Quick Saying

The reason the hill is so steep, it so that the water can run down faster.
The reason the walk is so hard, it so the blessing can flow down from higher.

Hidden Treasures on a Well Trodden Path

                                    Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto

                                    thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,

                                    and he shall direct thy paths. (Pro 3:5-6)

 

 

Yesterday I awoke to a text message from a friend.  It simply read, “Praying Pro 3:5-6 for you today.” I knew the verse well, but I found it in my Bible anyway. After read the passage, I sent back a message thanking him. The verse complimented PS 37 which had been laid on my heart the previous day. Reading the two passages together God speaking a clear word through the scriptures.

 

 

The passages would be mediated on throughout yesterday. This morning I woke with Pro 3:6 on my mind, as if I had been pondering it in the night. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

 

 

This is a very familiar verse, but familiarity sometimes hides the most modest meanings. Today I have found hidden treasure in this familiar verse. Translating this verse again, a picture emerge that I had previously overlooked .

 

“In all” …“whole”

“Thy ways” … “your road”

“Acknowledge Him”…“intimately know"

"Shall direct” … “make strait or even out”

“Thy paths,” … “caravan or well trodden road”

 

I have used liberty in my choices of terms, though the rephrasing doesn’t change the meaning. The verse comes to life with fresh imagery.

 

                                         “The whole of your road get to know Him intimately,

                                           and He shall make strait your caravan.”

 

I can picture myself at the head of a caravan of camels and donkeys, my family and things loaded onto the rows. I am not alone, Jesus is walking with me and we are talking, laughing, and walking a road together. I have hold of the bridle of the first animal in the procession.  The reigns might be in my hand, but it is His fellowship and guidance which leads us. In truth He has taken hold of my reigns.

The Manifestation of Jesus

                               I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

                        Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me:
                         because I live, ye shall live also.

                         At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
                        He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me:
                        and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him,
                        and will manifest myself to him.                       

                        Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest
                        thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 

                        Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words:
                        and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode
                        with him.
                                                                                                                        (John 14:18-21)


Good Intentions 

Jesus is alive! Not just as a character in a book or a theological idea, but someone we need to know personally. In an attempt to make Christianity less mystical to a skeptical, practical and scientific world, we have watered down the gospel. We have been pretended that the scriptures about the manifestation of Jesus to be only symbolic, not literal and actual. If we desire to hear the voice of God, our faith on this point needs to be made crystal clear. The world will not like it, the atheists will say we are crazy (for that matter the Church might not be thrilled either), but the world has got to hear it strait; Jesus is alive today, and we have met Him!  

We have held to tightly to the reformation-ideology that education alone would bring a better picture of our Savior. That by studying His teachings we could gain a better picture of the Him. We have substituted knowing about Him for actually knowing Him personally.  

To this presentation of the Christian faith the world has asked the most obvious of all questions; “How do these manifestations differ from the manifestation of Buddha, or Mohamed, or other religious leaders?” If this has been our only approach, it does not differ in the slightest! If we have not progressed past teaching Christianity as only a systematic theology, as ethics, as morality or as a world view, we have missed God. We have presented the Living God as out of the picture. Why are we coy about telling the world He is alive?!  

Could it be that Jesus meant what He said and more literally then we have dared portray? What injustice have we done to the gospel by this portrayal of Jesus? Could He actually be living and active, the personal leader of His Church? Could He be listening to our prayers personally? Could He be so alive to us that our prayers stop sounding as speeches made to a deity far removed, and more like a dialogue? A dialog with a friend whom we know well?  

Christianity made devoid of the living God is non-distinct when compared to the pantheon of the religions in the world. Elements of its ethics and morals have been duplicated other places. Have you wondered why the world easily places Christianity on equal footing with other religions? In our practice of the faith we have not distinguished ourselves from the rest. The resurrection has been dismissed as fantasy, and Jesus as only historical figure. Worst of all, because we have not been bold in declaring “He is Alive”, we have allowed it to be done. We have proclaimed the cornerstone of our faith as resurrection of Jesus Christ, but in practice we act as if He were still dead. We have been called liars, fools and hypocrites, and I humbly submit to you that our behavior has been correctly discerned. 

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses 

We have said the right words when speaking of salvation, saying that a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” is the only way to God. However, when a new believer enters our Churches to learn about the Christian life to find change our mind about Jesus. We begin to make excuses for the “personal relationship” with Jesus Christ Himself we preached to them for salvation, but quickly replacing it instead with religious exercises.  

We contradict ourselves by presenting a relationship with God as devotion toward God. A couple of times a week (at best) we attend a Christian meeting in which our religious professionals present a teaching on the scripture. Churches are a learning program. We learn to sing in the general direction of God, learn to give to support God’s work and learn we must attend “God’s House” regularly. We have yet to meet the owner of the house, and assume the works we have been paying for are keeping Him occupied. We are confident will someday meet Him, because we have heard an awful lot about Him.                                    

Through experience our convert learns that his brothers and sisters do not have what was sold to him either: an actual personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Through they are devoted and attentive to the Bible, the Church and doing everything asked of them, even the best of them do not have Him really. If we were the door-to-door salesperson of any other product than religion, we would be jailed for fraud. We have not delivered what we have been selling! How do we believe we will get away with it when we come to judgment day? He will turn away many, saying, “I never knew you” (Matt 7:23)? 

                                    Ever learning, and never able to come to the Knowledge (recognition,

                                    or full discernment) of the truth.

                                                                                    (2Ti 3:7)

                                       A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put

                                    within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your

                                    flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my

                                    spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and

                                    ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

                                                                                                (Eze 36:26-27) 

To take the term “relationship” to mean only the exercise of our devotions toward God is shameful. It shuts us off from the life of God, and leaves us only with religious notions of morals, ethics, and dogmas that we find impossible to actually live. What is missing is the Living God who gave them and promised that He would empower us to do them. The same can be said of living the Christian life as it is of salvation: not only does it require a “personal relationship with God”; it is the reality of that relationship.  

Christocentrism

The principles of the Protestant Reformation moved us away from Catholic practice. Chief amongst these ideas was the “The Priesthood of all Believers”. This is the belief that no other mediator is needed between God and man, aside from Jesus Christ. Historically it smashed the need for a special priesthood and clergy, and put mankind back in direct contact with God. However, this idea demands that each have a personal relationship with the Living God. We hold this doctrine as an article of faith in our churches today. The idea is fine as presented, but in our practice of it as individuals has been lost.  

We have a religious expert at the front of our churches claiming only through education can apprehend God. This was not the experience of the first century Church, they had no Bible! The disciples spoke of what Jesus taught them and told the stories of who He was and what He had done. This Gospel is known as the Karigma Gospel, the message that preceded the recorded scriptures. It was their personal account of the Jesus Christ.  

The theology was the preaching of Jesus from the Old Testament, combined with their eye witness account of His life, death and resurrection. They presented Jesus as not just the head of the Church, but of their lives. They preached these messages with the expectation of His personal care and Lordship over them. Combined this expectation with the preaching of Jesus from the New Testament and we will have the conditions set for renewal of the Church. Recovering the sharpness of the Karigma Gospel in our day, aided by richness of the doctrines birthed in the Reformation will change the Church once again. The recovering of the manifestation of Jesus is key to this, but it makes and learning how to follow Him an absolute necessity.  

                                    And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and

                                    every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall

                                    all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them,

                                    saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will

                                    remember their sin no more.    (Jer 31:34) 

How have we done this? We have read it pages and studies its doctrines, this is not wrong. We have derived morals and ethics from its pages, this is not wrong either. We failed to apprehend the Living God to whom the Bible points; this is absolutely wrong. We have made the same error as the experts in Jerusalem and gotten the same result. They did not know Him when He appeared, and we do not know Him as we should. He will “exhibit” Himself; He will “disclose” himself. This is the claim the scripture and the teaching of Jesus Christ Himself.  

                                    You search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life:

                                    and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me,

                                    that ye might have life. (John 5:39-40) 

We have taken the pats of head from our clergy, as we asked as to why we do not have the same Christian experience as the first century Christians. Why our lives seem dwarfed by the magnitude and impact of the saints in the book of Acts. We have listened intently as they excuse the portions of scripture that point to a greater personal experience of God. We have had our hunger and thrust for God dismissed as being in error, that the Bible does not support such “experiential” Christianity. The final result was we tried to live the scriptures without the life of God which was given in Jesus Christ. The Bible only points to this life, but the life is in Him. 

The manifestation of Jesus is not a projection of our thoughts about who He is. It is not a recollection of all that we know about Him, nor a reconstruction of a lifetime of sermons. It is His actual personhood present in our lives. He is the very heart, center and focus of Christianity and the Bible. Our calling is to follow Him; personally and really.  

The Bible is intended to get us familiar with Jesus Christ. The Old Testament prefigured Him. In the Gospels we see the man. In the letters to the churches we see Him as God.  The most vivid of portrayal of Him comes at the end of the Bible, in the book of Revelation. This book which John the Apostle penned begins with these words, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”. It contains the most accurate pictures of Jesus as He is today. The highest revelation of Him ends the Bible, but our relationship is just beginning. All our learning is in preparation to follow Him.


Into the Market Place


The manifestation of Jesus is worthy to be portrayed in the marketplace of religious ideas with boldness. There is no danger in not placing it above other religious principles. If we properly present Jesus not only raised from the dead, but alive today: God Himself will show Himself. I have no fear in setting the manifestation of Jesus Christ next to the best philosophies of the heathen. They will be thrown down as the fish god dagon was (1Sam Ch. 5). However I tremble at any attempt to set Christian ethics, morals or philosophy up against such a formidable foes. We have tried these approaches and failed. It is Jesus Christ Himself that triumphs over them. He shall put them to open shame. 

Let us be frank about this point; there are more attractive and easily lived religions than Christianity for those only looking to be moral. Christianity rises to impossible heights ethically. Its standards were never meant to be obtained without the direct intervention of God in the life of the person. We have flaunted the high expectations of God to distinguish ourselves from other religions, but failed to obtain them ourselves. We have been trying to obtain them, but without Him.  

                                    Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,

                                    except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

                                    I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in

                                    him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do

                                    nothing.    (John 15:4-5) 

We have attempted to confront an unregenerate world to a standard they could never obtain. Worse than that, we attempted to apply “righteousness” as a means to justify our failure. We have earned ourselves the title as hypocrites. We have lost hold upon the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ Himself, who was the only one to live these standards faultlessly. Without His personal intervention and a real relationship with Him we will keep failing.

                                   

Is He Alive or Isn’t He? 

Let me ask a simple question: What is the Gospel? Jesus came to earth, born of a virgin, He lived, ministered, was crucified, died and one the third day raised to life again. The ending of the gospel narrative leaves us with Jesus Christ alive and well.  

If anyone comes and say an honest prayer before God asking for Him to reveal Himself to them, it will not be long until He does. Our job in the gospel is simply to proclaim the truth, but the truth that He is alive! It is the first truth of the Gospel, and we dare ignore it in our practice. If you call upon Him desiring to know Him, He will exhibit and disclose Himself to us.

                                    Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice,

                                    and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him,

                                    and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me

                                    in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my

                                    Father in his throne. (Rev 3:20-21) 

All of the learning about Him has not been wasted or useless, but compared to the manifestation of Jesus Christ Himself, these have been only misty shadows. The Old Testament pointed forward toward His appearing, the Gospels point directly to Him and after all this we should be able recognize Him today. When we come into contact with Him, though we might not see Him physically, we should be able to identify Him when He speaks.  

Have you seen this same Jesus of the Bible alive and well in your devotions, prayer or life? Jesus is in the business of disclosing himself to whoever will ask after Him. I cannot present to you evidences of His continued existence, for this must remain a matter of faith. The Christian testimony of over two-thousand years has not changed, He is alive!


Dialogue  

                                    And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias;

                                    and to him said the Lord in a vision, “Ananias.” 

                                    And he said, “Behold, I am here, Lord.” 

                                    And the Lord said unto him, “Arise, and go into the street which

                                    is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called

                                   Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a

                                   man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that

                                   he might receive his sight.” 

                                    Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard by many of this man,

                                    how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here

                                    he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy

                                    name." 

                                    But the Lord said unto him, “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel

                                    unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the

                                    children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must

                                    suffer for my name's sake.” 

                                    And Ananias went his way…   (Act 9:10-17)

Who was this Ananias? The answer is no one. Ananias of Damascus is never mentioned again in the scripture outside of these events. The Bible calls him only a disciple: not a prophet, not an apostle, just a disciple. This man is having a dialog with Jesus Christ. Not only did he recognize His Lord, but he received instructions specific enough to rivals modern road map. Ananias even talks with Jesus about his concerns about Saul. The Lord answered is firmly, but without rebuke, and a touch a comfort by telling him his plans for Saul’s life. I submit to you that Ananias was no more than a first century Christian, someone who actually knew the manifestation of Jesus and could recognize Him personally.


                         For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged
                        sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints
                        and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

                        Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are
                        naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.  

                        Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens,
                        Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  

                        For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
                        infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 

                        Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,
                        that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
                       need.                                                                (Hebrews 4:12-16)


The Word of God here is not speaking of the scripture, but the manifestation of Jesus Himself as we stand before Him in prayer. This Word of God is the title of Jesus, the text itself explains this! The writer calls Him “living and active”, “quick and powerful”, “zaō and energēs”, “living and strong.” He is sharp like a sword, His words and questions piercing right to core of matter. It is He who sees all, all of creation manifested in His sight, all creation laid bare and open before His eyes. It is Him who is touched with our infirmities, yet the writer say, “let us therefore come boldly”. This is the manifestation of Jesus Christ, at His throne of grace, and you will find Him personally on it. 

The questions He asks you are piercing like a sharp sword. These questions of God are not because of ignorance. These questions are more of a questioning of us. These are revelations themselves. Have we not heard them before in the scriptures? Can you hear Him in the garden calling to Adam, “Adam where art thou?” (Gen 3:9)? God already knew!  

Can you hear Him asking for the coin used to pay taxes to Cesar? “Whose image and superscription is this?” (Matt 22:20). This is an inquiry based on knowledge, not on ignorance: asked for the sake of the responders, not the responses.  

                                    And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received

                                    tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master

                                    pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the

                                    house, Jesus prevented him, saying,  

                                    “What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the

                                    earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?” 

                                    Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then

                                    are the children free.   ( Matt 17:24-26) 

There are dialogs in scripture, and do not be surprised if when you encounter Jesus when He acts just like this. These have been written for us, so we can recognize Him and how He speaks. When you come with questions and hear, “I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you…” (Mark11:29). This is the same Jesus portrayed in the scriptures!  

He knows you personally, and might ask you to “call your husband” when you have had five (John4:18), or tell a fisherman which side of the boat to fish (John 21:6). He may ask you “Do you love me?” (John 21:15). Have you encountered this Jesus in prayer? Have you come before the His throne of Grace? This same Jesus of the Bible is alive and waiting for you! He is ready to disclose and exhibit Himself to you, if you are ready to follow Him. He is Alive!

What Do You See?

                                     Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
                                     Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of
                                     analmond tree. Then said the LORD unto me, Thou
                                     hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

                                     And the word of the LORD came unto me the second

                                     time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething 

                                     pot; and the face thereof is toward the north. Then the LORD

                                     said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall breakforth upon

                                     all the inhabitants of the land. 

                                                                                             (Jer 1:11-14)

 

Treasures are not found on main street. The books of the prophets are rich treasures for us to explore, but many have never ventured here. Their pages are for more than quotes for the New Testament writers, but are for our learning as well. Exploring these books we find the Biblical equivalent of fine art to display on the screen of our imagination. The Picasso’s and Rembrandt’s are nothing compared with these original masterpieces by God. Each one can be redisplayed for our personal viewing pleasure. Spend some time thinking on these scriptures, and hearing what God said about them. These have been given to us as an example.

In the opening pages of the Book of Jeremiah we find God's discipleship about visions. The still small voice of God came to Jeremiah, but now God showed him something as well. He is having a discussion with Jeremiah about seeing visions and telling him what they mean. We are privy to this personal lesson, as God walks him through a show and tell on interpritation.

First God shows him a still image; we might call it the internal equivalent of a photograph. God displayed this snapshot to Jeremiah and asks, “What do you see?” “The rod of an Almond Tree”. God then explains what He has shown to him, and what it means. Not being a native speaker, we miss the point. The Hebrew words for almond and hasten rhyme. The word for “almond” being pronounced shaw-kade', and the word for “hasten” being said as  shaw-kad'.

The next image is an active image; what we might call the internal equivalent of a video. God asks, “What do you see?” Jeremiah says, “I see a boiling pot, and it is facing the north.” Then God spends the next six verses speaking what this vision means and telling Jeremiah what to do.

This is Gods training program, and it is like no other. The Lord Himself will teach you if you allow Him. How many times did the disciples come to Jesus after a teaching to ask "What were you talking about?" There are other places in the Prophets that can be explored for the same “What do you see?” lessons: Amos 7:8 & 8:2, Zec 4:2 & 5:2.  Do not be amazed if God shows you something, then asks, “What do you see?” Or if He shows you something in a vision that rhymes. Or even if you have to get back to Him and ask, "What did I see?"

                                    Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil

                                    shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

                                    For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of

                                    the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they

                                    shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates

                                    of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereofabout, and

                                    against all the cities of Judah. 

                                    And I will utter my judgments against them touching all

                                    their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned

                                    incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their

                                    own hands.

                                    Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and

                                    speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed

                                    at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

                                    For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city,

                                    and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land,

                                    against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof,

                                    against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

                                    And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail

                                    against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

                                                                                                      (Jer 1:14-19)

The Cross

                                    But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord

                                    Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto

                                    the world.   (Gal 6:14)

The cross as we know it in modern world has lost something of its nature. We are historically removed from its application: no longer can we go to the edge of town to learn of it with our own eyes. We no longer face it personally and actually in our modern world, so its sharpness in our time is blunted. We speak of discomforts as if they were crosses, difficulties as they were deaths to die and believe these experiences are the cross the Bible discribes. In our reading of the scriptures we have noticed its centrality and necessity, and even the warnings from Jesus himself that if we “do not” we “cannot”. Have we felt its death or experienced only discomfort?

                                   

                                    And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me,

                                    cannot be my disciple.    (Luke 14:27)

The cross is a fact of the Christian experience, but many take every opportunity to avoid it. We no longer see it as the necessary agent of change to be embraced, which brings a greater life than can be obtained by just personal reformation. We embrace the cross of “Jesus Christ the King of the Jews”, giving it the just measure of praise for what He won upon it, but deny that there is one with our name on it. At the time Jesus spoke of the cross for “any man would come after me” (Luke 14:27), He had not yet laid its wood upon His back, yet every man there understood of what He spoke.

                                    And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer

                                    persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.  (Gal 5:11)

Paul said that there was an “offence” to the preaching of the cross, but the word in the Greek is “skandalon”; our source for the English word scandal. If the preaching of the cross was attended by scandal, how much more will the bearing it in our own life be attended by the same? Family, friends and those who truly care for us will beg us not to embrace it, and later gather at its base to say “I told you so”. Leonard Ravenhill was fond of saying, “You never have to advertise a real fire, people will come from miles around to watch you burn.” The cross is our scandalous fire which draws a corwd: God's means of advertising.

                                    For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you

                                    even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

                                    Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose

                                    glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.   (Phil 3:18-19)

To think that the cross is our only goal is sheer madness! Many trying to embrace the cross walk in error and obtained only a cross they have designed for themselves. The cross is not to be sadistically employed by us; for in our wisdom we can find an endless list of things we should justifiably suffer it for. Those with crosses of their own design have rejected the cross of Jesus Christ: attempting to reach God by their suffering, rather than His. This spiritual sadism is an ultimate attempt to move the spiritual by the power of the flesh, and though it is framed in Biblical typology, God has nothing to do with these crosses.

                                    Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;

                                    who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,

                                    despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of

                                    the throne of God.   (Heb 12:2) 

God given crosses are another matter, for we would never and have not choosen it; even if we feel worthy of it from time to time. The a true cross by its nature disgusts us, in every way is considered hideous by us and we ourselves call it a scandal, even the Lord Himself "despised its shame". God given crosses are calculated by God; not for just training, correction or pruning; for our death and death alone. This is not a singular topical cross applied to our daily discomforts, but these are season of deep pain which despite our best efforts there is not an escape from: we did not chosen for ourselves.

A true cross is a constructed in faith, because only through faith we understand the difference between what God gives and what we construct for ourselves. It is normal that just before a God given cross is laid upon our backs, God speaks a word to us which is by our own estimation is bigger than ourselves. The suffering we are about to undergo will require trust in the faithfulness of God and hope of a resurrection. For these reasons God has spoken. Just as the Father set before Jesus a “joy”, so too will a joy be set before, and by this joy we too will endure. Our present agony seems to have nothing to do with the fulfillment of the promise, but stands exactly opposing it, so we are in agony all the more. Hold onto that joy, that promise and that last speaking by God; for when the cross is finished its work, it will be all that is left alive.

                                    Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said,

                                    They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known

                                    my ways.   (Heb 3:10)

The scriptures are full of examples of just this process of the cross in others lives. Abraham offered the very son he was promised unto death. Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery before becoming their master. The children of Israel were made to walk through a desert devoid of resources before they could obtain a land flowing with milk and honey. The cross of our Lord as the highest example, the ultimate death, before the ultimate life. All these seemed to mock the promise of God and put them to death just before raising them to life.  

 The application of the cross in Christian living is central, real, painful, full of death and scandalous; but it is one of the ways of God. The promises are sure, but the cross and death are the way to obtain it. Without a death preceeding the promises of God, it can be thought to have been made to come to pass by us. Willed by us into being in our own strength and resources, but by become fulfilled while we are hanging dead upon a cross, everyone knows, only God can raise the dead to life again.

                                    But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross

                                    of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified

                                    unto me, and I unto the world.   (Gal 6:14)