Morning by Morning, March 30 - The Way of the Cross Against Our Culture Today
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Lead me in the way that leads to life in You today. ...
“From that time on, Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ Then Jesus told His disciples, ‘If any want to become My followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?’” (Matthew 16:21-26)
The way of life in You is the way of the cross. And the way of the cross is to die to ourselves, to die to our approval in the eyes of the world and the demands of a culture that would deny You.
The way of the cross has a lot more to do with taking a relentless stand against godless legislation in the Senate than merely obsessing about the world’s marketing of the world’s tennis shoes that glorify Satan. Both may be aimed at the hearts and minds of our children, but the laws of the land, signed into law by the highest executive office in the land can set in motion the destruction of generations of our children, and their children, and their children for the remaining years to come.
The way of the cross has a lot to do with courage instead of cowardice, boldness instead of compromise, speaking with the voice of the Holy Spirit in the authority of the name of Jesus and His church on this earth instead of sitting back in silence. Well-intended Christians -- like Peter before the day of the cross and the resurrection and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost -- may try to keep us from following You in the way of the cross that’s willing to lay down our lives, our reputation, our following, our goodwill with a growing godlessness of our culture. But the way of the cross calls us to take up our cross and follow You no matter the cost. Not only for the sake of ourselves and our eternal life, but for the sake of our children and their children and their children and their eternal lives.
As You said on Your way to the cross, teaching us the way of the cross, “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in Me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!” (Matthew 18:6-7)
Let us not stumble on the way of the cross. Let us not stumble by surrendering in silence to the ways of the world. Let us not convince ourselves it’s ok to just worship away while our children are washed away in a sea of confusion and deception in the growing godlessness of our generation.
The way of the cross is never popular and never easy. But it’s always right. And it’s always required of those who would truly follow You.
So Lord, give us courage and grace to take up our cross and follow You on the way of the cross today. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you be empowered with the courage and grace of God to take up your cross and follow Jesus, even against the way of our culture today , in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you!
Tommy & Rocio Hays
Messiah Ministries
17503 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 104407
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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