The Cross You Carry

~~~ Romans 13:8-10 ~~~ Psalm 112 ~~~ Luke 14:25-33 ~~~

 ...the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

All of the commandments are summed up
 in one word...
LOVE.

It is love, for yourself and love for others,
 that fulfill the law.
The law is both simple and complex at the same time.

Paul writes to the Romans...
love does no evil to oneself or to others.
When you honor the Christ
within yourself and your neighbor
it becomes obvious that all is about love.

The gospel of Luke sounds extreme at first reading.
Jesus instructs you to leave every member of your family.

Whoever does not carry his own cross 
and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Sometimes it is easier to 'hate' members
 of your family than to love them.

Jesus instructs us to love above all else.

Perhaps loving members of your family
 is the cross you must carry.

For some it is easier to walk away from certain relatives.

The question you must ask yourself
is more about your motive.

Do you ever examine the motives for your actions?

Is love your primary motive?

Love is the blueprint for all that is of value in your life.
In Love is where life planning begins.

Jesus shows you the way.
Jesus is love.
When you concentrate on your relationship with Jesus
you will discover the power of love.

When you come to painful
situations in your life
it is this foundation of love
that eases the pain.

There is no easy way out of this world.
You cannot run and hide from challenging times
 or people in your life.

All things are possible with God
 because God is love.

Blessed to believe you are never alone.

~~~Peace~~~

Perseverance...Strength

~~~ Revelation 15:1-4 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ Luke 21:12-19 ~~~

The invitation to follow Jesus
includes freely taking up your cross as you walk with him.
There is not just one cross...we do not enter into a 'life cross' lottery.

Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!

Our crosses take on various forms...sometimes
 they are physical diseases...
sometimes they are painful rejections by loved ones...
sometimes they are lost dreams...
sometimes they are broken hearts...
sometimes they are the death of loved ones...
sometimes they are persecutions for believing in God...
sometimes they are conflicting morals...
No stage of life is completely free of crosses to bear.

None of us wants to be hated because of how or who we worship.
Jesus calms our anxieties.
Jesus soothes our hearts.
Jesus puts our mind at rest.

...You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair 
on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

Jesus keeps us from falling apart.
Jesus gives us the strength to persevere to the end.

 I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking

that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.

Jesus puts the words on our lips.
Jesus puts the song in our hearts.
Jesus puts the twinkle in our eyes when we speak of him.
Jesus is all that we need.

We will play God's harps of gold...
we will be purified and proven in the fire...
we will not be consumed by the fire...

We must not shrink from our crosses, they are the
fires that purify our souls.

By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

One day we will join those who have been tested.
We will take our place...
being short please Lord let me see you face.
Reap the Blessings of perseverance...
You carry your cross with those who walk along your side.
We come together to care and support one another.
No cross is too great when you have the love
 of God to fortify your soul.

~~~Peace~~~

Get Your Hands Dirty

~~~ James 2:14-24, 26 ~~~ Psalm 112 ~~~ Mark 8:34-9:1 ~~~

Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless?

Saint James is knocking down the bowling pins
with his strong bowling ball statements.

He does not mince his words.
He was not a bit concerned about whether or not
he was politically correct.
He just laid the facts down on the line.
...faith is useless unless you put it into your actions.
James might even be considered rude.
His style and convictions made people stop and listen.
He got their attention.
No one wants to called an 'ignoramus';
it would be insulting to say the very least.

The life and the spirit of our faith is manifested through our goods works.

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,

take up his cross, and follow me..."

It is not enough to have faith without the action parts;
the action includes taking up our cross.
It is in the taking of our personal cross that we may
 best put our faith into action.
It is how we model our faith;
by the manner in which we carry our cross.
There is no one who has chosen to follow Jesus
 that does not also have their own cross to carry.

We cannot escape the trials of this human existence.

Faith is not a collector's item to be displayed in a glass case.
Faith is digging in the dirt...getting your hands dirty.
Faith is reaching out to others even when we don't feel like it.

Faith...good works...denying self...taking up our cross
all become vital components of following Christ.

We are Blessed to have Jesus to help us carry our cross.
We are not alone; he is with us.
Peace.

Shine Like Lights in the World

~~~ Philippians 2: 12-18 ~~~ Psalm 27 ~~~ Luke 14: 25-33 ~~~

 

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

The light of the Lord continues to shine forth today

because we have accepted the challenge.

The light of the Lord continues to be bright because

we have accepted the invitation.

We must be committed to keep the flame burning.

If we lose focus or turn away from tending to this light;

we will become contributors to the darkness.

 

"...My beloved, obedient as you have always been,
not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent..."

 

God is not dead, as some might want you to believe.

Though we may struggle to see him present among us, we must still

maintain his light of love.

We must be the flickering light in the darkness.

We must believe that God has a bigger plan than we can see,

even with our light shining brightly.

 

Now more than ever it is time for us to be the hope of the world.

It is time for us to believe in the Light of the World.

 

"...shine like lights in the world..."

We know how to tap into the source of all light.

The Lord is our strength and the source of our light.

 

The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

 

 

"...Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple."

 

The only way we can continue to shine our light in the world today is

to also be willing to take up our cross.

Following Jesus requires you to carry your lamp in one hand

even as you struggle to carry the weight of your cross.

 

Without the cross what is the point of keeping the light glowing?

Without the cross, where are we going?

 

Plan...seek peace...denounce possessions...

taken from Luke's gospel today.

 

This is not a formula for doom and gloom

but rather one of complete trust and hope in the Lord.

We are in a period when we must truly walk by faith.

We are prevented from seeing, even with our light,

 what plans he has in store for us.

 

May God continue to guide us and

bless us each and every day.

May God give us the conviction necessary

 to burn brightly

in a world of increasing darkness.

You are the Light of the World...

Are you up to the task?

I pray that we are.