Promise for Today - No Coupon No Discount

Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 The Message

Here's what we think. If we bought it, and we paid for it, and we have the scars to show for it, it's ours. We can do what we want with it. But the Truth of the matter is, we didn't buy it, and we couldn't pay for it, and although we may have scars from the battles we've chosen to be part of IN our lives, our scars are not part of or proof of the purchase price paid FOR our lives.

Only Christ did that. He bought it. He paid for it with His own blood, and He has the scars to show for it.

I love the way 1st Peter 1:18-20 reads in The Message: "Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew He was going to do this for you."

God ALWAYS knew He was going to do this for you and for me. It cost God plenty, and He paid in full.

Prayer:

Father,
           Open our eyes to see the great price that was paid for our redemption. Open our hearts to recognize and know that, apart from You, we have nothing and are nothing. Help us to walk in the fullness of life that You have provided for us through Christ Your Son. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

I See Those

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
John 20:24-27 NLT

I heard a story once about a young boy who was attacked by an alligator. As the alligator snapped at the boy's legs, the mother grabbed and held on to her son's arms with strength only a parent can possess when fighting for a child's life. A passing vehicle heard the mother screaming and quickly came to their rescue, shooting the alligator. Months later, a reporter was interviewing the little boy and asked to see his scars. He showed the scars on his legs but surprised the reporter by bragging about the scars on his arms. The little boy beamed, "My Mom didn't let go."

We often view scars as ugly, somehow making us less than... Less than what, I ask? I see scars as a visible sign of being an overcomer. Whatever was broken, whatever hurt you, whatever tried to kill you did NOT succeed! The scars on Jesus are because God wouldn't let go of you and me.

I see your scars, but I also see that you're still here and I praise God for that! Will you? 

Prayer:

Father, 

          Thank You for not letting go of us! Thank You for every scar on Jesus that represents and provides Your forgiveness, Your redemption, Your healing, and Your great love for us. As we celebrate Communion this weekend, help us to always remember Jesus' body and blood, broken and spilled out for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Who Paid for This?

Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.
1st Corinthians 6:19-20 The Message

If we bought it and we paid for it and we have the scars to show for it, it's ours. We can do what we want with it. But the Truth of the matter is we didn't buy it, and we couldn't pay for it, and although we may have scars from the battles we've chosen to be part of IN our lives, our scars are not part or proof of the purchase price FOR our lives. 

Only Christ did that. He bought it. He paid for it with His own blood, and He has the scars to show for it. 

I love the way 1st Peter 1:18-20 reads in The Message: Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. 

God ALWAYS knew He was going to do this for you... and for me. It cost God plenty... and He paid in full.

Prayer:

Father,
         Open our eyes to see the great price that was paid for our redemption. Open our hearts to recognize and to know that apart from You, we have nothing and we are nothing. Help us to walk in the fullness of life that You have provided for us through Christ Your Son. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen