Monday, August 27, 2018
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Power-that's what mattered most to Napoleon. He wanted power, and he got it. Under his leadership, the armies of France won some stunning victories. They extended control well beyond their borders, but that wasn't enough for Napoleon. It is said that one day he gathered all the top officers together around this large table. Laid across that table was a map of Europe with a big red spot on it. That spot was England. He pounded his fist on the table, and he raged: "If it weren't for that red spot, I could have it all!"
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "That One Red Spot."
I can almost picture it. Satan gathers his demonic lieutenants around a large table in hell, looking at a map of the world-a map with a big red spot on it. That spot marks a hill in Israel, just outside the city of Jerusalem. On that hill stands a cross, stained with the blood of Jesus. Satan knows he's gone as far as he can. With almost uncontrolled rage, he shouts, "If it weren't for that red spot, I could have them all!"
But that red spot is the Devil's graveyard, and it can be the graveyard for his hellish plans for you if you make what happened there yours. To historians, what happened there was the brutal crucifixion of an innocent man. But you need the view from God's side to understand "the rest of the story." And He gives it to us in Colossians 2, beginning with verse 13. That's our word for today from the Word of God. It says: "He forgave us all our sins." That's huge! Every lie, every selfish action, every immoral act, every immoral thought, every time we've used somebody, hurt somebody, every proud thing, every dirty thing-all those acts of rebellion against our Creator. They're an eternal indictment, and they carry an eternal death penalty.
But at that "red spot," here's what God did so you could be forgiven. The Bible says, "He took it away, nailing it to the cross." When Jesus was nailed to that cross, so was every wrong thing you have ever done. Satan thought he could have you with him in hell forever. But listen to what these verses reveal: "Having disarmed the powers and authorities, (Jesus) made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." See, here's the deal. Jesus didn't lose when He died. He won! He shattered sin's power. He made it possible to cancel the hell of anyone who puts their life in His hands. That day on Skull Hill, the Devil lost you if you give yourself to the only One who can save you.
Has there ever been a time you did that? It's a conscious commitment to Christ, so if you have, you know you have. If you haven't, be thankful, because God's given you an opportunity to change that today. This could be the day that you say, "Jesus, I'm yours. You died for me. You came back from death for me. Today I trust you as my only hope for now and forever."
Hell's only hope of keeping you is to make you right now ignore Jesus, or postpone Jesus, or put your hope in something other than Jesus until your last breath. Then hell can have you forever, but not if you belong to Jesus, who paid the price so you could be with Him forever.
Look, get this settled. This is the one guaranteed chance you have. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. "Jesus, I'm yours today." Tell Him that. And I'd invite you to go to our website ANewStory.com, because there you're going to find right out of the Bible, God's Word, the things you need to know to secure your relationship with Jesus.
Jesus, and what He did on that cross, really is your only hope. You tell Him that today and you will trade hell for heaven.