Wishing and Hoping

Matthew 16:25 - "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

The only thing we should consider when deciding who or what we will devote our lives to is what is to be gained or lost. Our decision should not be based on "wishing" as Jesus proclaimed, but instead it should be founded on the bedrock of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In order for a man or woman to move beyond the pipe dream of wishing, they must understand reality. The cross that many bear is superfluous or meaningless in the light of their eternal destiny. However, when the aforementioned give their lives to Jesus Christ, then the dynamic of hope fills their souls. And hope does not disappoint because of the love which Jesus Christ pours out within the soul of those who trusts in Him (Romans 5:5).

In this coming year, it is imperative we decide who or what we serve. Some might say, "I will serve none but myself and my family. I don't want any of this religious stuff." Of course the reality is that everyone is involved in this "religious stuff." Everyone worships in their own way. They either serve the god of self and human accomplishment, or they surrender to Jesus and come after Him, carrying their cross in joyous servitude. The former means eternal loss ... the latter equates to life eternal. Who will we trust to save our souls? If we trust in Jesus, may we all first deny ourselves and then take up our crosses and follow Him. There is salvation in no other manner!

Which Cross?

Matthew 16:24 - "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.'"

There are many "cross-bearers" in the world today. However, scripture tells us that many of these will be denied the heavenly prize and few instead will find it (Matthew 7:13-15). Some will bear their cross for a cause or a movement with no thought of God. These will reap what they sow, for God will not give a thought for them either in the final outcome. While there are a plethora of noble "crosses" to bear in our sick world, the only one that truly matters is that of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we carry a cross to save the planet or to help dying AIDS children in Africa or to open an orphanage in Delhi and are not following Christ, it will mean nothing in regard to determining our eternal home.

The only cross we are to bear is the cross of Jesus Christ. The world will congratulate us if we carry another cross for a noble cause, and will diametrically hate us if we carry the cross of Jesus (John 15:18). The former smacks of humanistic endeavor and the ability of man to pull himself up by his proverbial bootstraps. The latter is a declaration of the total inability of mankind to save himself and our need of a Savior. Only when we come to Jesus are we able to come after Him as the scripture states. Denial of self will not then be a laborious chore, but instead an expression of love toward the One who gave us life. Denial of one thing without passion for another only results in disappointment. (Ask the addict who attempts to quit drugs with just determination.) If we first embrace Jesus by coming to Him then coming after Him and bearing our own cross will seem the most natural thing. In reality, the natural will then become a supernatural empowering that will crucify our flesh daily as the aroma of Christ breaks forth in our souls.

Voice Recognition

Matthew 14:27 - "But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.'”

If we are seeking to do God's will, we will know the truth of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, His word will seem vague or ghostly in appearance. However, if we cry out to Him, He will reveal Himself. The problem is that often we are not listening.

What would have happened if the disciples argued with Jesus when He spoke with them? What if they refused to believe it was Him? This seems ludicrous to us today because we know they knew the voice of their Master. Do we know the voice of our Master? If we do, then we will hear His voice "immediately" when we begin to fear irrationally. He is always speaking and with earnest. We must only allow ourselves to hear what the Spirit of Christ is saying.

Ascent through Descent

Psalm 47:5 - "God has ascended with a shout, the Lord, with the sound of a trumpet."

Jesus Christ ascended from the earth with a shout and the sound of the archangel's trumpet when He defeated sin. From His birth to His resurrection, He was continually ascending to God as a fragrant aroma—a pleasing Son. He delighted His Father in all things therefore the result was to be drawn back to the Godhead to become all in all with the Father and the Spirit.

Are we ascending to God today? Our ascent is predicated upon our obedience, beloved of God. When we are pleasing to the Father, He draws us higher and higher in the things of the Spirit. To ascend, we must descend first in surrender to His will. (Consider Enoch who pleased God to such an extent that He took Him bodily to heaven [Hebrews 11:5]). Only when we continue our ascent to God can we know with assurance that His final descent will be for our redemption. When the Last Trumpet sounds and He descends from the clouds, then we can be sure that the promise of our ascent will be confirmed.

Eyes of Desire

Psalm 123:2 - "Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He is gracious to us."

Our eyes will either commend or condemn us before God. Whatever we look at consistently will become our desire, which will ultimately fill our hearts. In time, we will resemble the very thing which has captivated our gaze. Our eyes are merely extensions of our hearts. The soul of a man must be dealt with before the eyes will ever be fascinated by the Lord.

We serve a wise, loving, benevolent God who longs from on high to have compassion on His children. Yet, He desires we look to Him in faith, unwavering, until he sends His gracious compassion. Just as a servant looks to his master for his sustenance, so we must look to Jesus for all our provision. If we look to another master, may we quickly repent and put our eyes back on Him. Though other masters will promise us peace and pleasure, none will fulfill us except Jesus Christ!

Persevering Until the End

Revelation 3:10 - "Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."

Many use scriptures such as this to say Jesus will not allow us to go through tribulation, but will whisk His church out of harms way during the Great Tribulation. However, what many of these fail to understand is the first part of this verse. How has the Church of Jesus Christ in the earth persevered in these latter days? True, third world countries have certainly suffered for the Lord's sake. There are more martyrs in the 20th century for Jesus than all 19 previous, combined. However, what of the church in America? Can we confidently say we will be whisked away to heaven on the proverbial coattails of these who have truly persevered? My belief is "no".

I have studied rapture theology for years (both privately and academically) and I believe the church in America is deluded if they think God is going to spare us from suffering that others have so marvelously endured for His glory. It is time to wake up, beloved. There will be many sadly forlorn when all hell breaks lose upon this earth. However, we should not fear. He is coming back at the sound of the last trumpet to take home all those who have persevered until the end.

Christ is Born!

Isaiah 9:6 - For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

Most of the world is disadvantaged when trying to relate to the birth of Jesus Christ. Most see Him as a baby born in a manger nearly 2,000 years ago in ancient Palestine. Unfortunately, they do not have the prophetic insight that Isaiah shares with us how this baby would grow up to be so much more. Ironically, the prophet speaks of a child, the paramount example of the weakness of human flesh, preordained as the "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." To many, this is pure silliness that a baby born in post-Bronze Age Israel could possess eternality and redeem mankind from His sin.

However, unless we embrace this baby with all the attributes the prophet ascribes, we will be lost like the majority of this world. "Embracing" means more than sympathy toward the idea. It means surrender and obedience to this child who is returning as the King of Kings. May we all embrace Him on this Christmas Day, for He is worthy! ... A holy and blessed Christmas to all.