10/03/2021
*DANEM DOSE OF THE WORD* 10 March 2021
SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES, DIFFERENT DESTINIES
Luke 23 v 32-33; 39-43
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminalsâone on his right, the other on his left.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: âArenât you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!â 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. âDonât you fear God,â he said, âsince you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.â 42 Then he said, âJesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.â 43 Jesus answered him, âTruly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.â
Three people were crucified at the same time meaning same circumstances, at least in the eyes of ordinary bystanders. One of them, Jesus of Nazareth was hundred percent innocent. The other two were convicted thieves which means they were hundred percent guilty. For the Jews crucifying Jesus while he was sandwiched by criminals gave them satisfaction and may have been for them a surrogate for expression of his âguiltâ by association since they had failed to prove this outrightly before Pontius Pilate. But the reality of the situation was that Jesusâ crucifixion was a fulfillment of a prophecy from back in the days by men of old who foretold about his entire journey from the manger to the cross. It was a fulfilment of Godâs love for the fallen mankind which led Him to send His one and only begotten son for the atonement of menâs sins. And for Jesus, it was the epitome of obedience that even though he was God he obeyed his Father to become man and to die on the cross so that his spotless blood could cleanse away manâs sins. At the other level, one of the criminals may have felt his circumstances and Jesus were similar and he chose to insult Jesus wondering why Jesus was not saving himself and them if he was the true Messiah. Clearly, he was mistaken because the Messiahâs purpose was never to save Himself! By choosing to insult Jesus, he confirmed his condemnation in these last moments. The other criminal knew exactly who Jesus was and that while they were in the same circumstances with Jesus, they had different destinies. By his choice, he changed his destination from hell fire to paradise. The take away here is that you may be in similar circumstances with others or have the same opportunities but your choices will determine your final destiny. Your salvation entirely depends on how responsive you are to Godâs saving grace through our Lord Jesus Christ. SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES, SAME OPPORTUNITY, DIFFERENT CHOICES, DIFFERENT DESTINIES.
Have you received the Jesus as your Lord and personal saviour? If not take a few minutes and wholeheartedly repeat the following confession of faith.
*CONFESSION OF FAITH*
Lord Jesus, I come to you. I confess my sins. I have sinned against you knowingly and unknowingly. I was born in sin and I sinned in my thoughts, speech, and actions. Forgive me for my sins. Come into my heart. Wash me in your blood. From now on I want to live in you and live for you only. I'm completely yours now. I no longer want to live my old life. Let me always hear your voice, obey you, have faith and be righteous in you. Send your Holy Spirit to dwell in me from now on and forever. In Jesusâ mighty name. Amen.
If you said the above confession of faith, you are now a child of God. Just like the second criminal on the cross, who acknowledged Jesusâ lordship, your destination has changed from hellfire to Paradise. Please get a bible and read it consistently and pray to God. Join a bible-believing church.
If you would like us to pray with and for you contact us on the following numbers:
Apostle Hamadi: +263 773 098 518
Pastor Mike: +263 788 105 415
Apostle Dr Nabo: +66 983 140 320
Apostle Chikanya: +260 770347660
Rev. Imafidon: +39 351 018 7060
EMail: [email protected]
DANEM Evangelistic Ministries, Stand 135, Nyabira, Zimbabwe
Maranatha!
Itâs a beautiful day, be good.
Š Disciples of All Nations Evangelistic Ministry (also called DANEM Ministries Global) is an international global evangelistic ministry that was established in 2016 and is headquartered in Nyabira, Zimbabwe. Our mission is to preach the gospel to the whole world as mandated by our Lord Jesus Christ in the GREAT COMMISSION (Matthew 28 v 18-20 & Matthew 24:14).