IT IS HIS CHURCH NOT ANYONE ELSES

 

So, I was at the church studying this week when suddenly , for whatever reason, a thought comes to my mind. Not so much a thought as it was a line......
"Who will speak for those who cannot speak for themselves."
Hmmmm...
What does that mean?
Does it reference the fact that those who are followers of this Jesus have a voice for those who are still imprisoned by sin/addiction?
Does it mean that we are to be real intercessor's and, at the same time, rescuers of the ones who stand on the outside looking in on real salvation?
Sometimes I've prayed for God to touch a friend or family member because of their being outside of relationship with Him. God would come back with "You do it!" My concern for their live and their soul motivated me to speak up for them. 

In the book of Jude, at verse 24 you'll see: "Strive to save others, snatching them out of the fire......."

While this is a direction given to the church, it should be more than a simple directive. It should be a part of our natural inclination of how we are to conduct ourselves as we move through our daily life. You see, I think we are called to "BE" the church. That our very nature rejects anything and everything to do with that old lifestyle we have been delivered of. Our complete focus and attention should be set on Christ. Looking to Him as the sole provision for whatever it is we are in need of.

Now if I truly do trust God for provision and direction, then I can begin to look outward for those who may not know my Jesus. Now before you go all "Good gooley-mooley" on me, I'm not talking about striking a religious pose and become all "Church-ey". I'm talking about loving folks. A love that can only come from our Father. A love that fuels you to simply share. Me? I look for opportunity to interject a story...an incident that happened to me, when I'm engaging someone. My favorites happen at grocery stores and quick shops. Not to long ago, I was checking out at a store, chatting with the lady who was working the lines, when she mentioned that she was in the middle of taking chemo treatments for cancer. I asked her if I could pray for her. She lit up like a Roman Candle. "You'd do that?" I replied, "Yes I would".  I asked her if she wanted me to pray right then or would she rather wait until I get outside. She was a "right-then" kind of person. So we did....Afterwards, she asked me some rather simple questions about what I believed about Jesus. She made no commitment to Christ that day, but this conversation is still ongoing as I run into her whenever I go to this particular store. There is no doubt in my mind that she will be saved.

Shedding the old ways of doing and thinking...
I embrace the new life in Christ, taking on His very nature through the work of the Holy Spirit in me. Fancy words that mean if we do this thing right, when we surrender will and life over to Jesus' care, we learn how to do business with life and the world in a whole new way. It really is more about us "Being" rather than "doing". I find the value in changing. I see how this new life truly can affect, effect and infect everything and everyone around me. Because of Christ's redemption, I am a new creation of infinite worth.

One of the unusual by products of this new life is found in a verse that has changed me over the past few years. Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. I would read this verse, and think to myself,"Boy....God better be careful! I've got some pretty wild desires in my heart." Then I saw the verse as I believe He intended us to understand it. God will not give me the desires that exist in my heart whether they be good or bad. God will GIVE me...place inside me....the desires of my heart. In other words, when I surrender will and live over to His care, I will begin to desire things that are beneficial for this new life I'm living. Do you feel me on that one? I hope so because it sure does make it easier to divide that which is from God and that which is just me.....

Well, the coffee has finished....
My wife will be getting up in a few minutes. She's a 5 a.m. kind of girl.
So I'm going to close this up for now.

God on you...
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WHAT PART OF "ALL THINGS" DO WE NOT GET? MIKE-BITE VIDEO FOR 4-27-22

"For we know that IN ALL THINGS, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose"

 

MOUNTAIN OF DESTRUCTION

 

Lamentations 5:15-17
Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. The garlands have fallen from our heads. Weep for us because we have sinned. Our hearts are sick and weary, and our eyes grow dim with tears.

One of the hallmarks of a life of addiction is the destruction that happens.
Homes are  destroyed....
Families ripped apart....
Finances thrown to the wind....
Day after day the pain grows, which only causes the one trapped to go back into the darkness to find relief.

With each trip comes more destruction that is added to the heap.
Herein lies the insanity of such a life.
Knowing full well the consequences of our bad choices....
Knowing the pain we're causing our loved ones....
We still choose the high.

The picture I chose for today's posting should be a symbol for this destruction I've written about. In most cases there is so much that we have brought on ourselves that we don't know where to start to clean up the mess. The process of recovery becomes such a mountain that we deem it impossible to climb over, or even deal with.

We will "Play" at recovery....
We will go to treatment....
We will say all the right things...
We will make all the usual promises....
But we are clueless as to the "how" of cleaning up our mess.
Change begins with the simplest of things that we've thought about, but never really committed to.
"The Desire To Stop Using".
When I become sick and tired of being sick and tired....
Then I will begin the process of digging out of this mess.
When my hatred for the destruction I've brought about is stronger than my fear of change...then I will rise up.
When I awake to the reality and the truth that I alone am responsible for this destruction, I will look for a POWER greater than me that will lead me out of this bondage.

POWER has a name...
That name would be Jesus.
Look to Him today and admit your weakness.
Walk up to the piles of destruction you've created and grab one board.
Throw it on the garbage heap and move to the next board doing the same.
Little by little...
Board by board, that which you thought was a mountain will be reduced.
Food for thought today...

God on you...
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MONDAY MORNING MIKE-BITE

Reading from "THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP", Jesus calls us to come to Him

and die.

Die to self...

Die to the world and its systems and influences upon humanity.

So if I die to these things, I am also resurrected (so to speak) into a new way of

living.

 

HEBREWS ON THE BARBIE

 

I have always loved the story of Daniel and the three Hebrew men: Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego.
Snatched up from their home and their country by a foreign government. Taken to a land with strange customs and rituals that seemed to go against everything they stood for or believed.
About the only thing they had going was the fact that God gave them favor with the king. I guess you could teach a whole week on that simple fact alone. When God gives you favor, even in your most darkest times, He will protect you and see you through.

I'm sure that living in Babylon was not part of the future these four had mapped out, but the sin of Israel brought down the judgment of God. God had repeatedly warned Judah and Israel to repent and turn from their sins. The warning fell on deaf ears. Sin continued. This went on for a period of time until God's patience had been exhausted, so judgment came. Ta!DA!....The monster of monster's, king Nebuchadnezzar shows up with the Babylonian Army to take names. Point....Set....Match....everyone get on the bus, we're headed to Babylon....next stop..your new home.

Well, Daniel and his posse seemed to fit in and had made a niche for themselves, even finding favor with the king and all the people who hung around the palace. But as you would have it, the king went a little crazy. Some of the people that ran with him convinced him to build a statue of himself so that everyone in the country could worship him. It's bad enough when you have an ego..but couple that ego with all the power and authority that a king possesses and you've got a nuclear problem. Old "Neb" loved the idea of seeing himself 60' high, all gleaming and shining in the midday sun. So let it be written, so let it be done...we got us a statue.

Now the ruling gang of Babylon came up with the idea that everyone should fall down and worship the statue of ol' king Neb at different points during the day. So the conscripted a band to come up with a catchy tune that, when played, would let the folk of the kingdom know it was worship time. Simple huh? Hear the tune....get down on your face....worship. How hard is that? Well, it's seems like it was a pretty hard thing for the three Hebrews..remember them? Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego. Since they were servants of the Most High, Real Deal, Creator of the Universe, God...they weren't not about to do any face-laying, worship type stuff to ol' king Neb's statue. Was not going to happen.

You know that it was bound to happen. Those who served God were going to come into conflict with the kingdom of darkness.......and it did.
Beautiful Babylonian day...sun shining bright....cool breezed blowing in.....wonderful day to worship a false idol, image of ol' king Neb. The band was in rare form, so that at the appropriate time, they cut loose with the "Worship The King" Suite. People every where fell down to their faces and began the whole, "You are worthy, king Neb...you are worthy." Something was wrong with the picture...there were three men who were not down on their faces worshipping. The band leader thought maybe they hadn't heard the tune..so they took it around for one more chorus. Still standing. What's wrong with these guys? Didn't they get the memo? Hear music....fall down...worship. How hard is that?

To make a long story short, the three radical, right wing, Hebrews were arrested and taken before the king.
It was not a good day to be taken to the king, he was dealing with problems left and right and now here were three Hebrews who didn't get the whole worship-me thing. Threatening them with being thrown into a furnace which, by the way, will put a damper on any future you might have or be considering if your are the throw-ee and not the thrower. Fire, hot, burn, flames.......dead.
I've written all of this to get to this point. I love the answer the three Hebrews gave the king.
"Oh king, if that be the case (that you want to kill us) our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, And He will deliver us from the from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods. Nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."
In other words....(you've got to love this)....
Our God is able to deliver us....
But if He doesn't, He is still God.
Now that is some hardcore, backbone belief.
No matter what you are going through today...
No matter how it appears or what it may be like, rest in the knowledge and love that no matter the outcome, God is still God and He is still in control.
I believe that Dog will hunt.

Cut to the end of the story....
The three Hebrews are thrown into the furnace...
Babylonians can't count because when they look into the flames, they see four men instead of three. Get this...Jesus shows up with the Hebrew three.....
This is the kings answer to the question...three or four.
"I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God!" Jesus done busted up all in that Babylonian Bar-b-que.
God is still God...
Don't let the enemy, a.k.a. the devil, rob you of this incredible truth.
Get it all down inside of you so you can draw strength from it when the clouds roll in and the storms come.
God is in control.

God on you....
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Here's Johnny Cash singing about the 4th man in the fire....

I NEED A BIGGER GOD

 

How big is your God?  What I mean  by this is that our understanding of who God is and His nature is an ongoing interaction as God works in our lives.

STEPS NOT SHOES

 

Ahhhh....the Mysteries of God.
Those tidbit's of divine information that always seem to be just out of reach. Always there nearby but unknowable. Or so we think.
We like the idea of mysteries. For some, such is the excuse for not chasing and following after Jesus. "Well, it's a mystery as to why my life has turned out like it has. I go to church and I have a big honkin' Bible I carry around. Even watch the Billy Graham Crusade program every now and then. But you know what....I just can't seem to quit drinking. I think the Good Lord won't hold me accountable for when I beat my wife and kids. It ain't my fault, it's the liquor talking. But I do love Jesus."  

Now to me, that is the mystery. How we could be so God-dumb to think that such behavior is acceptable. If it isn't acceptable in society, then what makes us think that God will wink at it and turn away? Don't think that I've made up that little scenario either. I've had this conversation on more than one occasion. The guy standing there with this really dumb look on his face thinking that I'm buying his load of bull. So what does God expect of us? Well, here goes. And guess what? It really isn't a mystery after all.

I Peter 2:21
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in HIS STEPS.

Notice what it doesn't say....
"Follow in His shoes"......
When I was a little boy, I was fascinated by my dad's shoes. They were like something that belonged to a giant. I still have a photo of my standing in my dad's boots. They almost swallowed me up, but there I am grinning like a mule eating briar's . I have this "Hey look at me! I'm just like my dad" look on my face. Even though my feet were firmly planted in those boots, I couldn't move or walk. I had to do a sort of jump/stumble fall down kind of shuffle to move around the room. 

Jesus never told us to "Follow In His Shoes"..... But rather, in His steps.
He knew that we were incapable of filling his shoes...
To believe that we ever could makes us believe in the oldest lie in the world. The one the serpent told Eve in the Garden. "God knows that if you eat the fruit, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God."  What's the real message behind the message? Eat the fruit and be like God. Guess what? If I'm like God, then I won't need God."  
When I try to follow in His shoes, I'm in control. I decide which way I should go. When I follow in His Steps, I simply walk the same direction that He is leading me. 

Following after Jesus involves communication, not guess work. He has blessed us with such communication that we never should wander from the path He has laid out before us.
1.) His Word -  He has given us explicit instruction on how to live life here in a fallen world that is ruled and dominated by sin. If I don't study ( did you catch that? Study, not read) His word, then how can I know what to do when I'm faced with a situation, or find myself in a less than desirable circumstance? Some view the Bible as an outdated history book when, in fact, it is as relevant today as when it was written. I have always loved John Wimber's take on the Bible. "IF it isn't a practical book that teaches us how to live our lives, then why study it." 

2.) Prayer -  This is more than me simply filling up the air with words, all sent skyward in hopes that there is someone out there listening. While even the most vile person will at some point in their life, utter a prayer, the hard part for most is to believe that God not only hears, but will talk back. Yes Virginia, God does speak. Why would we be stirred to talk with Him, if He wasn't stirred to talk back? Doesn't make sense to me. Somehow we get the idea that God is like W.C. Fields sitting up in heaven. You know it's hard work keeping the cosmos going....so with that Fields voice, God speaks when our prayers come before Him..."Get away from me kid, you bother me!". Well, my God doesn't act in that manner. In fact, my God loves to hear from me, and I totally love to hear from Him.

So we determine in our minds and hearts to follow in Steps, rather than putting on shoes.
Think on these things today.....
God on you...
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I LOVE THE NIGHT SKY

 

Psalm 50:6 - Let the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is judge.

Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

This mornings sky held a wonderful picture of God's ability and His faithfulness. There was a planetary alignment that brought 4 of the planets together near the moon. Standing there in my front yard ( Yes, I guess if my neighbor's were up they would have thought me a bit looney) gazing up into the night sky, I remembered the words to the two verses above.

It is no accident that this alignment happened. Oh the scientist will chalk it up to time ratios and orbital speed....but to me it is the affirming knowledge that God is in control. The planets move according to His plans. The alignment is physical evidence that God's word is yes and amen. Science would lead us to believe that all that I saw was random chance. A coming together of gases and material, at just the right time......at just the right place....and wham-o (does anyone really say ":wham-o any more?) planets were created. O.k....just suppose that this was the case, the coming together of elements, heat, timing everything science holds dear. Science might be able to offer a theory as to the how...but they forget the WHO. That is the thing I love when people start pondering the mystery of nature and the planets. They all about spewing out conjecture and what they believe to be true. But in the end they cannot tell you why creation happened. Maybe how it did, but never why. 

Call me simpleton. Refer to me as a backwoods rube. Uneducated and classless...but when my Bible says, "In the beginning God created"....well, I take that at face value. What difference does it make as to the "how", when you know the WHO.

Thanks for letting me share this morning. He is a great God. Everyday.....all day...all the time.

God on you...

michael b.

VOICES

 

4:17 a.m....First cup of coffee. House is quiet as Vicki is asleep down the hall. I love the mornings. I love the sense of newness as we get another day here on this ol' earth. I love it when my thoughts are few, and have yet to be highjacked by all the stuff that I know will come today. I love the mornings.

I know that we live in an age and time where image and visual rule the roost, but I am more of an auditory person. I listen. Early on, when I first came to the Vineyard, the passing of teaching tapes (yes, I said tapes) was the heart of learning how to hear, follow, and obey God. These tapes opened us to new songs of worship, how to hear God, and how to minister to others. I can't tell you the number of tapes that circulated within our church. Usually on Sunday, the topic of conversation among the people was about the latest tape that had been passed around.

The Vineyard has been blessed with some pretty incredible pastor/teachers. Men like John Wimber, whose no-hype -common-sense messages showed us all that we have been called to participate in the Kingdom work of God. As John would say, "Everyone gets to play." 

James Ryles played a very important part in our life personally. I remember when Vicki and I sat and listened to James teaching on "How To Hear God." No one had ever explained it like he did. No one had ever showed us how to hear God. Now couple that series of teachings with his messages on Grace and you've got yourself a life changing view of how God works through His Kingdom plans.

Why am I writing this? I'm not sure. I just know that Romans 10:17 reads, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." I'm not against the visual presentations or teaching of God's word. But we need to remember that it's what goes through the "ear gate" and not the "eye gate" that impacts us the most. 

There are a lot of incredible teachers out there. If you desire to grow then pray and ask God to lead you to the "Voices" that truly speak on His behalf. Those who allow the Holy Spirit to move in them and through them as they unfold the Word of God.

Well, my coffee is gone. I guess it's time for that 2nd cup. Make it a good weekend.

God on you....\

Michael b

GOD DOES FOR ME WHAT I CANNOT DO FOR MYSELF

 

Ephesians 4:1
As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Interesting choice of words. "Live a life worthy of the calling you have received."
How would you measure such a life?
What standard would you hold up to see and understand whether or not life had been lived that revealed the worth of the call?

Coming out of addiction, most seem almost paralyzed by the "newness of life".
They fill like millions upon millions of rules have been hung over their sober head, and they must now carry them all out or risk going back to the old lifestyle.
Such a weight, will in fact send some scurrying back to the darkness. As painful as thoughts of going back to the old life is, at least they know the rules there and they can play that game. 

When some read the call to live a life worthy of the call God has given to us, they automatically think of "DOING" something. Whether it be teach, preach, speak, feed others, visit people in jail, that becomes the measure of the worth of our life. How much did I do for Jesus? When in fact, what Paul is talking about in Ephesians, is the development of our character. Or to put it another way, we allow our character to be changed through the work of the Holy Spirit into the character of Jesus. It is about becoming a people of integrity. A people who do not do business with the world, the same way the world does business with us. We live on a different plane of existence.

Step # 6 of the Twelve Steps reads:

Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character

Step # 6 is where we continue in the journey of change. We are entirely ready. No holding back. Realizing that this process will take time and will pay huge dividends in the end. We truly will become "new creations" (II Corinthians 5:17). 

Some who have heard me speak, have heard this statement on more than one occasion.
"God created us as Human Beings, not Human Doings. A change of heart produces a new way of thinking. A new way of thinking produces new behaviors. The new behaviors reveal the change that has taken place to us. I don't chase after God because I think it will look God. I don't study the Bible because I think it will impress those around me. I don't talk about my journey with others because I think I will garner their praise. All of those behaviors come from the simple fact that I have been change through this on going work of salvation. It is God at work in me.

Philippians 1:6 reads: Being confident of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
We are on a spiritual journey.
We are a work in progress.
Our job is very simple.
Turn will and life over to the care of God as we understand Him to be.
And cooperate with that work, allowing God access to our hearts.

Thanks for letting me share.
God on you.
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NEW AUDIO SECTION ON THE GREENE STREET LETTERS

 

I've put in an audio section to this blog so you can listen (if you so desire) to our Saturday Night Messages.  I know that many are livestreaming, but for us, it seems to work better to make the audio portion available. This way you can listen to it in portions or all at once. You are not locked down staring at a screen. 

The messages will remain up and hope that you might tell someone you know who you think might benefit from them. 

Make it a good Wednesday.....

God on you....

michael b.

MOON PIES AND THE COMPASSIONS OF GOD

 

There are some things in life that are so simple yet so enjoyable.

Some of these treats have slipped from our memory as we have gotten older.

A fresh Moon Pie is one of them.

Nothing worse than biting into one that is stale.

You plunge your teeth deep into that pie and your throat says, "Wait a minute!"

The chocolate covering taste old and has a bitterness to it.
The graham cracker crust has the consistency of cardboard, and the

marshmallow center is something akin to roofing tar.

A stale Moon Pie can send your world into a tale spin if you let it.

But you get a hold of a fresh one and it is heaven in a circle.

Why it'd make you want to run around the room an slap your momma.

That's some good eating...them thar' Moon Pies.

Use to buy Moon Pies for a nickle back in 19---well, never mind.

Thing was, when you bought it, you knew that it was going to be good.

What else do I like when it's fresh?
Butterfinger candy bars....

There is nothing like biting into a fresh one...the peanut butter center is flaky and just melts in your mouth.

Fresh is good.

Fresh is good when it comes to food.

So why do we not think about the freshness of God?

Why do we move about day after day never asking God for a

fresh touch of His presence?

Lamentations 3:22-23 speaks of God's compassion being made new every morning.

That means every morning we arise, there waiting for us to partake of is the compassion of God.

I need a fresh awareness in my Spirit of God each day. I need to shake off the "yesterday" with all it's problems and troubles, triumphs and failures, so I can put on "today"

Each day brings a freshness to it as we arise, that no matter what happened yesterday....

no matter how good or how bad yesterday was.....
God is fresh this morning and waiting for me to follow.

Good stuff!

Grab a Moon Pie and a 2nd cup of coffee and find God today.

God on you....

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YOU CAN DO THE RIGHT THING----OR YOU CAN DO WHAT GOD DESIRES

 

I Chronicles 13:4
And all the congregation said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

This passage concerns the moving of the Ark of the Covenant (that gold box from Raiders of the Lost Ark) to Jerusalem. The people said...."Hmmmm! It seems okey dokey to me. Lets do it." The moving wasn't the bad part. It was the way the people decided to transport the Ark. Their way cost a man his life. Well, that doesn't sound fair. Truth be known, God doesn't deal in fairness, especially when it is the mind of sinful man that is deciding what is fair and what isn't.

I only want "fair" when it benefits me.
I only want "fair" when I don't get my way.
I only want "fair" when it is something I really want.
Well, I have learned that God has a definite plan and way to approach Him.
Just like the people in the I Chronicles passage, they decided on how they would approach God and it cost them.
They took it upon themselves to act in a manner that was contrary to the way God had given in Scripture.
On the surface, it looked like a good deed. "Let's bring the Ark back to Jerusalem!" But it was the way they brought the Ark back. It wasn't the way God had laid out for the Ark to be transported. Their selfishness and lack of respect for God cost a man his life. As the Ark was placed on a cart and was being take back to the city, one of the oxen stumbled and the Ark shifted. A man named Uzza reached out to steady the Ark and when he touched it, he died.

How much of what I do are things that seem "right" in my own eyes but are an offense to God. I can even do religious deeds that have no use or be blessed by God. Why? Because I did not consult God on whether or not He wanted me to do it. I heard Dudley Hall say, "How would you like to spend your whole life baking apple pies for God, only to discover that God doesn't like apple pie." It would be a wasted effort.
I don't want to waste myself on things that aren't pleasing to God. I don't want to fall prey to only doing what "seems right in my own eyes." I want to be obedient and listen for God's instruction and they carry it out.

Sure do hope I learn and grow up before I grow older.
Never forget---God is love. Not that God loves, or God created love....God is, by His very nature, love. And for this reason, His heart is for us. He desires to communicate His will to us. Not only that, beyond the communication, He desires to empower us to carry out that will. So don't waste yourself on your own soulish nature. Spend your energy listening for God. Then follow!

God on you....
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EASTER MEMORIES

 Easter Morning 2022!! He is Risen. Sometimes the memories we carry around need to be taken out and dusted off to be considered as to the importance they mean to us. Today's posting is one that I try to make available each year at this time. It was a defining moment for Vicki and i.

The year....1980. Day before Easter. A Saturday night.
I had finished a hard day at a pizza restaurant at the Gadsden Mall and was now home with my wife.
Sitting in our living room, we were talking about the next day being Easter and what we were going to do. The time was 11:30 p.m.
It was to be our first Easter together since we had rededicated our lives to Christ. 7 years of living outside of God's will had taken a toll on both of us, but now we had begun the journey of following Jesus.
We were in our living room, our sons down the hall asleep in their bed.
We were listening to WDJC, a local Christian Radio Station.

The DJ was sharing about his life, the struggles he had faced and how the faithfulness of God had kept him all these years. His story was intense and it was as if he'd forgotten that he was on the radio. He had become a voice that filled our living room and was sharing intimate details of his life before Christ. The misery and the heartache of all the things he tried to fill his life and heart with, seem to add up and take a toll on his life. The longer this voice kept talking, the more we were drawn into his story.

I remember that his story went on for nearly 30 minutes and the thought of running any commercials or station ID's were discarded. This voice continued to share how Christ had saved him from a life of destruction and a eternity of separation from Jesus. I remember that the voice became extremely excited as he moved into the portion of his story where God became a reality to him. The thrill of his salvation experience and the desire to share his story with anyone and everyone. He spoke of the life he now had with Jesus as his savior and the Holy Spirit living inside him. On and on....he shared. Finally the voice said..."Well, it's 12:01 a.m. .............Easter Morning. Ladies and gentlemen...........He is risen!!!! Our living room was suddenly flooded  with the sounds of Easter Song by 2nd Chapter of Acts. Vicki and I sat there totally mesmerized as the presence of God became a reality while this song played. It was a celebration of the triumph of Christ over death, hell and the grave.. It was one of the most incredible times I have ever experienced. My first Easter celebration as a believer. .
Look up on Youtube and find this song for yourself. More than anything.....Worship while it's playing.
Let the truth of the resurrection become more than a mental piece of information...
Let it become life and healing and truth and love and grace and mercy and freedom in Christ.!
Why?
Because He Is Risen!!!!!

God on you....
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WHAT IS UP WITH ALL THIS CROSS BUSINESS?

Luke 9:23

And He said to them, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross....."

I am not the first to ever write on this verse. It has probably been taught, scrutinized and looked at by most everyone who ever stood to teach a congregation. I don't know that I can bring anything new to the verse. Sometimes it really isn't about the "new' that we find in a scripture as much as it is reinforcing what already is within us. Remembering the truth of God and making sure that it hasn't turned into some syrupy platitude that warms us and gives us a good feeling.

I'm not sure, but it might have been that as Jesus stood sharing this verse with the crowd, that off in the distance crosses could be seen strewn across the hillside. The cross was very much a part of every  day life in Jesus' day. The idea of turning that instrument of torture into little pieces of silver and gold to wear around the neck would have been seen as wrong by the people of Jesus' day. The cross was very much a reality to them. So for Jesus to use this as a means of weeding out those who wanted to follow him was extremely bizarre.

When Jesus said that we were to "take up our cross", he was revealing the only way to heaven.
That in order to be his disciple...
To follow after Him...
The process began here on earth.
Jesus is the only one who can give you permission to enter heaven.
He proclaimed, in John14:6, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me."
My confession of who Jesus is, is done with my life and not just with my words.
The denying of myself........my wants......my desires.....my selfishness.....has to be killed.
I embrace the will of God over and beyond my own will.

The one thing I have discovered is that some people only desire to have a "common law Jesus".
They want the benefits of a relationship with Jesus...
They want all the perks of being a Christian...You know....the blessings....heaven....getting out of hell....etc....etc.
They just don't want to have to make the commitment to Jesus.
You may think that my use of the phrase "common law" is a bit strange, but I don't think so.
We are referred to in Scripture as the "Bride of Christ". Jesus is our groom or husband to be.
So, in essence when we try to manipulate and wrangle this relationship to our own view...we are trying to establish a marriage without the commitment.

Taking up our cross begins with the denial of self. It begins with a desire and a decision to measure our current life against the promise of a new life with Christ. This "new" desire to follow Jesus outweighs the idea of continuing to live our old lifestyle.

This is how the apostle Paul wrote about the act of denying self.
Philippians 3:8 - "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus My Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I might gain Christ and be found in Him..."

Jesus calls us to take up our cross.
Who would pick up such a thing except someone who was ready to die, knowing that this death to self would lead to life?

Hebrews 12:2 - Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.
We must be like Jesus....
We must see what it is that is set before us as we take up our cross to follow after Him.
We must see that there is something greater that transpires in our lives when we participate in this act of taking up our cross.
The cross is personal....
The cross is not open for debate or discussion.
The cross does not compromise.

Anyone carrying a cross does not have a free hand with which to do what they want to. The sheer weight of the cross has to be evenly distributed over the shoulders and the body.
What does this mean?
You can't serve two masters. You lay both hands to the cross to carry it. You are not free to turn loose to grab other things that may catch your attention.

If you do try to carry the cross on your terms or in the way you want to, it becomes unbalanced. Kind of like when we make decisions to do what we want to do. We remove ourselves from under the direction of Jesus and we become unbalanced. We are moving into areas of rebellion and our lives become unstable because of this. In other words, we are beginning to backslide and are in need of being brought back.

The cross must be evenly distributed if we are to carry it. The cross must cover every area of our lives. This means that every attitude, every thought, every intent of my heart must be brought under the weight of the cross. Walking this way, as Jesus directed, covers me and protects me from returning to the death sentence of the our old way of living. In other words, the cross becomes the protector of my new life.

Where there is balance in our lives...the cross becomes easier to carry or bear, and the balance I need is found in Jesus. Where there is balance in my life, my focus is simply on walking and carrying the cross. My attention is not on those places that sin and desire use to reside.
I am carrying the cross in order to follow my Jesus.

This idea of carrying a cross may be a spiritual act, but it has physical, tangible effects in our lives.Your life will be defined by this act. The cross that Jesus bids us to carry saps and drains every bit of self out of our body...leaving only a will submitted to following Jesus.
In this dying to self, we find life.
Real life.
God life.
Heavenly life.
Abundant life, here today.
The cross.....
Don't leave home without it.

God on you...
mb