Their God Is My God

A non-Christian faces certain death if he aligns himself with his Christian friends. What he says to his assassins is shocking and inspiring at the same time. The apostle Paul has some strong words for believers who live in idleness — his word.

The people who crucified Jesus did not know what they were doing.

Although they attempted to anger him, Jesus responded with forgiveness.

Although they mocked him with a sign that said, "King of the Jews," Jesus showed that he was the king of all God's people, the Messiah.

Although they challenged him to save himself, he saved the criminal next to him.

So says our text, Luke 23:33-43.

Jesus turned evil into good. And he continues to do the same today.

Last year, we were all horrified to learn that 21 Coptic Christians had been executed by Islamic State terrorists in Libya. Called the Copts, this group is the largest Christian community in the Middle East, and one of the oldest in the world. They trace their church back to Saint Mark, who introduced Christianity in Alexandria, Egypt, just a few years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

These Coptic Christians were taken hostage and executed because of their faith in Jesus Christ. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, released a...