Blessed are
the “blameless” in the way they walk, that would be those who walk in the
Righteousness of the LORD Jesus. He did not come to destroy the Law and
Prophets but to fulfill. Psalm 119:1 and Matthew 5:17.
Comments and Challenges
About
once a week I get a thought in mind and decide that the thought is worthy to
place in one of the devotionals. However when I go to put it on paper it falls
apart like a bubble once its strength dissipates in the air pressure around it;
so let me try again… thanks for your patience.
The
original thought had to do with taking up one’s cross and following Jesus, yet in
the world around us the cross in most people’s lives is not a cross of victory
but more like the agony of defeat. We find our complaint in every avenue of
life these days and there are many who will gladly toss in the towel and simply
give up.
But
let me talk to us from the portion of scripture here in our brief look at the
gospel of Mark; Mark 8:34-38 through Mark 39:1. If we have been born again, we
will have a desire to follow Jesus, to deny our own life and to take up where
Jesus left off and follow Him. Yet I believe that we misinterpret the desire,
so here is the way I see it.
As
God, Jesus temporally denied His rightful position as “King of kings” and
became the “Lamb of God”. Philippians 2:7 explains to you and me that He (Jesus)
emptied Himself of His positional life in eternity and became a man in likeness
and appearance. In verse 5 the apostle Paul does not suggest, but he does
command that you and I allow the mind of Christ do this very same thing in us.
This
very same thing is actually opposite to Christ coming to earth in this sense. It
was out of the norm for Christ to become a man and to die. He is, even in His
moment in time God, God does not die; we on the other hand are not God and in
our moment of time we expect to die, so here is the point.
Christ
came expecting to die as the Lamb of God and in the anticipation of this He willingly
learned the obedience of human life, therefore we as being born again and expecting
eternal life should be willing to learn the obedience of supernatural life.
Matthew 10 and Luke 9 also cover this thought of taking up the cross and follow
Jesus thus it is an important matter.
So
where did you put the cross? Is it leaning is some small corner of your soul
waiting for you to pick it up again and again learning the obedience of the
kingdom of heaven which is at hand. Is it covered in the rubbish of the mindset
of your little kingdom? I am not saying this from a holier than thou mindset. I
have hidden and buried the cross many times, but I know as Job. Job 19:25 – For
I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon
the earth:
Therefore
we should strive for the excellent and high calling of God found in Hebrews
12:1-11
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