Friday December 16, 2011

Matthew 10:38; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

 

A cross not a cushion. Nails not a nail manicure. Persecution not a pat on the back. Trouble not a tickle! These are harsh and troubling words aren’t they? Yet they represent the essential core of Jesus’ teaching.

 

As disciples of Jesus, as His followers, we must be ready to take up our cross and to follow Jesus where ever He may lead us. We must be ready to bear the weight of the cross, to feel its splinters and to trudge up that hill to Calvary in His own footsteps. As we walk the long and winding road to the crucifixion sight the crowd may ’boo’ and ‘hiss’  as we pass. The soldiers may flog us with their inhumane whips. We may fall exhausted but Christ bids us rise, take up thy cross and follow Him.

 

We get excited and motivated when a boxer trains hard and fights hard. We feel pumped when a tennis player or a football team plays hard  puts all their determination and grunt into the court or field. When a dancer dances with passion and energy struts her stuff we are filled with joy that the dedication and hard work has paid off.

 

How much more should we, the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, train hard and play hard at life! How much more should we willingly take up the cross to follow Jesus. Paul captured the sentiment in 1Corinthians 9:25-27

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.  No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

 

Paul saw the Lord do many great things. Part of the reason is that he gave his whole body over to serving God. He put God first in everything and used all that he had (including his own body) to do the work of Christ Jesus.

 

As you and I pour ourselves into serving the Lord Jesus Christ, we will see Him do mighty things. We will see the kingdom grow. We will see the Lord glorified and lifted up. We will see the fruit of the victory that Christ has won for us.

 

Prayer:

SPORTS-NEWS ANCHOR FIRED FOR SAYING: “I believe in marriage”

You won’t believe this!  This is what you can expect if we let the homosexual lobby go unchallenged in this country.    Pray and pray that Christians will stand up for Biblical marriage only between man and a woman.