LIVING ON THE CROSS

And [Jesus] said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? (Luke 9:22-25 ESV)

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? (Luke 14:25-28 ESV)

            Followers of Jesus are to consider the cost of living on the cross, which speaks of giving up items of great personal value. Luke 9 is a description of sacrificing “self-focused love” and Luke 14 is a description of sacrificing “the love of every treasured item and relationship.”  Followers of Jesus are to lay at the altar of grace halfhearted devotion and divided loyalties.

            The Luke 14 passage reveals that His statement was made while traveling. Those condemned to crucifixion were normally staked alongside major thoroughfares. Were crosses located along the roadway they were traveling? Did the condemned serve as a natural illustration? Luke only records Jesus’ charge, yet was the requirement of faith both seen and heard while they were traveling?

A cross to bear

            My wife and I ministered in a Minnesota town claiming to be 70% Roman Catholic, 20% Lutheran, and 10% all the other churches combined. By my second meeting with the church leadership council I announced we would evangelize Catholics. A majority of the 70% were affiliated with the church by name only, and through their required participation in the annual “My fair share” financial program, done grudgingly. I even told one of the priests my intentions. He laughed and showed little concern. During the five years overseeing this little congregation, many Roman Catholics started attending, mostly young families.

            One couple at the church was Mike and Sally, dairy farmers. Like many who work the family farm, he labored with the understanding of one day becoming the inheritor. The parents, however, became unhappy with his decision to leave the Roman Catholic Church.

            Mike came to my office one morning very troubled. His dad had just given an ultimatum. If he did not return to the family church, he would lose the inheritance. He loved the farm and wanted to continue the legacy, the family business. He asked me what he should do.

            Coming from an unchurched home and placing faith in God as a teenager, I understood the quandary of choosing between family and faith. The decision had to be exclusively his. This was his cross. I assured him the congregation would understand if he felt they had to do what his father was demanding. We spent time praying together.

            After Mike went on a prolonged personal journey of prayer and reflection, he sat down with his dad for a talk. While fully resolved to live with the consequences, he kindly told him of his love for the family and the farm, but he would not be returning to the family church. Mike also mentioned that his dad should do what he thought best, and he would always love him no matter if he decided to disinherit him. Dad changed his mind.

            The story has a happy ending for Mike, but many are not so fortunate.

Hanging on the cross of Calvary

            If there is going to be any spiritual development in your life, there must be a death to self. When it comes to notoriety, to position, to prestige, to influence, and to power, there must be a complete dying out of want and wishes. With a deeper dying to self, ambitions for status are reduced and what remains is a deep desire to lift up Christ and serve Him fully.

            All subtle, insidious infiltrations of pride are crucified. All selfish motivations are nailed. All ambitions of attainment are pierced with a sword. Everything experiences the agony of letting go until the soul cries out, “It is finished.”

            When the cross is embraced as a mode of living, every area of life feels the pain. Every point of contact on the rough wood and every physical strain for comfort only adds to the anguish. There is absolutely no area of life that can avoid or evade the torture and misery of the cross. From the highest to the lowest level of the inward being, everything becomes saturated with the spirit of Calvary.

            There is great torment associated with the dying of self. Desires and drives personally deemed acceptable and legitimate come under scrutiny. The only passion remaining is the deep groaning to do the will of God. The only objective still intact is abiding in Christ and walking in the Spirit moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day.

Carefully consider

            The value of the various sufferings is taking the self-element to the cross. Most people want to identify with power but they must also identify with pain. Paul wrote Philippian believers, “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11 ESV)

            In America, there is so much of self-seeking involved in life. It is not always money. Sometimes notoriety, fame, and the ability to directly or indirectly call attention to self, rules the heart. Many subtleties must be regularly guarded against.

            The more you become like Him in His death, the more you experience the daily expression of resurrection power. Most people want to take a shortcut but none exists. If you want to see the Lord manifested in a great and tremendous way, you must identify not only with His suffering but also His death.

            What does “like Him in His death” mean? Examine the cross for the answer! When a person hangs on the cross, there is no going anyplace unless carried or taken. When hanging on the cross, there are no future plans, no future ambitions and desires as it concerns this world. On the cross there is no holding on to anything. The person turns loose of everything.

            Most people are known for having tremendous potential, but they never come in greater fullness to what God has for them because of clinging to this, that, or some other thing. They grasp onto selfish pride, greedy desires, and covetous agendas.

Your cross

            Nothing can take preeminence and precedence over the will of God. To every ambition and every motive Jesus declares, “Take up your cross.” The challenge of the crucified life, to live dead, is removing self from your personal throne and allowing Jesus to rule and reign over every dimension of your being.

            While visiting New York City, a few Illinois ministers and their spouses spent an afternoon sitting in an office located just off of Times Square, talking with David Wilkerson. One of his more memorable comments gave attention to living a devoted life as an older and longtime follower. He said, “I thought as I got older it would be easier living for God but it isn’t.” I am now one of those older, longtime believers and better understand what he meant.

            I will have been following Jesus for fifty years next month. When starting the journey, I was one very messed up kid. The actions, attitudes and ambitions needing attention were too numerous to count. God graciously unwrapped the onion of my soul, one layer at a time instead of all at once, revealing another tearful odor. He brought me down the road of life until I was ready to address another fault and failure, associated with abiding in the righteousness of Christ, allowing some distance between each confrontation and reducing the overwhelming sense of discouragement.

            Just the other day a situation occurred that surfaced an unsavory odor, and I found myself wondering, “Now where did that come from?” One more attitude needed attention and the time had come to nail it to the cross.

            Hope is only found in God while facing the agonizing moments connected to living on the cross. Crucifixion is a lifelong experience, and when the temporal comes to an end, the ultimate resurrection follows. Until then, depend on new-life power, divinely available during those moments when you come up short of His glory. Tap into His power often, and do not rely on personal strength to overcome during the painful moments of reproof and correction. (2 Timothy 3:16)

ELIJAH

            From Moses is a lesson on intercessory prayer, unselfish in nature. From Job is a lesson on prayer in life’s darker moments, sensing His sovereignty. From Samuel is a lesson on knowing the voice of God, the One speaking and giving the guidance. From David is a lesson on blending petitions and praise, with praise focusing on the Lord and petitions focusing on needs. From Solomon is a lesson on asking, making requests acknowledges dependence. From Elijah is a lesson on passionate praying, and also misguided prayers.

            The Bible reveals not only the zealous exploits of the prophet but also his frustrations and failures. Anyone on account of any series of events has the potential of becoming the glory or the scandal of grace.

The Challenge

            And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” (1 Kings 18:36-37 ESV)

            One of the more famous stories in the older covenant involves the promoters of idolatry contending with the prophet of God. (1 Kings 18) Elijah challenged chief idolaters to a duel. Which divine being was truly supreme? Which ruling force existed and could actually listen? At a location overseeing the Mediterranean Sea, the contest had been arranged. He proclaimed, “If Jehovah be God then serve Him, if Baal be god then serve him.”

            The promoters of deceit and falsehood were given first opportunity to invoke a sleeping god. They performed their dance routine eagerly and fervently, using every technic in their parchment of hocus-pocus. Nothing achieved the desired outcome.

            The prophet of honesty and authenticity came forward. He dampened his chances for success, taking the results completely out of his hands. Only the one True God could bring about the preferred results. Jehovah responded and the fake was exposed and eliminated.

            The content of Elijah’s prayer is a mirror of his heart. His sole passion was to restore the thoughts of the people back to God. He was praying a “whatever it takes” kind of prayer. The miraculous demonstration of might that followed returned the people to the one True God. The people fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord – He is God.” They recognized that Baal was no god at all.

The Toll

            I grew up in a musical family, everyone played instruments and/or sang. As a teenager, I played the saxophone in a rock band and was a backup singer. After committing my life to Christ, I auditioned and was selected as a member of a statewide gospel choir, spending three weeks in the Hawaiian Islands performing concerts. In the Air Force I was a regular soloist in a local church. While attending college, I led the singing in the weekly worship services and directed an Easter cantata. In the ministry assignment following college, I started the first choir in the history of that church.

            My second ministry assignment intensified the music focus. The pastor wanted a Singing Christmas Tree event. I had heard about this new kind of evangelism tool but had never seen one. Some men in the church came up with a tree design and helped construct the set. I created a musical called, “Christmas Around the World.” The church hosted the first singing Christmas tree in the community and was featured on the local news.

            The pastor’s wife was the church pianist and a great encouragement. Together we created a children’s Christmas musical. The viewing audience and parents of the kids loved it. Another church in the State used the script for several years.

            Resurrection Sunday was filled with music but in place of an Easter musical a springtime Festival of Praise was created and produced, performed the weekend before Mother’s Day. The event became a highlight of the season.

            Through years of church ministry, I was privileged to direct various choirs for Minister Ordination Services, Mission Conventions, and occasionally lead the singing at statewide Minister Retreats, all requiring special practices and lots of logistical coordination. I knew well the emotional toll caused by producing and directing heart-stirring events.

            Pastoral ministry eventually brought me to a musically gifted church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I flew in for the initial interview and met some impassioned believers in Christ. After the formal dialogue at a church member’s home, the group mingled together while enjoying refreshments. The conversations I overheard seemed to focus primarily on music. All of a sudden four of the women went to a piano for an impromptu practice and started singing an upcoming song. Their voices were fantastic, the blending was superb, and the spontaneous rehearsal was virtually flawless.

            Up to this time in church ministry my wife and I had never seen such a musically talented church. The orchestra and choir were of a professional quality. The three seasonal musical events performed each year were the talk of the suburbs. People came great distances to attend one of the numerous performances. Each production was presented to packed-out crowds. Numerous decisions for Christ occurred in every presentation.

            The various Ministers of Music serving with me were the best. They worked tirelessly for months to achieve phenomenal results, almost to their detriment. Since I had created and overseen my fair share of special happenings, I took careful interest in their emotional wellbeing when an event was over. I demanded they take extra time away from the office and give additional time to spiritual and family connections.

            One particular servant of the Lord struggled with my instructions to have downtime. The adrenaline rush from the high-pitch emotional experience often lingered and he wanted to keep going in high gear. I literally had to forbid him from coming to work. Later he saw the wisdom of my actions and thanked me.

            What happened to Elijah after Mount Carmel can happen to anyone. (1 Kings 19) The emotional drain from a highly successful extravaganza leaves a person vulnerable to intensely low feelings. The mood swings are often extreme. Unfortunately, no one was in a place of authority to watch out for the prophet, telling him to cool his jets and quit trying to compete with superman.

            Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” (1 Kings 19:3-4 ESV)

            When the reputation of God is at stake, prayers are passionate and actions are intense. Yet watch out for what often happens next. An unhealthy mental outlook easily follows.

A time for everything

            There is a time to pray passionately and a time to rest guardedly. Prayers when exhausted and depressed easily become emotional pleadings that contradict God’s nature and grace. The Lord does not condemn misguided prayers when life seems overwhelming, and thankfully He does not respond as dictated by the errant request.

            Physically and mentally drained, Elijah requested to escape earth by death. God had greater plans for him, a whirlwind escape while riding a chariot of fire. Thank God for unanswered prayers during depleted moments.

            Pray with passion, especially when God’s honor is involved, yet pray cautiously when weary and worn.

SOLOMON

            From Moses comes a lesson about intercessory prayer, given unselfishly for others. From Job comes a lesson about prayer during the dark moments of life, gaining a sense of God’s sovereignty. From Samuel comes a lesson about the voice of God, knowing who is speaking before obeying the message. From David comes a lesson about petitions and praise, blending the two together. From Solomon comes a lesson about asking.

Solomon

            Solomon is recorded as being the wisest man who ever lived, yet he was still a human and his wisdom was not all-inclusive, requiring him to bring every decision to God in prayer. He was considered a shrewd administrator, a competent diplomate, and an able commander-in-chief. But was everything he did wise? He had three hundred wives and seven hundred concubines. Seriously? No man can even understand one. Not too smart to me! This action as well as the excessive accumulation of horses and the amassing of great wealth even went against the directives of the Law of Moses. (Deuteronomy 17:16-17)

            He made his mistakes, ended up committing idolatry, and lived to tell others about his folly. Three books in the wisdom and poetry section in the older covenant are normally attributed to him. The passion of the Song of Songs was composed in the Spring of his years. The counsel of Proverbs was developed in the Summer of his years. And the folly of Ecclesiastes was chronicled in the Autumn of his years.

Seeking wisdom

            The beginning of his reign over Israel showed a lot of promise. The immensity of the assignment was mind boggling to him, and his youth and inexperience caused a healthy crisis. Fretting and agonizing produced a calamity of the soul, bringing him to wonder, “Where can anyone get enough smarts to manage the various hats I have to wear?”

            As the ministry entrusted to my stewardship developed, I began being asked to become a member of various boards and committees. My initial approach was the following: If asked then it must be God’s will for me to do. The invitation was never brought before the Lord in prayer, I automatically accepted.

            Eventually the volume of work required others taking control of my schedule. Two women ended up dictating my life, my wife and my executive assistant. They became great friends with each other and made sure my personal and professional calendars were kept in right priority. There was very little discretionary time left.

            One day I came to the office and noticed my Daytimer was filled from morning to evening with various committee meetings. While heading toward the conference room for the first session I asked my assistant, “How many committees do I serve on?” She said she would check and let me know when I was done with the first appointment. She researched and told me afterwards I served on eighteen committees and chaired nine of them.

            Committee work is a slow turning wheel seeing only gradual progress, if any advancement at all. Grace and patience is an absolute prerequisite. Serving on too many committees leaves the door wide open for frustration and even discouragement. The time came for me to assess and determine through prayer where the Lord wanted me to serve. The wisest attribute I gained from the experience was when to respond to an invitation, “God has someone else in mind for the assignment.”

Ask

            At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” (1 Kings 3:5-9 ESV)

            Solomon was instructed by the Lord to “ask.”  Asking acknowledges dependence upon Him. God has made the labor associated with a divine appointment contingent on exercising prayer and asking for help.

            Before Solomon ever launched his petition he made a few notable acknowledgements. God had shown great mercy and kindness to the previous leader. The Lord made him the next leader. And he felt utterly unable to oversee God’s people who were “too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.”

            Solomon was feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of responsibility. He gained an answer not only by his humble attitude but by his unselfishness. His concern was for the welfare of those under his care. He did not consider the recipients of his leadership as his own people but as a uniquely chosen people belonging to the Lord. He wanted to carry out God’s will and work as a leader on His behalf in a manner that reflected Him.

            In the mid-years of church ministry, I became determined to discipline myself in how I spoke, avoiding certain terminologies commonly used in church ministry. During a moment of contemplation, I grew increasingly uncomfortable with the possessive nature of some phrases; such as “my ministry,” or “my congregation,” or “my church.”

            Paul instructed Timothy that the duties of the Call are prayerfully entrusted, a divine stewardship. The ministry, congregation and church are never the property of an overseer, rather, a stewardship has been entrusted and based solely on continued faithfulness. (2 Timothy 2:2)

            Solomon came to the same conclusion about the people of Israel as I did about the people of the Church. When talking to God, he desired a wisdom to lead indiscriminately and to administrate fairly the people entrusted to his stewardship.

Heavenly wisdom

            The New Testament proverbial writer James gave some great clues about heavenly wisdom:

            “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17 ESV)

            “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5 ESV)

            “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” (James 3:13-16 ESV)

            You will know when the wisdom you exercise is divine in nature by these diverse qualities and attributes.

Get help

            Are you experiencing something causing you to feel overwhelmed?  Then ask for heavenly wisdom, insight from above. And make sure you ask for the right reason, as an act of stewardship instead of possession.

DAVID

            Different Bible characters can help deepen your prayer life.  Moses shows intercessory prayer as the most unselfish kind of praying. Job shows the importance of embracing God’s sovereignty during life’s darker moments. Samuel shows the need of knowing the voice of God, the central issue of prayer being hearing and obeying His voice.  David shows the value of blending petitions with praise.

            The Word of God is increasingly losing influence in shaping the thoughts and lives of men and women throughout the country. More and more of the stories contained in Scripture are not known by the general population, or known inaccurately, such as an apple being the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden and the large fish swallowing Jonah being a whale. Probably some of the last stories of the Bible that will be forgotten in America involves the life of David.

David

            If someone walking on a busy downtown sidewalk was asked, “What stories do you know in Scripture?” no doubt some would mention David fighting Goliath, or David having sexual relations with Bathsheba. Yet the greatest lessons coming from his life surround his devotion to prayer. Although the man was not perfect by any means, he attempted to have his life ruled by constant dialogue with God.

            When reading the numerous psalms penned by King David, a pattern of praise and petition is readily seen. Do your prayers reflect a balance between praising and petitioning God? The entranceway to the heavenly throne is praise, bringing you into His presence. An audience with the Lord, where petitions can be laid at His feet, is made possible by thanksgiving and praise.

            The human heart and soul should blend and balance praise and petition. David praised God for all things and with all means, including musical instruments and choral songs. His praise was not defined by mindless chants and excessive redundancy. His actions were not what is normally witnessed at high school pep rallies, repeatedly shouting simple phrases in an effort to build excitement and enthusiasm. His psalms show a heart moved and inspired by the Holy Spirit, expressing deep-seated groanings for an encounter with God, often too unfathomable for human comprehension.

Praise

            From David gain a sense of divine melody:

            For the director of music. To the tune of The Death of the Son. A psalm of David. I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. (Psalm 9:1-2 ESV)

            A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. (Psalm 92:1-4 ESV)

            A psalm of praise. Of David. I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. (Psalm 145:1-3 ESV)

Petition

            Also from David gain a sense of holy supplication. David’s petitions encompass a variety of situations and circumstances:

            Petition for guidance – “Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.” (Psalm 5:8 ESV)

            Petition for cleansing from hidden and willful sin – “Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.” (Psalm 19:12-13 ESV)

            Petition for blessing – “Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!” (Psalm 31:16 ESV)

            Petition for right words and thoughts – “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14 ESV)

            Petition for help when overwhelmed – “Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.” (Psalm 69:1-3 ESV)

Blend

            Prayers should be a blending of petitions and praise. “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah. … Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” (Psalm 67:1, 3 ESV)

            These personal reflections are much shorter than normal. Will you use the time normally spent on reading today for talking with God? Come into His presence with thanksgiving in your heart, and enter His gates with praise right now, then with gladness of heart lay your burdens before Him. (Psalm 100) Do not delay!