-/\/\-----------------------------------------------------------------
\ / HEARTLIGHT(R) Magazine -- http://www.heartlight.org/
--\/------------------------------------------------------------------
August 10, 2008
/--- $5 PER MONTH BLESSES 2,000 PEOPLE ---------------------\
Just five bucks means 2,000 email devotionals can be sent
to believers around the world. Help get the Word out!
\--------------------- http://www.heartlight.org/support ---/
=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
Symbol and Reality, by Bill Sherrill
What is the cross to you? When one speaks of the cross of Jesus, what
images does this call to mind? Humankind uses images to bring our
thoughts into focus. Without images, we would have no language and no
means of storing experiences. In religion, some are concerned that
images might come to be idols, and that is certainly a possibility.
However, awareness that good can become bad if improperly used does not
negate the fact that we cannot function without images -- whether they
are tangible or only visualized mentally.
What does all this have to do with the cross? Everything!
The danger is in failing to see the reality.
The cross is the focal point of our connection to God. If everything we
have in the history of God's dealing with His creation had a connecting
line to one image, ultimately, that image would be the cross (2
Corinthians 1:19-20). From the promises given from the time of the fall
in the Garden of Eden to the teachings of the early church and the
prophecies of the Eternal Kingdom, the cross stands central. It is
God's new rainbow shining brightly to a storm-tossed, fearful and
turbulent world. As the rainbow is a symbol of God's promise of safety
from destruction by another great flood, the cross is His promise of
safety from the ferocious storms of Satan.
The danger is not in the symbol. The danger is in failing to see the
reality which is only represented by the symbol. The sacrificial love
of God in Christ is the reality of the cross. Holding to the symbol in
time of distress will do nothing for our safety, but holding to the
reality will sooth our troubled spirits and heal our sin sick souls.
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and
Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2 NASB)
But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to
me, and I to the world (Galatians 6:14).
---------
(c) 2008 Bill Sherrill <sherrill@cox-internet.com>'s Thought for
the Week. Used by permission.
RELATED LINKS:
* The Scandal of the Cross
http://www.heartlight.org/feature/sf_981021_scandal.html
* Even if It Means a Cross
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200704/20070402_cross.html
* A Cross on the Hills
http://www.heartlight.org/feature/feature_120496_cross.html
* Bill Sherrill's Thought for the Week
http://new.vchurches.com/northstreetcoc/home.aspx?igid=45081
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200808/20080810_symbol_reality.html
=========================== FEATURED PRODUCT =========================
THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE, by Rick Warren
Takes the message of The Purpose-Driven Church and shows us how to
apply it to our individual lives.
http://shopping.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/link?222
Find more great books, CDs and videos at the Heartlight store! With
each purchase you make, you're helping to support Heartlight's
ministry. Thanks SO MUCH for your help!
HEARTLIGHT DAILY EMAIL /\/\
===============================================================\ /===
http://www.heartlight.org/ \/
Visit HEARTLIGHT on the web for even more articles, plus music,
devotionals and more for your Christian walk!
ABOUT HEARTLIGHT:
Heartlight, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) religious non-profit organization.
Donations are welcome and tax-deductible! Find out how to help!
http://www.heartlight.org/support
EDITOR: Phil Ware, phil@heartlight.org
HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE?
It's FREE! To subscribe send a blank email to:
join-heartlight@maillists.heartlight.org
HOW DO I LEAVE?
To unsubscribe send a blank email to:
heartlight-unsub@maillists.heartlight.org
STILL HAVING TROUBLE?
If our automated unsubscribe system isn't working for you,
send an email to mailmaster@heartlight.org and let us know
what list you would like to leave. We'll take care of you.
======================================================================
