That was written on a small board I saw this morning – it is Sunday today – at the front of one of our churches here in Kaitaia, in the north of New Zealand. (Virtue Christian Centre) The board was on the right side of a wooden cross.
After the church service the refrain of the hymn THE CROSS! THE CROSS! THE WONDROUS CROSS! came to my mind and is still there. The chorus begins, “At the cross, at the cross, where…”
The author, John H. Stockton rejoices in the hymn and tells us four things:
1. FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
I remember when I passed from darkness to light. That’s when I had my second birthday and when my new life began.
All this is called the new birth or regeneration and is the work of the Holy Spirit. What is the new birth? The new birth is the door to salvation and to heaven of course. The new birth brings us also into the family of God and into the kingdom of the Son of God.
2. FORGIVENESS OF SINS
Many, many things are happening the moment when one believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. I was only conscious of great happiness, the struggle was over. But people are also conscious of sins forgiven of course and peace.
I have learned that in fact 38 things are happening the moment a person, a sinner, believes on the Lord. There are things in relation to God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, in relation to sin and finally in relation to others.
3. A SINNER ACCEPTS CHRIST
Here are some things that are happening when a sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ in relation to Satan:
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BECOMES OUR ADVOCATE.
First John 2:1
WE HAVE VICTORY OVER SIN.
First John 5:4
4. PRAISING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
It is so easy to take things for granted. But I know that I must never take my salvation for granted. I want to remember to praise the Lord every day for everything!
Please read Psalm 150, the last Psalm, and find out how many times you find the word “PRAISE” in the Psalm!
AND HERE IS ALL OF THE CHORUS OF THE HYMN “THE CROSS! THE CROSS! THE WONDROUS CROSS!”
“At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light
“I don’t think about the ‘little duties’, I just do them.” That was the answer I received. That’s how I remember the answer.
My question had to do with the daily round, the routine which may so easily crush us. Let me just name some of the ‘little duties’, the daily chores: Washing the dishes, making the bed, sweeping the floor, baking. Add more if you want to!
NOBODY is excempt from the ‘little duties’, the daily chores!
Are you easily crushed by the routine?
An anonymous writer says this about the ‘little duties’:
“Life is full of little duties. Worrying about them, grumbling about them, dwelling upon them makes the duties shackles which bind us, but just doing the duties makes them wings.”
Does that help you?
The BIBLE says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – First Corinthians 10:31
Who is crushed by dirty dishes? It does not really matter, if you have a dishwasher or not.
The following is helping me tremendeously when I am thinking about the dirty dishes.
“The following poem was found on the wall of a shepherd’s cottage out of SEDDEN in the 1960’s………….
Thank God for dirty dishes
They have a tale to tell
While others may go hungry
We’ve eaten very well
With home and help and happiness
We shouldn’t want to fuss
For by the stack of evidence
God’s been very good to us.
Sent in by Hassanah Lawler of Nelson.” – (Age Concern Newsletter, August 2009)
Please read Ephesians 5:20 and First Thessalonians 5:18.
Not long ago I came across this VICTORIAN WISDOM:
“NOTHING IS TROUBLESOME THAT WE DO WILLINGLY.”
Read again the answer I received when I asked about the daily routine. The answer was: “I don’t think about the little duties, I just do them.”
You can find the ad “Christmas with a difference” in the magazine called VIVA, 08/08/2012, and VIVA comes with THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD.
In THE COLLINS CONCISE DICTIONARY I find two definitions for Christmas. First of all it says there that Christmas is on December 25 and that it is the yearly celebration of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ by Christians. Secondly it says there that Christmas is also called Christmas Day, that Christmas Day is also on December 25 and that it is observed as a worldly celebration. On Christmas Day gifts and greetings are exchanged.
CHRISTMAS 1958
For me CHRISTMAS 1958 was a “CHRISTMAS WITH A DIFFERENCE”.
What happened?
Until then it was CHRISTMAS DAY, a worldly celebration, receiving and giving gifts. More receiving gifts, than giving, because I was still young at that time.
From then on it was the yearly celebration of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What really happened?
When I was eighteen years old, I became a new creature, I experienced the new birth.
Just as people are born physically, people are born spiritually. And just as I know that I am born physically, I know that I am born spiritually.
Many things are happening when one believes on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let me just give you the six in relation to God the HOLY SPIRIT:
1. We are born again. 2. We are anointed by the Holy Spirit. 3. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 4. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. 5. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit. 6. We are given a spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit.
Is CHRISTMAS DAY for you a worldly celebration, where you give and receive gifts or is it the yearly commemoration of the of birth of our Lord JESUS CHRIST?
THE NEW BIRTH, WHEN A PERSON BECOMES A NEW CREATURE, MAKES ALL THE DIFFEREENCE!
In John 3:3 the BIBLE says, “Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
“By the time a man realises that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” – Charles Wadsworth
“ONE THING YOU CAN’T RECYCLE IS WASTED TIME.” – Anon
“WUENSCHE DIR NICHT NUR ETWAS. WUENSCHE DIR ALLES………..WAS GOTT FUER RICHTIG HAELT! – Gudrun Zydek
“I don’t think about the ‘little duties’, I just do them.” That was the answer I received. That’s how I remember the answer.
