Tag: Romans

Living in the Light of God’s Gifts

Posted on by thechristiantechnerd

I’ve been reflecting on Psalm 9:1–2, which keeps circling back in my spirit: “I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” Those words have wrapped around my day like a warm shawl, reminding me gently but firmly that gratitude isn’t just a feeling—it’s a posture, a choice to live with my eyes open to God’s goodness. Tonight, I want to sit quietly in this space and acknowledge the beauty of the gifts God has placed in my life.

It’s strange how quickly I forget the wonders that God has already done. One moment I’m overflowing with praise, and the next, I’m tangled in worry over something fleeting or small. But today God slowed me down—almost as if He whispered, “Look again.” And when I looked, I saw His fingerprints everywhere.

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The first thing I felt Him nudging me to remember was the gift of salvation—Christ’s precious offering. Sometimes the cross becomes so familiar that it stops shaking me the way it should. But today I imagined again what it meant for Jesus to willingly step into my place, to carry every ounce of sin, shame, and brokenness so that I could stand clean and beloved before the Father. When I consider any hardship I’m facing, it truly is microscopic next to what He bore for me.

I found myself whispering a quiet prayer:
“Lord Jesus, thank You for saving me. Thank You for loving me enough to endure the cross, the pain, the isolation, and the weight of the world’s sin. Help me never take this gift lightly. Let my life reflect the magnitude of what You’ve done.”

Sometimes I forget how personal salvation really is. It’s not just a theological concept; it’s the very reason I can breathe hope. The cross reminds me that no matter what today looks like—or what tomorrow brings—I belong to Him. And belonging to Him means nothing is wasted.

As I thought about salvation, I also felt overwhelmed by the assurance of God’s love. Scripture tells me plainly in 1 John 4:16, “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” But even more striking is Romans 8:31–39, which tells me that absolutely nothing—no fear, no failure, no darkness, no spiritual attack, no heartbreak—can separate me from His love.

But still, when storms come, I start to doubt. I ask God if He sees me, if He cares, if He’s listening. And every time, He patiently reminds me that His love is not dependent on my circumstances. It’s woven into His very nature. It cannot be undone. Knowing this should anchor me, but I find I need to remind myself again and again.

Tonight I prayed:
“Father, anchor me in Your love. Let it be the foundation beneath my feet and the light before my steps. Teach me to trust Your heart even when I cannot trace Your hand.”

Something softened in me after that prayer. It was as if God gently brushed away the worry I had been clutching so tightly.

Then my thoughts turned to the gift of answered prayer. I’ve always loved that God invites me to talk to Him about everything—not just the “holy” things but the messy things, the confusing things, the trivial things, the things I’m embarrassed to admit even to myself. He listens without exhaustion, without impatience, without judgment. He is not just able to help me; He knows the best way to do it.

Today, I realized how many of my prayers—some whispered with tears, some shouted in fear, some simply breathed with hope—have already been answered, even if not in the way I expected. Looking back, I see a trail of God’s faithfulness I never would have recognized at the time. Moments I thought were delays were actually protection. Moments I thought were silence were actually preparation.

I wrote this prayer in the margin of my Bible:
“Lord, thank You for hearing me. Thank You for every yes, every no, and every not yet. Give me the faith to bring everything to You, and the patience to wait for Your best.”

What a blessing it is to be heard by the Creator of the universe. It is something I never want to take for granted.

And yet, even with these gifts—salvation, love, answered prayer—God never promised a life without adversity. Sometimes I wish He did, but then I remember Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” I’ve clung to that verse more times than I can count. The knowledge that God can bring good out of anything—even the things that break me—changes the way I walk through trials.

Lately I’ve been facing a few challenges that I don’t fully understand. I’ve questioned God, cried out to Him, even tried to reason with Him as if I know more than He does. But tonight I felt a sense of surrender rising in me. Not the defeated kind of surrender, but the peaceful kind that comes from remembering exactly who God is. He’s a Father. A shepherd. A healer. A protector. A promise-maker and promise-keeper. The One who sees the entire story while I only see a single page.

As I wrote these reflections, I felt compelled to pray:
“Father, I submit myself to You. Thank You for Your wisdom, even when I don’t understand it. Thank You for shaping me through trials, not to harm me but to strengthen my faith. Help me trust that You will accomplish Your purpose in me.”

Writing those words felt like placing a heavy stone at the feet of Jesus and choosing not to pick it up again.

I think a thankful heart is less about counting blessings and more about recognizing God’s presence woven through everything. Gratitude isn’t ignoring pain; it’s acknowledging God in the midst of it. It’s saying, “Lord, I see Your hand even here.”

As I sit here tonight, I’m realizing that living in the light of God’s gifts doesn’t mean I pretend everything is perfect. It means I choose to believe that God is present, active, and loving even when life feels unclear. It means I remember that adversity is not abandonment. Hardships are not punishment. Tests are not signs that I’ve been forgotten—they are invitations to trust God more deeply.

And so I want to end tonight with one more prayer, written softly from the depths of my heart:

“Gracious Father, thank You for the blessings You’ve poured into my life—salvation, love, the gift of prayer, and the promise that You bring good out of every circumstance. Teach me to live fully in the light of these gifts. Help me walk with gratitude, rest in Your love, and trust Your purposes even when I don’t understand them. Keep my heart surrendered, my faith steady, and my spirit anchored in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Tonight I feel a quiet peace settling over me—a peace that reminds me that God’s gifts are not abstract concepts; they are living truths shaping every moment of my life. And for that, I am deeply, deeply thankful.

Who Is to Blame for Jesus’ Death?

Posted on by thechristiantechnerd

Jesus of Nazareth, also known as the Christ, was crucified. According to research, His death took place on Friday, April 3, AD 33 when Israel was occupied and oppressed by Rome. Before His death, Jesus had 12 men who were His disciples, and they traveled around the country preaching and teaching about the Kingdom of God.

And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him (Acts 10:38).

Jesus was doing good, so why was He crucified and who is responsible for His death?

Some Blame Judas
Judas Iscariot has long been blamed for the death of Jesus. We know from the scriptures that he sought out to betray Jesus. It was Judas who led the soldiers to arrest Jesus, betraying Him with a kiss.

Then one of the Twelve — the one called Judas Iscariot — went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over (Matthew 26:14-16).

Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him (Matthew 26:47-50).

Judas may have been responsible for Jesus’ arrest, but not for His death.

Some Blame the Jews
Many Jewish people have been persecuted and even killed for being, as some called them, the “Christ-killer.” What led people to believe that an entire people group was responsible for the death of Jesus?

Perhaps it was taken from Matthew 27:1-2, 20, and 22-25,

“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

Or it might be taken from the nonchalant way Paul put it in 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15,

For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone.

Many Jewish people played a role in what led to the death of Jesus. But many is not every.

The disciples were Jewish and 11 of them played no role.
Mary and the other women who followed Jesus were Jewish and they too played no role.

And then there is Joseph of Arimathea, who was one of the Jewish religious leaders who did not consent to Jesus’ death.

The Jews are not responsible or to blame for the death of Jesus.

Some Blame the Religious Leaders
It’s true that the religious leaders felt threatened by Jesus. This is because they had power over their people and the privileges they’d acquired from the Roman government.

If the people followed Jesus, they’d lose their power over them.

If they lost their power over the people, they’d lose their privileges from the government.

They had clear motives even though murder was against the law of Moses.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death (Matthew 26:59).

The chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him (Mark 14:1).

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered (Matthew 26:65-66).

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor (Matthew 27:1-2).

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed (Matthew 27:20).

There were religious leaders pushing for Jesus to be killed, but not all of them. Remember Joseph of Arimathea.

Many religious leaders played a role, but they’re not responsible for the death of Jesus.

Some Blame Caiaphas
Because we can’t blame the whole group of religious leaders some look at their leader —Caiaphas — the high priest.

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled (Matthew 26:57).

Caiaphas was not only a religious leader, but also had power regarding civil laws. However, his power was allowed only at the discretion of the Romans who ruled over him. Due to that oversight, Caiaphas had no power to put Jesus to death and had to take him to the Roman ruler.

Due to Roman oversight, Caiaphas was not responsible for the death of Jesus.

Some Blame the Romans
Some find it logical to blame the Romans for Jesus’ death because of how He was killed. Crucifixion was imposed by the Roman government.

Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” “But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die (John 18:31-32).

Again, here we have the whole people group thing.

The Roman government was responsible for the way Jesus died, but not His death.

Some Blame Pilate
Pilate must be responsible due to the power he held, right?

“Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” (John 19:9-10).

Pilate made the decree for Jesus to be crucified, but he is not responsible for His death.

Who Is Really to Blame?
The death of Jesus was strategically planned by one. When they came to arrest Jesus, He said:

Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matthew 26:53-55).

When Pilate threatened Jesus, He answered, You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above (John 19:11).

Before it happened, Jesus said how He was going to die.

“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father” (John 10:18).

When Jesus died, He did what He said — gave up His life, yielded His spirit, sent His spirit forth (Matthew 27:50).

The death of Jesus was an elaborate plan made by God Himself.

None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8).

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

The love of God is solely responsible for the death of Jesus — and His resurrection, so that we may be saved!