The weight of the cross, our struggles, and our glorious future

Tonight I had dinner with a good friend...this is something we do each week. Its a nice time set aside to talk about life, God, and how the two connect (because they are suppose to!) As we were discussing life and just being honest about how difficult it can be sometimes....struggling with faith, self-esteem, believing God, understanding his will, coveting others testimonies....I began thinking of something I heard recently and decided to explore it more. I want to explore Christ's response to difficulties and how that should mold the way in which we respond...



Matthew 26:38 & 39 say "He told them, 'My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.' He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, 'My father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine'."

Hebrews 12:2 says "Let us fix out eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us consider this: Jesus was "despised and rejected --a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief" (Isaiah 53:3-a prophesy about the coming Christ). The idea I want you to ponder here is not the fact that Jesus dealt with difficulties and knew grief, but rather consider how he responded to it when it presented itself in his life. First, consider Matthew 26:39...Christ was honest! He told God the father how he was feeling when he said, "let this cup pass from me," but even in his vulnerability before the father who loved him, he acknowledged God's plan and his own obedience to that plan. Now, Hebrews 12:2 tells us why!! Not out of guilt-ridden obedience, not for the sake of religion, not out of slavery to the law, rather, Jesus submitted to the father's will "for the joy set before him!" There is an important question that mustn't be overlooked here: What was the joy set before him? WE WERE!! Sitting at the right hand of the throne of God as the risen savior of humanity....that was the coming joy he looked to. That was God's plan!

Taking these thoughts into consideration, what must our response be when difficulties come? The apostle Paul is used to reveal to believers of Jesus what our response should be! And...suprise, suprise...It mirrors the response of Christ.

Romans 8:17-18 say "And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer not is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later."

For the joy set before us, we pick up and bear our cross daily! (Mark 8:34) In exploring these truths further, I found three ideas associated with the cross. First, the cross is an expression of the world's hatred. The cross also represents sacrifice and suffering. Lastly the cross represents a life surrendered to the plans of God. When Jesus tells us to to take up our cross and follow him, we must remember that we are only following the example of Christ. He took up His cross first! He experienced the world's hatred first. He experienced suffering and sacrifice first. He surrendered His life first. He does not ask us to bear a cross that He, himself, never bore. As we pick up our cross, we should do so in the same manner He did: considering it joy because God will keep His promise to give us a glorious future! As believers in the way, the truth, and the life, we are heirs with Christ. We cannot forget to compare our present sufferings to the future glory, and as we do, we will find them growing strangely dim...(as the classic hymn says).

God Bless. Pardon my ramblings. Hold on to truth!

Just when Everybody searched....

The following PRECIOUS piece of art was written by a 7th grade boy. I have been blessed to be able to take a children's literature class while at Liberty. I say 'blessed' because I am being reminded of the joys and innocence of childhood and because I am being equipped to engage children in discovering truth...whether they are reading the Word, their textbook, or reading just for fun. My professor, a woman of incredible wisdom and godliness, shared this poem with us. One of her former 7th grade students penned this during a poetry week at school.

Just when

Everybody searched for a

Savior to

Undo all this

Sin-He came

With tears in my eyes, I was blown away by the simplicity of the gospel. The Israelites, and even all of humanity-though they did not realize, were looking for the promised Savior. In God-like fashion, He did not come as they expected --slaying enemies by the sword or overthrowing political powers so that He could reign on earth. He came to 'undo all this sin' as this young man so eloquently said it. I am so happy that this was God's plan! When scripture says that He is the author and finisher of our faith....He is just that....He came up with the plot, it is His story, it is His plan! Oh the grace of God, Oh the blood of Jesus, oh the promise of our inheritance in the Holy Spirit! Most incredible story I have ever heard!

Why?

Everytime I hear of someone starting a blog, I think to myself....Why? I realize that that is a bit of a rude thought, but I wonder to myself....What's the point? Who will read it? or Are they really that vain? (because I never thought they were...) It just seemed odd to me that some of my friends were writing all about their lives, their thoughts, their hardships...all for the world to read. Today I realized! When you feel like the Lord has given you something to share with the world, you have to find a way to do just that. So....why am I starting a blog? Because God is teaching me. Because I want to pour out what has been poured into me. Because I want to touch lives that are beyond my reach now. I am sure it is the same way for anyone who is seeking after God, when God speaks to you, when he reveals knowledge to you, you can't help but get excited! I get overwhelmed with the realization that the God of the universe just told me something about himself, or that in his grace, He revealed something I need to know about myself. So, I hope that these ramblings will be a blessing to someone as I attempt to shout from the rooftops what God has shown me in our secret place. God is faithful!!