SPIRITUAL VITAMIN DEVOTIONAL

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross..."
~Hebrews 12:2

Crosses. We see them everywhere. From church buildings to graveyards to tattoos and bumper stickers. We see them depicted in everything from artwork to colorful stickers for children. We hang them on our walls and wear them around our necks. They come in various designs and colors. From old rugged crosses to beautiful works of art. We see them as a thing of beauty yet they are a sign of death. A slow painful death...

Crucifixion was so painful that the word excruciate was invented to describe it. It comes from the Latin word "excruciare" - to crucify, crux, cross. It means to inflict intense pain on, torture. In ancient Rome, thousands upon thousands of people died a painful death by crucifixion. The Romans finely tuned their death machine to produce the maximum amount of pain without killing a person for several days. No one survived the cross...

The Lord Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God, was nailed to a cross and experienced excruciating pain so that you might experience eternal life. He endured the cross so you would not have to. No one took His life. He gave it freely... Will you live for Him? Are you? Are you living for Him daily? If not, God is waiting with outstretched arms for you to return to your first love. Don't delay, surrender today...

Wearing a cross around your neck and going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage, or hanging your car keys around your neck, makes you a car. Have you been crucified with Christ? Have you accepted the gift of eternal life that only Jesus can give? Does Christ live in you? I encourage you today to stop and examine your heart and invite Him in today. From the words of King Jesus "The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15)

• For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
  - Romans 3:23


• But God commanded his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
  - Romans 5:8


• For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
  - Romans 6:23


• ...if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
  -Romans 10:9

Prayer:
God, I confess that I am a sinner in need of a savior. I believe that Jesus Christ is your son, that he lived on this earth, was crucified and died for my sins and rose victorious from the grave and now sits at your right hand. I understand that Salvation is a gift and is not anything that I can earn. It was purchased with the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. I repent of my sins today and invite Jesus into my heart this day so that I may spend eternal life with you. Amen.

Copyright © 2001-2009 Deborah Collins.

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