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Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

For May 5, 2019
While at Caesarea Philippi, our Lord Jesus Christ assured us He would provide a firm foundation for His universal Church, which would withstand all assaults. Later, He challenges us by saying:

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Matthew 16:24-26 (NIV)

Living in luxury and possessing the means to buy the newest “toy” on the market is something many of us desire in this modern, “instant gratification” society, where we take pleasure in providing for our personal enjoyment and comfort.

But in our acquisition of material things, we experience an emptiness paradox whereby no matter how tantalizing, acquiring power, influence and possessions seem to us at the moment. None of these things can satisfy our deep spiritual yearnings as does a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

In addition, none of us can have true fellowship with the Lord and pursue the things of this world simultaneously, just as Matthew 6:24 (NIV) teaches:

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Ultimately, we cannot take our “toys” with us. When we die, we can no longer experience what this world has to offer…it’s gone forever! Then our “reality” becomes eternal as we look directly into the face of our Omnipotent, Holy, Creator—stripped of everything we amassed in this life. Our destiny then becomes blissful fellowship with the Lord, or agonizing separation from the Lord.

We must live a life that is totally committed to serving the Lord Jesus Christ daily. In other words, He must become more than just a historical figure to us. He must become our real, personal Savior and Lord we desire to follow and obey forever.

Such a life is filled with indescribable peace, joy and fulfillment. Because no one but Jesus Christ loves us so deeply, gives of Himself so freely, and whose Spirit keeps us so completely in this life and the next. We pursue Him because He delivered us from a life of sin and presents us before the Father as our everlasting:

Advocate, Alpha and Omega, Bridegroom, Deliverer, Faithful and True Witness, Lord and God, Good Shepherd, Great God and Savior, Great High Priest, Hope of Glory, I Am, Eternal Judge, Friend, King of Glory, Lamb of God, Light of the World, Physician, Prince of Peace, Prophet, Ransom, Redeemer, Resurrection and Life, Righteous Judge, Rock, Ruler of Kings, Savior, True Vine, Truth, Way, and Word of God.

Our Lord wants us to pursue excellence in this life in our personal and social endeavors. Nevertheless, He must be at the center of all these things. If we  are to follow the Lord, let us deny ourselves take up our crosses and follow Him faithfully.

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The Lord is Still at Work

For April 28, 2019
One day, there was a person who was quite nervous and agitated. Anyone could readily see that they were deeply troubled about something, and while they explained their quandary, tears were welling in both eyes.

Then came the words many of us have expressed at some point in life: “I pray to the Lord, and nothing happens! Is the Lord really at work in my life?”

I suppose this was how the lame man felt before he encountered the Lord at the Pool of Bethesda on that fateful Sabbath Day (Saturday). Although nothing is said about how long he had been coming to the pool looking for a miracle, according to John Chapter 5, the man had been lame 38 years.

For according to legend, an angel of the Lord would stir up the water, and the first person into the churning pool would be healed of whatever disease he or she had. The man wanted to be healed, but was never fast enough to reach the water first.

Weary and discouraged, the man explained his affliction to the Lord, who simply instructed him stand up and walk—taking his mat (for sitting and reclining) with him, and the man was healed instantly.

The crowd condemned Jesus, the Great Physician for healing the man on the Sabbath, to which the Lord replied: “My Father is always working, and so am I!” (John 5:17 NLT) More than six-thousand years of human history reveal the Lord’s marvelous work.

I can imagine how hopeless Adam and Eve must have felt when they buried  Abel, their murdered son who practiced a greater level of faith in God than did his elder brother and murderer, Cain.

However, it is through Seth, the Lord reminds us He is with us in adversity, and that His plans are infallible. Eve soon gives birth to Seth, whom the Lord uses as a replacement for the noble Abel, and shortly after the birth of Enos, Seth’s son, the Bible tells us that people begin to “call on the name of the Lord.” (Genesis 4:26)

Twenty-five years passes, and Abram and Sarai have not received their promised heir. Yet their abiding trust in the Lord is rewarded, according to Romans 4:18-21 (NIV):

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Joseph suffered thirteen years of wrongful injustice and imprisonment before he saw the fulfillment of the series of dreams from the Lord concerning his destiny, and that of his family. Full of faith, Joseph confessed to his brothers in Genesis 50:20 (NLT): “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

Isaiah 40:27 poses a rhetorical question: “Why do you say my way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God?” While King David exclaims in Psalm 27:13-14 (KJV): “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

At the impending doom of Jerusalem, God chosen city, and with the first wave of exiles departing the city under Chaldean escort, Habakkuk seems perplexed by God’s method of chastening His Chosen People. Ultimately, he comes to understand the just shall live by faith1 just before he concludes with this exclamation:

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NIV)

Because the Lord is infinite and almighty, and we are finite and frail, it is normal for us to experience feelings of intense doubt and fear when life’s circumstances seem to overwhelm us. There are times in my life when answers are not clear, and the Lord seems absent. Yet in retrospect, in every situation, the Lord continues to be faithful…in every possible way.

Our Christian life is a “faith-walk” that will not be understood completely until we meet our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ either at death or upon His return. Until that glorious day, we can have the assurance that He is at work in us; with a promise that He will never leave nor forsake us. What a wonderful Savior!

 

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He Said: “Enjoy Your Evening!”

For April 23, 2019
The family had no alternative but to leave their dwelling. But where? With limited financial resources, and no friends or family in the surrounding area, living accommodations for the immediate future looked bleak and the situation impossible. Yet God, who is rich in mercy, provided the assistance they needed to sustain them.

The family turned to the Lord for assistance. After fasting and prayer, the Lord provided their breakthrough and told them: “(I got this; don’t worry. I will perform a miracle that will arrange accommodations for you this very evening. Be at peace and) Enjoy your evening!”

In Psalm 23 (NIV), we read of God’s providence as our Shepherd:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

In 2 Kings 18 and 19, we read how the Assyrian king Sennacherib, after having conquered the Northern Kingdom, Israel threatened to conquer the Southern Kingdom, Judah. In his insulting letter to King Hezekiah, he ridiculed God’s Chosen People for their faith in the Covenant God (Yahweh).

People living in Judah around the capital city of Jerusalem heard the translators’ condemning tone: “Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?” 2 Kings 18:32-33 (NIV)

The Bible says that King Hezekiah read the blasphemous letter. Then he took it to Solomon’s Temple where he “spread it before the Lord” and prayed. (2 Kings 18:14-15ff)

After the Lord intervened—that same evening, 185,000 Assyrian soldiers lay dead, and Sennacherib retreated to Nineveh in disgrace.

In John 10, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd who loves and cares for His sheep, even to the point of giving His life for them (at Calvary’s cross). Isn’t it wonderful to know that the Lord cares for us, and that He wants the best for us in every situation we face?

Once we accept His gift of grace (or the forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life) by directing our faith away from our human efforts to please God though “good works,” and direct our faith towards the perfect works He performed through His vicarious death and resurrection, we become His children—forever!

It is amazing how it is so difficult for us to trust the Lord completely when He proves Himself faithful repeatedly. Instead of trusting Him, we tend to rely on those things that will invariably fail us, just as Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NLT) teaches:

This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”

The Lord is our Good Shepherd who supplies all our needs, and as the Psalmist declares, we lack nothing. Thus, our life on earth from this day forward can be described as one filled with God’s goodness and mercy as we “enjoy the evening.” What a wonderful Savior!

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Got Tranquility?

For April 22, 2019
After a religious gathering, inquiries were made about someone who missed the event. A person who knew the absentee responded by saying: “Gladiators,” and the message was clear.

A self-imposed representative of God, “straightened out” a person about a religious matter. As a result, the person who was criticized felt insulted, hurt, and chose not to attend the meeting.

In Luke 18:9-14, the Lord Jesus Christ addressed the issue of self-righteousness:

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

In Matthew 7:1-5, the Lord admonishes us not to judge by attempting to remove the “speck” from someone’s eye when we have a “log” in our eye. A similar theme is presented in Galatians 6:1-3 (NIV):

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

Religious gladiators slay their wounded. This dynamic is difficult to understand since failure is part of the human experience. Each of us, even gladiators will inevitably make mistakes and/or disappoint someone at some point during our lifetime.

In working with those who were sinners and outcasts, Jesus used an approach based on love whereby although the sin was addressed, the recipient felt loved and valued.

His new paradigm brought an extraordinary inner transformation, via the Born Again experience resulting in an eternal fellowship with God and others where faith, hope, and love are celebrated and practiced.

Also, the vicarious work the Lord performed on our behalf we could not perform for ourselves inspires our humility and gratitude. He loved us and died for us when we were sinners with no desire for Him or the things of God. As result, we now can have a deep abiding faith in the Lord while we hope in His promise of eternal life; completely motivated by love.

Because we are sin-tarnished, we must rely on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His perfect righteousness at all times. There is no place for self-righteousness in this model because our focus is never on our righteousness, which will always be “filthy rags” even on our best day according to Isaiah 64:6. Sanctification is a full time job that requires our attention 24/7.

Thus, civility, forgiveness, and reconciliation should be our aim when we encounter people who have either stumbled and/or have fallen into sin. Expressing love, and restoring the person to a right relationship with the Lord should be our objective. In other words, we should never shame or disgrace the person since we can stumble too.

Our goal is to restore, but our success is not guaranteed. Everyone has the freedom to choose to obey the Lord. Yet we can assist them into wholeness and restoration just as Jesus modeled.

Got tranquility? Yes! When Christ is our example.

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Jesus Rose For Our Justification

For April 14, 2019
Much like any other Sunday morning in Jerusalem, this particular one was peaceful and quiet. The Roman soldiers who were guarding Joseph of Arimathaea’s tomb were preparing for what would otherwise be an ordinary day. Not quite dawn; the horizon’s shades were gradually changing from a starry pitch-black darkness into breathtaking shades of orange-red, beige-yellow and blue; to welcome the dawning of a new day.

These highly trained, hardened soldiers were alerted by the shadowy figures and voices of women who were coming to the tomb to embalm their Savior and Lord. The tomb was sealed and the soldiers were prepared to defend it with their lives. The soldiers were poised to strike when it happened….

In Matthew 28, we learn there was a great earthquake as the Angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and rolled the stone from the door. The Angel appeared as bright as lightning with snowy white clothing. The solders trembled in fear—horrified by what they saw—“became as dead men.”

The Angel’s reassuring message to the women still comforts Christians everywhere today:

“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” Matthew 28:5-7 (NLT)

Naysayers have speculated the Lord’s Disciples stole Jesus’ body, the women went to the wrong tomb, or people hallucinated our Lord’s resurrection. Yet no one has yet to refute or discredit the New Testament account of the resurrection.

In addition, after two-thousand years, we are still not able to refute the testimonies of those, who like the Apostle Paul, claimed to have seen the Lord Jesus. Moreover, the incredible transformation in the lives of those who have encountered the Risen Christ by faith cannot be explained as well.

Jesus Christ is risen, and because He lives:

    • He proved emphatically that He is Lord and God.
    • We know that He is the only Mediator between God and humanity.
    • We have victory over sin, death and the Enemy (Satan) through our sincere, penitent faith in Christ.
    • Our true, lasting intimacy with our loving God is secured and guaranteed.
    • We know His Spirit inhabits and preserves us until He returns for us.

When we give our hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ, He transforms us so marvelously that we often cannot recognize ourselves as being “new creations” in Christ, just as 2 Corinthians 5:17 teaches. What a wonderful Savior!

Yes! Jesus Christ is risen indeed!

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