Sacrifice.

Sacrifice.

The man I am proud to call my Pastor, David Cowger, spoke from the below passage this morning. He spoke from the perspective that Christ has called us to lay down and submit our lives to Him, that according to Christ, to gain LIFE, we must submit our lives.

This means that we must be willing to lay down anything that God requires of us in our pursuit of Him. The attached picture was taken after virtually everyone in the room nailed something to the cross. Each of us wrote something down that we felt God was telling us to lay down. It could be addictions, lusts, money, pride, hurt, anger, disappointment, geographical location, work, ministry goals, opinions, attitudes or something else.

My question is: What are you holding back? What are you holding on to that you need to nail to the cross? Is it your plans? Your beliefs? Your traditions? Your job? Your wallet? Your dreams? Your prideful pursuit of riches? Your hurt? Your anger? Your lusts? What do you need to nail to the cross?

Listen to this after you read the below passage: No Sacrifice, by Jason Upton

Luke 14:26-33 (Amplified)
²⁶If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [^[g]in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters--[yes] and even his own life also--he cannot be My disciple.

²⁷Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple.

²⁸For which of you, wishing to build a ^[h]farm building, does not first sit down and calculate the cost [to see] whether he has sufficient means to finish it?

²⁹Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is unable to complete [the building], all who see it will begin to mock and jeer at him,

³⁰Saying, This man began to build and was not able (^[i]worth enough) to finish.

³¹Or what king, going out to engage in conflict with another king, will not first sit down and consider and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand [men] to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

³²And if he cannot [do so], when the other king is still a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks the terms of peace.

³³So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, ^[j]say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Tortured.

Tortured.

My new favorite TV show is "24". I've been watching the episodes in order on Netflix for the past few months. In the last episode I watched, the main character, Jack Bauer, was being interrogated and tortured.

I admit, even though it was acting, it was difficult to watch. It wasn't near as difficult to watch as the beatings Christ endured in Mel Gibsons "The Passion of The Christ".

Neither of those compare to what Christ really endured. Scriptures say that He was disfigured beyond recognition and didn't even look human.

Imagine someone taking your punishment and then getting flogged until they no longer looked alive. Imagine them willfully agreeing to your punishment knowing the price they would pay is more than the human body can endure.

Keep this in mind as we celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend and Easter next weekend.


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Fist.

Fist.

There is an old saying that says "You can't shake hands with a fist". So many times I see people that have an opportunity to handle a situation a certain way, yet seem to find a way to become abrasive or aggressive. They don't realize that they are trying to "Shake hands with a fist". They are unaware that rather than helping the problem, they are part of the problem.

Christ calls us to be peacemakers. He even says that the peacemakers are blessed, which is the opposite of what the worldview of a peacemaker is. A peacemaker is generally viewed as being passive or wimpy, but rather, according to Jesus, they will be blessed.

I admit I am quick to jump to conclusions and I tend to be a little straightforward and abrasive. But, most of the time, I am able to keep a calm head and think through the situation. There is no need to be a hot head or getting into a battle of ego's. You might not realize it, but you are the one who will suffer the most from it.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When someone offers you a hand, don't give them a fist, even if they really deserve it.

Matthew 5:9 (Amplified)
⁹Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God!

Proverbs 15:1-4
¹A SOFT answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. ²The tongue of the wise utters knowledge rightly, but the mouth of the [self-confident] fool pours out folly. ³The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good. ⁴A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life, but willful contrariness in it breaks down the spirit.

Rest.

Rest.

Matthew 11:28-30
²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Tonight, after working 169 hours the past two weeks, I was looking for a good scripture that talks about rest. I thought it would be a good way to encourage those who are tired and need a break, whether it be a break from work, school, car trouble (Erik) stress, etc... I came upon the familiar passage above. As I read it, I saw that it was talking about much more than just physical rest. It's talking about spiritual rest.

Since the days of Adam & Eve, sin has been in this world. The below scriptures from Romans 8 talk about all of creation longing to be delivered from the corruption of sin. We are surrounded by the effects of sin. Sickness, death, disease, hate, murder, suicide, crime, drugs, natural disasters, etc... are all a result of sin entering the perfect creation of God. Just like us, you can see how creation is longing for peace.

Christ came to bring peace. That peace will consist not only of eternal life for us, but also of a new earth. There will be no more tears, no more hurt, no more crime, no more shame, no more disease, no more disappointment, no more death, no more effects of sin.

I encourage you to read the below passage to get a further glimpse into this.

Romans 8:18-30 (The Message)
^18-21That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.

^22-25All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.

^26-28Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

Thankful.

Thankful.

Keeping it short tonight. Today I worked 16 1/2hr and surprisingly I'm not complaining. There are lots of people who would like to be employed and have the problem of working too much.

Which brings me to this: Often we pray, hope and wish for certain things in our life such as a job, spouse, house, kids, ministry opportunities, etc but once we get them we are quick to complain or give up because we aren't willing to "Pay the price" and do the things the responsibility requires. So tonight after 16 1/2 hours of work, I'm gonna sleep for 4 hours then hit it hard again tomorrow. I'm not complaining, I'm thankful.


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Twist.

Twist.

A few years ago, I was reading the following passage from 1 Corinthians 13. It has always been a favorite passage of mine, but this time I received a new revelation about the passage. 1 John 4:8 states that "God is love", so, below I added the word "God" in red text after every occurrence of the word "Love". I recommend reading it in the original text first then reading it in the red text afterward.

1 Corinthians 13

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love (God), I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love (God), I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love (God), it profits me nothing.
⁴ Love (God) suffers long and is kind; love (God) does not envy; love (God) does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love (God) never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love (God), these three; but the greatest of these is love (God).

Helper.

Helper.

It has been a little over twenty four hours since my wife Sarah made it back home to North Carolina. Without counting the days, I think it was close to five weeks that we were apart, although there were about four days where we actually got to see each other. Needless to say, it was a tough and trying time for us.

I can't tell you how great it was to lie down together last night. It was wonderful to see her in the chair across the room. It was great of her to finish my laundry, walk and feed the dog and to do some things around the house. None of these things are her duty, nor do I require her to do them, but it was nice to not have to do those things tonight. Which brings me to this....

God said in the book of Genesis that He would "Make a helper suitable" for Adam. I am so thankful for Sarah's help. It was much needed and appreciated. It was nice to have someone to help me with the things that I needed done. It was great to have my helper helping.

Today, take the time to thank God for the person He has placed in your life in order to help you along the way. Thank God for sending someone to be a helper. Ask Him how you can better help your mate. This is not a one way street and we should be just as eager to help them with whatever they need.

If you don't have that person in your life, pray that God would prepare you for that person. Pray that He will prepare you with every tool, skill and character trait necessary to love that person unconditionally. Instead of praying to find the one, pray that He will make you into "The One".

^{Genesis 2:18-25
18}The LORD God said, "It isn't good for the man to live alone. I need to make a suitable partner for him." ^19-20So the LORD took some soil and made animals and birds. He brought them to the man to see what names he would give each of them. Then the man named the tame animals and the birds and the wild animals. That's how they got their names.

None of these was the right kind of partner for the man. ²¹So the LORD God made him fall into a deep sleep, and he took out one of the man's ribs. Then after closing the man's side, ²²the LORD made a woman out of the rib! The LORD God brought her to the man, ²³and the man exclaimed,"Here is someone like me! She is part of my body, my own flesh and bones. She came from me, a man. So I will name her Woman!" ^{[d] 24}That's why a man will leave his own father and mother. He marries a woman, and the two of them become like one person. ²⁵Although the man and his wife were both naked, they were not ashamed.