Making The Most Of The Cross

When do you think is the most defining point in history? As a follower of Christ, my answer to this question undoubtedly is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

John Chapman's recent book "Making the most of the Cross" explains a series of important truths which come out of the belief that Jesus did die and rise again. Chapman's argument through his book, is that if Jesus actually did die on the cross, and rise again from the dead, then His death and resurrection is the most important and most life changing event in the whole of history. 

I really enjoyed reading this book and being reminded of many truths that I hold firm to because I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Saviour. In particular, I was able to ponder and marvel at the fact that Jesus took my sins (rebellion against God the creator) away on the cross by dying in my place, and He rose again to prove that death had no hold of Him. I was also able to think through the whole concept of Jesus' substitutionary sacrifice and again praise God for His love and mercy. 

One thing that I found great about this book was that it seemed very sensitive to those who may be reading and learning about Jesus for the first time. The text in the book is written in a very simple manner, without much Christian jargon, but packed with many real life and personal illustrations, which allows it to be a good resource for those who may be new Christians or those trying to find out more about Jesus. The book is less than 100 pages long, which made it a very easy read.

If you're looking to be reminded of the importance of the Cross of Christ, or you are trying to find out more about this history changing event, or you want to give your friends who are interested in religion something to think about, I would very much recommend this book to you!

Living the Cross Centred Life

I've just finished reading a book by C. J. Mahaney on "Living the Cross Centred Life". Its a great book which reminds and/or tells us that we must live every day of our lives in the light of the Cross that Jesus died on for us. We must begin each day of our lives at the foot of the Cross, remembering how significant the Cross is for us.

So many of us live our lives centred on a range of different things. It might not be evident at face value, but we centre things like academics/intelligence, sport, technology, celebrities, wealth, prosperity, work (secular and even ministry) and many other things. These 'distractions' take over our lives and fill up all of our minds, and we forget about the one thing that has saved us eternally from an eternity of separation, suffering and death.

This book has especially reminded me that everything we do in our lives, from church and ministry work to simply going to the shops, should reflect what Jesus has done for us on the Cross. For example, how does the Cross affect me when I play sport? How does the Cross affect me when I bump into an old primary school friend who I used to dislike? How does the Cross affect my language to my workmates?

I would recommend this book to any Christian who wants to be reminded of how to live a Christian life in this world where so many alternatives are pushed at us. It is also great for new Christians who want to find out more about how the Cross should affect your life.