The Veil Has Been Torn

One of the best truths in the Bible is that the veil is torn!!! Now some background on the significance of of the veil. In the temple there is a veil that separates the rooms in the temple from the Holy of Holies which is where the ark of the covenant is and where the glory of God was. The high priest was the only person allowed to come into the Holy of Holies, and he was only allowed to come into the Holy of Holies once a year while being splattered with the blood of a lamb, so that he could cry out to God for the sins of the people that only God could forgive them for. One of the names of Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God and this is the reason for it. He was the sacrificial lamb to take away the sins of the world, and to bear the wrath of God the Father for the sins He never committed so that the people He came to save would be able to have access with God the Father. When God sees us, He sees us as saints because of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made by bleeding for us and dying in our place for our sins.

Hebrews 10:18-25:
18And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. 19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

So yes we are sinners and yes we do not deserve to be alive, but God being rich in mercy and His great love toward us, came down in the body of Jesus Christ, lived perfectly and died sacrificially for our sins and His blood covers us and makes us as white as snow. So now that we have the ability to communicate with God the Father, He tells us we can come boldly and with confidence to the throne of God in prayer and Scripture reading because of the blood of Jesus Christ. We must hold to the hope that is within us because of the fact that Jesus who gave His life for our freedom deserves to be known all around the world and to the people who feel hopeless, depressed, angry, in pain, and feel like they are not loved by anyone. We are also called as Christians to build up others in their walk with Jesus so that they can encourage others and encourage you when you are having a down day or are feeling sad about how people are treating you.

So Christians let us encourage others, love others, be there for others, and hold on to the hope of eternal life with Jesus that He provides. Let us remember that God sees us covered in the blood of Jesus Christ who showed the greatest love of all time by dying for those who rejected, mocked, laughed at, and spit at so that they could have an eternal life with God in His holiness.

Be blessed and encouraged brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Mark Cannon

Major Trade!!!

The St. Louis Cardinals completed a major trade today in which they acquired Matt Holliday from the Oakland Athletics for 3 minor league prospects which will offer much needed stability, power, and protection for Albert Pujols who is the franchises most productive player and he is also a solid Christian which is a positive for all young athletes out there to do all they do in workouts and in games for the glory of Jesus Christ. This trade got me thinking on some of the best trades in the history of sports, the list is pretty long so I will choose the most lopsided trade in the history of the NBA.

1. Kobe Bryant traded to the Los Angeles Lakers from the Charlotte Hornets for Vlade Divac in what has proved to be one of the most lopsided trades in the history of sports. This trade allowed the Lakers to win 4 NBA Titles in the last 10 years and make it to 6 NBA Championship Series in the last 10 years. Kobe Bryant is arguably the best player in the NBA besides Michael Jordan who owns that title right now, although Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul Jabar have some things to say about that, as well as Bill Russell who won 11 NBA Titles with the Boston Celtics which is worth respect even from a Lakers fan to the core.

I want to tell you about the most lopsided trade in the history of the world. Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross, bled and died for our sins, which we deserved to die for, but He traded His life for our lives so that we can have a right relationship with God the Father and that His wrath will no longer abide on our lives. We are dead souls, and we have no hope within ourselves when we have not accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saving King. Once we have accepted the salvation of our sins through faith alone in Jesus Christ and grace of God the Father alone then we are adopted children of the most holy God of the universe that He spoke into existence.

Crucifixion

What do we know of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ? What I know about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is that He hung on a tree at Calvary,His precious blood shed for us to save us from our sins, he was speared in the side of His chest, He was nailed in the hands and the feet, He had to suck vinegar, He had to push Himself up to breathe which crushed His body, He was mocked by the people He came to save from their sins, God the Father turned His face away from Jesus while He was dying because sin cannot be in the presence of the Holy God. Now there is no time like the present to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, because the criminal on the side of Jesus asked for Christ to remember him in His Kingdom and Jesus said today you will be with me in paradise. So whenever you feel like everything is going wrong in life, your friends are turning against you, your money is failing to help you at the current moment, and you feel like the life you are living is not going the way you planned, then you must check the cross of Jesus Christ and His blood that washes us clean from our sins. The world will let you down but King Jesus who was crowned with thorns at Calvary does not let anyone go who has called upon His name for salvation. If you have not called upon Christ Jesus for salvation, please contact me or other Christians you know, it is the most important decision you will ever make in your life.

College

I am going to be a Senior in high school this year and I am looking into colleges I can attend after my time in high school. I am looking closely for a place where I can grow closer in my relationship with Jesus Christ my Saving King, who calls for bold people, to serve Him, no matter what the shape, size, ethnicity, or age you are and whether or not you have a physical ailment or not. I have become personally intrigued by Liberty University and BIOLA University. From what I have seen and heard from each school is that they are both schools on fire for Jesus Christ, which means I am looking forward to going to schools like them. I am looking for a school to go to that will allow me to grow daily both in my relationship with Jesus Christ and in my mental ability to be strengthened so I can better serve in the ministry God has called me to be a member of. I want to enjoy community with fellow believers in Jesus Christ who love to discuss the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help us others out who have a desire to proclaim and defend the truth of King Jesus Christ. Fellowship, belief in Jesus Christ, and love for King Jesus and His commandments are what I am looking for in college.

Podcasts

What are you listening to on your ipod? Do you listen to podcasts? I enjoy podcasts so much because they are for the time of your life when you are either listening to music that you enjoy when you are running, when you are working and listening for music, and when you are listening to music when you are relaxing. Now when you listen to Christian podcasts some of the music and teachings are solid Biblically, sound in doctrine, glorifying to God, and worth listening to. Biola and Liberty U and other Christian colleges that have podcasts are worth listening to. The podcast called Wretched with Todd Friel is also worth listening to. Finally Sharing the Victory by Fellowship of Christian Athletes is also a great podcast where Christians who are athletes and coaches in professional sports are speaking about how they witness to fellow athletes about Jesus Christ and His saving power. So if you have time to listen to your ipod I encourage you to take a look at Christian podcasts and to listen to them. Podcasts are another way to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Unwasted Life

We all want to live a life that is not wasted. The questions is how are we supposed to live a life to the fullest which is not wasted? First of all we must accept Jesus Christ and His saving power, through His death and resurrection on the cross, and that He is the only name under heaven to call upon for complete freedom from eternal separation from the King of Kings for all eternity. We all have a specific calling from the Lord Jesus Christ and a purpose for living. We must pray for the Holy Spirit to show us how the best way is to accomplish our mission from God who wants to see us fulfill His plan for our lives and see us succeed for Hm. We can be called to be professional athletes in sports such as basketball, baseball, football, soccer, golf, hockey, rugby and tennis. We can be movie stars, musical artists in the genres of Gospel, Hip Hop, R@B, Country, Jazz, and Rock@Roll. We can be pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and church Elders or deacons. We can be authors of books ranging from children stories to adult novels and anywhere in between. We are all specifically called by God to bring glory to Him and to bring people unto repentance at the feet of Jesus Christ and to tell them about the hope that is within us. We must give our best effort in whatever God called us to be and to exalt His name on the platform that He has blessed us with. So when we struggle with our calling and people see that we ac differently in certain circumstances such as staying calm, praying, or encouraging others who are going through the same problems that we are then we must tell them why we are acting positively in a negative situation and shine our light of Jesus Christ in the darkness of this world.

Ways to witness for Jesus Christ

We as Christians are called to be His witnesses and to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world. There are many ways we can do this. First we can use Gospel tracts which have the good person test on them which proves to us that no one is good, we are all liars, thieves, blasphemers, adulterers at heart, and it is only by the blood of Christ and trust in Him alone that we are saved. Another way that we can witness is through small groups. In these small groups you can discuss events in the Bible such as the life of Jesus and His disciples, who God is according to the Bible, how a Christian is called to live and be a light to the dark world that we live in, and ways that they can pray for their fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. You can also witness to people through social network sites such as facebook, myspace, etc., and through emails, and blogs. These are ways people can read your perspective on the Scriptures, and one of them may be so powerful for the person that they want to talk to you more about the subject and that way you have planted a seed of the Gospel in their lives and you can wait for God to water and grow that seed in their lives. Finally you can to individual witnessing to people on airplanes, on a boat, at a sports game, on the streets, at a concert, even at a church. We must spread the Gospel and never let it depart from our mouths. We must obey the Scriptures, and live how Christ teaches us to live. The Word of God will not come back void, so get out there and plant the seeds of Christ so God can water and grow the seed in the lives of those you come in contact with.