Take up your cross

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

It was 20th of July 1969, the entire media in the world will have one headline the next day: “Man walks on moon.” The leading newspaper Guardian, published the news like this “It was the fulfillment of a dream which men have shared since the beginning of recorded history.” The then president Richard Nixon would shortly make the historic phone call and would tell the astronauts, “Because of what you have done, the heavens have become a part of man’s world. And as you talk to us from the Sea of Tranquility it required us to redouble our efforts to bring peace and tranquility to earth… For one priceless moment in the whole history of man all the people on this earth are truly one–one in their pride in what you have done and one in our prayers that you will return safely to earth.” Phillip Yancey writes this statement “Richard Nixon got carried away with excitement in 1969. “It’s the greatest day since creation!” crowed the president, until Billy Graham solemnly reminded him of Christmas and Easter.” Recounting the words of the president, the heavens did become a part of man’s world not because man landed on the moon but because God chose to become flesh and transformed us into his image.

Apostle Paul writes: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them….but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Denise, an elementary school music teacher used to teach songs such as Jingle Bells for christmas, because she was afraid that the laws would prevent her teaching songs about Jesus Christ, when she knew she could actually teach them songs about Jesus Christ, she told her class that they were going to learn some Christmas songs about Jesus Christ, some of the children in the class were shocked as if she had used a swear word, they did not know who Jesus was and thought “Jesus Christ” was a curse word.

What are we modelling our young generation to? What possible environment of knowledge are we conditioning ourselves to? I would like to quote the author and evengelist Francis Schaeffer, “Christians, in the last 80 years or so, have only been seeing things as bits and pieces which have gradually begun to trouble them and others, instead of understanding that they are the natural outcome of a change from a Christian World View to a Humanistic one; things such as overpermissiveness, pornography, the problem of the public schools, the breakdown of the family, abortion, infanticide (the killing of newborn babies), increased emphasis upon the euthanasia of the old and many, many other things… I want to say to you, those of you who are Christians or even if you are not a Christian and you are troubled about the direction that our society is going in, that we must not concentrate merely on the bits and pieces. But we must understand that all of these dilemmas come on the basis of moving from the Judeo-Christian world view — that the final reality is an infinite creator God — over into this other reality”

We lack the jealousy that comes from the Holy Spirit, Apostle Paul wrote “….the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another.” Have we not tried to compromise and negotiate a synthesis between flesh and spirit? We, Christians most of the time reason and reconcile the thirst of the Spirit of God and our flesh. 13 out of the 41 major denominations of Christian Churches across the world accept and ordain homosexual members, another 7 have not yet taken a difinitive decision. The revenue of Illegal Drug industry is more than that of Apple and Microsoft. The dowry system though not explicit by cash now in India still is applicable in 40% of marriages by materials such as TV or car.

What went wrong is not the media or the government, but we Christians chose to satisfy ourselves with the world. Televsion, Internet, Mobile Devices, sports, our career and our life holds more sway to us than the cross of Christ.

The burden to carry the gospel of Christ has dwindled. 10/40 window is a term coined by Christian missionary strategist Luis Bush, referring to the regions between 10 and 40 degree north of the equator, this area in 1990 had most socio-economic challenges and least access to Christian Message and Christian access on the planet. 2/3rd of the world population i.e more than 4.4 billion live in the 10/40 window and 90% of the people living in 10/40 window are unevangelized. What we need is prayers, relentless prayers and prayers. Nothing else could give the overwhelming burden to carry the cross and follow him other than this.

I wish we had the burden of prophet Isaiah..”We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.” This period is the wake up call for us. Let us give Him all we can, till the last ounce of our energy, till the very last breath. We can subdue Kingdoms, work righteousness, obtain promises, stop the mouth of lions, quench the violence of fire, escape the edge of sword, be made strong out of our weakness and become valiant in battle. We can actually do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We can take our cross and follow him.

Yes, the wrath of God is being revealed to men who hide the truth by their wickedness, but his grace sustains the world and us through all the hardships, temptations, and our flesh, and his gracious love is better than life itself. The greatest joy that all of us can share is that, this is but just a beginning, we are but travellers in this world. Our home is heaven.

This easter, while worshipping the risen savior, let us pause for a moment and think of the cross we are to carry, and ask his strength to deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow him. The rich young ruler mentioned in the bible could not take up his cross for he has very rich. Pilate could not take up his cross because he was very afraid. The church in Laodicea could not take up their cross because they said they were rich, prosperous and needed nothing.

Let the resurrected Christ and the power of resurrection mean something to us. Happy Easter.

God’s love missions family

Bro Gideon Paul Rufus R