Happy Tuesday

The Lamb Of God!

John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" -John 1:29

Hundreds of years before the crucifixion, God told Moses to gather the people of Israel together in preparation for their departure from Egypt.   They were to sacrifice a lamb without blemish and without spot, eat the flesh of the lamb, and sprinkle the blood on the doorposts of their home.  This lamb was, of course, a symbol of the Lord Jesus. "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The lamb without blemish and without spot represented Christ's sinless life, the just one paying the penalty for the unjust.  The lamb was to be set apart four days prior to the feast.  Christ was sacrificed at the Passover, and He entered Jerusalem four days before the day the paschal lamb was set apart.  The lamb was to be roasted with fire, denoting the sufferings of Christ.  Not a bone of the lamb was to be broken, a prophetic picture of Christ on the cross.

Then the people of God were to sprinkle the lamb's blood on the doorposts of the houses as an open witness to everyone.  I'm sure the Jews might have thought, Wouldn't that give the Egyptians one more thing to ridicule?  "What are these crazy Jews doing now?"  Some may have been tempted to sprinkle the blood out of sight -- the closet door perhaps.  Wouldn't that be just as good?  No, it must be outside for all to see, denoting our open profession of faith in God and obedience to His Word.

Christ was crucified publicly, openly, for our sin.  And the Bible tells us that our witness for Him should be public and open for all to see.

Prayer
"Lord, thank You that Your blood cleanses me from all unrighteousness.  Amen. "

Do I live in such a way that my life is a clear testimony of salvation through Jesus' shed blood?


Take Me To The King
Chorus:
Take Me To The King
I don't have much to bring
My heart is torn in pieces
It's my offering
Take Me To The King

Verse 1:
Truth is I'm tired
Options are few
I'm trying to pray
But where are you?
I'm all churched out
Hurt and abused
I can't fake
What's left to do?

Truth is I'm weak
No strength to fight
No tears to cry
Even if I tried
But still my soul
Refuses to die
One touch-will change-my life

Chorus:
Take Me To The King
I don't have much to bring
My heart's torn into pieces
It's my offering

Lay me at the throne
Leave me there alone
To gaze upon Your glory
And sing to You this song
Please Take Me To The King

Verse 2:
Truth is it's time
To stop playing these games
We need a word
For the people's pain

So Lord speak right now
Let it fall like rain
We're desperate
We're chasing after you

Bridge:
No rules, no religion
I've made my decision
To run to You
The healer that I need

Chorus:
Take Me To The King
I don't have much to bring
My heart's torn to pieces
It's my offering

Lay me at the throne
Leave me there alone
To gaze upon Your glory
And to sing to You this song

Take Me To The

Lord we're in the way
We keep making mistakes
Glory is not for us
Its all for You

Chorus
Take Me To The King
I don't have much to bring
My heart's torn to pieces
It's my offering

Lay me at the throne
Leave me there alone
To gaze upon Your glory
And sing to You this song

Take Me To The King 3x

Daily Smile:

Little Pete came home from the playground with a bloody nose, black eye, and torn clothing. It was obvious he’d been in a bad fight and lost. While his father was patching him up, he asked his son what happened.

“Well, Dad,” said Pete, “ I challenged Larry to a duel. And, you know, I gave him his choice of weapons.”

“Uh-huh,” said the father, “that seems fair.”

“I know, but I never thought he’d choose his sister!”


In The News:

Torture Likely Led to Death of Egyptian Christian in Libya, Sources Say
Repeated electrical shock torture of an Egyptian Christian accused of "proselytizing" in Libya likely exacerbated his heart ailment, leading to his death in custody, Morning Star News reports. Ezzat Hakim Atallah, 45, died March 10 in a Tripoli jail while in the custody of an Islamic militia group known as the Preventative Security Unit. He was arrested without being formally charged in Benghazi on Feb. 13 as Preventative Security -- an internal police force formed during the Libyan Revolution by regional rebel leaders -- was rounding up expatriate Christians and accusing them of spreading Christianity to Muslims. Sources close to Atallah said he had a "serious chest condition" that would have cost him his life under the repeated beatings and electrical shocks. Atallah was taken to a hospital once during his captivity, on March 6, but he returned to jail after medical personnel were either unwilling or unable to properly treat him, they said. Libyan authorities told his family he collapsed in jail and that he died of high blood pressure. The embassy of Egypt, a country where a majority believes those who leave Islam should receive the death penalty, has claimed he likely died of "natural causes." Atallah also reportedly suffered from diabetes. He leaves behind his wife, Ragaa Nagah, a 15-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter.

Pastor Saeed Abedini Petition Nearing 500,000 Signatures Before Congressional Hearing
A petition for the release of Pastor Saeed Abedini, the American citizen currently serving eight years in prison in Iran, has reached nearly half a million signatures a day before an important congressional hearing concerning his case, the Christian Post reports. "This is a crucial moment and our best chance yet to spur the United States government into action," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice. "We need to send a message. We need 500,000 signatures to help save Saeed by the time I testify." The ACLJ, which is representing Pastor Saeed's wife and two young children in America, has been petitioning for the pastor's release ever since his imprisonment last year and subsequent trial in Iran, which the legal firm called a "sham." Sekulow will speak before the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday about Pastor Saeed and the persecution many Christians are facing in Muslim-dominated countries, and he hopes to inspire action from congressmen. To read more about Pastor Saeed's case and sign the petition, visit SaveSaeed.org.

First 'Fetal Pain' Abortion Ban Struck Down by Court
A U.S. district judge has overturned Idaho's so-called "fetal pain" law, a ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy -- the point at which a fetus reportedly begins to feel pain, Christianity Today reports. Lawyers for plaintiff Jennie Linn McCormack had argued that the law unjustly punished women, and Judge B. Lynn Winmill, citing Roe v. Wade, wrote that "the state may not rely on its interest in the potential life of the fetus to place a substantial obstacle to abortion before viability in women's paths." Attorney Richard Hearn told the Huffington Post that "Winmill's ruling makes it clear that any attempts by states to ban abortions before a fetus can survive outside the womb are unconstitutional." However, of the 10 states with existing fetal pain laws on the books, only three have faced legal challenges. Nebraska was the first state to adopt such a law in 2009, and Idaho was one of seven states to enact bans on abortions after 20 weeks. Earlier this month, Arkansas approved a ban on abortions after 12 weeks, becoming one of the most restrictive bans in the nation. According to Politico, many experts say fetal pain laws could be the next abortion debate battlefield and "could reach the Supreme Court."

50th Suit Filed Against HHS Contraceptive Mandate
The CEO of an electric company in Florida has filed suit against the Department of Health and Human Services over the "preventive services" mandate, making it the 50th such lawsuit filed against HHS, the Christian Post reports. Thomas Beckwith, CEO of Beckwith Electric of Largo, filed the suit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division. "This is a case about religious freedom," reads the first point under the "Nature of the Action" section of the 48-page suit. "The mandate forces employers and individuals to violate their religious beliefs because it requires employers and individuals to pay for and provide insurance from insurance issuers which fund and directly provide for drugs, devices and services which violate their deeply held religious beliefs." Beckwith is being represented by the Thomas More Law Center, which has already brought several challenges against Obamacare and the HHS mandate.