Crucified and Risen with Christ

Guest Commentary by Reverend Peter J. Marshall

"Why do you not know how to interpret the present time?" -Luke 12:56

Easter weekend is hardly the time to write commentaries on Obama's relationship with his pastor, or progress in Iraq, or the financial meltdown in America's economy - there will be plenty of time for that sort of thing later. This is the special time in the Christian calendar year when we Christians need to focus on the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and hear what God is saying to us about those world-changing events.

Forgiveness

By Reverend Peter J. Marshall

Extending forgiveness to someone who has murdered your loved ones is surely one of the ultimate tests of the Christian faith. Because it is totally unnatural to do this, every occurrence of true forgiveness is a supernatural experience of the grace of God at work in a human heart.

We Americans have become used to violence. From the ghastly statistics of daily body counts in Iraq; to the violence of video games; to the regular accounts in the media of school shootings, domestic violence, and murder; we are becoming hardened to violence as a way of life in our society.

Still, the nation was sickened last October 2nd to learn that Charles Carl Roberts, a 32 year old milk-truck driver, had calmly walked into an Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, and shot to death five innocent little girls, wounded five others, and then killed himself. The sheer evil of it gripped our hearts, and there were more than a few parents and grandparents around the country that shed tears of grief and sympathy with the families of those girls.

Do All Things Really Work for Good?

By Reverend Peter Marshall

There is no one reading this who has not committed quite serious sins and made horrible mistakes in his or her life. In his letter to the believers at Rome, Saint Paul writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: "All have sinned (in the past) and fall short (in the present) of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). There are no exceptions.

In the next verse, the Apostle makes clear that God has a wonderful plan to set us free from bondage to those past sins and wrong decisions: "...being justified (that means: made righteous) as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus." So, we can be forgiven for the past.

But, what about the consequences? Are we doomed to have to live with the bitter fruit of past failure? I have often pondered these things because of my own failures and mistakes, so I know that many of us ask these questions in our hearts, and also ask them of God: Because of a divorce, or the death of a loved one, or a tragic accident, am I now stuck with Plan B for my life? Am I now destined to live out a lousy alternative to what could have been a much better life if only I hadn't done_______; or if only _______hadn't happened; or if only I had ________? Is that the way it is now?

Special Offers

Guest Article

Crucified and Risen with Christ

Forgiveness

Do All Things Really Work for Good?