A Devotional Verse From Paul's Letter To The Galatian Churches

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

I am crucified with Christ... Paul is talking about spirit not flesh. In reality it is our body that should have been nailed to the cross. In his heart Paul recognized his own sins put Christ in Paul's place on the scaffold, but in spirit Paul was right up there with the Lord Jesus. But though crucified Paul now lives in spirit, because the crucified (and risen) Savior actually lived in Paul. Paul's experience is ours. For us Christ died out of love for us, for us He took the punishment of our sins, for us, and in our place, He took capital punishment: yet He lives. Sounds strange to nonbelievers, sounds simplistic to the intelligentsia, silly to anybody looking for an excuse not to accept the story as actual. Yet strange, simplistic, or silly as it may appear to them, it is the honest to truth truth.

A Devotional Verse From Paul's Second Letter To The Corinthians

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6

In this verse Paul thinks back to creation talking of how God called the light out of darkness, Let there be light: and there was light (Genesis 1:3). He says that God has shined, or put light in our hearts, and that is so we can see His glory in the face of Jesus Christ. So, it is very clear if you want to see the glory of God you look at Jesus Christ: He is the light of the world, He is the glory of God, He is the Savior of those who will see and believe His glory. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

A comment on British Prime Minister David Cameron's "Christian country" remark

David Cameron is quoted as saying, "I believe we should be more confident about our status as a Christian country, more ambitious about expanding the role of faith-based organisations, and frankly, more evangelical about a faith that compels us to get out there and make a difference to people's lives." To my mind Cameron is to be commended for having the integrity to state the obvious, rather than just being politically correct. He is after all the PM not the PC.

Is anybody surprised that his comments have been seen as controversial in a world where Christians are the most persecuted people on earth?

His critics have a right to their opinions, even in the light of Britain's storied association with the Christian faith, the fact that nearly 60% of British people self-identify with Christianity, and the nation maintains the state church. Critics accuse him of fostering division, a charge that a later portion of his speech negates. If those critics are astute observers of human nature, I think they must admit that those who are separated from British culture are separated by their own choice, not by the nation's Christian heritage or by Cameron's recognition of it.

That being said, the Christian clergy of Britain should seize the public criticism as an opportunity to fill the pulpits of the churches with strong preaching of the message of the gospel:
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures:(1 Corinthians 15:3,4).
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house (Acts 16:31), preach this message powerfully whether those churches have sparsely filled pews or SRO. Laymen and women should live the Christian life daily and express, when they have opportunity, that they do so for the love of Christ. Christians who speak at commencements and other cultural events should note their faith and its impact upon their behavior. Christians whose faith has cooled should get back to regular church attendance to warm it up. Christian booksellers should put prominent Christian books out on display, and followers of Christ should buy, read, and grow (the Bible above all others, of course). Most importantly, Christians should be willing to say, in their hearts and from their lips, "I am one of them. Yes, a Christian."

Devotional Verses From Paul's First Letter to The Corinthians
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
     In this passage Paul declares (announces, makes clear, proclaims) again the message of good news (the gospel) he has already given to the Corinthians. It is as though he says remember I told you the scriptures had declared a savior would come to die and give life to those who believe in Him. That is, of course, what the Lord Jesus did at Calvary on the cross. God proved that Jesus was who He said He was, and did what He said He would do by raising Him out of the dead. Now that, in summary, is the gospel of Christ as Paul preached it, and preachers who call themselves Christians of whatever denomination should preach it to! It is a straightforward story, but this is what some hearers or readers miss: those who stand in that gospel by faith, Paul says of them "By which also ye are saved..." (v. 2). By trusting in Jesus by believing the gospel message a person is actually and literally saved from sin and death. Every preacher everywhere should be proclaiming that message, joyfully sharing that good news: You can be saved. Jesus will save you. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31). The word saved is not out of fashion, and neither is the truth it represents. Forget the intellectualism, the denominationalism, and be like Charles Haddon Spurgeon who said, "I take my text anywhere in the Bible, and I make a beeline for the cross."

What is the best news you could have heard?

     Imagine that you were there and saw Jesus as He struggled with the cross, bloodied back, crown of thorns pressed into the flesh of his skull. Imagine that you followed along, stood far-off to be safe, but watched him crucified and taken down from the cross when he died. Imagine you had heard that his friends had put Him in the cold dark tomb, that's were dead people go. Imagine that you suffered the darkness of soul that the disciples did because you too believed that Jesus was the Messiah and Savior. Imagine that your hope for God's true kingdom in your life was gone. What is the best news you could have heard?

     Maybe the best news you could've heard was the Romans will not crucify any followers of Jesus if they just pay a fine and pledge their allegiance to Caesar. Or, maybe the best news you could've heard was that the disciples had started an underground railroad to help followers of Jesus escape to another land and start a new life. Or maybe the best news you could've heard was, nobody told them about your faith, nobody knows that you were a follower, keep your mouth shut and you can go back to your life as it was before Jesus came. Well, all of these things might've been good news if Jesus were not truly the Son of God, but because He is the Son of God the best news that you could hear then or now is as the disciples put it in Luke 24:34, The Lord is risen indeed...

     And as the old hymn by Alfred H. Ackley has it: "I serve a risen Savior...He lives within my heart!"

Devotional Verses From Paul's Letters To The Christians In Galatia And Corinth

For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
1 Corinthians 2:2
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 
1 Corinthians 2:18
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Galatians 6:14

     By now the statement of an Al-Qaeda Islamic extremist has been reported around the world. He said "We must eliminate the cross. The bearer of the cross is America!" And, thus exposed the foundation of extremism as religious hatred. Christians, Americans, those who live in Western civilizations where freedom and opportunity has been a result  of the faith of the cross, we are the targets of Al-Quaeda and other Islamic extremists.

     By faith, those who trust in Jesus, the Savior who died on the cross, know that the cross is set down in the center of God's heart and in the center of God's universe. The cross is the symbol of God's love for all people, including the Al-Qaeda extremists. Wicked sinners, false religions,  ruthless-faithless governments have all tried to eliminate or exterminate the cross; from Roman emperors to modern murderers. It cannot happen, and will not happen because God is the God of the cross.

     That is why we, who are believers in Jesus, and have known the new life experience He gives, join with the apostle Paul and glory in the cross of Christ, now and forever.

What The Angel Said

And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
Mark 16:5-7

     So there it is, the ladies who had come to the tomb to find Jesus' body had come to the wrong place. I love what the Angel says, "He is not here." Don't look for Jesus in the graveyard among the dead. He is alive forevermore. And what the Angel says following is of tremendous importance "Go tell his disciples," they need to know without a doubt that the cross, that death, that sin had not conquered their Savior. He is risen! Peter gets special mention here, we know his story how he betrayed Jesus and Jesus died. Imagine his guilt, but the angel says let him know death did not win, Jesus is alive. Is it any wonder that these men and women could go out and share this story and turn the world upside down?

     Believers today, you and me, we need to know He's not in the graveyard. Ministers today who are preaching for God need to know without doubt in their heart that Jesus is risen from the dead. Missionaries need to know that too. All of us who may ever have the chance of witnessing to our faith in Christ as Savior need to be absolutely certain and proclaim it with assurance, that Jesus Christ died for me. and He rose again for me, and I am justified because of him.

     So may the pulpits of the churches worldwide ring this coming Sunday, Easter, with the absolute certain sound of preachers telling the church and all the world that He was crucified, but He is risen from the dead.