How does the thief on the cross fit into your theology? No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteerism, no financial gifts, and no church clothes.
He couldn't even bend his knees to pray. He didn't say the sinner's prayer and among other things, he was a thief.
Jesus didn't take away his pain, heal his body, or smite his scoffers. Yet, it was a thief who walked into paradise at the same hour as Jesus simply by BELIEVING.
He had nothing more to offer other than his belief that Jesus was who He said He was. No spin from brilliant theologians. No ego or arrogance. No shiny lights, skinny jeans, or crafty words. No fog machine, donuts, or coffee in the lobby. Just a naked dying man on a cross unable to even fold his hands to pray.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever BELIEVES in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) That is the good news of the Gospel!
From Dawn to Dusk
Close your eyes for a moment. And while you do that, picture this wonderfully diverse planet we call home. (Yes, really.)
Everything you just imagined? God created all of it. And God created all of us to worship Him.
From north to south and east to west. From bustling cities to slow-paced villages. From lifeless deserts to life-packed forests. From the highest mountains to the farthest oceans.
“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised!”
Psalm 113:3 NIV
The sun “rises” and “sets” on all of us. All people, all languages, all nations. All skin colors, eye colors, and hair colors. All shapes, sizes, and personalities. Rich and poor. Aching hearts and contagious smiles.
An eclectic mix of people from various parts of the world have always been praising God from generation to generation—and it continues to happen now. And we know it will never stop.
In Revelation 7, John has a vision of a “great multitude that no one could count, ...