How to Take up Your Cross

Jesus tells us to take up our cross daily...but what does that mean? It is often mischaracterized as meaning that each Christian will have his or her own unique burden to bear. Further, this line of argument seems to usually imply some sort of physical malady (thorn in our side) that we have to endure for the sake of Christ.


However, a careful reading shows this as a misinterpretation. The text does not say this and the context does not imply it.


Instead, it is Jesus teaching us how to live the LIFE He promised us while we are still on this earth. It is so simple that it is difficult for us to comprehend. It seems too easy.


The WHOLE key to living is this: Everyday, decide to trust Him instead of following the desires of the flesh. That's it. It's not about trying harder to do better or to do more. It's about trusting Him.


Warning: Your flesh will rebel against that notion and The Adversary will whisper lies about this saying "surely you must do.". Satan may even quote Scripture to you, "faith without works is dead."


Yes. But your job is the faith (which comes first). God's job is the works. Trust God first and the result will always be good and perfect works. Works not preceded by trust in God is nothing more than us striving to do it on our own. That is called religion.


Everyday, before anything else, trust Him to work through your life. Everyday. Before your family, friends, ambition, insecurities, plans - first take up your cross that was borne by Him and simply trust Him. Deny self and everything and everyone else and trust Him first and only.
Matthew 16, Matthew 10, Luke 14

Can You DO the Fruit of the Spirit?

If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you have heard many messages on the Fruit of the Spirit.  You know the list...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

Today's tough question is "can you DO the fruit of the Spirit?"  Let's take a look at Galatians 5:16-24 for some clues:  

5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 

5:17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 

5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 

5:19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 

5:20  idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 

5:21  envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

5:23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

A couple of points to think about:

First, the fruit of the Spirit is the Holy Spirit's fruit.  The Holy Spirit's very nature is made up of these things.  

Second, The fruit is not the Christian's fruit.  Paul does not call it "the fruit of the Christian."  

Third, the Christian's flesh does some stuff - but Paul calls them "deeds" (v19) instead of fruit. Deeds are things we do.  In fact, our flesh desires to do these bad deeds.

In versus 16 and 18, Paul gives us the keys.  If we walk by the Spirit:  1.  we will not do the evil deeds of our flesh and 2. the Holy Spirit will manifest His fruit in our lives.  Paul clarifies further by implying in versus 18 and 23, that if we trust in our own selves and try to live by the law, the result will be the deeds of our flesh.  

The point Paul makes is "trust God" in your life instead of taking it upon yourself to "do the law."  Haven't we learned by now that we are not good at doing the law?  If we could do it, wouldn't Jesus' sacrifice have been in vain?

So, the answer to the question is "no," you cannot do the Fruit of the Spirit.  But, by trusting God, His Spirit will display those fruits in your life.  Walk in the Spirit (v16).  Let Him lead you (v18).

Make sense?

Why Did Christians Used To Talk About Heaven?

Why did Christians used to talk about heaven?  Why don't we?

There is an epidemic in Christianity.  We are looking for heaven on earth.  We're always asking God to be a genie.  We want our problems fixed.  We want no pain.  And, we could care less about the promises God actually makes us.    

God does NOT promise us a way out of our problems.  In fact, He promises us that the faithful will have tribulation.....the saints will be persecuted.  Not might be but will be.  We've been taught that, if we have enough faith, He'll get us out of our problems.  This is a lie that has consumed much of Christianity in America.  For Christians in China or the Sudan or India or Russia, this is a lie that is easy to detect. 

God DOES promise a way through our problems.  He promises us that He'll never leave us.  He tells us to persevere, to never fear, to fight, to battle, to pray for strength.  He promises us that, through any storm or any fire, we are in His hands and that He'll protect us.  ALWAYS and without fail.

God knows what He's doing.  In fact, I can honestly say that what I am most thankful for is what He's brought me through - not what I've gotten out of.  

QUIT TRYING TO GET OUT OF YOUR PROBLEMS - and start depending on God to get you through them.  Be strong and bold and faithful.  Or, are you content with keeping the Father at hand for your needs instead of being in His Hand?

Now, back to the question.  Why did Christians used to talk about heaven?  Because they understood that life was full of difficulties and problems because of the wrong that all humans bring into the world.  It's an evil place.  There's no easy, quick fix.  They never even considered that there might be.  All they had was Jesus - no magic.  

But they understood the biblical truths that all of us just don't understand:

these are light and temporary trials, 

we'll never have more than we can bear, 

our suffering is worth it.

But most importantly, they understood what the word hope means.  Hope is all about longing for a place we really know little about.  Hope is about clinging to what we do know - that one day every Christ-follower will leave behind all our troubles, all our fears, all our pain, all our tears.  The hope of His return.  That day and that place is called Hope....or Heaven.

When we understand the truth, quit running from our problems, see that we're in Abba's hand and that His Spirit is in us, that there's no way out of our problems - but there is always a way through them....

....then, once again, our hymns, songs, prayers, sermons and what we talk about-  will once again be about Heaven. 

FOR FURTHER MEDITATION:

Song lyrics compilation:

There's gonna be some trouble in your life....hold on to Jesus.

He never promised that the cross would not get heavy and the hill would not be hard to climb.  He never promised victory without fighting but He said help would always come in time....our Lord will show up....and take you through the fire again.  

These are they who've won the battle....who've stood the test....clothed in garments pure and spotless....the redeemed....the pure and blessed.   

They tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise....of an unclouded day.  

When we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that will be.  When we all see Jesus we'll sing and shout the victory.

I can hear the chariots rumble.  I can see the marching throng.  The flurry of God's trumpet spells the end to sin and wrong.  Regal robes are now unfolded and the grandstand's all in place.  Heaven's choir is now assembled starts to sing Amazing Grace.  The King is coming!  The King is coming!  Praise God He's coming for me!

These are they who have come out of great tribulation.  They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.  They have come through much sorrow into great jubilation.  They're redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.  And all the strangers and all the pilgrims, they'll be no longer strangers.  And the tired and the weary wanderers they'll wander no more.  The table is spread for the great celebration.  And the welcome home banner flies over the door.

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll.  The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend.  Even so, it is well with my soul.

The sweet light in His eyes shall enhance those awaiting....the sleeping shall rise from there slumbering place....those who remain shall be changed in a moment.  

And there will be no more night....no more pain....no more tears....never crying again. 

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow.  The sun forbear to shine.  But God Who calls me here below will be forever mine.  When we've been there ten thousand years....we've no less days to sing His praise than when we've first begun.  

Job said this:

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. “Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me! 

Paul said this:

To live is Christ and to die is gain. 

We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; perplexed but not despairing; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed....for momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.

An Elder (creature in heaven) told John this and he wrote it down in the Revelation:

"These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Thoughts on Eph 1:4-5 Part II

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, - Ephesians 1:4-5

STOP! If you haven't read Part I, please do so before you continue.

Now, let's get on with the matter at hand.

Ephesians 1:4-5 makes one thing very clear. There is such a thing as "predistination" in Christianity. We who are Christ-followers were predistined. The question that has created great division in the Body of Christ is "what are we predistined to?"

For most Calvinists, the verse supports the notion that God decided who would be saved. So, the Calvinist answers the question with the word "salvation". We are predestined to be saved.

But, is that really what Paul is saying to us? I don't think so. First of all, the text does not say that. It does not say "we were predestined to be saved" or "God decided who would be saved." Instead, I think Paul is talking about those who are already saved. In other words God predestined the believer (the one who accepted His free gift of salvation) to be holy and blameless before Him.

In John 16, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come to convict the world of sin. Everyone will be convicted by the Holy Spirit. Each will respond to the conviction by making Jesus Lord of our lives or by rejecting Him.

God decided, before the foundations of the world, that whoever trusts in Jesus will be presented as holy and blameless. He predestined all believers to that.

Paul clarifies the order of things in Romans 8.

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8:29-30

God has always known who, when the Holy Spirit convicted them, would trust Him and who would reject Him. Everyone He foreknew (knew beforehand) would trust Him, He predestined them to become like Jesus, to a calling, to be justified and to be glorified.

Here's an analogy. I can decide that everyone who reads this blog will get a $10 bill. In a sense, everyone who reads the blog is predestined to receive $10 because I decided beforehand this would happen to anyone who reads it.  I did not decide who would read it.  I did not predestine some to read it.  However, I did predestine those who do read it to a crisp $10 bill.  

Now, unlike God, I don't know who will read it. But, God, of course has always known every move we would make. Because of this, He can foreknow (know beforehand) who will choose Him rather than reject Him.  He decided that everyone who trusts Him, they're predestined to a bounty of blessings too extravagant to measure.

He's a good God. He's especially good to those who call Him Lord.

Your comments and questions are welcome.

Thoughts on Eph 1:4-5 Part !

Here we go.  Thanks to a guy named Adam (not the first or the second) I'm now delving into the divisive.  It's not an intentional thing on my part, but, I've found that whenever Christians share their thoughts on Bible verses that we use to shape our soteriology (theology of how we are saved), we often become judgmental of one another.  

Even worse, many times we become prideful and think that if the author's thoughts on the subject don't square with mine, then they have nothing good to contribute on any subject within Christianity.  The author, too, often becomes prideful and writes as though the subject is easy unless the reader isn't intellectually gifted enough to understand.  

The Words that God speaks are meant to unite Christians behind His truth - not to divide.  I'm going to talk about Ephesians 1:4-5.  I'll also be referring to other verses that are individually claimed by Calvinists of varying beliefs, adherents of various Mediate Theologies of Salvation and Arminians of varying beliefs to support their positions.  

What this means is that there are a lot of people who sincerely love God and call Jesus Christ their Lord who will disagree with me.  I just pray that I and everyone who reads will lean on His wisdom and love so that there is a clear revelation of truth without prideful division.

I'll leave you with the verses.  We'll discuss them in an upcoming post.

Eph. 1:4 (NAS95S) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love

Eph. 1:5 (NAS95S) He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 

Great Question - Why do you.....?

“If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”  

(Col 2:20-23 NAS95S)

Well, what's your answer?  Making rules to live by doesn't work.  If it did, then Jesus' sacrifice was pointless.  It seems like a wise thing to do.  But, in reality, it does nothing to keep you from sin and in a close relationship with your Father.  So, again, what's you answer?