17/06/11

Living for the CROSS

Philippians 1:23,24 - For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.


When we go for a holiday, even though the place is very beautiful and has all the great things for recreation or enjoyment there comes a time when our heart desires to go back home to the people close to us is with whom our heart desires to be with.

But in case of a person going to another country for job, even if he has the desire to go back home he refrains from entertaining that desire for he knows his responsibility to bring bread to the table.

We all must at least sometime in our live thought would it be great I die and be taken by the Lord to be with Him. We may be good Christians and lived our lives as much we could, according to the knowledge of the Kingdom of God we hold. But a mature, responsible Christian knows the purpose he or she is here in this world.

Jesus told us to take up our CROSS and follow Him. We being a part of the Body of Christ have a part of the CROSS of Jesus Christ to carry. The CROSS of Jesus does not mean His crucifix. Jesus' own crucifix He did not carry all the way. People who desire to partake in the suffering of Jesus do not know the CROSS of Jesus. If God had the desire that we suffer and be tortured, He would not have sent His Son to heal us and die to make peace between Him and us.

As Christians we are called to suffer for the sake of others to bring them to the Lord. But any other reason than that we suffer, is all because we lack authority in Christ and have not matured to be sons or are being chastised by the Lord. Even Satan and his team can not touch a Christian when he or she is a true Christian. Did Jesus ever worry of Satan harming Him? His only worry was His people.

We are part of the Heavenly Temple and we all have the purpose to find the other stones which are also part of the Temple. We are called to search for these stones and lead them to their rightful place. Just finding them is not completion of our job. Most of these stones have a lot of dirt and all kind of muck on them. We are called to find them and help clean, shine them and show them the way to find the others Temple stones written in their account.

Until we have completed our job here we as responsible members of the Body of Christ will not want to leave immediately to our eternal destination to be with the Lord. It is only immature children who do not care about their responsibility that desire to go home immediately.

In today's message the Lord is asking each one of us are we responsible Christians or are we as immature children just desiring to be with Him and not do the job we are here for?


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You made us to be with You and partakers of your glory. To be glorified in You as You will be glorified by the Father, we need to be partakers of your CROSS. You came as man not only to save us but to also show the way back home and be abundantly blessed in the true riches of your Kingdom. Lord, help us realize our purpose here on earth which is not to enjoy our lives but as mature, responsible members of your Body to do the work assigned to us in You...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripturesr ]
Matthew 10:37-39
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Mark 15:20-21
20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.
21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

Luke 9:23-24
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

1 Corinthians 1:16-18
16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not in wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made void.
18 For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God.

Ephesians 2:14-18
14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition,
15 having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace;
16 and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 and he came and preached peace to you that were far off, and peace to them that were nigh:
18 for through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others.
(All rights are with God)