Freelance writer Lupie Riley

Thought:  We no longer have to doubt the deity of Christ, the God/man. He possessed the power to raise himself from the dead but also left a photograph of the price he paid for all our sins.  At a place in Italy called Turin, there’s a piece of cloth 14’x3” x 3’x7” long, that pictures a man who had suffered from a crucifixion.  It’s called the Shroud of Turin, said to be the actual burial cloth of Jesus.  Scientific studies have revealed many interesting facts about this man on the cloth.  He was around 175 lbs. in weight with piercings on his wrists and feet by a 7” spike. There are 90-120 lashes made with a Roman metal tipped flagger.  The man had a dislocated shoulder along with gashes and puncture wounds on the head from a crown of long thorns.  His face bore many bruises from beatings and a 2” wound was discovered on his side made by a spear like weapon.  Look it up.

Could this be a picture of Christ’s crucifixion that he left behind as a testimony of his suffering?  The Bible describes this event in Isaiah 52:15. “They shall see my Servant beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know it as a person standing there.  So shall he cleanse many nations.”

Jesus rose from the grave three days later (John 10:18). “No man can kill me without my consent—I lay down my life voluntarily.  For I have the right and power to lay it down when I want to and also the right and power to take it again.” Jesus had the power to raise Himself from the grave leaving an imprint of his suffering on a burial cloth.  Our God/man is alive and well, waiting for whomsoever invites Him into their lives.  They become spiritually re-born.  John 3:5-7 Jesus replied, “What I’m telling you so earnestly is this: Unless one is born of water and the SPIRIT, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.  Men can only reproduce human life, but the HOLY SPIRIT gives new life from Heaven; so, don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again.”

Prayer:  Father God, Jesus is alive and well and waiting for those who put their faith in what he accomplished on the cross (our redemption) and invite Him into their life.  Along with that decision he gives the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life.  Amen

Verse:  Isaiah 53:4-6 “Yet it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins!

But he was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was chastised that we might have peace; he was lashed-- and we were healed! (By his stripes we are healed spiritually).  We are the ones who strayed away like sheep! We, who left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet God, laid on him the guilt and sins of everyone of us.”  (Read the entire chapter 53)

Married 58 years, four children, nine grandchildren and three greats.  I've been a freelance writer for over 40 years.  Working on a book at the present.  My priorities are God first, family, country. Look me up on Google search by my name Lupie Riley, click on first link. Faithwriters.com