The Way of the Cross

 

Around the world, Christians are being persecuted for their faith, and our hearts are moved with compassion to pray and to act when we are able. But maybe you've lost a loved one or experienced tragedy or betrayal, and you are tempted to say, "Why does God allow such evil? How am I supposed to deal with this?"

I came across these verses this morning in my daily reading that offer perspective: "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed . . . if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. . . so then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." I Peter 4:12-19

Whoa! These verses give perspective and prescription. Let's take a closer look!

1. Don't be surprised at suffering. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds . . ." James 1:2

2. Rejoice.  "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice." Phil. 4:4

3. His glory will be revealed down the road.   "I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel." Phil. 1:12

4. You will have joy when God's purpose is accomplished.  "For the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross . . ." Heb. 12:2

5. Don't be ashamed of suffering.  "Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame . . ."  Heb. 12:2

6. Praise God that you bear His name, Jesus.  The Apostles rejoiced that they were "counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." Acts 5:41

7. Suffer according to God's will?? Yes (but not for a crime--or for meddling! vs. 14)  "But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His steps. . ." I Pet. 2:19-21

8. Commit yourself to God. ". . .you should follow in His(Jesus) steps . . . He(Jesus) entrusted Himself to Him(God)  who judges justly." I Pet. 2:23

9. Continue to do good. "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate and show true humility toward all men. . . those who have trusted in God must be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good." Titus 3:1,8

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12

10. Don't grumble or complain (or blame). "Do all things without grumbling and complaining (murmurings and disputings-KVJ), for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Phi. 2:14

" . . .when they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered he made no threats." I Pet. 2:21

". . . greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold . . . may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. I Pet. 1:6-9

It's My Choice!

Pride versus humility; that is what life on this planet is all about.

God gave Adam and Eve a choice; and in pride (knowing better than God) they made the choice to disobey. As fallen humans, we have been "blaming" ever since.

 It's my choice to repent; it's my choice to call out to God for help; it's my choice to read my Bible; it's my choice to pray; it's my choice to seek the Kingdom FIRST; it's my choice to love my enemies; it's my choice to obey the ten commandments; it's my choice to trust God when I am numb with grief or writhing in pain. Bad things happen to everyone--some things seem worse than others--but we each know our own pain and sorrow, yet how we will respond is up to each individual--me.

And that is the crux of sharing the gospel--letting people know they DO HAVE A CHOICE--they do not have to go on being victims. What a great gift God gave us in Jesus; He gave back to us the ability to choose!

Pull That Plow!

" . . . the Lord disciplines (trains) those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." Prov. 13:12

Are you in a tough spot? Challenges seem overwhelming? Weary? Sad? Discouraged? This word is for you.

If you saw the movie "WARHORSE," you may remember the scene where, in order to keep the racehorse, the boy has to teach it to pull the plow--such a hard thing to carry a heavy, boring burden in the heat and dirt when it was designed to run like the wind. But later, when the racehorse was captured, the enemy colonel tells a soldier to make another stallion pull a cart. When that stallion rears and fights the bridle, the colonel shoots it and then orders the soldier to make the racehorse pull the cart or he will shoot it too--can't waste food on a horse that won't contribute. When the soldier approaches, obviously anticipating angry hoofs and a weaving, snorting head, the horse not only stands still but HE LOWERS HIS HEAD for the bit and bridle, and when he is hooked up to the cart, he pulls it easily. The soldier sums up the crux of the movie: "Whoever taught you to pull the plow just saved your life."

Segments of our life are "learning to pull the plow"--hot, boring, dirty. The Bible's biographies are full of examples: Abraham "plowed" for 30 years waiting for promised Isaac--took matters in his own hands and produced Ishmael--but God kept His promise and called him "friend"--and he is the "Father of our Faith," Noah spent 100 years building an ark in a never-rained world and he was daily persecuted--but he saved his family (and subsequently you and me!), Moses spent 40 years herding sheep in a desert before all his education and management skills learned in the palace came into play in delivering 6 million Children of Israel from Egyptian bondage--and he wrote the first 5 books of the Bible--still blessing you and me, David cared for sheep--so marginalized that when Prophet Samuel came to visit, the family didn't even invite him to the dinner--during that time he wrote many of the Psalms that still bless you and me and he later became Israel's greatest king! Are you waiting on a promise, being persecuted, wasting your talent/skills in an unappreciative environment, ignored or skipped over for honor or promotion? You may be "learning to pull the plow." Even Jesus "endured the cross--for the joy ahead of Him"--that's you and me!

 Contentment is not a gift; it is "learned." I challenge you to learn your "plowing" lessons so well that you will "lower your head" when you see the bit and bridle--chances are, it will "save your life." Before honor comes humility. Prov. 15:33

Change of Scenery

My family moved to Perth, Australia from "small-town" USA when I was 14, exposing me to a whole world full of possibilities. It was a total shock to go to school and find myself, the American, the most popular girl in my class. Everything I did, said, wore . . . was valued and copied. Everyone wanted to sit by me, eat lunch with me, be my friend. They even fought over me!

At first it was terrifying, but it gradually gave me a deeper perspective on finding my place in the world and convinced me that I had significant contributions to make and that I wasn't locked into criticism or judgment. A grade school teacher had berated me for trying out to sing in the Christmas program, saying, "I don't know why you tried out; you can't sing." I was totally devastated, and from then on, I only sang in church; I figured God didn't care what I sounded like, but people obviously did! And this shattered my self-confidence in many areas of my life.

A year later, when I was a sophomore,we moved to Seattle, where I attended a large high school (1500 students in grades 10-12) . . . and I only ended up in the music program by default; I needed one more credit and chose Chorus over Girls' Auto Shop, thinking I could get lost in 100+ students. The Chorus director challenged me to try out for the Choir . . . and no one was more flabbergasted than me when my name was listed on the roster for both Choir (40 members) and Swing Choir (16 members). We travelled all over the Northwest giving 52 performances my senior year with 3 costume changes per show, and we took first place in the NW Swing Choir contest in Portland.

Father, Forgive Them (Me!)

Those who deserve forgiveness the least need it the most! When I refuse to forgive and be reconciled, I have made a place for the enemy. The consequences may not show up right away, but we reap what we sow (and our children reap what we sow . . . in rebellion, in bitterness). The mercy we get from God is dependent on the mercy we show others (If you do not forgive, your heavenly father will not forgive you--yikes!) God even forgave unfaithful Israel and took her back. He modeled forgiveness. He forgave the two thieves, the Roman soldiers, you and me--and he welcomed all who ask for forgiveness into His kingdom. How can we, His disciples, do any less?? And true forgiveness (seventy times seven) never reminds the one forgiven of their past failures . . . So today, the question is: Am I a true disciple--or am I hanging on to my "rights", my "superior character", my "judgmentalism" my "you don't deserve" -- or have I truly embraced the cross and forgiven those who crucified me? It's a test! With eternal consequences . . .

Run It By Me Again!

In order to change your life, you must change your mind. Simply put: See a situation or person from a different angle. As a teen I read a book, The Disputed Passage, by Lloyd C. Douglas. My life was altered by this delightful novel’s underlying theme: You can learn something from anyone and often the best lessons are learned from people who “aren’t my style” or I “don’t like their manner” or I’m “offended by their views (which really means I can’t stand people who don’t agree with me)” or some other judgment that ignores their heart or intent.

Oh, how much we miss! Our arrogance or our insecurity cheats us out of the most amazing life lessons, experiences, and opportunities for growth, while indignation or prejudice keeps us locked in our self-protective, self-righteous, independent little worlds. The Apostle Paul addressed this in I Corinthians with a “shame on you!” to those who compared him to Apollos and found his manner abrasive. So I challenge you…the next time you run into a sandpaper person, embrace them, love them, get to really know them, and ask God what He wants you to learn from them—and how He wants to bless them by your love and acceptance. I guarantee you, if you do it, it will change your life. And maybe theirs, too!

Vigilante Christianity

Speaking of the last days, Jesus said: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 24:12

Have you ever really thought about what “lawlessness” and “love growing cold” looks like? To me, it was just the headlines in the news or the struggles of the younger generation to stay morally pure. But recently, I got a hard look at what it really means for us as Believers. I ran into an old friend and after a bit of conversation, I asked about her kids, her husband. I was stupefied (understatement of a lifetime!) to learn that this man who has led folks to the Lord, discipled many, served as a pillar in their church, and who was an over-the-top family man—had abandon his wife and family. He suddenly disappeared (he’d been secretly leading a double life for quite some time), abandoning everything for another relationship.

I have to admit, I mulled over this news for some time, and it still haunts me. But I concluded it didn’t start with a one-day decision to walk away from wife, kids, church, Faith. All sin starts in the mind. We allow Satan to tell us God will forgive, have mercy, overlook, give grace—after all, God wants us to be “happy.” But when we do, we forget that all sin has eternal consequences. There is a price to pay—not just in this life, but in eternity. Take a good look at King David’s family . . . yes, God had mercy on David. BUT there were consequences, both temporal and eternal. There is ALWAYS a price to pay for sin! And it ALWAYS involves sorrow, pain, and death.

So, forewarned is forearmed, right?

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil prowls about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” I Peter 5:8

 “The prudent man sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” Proverbs 22:3