Thursday, June 01, 2006
Will You Take Up Your Cross?
Thanks and praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
There may be some thinking that they will wait until they have their life " in order" before they come to Jesus Christ. I blame this on the churches for their better than thou attitudes. There are a lot of people that would be offended by that statement but how many of those people are truly doing what God has instructed them to do right in the scriptures.
In Matthew 28:18-20 it says "18: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Jesus chose the sinner of sinners, Saul, to be the one to teach the gentiles.
How many would sell all they have and give it to the poor? I would veture to say less than 1%. But that is exacly what Jesus told the rich man to do. After selling all his earthly treasures he was to take up his own cross and follow Jesus. The rich man did not like what he was told and turned from Jesus and walked away.
How many people are just like the rich man today? They may attend church every Sunday but will they take up thier cross and follow Jesus or do they turn and walk away?
The church is very very important to Jesus. But the majority of people have come to see it more as a place of stature than that of worship.
Many take thier belief in God very personal as I do but God has given us instructions in the Holy Bible to follow. Even the devils and demons believe in God. We must do more than believe. The Bible tells us faith without works is dead and works without faith is dead also. We must combine the two.
Philipians 3:1-21
1: Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
2: Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3: For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4: Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6: Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7: But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8: Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9: And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11: If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12: Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14: I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15: Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16: Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17: Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18: (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
20: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
There may be some thinking that they will wait until they have their life " in order" before they come to Jesus Christ. I blame this on the churches for their better than thou attitudes. There are a lot of people that would be offended by that statement but how many of those people are truly doing what God has instructed them to do right in the scriptures.
In Matthew 28:18-20 it says "18: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Jesus chose the sinner of sinners, Saul, to be the one to teach the gentiles.
How many would sell all they have and give it to the poor? I would veture to say less than 1%. But that is exacly what Jesus told the rich man to do. After selling all his earthly treasures he was to take up his own cross and follow Jesus. The rich man did not like what he was told and turned from Jesus and walked away.
How many people are just like the rich man today? They may attend church every Sunday but will they take up thier cross and follow Jesus or do they turn and walk away?
The church is very very important to Jesus. But the majority of people have come to see it more as a place of stature than that of worship.
Many take thier belief in God very personal as I do but God has given us instructions in the Holy Bible to follow. Even the devils and demons believe in God. We must do more than believe. The Bible tells us faith without works is dead and works without faith is dead also. We must combine the two.
Philipians 3:1-21
1: Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
2: Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3: For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4: Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6: Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7: But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8: Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9: And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11: If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12: Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14: I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15: Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16: Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17: Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18: (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
20: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
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