Crucifixion of Jesus for the sins of the world

Romans 1:23

And exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Galatians 3:13

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

1 Peter 2:24

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Crucifixion of followers of Jesus

Matthew 23:34

Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.

John 21:18

I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”

Our old man crucified with Christ to destroy sin

Romans 6:6

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Crucifixion of self-life and sin

Galatians 5:24

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
Crucifixion of the believer to the world and the world to him

Galatians 6:14 

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Backsliders crucifying to themselves the Son of God afresh and putting Him to open shame

Hebrews 6:6

if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

'Disciple'

Jesus saw that all the people were around him. So Jesus told his followers to go to the other side of the lake. - Matthew 8:18

Jesus had this intriguing habit of withdrawing from the crowds. At first glance, we want to correct him, and remind him, that he is trying to win the world for God. How is he going to do that by running away from folks who are seeking him? Then we realize how ludicrous such a thought is, and we realize the audacity of even thinking we could give him advice.

Hopefully, this insight will lead to conviction. Jesus wasn't trying to gain an audience; he was trying to prepare an army. He is not trying to gain a following; he wants to forge followers. He didn't need "hangers on"; he was looking for disciples. A disciple, a true follower, doesn't just go around listening to all the neat stuff the Teacher says.

No, a true disciple is going to become like the Teacher. In the process of becoming like the Teacher, the true follower will be confused, amazed, bewildered, astounded, tested, saved, broken, encouraged, exposed, protected ... Jesus' goal for his disciples was to make true followers. He wasn't interested in a big church membership roll; he wanted committed followers! That is as radical today as it was then.

Yes, true followers will be church members, but they're also going to be a lot more. They're going to live to share Jesus' life with others and teach them how to live it.

Seek 

. Seek to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God in your daily life. - Alexander Maclaren

You 
 
. There is only one you.  God wanted you to be you.  Don’t you dare change just because you’re out numbered! - Charles Swindoll

Blessings 

. Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayers and worn with thanks. - Thomas Goodwin

Saviour 

. Our Saviour kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives.  But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, “I can clean that if you want.”  And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes our sin. - Max Lucado

'Received with Joy'

1 Thessalonians 1:6 - So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.

How can a convicting message, a message that calls us to turn our lives around (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10), bring joy in the middle of suffering?

First, that message is true.

Second, that message points us to a better way, a way that leads to glory that is far greater than any suffering now could possibly be (Romans 8:17-18).

Third, that message comes accompanied by the ultimate Message-Giver, the Holy Spirit. Joy is inspired, produced, and sustained by the Holy Spirit.

Bible Promises 

2 Timothy 4:2

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.

All Times

Zeal-At all Times

Galatians 4:18

It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.

Matthew 9:12

“On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."

Why did Jesus associate with sinners? Because we need him to associate with us! What's the most crucial part of that truth: Jesus' desire to save or our recognition of our sinfulness? Of course the most crucial part is Jesus' desire to save because without him, recognizing our sinfulness would only lead to despair.

But without recognizing our need for his grace, his sacrifice for us is lost. So let's praise Jesus as our loving and sacrificial Savior, but let's also acknowledge our need for his merciful and mighty grace!

Do not repent just to escape judgement

Matthew 3:2

and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

Examples of wrong motives: - Exodus 9:33-35

So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his hands to the Lord; then the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken by Moses.

Fear of God – Genesis 39:9

There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

Love of God – 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Word of God – Luke 16:29

Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’

Luke 16:31

But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

Hebrews 4:12-13

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Impact of daily Thanksgiving

. Keeps us continually aware that  we are walking in His presence which contributes to living  a godly life.

. Motivates  us to look for His purposes in everything that He allows in our life.

. Helps us bring our will into submission to His will when we’re suffering pain or loss.

. Keeps us consciously aware that God is in our lives.

. Reminds us to our continuing dependence on Him.

. Essential to our rejoicing in the midst of sufferings.

. Removes anxiety.

. Keeps our focus  on Him rather than our circumstances.

. Energizes us.

Faith Defined

Faith is believing that God will do as He has promised. Faith is not a power. It's not something we are supposed to drum up inside ourselves.

Faith is trusting that God will honor His promises. That is all there is to it.

Our part in the faith process is fairly simple. We are to go about our lives - making decisions, handling crises, raising our families, and  so on as if God is really going to do what He  said He would do. That is what it means to walk by faith.

Peace-At all Times

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Now may the Lord of peace  himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Praise God

Praising God means we sacrifice our right to hold grudges and to choose our own paths. We lay down our wants, desires, and hurts on the altar to die.

True praise comes from a grateful heart, which comes from someone who gratefully acknowledges the sovereignty of God in his or her life.

Quote

. It is not too much to say that all real growth in the spiritual life–all victory over temptation, all confidence and peace in the presence of difficulties and dangers, all repose of spirit in times of great disappointment or loss, all habitual communion with God–depend upon the practice of secret prayer. - Unknown

Proverbs 10:9

“The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.”

"Tell the truth the first time and then you won't have to remember what you said." That's a quote attributed to the famous Speaker of the House (U.S.A. House of Representatives) Sam Rayburn. That's basically what God's wisdom is trying to teach us in this passage. Be a person of integrity. Then, when someone finds out your secrets, you can feel secure knowing that you have lived for godliness. However, a perverse and deceitful person has to constantly worry that someone will find him out.

There is no security or assurance in crooked paths, only the certainty of getting tripped up and caught. When the secrets of evil that have been whispered in dark places get shouted from the rooftops, those who have lived for the Lord can be secure, knowing that what gets shouted about them is said with the voice of God: "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

PRAYER

God does not depend on solely on a few stanch saints. He has planned for ordinary Christians like you and me to become mighty in prayer for the blessing and salvation of people and reaping of Christ's harvest among the nations today.

There is no reason in the world why you cannot become so steadfast in your personal prayer life that Christ will count on you to help build His Church and advance His kingdom in many parts of the world.

Beginning with your family, your Church, and your community, you can play a significant part through normal daily prayer that will make a difference, even in distant lands.

When He calls on someone for this role, He usually selects one who has been praying faithfully and consistently.

Quotes 

. I know the power obedience has of making things easy which seem impossible. - Teresa of Avila

. I choose joy.  I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.  I will refuse the temptation to be cynical, the tool of the lazy thinker.  I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God.  I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God. - Max Lucado

God's Holy Fire: 'United in the Spirit'

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. - Ephesians 4:3 NLT

When we open the book of Acts, we hear Jesus promise twice in the first few verses to send the Holy Spirit to empower the early disciples as they go to all nations to share the good news of Jesus. As we read further, we see the Holy Spirit at work to break down every barrier — geographical, cultural, racial, economic, political, and social — to make the people who come to Jesus into one new people. Paul reflects on the great grace of God in Ephesians chapters 1-3.

In today's verse, he challenges Jesus' followers to make every effort to keep what the Holy Spirit and the grace of God had worked to create: a people united by the Holy Spirit and held together with the bond of peace. He wanted them to "wage peace"! He wanted them to be peacemakers and not just "peacewanters."

Making peace only can happen when we allow the Spirit to control our hearts while we earnestly and diligently strive to be united through the Spirit as God's children.

Father God…You are Responsive!

Jeremiah 33:2-3

2 “This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name:

3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

Evangelist

The evangelist is a man with a driving urgency, not a man with two minds.

The Gospel and nothing else on earth matters, neither fame, money, popularity nor life itself.

Quotes 

. As base a thing as money often is, yet it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure.  It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor.  Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth.  Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality. - A. W. Tozer

. People, places, and things were never meant to give us life.  God alone is the author of a fulfilling life. - Gary Smalley

Little - 2

Matthew 10:42

And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

Matthew 14:31

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Matthew 18:5

Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

Luke 7:47

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

1 Timothy 4:8

For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come

Quotes 

. It is not thy hold on Christ that saves thee; it is Christ.  It is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee; it is Christ.  It is not even thy faith in Christ, though that be the instrument; it is Christ’s blood and merit. - C. H. Spurgeon

. . When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God. - Billy Graham

. Faith is an activity; it is something that has to be applied. - Corrie Ten Boom

Prayer

. Father, thank you for giving me new life in Jesus. I am truly thankful that my guilt is covered by your grace. I ask for the power to live my life of freedom from sin. Forgive me for my times of mediocrity and flirtation with sin. Give me a strong sense of revulsion toward anything that would pollute my soul or distract my heart from your will. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.