by Terrence Clark CLC (review)
Father Forgive Them Saturday 3.28 (1) “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Scarcely for a righteous man would some dare to die Please forgive any typo these documents have not been fully proofed to date. But in order to get the message out to you, they are posted Hurt, and the condition or act that causes it, is definitely real. The old adage “stick and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me” has long been exposed as being pathetic. Pain---emotional and physical---is derivative from (physical and verbal) assault, violence or accident. In fact, with physical wounds, most heal after days. Emotional bruising may be embedded in a person for a life time. In both cases, the nature of hurt often results in scarring. So then, there is not just the actual incident of affliction, but the reminders and memories left behind. The Gospel of Christ is called the good news. Good news is the actual definition. When Jesus quoted and preached Isaiah 61, in his home town of Nazareth, he exposed the meaning of the passage deeper than they had known before in its reading. Deliverance was not just release from Babylonian and Rome captivity or a reminder of past deliverance from the bondage of the Pharaohs. Deliverance reached into the depth of the soul and the spirit. In his list, He said His gospel was to the bruised and broken hearted as well as the total freedom to all. Sin has far more far reaching consequences than just the entertainment of fleshly pleasure and temporal satisfaction that can be dealt with later. Sin has dark eternal consequence. It separates and isolates. The word for sin in the Greek is hermatima. It means to miss the mark. No matter how well you aim with your good works or self-righteousness you can never hit the bulls-eye of Gods acceptance. Sin blinds and leads its followers into places that often have more detrimental results than the original intent. None the less, God sent his only son to die for sinful mankind. Jesus had to come in this human likeness in order to do so. The cross was not God’s plan B. The scripture teach that Christ was crucified before the world began. In other words before the Almighty said “Light be” the Son had been committed to die. The kind of love that went to the cross was infused into the very fiber of the universe. God knew Adam would disobey, but he put him in The Garden any way. In true family planning, parents are to sit down and weigh out the accountabilities of having children. Planning includes a financial perspective as sociological one. Where will we live? How will raise him or her? A child is born into the commitment of mom and dad. All sacrifices, in essence, are already made before the child breathes his first lung full of air. If true with men, then it’s greater with God. The suit of skin and flesh Jesus put on in Mary’s womb had stretched to infancy when she birthed him in Bethlehem. 5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God---Hebrews 10:5-7 It had already been planned out. It had been rehearsed in the secret places of heaven. Glimpses of it had been revealed in everything from nature, the celestial, and even seen in heathen lore. Yet no one really caught it. Abraham’s encounter on Mt. Moriah with Isaac and the ram was probably the most exhaustive revelation. Scripture says, if the demonic rulers (1 Corinthians 2:8) would have known, they wouldn’t have crucified Jesus. They thought they were extinguishing a kingdom movement of righteousness. They didn’t know, they were being set up. Their supposed plot was yielding to the greatest resolution in all the universe and time----forever and ever. The result would be mankind’s freedom and their demise. The religious men of Jerusalem and the heathen soldiers of Rome had no idea. They thought they were stopping another faction and uprising. Still, with blood on their hand they both were killing and innocent man. Some hoping to justify themselves cast blame on the other. His own killed him. Other say Rome killed him. The truth is we all killed him by our sin. Yet even it this, though an instrument was needed, He gave his Life, willingly. On the cross, the Savior looks out into eternity, as he usually did. Looking past the present condition He brought the reality of heaven into the present and future to redeem the past. He says, “Father forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.” It wasn’t just a mere statement, dealing with their ignorance, in this horrific crime. He pronounced from Adam to the last child born God’s position towards mankind’s tragedy. For if he had not forgiven on His cross, then all would be lost forever. Forgiveness was bought by his blood and forgiveness was pronounced in his blood. When I look to the “them” of whom he spoke of on the cross, to cast forth blame….I find myself, but in that same moment where condemnation would catch my soul, I find my refuge in His love for me. If these journal excerpts have been a blessing to you, please pass them on to your friends. And please visit us and share your testimony on www.VoiceCNC.com Consider making and investment into this ministry to help as we reach the world with the good news. Terrence Clark is ordained Christian minister assisting multiple churches and ministries. He is the Chief Editor of VoiceCNC.com and is also a Certified Christian Life Coach—helping people to Win, Overcome, and Advance in the kingdom of God. For Life Coaching or to have Rev. Clark speak at your church or event email us at Vof1@aol.com or call (856) 728-0777 |
If these journal excerpts have been a blessing to you, please pass them on to your friends. And please visit us and share your testimony on www.VoiceCNC.com
Consider making and investment into this ministry to help as we reach the world with the good news. Terrence Clark is ordained Christian minister assisting multiple churches and ministries. He is the Chief Editor of VoiceCNC.com and is also a Certified Christian Life Coach—helping people to Win, Overcome, and Advance in the kingdom of God. For Life Coaching or to have Rev. Clark speak at your church or event email us at Vof1@aol.com or call (856) 728-0777 |