Seven days that changed eternity

The crowd laid palm branches before Jesus as He entered the town a sign they submitted to His authority it is also a symbol of salvation, and they cried out hosanna which means Please Save us, for they longed for a savior. But in less than a week they would cry out crucify Him for they were easily swayed by those in charge.

What we forget though is this all of this was God the Fathers plan and Jesus was in on it from the beginning.

Jesus said “So Jesus said again, “I assure you: I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired man and doesn’t care about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.””

John 10:7-18 HCSB

This week in history changed everything!

In the first seven days God created everything and gave man life, and in the seven days of this Holy Week God brought redemption and finalized the story of salvation, no longer was there a great gulf between God and man, Jesus fulfilled all the requirements so we can be reconciled to God, when He said it is finished, all of creation groaned and hell shook for no longer was man bound by sin and death. 

The cries for hosanna were heard and answered by God through Jesus, the only way to get to God the Father is through Christ the Son, today people still cry hosanna , (save us) and God answers I have sent you my only begotten SON, believe in Him and you shall be saved.

““For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.”

John 3:16-18 HCSB

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “If you know Me, you will also know My Father. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.””

John 14:6-7 HCSB

“But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven? ” that is, to bring Christ down or, “Who will go down into the abyss? ” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:6-13 HCSB

Be free from the curse of sin and death

Sin, like aging we get used to we do not even acknowledge it in our day to day lives. But God in His holiness and righteousness sees it and hates it.

It is time we take serious the cost of sin, because of sin we have sickness, death, poverty, slavery, hate, brokenness loneliness, despair, terrorism, war, droughts, famine, earthquakes and other natural disasters, murder, adultery, fornication, drunkenness, abortions,rape, anger, liars, lust, gossip, bigotry,the list goes on.

These things entered the world because Adam sinned against God, and we continue in his foot steps.

But the good news is we do not need to be held in the grasp of sin and death because of Jesus Christ, and His work on the cross. Come be free today, repent of your sin, and be washed in the blood of the lamb for He alone has bore the wrath of God for you and I.

Titus 3:1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. 3 For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us -- not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy -- through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 He poured out this Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior 7 so that, having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life. 8 This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone. 9 But avoid foolish debates, genealogies, quarrels, and disputes about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning, 11 knowing that such a person is perverted and sins, being self-condemned.

Whose strength are you relying on?

Most people have heard the story of Samson and Delilah. Samson was strong but had many weaknesses, his biggest weakness was his pride and vanity, He believed to much in himself and not the Lord.

He believed all he did was of his own doing and that he was invincible his heart had strayed away from God.

Mankind today has this same problem our hearts have strayed far from God, we believe to much in ourselves and our accomplishments and have forgotten that it is only by God's grace, goodness and provision that we have anything.

In the end Samson came back and ask God to help him and recognized his need for a Savior. Mankind also will recognize this need one day, for every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

My prayer is that mankind will realize this before it is to late for them.

Are you trusting in yourself today as your own lord and savior? If so ask God to reveal to you His truth, and let you see what He has done for you already.

Read the entire story of Samson in the book of Judges in the Bible and see what happens when we we rely on ourselves, we will let ourselves and others down every time.

Because she nagged him day after day and pleaded with him until she wore him out,  he told her the whole truth and said to her, “My hair has never been cut, because I am a Nazirite to God from birth. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become weak and be like any other man.” When Delilah realized that he had told her the whole truth, she sent this message to the Philistine leaders: “Come one more time, for he has told me the whole truth.” The Philistine leaders came to her and brought the money with them. Then she let him fall asleep on her lap and called a man to shave off the seven braids on his head. In this way, she made him helpless, and his strength left him. Then she cried, “Samson, the Philistines are here! ” When he awoke from his sleep, he said, “I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. The Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles, and he was forced to grind grain in the prison. He called out to the Lord : “Lord God , please remember me. Strengthen me, God, just once more. With one act of vengeance, let me pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.” Samson took hold of the two middle pillars supporting the temple and leaned against them, one on his right hand and the other on his left. Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” He pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the leaders and all the people in it. And the dead he killed at his death were more than those he had killed in his life.

Judges 16:16-21, 28-30