Happy Tuesday!

WOW! Even though Tuesday is a really long day for me, it is becoming one of my favorite days. I go to a great worship service of Word and Table at 11:00 and in the last 4 weeks I have been witness to great preaching in my preaching class with my fellow classmates. Today one of my African American classmates absolutely torched the room with his sermon on the rich young ruler. The focus of his sermon was having a relationship with Jesus. The call and response “Amen’s” began by the second or third sentence. It was amazing. Tonight I did not just bear witness to the Word being preached. I worshiped. Amen!

Prayer: “Good morning to the One who is both crucified and Savior and risen Lord! Today, I begin this day as one who is so very grateful for an old wooden Cross that stood somewhere just outside an ancient Jerusalem gate some two-thousand plus years ago. I thank You, precious risen Lord, that I have responded to the message of that Cross and new life in its shadow daily. Today I pray that You will crucify me with You on that Cross that I may die to all that would keep me from your will. May I live in such a way that I always reflect Your glory. Amen.”

1 Corinthians 1: 18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

In the sermon I heard today in class the preacher began with a story of a group of men who were all very wealthy. Each of them perished in death from tragic diseases and suicides. All of their wealth and power did not do them or anyone else any good because none of these men had a relationship with Jesus. These men believed that their wealth and power would sustain them for the remainder of their lives. The truth is that each of these men died without money, destitute and alone. The symbol for their lives looked like this $.

Those of us who have a relationship with Jesus may not have a lot of money, or maybe some of us do. We may or may not have a fancy house. We may or may not drive an expensive car. But each of us live under the umbrella of God’s love and grace because we have a relationship with Jesus. The message of Jesus on the Cross is a message of comfort and assurance that no matter what life situations we find ourselves in we are never going to perish. We will always have full access to the wealth of love and grace that only a relationship with Jesus can provide. And we will never be alone!

When we hand our sins over to Jesus at the foot of the Cross we can go beyond the Cross and have a relationship with God through the power of Jesus and we will come to know Him. The Cross tells us that there is no Plan B to salvation. The symbol of those who believe in Jesus Christ is a Cross. “Precious Lord, keep us close to the Cross of Christ forever.”

Take joy in the journey. Wear comfortable shoes. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am only moved by what I believe and I believe God.

I ask for your continuing prayers for Geni and her friends on their Spring Break adventures, for the Kairos Prison Ministry team at the Allred Unit in Iowa Park, Tx., for the Via De Cristo weekend beginning on Thursday (3/15) in Denton and for Travis on his upcoming first professional competition on March 31. Peace, gc