A Close Up On Jesus

Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. (Luke 24: 28-35)

After Jesus announced He had to go, His disciples insisted that He stayed with them for the night. At the table, a very familiar scene took place; Jesus took the bread, blessed it and broke it. At that very moment, at the breaking of the bread, His disciples realized, it was Him…

Jesus had drawn out so many spiritual lessons from bread: The bread from heaven was so satisfying that if anyone would eat it, they would never be hungry again. Such bread would be enough to sustain their lives and they would need nothing else. This bread was offered for free. No money, no sacrifices, nothing was necessary to give in exchange for it. The bread represented Jesus’ life; His body given as a sacrifice, as a payment for our sins; as a way to obtain forgiveness. Furthermore, at the last supper Jesus had commanded them to remember His sacrifice while eating bread. That is why, at the sound of the breaking of bread, all these images rushed into their minds and hearts. This man was no other than Jesus!

Everything made sense now. Every experience lived, every miracle witnessed, every word He talked, every prophecy about Him. His life, His love, His suffering, His death, His resurrection! Like a camera lenses that closes around the subject and focus in one main thing, every testimony came together and made them realize one single truth: That man was Jesus, the Savior of the World, the Messiah promised in the Bible, the Son of God, and the only hope they would ever have. He is the Only Way to heaven and the only one who can take away our sins, and reconcile us with God.

Jesus, such a short name, such a glorious meaning: He is the Savior of the World. Our Savior

Has all that you know about Jesus come together within your heart already? Have you given up all your good intentions, works and sacrifices to gain the glory? Do you understand that the one thing you need is Him?

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

Could Jesus Have Survived His Crucifixion?

Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. (Luke 23: 50-56).

Have you ever heard the absurd idea that Jesus didn’t die? Ahmadiya Muslims affirm that after the crucifixion, Jesus was alive and fled to India! You can read it in the Koran. In the 19^th century some others suggested that Jesus only fainted on the cross because of exhaustion. They say that someone gave him a “potion” that made him appeared to be dead, but he woke up later, aided by the cool air in the tomb. Could this be true?

With the help of the excellent book, “The Case for Christ”, by Lee Strobel, we will look at the medical evidence to see if Jesus could survive such an atrocious death. My hope is that at the end, your faith will be strengthened. A word of caution, the descriptions are striking.

If you have followed this blog, you know by now that at Gethsemane Jesus suffered the well-known medical condition called hematidrosis, which caused him to sweat blood. This condition affected Jesus’ skin, making it extremely fragile.

Later, Jesus was flogged. Roman whips were made of braided leather thongs with metal balls and pieces of sharp bone woven into them. The balls caused Jesus deep bruises. As the flogging continued, the sharp bones would cut through the flesh severely. Roman punishment was brutal. The historian Eusebius describe it this way, “The sufferer’s veins were laid bare, and the very muscles, sinews, and bowels of the victim were open to exposure”.  Many died before being crucified, just because of the flogging. So, what do you think so far? Was it possible for someone in this condition to survive? Well, some did. Let see what awaited Christ.

Jesus lost blood at a very rapid rate because of hypovolemic shock. His heart raced trying to pump more blood, but he had not enough, so His blood pressure dropped. This is what caused Jesus to collapse in His way to Calvary. His kidneys would stop producing urine to retain as much fluids as possible, and He became very thirsty. Do you remember Jesus asking for water on the cross? It was result of the hypovolemic shock. Jesus was in critical physical condition even before being crucified.

We’ve talked enough about Jesus crucifixion before, so, I won’t’ tell you much more. I don’t want you to faint on me! Nevertheless, there are some more details you need to know in order to draw your own conclusions. When the Lord finally arrived at Calvary, the Romans made him lay down and nailed His hands to the horizontal beam first. Nails between 5 to 7 inches long ended in a sharp point were driven through Jesus’ wrists. The images we have seen in movies of nails going through Jesus’ palms are just not real.

The nails went through the wrist, because otherwise the flesh in Jesus’ hands would tear and he would fall from the cross. The nails would crush the largest nerve of the hand, producing a pain so unbearable that it was necessary to invent a new word to describe it. That’s how the word “excruciating” was invented. It means “out of the cross”.

Since the vertical beam was permanently attached to the floor, the Romans raised Jesus (already nailed to the other beam), using ropes. Then, they would nail his feet too. Immediately both shoulders would dislocate and His arms would be stretched about six inches more!

Okay. I think this description which by the way is just part of what actually occurred; will give you a good hint about Jesus’ physical condition and His possibilities of survival. You can learn more reading Lee Strobel’s book.

All things considered, it was impossible for any man to survive such a punishment, as it is attested by the experts in the medical field. Jesus was definitely dead at the time of His burial. The question is, do you think He really rose again?

He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53: 5)

God’s Billboard

There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.” And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.”

In this passage we see that people who beheld Jesus on that cross looked at Him in disbelief:

• The rulers mocked Him saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”  
• The soldiers scorned Jesus, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.”  
• One of the criminals crucified beside Him blasphemed saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us”.

How absurd it is they couldn’t realize by Jesus’ prophecies, spotless life, claims, and amazing miracles that He was the Christ. They were pretty much like the people of our time, always asking God to present himself to them in order to believe! Ironically enough, right in front of them and above Jesus, there was this inscription:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS

“God’s billboard” contradicted everything they affirmed, and pointed them back to the Messiah, but they wouldn’t surrender even to the cost of their own souls!

Talking to an atheist last weekend, my husband asked Him what his reason for not believing in God was.  He assured us that He would believe in God if He could see Him. We responded that although he couldn’t see God; Jesus His Son had come to this earth to show us who God is. We encouraged him to examine by himself Jesus’ life and claims, instead of trusting in mere men’s theories. He, like the people of Israel refused to see the evidence and responded in an emphatic way, “My heart and mind are closed to spiritual things already, I just can’t do it”.

Without exception, the light of God is available to anyone who wants to know the truth, but hidden from those who have decided to close mind in heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

Let me ask you some questions:  What are your personal convictions about Jesus? Have you discovered what you have in Him? Is your love for Christ increasing every day, or are you the kind of Christian who claims to love God, but knows nothing about His Son? Does the inscription on His cross mean anything to you?

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” (John 5: 39)

Who Shall Be Able to Stand?

Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?” (Luke 23: 26-31)

The multitude witnessing a wounded Jesus, mourned and lamented Him. Yet the Lord, one more time, amazes us with His prophetic words:

“Do not weep for me, but for yourselves and for your children”. God’s judgment was imminent over the people of Israel. Years later, what Jesus was experiencing would seem easier to bear compared to the suffering of the invasion and destruction of Jerusalem. The women would desire to be barren, to avoid seeing their children being slain by soldiers.

Then, the Lord points them further into the future, “They will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”, and to the hills, “Cover us!” The Lord is citing here Hosea 10: 8, referring to the day of wrath that will come over the earth, prophesied in Revelation 6: 12-17:

“At the opening of the sixth seal, a great earthquake will sake the foundations of our planet; the sun will become black, and the moon red, and the stars of heaven will fall unto the earth. The heaven will disappear as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island will be moved out of their places. Then, the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, will hide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and they will say to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb!  For the great Day of His wrath will come, and who shall be able to stand?”  

Jesus was not focused on His suffering. At that very moment, when He was about to be slain; to hang on that cross and die in the most cruel, painful way, He was thinking about you and me. He died, so we could live. He bore our sins so we could be forgiven. He stood between God and us, and took all the blame and shame in our place, so that we may be able to stand before Him at His second coming. So, how your story will end? Will you be one of those who will be by Jesus’ side at His return, or of those who will have to bear the full force of His wrath? Will you be able to stand in Christ’s presence?

“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24: 30)

 

A Prophecy You Don’t Want to Apply to Yourself! (Part II)

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21: 20-24)

We are continuing with the second part of Jesus’ prophecy of Jerusalem’s destruction.

Sign No. 6: When the Jews would see the city surrounded by armies, that would be the unequivocal sign that the end had come. As usual the best sign is the obvious one! Yet, this time the Lord wouldn’t come to their rescue. Their destruction was ordered by God, because they had despised, and killed Jesus, the Son of God.

The Lord advised them to stay away from the city. Those who were in Judea should flee to the mountains to save their lives, and no one who was outside should dare to enter. Nevertheless, contrary to Jesus’ advice, the Jews gathered in Jerusalem coming from other lands to celebrate Passover! It was then that they were trapped and destroyed by the Romans (John Gills commentary).

Our Lord referred to these facts as “the days of vengeance”. He is not talking about meaningless suffering, but divine penalty (R. C. Sproul). The Lord is patient, but no sin will go unpunished. On time, each and “every sin will receive just reward” (Hebrews 2: 2).

When Jesus talked about “all things which are written being fulfilled”, He was talking about the several prophecies about Jerusalem’s destruction. We find them in Daniel, Isaiah and some parts of Deuteronomy.

Jesus is concerned about the pregnant women and those with little babies, because it would be very difficult for them to flee. Many of them surely witnessed the murder of their own children, before they were killed by the Roman army.

They would fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. More than 1,100,000 Jews were killed during Jerusalem’s destruction. When the city was taken, the most beautiful of the young men were kept for the triumph; and those that were above seventeen years of age, were sent bound into Egypt, to labor in the mines; many were distributed through the provinces, to be destroyed in the theatres, by the sword or beasts; and those that were under seventeen years of age, were led captive to be sold; and the number of these only, were ninety-seven thousand (John Gills commentary)

Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled. “This may mean the time when the Gentiles will have their triumph over Israel, or the time when the gospel is preached to the Gentiles, or both.” (R. C. Sproul). Every commentary coincides with the second part of R. C. Sproul’s interpretation. It would come a time in which the Gospel would be preached to the Gentiles, then the Jews would convert to Christianity and Jerusalem would be rebuilt.

In case you wonder if the chronology of the events coincides with Jesus’ prophecy, here it is:

After having prophesied Jerusalem’s destruction, Jesus died about 31 A. D. The persecution of the Church took place around 64 A. D. and the destruction of the Temple occurred in 70 D. C. This totally coincides with the description given by Jesus, His people would be persecuted, then the destruction would come.

Do you wonder why God allows us to read about facts that have nothing to do with us?

The fact that Jesus predicted with 100% exactness the events of the future tell us that He has access at things that only belong to God. He was a prophet and much more than that, because never a prophet equaled Himself to God. Christ loved the Jews and warned them in advance so they could escape destruction, but He is Holy, and in no way He will tolerate sin to go unpunished. In the same way today, He allows us to have access to His mind through the Bible. In it, He teaches us the way to reconcile with the Father and what He requires from us, so we can escape eternal destruction. May this sad event in the lives of the Jews sink into our hearts the undeniable truth that God is a loving God, but also righteous one, so we fear Him for the rest of our lives.

Give Everything

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” (Luke 21: 1-4)

It is interesting the contrast expressed here by the Master. While some rich men gave to God out of their abundance, an extremely poor widow gave to God everything she had for her survival at the moment. We are not told how much money the rich gave, but it was certainly much more than what the widow gave. Nevertheless, the Lord regards the offering of the widow as the greatest offering. Why?

The offering of the poor widow was more than a gift to God. It was a declaration of her faith in Him. It was a statement of total dependence in God’s love; a total surrender to His will over her. If the Lord decided not to give her something in return, she would go hungry all day, because it was all she had. She was willing to suffer for God’s sake.  She was willing to wait on the Lord in faith. She was willing to let go of the less vestige of self-sufficiency. She trusted in God completely. How precious it is to the eyes of God our total dependence and trust in Him . So much so, that this woman’s little offering counted to God as the greatest gift He received.

I love the Lord, but I am not a person of great faith. I probably would struggle if every single penny was taken away from me or my family. This woman had nothing, absolutely nothing to hold on to in her misery. She did not even have  a husband on whom to lean on at this moment of need.

How many times we lean on others instead of leaning on God? We trust in credit cards, money, friends, our jobs, our spouse, or our parents to take us out of trouble. Some people trust that when they will be too old to sustain themselves, their children will take care of them. We are constantly substituting a childlike faith in God by faith in something or someone else. This may be a good time to let go of everyone and everything else, and start trusting in God.

Lord, forgive me for putting my trust in everything but you; for not trusting completely in your love and your grace. Forgive me for not casting every care onto you each and every day. Change my heart and make me as dependent as this poor woman, whose only hope was in you.

God Has Spoken. What Else is needed?

Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying: “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her as wife, and he died childless. Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife.” Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.” Then some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” But after that they dared not question Him anymore. (Luke 20: 27-39)

Jesus had been questioned about His own authority, then about Caesar’s authority, now He was presented with a “challenge” by the Sadducees, or so they thought. The formulated a question to which any answer would be unsatisfying, “if a woman was married to 7 brothers, whose wife would she be in the resurrection? Since the Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead, his question probably implied that they not only denied the possibility of a bodily resurrection, but also the continuation of the soul after physical death. Jesus, who masters all things spiritual, pointed out two faults in them: they were ignorant of the Scriptures and as a result they were ignorant of God’s power as well.

There is no marriage or engagements in heaven

Matthew Henry’s commentary points out the main purpose of marriage in this world: to perpetrate human life. As many die every day, many more are born as to perpetrate the human race. There is no need for this in heaven, because in heaven nobody dies! So, the idea of people marrying in heaven and forming families is utterly absurd, as it is unnecessary. Furthermore, while we live in our physical bodies we are subject to passions that we will no longer possess in the afterlife. We will be like the angels in heaven, whose only purpose is to praise God and serve Him. There is no way that someone in the presence of God and beholding His glory will have passion for anyone or anything else but Him. His beauty will outshine every vestige of human passion in us.

God’s people are alive after physical death

When God talked to Moses in the burning bush, He called Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; but these men were long gone, these people were dead! So, when God talked about them as people who were alive is was because they were.

Every believer who has ever died is alive today. We cannot see them, but we can be certain of this, because God has revealed it to us in His Word. Nothing is impossible for Him. He possesses infinite power. This is a fact that the Sadducees ignored, because of their poor knowledge of the Scriptures.

This one passage demolishes the idea of posthumous marriage practiced by the Mormons, and makes completely unnecessary every afterlife-experience book that you may possess. God has spoken, what else is needed?

Today’s practice

I will put my trust not in human words or teachings, but in the Word of God, whose wisdom is sufficient and whose knowledge is infinite.

“For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar.” (Romans 3: 3-4A)

Jesus, The Chief Cornerstone

Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’ But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!” Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone’? Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” (Luke 20: 9-18)

Jesus answered the Jews’ question about His authority with this parable; warning them about the judgment of God over them. The man who planted the vineyard is the Father. This world belongs to God, He created it. The servants He sent are God’s prophets who were constantly rejected, and even killed by the people of Israel. The Son is Jesus, to whom they were about to kill. He was the Son of God, and His authority came from the very God they professed to serve.

What will the owner of the world do to those who reject His Son? “He will come and destroy them and give their territory to others” and He did, when the Romans conquered the Holy Land.

“The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” Jesus will be exalted to the right hand of the Father. All things will be subject to Him and “at His name every knee shall bow of things in heaven, and thins in earth, and things under the earth and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” He is the very foundation of all spiritual truth. He is essential, indeed the chief cornerstone!

We might not see that everything is subject to Christ at present, but God’s plan is, at the right time, gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, and when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. (Hebrews 2: 8; Ephesians 1: 10; 1 Corinthians 15: 28)

The Lord said that “Whoever falls on that stone will be broken” most probably referring to people like Paul the Apostle, who opposed Jesus in ignorance. The Lord told Paul, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” What can we do to Jesus that could harm Him? He is God! And when we try to fight Him, we are the ones who break.

Jesus also said that “on whomever the stone falls, it will grind him to powder” Some people oppose Jesus in rebellion. They refuse to submit to Him. To those Jesus warns “I will grind you to powder.” This is a frightening thought! It was said by a wise preacher that one day every person who has ever lived will bow down to Jesus, and either we will bow down to Him in submission and praise, or we will bow to Him in defeat and shame, but we all bow down to Him. The end of the story is Jesus reigning forever, making His enemies His footstool; there is no other ending in God’s plan.

One day, our Savior will reign. One day every evil deed will be punished, and every good deed made in His name will be rewarded. What a wonderful truth!

For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. (Hebrews 2: 8)

Forecasting Our Spiritual Condition

Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?

“Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.” (Luke 12: 54-59)

The Lord exhorted the multitudes to discern right from wrong. The Son of God and Savior of the world walked among them teaching them the truth of God, but they refused to listen. They could foretell the weather, but claimed to not be sure about Jesus being the prophesied Messiah. The Lord called them hypocrites, because they knew the truth about Him, but pretended to not know it.

They not only knew He was the Son of God, they also could judge what the right thing to do was in light of Jesus’ teachings – to repent. The Lord told them how absurd it was for a man to wait until he is condemned, to try to make peace with the judge, but they wouldn’t admit they were wrong before God. The righteous and merciful judge of the earth was in front of them, and they were not willing to reconcile with Him.

The hearts of men have not changed much since Jesus walked on this earth. How often we hear the unbelievers respond like these Jews when we talk to them about their salvation, “I will wait until I die, and then will make a decision”. I have heard this response many times myself. The Lord tells us (and them) that after we die it will be too late.

Repenting is always the right thing to do; not only for unbelievers, but for followers of Christ as well. Let’s strive to keep our hearts clean and right with God every day, bringing every sinful thought and intention to Christ to be forgiven. Let’s keep those bad habits of ours on a short leash, and walk in holiness, bringing honor to our Lord Jesus Christ with our lives. It is the right thing to do.

Today’s practice

I will confess my sins to the Lord (He knows them anyway). I will ask Him to forgive me, and help me to recognize hidden sins in my life, so I can come to Him and be cleansed.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10: 4-6)