From the Kitchen Table

The Kitchen Table

“The Cross”

Day 17

This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross                 Acts 2:23

God knew what man would do to do what man wanted.  God knew that we would nail Jesus to a cross.  We don’t have to drive the nails in personally, we just let godlessness do it.   When we live in sin, we let sin do what it did and do what it does. Godlessness will always crucify God to keep godlessness.  With the help of wickedness, we create godlessness, or so we think.  All we had to do is silently support sin and sinful men would strike the nails in Jesus’ hands and feet.  Our sin put those nails in His hands because that is what sin does but that wasn’t the end.

The Kitchen Table

“The Cross”

Day 16

Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. ²³ This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.                 Acts 2:22-23

The cross didn’t become the plan once Jesus was here; the cross was the plan for Jesus coming here.  God Himself came to save us from our sin.  And Jesus is the only one who has ever perfectly walked out God’s plan for his life.  The cross, with its power to forgive and free man from the wages of sin, was the point of His life.  He went there so that we wouldn’t have to go there, and He did it in love.  Thank You Jesus for loving us.

Kitchen Table Devotions

“The Cross”

Day 15

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:19-20

A cross without blood is a cross without power.  Jesus didn’t just go there, he bled there and died there.  Blood is the currency of heaven.  There’s a purpose in suffering when it’s suffering for something better.  Jesus suffered on that cross for something better for us, a forgiven, free, and forever life with Jesus.  He bled out on that cross that we might be brought out from the sickness and slavery of sin.  Not even the devil and the demonic can take that forgiveness and freedom from us.  Blood is the currency of heaven, and it gives us ownership here and there when we by faith receive it for our lives.  All we have to do is believe what His blood did for us.

Kitchen Table Devotions

“The Cross”

Day 14

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:19-20

On the cross, Jesus reconciled ALL things to Himself.  That’s what the Bible says!  On and through the cross Jesus brought all things back into harmony with Him.  This included ALL things here and in heaven.  Now it’s our choice to live wrecked or reconciled in this world.  There’s nothing left for Jesus to do but come back but there’s something for us to do.  We must choose to live in the hope and harmony of the cross.  It’s all been done; we just need to receive it in Jesus’ name.  Let His word be our way of thinking and talking.  The devil might say it’s his, but Jesus says it’s ours.  Don’t live that hopeless, helpless, hapless life of this world.  We’ve got Jesus, we don’t have to.

Kitchen Table Devotions

“The Cross”

Day 13

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:19-20

A cross without blood is without power and a cross without death is without victory & deliverance.  Jesus didn’t come to give us a piece of heaven but the peace of all heaven.  Let the word work your thinking.  Jesus held nothing back but gave His all to have it all.  So, we don’t have to share a single thing with hell, not any part of our heart, our head, or the here and now.  The devil has nothing on us or in us, without us giving him something to chew on.  Jesus gave us His all so that we could have all that is His.  If you’ve given the devil something to chew on, tell him to give it back in Jesus’ name.

Kitchen Table Devotions

“The Cross”

Day 12

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:19-20 A cross without a cause is just a casualty in life.  Jesus’ death was not a casualty of bold faith but a choice of great love.   The love of God brings us the pleasures of God.  The One who had created all things (Col 1:16) had come to restore all things.  Man had elected the devil; Jesus came to establish a deliverer.  The love of God is the pleasure of God and love might not be the absence of pain but the purpose of pain.  Love goes where lust can’t and love gives what lust won’t, the pleasure of God which is our forgiveness, freedom, and fulfillment

Kitchen Table Devotions

“The Cross”

Day 11

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:19-20

A cross without a body has no purpose and a cross without blood has no power.  Jesus put all of both on the cross for us.  God didn’t give just a piece of Himself but the whole so that we could have all He is and has for us.  Crosses are meant for the whole, not just a piece of the sacrifice.  A cross completes its cause with the whole, and when God or we give the whole there is power released for the all.  Jesus set the example.  Jesus gave His whole so that we could have His all and when we surrender our whole life, we give Him all of us and the is peace.

The Kitchen Table

“The Cross”

Day 10

For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.        1 Peter 2:25

When you’re looking for someone who cares, look for a cross, because that’s where care goes.  Jesus went to a cross for us because He cared for our souls and He didn’t come off that cross until it was finished.  That’s love and that’s what love does.  We get broken in life and lose our way and we need a Shepherd and Overseer of our souls who cares about the inside where guilt and shame live as much as the outside where appearances matter.  Jesus is our Healer and He hung on that cross to heal our brokenness.  When you look for someone who cares, look for a cross, that’s where you’ll find them.

The Kitchen Table

“The Cross”

Day 9

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.                  1 Peter 2:23

A cross without a sacrifice is just a cross but Jesus hung on a cross meant for us to give the eternal love and life of God to us.  The only way to hang on a cross is with love, in love, and for love.  Jesus showed us how without uttering a threat or judging His captors.  He did it all just living in God’s passion by God’s power for God’s purposes.  Again, it’s a choice and it was Jesus’ choice for you and me.  If you’re going to take up a cross, do it loving, not loathing.  Jesus showed us how.

The Kitchen Table

“The Cross”

Day 8

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. ² 1 Peter 2:23-24

A cross without a cause is just a consequence of bad behavior.  There was no bad behavior on the cross Jesus hung on for you and me.  A cross with a cause is a choice made from love.  It takes suffering for there to be a straightening and that’s what Jesus did for us.  In love, He suffered for us that we might be straightened out for Him.  Jesus is our example.  He told us that we too would have to take up a cross in this crooked ad confused world.  It’s love that determines the cause or consequence of a cross.  Loving God and others will make it a choice, loving self will make it a consequence.