Something Greater

The Prayer As they were stoning Stephen, his last words were to Jesus alone, as final prayers: "He called out, - Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. - And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, - Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Acts 7:59-60 (ESV) SPIRIT: pneuma (a current of air, breath or breeze; figurative for the human rational soul, vital principle, mental disposition; used to refer to an angel, daemon, God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit); from pneo (to breathe hard, a breeze) Stephen was dying. His last words reflect what he passionately believed was true: Jesus was his Lord , his body was injured beyond repair, the only imperishable portion of his life was his spirit, the very breath of God given him at his conception, returning now to the One to Whom it truly belonged. The Babe in the womb of Mary was conceived by God's Breath. Jesus assured His disciples that God's breath would speak through them, especially in times ...

The Cross of Christ: Humiliation of Sin Matthew 27:31 Listen: The Cross of Christ (mp3) Watch: The Cross of Christ - Slide Presentation(wmv) Every mention, every reminder, of the cross of Christ should bring a vivid image of the suffering of Jesus on our behalf. In our safe, modern world...living in a country at the heights of affluence, luxury and technology, the dirty, messy, gory death of crucifixion is easy to minimize . The cross of Christ for us is often a lovely pendant on expensive jewelry, a silk-screened logo at the side of a business sign, a brand for buildings in which worshipers gather. It was not so for Peter and Andrew, Jewish fishermen in Galilee. They and James and John and all the disciples that first followed Jesus all lived under direct control of a harsh government that daily crucified criminals and political rebels . "When they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him....