Take Up My Cross

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4 ESV) What stood out from here? 1. The recording of Scripture, the book of Luke, exists for , pointedly, a particular Theophilus so that he would be certain about the things he was taught. 2. Luke was not an eyewitness to Jesus 3. Luke was a Gentile (Colossians 4) Questions to raise: 1. Who is Theophilus? Theophilus literally translates to lover of God . He could possibly also be an actual person (of some standing, thus the title) 2. Why does Luke write yet another account of Jesus if there are so many circulating? Possibly Luke know...

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” John 10:17-18 The most unthinkable thing for the Son of God is to lay down His life. What's the most unthinkable thing for you to give up? A career? A family? A relationship? But it's not a call to blind, selfless, sacrifice. It's a call to informed selfless sacrifice. A call to put things in the hands of the Father, knowing that the Father holds all things in His hands and that He loves us. It's a call to trust in God in our sacrifices, to know that He has a plan, and whether He calls us to take back up the things we lay down, He has a good plan for it.

Fear. Fear of so many things, as I look forward to going on a mission trip. I fear the rejection of people. It's an inevitable reality that not everyone who hears the good news chooses to repent and believe. Yet I am called to share all the same. I fear my own failure to share Christ to others. I am not a good speaker, let alone with unfamiliar languages. Sometimes I don't have the courage to bring up the topic of the gospel. But cleansed by Jesus' sacrifice, my response must be "Here I am, send me" (to preach the good news) I fear my character. They say you only truly see a person's character when he faces struggles. No doubt the mission trip will bring about a good many of these. Yet we know we stand before the throne of God above, having a perfect spotless righteousness because of the risen Lamb of God. And, strangely, I fear being used by God for His purposes. I fear giving up all the world for all God's world. I fail to trust in God's pr...

In the year that  King Uzziah died I  saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train  of his robe filled the temple.  Above him stood the seraphim. Each had  six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.  And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the  Lord  of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And  the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and  the house was filled with smoke.  And I said: “Woe is me!  For I am lost;  for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the  King, the  Lord  of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.  And he  touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, a...

Where do we stand before the cross? Are we among the scoffers, rejecting the authority of God over life and death? Do we scorn the idea that God took on flesh so that we could know Him? Or yet still, are we mere observers, or historians, remembering the death of a great man? Has the commemorative event of Good Friday and the public holiday distracted us from what this event really is about? I hope not. Let's go into Good Friday remembering the covenant sealed by the blood of the Lamb, one fully undeservedly beautiful, one that came at such a cost. Let us remember who this man on the cross was - God Himself. Let us remember not just the physical suffering so often depicted but also the emotional, the betrayal by His disciples, and worse still, the wrath of God poured out, the momentary separation of God the Father and God the Son. And let us remember why - because us. Where to, from here?

April 1st, 1999. It's been 16 years. Thanks, Dad. I don't know much about you, except to go back to Psalm 23 - my most lasting memory of you. I wonder what it takes to live the life described in this Psalm. The LORD is my shepherd;  I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever More often than not I wonder how it would be like if you were here to talk about these things with me. I wonder what a father's love is. I wonder what it means to balance work, ...

Place your trust not in the __________ but in the God you serve My quote of the day. I had a friend who was raising support for a mission trip, and she was sharing that she was kind of worried that she wouldn't get both financial and prayer support as "not everyone is so supportive" and "don't have many Christian friends". So in this case, the _________ was Place your trust not in the friends that you have, but in the God you serve  Pretty much so, isn't it? We tend to place our trust in many different things. Our intelligence. Our churches. Our friends and families, our skills, our government... You can name it. But let's face it, all these things we trust? If God didn't empower them, if God doesn't will us to do what we trusted these things to do, it'll be fruitless. Are we pinning our hopes on things that are uncertain, or are we pinning our hopes on the God who created and sustains all things?

Being saved by grace is amazing. It goes like this: We, sinners, have absolutely no way to meet God's perfect standard. Yet, Christ came, lived and died so that He could save us. Christ suffered humiliation, pain, and even separation from God the Father so that He could bring unworthy people - that is, you and me, back into God's presence. That's great! But... There's the struggle. There's a fundamental desire in me to be sufficient . There's a desire to be independent. There's a desire to be pleasing to God. These aren't bad things in themselves - they're gifts from God, they help us to guide life. But contrasted against grace... Have I deserved grace? Could anything I do warrant Christ taking a single papercut for my sake? Could I ever atone for even the smallest of my sins? No. Can I ever be "good enough" for anything? No. It's crushing, it's defeating, it's depressing. But it makes grace all so much more beauti...