✝ Daily Encouragement (4/17/25) "The Two Criminals"
Published: Thu, 04/17/25
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Brooksyne
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(Click refresh or reload for current message) Thursday, April 17, 2025  "The Two Criminals"
Note:
During Holy
Week we
normally focus
on the
familiar
truths in
God's
redemption
plan as we
well should.
Hopefully, you
are feeding on
these truths
from your
personal
reading and
through your
church. In our
series this
week are
considering
people during
the events of
Holy Week that
are rather
incidental to
the main
story. But
each one, like
each of us,
has a story.
Message summary: Today our Lord continues to respond to the simple expression of faith, "Remember me". He continues to provide the wonderful gift of His redeeming grace as we earnestly call on His name. Let us all renew that call today and if you, as a reader, have never done so please call out to Jesus, "Remember me".
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player. Even in death, He remembered The thief hanging by His side Then he spoke with love and compassion And He took him to paradise
These
two men had an
absolutely
unique vantage
point distinct
from anyone
who ever
lived. One was
on a cross at
Christ’s right
side and
another on a
cross at His
left. They
represent the
human race and
the two
responses to
God’s act of
mercy in
redemption: 2) Both were dying in their sins.
2)
Both
had initially
"heaped
insults on
Him"
(Matthew
27:44).
"One
of the
criminals who
hung there
hurled insults
at Him:
‘Aren’t you
the Christ?
Save yourself
and us!’
But the other
criminal
rebuked him.
‘Don’t you
fear God,’ he
said, ‘since
you are under
the same
sentence?
We are
punished
justly, for we
are getting
what our deeds
deserve. But
this man has
done nothing
wrong.’ Then
he said,
‘Jesus,
remember me
when you come
into Your
kingdom’"
(Luke
23:39-42).
I
call to mind a
verse in a
great hymn
that says, "I
know not why
God’s wondrous
grace to me He
hath made
known; nor
why, unworthy,
Christ in love
redeemed me
for His
own."
The redeemed
thief could
very well be
singing this
song in
heaven, for he
received an
astonishing
message of
assurance from
Christ. “Jesus
answered him,
‘I tell you
the truth,
today you will
be with Me in
paradise’”
(Luke 23:43).
Christ
died as the
righteous one
in the middle
of two
unrighteous
men, one who
would be
declared
righteous by
faith. Even in
His dying
moments, He
gave eternal
life to one
sinner,
previewing His
gift of life
to all sinners
of all time,
who like the
thief would
place their
faith in Him.
As
we understand
sin and the
fall of the
human race, we
know that,
like the
thieves, we
are punished
justly and are
getting what
our deeds
deserve. But
Jesus, who has
done nothing
wrong, has
died in our
place. “For
Christ died
for sins once
for all, the
righteous for
the
unrighteous,
to bring us to
God” (1
Peter 3:18). B e encouraged today! Hebrews 3:13
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
"Lord Jesus, I
confess that I
am a sinner. I
believe that
You came to
this earth and
died on the
cross as a
substitute for
me. I place my
faith in You
and what You
have done for
me. I receive
You into my
life and
choose this
day to follow
and serve You.
Thank You for
hearing my
prayer. Amen. Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental
Resources "The Man In The Middle" Watch on YouTube The Cupps
"If
That Isn't
Love"
Watch
on YouTube
Jeanne
Johnson
This is the
song we quoted
in our message
today. "Power
of the Cross"
Watch
on YouTube
Laura Story,
Oliver Rea,
New Irish
Choir and
Orchestra What
a powerful
rendition!
Sight
& Sound's
production of
JESUS
will be
streaming for
free over
Easter
Weekend. Go to
this site.
Here's the sample
trailer.
Sight and
Sound is
located right
here in
Lancaster
County.
Pastor
Peter Silumula
and his wife
Helen have a
ministry to
their fellow
Indians. He
was raised as
a Hindu but
came to faith
in Christ as a
teenager in
1969. After
earning two
degrees in
non-ministry
related fields
he decided to
attend a Bible
College to
increase his
knowledge of
the Bible,
although he
had no
intentions of
entering the
pastoral
ministry.
Toward the end
of his course
of studies he
was required
to preach if
he wanted to
graduate. He
informed the
headmaster
that he was
only there for
the Bible
knowledge and
didn’t see why
a preaching
assignment was
important, but
the headmaster
insisted the
requirement
was necessary.
More
helpful
materials I
found in the
course of
preparing this
message:
The
order of
events at the
crucifixion:
Here's
a simple
sermon outline
I found online
regarding the
penitent
thief:
1.
A Dying Man
He accepted — a. The legality of his sentence b. The load of his sin 2. A Discerning Man a. He looked at Jesus b. He listened to Jesus 3. A Delivered Man
Jesus
told him, “I
tell you the
truth, today
you will be
with me in
paradise".
Major Events of the Passion Week An
astounding 30
of the 89
accumulative
chapters in
the four
gospels cover
the period
beginning with
Christ's
triumphal
entry through
His
resurrection
and
post-resurrection
appearances.
Mathematically
this means
that
approximately
33% of the
written
material in
the Gospels
deals with a
mere .05%
period of His
life! In the
providence of
God we have a
much greater
proportion of
Scriptural
revelation
dealing with
God's greatest
act of mercy
in providing
our
redemption.
Saturday
Sunday 
This
morning will
be the last
time I take
the Amish
teachers to
school
this school
year
.
(Due to Good
Friday they
are off
tomorrow). I
am in a
rotation with
3 other
drivers, other
seniors who
provide
transportation
to our
neighbors and
pick up a
little extra
cash. Today
the children
will have a
party so their
teachers
loaded the
back of our
van with
supplies. How
many remember
having Easter
parties at
their public
school? We
wonder if they
still have
them in public
schools?
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Personal
Mission
Statement:
"I am created
by God to
bring Him
glory. Through
God's Son
Jesus Christ I
have been
redeemed and
make it my
life's goal to
please the
Lord. My
mission in
life is to
honor God
through my
faith and
obedience and
prepare myself
and all whom I
may influence
for eternity."
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