TUESDAY, July 29th, 2008

It is a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!!
I am thankful that you are doing your devo's today!!

A Few Thoughts From Yesterday:
Lucy and Jessica: Have fun at Word of Life Camp! I am excited that you will both be going to camp with us next year!!
McCue: We are so excited for you to come HOME!!! I hope you are having a great time! I must tell you, I am very dissapointed that your finals are when we are at camp... so I cannot go to the movies and watch them. Sad for Me!
Tricia: I already paid for you so we have to work something out :(
Michael: Glad you are on here man! Are you excited about camp?
Rachel: Glad you are back! I was worried there for a little bit! :) (not really! I knew there must have been a good reason!)
Bethany: We missed you Sunday! Did you have a good time in Fort Myers?
Kervin: Bedding: Sleeping Bag OR Sheets (a fitted sheet and a regular sheet will be fine) and a Pillow. #2 Very Good Question: We will not be unloading the trailer at my parents house, so If you want a shower or new clothes pull them out before you load your suit case. We will not be changing after the morning service because we are driving straight to Trinity for the evening service! :) #3: That is plenty of money for you and me!! :)
Jon Massey: What is going on man! We have missed you guys! You and your sis were part of the "most faithful"!! Let's just say: We missed you! TELL YOUR SISTER TO DO HER DEVOS!!!!!!
Tyler: Very Good Job Describing the passage! I am going to have you do the devotional blog whenever I cannot. You explained it VERY WELL!!!!

John 18
39 “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

John 19
1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.
2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.
3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.
4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”
Pilate’s Decision
5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”
6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”

Here begins the crucifixion process. The process that Christ chose to endure so that we could be forgiven and allowed into God's Holy Heaven. It is a shame that this story can sometimes seem trite, or lacking in effectiveness because of it's repetitiveness. But when we read the story, visualizing Christ as He is struck in the face, imagining the crown of thorns being "Twisted" on His head, and then reminding ourselves that Christ went through this because of His love for us.

If Jesus Christ did not "endure the cross" then we would have no hope. Yet Christ came and died for the World who so often HATES HIM! (Did you notice they let Barabas, a thief, go free because they wanted to see Christ crucified) What an amazing Love Christ has for you and me!!! I don't know about you but I cannot comprehend it completely! I do know that I am so thankful for His love and for His sacrifice.

And I do know that I want to live my life so that no one could ever look at me and think that His sacrifice was in vain. I want people to see the difference that Christ and his loving sacrifice for me has made in my life!

As we study this wonderful/ heartbreaking story of the crucifixion try to look at it through fresh eyes. Look for things that you have not seen or thought of before. If we can grasp what Christ was willing to do for us during this time, then I believe we will have no greater motivation that to live for Him with all our hearts!!