May 15

Daily Devotional

Had it not been for the Cross:

Had it not been for the Cross, the story of Redemption would have ended in a Garden Grave!

That single, brutal Roman execution device—two beams of wood, nails, and a dying man—stands as history’s most unlikely turning point. Without it:

• No atonement theology as understood in Christianity. The idea that one Man’s voluntary death could absorb the cumulative weight of human sin, brokenness, guilt, and separation from God collapses. Paul put it starkly: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). But the Cross comes first—the necessary prelude.

• No radical reversal of power. Empires crucify threats. This one turned the ultimate symbol of shame and defeat into the ultimate symbol of victory. The early church’s obsession with the Cross wasn’t marketing; it was scandalous. A crucified God was “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23). Yet they couldn’t stop talking about it.

• No transformed ethics. “Love your enemies” sounds nice until you watch the enemy (you) being forgiven from the Cross itself: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” That prayer, uttered while spikes held him in place, reframed suffering, mercy, and human dignity in ways that still echo through hospitals, abolition movements, and forgiveness stories centuries later.

• No hope for the worst of us. The thief crucified next to Him who asked Jesus, hanging upon a Cross next to him didn’t get a theology exam or a reformed life first. He asked Jesus to Remember him when He got into His Kingdom, Jesus, hanging nailed to a Cross next to him told him: “Today you will be with Me in paradise.” The Cross says grace isn’t earned on a sliding scale of goodness—it meets us at our lowest.

The historical weight

Even setting aside faith claims, the Cross is a fact: Jesus of Nazareth was executed under Pontius Pilate around 30–33 AD. Multiple ancient sources (Tacitus, Josephus, the New Testament documents) confirm it. What happened next— a small band of terrified followers suddenly claiming He’d risen, willing to die for that claim, and sparking a movement that outlasted Rome—is harder to explain without the Cross as the hinge.

Had it not been for the Cross, we’d likely be missing:

• The moral vocabulary that makes “human rights” feel intuitive rather than optional.
• Much of Western art, literature, and music (from Bach to “The Dream of the Rood” to modern gospel).
• A persistent reminder that the worst day in history (Good Friday) was, from another angle, the BEST because that Act of JESUS’ Own Volition, to Die Upon that Cross, paid the price for all of the sins of the Entire Human Race IF:

> Each person from then on would BELIEVE
UPON HIM;
> Repent of their sins and
> Follow Him

BEFORE they die!

If they do not Accept the Free Gift of God’s Son before they die: Their Eternal life will be in a Lake of Fire (Rev 20:15).

If they DO those 3 things before they die: Their Eternal Life will be in Heaven!

God gives us our own free will:

Please Accept God’s Son Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.

Bob Lewis
Vietnam Vet
OurDailyBread101.com

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If you have questions, please call the 24-Hour BGEA Prayer Line at:

(855) 255-PRAY.

CONTINUE:

Let us Praise Him Daily!

A good way to learn to Praise God is to memorize the first 6 Verses of Psalms 148:

1 Praise the Lord, O heavens! Praise Him from the skies!

²Praise Him, all His angels, all the armies of heaven.

³Praise Him, sun and moon and all you twinkling stars.

⁴Praise Him, skies above. Praise Him, vapors high above the clouds.

⁵Let everything He has made give praise to Him. For He issued His command, and they came into being;

^{6 H}e established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked.

PLEASE read the last 6 Chapters of Psalms: 145-150 so that you will learn how to Praise God like David did!

If you don’t want to get your Bible, Here they all are, just click on each Chapter and I will read them to you:

PSALMS 145 PSALMS 146 PSALMS 147 PSALMS148 PSALMS 149 PSALMS 150

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JESUS IS:

THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH,

THE LEADER,

THE ORIGINATOR,

THE LORD & MASTER,

THE SUPREME LEADER,

OUR HOPE,

1ST BORN FROM THE DEAD WITH AN IMMORTAL BODY TO NEVER DIE AGAIN,

THE 1ST FRUITS OF THE RESURRECTION,

HE IS OUR FESTIVAL OF HOPE,

OUR PARDON,

GIVEN 1ST PLACE IN EVERYTHING,

HAS BEEN EXALTED AS SUPREME OVER EVERYTHING,

IS ENOUGH,

THE FULLNESS OF GOD DWELLS IN US THROUGH JESUS,

JESUS HAS BROUGHT US INTO HARMONY WITH GOD,

HE HAS BROKERED A PEACE TREATY BETWEEN GOD & MAN,

YOU WERE BORN ON THE WRONG SIDE, BUT BY ACCEPTING JESUS

YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE NOW,

YOU ARE BEYOND REPROACH,

JESUS WAS THE SOLUTION BEFORE YOU HAD A SIN PROBLEM,

NEVER GET OVER WHAT JESUS HAS DONE FOR YOU!

NOW:

THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH:

TO TEACH US TO LEAD OTHERS TO CHRIST!

AMEN!

(You might want to copy those down and memorize them!)

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DAILY BIBLE READING:

>1. Chapter for the DAY in Proverbs;

>2. PLUS: 1 NEW Chapter from the Old Testament AND

>3. PLUS: 1 NEW Chapter from the New Testament Daily:

Chapter 15 in Proverbs for today: (MAY 15 (MT) (ESV)

15 A soft answer turns away wrath,
    but a harsh word stirs up anger.
²The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
    but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
³The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
    keeping watch on the evil and the good.
⁴A gentle^[a] tongue is a tree of life,
    but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
⁵A fool despises his father’s instruction,
    but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
⁶In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
    but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
⁷The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
    not so the hearts of fools.^[b]
⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
    but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
⁹The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
    but he loves him who pursues righteousness.
¹⁰There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way;
    whoever hates reproof will die.
¹¹Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord;
    how much more the hearts of the children of man!
¹²A scoffer does not like to be reproved;
    he will not go to the wise.
¹³A glad heart makes a cheerful face,
    but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.
¹⁴The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
    but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
¹⁵All the days of the afflicted are evil,
    but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
¹⁶Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
    than great treasure and trouble with it.
¹⁷Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
    than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
¹⁸A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
    but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.
¹⁹The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,
    but the path of the upright is a level highway.
²⁰A wise son makes a glad father,
    but a foolish man despises his mother.
²¹Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
    but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.
²²Without counsel plans fail,
    but with many advisers they succeed.
²³To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
    and a word in season, how good it is!
²⁴The path of life leads upward for the prudent,
    that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.
²⁵The Lord tears down the house of the proud
    but maintains the widow’s boundaries.
²⁶The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
    but gracious words are pure.
²⁷Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household,
    but he who hates bribes will live.
²⁸The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
    but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
²⁹The Lord is far from the wicked,
    but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
³⁰The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
    and good news refreshes^[c] the bones.
³¹The ear that listens to life-giving reproof
    will dwell among the wise.
³²Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,
    but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
³³The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
    and humility comes before honor.

Footnotes

Proverbs 15:4 Or healing
Proverbs 15:7 Or the hearts of fools are not steadfast
Proverbs 15:30 Hebrew makes fat

CHAPTER 1 IN SONG OF SONGS for today: (MAY 15 (TLZ) (ESV)

1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.

The Bride Confesses Her Love

She^[a]

²Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine;
³    your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is oil poured out;
    therefore virgins love you.
⁴Draw me after you; let us run.
    The king has brought me into his chambers.

Others

We will exult and rejoice in you;
    we will extol your love more than wine;
    rightly do they love you.

She

⁵I am very dark, but lovely,
    O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar,
    like the curtains of Solomon.
⁶Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
    because the sun has looked upon me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
    they made me keeper of the vineyards,
    but my own vineyard I have not kept!
⁷Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
    where you pasture your flock,
    where you make it lie down at noon;
for why should I be like one who veils herself
    beside the flocks of your companions?

Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other

He

⁸If you do not know,
    O most beautiful among women,
follow in the tracks of the flock,
    and pasture your young goats
    beside the shepherds’ tents.

⁹I compare you, my love,
    to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.
¹⁰Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
    your neck with strings of jewels.

Others

¹¹We will make for you^[b] ornaments of gold,
    studded with silver.

She

¹²While the king was on his couch,
    my nard gave forth its fragrance.
¹³My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
    that lies between my breasts.
¹⁴My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
    in the vineyards of Engedi.

He

¹⁵Behold, you are beautiful, my love;
    behold, you are beautiful;
    your eyes are doves.

She

¹⁶Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.
Our couch is green;
¹⁷    the beams of our house are cedar;
    our rafters are pine.

Revelation 07

for today: (MAY 15

(NN) ESV)

7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. ²Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, ³saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” ⁴And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

⁵12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
⁶12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
⁷12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
⁸12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

A Great Multitude from Every Nation

⁹After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ¹¹And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹²saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

¹³Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” ¹⁴I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

¹⁵“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
    and serve him day and night in his temple;
    and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
¹⁶They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
    the sun shall not strike them,
    nor any scorching heat.
¹⁷For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
    and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

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Please Remember:

“CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS

AND ROSE FROM THE DEAD!”

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The Steps to Salvation:

> Repent: Repentance means that you are turning away from sin to turn to Christ. It does NOT mean that you will be perfect.

> Believe/Receive: Salvation is through Faith in Jesus and by the Grace of God. Believing means putting your Faith in Jesus and receiving forgiveness of sin.

>Walk in the Newness of Life: Jesus died so that we might live. We walk in the Newness of Life being Born Again by His Blood.

Additionally, if you feel you need someone to Pray for you,

please call the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association,

24 Hours/Day, at: 1+855 255 PRAY (This is the same as: 1+855 255 7729).

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GOD THE FATHER IS THE SOVEREIGN KING
AND CREATOR OF THE ENTIRE
UNIVERSE AND BEYOND!

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