During the great depression the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps- 1933-1942) was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to put young unemployed men to work. This program was a great blessing to many who literally didn't know where their next meal would come from. Many of the structures in our state and national parks were built during this time, as well as many other projects, which are still in use today.

Consider with me the CCC program of A.D. 30-33. "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). The purpose of the gospel accounts is to introduce us to the Messiah. He is the anointed one that was prophesied to come in the Old Testament scriptures. Jesus fulfilled those prophecies in every detail and through His teachings and works confirmed His true identity to those who beheld His glory. This led many to confess Him as did the apostle Peter in the text of Matthew 16. As the apostle John wrote in his account, "And the word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). The Christ gave His life for our sins on the cross and was raised from the dead on the third day and has ascended to heaven to reign as our King. The frist 'C' is the Christ.

"And I say unto you that you are Peter (Petros) and upon this rock (Petra) I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not over power it" (Matthew 16:18). The church is built upon the bedrock truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (I Corinthians 3:11). The church is the spiritual kingdom of God made up of people of every nation. This church begin on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2 in about 33 a.d. All who come to Christ and obey the gospel are added by the Lord to His church (Acts 2:38, 41, 47). No person every needed to join a church to be saved but every man needs to be added to the Lord's church to be saved. The second 'C' is the Church.

"From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day" (Matthew 16:21). Peter who so boldly made the good confession didn't understand why the cross had to be part of the plan, but it was. When Peter protested, Jesus said, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's" (Matthew 16:23). The cross seems foolish to men, but in it is the power of God unto salvation (I Corinthians 1:18). To Peter an earthly king made more sense, but Jesus knew a better way and it would eventually bring about an eternal spiritual kingdom that no power could overcome. The third 'C' is the Cross.

The CCC - the Christ, the Church, the Cross - all connected, all important. The Christ built the Church through the Cross. Through the Cross we become the Church and are forever connected to the Christ. As Paul said, "...just as Christ love the church and gave Himself (the cross) up for her..." (Ephesians 5:25).

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