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devotional mp3 podcasts for young people

This was my story. I did not want to believe until God spoke audibly into my ear. I did not want to believe until Jesus physically appeared in front of me and said here I am now believe. Thomas gets a bad rap because he said out loud what we all think, but actually I have a lot in common with Thomas, how about you? But then for me something changed, and I got to the point of wanting to hear from God not needing proof. And would you believe it the moment I wanted to hear from God, and wanted to see God he was everywhere, and I was blessed. Just like Jesus said more blessed are those who believe without seeing. Of course now that I believe without seeing, I get frustrated that others need some proof before they will believe. Funny old world isn’t it? Where are you on this path? Are you still waiting for Jesus to show himself? Do you want to touch him the same way Thomas did? Don’t worry Jesus understands you in the same way he understood Thomas, and Jesus will send you out to work in the same way he did the disciples. Why not just get on with it and see if Jesus speaks to you along the way?

Author - Max Cross, Uncategorized | No Comments »

I just love the way Jesus contradicts the world’s view of him and his Father. For a moment lets ignore the miracle that Jesus has died and rose again. Actually no, lets not ignore that. Jesus died and came to life again, not a ghost, a physical person and he did that to prove he was Gods son. He did that to show that when he died on the cross for us it really did pay for our selfishness, because although the price would have to be high, he was worth it that price. Any way back to the other point, and Jesus contradicting the worlds view of the Bible. \You may hear sometimes that the Bible is sexist and that the Bible treats women as though they are worth less then men. Wrong! Biblical times were sexist and women were treated as inferior in the culture that Jesus grew up in. Which is why it is even more amazing that Jesus was not sexist, and it was even more amazing that Jesus would use Mary Magdalene a woman to announce that he has risen. For him to do this in a totally male dominated culture was incredible. But then again Jesus is incredible and he delivers the message in another way in Galatians. In Galatians 3:28 it says “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Sexist, raciest, ageist, nah, Jesus wants everyone to party with him forever in Heaven.

Author - Max Cross, Uncategorized | No Comments »

The Romans had perfected execution by crucifixion to an art form. It was carried out in such a way as to inflict the maximum amount of pain on the condemned prior to death. Christ would have carried the cross beam or patibulum weighing between 75 and 125 pounds to Golgotha where several upright bars called stipes would have been planted in the ground. The uprights were sharpened to a point at the top. The cross beam had a hollowed out portion on the under side into which the sharpened point of the upright would fit. The Romans then lifted the cross beam with Christ attached to the top of the upright and put the two pieces together. The Romans did not tie the condemned to the cross beam they used tapered square spikes about five and a half inches long and about a third of an inch across the top. The spikes were driven through the wrist at the heel of the hand. Jesus would have been nailed with his arms at a ninety degree angel but as he hung on the cross his body would eventually sag to about a sixty five degree angle. The weight of his body hanging in this position would cause his muscles to become paralyzed and he would be able to breath in but not exhale. In order to stop Jesus flailing his body about, they would have nailed his feet to the upright. Jesus knees were bent one foot was placed flat on the upright and the other foot was placed on top of it. A spike was then driven through the second metatarsal space of the feet, creating very intense pain. And at the end of all this pain that Jesus was going through for you and me, he remembered to say to the disciple he loved “look after Mary my mum.” Do you think Jesus believes that family is important?

Author - Max Cross, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Do you get the feeling that Jesus is just waiting for things to happen. I can almost hear him say to Pilate, “come on get this over with, you’re not going to release me that’s not what I am here for, that’s not the plan” Jesus knows his mission on this earth, he has asked his Father God if there is any other way, and accepted that there is not, and this is what must happen. Having accepted that I get the feeling Jesus just wants to get the job done, but knows there is a plan he must go through. We could take that view ourselves couldn’t we? I am a now a Christian who is going to spend eternity with a loving God, so the sooner I get there the better. But that is not Gods plan is it? Once we become Christians we have a lifetime on this earth to reflect Gods glory to those around us, in the hope that they will discover Jesus and spend forever party with us in heaven. So if Jesus knew that he had a plan a mission, do you know what your plan and mission is?

Author - Max Cross, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Can you believe Peter would deny Christ? There he goes saying, “No I don’t know that guy Jesus.” And not only that he does it three times. Well I don’t know about you but I know I would never do that. Or would I? Or even do I? What do I do when the topic of Christianity comes up in conversation in the canteen? Do I deny Christ by simply not speaking up? Do I life my live in a Christ like way? Or do I deny Christ; by the way I live my life? It seems to me to not deny Christ I need to be very open about my faith and advertise Christ. When someone asks me what I did at the weekend, I might tell them that I went to Church, and not gloss over that fact. When someone asks me what I am listing to on my mp3 player, I might tell them that it is a Christian band or aftershock dev and not just say music. Maybe today I can commit to being a walking advert for Christ, who knows what may happen. I may suffer a few strange looks, or even comments; but I am sure that I will not be blindfolded, hit and then hung on a cross, like the God Man who I don’t wish to deny.

Author - Max Cross, Uncategorized | No Comments »