As I sat last night and watched Son of God alone in my office here in Merced, I simply wept and wept some more.  Interestingly, my computer did a forced re-start right after Jesus said while suspended on the cross, “Father, forgive them.”  I’ll be finishing the last few minutes of the film this morning as part of my devotions with the Lord.  A mentor of mine, Bob Donohue, and his mentor, C.J. Mahaney, frequently taught and reminded God’s people that we must preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to ourselves daily.  As we do this, we are reminded of how deep the Father’s love for us truly is, how extreme Jesus was and is in showing us God’s love as the God-Man, the only One Who could ever remove sin and forgive sin.

Father, forgive us for not taking Your Message, Jesus becoming man and dying that we might know the Triune God of Heaven… forgive us for not taking You as seriously as we should day-in and day-out.  You, Oh God, are worthy of our utmost praise and worthy of our full devotion in this life and the next.  We look forward with eager anticipation to seeing our awesome Savior, the One we are disciples of, followers of in this life.  We live our lives in the way Jesus lived here as best we know how day to day.  I was so moved by the portrail of Jesus’ way of life here on earth.  He was so gentle and pure and kind and generous and consistent and steadfast in showing God’s love, because He is God in the flesh!  What a mystery revealed, Oh God!  Thank You for giving us Your Son, the very Son of God, the true King and Lord over all humanity.  I ask that You would raise us up, that this generation would stand and proclaim this Good News and minister to You ultimately by doing so.  We magnify Your name, and this delights You.  You love it when Your children run in Your ways as You enlarge our hearts through the true story of Christ’s life and death and rising to You in Heaven for eternity.  In the character and person and work of Christ we rest.  Amen.

Dear friends,

May our lives be changed by this story every year, month, and day.  May the Gospel of Jesus Christ stay the central message of our lives.  May we be overwhelmed by this love and changed by degrees as we meditate on what God has done to show us His love.  And, may we remember that we weren’t left here alone.  We have not only each other as followers of Jesus, but we have God’s very Spirit with us, most often ministering to us through one another and through our times of showing love to one another and the lost.  As we labor in God’s love, we encounter Jesus in the most intimate and beautiful ways!  Let’s run in this grace and press on to Know Christ and to Make Him Known all the more as the day of His return draws near.

Your brother,

– Torrey