Today's Proclamation for 09-30-2025
- Sep 30, 2025
- Michael Blank
- Category: Prayer Alerts
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Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls of ALL ages, one of the best examples of God’s Divine GRACE is the thief on the cross next to Jesus when he was crucified.
AS IT IS WRITTEN IN Luke 23:32-43
Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with Him. When they came to a place called The Skull they nailed Him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified; one on His right and one on His left. Jesus said,
Father, FORGIVE them, for they don’t know what they are doing.
And the soldiers gambled for His clothes by throwing dice. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. He saved others, they said, let him save himself if He is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One. The soldiers mocked Him, too, by offering Him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, If you are the King of the Jews, SAVE Yourself! A sign was fastened above him with these words: This is the King of the Jews.
One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, So You’re the Messiah, are You? Prove it by Saving Yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!
But the other criminal protested, Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this Man hasn’t done anything wrong.
Then he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom, and Jesus replied,
I assure you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.
Just a foot note that made this a great illustration of true conversion is the thief on the cross! That's the only person anywhere in the Bible that Jesus gave instantaneous assurance! To nobody else did He say today you will be with Me in Paradise and for all the people throughout history who have struggled with whether they're SAVED or not that would be really good information coming from Him!
He didn't say that to anybody else today you'll be with Me in Paradise that's a gilt edge Guarantee that you just got SAVED and what were the components of that? Seems like out of nowhere he rebukes this other thief and he says don't you fear God? and I think that's where it stood. That's where it started to him far more threatening and he was crucified just the same way Jesus was suffering the same agonies and realizing their crime and that he was getting what he deserved we indeed suffer justly.
He (the thief) had a far greater fear of what was going to happen to him after this was over. Don't you fear God and I think when he turned to Jesus and said
Remember me when You come into Your Kingdom! He was affirming the Lordship of Christ; the Deity of Christ; this was The Christ! But I think he did that because he had just heard Jesus say immediately before that Father forgive them for they know not what they do and you realize that IF there was FORGIVENESS for the people that did this to him and he had been one of them, as Matthew and Mark both tell us that he was also insulting Jesus that this is something he desperately needed!
So, you have an awareness of Divine Judgment the Tribunal of God; you have an awareness of the availability of Forgiveness; you have a penitent heart; you have a belief that Christ was the true KING and when he said Remember me when You enter into Your Kingdom nobody survived crucifixion!
So, he knew Christ would triumph over death!
There was an awful lot of theology swirling around in that guy's head and whatever it was, he even knew there was a coming Kingdom and he wanted to be a part of IT!
ALL the elements were there in some ways with very limited information by the way he probably heard the conversation, because he was coming to the hill the same time Jesus was about crying for yourselves and what's coming on you so awareness of judgment, a fear of God and recognition of ones’ sinfulness and then an embracing of the reality that that in CHRIST there is Hope and the KINGDOM and then of course you add the reality of the cross which was unfolding to him.
I think that is exactly RIGHT that’s where you go with a sinner! I’ve said this so many times to people who ask me what I DO – I tell people GOD-Jehovah will Forgive ALL their sins, would you interested?
That IS the ISSUE – So I think you start at that point not by necessarily trying to defend everything. You want to find out whether there is somebody under the weight of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit to convict the world of SIN! So, when you go to the sin issue, immediately this reveals whether that convicting work is going on with that person. You can help that person IF it is NOT going on. But that is the place you’re going to have to get to First! BE Reconciled to GOD! LINK=2Corinthians 5:17-21
Pastor John MacArthur – YouTube video:
Theology in the mind of the dying thief on the cross next to JESUS!
LINK = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eISrtPsNaxk
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The Chosen Series – Jesus & Nicodemus talk about the SIN ISSUE! John 3:16
LINK = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p2XIUK9VgA
This is the absolute TRUTH of the Living Word of Almighty GOD-Jehovah! THANKS BE to GOD who gives us the VICTORY through our LORD & Savior – Jesus Christ!