When the Cross Gets Heavy

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom:  Preach the word of God.  Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not.  Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.  For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.  They will reject the truth and chase after myths.  But you should keep a clear mind in every situation.  Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord.  Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.  2 Timothy 4:1-5

What the apostle wrote to young pastor Timothy was not an easy read.  Paul knew something about the “Bell Curve” of church life.  People get excited about second chances, grace, love, and God’s blessings.  But there is more than consumer-friendliness to the Gospel; there are also hard truths for anyone who wants to follow Jesus.  And those truths are not optional-equipment – they are not up for discussion.  Jesus said so, very plainly:

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.  Luke 9:23

Paul warned Timothy that he would encounter those who prefer an easy life much more than God’s truth.  The earthly life of Jesus displayed that truth clearly.  By the time the Galilean finished his ministry, the crowds had not only dwindled, but turned against Jesus.  In the end it was an apostle and two women who stood at the foot of the cross.  The five thousand Jesus fed were out looking for someone else to fill their bellies

A church I once served as pastor was on that decline-curve; aging-out was on the near horizon.  At homecoming that year I preached a message about open and closed doors, and how it was our responsibility to pay attention; we should not become the lukewarm church[1].  After the service an older woman, who always sat on the seat furthest from the pulpit with a scowl that would blister titanium, said to me on the way out the door:  You should preach what these people came to hear…we want to hear good stuff, happy stuff…not about churches being closed.  I told her I agreed…I also wanted to hear good stuff…about the church being on fire with love for God, and how they were telling their neighbors about Jesus – but what I wanted came in a distant third to what I was called to preach, which was the truth.  Churches are dying for lack of preachers and members who are more concerned with telling the Gospel, than just living in their happy zone.

If that seems harsh, it isn’t any wonder…it is blunt, and a heavy cross to carry.  But so was the cross Jesus carried to Golgotha…the same cross he said anyone who wanted to be His disciple must carry.

For You Today 

So, what do you do when the cross gets heavy?  Get in the yoke with Jesus.  He has promised to take the heavier side of the work.  Your calling as a disciple of Christ is (as Paul told Timothy) to preach the Word no matter whether people think it’s in-season or out-of-season.  If the Gospel is offensive in today’s culture, preach the Word of the Gospel anyway; the response of the people is in their hands, not yours!  And only God is the judge of all of it!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library. 

Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©  

 

---

[1] Read Revelation 3:14-22

 

ANGER Issues

Thursday, March 16, 2023

So stop telling lies.  Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.  And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.  If you are a thief, quit stealing.  Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.  Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.  And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.  Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.  Ephesians 4:25-32

Each of the words or actions apostle Paul says we must banish from our nature is a characteristic, or outcome of anger.  Lying, harboring a grudge, stealing, foul language, abusive behavior, bitterness, rage, slander, and every other anti-social behavior is a child of selfish anger.  At the very least they all are cousins.  And they all are born in an unforgiving heart.  This is why the tail-end of Paul’s counsel is to let the heart tender-up, to learn to forgive.

Choosing to be angry, punishing another rather than forgiving, is that which gives foothold to the devil.  Paul is giving the mountain-climbing metaphor to make it clear, that Satan has a long, nearly impossible job ahead of him getting into your brain and taking over when you’re tenderhearted…a forgiver.  When you’re angry he has no problem climbing all over you. 

Without mincing words the apostle is making it clear, anger is a choice which serves Satan, not Christ.  It is choosing self, rather than what Jesus said about denying self and taking-up the cross.

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.  Luke 9:23

There is not much wiggle-room in that.  And it is a hard thing to break habits that are long-entrenched.  But the words of Christ do not pull punches about giving-up that which gives foothold to the devil’s ways.  The question, for most of us, is:  I want to give up lying, foul language, and all that other stuff, but I keep falling-back into it – I don’t like being angry, but it happens all the time; am I doomed?

The short-answer is emphatically…NO…if you’re a follower of Jesus, you’re already forgiven, you’re not doomed, you’re a human with a carnal nature that can’t be behaviorally-perfect.  The next thought is:  Well, how can I have hope of ever being obedient and getting rid of this anger? 

That is a longer discussion, but the short answer is that leaning on Christ, staying close to the Master, sitting at His feet, and hanging with His people are the ways that God changes us.  Some are blessed to give up anger issues, and the transformation is almost immediate.  Others must persevere, because the behavior has so entwined in every aspect of thinking and doing, it is a longer, more difficult uphill challenge. 

This is why the apostle also advised believers to never stop praying.[1]

For You Today 

Got anger issues?  Keep praying, work on the behavior, trust God today.  And when you wake up tomorrow…REPEAT.  He’s not done with you.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,500 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper explore some of these:  So Much Anger - series PART ONE  and PART TWO  and PART THREE       

Title Image: via Pixabay.com    Images without citation are in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

---

[1] 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Crown-Wearing

 

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.   Philippians 2:9-11

Yesterday’s post[1] about Cross-bearing, and today’s topic of Crown-wearing are so connected we can see a syllogism that makes an eternity statement:

You will be crowned by Christ in Heaven

To the same degree you have crowned Him here on Earth.

Don't forget that the spiritual far outweighs the material or natural.  In the spiritual realm, things are always reversed from the way they were in the natural.  That which was high will be made low; the first shall be last. 

Following that sunbeam thought back to the source, we can also say that those who appear to be less than worthy of wearing a crown (here on earth) will be the very ones wearing them in Heaven.  Who are they?  They are all who have truly allowed their lives to be firmly rooted in Christ.  They are the disciples who only bow to the crucified, risen King of Glory, Jesus.  These are they, for whom nothing took higher priority than Christ-likeness.  They were, as Paul expressed, not conformed to the image of this world, but transformed in mind and thought by Christ to serve what pleases God, not self.[2]

If friends, or a family, church, or even a nation would be honored, in heaven, then Christ-likeness must be the goal, our target for life.  Hear the testimony of Scripture on the matter:

James, Jesus’ brother:

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.  James 1:12

John, the beloved disciple:

…the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever).  And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.  For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”  Revelation 4:10-11

Jesus, laying out the indisputable measuring stick: 

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.  Luke 9:23

Cross-Bearing and Crown-Wearing!

For You Today

Taking up the cross daily has a reward in Heaven.  Anticipating the crown, followers of Jesus will not be disappointed.  And neither will those who (sadly) choose to walk away from the cross to follow their own path.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©  

---

[1] April 27, 2022, Cross-Bearing

[2] Romans 12:2

Cross-Bearing

 

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.  Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.  When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.  Philippians 2:5-8

Paul’s words to the church reminds us that the man who died on Calvary wasn't like any other man; HE was God!  Paul said that Jesus made himself nothing.  One Bible translation uses the word emptied.  The picture is one of sacrifice. 

In the temple a sacrifice of an animal was made for sin.  The blood and water were poured on the altar, an emptying.  Like that picture, imagine God was in one form in heaven.  Like a glass contains water and can be emptied, so God poured Himself into the form of a man and died for us. 

Of course, Paul was looking back to what Jesus said about following – a disciple becomes just like the Master.  And what Jesus said about that was it would include the more sticky parts of that which Jesus was willing to do for others. 

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.  Luke 9:23

This should put to rest the notion that salvation and discipleship are handled neatly in a moment’s decision at the end of a church service.  Jesus said take up your cross DAILY!

W. E. Orchard wrote:  It may take a crucified church to take a crucified Christ before the eyes of the world.  If a person is to be Christ-like, it will be through cross-bearing.  So, what’s the definition of cross-bearing? 

·       Attending church worship services in our comfortable seats, in air-conditioned sanctuaries is not cross-bearing. 

·       Paying our tithes and giving offerings is not cross-bearing. 

·       Serving on committees, or showing up for workdays isn't cross-bearing. 

Those acts of worship and service, doing things for others, are not bad or a waste of time.  True disciples do all that…and much more.  But cross-bearing is beyond just being kind or helpful, or committed to routines or rituals…it is the attitude Paul said Jesus had, being willing to die for others…people who didn’t have a clue how much of a gift was coming their way…even the ones who shouted out crucify him, and the ones who engineered having him nailed to the cross. 

So, what about us…those of us who claim to follow Him as disciples?  Do we have the Christ-likeness to give ourselves up for poor people in our county?  How about people of different skin color?  What about the unchurched and uncaring?  What about the dirty street people?  Beloved, following the Master in true cross-bearing, emptying oneself for the sake of another, is a far cry from deciding to fry chicken for Homecoming this year! 

For You Today

If you’ve ever been challenged at this point of discipleship, to become a cross-bearing follower of Jesus, you’ve also asked the question:  WHY?  Aside from the obvious (response to His loving death on a cross for you), there is another, most personal reason.  It has to do with the result of cross-bearing. 

So, let me tease you into tomorrow’s devotion:

If cross-bearing is the decision, crown-wearing is the destination.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

Gospel Unchained

 

Monday, November 23, 2020

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead.  This is the Good News I preach.  And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal.  But the word of God cannot be chained.  So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.       2 Timothy 2:8-10

Paul the Apostle was chained like a common criminal, but he gladly adds the Gospel of Jesus Christ can never be imprisoned.  And so it is; there is nothing about truth that can truly be silenced.  And the center of that truth, the Good News of Jesus Christ, is that he was raised from the dead.  Even a grave cannot hold back truth.

When this truth gripped Paul, he became willing to endure the harshest of conditions and treatment to proclaim it.  Paul’s list[1] of what he had to endure to continue telling people about the resurrected Jesus is a grueling testament of the strength God continually gave him:

      Often, he had little food or the means to buy it
He was beaten with rods by the religious leaders
He suffered three different shipwrecks
He was whipped 5 times for preaching (39 lashes each)
He was stoned and left for dead
He endured violent river upheavals that threatened
He endured sleepless nights
He was also robbed on the road more than once

On the other side of all that hardship Paul  would rather still talk about how kind Christ had been to him, and the supremacy of the Kingdom of God, and how it is our glorious task to proclaim that kingdom with everything we’ve got.

If you made it to church yesterday, you probably drove in an automobile that has a heater for when you’re cold, and an air conditioner when it’s hot.  You rode; you didn’t hoof it 3 miles.  You probably showered (one can only hope), and the water was warmed by an electric or gas heater.  You might have dumped something from the freezer into the crock pot so it would be ready when you got home from church.  Or, you may have ridden in that heated/air-conditioned car to a restaurant that has the banana pudding you like so well.

In all of that there is little “suffering” for the unchained Gospel.

Now, don’t get me wrong here; I’m not advocating for going on the hunt for some persecution so you can have a list like Paul’s.  I’m just pointing out that, for most of us, our Sundays are relatively “ho-hum” – we live in comfort compared to what Paul endured to proclaim Jesus resurrected.  And with that focus (which Paul also said to always remember) we are somewhat humbled by the ease we have, and the corresponding ineffectiveness we exhibit in sharing that Gospel.

When Jesus told his disciples what their job would be, going into all the world to preach the Good News, baptizing, and making disciples of many, Jesus never mentioned crock pots or other comfort-giving conveniences.  Yet, we tend to have a focus these days on convenience, preference, and our rights to choose.  Sometimes, I think, all these conveniences and choices have not led to discipleship, but disablement.

For You Today

Jesus’ offer has always been to pick up our cross and follow Him[2].  Anywhere you read in God’s Word, it is just that – an offer; to accept, we must choose to do the picking up of that cross, but it’s hard to reach from the easy chair.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

GO TO VIDEO

Title image, Pixabay.com and    W   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

For other posts on becoming Jesus’ disciple see:  Pedigree or Passion?  and  Some Assembly Required

---

[1] Read 2 Corinthians 11 to see all this in Paul’s own words

[2] Luke 9:23

 

God's Holy Mountain

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.  Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!  And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness.  Her people will be a source of joy.  I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people.  And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more.  “No longer will babies die when only a few days old.  No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life.  No longer will people be considered old at one hundred!  Only the cursed will die that young!  In those days people will live in the houses they build and eat the fruit of their own vineyards.  Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses and confiscate their vineyards.  For my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains.  They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune.  For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed.  I will answer them before they even call to me.  While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!  The wolf and the lamb will feed together.  The lion will eat hay like a cow.  But the snakes will eat dust.  In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain.  I, the Lord, have spoken!”  Isaiah 65:17-25

The theme of my ministry has always centered on The Surrendered Life.  By this I mean the entryway into living in right relationship with God is predicated on Jesus’ words to his followers to deny self, take up the cross, and follow me. [1]  Absent of that surrender there can be no Christian, no salvation, no possibility of pleasing God, for obediently bowing (surrendering) is the essence of worship.

Admittedly I spend most of my writing/preaching/counselling ministry exploring the many ways we surrender to honor God.  But there are times when I’m caught up short by one of the prophets earnestly painting the surreal picture of the eschaton, God’s hand sweeping an end to the constraints of time, space, and the veil that separates us from His holy presence. And, those are the special moments that make surrender different than some agonizing duty; it makes surrendering to Christ’s will the prelude to a wonderful dessert after a hearty meal.

Isaiah’s depiction of God’s holy mountain and prayers answered before they’re even a thought in our heads, vineyards, long life, and more, are an oasis of rest amid the surrender.  It is the graduation day of life.  It is the fulfillment of everything for which God’s heart yearns, and our hearts were created.  It is the restoration of Eden, and better!  It is no longer just being saved from sin’s penalty and power – it is the realization of the edge of eternity, where even sin’s presence has been sent packing! 

THAT is a holy mountain!

For You Today

Join me in celebrating a moment of gazing at God’s holy mountain, full of everything that makes being alive worthwhile.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day! 

Go to VIDEO

Title Image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For another post on Psalm 65 (and 87) see God's Much-Loved Hills

---

[1] Luke 9:23