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| Hello Friends, I welcome you to join me on this journey as I share this time in words of praise to God, devotion to Him for His faithfulness in my life and instruction I've received through my own time with God. I welcome you to come and relax with me, have a cup of tea and enjoy this time together. Justene |
| Hi All, I would also like to welcome you to join in our journey. I hope to bring you along with pictures of the people, places and things in our life. There are so many things to say, see and do and we pray that this little spot on the computer can give you peace and pleasure in the presence of God. Blessings, Jana |
| Hi, I'm Brenda. Welcome to our place of prayer, praise and peace. As we continue to come together in fellowship we pray you will join us. Come back often to see the things God is doing in and through us. |
JourneyThruFaith.com
Take Up Your Cross
by Mary Justene Martin
January 5, 2012
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Matthew 16:14 KJV)
Last night Pastor explained how taking up your cross is a voluntary
act. Jesus was not forced to go to Calvary, but did it in obedience to the
Father. The consequences of our sins such as sickness, poverty,
depression, and evil happenings is NOT our cross to bear. The things we
suffer for Christ and His Kingdom (voluntarily) is our cross to bear.
Religion wears their shame as a badge that announces they are
“suffering” for Christ. Jesus endured the shame of the cross, voluntarily,
for the sake of His body, the church. The shame that happens because of
our disobedience to God is not our “cross to bear”.
This passage tells us we must deny ourselves. Religion tells us we
can live as we want, and escape the consequences when we go to
heaven. There is no self denial in this. To be followers of Christ we must
prefer His desires for us over our own. Most of us have been taught that
Jesus is there simply to provide our wants and desires. This will carry us
for a time, but when our very lives are at stake, our obedience to His voice
is the only thing that will save us.
Throughout the bible we find those who were required to do things
that were extraordinary. Had these people not followed the directions of
God's powerful Holy Spirit, how far do you think the selfishness would
have taken them. Had Moses run thinking “I have to save my own life.”
How could he have stood on the shore of the sea and led the Children of
Israel to safety through it? His own desires became secondary to God's as
he “took up his cross”.
There is a price to pay for freedom. As the old adage says, “freedom is
not free”. Salvation is a free gift, but it is not a free ride into heaven at the
cost of a 5 minute prayer. When we give our lives to Jesus, our self-life is
no longer ours to choose. We now live for the body of Christ which was
our original purpose. Most of us do not even know what living for
someone else means, because we have been taught error by religion for
centuries.
The time has come to stop being taught by religion, and to look into
the true word of God. The bible tells us Jesus IS the word of God, and that
those who are to receive salvation must take up their own cross, and
voluntarily follow His leading.
In other words,
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son
of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.(Galatians 2:20)
by Mary Justene Martin
January 5, 2012
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Matthew 16:14 KJV)
Last night Pastor explained how taking up your cross is a voluntary
act. Jesus was not forced to go to Calvary, but did it in obedience to the
Father. The consequences of our sins such as sickness, poverty,
depression, and evil happenings is NOT our cross to bear. The things we
suffer for Christ and His Kingdom (voluntarily) is our cross to bear.
Religion wears their shame as a badge that announces they are
“suffering” for Christ. Jesus endured the shame of the cross, voluntarily,
for the sake of His body, the church. The shame that happens because of
our disobedience to God is not our “cross to bear”.
This passage tells us we must deny ourselves. Religion tells us we
can live as we want, and escape the consequences when we go to
heaven. There is no self denial in this. To be followers of Christ we must
prefer His desires for us over our own. Most of us have been taught that
Jesus is there simply to provide our wants and desires. This will carry us
for a time, but when our very lives are at stake, our obedience to His voice
is the only thing that will save us.
Throughout the bible we find those who were required to do things
that were extraordinary. Had these people not followed the directions of
God's powerful Holy Spirit, how far do you think the selfishness would
have taken them. Had Moses run thinking “I have to save my own life.”
How could he have stood on the shore of the sea and led the Children of
Israel to safety through it? His own desires became secondary to God's as
he “took up his cross”.
There is a price to pay for freedom. As the old adage says, “freedom is
not free”. Salvation is a free gift, but it is not a free ride into heaven at the
cost of a 5 minute prayer. When we give our lives to Jesus, our self-life is
no longer ours to choose. We now live for the body of Christ which was
our original purpose. Most of us do not even know what living for
someone else means, because we have been taught error by religion for
centuries.
The time has come to stop being taught by religion, and to look into
the true word of God. The bible tells us Jesus IS the word of God, and that
those who are to receive salvation must take up their own cross, and
voluntarily follow His leading.
In other words,
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son
of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.(Galatians 2:20)