Peace Through the Cross

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1.
If sinners can be led to give one earnest look at the cross, if they can obtain a full view of the crucified Saviour, they will realize the depth of God’s compassion and the sinfulness of sin.
As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seen something of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look upon it with abhorrence…. You long to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be set free. Harmony with God, likeness to Him—what can you do to obtain it?
It is peace that you need—Heaven’s forgiveness and peace and love in the soul. Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain to it; you can never hope, by your own efforts, to secure it. But God offers it to you as a gift, “without money and without price.” Isaiah 55:1….
Go to Him, and ask that He will wash away your sins, and give you a new heart. Then believe that He does this because He has promised …. It is our privilege to go to Jesus and be cleansed, and to stand before the law without shame or remorse.
When at the foot of the cross the sinner looks up to the One who died to save him, he may rejoice with fullness of joy; for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling in faith at the cross, he has reached the highest place to which man can attain.
Thank God for the gift of His dear Son, and pray that He may not have died for you in vain. The spirit invites you today. Come with your whole heart to Jesus, and you may claim His blessing.
As you read the promises, remember they are the expression of unutterable love and pity…. Yes, only believe that God is your helper. He wants to restore His moral image in man. As you draw near to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and forgiveness.
The Faith I Live By p. 103
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Prayer Requests
—-I request prayers for ASI Southwest this week, and as I speak in the evenings. Pastor Rich
—-Please may I request prayer for my sister in law and her family. She suffered from breast cancer and got leukemia from the chemo. She received bone marrow transplant and has had remission until recently, when its recurrence was diagnosed. After spending the weekend in the hospital where she was in ICU for influenza because (no immunity) she returned home to discover that her 89 year old father had been hospitalized for what was thought to be congestive heart failure but then found to have end stage lymphoma. She has given all over to the Lord as there is no more a human can do. Of course that’s when the Lord can show His miracles. I ask for prayer for her strength and her endurance. And if the Lord elects a physical healing, I ask for principalities and rulers of darkness to be evicted from her presence and God’s grace to rest upon her. Wayne
—-Please pray for my last son, the enemy is trying to destroy him ,God is all powerful. He says nothing is left for him. Valerie
—-I have a job interview today. Please pray I get this job. Thanks Ann
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Dear Friends,
One spring day, when my children were small, we noticed that some birds were building a nest in the decorative trim on the front of our trailer. They had chosen an ideal place as it would have been very difficult for their little babies to fall out of the nest. We welcomed them as a learning experience for the children as it was low enough that we could lift them up and they could look at the eggs in the nest whenever the parents were away.
Soon the baby birds hatched. Even inside the trailer, we could hear their loud cheeps every time the parent bird came with a bug or a worm for them to eat. As they grew larger, the cheeps became louder, but it did not bother us. We were thrilled to have them as neighbors. Whenever both parents were gone hunting for food, we would sneak outside and look at our baby birds.
However, one day something happened that changed our feelings toward them. When I sat down on the sofa that was against the wall that was directly behind the bird’s nest, I noticed some tiny insects swarming on the back of the sofa—bird mites! The wall also was covered with swarming mites. I was horrified! Suddenly the thought of having those birds as part of the family was not so pleasant. I wanted those mites out of my house—-NOW!
I went to the store and bought some spray that could be used to rid pet birds of mites. I sprayed the sofa, the wall, and the baby birds. That helped, but since I could not spray the parent birds, the problem soon returned. Finally, the only thing that could be done was to get rid of the nest. The birds were nearly grown, so they almost ready to leave the nest anyway.
How often we become infested with the “mites” of this world. Sometimes the mite is music that leads us away from Christ. Sometimes it is the TV programs we watch that fill our minds with the wrong thoughts that soon become wrong actions. It is a scientific fact, that we become like what we have allowed into our minds. By beholding, we become changed. We become like those about whom Paul speaks, “Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.” Titus 1:15
One day we become alarmed and attempt to change, but we find that we cannot. The allurement of the music or of the program pulls us in once again. We are caught in the snare of the evil one. How much we need help from the One Who “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Heb 4:15 How much we need His cleansing power. In our helplessness we cry, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: . . . Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; . . Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Ps 51:1-13
Our Blessed Redeemer answers, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Exe 36:26,27
May we, this day, ask our loving Saviour for that new heart which we so desperately need. May we rejoice as we receive His cleansing power. May we forget “those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” this day is my prayer. Phil 3:13,14
Rose