The Cross

“After you have suffered

First Peter 5:10

Intr.:

a little while,

1.  will himself restore you and

2.  make you strong,

3.  firm and

4.  steadfast.”

End:

“The man who does not believe right, cannot be expected to do right.”

Tomorrow we are going to attend a funeral.

Do you find it upsetting hearing about death? Do you find it offensive reading about death?

GRAVEYARD: Notice the cross at the top of the Norfolk Pine

I have learnt that it is not considered as upsetting or offensive to say ‘departed’, ‘passed on’ or ‘passed away’, than to talk about ‘to die’ and ‘dead’.

If it is already so upsetting or offensive for people to hear and read about death, how much more must it be upsetting or offensive for them to hear and read about SIN?

What makes me say that?

Because the Bible says in Romans 6:26: “For the wages of sin is death, …”, and in Romans 3:23 we read: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

The Collins English Dictionary teaches me that a euphemism is “an inoffensive word or phrase substituted for one considered offensive or upsetting.”

“Call a spade a spade”

People have substituted INFIRMITY for SIN.

That’s why a sage saying, a wise saying, goes like this: “Call a spade a spade. A SIN is not an INFIRMITY.”

And here is all of Romans 6:23:

“FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.”

Another beautiful flower

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” – Second Corinthians 10:4

“Telling it like it is,” it says in the Winter 2015 Franchise New Zealand magazine. And it is not the first time that I come across the exhortation “to tell it like it is”.

A franchise sales manager mentioned in the magazine does not need any encouragement “to tell it like it is”. He considers it his job to do so.

I find it always encouraging to listen to people who “tell it like it is”. They are a great blessing!