THE OLD RUGGED CROSS ON MOUNT CALVARY

by Charles Robey
(Trussville AL)

T'was an old rugged cross on Mount Calvary
That was raised in the long long ago
Where the only begotten of Heaven
To the cross of atonement did go
It was there that He shed His blood for us
When He died on the cross for our sin
As He gave His one life to redeem us
And cleanse us complete within

On that old rugged cross on Mount Calvary
Jesus die that the whole world might live
As the thorns pressed He was praying
That the Father would freely forgive
All the sins of the ones who were nailing
Both His hand and His feet to the tree
While the blood from His wounds flowed so freely
That was shed there for you and for me

From the old rugged cross on Mount Calvary
Comes a hope that will gladden each heart
Bring peace and sweet rest to the weary
And to all who from sin will depart
If you come to the Lord in repentance
He will freely forgive all your sins
He will give you His love without measure
If you let the dear Savior come in

The older I get, the more I fall in love with that "Old Rugged Cross" For you see, had it not been for the cross, I would be lost today. And the best thing about this Old Rugged Cross is that if I had been the only human being on earth, since the fall of man in the garden of Eden, Jesus Christ would have suffered and died for me alone.

And the sad thing about this Old Rugged Cross is that many souls are leaving this old world every day, to spend an eternity without God, for failure to accept what Jesus Christ did for them on Calvary.

Oh, I've heard a many excuses, why individuals don't except the finished work on the cross. I'm too young, I will when I grow old. I'm not good enough, just yet. My parents will handle that for me. God's too good to send me to an eternal Hell. Religion is all right for you but I just don't believe in that religion stuff. And, on and on the excuses go.

Beloved, no one knows when their time on earth will be up. Just place your hand on your heart, hear the sound, that's how close you are to eternity, with or without God.

"whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away". ( James 4:14).

Let me just stop here and say this. Does anyone actually believe they are powerful enough to stop or change the course of history, just because they don't believe in a living God, or His plan for their life. I think not.

Anyone with this mindset should just stop and think. If they pray to except Jesus Christ as their Savior, and in the end this whole Christian concept turns out to be false, what have they lost. Not a thing.

On the other hand, if they don't except Jesus Christ, and in the end the Christian concept is real, what have they gained. Not a thing. Only the separation from God forever, in a sinners Hell,

The Bible tells us to except Jesus Christ, for our life, is simply excepting Gods Grace to save us from our sins, by excursing Faith in God's word.

"For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through FAITH--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

What about it, beloved? Don't you want to try Jesus?