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But He Kept Going

“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” Luke 9:23

One day as I prayed, this verse came to mind. I could picture a silhouette of Jesus climbing His way to Golgotha (A place of a skull) carrying His cross on His back to be crucified. But after just being tortured and whipped by the Romans, and having a crown of thorns shoved into His head, He was weak and tired. But He kept going.

While climbing and carrying His cross, the Romans would be whipping Him, and spitting on Him; attacking Him. Naturally at times the cross would be heavy and Jesus would fall. While down the Romans would continue to attack. But Jesus got up and kept on His way to Golgotha.  He knew that He had to deny Himself, and how He was feeling. Jesus knew that He had a mission to complete. Even though He had been tortured and was in excruciating pain, and was weak beyond belief, He knew He had to just keep going, so He did.

Could you imagine if Jesus would have gave up when the cross got too heavy? If when He fell He just stopped and gave up? We would never have our sins forgiven, never truly feel the love of God, never experience salvation; never feel freedom from this world. The list goes on and on. I’m so thankful that Jesus kept going, no matter what. Because Jesus kept going and never gave up when the cross got heavy, He was crucified. His blood was shed for us, so that we could be forgiven.

              

             “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29

Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. He was selfless and gave His own life. Our creator became our deliverer and saved us from our sin.

When Jesus told us that we have to deny our self and take up our cross daily, He never said it wouldn’t get hard. He never said that the road would be easy and the cross wouldn’t get heavy, that the enemy wouldn’t attack you, and you wouldn’t fall. And when you do fall that the enemy wouldn’t continue to attack you.

“ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 8:23

But Just like Jesus did, we have to keep going. Life will get in the way, the going will get rough, but keep going, deny yourself like Jesus did, be selfless and take up your cross.

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called”     1Timothy 6:12

But He Kept Going, I hope you will too!

Sell It

Mat 13:45  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

Mat 13:46  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Have you ever sold something so you could buy something else? Reflecting on it now, do you ever regret it, or think that it was a silly decision? I know I have.

Let me paint a picture for you of what Heaven will be like, just imagine with me as you read:

Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.

I can’t even begin to imagine this, a place where there is no death, no pain, no crying. I can’t wait to be there!

Rev 21:18  And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

Rev 21:19  And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones.

Rev 21:21  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

Sounds like a great place to spend eternity doesn’t it? A place where there is no more pain or death; a place where you walk on streets of gold. 

Now, Jesus often spoke in parables using the physical to draw a similarity to the spiritual.

And even though, Jesus was talking about a merchant man seeking to buy pearls, and selling all of it for one pearl of great price, what He was really talking about was Heaven.

We are that merchant man seeking continually to “buy” something of worth.  We constantly seek, buying things to try and fulfill that emptiness inside of us. But when we find that one pearl which of great price, which is Heaven, we must sell everything we have. Now Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean here that we should take everything we have and actually sell it though.

We may have lots of things of value, cars, houses, instruments. The list can go on and on. But money doesn’t matter to God, we can’t buy our way into Heaven no matter how much money we have. So what else then do we have of value you might ask? Our time, our effort, and our will.

Some of you might be asking, how do we give our will?  Well Jesus said

Luk 9:23  “...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Think about what Jesus is saying here. We don’t just have to deny ourselves on Sunday at the altar and think that we’re good for the week, or month. But we must deny ourselves every day.  Paul describes it best in Galatians 2:20 and Romans 6:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

That is so awesome! That Jesus came to Earth, the same God, who spoke everything into existence, came and died for us! He was beat and tortured and crucified for our sin. He who knew no sin became sin!

[Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.]

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

We crucify ourselves in repentance and denying ourselves, like Jesus actually died on the cross for us.

We bury our old man through full immersion baptism in Jesus name, just like Jesus was buried after his Death.

Then we rise in newness of life through the infilling of the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues, which is the spirit of Jesus Christ living within us. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead.

You too can walk in newness of life! You too can one day walk on streets of gold! You too can one day spend eternity with our Lord and Saviour Jesus!

Be like that merchant man, and sell all you have, your time, your effort, and your will. Denying yourself daily, and following the plan of salvation in

Acts 2:38 “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Jesus said except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit He CAN NOT enter into the Kingdom of God.

So won’t you give your all today, so you can have that one pearl of great price?

Is It Worth It

“For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.” Romans 6:20

Sometimes in life we have to step back and take a look at our life and ask ourselves a question. Is what I’m doing worth it? Whether it be the job you work, your favourite hobby, or the career you’re going after.  Some of us have already asked ourselves this question, and maybe you’ve got a clear answer with good direction. Others maybe not so much, or maybe you haven’t asked the question yet.

                I’ve asked myself this question, on more than one occasion, and sometimes you may have to ask it more than once, and you may get more than one clear answer and direction, depending on the situation.

In life we find we ask ourselves a lot of questions, and usually we have more questions than answers. The truth is; we will never have all the answers. The Bible says in the book of First Corinthians Chapter 13 and verses 9-10 (1Cor 13:9-10)

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Meaning that right now we know only a part of what there is to know. But when perfection has come, when judgement day has passed and we are with our Lord in heaven, that which is in part will be done away, because we will know all things.

Why are we living the life that we’re living? Are we gaining freedom by working two jobs making money and paying the bills? Or by going to university or college for however many years to get a career to make money? I’m not saying those are bad things, we need jobs to pay our bills, and we need education to get a good job. But are you gaining the freedom that you thought you would? Or are you just another slave in bondage to the world?

 The Jews were in bondage and slavery by the Pharaoh of Egypt; which represents the world. But God sent Moses to free them from their bondage and slavery and lead them to the promise land. But it’s not like Moses just went and set God’s chosen people free, he had to try numerous times. Not because God wasn’t strong enough against the world, but to show Himself, His righteousness, and His power to Pharaoh and Egypt. 

So I just want you to take a step back and ask yourself. Is it really worth it? Am I living in a Spiritual bondage and slavery to the world, like the Jews were living in a physical slavery? If so then God wants you to set you free! He wants you to open up your heart to Him right now. So that He can show you His strength, righteousness, peace, and His glory. Let Him free you from your Spiritual bondage. Open up your heart and just ask for His help, and let His marvellous light shine into your life and free you from the world so He can lead you to His promise land for you; eternal life with Him.

“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:22-23

Home Is Where The Heart Is

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Luke 12:34

            Jesus wasn’t only talking about physical treasure here, He is also talking about treasure as something figurative. The word treasure here comes from the Greek word thēsauros, which means “a deposit, that is, wealth (literally or figuratively): - treasure.” Now, people the only things we have in life that are truly our treasures are our time, our effort, and money.

            Think about what Jesus is trying to say here. Wherever we put our time, effort, and money, there will our heart be also. Let me break it down a little, wherever we put those treasures, we will always have an attachment to whatever it is we are investing our treasure into, whether it is a hobby, or a girlfriend, a boyfriend, or something else of interest. But what God truly wants, is for us fixate all of our treasures on Him, so that we may ‘seek first the Kingdom of God’.

We often hear the phrase “Home is where the heart is” or “Keep your eyes on the prize”. That is what Jesus is trying to tell us! The Kingdom of God is our prize, and our eternal home! Our hearts must be in the Kingdom of God, and in order to have our heart there, we must also invest all of our treasures into it!

            If we don’t fixate everything into Him, it is easy to lose our step, and to stumble and fall. That is why it is SO important for us to “keep our eye on the prize”, “For we walk by faith, not by sight”. Keep your eyes on Jesus; trust in Him to guide you. We don’t know where we’re going, or when we will get there, but just trust in Him, seek Him, put your treasures in Him.

            Don’t get entangled in the business of this time of year, don’t stumble and lose your step, but instead, put your treasure in the Kingdom of God! Keep your eyes on the prize! Trust in Him this season, and walk by faith! In Jesus name!