Lord, Heal Our Land

Dear Weekly Readers!

May the Peace of the Lord be with you today. Tomorrow, September 11th, is a day that my country remembers all too well.  This is the day our country was attacked by terrorists.  I remember that in the immediate aftermath of this horrible event, many of our churches filled up with people who prayed and sang!  The entire country was drawn closer to God.

Now, however, our country has sadly once again turned away from God and is again in large part turned to the unimportant things in a greater measure, forgetting to worship God.

Lord, please heal our land.  We appreciate this verse in your Holy Word. 2 Chronicles 7:14:  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  Lord, allow this to happen in the USA!

The scripture we will look at today is in Mark Chapter 8:29:  But whom say ye that I am?

Jesus asked this question after being told that the people in the town of Caesarea Philippi said that He was John the Baptist, or Elias, or one of the prophets.

Have you wondered why they may have thought this was who Jesus was?  Do you think it could have been that they saw or knew of the great things performed by all these men, and then also by Jesus?  They were able to see Jesus as a great man, who could do all these miracles and wonderful things.

Of course we know that Jesus was such.  However, Jesus was so much more than this.  Jesus was Christ, the Saviour of the World.

Today also, so many people are willing to accept Jesus as a great man, as one who did many big things.  They will even say He was a great prophet, and any number of other things. Man is so willing to go for miracles, to look for signs, to desire from God all the good things to help them through this life.  How about the life after?  Are men as interested in being ready for eternity?  Sadly, so many are not. 

In Mark chapter 8, verse 31, we see Jesus beginning to teach His disciples that He will suffer, be rejected, and be killed.  He also said He will rise again on the third day.  This kind of talk was too much for even Peter to bear.  He rebuked Jesus.

Why would Peter do this?  Do you think that this is the reaction that the flesh has to the cross of Jesus Christ?  The flesh is more than willing to accept the good things, the gifts from God, all those things for this body and for this life.

The Cross of Jesus Christ however, that is what is rejected of men.  "The carnal mind is at enmity with God," the scriptures tell us.  Man has such a hard time being able to believe in Jesus Christ the suffering, dying, victorious Saviour.
 
Oh, never let us, nor the Christian church turn from the cross of Christ Jesus.  Rather let us be like Paul as quoted in Galatians 6:14:  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.

Jesus then said to Peter, "Get thee behind me Satan."  

Let us not forget the Cross of Jesus.  Here Satan, with the help of the flesh of Peter, was hoping to stop Jesus from dying for the sins of man.  Satan is always looking to deceive and to divert our eyes from the most important matters.

Jesus did go to that cross.  He brought all of Peter’s sins there, He brought all of our sins there, and they were nailed to the cross with Jesus.  Jesus is the Christ.  The Cross is where the price was paid for our atonement.


The rest of this chapter speaks about us taking up our cross and following Jesus.  We must deny ourselves, be willing to put Christ first in our lives.  We must be willing to follow Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life.  No man comes unto the Father but by Him.

Let us follow Jesus today, never turning away from the glorious work on the cross. Daily let us look to Jesus!  1 Corinthians 15:31:  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

We know and understand from scripture:  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Romans 6:8.

Now, whom do you say that Christ is?  Your answer to this question is known in heaven above!  God knows all things!

May God Bless your week!   John R.