When Jesus finally gets around to declaring His actual mission it sends His disciples into a tailspin (Matthew 16:21-28; Mark 9:31-32; Luke 9:44-45). What was this talk of suffering? Of death?  Of rising on the third day? Wasn’t Jesus the Messiah? The Anointed One? The One who would deliver them from the heel of Rome? The Bible tells us His disciples were afraid to question Him further or talk to Him about it. All except Peter, that is. He charges in with, “God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You!” It garnered Jesus’ immediate rebuke of, “Get behind Me, Satan!” Jesus’ road was to be the unfathomable path of God that required sacrifice and suffering and ended in death, not the easy path of man who sought to avoid them all.

There is only one Savior, and His name is Jesus. His sacrifice can never and needs never to be duplicated. However, a few verses down in Matthew 16:24-26 Jesus declares our own mission. It too is one of sacrifice and death. “If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” This is tough. What person likes to deny himself? We are a culture bent on self-gratification. And taking up a cross? The thought is downright repugnant. After all, a cross is an instrument of death.  But both are necessary if we are to fulfill our mission. Like Jesus, our mission is death, but a different kind of death. Ours is to be a death to selfishness, self interests, self aggrandizing. In short, death to all forms of “self.” And replaced with what? Christ, of course. His interests, His glory, His honor, His kingdom.

It’s so easy to say, so easy to write about, but so hard to do, and downright impossible without the Holy Spirit. Even so, a lifetime of cross-carrying is hardly enough. I fear parts of self will always be alive and well until we cross over into glory and then we will be wonderfully changed into the very likeness of Jesus. But I also fear that the desire to deny self and carry our cross is rapidly disappearing in our churches. Instead of preaching this hard word, too many preach the doctrine of self-worth, self-fulfillment, self-awareness. Self, self, self. Didn’t Jesus say, “seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33)? When we truly follow the Lord He fills us with worth, with peace, with joy. And when we delight in Him He will even give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4).

Jesus knew how difficult His words about self-denial and cross-carrying would be to accept. He knew how much they cut against our natural grain. That’s why He added in verse 24 (Amplified) “whoever is bent on saving his temporal life, his comfort and security here shall lose it (eternal life) and whoever loses his life, his comfort and security here for My sake shall find it (everlasting life).”

Is it because the modern day church has shirked its mission of dying to self and being conformed to the image of Christ that so many in the world find it irrelevant? Something to think about.

Until next time,

Sylvia

I’m a firm believer that as long as God gives us breath we should appreciate our life and live it to the fullest for Him.  But sooner or later, unless we are the generation that will experience the rapture, we will walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death (Psalm 23:4). Everyone dies. It’s inescapable. While we needn’t be morbid about it, we should consider what this event will mean in terms of our eternal future. 

For a believer in Christ, that future is assured.  Psalm 23 tells us we are to “fear no evil”, that God will be with us.  People tend to fear the unknown.  But here the unknown is made know, for not only does it tell us that God will be with us and comfort us, but that He has something wonderful waiting.  The picture given is a banqueting table along with the promise that we “will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”  Oh, what a future!

Since this valley comes upon most people suddenly, unexpectedly it is well to make sure we are right with the Lord. And for those of us who have friends and family who do not yet know Him, it is paramount we pray diligently that they do, for eternity is at stake.

We’ll only pass this way once, and when it’s our time to reach that shadowed valley our houses, our bank accounts, our job titles will be meaningless. Only one thing will matter: “Who do you say the Son of Man is?” If the answer is “My Savior and God” we have nothing to fear and unimaginable wonders await us.  But for those who can’t answer in that way, may you come to know the One Who died for you, Who sticks closer than a brother.  The One who loves you like no one ever will.

Until next week,

Sylvia

Nothing rocks your world like the loss of someone you love.  And recently I lost my best friend to cancer.  But what I learned throughout the process is this: God’s grace is truly sufficient. He can and will take you through with remarkable tenderness and care.  Oh, how great He is and how much He loves us!  Like in that famous “footprints” piece, He will carry you when you are unable to walk. 

The other thing I’m learning is that faith blunts pain.  Since I believe in a literal heaven and hell, and since I believe Jesus’ words when he said “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father but by me,” (John 14:6) and that “in my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you,” (John 14:2) I know that my beloved friend is living in a realm that is wonderful beyond my comprehension because he too believed these things.  And whenever I grow sad over my loss I remember that even now God is rejoicing over my friend with singing.  Oh, I have my moments.  Grieving must run its course but faith provides a wonderful tonic, a balm to ease the way.

For all those who have suffered loss, God is not only able but willing to be there for you; to carry you when you don’t think you can go on; to bind up your broken heart and give you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3) Rest assured He will not leave you to face this alone.

Until next week,

Sylvia