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Take Up Your Cross

hill-and-telephone-poles

I am crucified with Christ . . . (Galatians 2:20)

Many wonder what Jesus meant when He said, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34) There are countless sermons out there on this topic. And most have nothing to do with the truth of the matter. When we hear a sermon about the cross of Christ, we should be lifted up high above the clouds. But most who hear these words walk away loaded down with heavier burdens than when they first sat down in the pew.

First of all, crucifixion is not a self-inflicted act. We do not crucify ourselves. It is a form of execution of the most brutal and final sort. It is applied by officers of the law upon criminals condemned under the law. Specifically under Roman Law during the time of Christ.

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Not of This World: A Higher Call

Sparkler Writing

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13)

Those who know Jesus Christ as their Savior walk in two worlds. They walk in the world which we see and in that world which we don’t see. One is physical; the other is spiritual. One is temporal; the other is eternal.

This world and that world operate on entirely different principles. On entirely different laws. As we are bound in this world by physical laws like gravity, the spiritual world is also governed by laws.

When believers attempt to walk according to “the rudiments of the world“, (Colossians 2:20) they are trying to apply natural laws and techniques to spiritual work. This is why so much that we see in our churches often seems powerless and hollow. It is why we are often left with the feeling that we are not truly touching something living, but dead.

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The Beginning of Knowledge

Old Cardinal Staring

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: (Proverbs 1:7)

A wise man once said, “There is not enough time in one’s life to make all the same mistakes that other men have made.” How true. We have a limited amount of time. Why waste it?

Nor is there time enough to read all the books that knowledgeable men have written in the past. If a man were to give his life entirely to the indepth study of a book a week, he would scarcely make a dent in all the vast libraries of the world. Perhaps he would only be able to finish a few shelves in a single library.

And that is a problem.

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A Sound in the Firestorm

Sunset Red Bands

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?       (I Corinthians 14:8)

Dennis Prager, a radio talk-show host, has often said, “I prefer clarity to agreement.” I get this. In many ways I agree with him. I am tired of people that cannot honestly and clearly tell you what they believe. You expect that from politicians; not from pastors and teachers.

But when discussing biblical truths, agreement is critical. Especially on doctrinal matters. A worst-case scenario is when individuals are purposefully vague regarding truth. They use creatively soft and nuanced teaching that draws the crowds and fills churches. They especially appeal to the young by conforming to the world in every possible way and re-working, re-thinking and re-wording the Word of God.

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The Mind of Christ

Seneca Lake Smooth

We are told to “Pray without ceasing.” And to cast “all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (I Thessalonians 5:17; I Peter 5: 7)

So, I have discovered, over the years, the great benefit of giving my problems to the Lord. Even the little ones. This is a work in progress. I am learning every day of things I try to handle myself which need to be in His hands rather than my own.

And sometimes, the pain and confusion of life becomes too much to express in words. We groan within ourselves feeling as if we are “hedged in” or unable to break through God’s silence toward us relating to some issue. This can go on for months, years and even decades.

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Saved by His Life

Weeds in Snow

Those who know Christ as their Savior understand how Christ has paid the debt for their sins. They understand how His blood has cleansed us from all sin. How He has made us new creatures and declared us to be His sons and daughters.

These truths, accepted by faith, establish us in Him and make us approved before Him.

However, these truths do NOTHING to enable us to actually live this thing we call the “Christian life”.

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Doing Wacky Things for Christ

Sparkling Water

The Bible tells us to forget those things which are behind and press on toward those things which are before. That has always been a struggle for me. My mind often drifts back to clips from scenes long past. To memories good and bad. To both successes and failures.

I have to thank God for His patience with me over the years. Because I have often gone off on tangents that He was not leading me toward. You could not have convinced me of such at the time, however. I was determined to follow a course of action or “feeling” at all cost.

Unfortunately, there are many Christians that suffer from this “disease”. It is called “will worship”. I spoke of it in an earlier post. But I think it will be of some value to look at it again.

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Seeing Him Who Is Invisible

Ringling Rose

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27)

There are times when the continued unbelief of the world becomes hard to bear. Men are becoming more and more aggressive in trying to silence any mention of the gospel, of Christ, of the Bible and of truth. And morality has been turned upside down by the creation of laws that now threaten the most basic of Biblical moral standards.

But it occurred to me that the world is simply blinded. They are in darkness. They have rejected the light and embraced the darkness.

And they do this because they do not see Him who is invisible. To them, this is all about religious beliefs. One religion against another. One person’s god against another god. One man’s moral code against another’s.

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Among the Living Dead

Cemetery Light Burst

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1: 4-5)

I work in a cemetery. When we are not preparing for and supervising funerals, there is mowing, weed-wacking, seeding, cleanup and all the little jobs people take for granted.

But there are often times to stop and reflect on life. So, the other morning, while waiting for a very large funeral procession to arrive, I had one of those special “moments of clarity”.

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