THE WAY OF THE CROSS

It's not a pretty picture. Our modern representations of it are nice and sentimental, sure, but they ignore the real horror of it. The cross is a despicable thing. It was the most painful, humiliating undignified death that a person could die in Jesus' day. As Troy talked about on Sunday, this cross was no sanitary, polished thing. It was shame and foolishness and death and filth and all the worst of the criminals and evil men were subjected to it. The cross is sin and death. Jesus became those things for our sake, for our good. His love motivated Him (fully God) to allow Himself to be subject to the worst death available. He became literally God-forsaken on the most godforsaken instrument of torture there was.
Sure, I'm being sensationalistic, melodramatic, even crass to some. What could possibly be the purpose in being so graphic about Jesus' death on the cross? Mel Gibson got the same questions about "The Passion". It's uncomfortable to be so blatantly confronted with the violence and gore of the cross. It's uncomfortable, but we need to know because we need to count the cost, realistically. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 6:24). We hear those words and they are almost meaningless. We say things like taking up our cross and denying ourselves means taking out the garbage or emptying the dishwasher, even when it's not our turn. But imagine you are one of the disciples, listening to these words for the first time. You've walked down the roads; you've seen the criminals dying on their crosses. You are all too familiar with the horror, pain and shame of the cross. But here is Jesus saying, take up your cross and follow. Embrace your instrument of torture and follow me. The disciples didn't have the luxury of taking Jesus' words metaphorically.
Honestly, this is an uncomfortable passage. I'm not sure what it looks like for me to take up my cross and follow Jesus. What I am sure of is that we need to know what we are getting ourselves into. We need to be realistic about the nature of discipleship. Dietrich Boenhoffer said that grace is the free gift that costs us everything. We need to count the cost.
What does it mean to walk the road of the cross? How do you respond to Jesus words? How can we obey such a radical commandment?

CHRIST: THE KING AND THE KINGDOM

"Regnum Dei Deus est" ("The Kingdom of God is God") - Origen.

More and more every year I realize that God's desire for us is exeedingly simple; too simple, indeed, for muddy-minded and convoluted humans like us. We turn every little thing, including religion, into a debate or a competition or a test of worth. But what I am continually learning (being taught is more appropriate, really) is that to God, religion is very simple. If I could sum up the entire duty and responsibiliy of the individual in regards to relationship with God, it would not be a statement at all, but rather a question. My question for you is: "Do you just want to be with Jesus?" Do you simply want to walk beside Him, live with Him, learn from Him, spend time with Him? Do you want to be with Jesus?
It's really too bad, because in many cases, my answer to these questions is, "no." No, I want someone to give me what I ask for, someone to take away my guilty feelings, some sense of security in the grand scheme of the world. I want a friend who will love me, accept me and support me, but not one who will challenge me or convict me; not a friend who will ask me to change behaiviors that are wrong. I have a feeling that I am not alone in my misplaced devotion here.
If you really want to know what the Kingdom of God is like; if you really, honestly want to know what it is like to live in the Kingdom of God, then spend time with Jesus. Look at Him and you will see the Kingdom. If the Kingdom of God is the place where God's effective will is carried out, then Jesus IS the Kingdom of God. His central message, as well as His central prayer was, "Father, your Kingdom come. Your will be done." Walk beside Jesus and walk like Him, and you will find the Kingdom of God is closer than you think. Pretty soon, you will start to discover it within yourself.
"In the presence of Jesus is found the presence of the kingdom. Just as in Jewish doctrine, the Torah [law] didn't so much come from heaven as the Torah is itself heaven. In the same way in Christian doctrine, Jesus is Himelf the kingdom. Just as Jesus is the One who Was, and Is, and Is to Come, so the kingdom has come, is coming, and is now here. The kingdom of God is the presence of Jesus." - Leonard Sweet, "The Three Hardest Words".

THE THRONE INSIDE

"Before the Lord God made man upon the earth He first prepared for him a world of useful and pleasant thisngs for his sustanance and delight. In the Genesis account of creation these are called simply "things". They were made for man's use, but they were meant always to be external to the man and subservient to him. In the deep heart of the man was a shrine where nonE but God was worthy to come. Within him was God; without, a thousand gifts which God had showered upon him. But sin has introduced complications and has made those very gifts of God a potential source of ruin to the soul. Our woes began when God was forced out of His central shrine and things were allowed to enter. Within the human heart things have taken over. Men have now by nature no peace within their hearts, for God is crowned there no longer, but there in the moral dusk stubborn and aggresive usurpers fight among themselves for first place on the throne.
This is not a mere metaphor, but an accurate analysis of our real spiritual trouble..." (A.W. Tozer, "The Pursuit of God").
I am drawn to Tozer's "Throne Room" imagery used to describe the human heart and condition. Within each of us exists a throne, and whomever or whatever sits upon that throne is the entity that rules us. That entity is served as god and first priority. Troy used this image of a central shrine on Sunday when he was talking about David's life. I would agree with Troy; David's life is a classic study of a human letting himself be ruled by different masters. In many cases, David had it right. Indeed, he seemed to grasp the idea of relationship with God more that anyone else in the Old Testament. The Bible describes David as a "man after God's own heart". He knew intimacy with his creator and was a willing servant to that creator's will. As we know, however, David let someone other than his God sit on the throne of his heart. Bathsheba became his god, and in the end he served her and was ruled by his lust for her to the point of becoming an adulterer and murder.
Within each of us exists unimaginable potential for both holiness and utter depravity. I think that the primary difference between sinner and saint is the object that is found to be sitting on the throne of the soul. Whatever sits on that throne gets our allegience. When God is in occupation, He rules with love and grace. When things sit upon that throne, they dominate and beat hearts into submission.
Who, or what, is sitting in the throne room inside of you? Where does your allegiance lie? AS Bob Dyla so aptly put it, "you gotta serve somebody". Who gets the priority in your life? How have you seen God at work when He has occupied the cental shrine of your life?

RED SEA RULES

We all have times where we find ourselves in seemingly impossible situations. My husband and I went through a really tough period about 3 years ago, where our future security and his character were being threatened and we didn’t see any way out of the situation.
During that time I just happened upon a short book and a great read by Robert J. Morgan called the “Red Sea Rules”. The Godly principles and wisdom shown in that book became my pillar of strength during that time when we really did feel that we were trapped between “the devil and the deep RED sea”. I felt that that if I took my eyes off God then we would drown.
We didn’t drown and God made a path for us out of that horrible situation and we look back now and know that it made us stronger, better people and out of that crisis has come opportunity.
When I found myself in any type of double-bind, I often find one of these rules popping into my head and I am reminding that “the same God who lead me in will lead me out.”
God’s promise is that He is always with you and He will make a way for us. The Lord says “I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. “ (Isa 43:19)
When you’ve been caught between the ‘devil and the deep Red Sea’ how has God made a way for you? What promises from God, or what illustrations from the bible have you used as your pillar of strength to enable you to walk God’s path?

The Red Sea Rules
"The Same GOD who led you in will lead you out."
-Robert J. Morgan.

Rule 1
Realize that God means for you to be where you are.

Rule 2
Be more concerned for God’s glory than for your relief.

Rule 3
Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord.

Rule 4
Pray!

Rule 5
Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work.

Rule 6
When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith.

Rule 7
Envision God’s enveloping presence.

Rule 8
Trust God to deliver in His own unique way.

Rule 9
View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future.

Rule 10
Don’t forget to praise Him.