The Offense Of The Cross - December 26, 2010

Daily Reading

1John 1-5

Daily Verse

This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God:

Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ

has come in the flesh is from God,

but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.

1John 4:2-3

Daily Thought

He was a Muslim attending a Christian University.

"Wasn't there a cross on that wall last year?" he asked.

"Yes, but we took it down in order to be ecumenical," explained the Christian. "We did not want to offend others."

"Others? You mean like me, a Muslim?"

"Yes," said the Christian.

"You have offended me," said the Muslim.

"How so?" the Christian was puzzled.

"You have offended me by taking down your cross," answered the Muslim. "You have called me a bigot."

"No, no, no, we hate bigotry. What do you mean?"

"If you attended a university in my country, would you be offended by quotations from the Quran on our walls?"

"Of course not," the Christian looked puzzled.

"Because you are not a bigot. Likewise, only a bigot would object to Christian symbols in a Christian University. You are calling me a bigot because you expect me to be offended by those symbols."

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
~Romans 1:16

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

God, Your Son came to this world and endured the shame of the cross for my sake. May I endure its shame, as well. I would gladly boast of Your sacrifice, no matter the cost, because Your shame is the power of my salvation. You took my sin and bore its penalty by dying on the cross. The cross of a criminal. The cross I deserved.

This is Your glory, the glory of love so strong that You suffered the cross for me, a sinner. I will lift up Your Name, no matter the consequences, because it is Your Name, and Your Name alone, by which I am saved.

What a wonderful cross. What a wonderful Savior.

Amen