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1. Message
Dear friends in Christ,
Cross-of Christ is important in Christian life. To understand the glory of God in the cross of Christ, we must go all the way back to creation. Isaiah 43:6-7 says that God created us for His glory. The glory of God is the majesty, splendor, and supreme value of the perfections of God's character. Glorifying God means calling attention to His greatness and showing His supreme value by delighting in Him and cherishing Him. The failure to live for God's glory, which we are all guilty of, is the essence of what the Bible calls sin. "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Because of our sin, we all deserve eternal punishment under the wrath of God (Romans 5:9; 2 Thess. 1:9).
The good news is that God is love and therefore forgives the sins of those who repent and turn to His Son in faith. But this leads to a astonishing dilemma: How is God able to forgive sins without compromising His glory? The answer is given in Romans 3:23-26: "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the
demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." According to this verse, God crucified Jesus in order to demonstrate His righteousness. It was necessary for God's righteousness to be displayed because God has forgiven people who have sinned against Him--that is, attacked and refused to value His glory
On the cross, Christ was temporarily abandoned by God the Father (Matthew 27:46; Galatians 3:13) and He experienced the wrath of God the Father against sin (Romans 5:9; John 18:11). Biblical statements on God's wrath are terrifying. Revelation 14:10 says that those who reject God will "drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb." On the cross, Jesus drank the cup of God's wrath for those who would come to believe in Him. "The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?", He said on His way to the cross (John 18:11). The Old Testament background behind this cup is revealing: "For thus the Lord, the God of Israel, says to me, `Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it'" (Jeremiah 25:15). By drinking the "cup of God's wrath" Jesus propitiated God's wrath against His elect and thus made it possible for God to show mercy to us.
When this was finished, Jesus died and completed His work of paying the penalty for sins, for "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22). He did this all in the place of those who would come to believe in Him (1 Cor 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18). If you believe in Christ, Christ exp- erienced the wrath that God had for you so that He could give you mercy instead. Those who do not come to believe in Christ will have to pay the penalty for their own sins by being eternally cut off from the glory of God and eternally punished by the wrath of God in hell (Matthew 25:49; Revelation 14:10-11)
In conclusion, let us ask, If God takes His glory so seriously, shouldn't we? Shouldn't we stop innocently ridicule God by ignoring the fact that He values Himself above all things? Shouldn't we stop ignoring that God's goal in everything He does is to exalt and proclaim the superior worth of His glory? How can we acknowledge the greatness of our God (and thus honor Him) if we deny that He is at the center of everything He does? Cross is the work of God. It demonstrates that God is not defeated by the sins of men. Cross is the salvation of the world. It is the power of God for salvation. Let us live in the shadow of cross, proclaim the supremacy of God, and grow in his grace each day.
May God bless you all
Rev. Shiju Samuel
Events (March 2008)
Fasting Prayer
8th March Mr.Shaji Kurian
22nd March T. A Joseph
29th March Church
Cottage Prayer
John Joseph
Passion Week
17th 7.00PM Monday Vespers
18th 7.00 PM Tuesday Vespers
19th 7.00 PM Wednesday Vespers
20th 6:30 PM Maundy Thursday
21st 7:00 PM Good Friday
Easter Sunday
23rd 9:30 AM
Sunday School Easter Program
23rd 1:30 PM Sunday School Easter Program
Committee Meeting
2nd March
Area Prayer Meeting
Alternate weeks of each group
10) Birthdays
3rd Kripa John
6th Wincy P. Mathew
10th Latha Kurian
17th Jain George
18th Sheela J. Joseph
19th Sachu Kurian
24th Ajith Philip
Readings and Assignments
March 2 Women’s Fellowship Sunday (Malayalam Service)
Lesson 1 Esther 7:1-10 Sosamma Mathew
Luke 1: 46-55 Latha Kurian
Lesson 2 2 Thimo 1: 1-5 Omana Thomas
Gospel Luke 13: 10-17
Elements Anna Devid & Sheela Joseph (Food: Women’s Fellowship)
March 9 Cross-and the suffering Humanity (English Service)
Lesson 1 Jeremiah 8: 18-22 Youth
Psalm 73 Kripa John
Lesson 2 2 Corinthians 4: 7-12 Youth
Gospel Mark 10: 35-52
Elements Youth (Food: Abraham Joseph & Family)
March 16 Palm Sunday (English Service)
Lesson 1 Zechariah 9: 9-12 Thomas Koshy
Psalm 24 Robin K Roy
Lesson 2 Ephesians 1: 15-23 Latha Kurian
Gospel Mark 11: 1-11
Elements Shaji & Sachu Kurian (Food: Shaji Kurian & family)
March 17, Vespers Sermon
March 18, Vespers Sermon Thomas Koshy
March19, Vespers Sermon Anna Devid
March 20 Maundy Thursday (Malayalam Service)
Lesson 1 Hosea 6:1-6 Tony Philip
Psalm 116 Benjamin Joseph
Lesson 2 I Corinthians 11: 23 – 26 Jaya Shiju
Gospel Luke 22: 7-20
Elements Aby Joseph & Family
March 21 Good Friday (English Service)
Lesson 1 Isaiah 52:13 – 53:6 Jain George
Psalm 22 Akkina Abraham
Lesson 2 1 Peter 3: 13-22 Sheela J. Joseph
Gospel Mark 15:22-41
March 23, Christ’s resurrection: Celebration (English Service)
Lesson 1 2 king 4: 26 37 Kurian C Kurian
Psalm 118: 1- 4, 14-17 Sheryl
Lesson 2 1 Corinthians 15: 42-58 Sachu Kurian
Gospel John 20:1-18
Elements John Mathew & Rosamma (Food: Church)
March 30 My Lord & My God (Malayalam Service)
Lesson 1 Exodus 3: 7 – 15 Ajith Philip
Psalm 93 Ginu George
Lesson 2 1 Peter 1:3-9 Anna Devid
Gospel John 20: 24-29
Elements Lovy George & Roy K Cherian
Food Babu Philip & Family
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