffering Job was able to maintain his perspective and remain faithful.  Unlike most of us when hard times hit us we cry out asking why, why me, what did I do wrong?  We think that God has forsaken us and left us stranded all alone to deal with the problems ourselves. The difference between Job and most Christians today is that we expect God to deliver us from our misery right now.   Unlike Job who maintained his faith in God no matter what, we question God's  faithfulness  and  beg for deliverance at the same time.   Job could look into his soul and know that he had not sinned and God was with him.  Job may not have understood what he was going through or why he had to suffer, but he knew God did not leave him.  Job had a clean heart before God and that is what mattered over everything else, the loss of his children, his servants, his land, his livelihood.  Through sickness and pain Job kept his heart clean before God.  Job, through his emotional pain and extreme physical pain could say with all assurance, "it is well with my soul."


Now the question remains for us,  can we look into our souls and know that we are in right standing with God?  Remember, Job had it all, and in these good times Job did not forget God.  Remember also Job went through some horrible times and yet Job did not forget God.  Job could look into his inner most being and know he was still in good standing with his Creator.  It is easy in the good times to say we trust in God and be thankful for all that we may have been blessed with.  But, what if God allowed us to go through what Job  went through to some degree, would we be able to look into our souls and say "it is well with my soul?"  It is in the hard times when our faith is tested, will we pass the test?  Listen to the song "It is well with my soul" by clicking on the link below, and reflect on your standing with God right now, for better or for worse, are you still faithful in your walk with Christ?  Hebrews 13:5 says this,

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Listen to the introduction of the song, for it is through the trials of a man that suffered great loss that this song was created and yet he could still say "It is well with my soul."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYP--c2LTfg 

Stone Casting

This message has to do with an important issue that is sad to say, goes on far to much in our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our schools, our homes and families, even our church's.  It is a social moral problem.  I cannot point fingers at anyone because I have myself been involved in this dreadful activity.  I am sure you have been caught up in this at times yourself and may have encouraged others to do the same.  The casting of stones for the sake of causing harm or injury to another fellow human being.

I believe you know exactly what I mean, someone crosses your path that rubs you the wrong way and you react to the situation with a verbal attack that is right from the depth of your heart.  You may even seek revenge on someone who has done you wrong using the old command an "eye for an eye" or a "tooth for a tooth."  If you had stones to throw you would probably be the first to throw it.  Stone casting, the ancient law that was used back in Moses time to correct wrongs.  Today at least in the free world we no longer throw stones to bring justice to a breaking of the law, we just verbally abuse someone, cut them down in front of their peers or snub them in some other way.  Look at the Old Testament Law and you can justify yourself by this.  Examine the following scriptures so you get a clear picture of the Old Testament Law and just how strict it was.  Leviticus 24:16 says that people who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be stoned to death.  Deuteronomy 13:10 makes it clear that anyone who tried to turn the Israelites away from the Lord were to be stoned to death.  Numbers 15:35 instructs Moses to stone to death anyone who breaks the Sabbath day.  Deuteronomy 22:13-30 speak of marriage violations and virgins promiscuity, any violation of these laws will result in stoning to death or paying of fines.

Yes, the casting of stones was a means of purging the nation of Israel from different sins.  The laws go on and are extensive and were to be adhered to strictly.  The problem was that every man, woman and child were born with a sin nature.  The sin nature was brought into the world by Adam and Eve when they disobeyed God, or should I say rebelled against Him.  Ever since then man has had to struggle with sin.  God set up a standard by which man was to live, any disobedience of His laws would bring some form of punishment.  Now we must ask ourselves what this has to do with us today?  Are we under these laws today?  First we have to realize the purpose of Jesus Christ, and then we have to understand Grace.

The purpose of Christ was to to provide a means or way for mankind to return to God's presence.   And secondly, after Christ gave His life for mankind, we live under the law of Grace.  So what does that mean for us today?  It means that we no longer live under the Old Testament Laws, even though those laws are not done away with, we do not have to live under them as  long as we under God's Grace.  Christ provided that for us.  Now we live under a much more stringent law, Grace.  Stoning is no longer a valid means of punishment, and those who think they can go about stoning people for violations of the law are mistaken.  We need to examine what Christ taught concerning throwing stones at others.

Now look at John 8:1-11 we find a very interesting story.  Some Pharisee's had brought a woman caught in the act of adultery, which meant by the law she was to be stoned to death.  They confronted Jesus with this woman and stated the law to Him.  Jesus without hesitation bent down and wrote something in the sand, He said nothing for a moment.  Then He looked up and said "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."  Christ stooped down again and wrote something in the sand.  The scripture says "At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there."  Christ at this point stood up and ask the woman where her accusers were.  No one was left to condemn her except Jesus.  You have to realize the significance of this, Christ was the only one who knew no sin, He was sinless and had every right to cast the stone.  He did not do so because He came to save the sinner's or the lost sheep, not to destroy them.  He did not cast the stone because He was bringing Grace into the world.  He ask the woman "where are those who condemned you?"  "There are none, replied the woman."  At this Christ said "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared.  "Go now and leave your life of sin."  Here is the crux of the matter, we are all sinners, we were born into this.  Because we are all in the same boat, we really have no right to cast stones at others.  You may not like what someone else has done or take offense at what they might say, but you still have no right to cast stones at them in return for some law you think they violated.  Yes, we may well deserve what you think about us and we may well deserve to be stoned to death, but before you cast that first stone ask yourself if you truly have that right.  If you are wondering, let me say it plainly, YOU and I do not have that right because you are just as guilty of sin as I am.  We all deserve death as a punishment for our sins.  Only Christ has the right to condemn you, and as long as you put your belief and trust in Him then He will not condemn you.  

So how do we cast stones today?  Matthew 15:16-20 says this; "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them.  "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them." Christ was basically rebuking some pharisees for their question about the followers of Christ not washing their hands before eating.  This was brought up because the Old Testament Law was still in play.  Christ was trying to show them that they were missing the whole point of the law.  Christ in these scriptures pointed out the true concept of what the law was supposed to do, and that was to show man that everything about man was evil by showing that what came from a person's mouth is actually what is in their heart, a sinful nature.  Christ was showing them through these events that He came to give mankind a new heart.  Ezekiel 36:25-27 shows us that God has planned our salvation from long ago. He says; "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."

The conditions for this heart change are laid out in the New Testament, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Read these scripture verses and see where you stand in the crowd of stone casters.  John 3:3; John 3:5; 2 Corinthians 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Psalm 51:10; Jeremiah 24:7; Ezekiel 11:19.  God has planned your return to Him, but it is contingent upon what you do with His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.  Through Christ you can have that renewed heart, you can experience the presence of God in your life.  Without Christ in your life, you are just another stone thrower from the world.  You will cast your stones at other's even though you have no right to do so.  With Christ you can step away from the old way of stoning others for their faults.  In Christ you are set free from the old laws and live under the new way of Grace.  Grace forgives and leaves the stones on the ground condemning no one.

We may not always agree with people and we may know what they are doing is wrong, but under Christ we do not pick up the stones of condemnation and cast them at our fellow man.  We are to love them as He loved us and bring them into Christ's boat of salvation.  So which are you going to be? One who cast's stones at other's or are you going to join Christ in sharing God's love for other's by being an example of Christ who left the stones on the ground and did not condemn the harlot to death.

A few more scriptures to leave you with, a scripture that describes us all, Romans 3:21-25a  "But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood, to be received by faith."

Look these scriptures up if you still are struggling with this; Genesis 8:21; 1 Kings 8:46; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 1:1; Romans 3:22; Romans 3:21; Romans 3:9, 19; Romans 1:28-32; Romans 11:32; Galatians 3:22; 1 John 1:8-10

If you have not received Christ as your savior, then why not do so now.  You can do this by saying this simple prayer.  There is only one condition before you say this prayer, and that is this; You must believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, that He was crucified, was buried and rose again on the third day.  If you believe this then say this prayer; Heavenly Father, I am a sinner, I believe in your Son Jesus Christ as Your only begotten Son and that He was crucified for my sins and that on the third day He rose up from the grave to give me eternal life. Forgive me of my sins and create in me a new heart fashioned after the heart of Christ.  Thank you Father for saving me and setting me free from my sins.  Help me to live a life for Christ and show His love to the world around me.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

If you have already accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior but are struggling with sin still, you need to recommit your life to Jesus Christ and ask Him to forgive you for the sins that you are still struggling with.  Pray this prayer;  Heavenly Father, thank you for giving your Son so I can live eternally with you.  Father, I am still struggling with sin in my life.  I know Christ forgave me once and for all.  Help me to live in His forgiveness and not allow sin to control my actions or my thoughts.  Forgive me of these sins (you can name them).  Thank you Father for setting me free and for giving me Your Holy Spirit.  Help me to put other's before myself so the love of Christ will shine through me, in Jesus' name, Amen.

What Happened On The Cross?

That old rugged cross, the one many sing about, the one we believers and the rest of the Christian religious group point to throughout the year, especially when Easter approaches.  Have you ever really given thought to why Christ had to die on that old rugged cross in the way He did?  Have you really given thought to what actually happened when Jesus Christ, Gods only Son went willingly to that cross to give His life?  I believe if we understood the impact of what and why this had to happen, then I believe you will view your life in a much more positive way, that is if you believe in Gods Son.

I want to examine for a few minutes the why of the cross by looking at some history then see what actually took place leading up to and when Jesus Christ died on that old cross.  Also understanding just what happened while Jesus Christ was on the cross can bring hope to all.  It is my hope you will take a few minutes with me and consider seriously these two questions and then evaluate where you stand with your belief or unbelief of Gods only begotten Son.

As everyone already knows, this world we live in is hanging on by a thread.  It seems no matter where you look death and destruction is all around.  You can't seem to escape some form of despair, violence, sickness, emotional stress, greed, etc. The list could go on for quite some length but I think immorality would sum it up very well.  You may be one who is wondering if there is any kind of hope left in this world, after all, we were promised this about eight years ago when Barack Obama began making promises of hope and change.  Now at the end of his term we see that those changes were not what most of us wanted, and the hope he promised has disappeared almost entirely.  The thing of it is is that this is nothing new, this type of thing has been going on since the fall of Adam and Eve in the beginning.  It is in man's DNA to long for what Adam and Eve had before they disobeyed God.  After all, they lived in the perfect place, no sickness, no disease, totally organic food, purpose, eternal life, the perfect weather, and most of all, they had communion or fellowship with their Creator, Genesis 3:8a, indicating that God did visit them.  After they were tempted by satan things went downhill very fast for them, Genesis 3:8-19.  First of all they were told by their Father, God, that they no longer could have communion with Him and they would suffer much. The worst was yet to come though, their Father, God, had already told them the day they disobeyed Him and partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil they would surely die, and that is exactly what happened.  No they did not die physically immediately, they would live on for a very long time, but physically they would eventually die.  The hardest impact was that they died spiritually, they could no longer have direct contact with their Father, their Creator.  From that point on blood would have to be shed before they could have any form of communication with their Father.  God took the life of an animal for clothing to cover mans nakedness, Gen. 3:21.  The first blood was shed because of mans disobedience.  Not only did man have to face not seeing their Father, they got bad news of future death plus they were being banished from their perfect environment, Gen. 3:22-24.  These two were in a lot of trouble and they just lost their home.

This seems harsh to many, but when you consider the impact their decision had on the rest of humanity, Romans 5:12, I believe a great amount of love was shown to Adam and Eve.  God is a perfect God, there is no sin or contamination in Him, so He could not look on sin let alone be around it.  God made a way for Adam and Eve along with the rest of humanity to return to Him.  In order for God to have communion with His children a price had to be paid, punishment was required.  Because of Adam and Eve's disobedience the rest of mankind would be born into the sin nature that entered Adam and Eve.  In other words, you and I are born with a sin nature which means that we are prone to sin.  Because of that, we also would have a price that has to be paid for the sin you and I inherited.

Right from the beginning God required the shedding of blood.  Blood carries life of the body so a life, a perfect human life that carried perfect blood had to be spilled as a sacrifice to pay for mans sin, and an animals life was not sufficient but would do until that perfect human would come on the scene, Genesis 3:14-15, referring to Christ, God's Son.  This was the only price that God would accept for the price of man's sin.  You see, man was put in charge of things, Genesis 1:26, or as the scripture says, given authority over the rest of creation, it was man who was responsible so man had to pay the price, a mans blood had to be spilled, but it could not have any sin or contamination, it had to be someone who did not have a sin nature, it had to be perfect. God over time then made laws for a certain group of people to follow, Exodus 34:27-28, laws that would show just how sinful man is and laws that would show mankind it needed a perfect sacrifice, a Savior.  Every time an animals blood was shed it was a temporary covering for man's sins.  These sacrifices had to be repeated over and over every year.  The chosen people were to follow this procedure to the letter, the laws that were given had to be kept perfectly, James 2:10.

God already knew that man could not live up to the law.  The law was given to show that we could not save ourselves, and that we had a need for a savior.  That was the whole purpose of the law, to prepare the way for Jesus Christ and the cross on which He would offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice that would satisfy not only the law that required perfection, but it would satisfy God, mankinds heavenly Father.

So why the cross for this sacrifice?  Why the most cruel way for someone to die to be used for the sacrifice of God's only begotten Son?  Think about what took place when Adam disobeyed his Father. By that one simple act of disobedience death and destruction was allowed into the world.  Every kind of sickness, disease and impurity would be brought into mans heart.  Man's very nature would be changed until the ultimate cure came to claim back what man had lost.  Not only did man allow sickness, disease, and every other form of bodily breakdown into the world, but man also lost relationship with the Creator.  The authority that God gave man was lost to Gods enemy, satan, and that gave the author of death the means of bringing destruction to what God loved most, mankind. The entire creation would suffer because of what Adam and Eve did. The creation would also suffer the process of death, Romans 8:20-22.  Because of the severity of mans downfall something more than a bare bottom spanking was in order.  A very severe punishment had to be given to man for two reasons I believe, one, so mankind would understand what it did, and two, God needed to show mankind that no matter what, He still loved His creation.  He loved it so much that He was willing to suffer Himself to redeem that which was lost.  The crucification was and is considered the most excruciating form of punishment.  Many who were crucified suffered sometimes for hours on end. There bodies would wrench in pain, their lungs cried out for oxygen as the weight of their bodies pulled down limiting the amount of air intake.  Their hands and feet could never support them long enough to ease any pain. When the guards figured enough time elapsed or the criminal looked like they had expired they would strike the legs to break the bones of the individual to speed up the process of death. Since Christ had already given up the Ghost there was no need to break His legs fulfilling the prophecy from Psalm 34:20, and in John 19:31-37 the account is described.

The sacrifice called for by the heavenly Father would not be a light punishment, the price for all the destruction had to be paid.  Sin would not be tolerated in any of His children.  When the time was right God would walk again among His creation in the body of His Son Jesus Christ who had not committed any sin, 2 Corinthians 5:19-21.  Jesus did not break any law but fulfilled the law so that the rest of mankind would not have to, which they couldn't do anyway.  Jesus knew what He was facing and He knew that without His perfect blood being shed mankind would be eternally lost.  He also knew that for man to receive healing and deliverance from the bondage of sickness and sin He would have to be beaten and suffer for what man allowed into His Fathers created world.  This was the only way to take all that man let into the world and remove it once and for all.  Not only did He take all sickness and sin onto Himself, He also took the law and nailed it to the cross with Him, Colossians 2:14. This being done, all the judgements being held against us were now done away with, the slate had been wiped clean.  In Christ's last few breath's before He gave up His Spirit He said "Father forgive them, for they don't know what they do." and with that He said "it is finished."  That meant He fulfilled His Father's expectations and satisfied His requirements for justification, Christ was now receiving mankind's sin nature into Himself, which meant that He would at the moment experience all the pain, all the suffering, all the depression, anxiety, hopelessness, sickness, and abandonment that every human would suffer.  He suffered immense pain and mental torture like no one else had ever experienced.  At that point His Father could not look upon Him.  That is why Jesus cried out "Father, why have You forsaken me."  Now man had the opportunity to reconnect with their Heavenly Father. It comes through believing in Gods only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, John 3:16.  This is the Gospel, the good news that the world had been waiting for, and it is the good news that is still being spread throughout the world today.  Jesus Christ paid the highest price for us while we were still sinners and in complete disobedience to our heavenly Father, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:9-10.

Why did Jesus, God's only begotten Son have to suffer the beatings, the mockery, and the judgement? Because mankind had an inherited sin nature that required blood to be shed, it had to be perfect blood of a human body.  It is by those very stripes that Jesus received, causing his flesh to be torn and mangled that we can now be healed from our afflictions and infirmities, Isaiah 53:4-5.  Christ took on Himself what we deserved, and He did this because God showed us His love for us while we were still sinners.

Why did He have to be crucified on that wooden cross? One reason is because that was what was prophesied, Deuteronomy 21:23.  Look at the short commentary concerning this law and how it points to Christ.  Remember, a lot of the Old Testament is types and shadows of the coming of the Messiah.

His body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that your land be not defiled, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance.

he that is hanged is accursed of God. [heb] that is, it is the highest degree of reproach that can attach to a man, and proclaims him under the curse of God as much as any external punishment can. They that see him thus hanging between heaven and earth, will conclude him abandoned of both, and unworthy of either. Bp. Patrick observes, that this passage is applied to the death of Christ; not only because he bare our sins and was exposed to shame, as these malefactors were that were accursed of God, but because he was in the evening taken down from the cursed tree and buried, (and that by the particular care of the Jews, with an eye to this law, (this  is from the biblehub.com).

There are other scriptures that also point to the crucification but I will leave this for you to research. My point is that Christ was to be crucified on a cross that was made from a tree.  He had to suffer this death the way He did because that is what the law required for someone who committed a serious sin. (Christ did not commit any sin, He was sinless, but was falsely accused).  When He hung on this cross Christ not only took our sins and sicknesses on Himself, He took our very sin nature on Himself. From that point, His Father had to let the law be fulfilled and could not even look upon His Son. Christ was hung on a tree because of being falsely accused, but when He took our sin nature and sins upon Himself He became sin.

Everything had come to fruition during this time period of the creations history, there was no escaping from this punishment.  It was either mankind was going to be lost for all eternity and suffer immensely or a very high price would have to be paid for mankind's redemption.  The Creator out of His great love for His creation and especially man chose to sacrifice His only begotten Son for our salvation.  There is no greater love than this, John 15:13.

The cross was not a time of rejoicing, the cross was a time of death, but it was a death with purpose, a death that would bring rejoicing, a death that brought freedom to mankind if man wanted it.  This is what is called Grace, God's kind of Grace, where now through Christ "in whom you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise," Ephesians 1:13.  We are completely redeemed in our spirits, sealed from sins (sin nature) corruption.  What happened on that old cross was more than just salvation from our sin, what happened on that old cross gave mankind access to their healing, deliverance and prosperity, Isaiah 53:4. The old sin nature died with Christ once we choose to believe in Him and we are given a brand new spirit joined with the Holy Spirit so that we are now as Christ is. Now we must renew our minds through Gods word so we can get rid of all the stuff that the old sin nature left behind in our souls, mind and emotions.  

Freedom comes in the fact that Jesus Christ resurrected on the third day and because of that we also can have new life and a freedom from the sin that seeks to destroy us.  The only stipulation or requirement to have this new life and freedom is to wholeheartedly and honestly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, Gods only begotten Son. Exodus 4:4-5 is a type or shadow of what God was going to do for His people, not only then, but now. Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9, John 11:27, John 3:16 all say that we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be redeemed.  I ask you now, is that truly so hard to do?  Your eternal destination depends on your decision.