Following Jesus

The Message of the Cross

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Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24 NIV

Some people wear a cross around their neck while others have bracelets or earrings, using it as a fashion statement. But even though the cross has become a popular design for jewelry, its message remains difficult to receive.

In Jesus’ day, no one wore a cross for decoration or thought it would be nice to have one on the peak of their roof. That is because the cross to them was both the most horrible way to die and also a constant threat to anyone who would dare to challenge the Roman rule. In fact, the very thought of crucifixion was so horrible that no one even mentioned it. But Jesus was not afraid to talk about the cross. As His time on earth neared its end, He repeatedly told His disciples about it. But just as it is today, the followers of Jesus couldn’t understand and were not ready to receive the sacrifice that Jesus was about to make for them. But instead of turning back, Jesus went to Calvary, freely giving Himself because of God’s great love for us. So today whether or not you wear one around your neck, ask yourself whether you have received the gift of the cross, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. True faith means loving the cross and giving our lives to Him, just as He has for us. Only in His cross will we will discover the wonderful joy and peace of knowing that our sins are forgiven and that we will be with Him forever!

Let Down the Nets

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And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”  Luke 5:5

We all sometimes come face to face with failure no matter how hard we try. When kids were picking teams to play baseball in my neighborhood I was always the last to get picked and usually was made pitcher because I couldn’t hit, run or catch.

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Maybe you are struggling in your marriage is struggling or you are just weeks away from bankruptcy. Like Peter whatever you are facing, remember that Jesus didn’t come to choose the best fishermen, fathers, mothers or business men and women. Jesus came to pick people who have worked all night with nothing to show for their efforts. in fact Jesus is not asking for us to just try harder. He calls us to simply believe and obey His word!  When Peter did what Jesus asked his once empty nets became so full that he needed his friends’ help to pull them in. But Jesus doesn’t stop with simply filling our nets with fish. He has an astonishing adventure in mind far beyond just immediate blessings. If we follow Jesus we will be amazed at where that journey leads; but everything hinges on being willing to let down those nets at His word!

And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him Luke 5:11

Giving Our All For Him

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‘And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ‘ Mark 8:34 ESV

If I am learning anything during this Covid-19 crisis it is that service is far more important than position. The young person bringing my groceries out to my car ensures that we have food in the house. The insurance lady working from home takes my call and helps me to order medical supplies. In fact without the people who take away our garbage, mow our lawn and repair our water softeners our own lives would soon become intolerable. Strangely enough because of online worship sessions, we are also learning things about our pastor such as what his living room furniture and golden retriever look like and that he can lead worship with his own guitar. We have also come to a greater appreciation for the many phone calls from our family and have lingered just a little longer each time we get to see our grand kids’ faces on a video call. We are seeing clearly something we have known all along and that is that our lives are not defined by how important people think we are but by how we are loved and how we love in return by simple acts of service.

photo of people holding each other s hands

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Maybe that’s what Jesus meant when He asked us to follow Him. First He called us to serve at a specific place and to certain people. Then He commands us to put those people ahead of ourselves through the ministry that God has called us to do. Finally; He tells us to give our lives just as He gave; no matter the cost and holding nothing because we are giving our all for Him.