MUST JESUS BEAR THE CROSS ALONE?

SCRIPTURE

Psalm 119:81-88 (NRSV)

The faithful persecuted

My soul languishes for your salvation;
I hope in your word.
My eyes fail with watching for your promise;
I ask, "When will you comfort me?"
For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
How long must your servant endure?
When will you judge those who persecute me?
The arrogant have dug pitfalls for me;
they flout your law.
All your commandments are enduring;
I am persecuted without cause; help me!
They have almost made an end of me on earth;
but I have not forsaken your precepts.
In your steadfast love spare my life,
so that I may keep the decrees of your mouth.

DEVOTION

Hmm…Today’s devotion reminds me that walking in The Way is often a hard and arduous job fraught with great peril.

I often run into people who truly believe that because they are Christians, they are not supposed to experience any hardship, pain or betrayal. They have bought the myth, hook, line, and sinker that if you follow Jesus you will simply tippy toe through the tulips for the rest of your life.

Some Christians believe that praying “in the Name of Jesus” is akin to having a genie in a bottle. You just make your wishes, “in the Name of Jesus” and everything you ever wanted or desired comes to you.

My, my, my! It is my firm assertion that folks who believe this do not read their Bibles very closely, if at all. As Christians, scripture call us to be followers of Jesus! Jesus journeyed The Way of the cross. He experienced great hardship, pain, and betrayal and he told us plainly, “‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Scripture also makes it very plain that God is not Santa Clause, nor a genie in the bottle. Instead, the Bible teaches, “And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.”

WOOT, there it is! Saying “in Jesus Name” at the end of our selfish prayers does not guarantee that God will answer in the affirmative. Rather, it is when our hearts agree with the heart and will of God, that our prayers will be answered!

So, where is the GOOD NEWS in this for Christians? If all of our wishes aren’t granted and we have to go The Way of the cross which is a path of suffering and shame, why would anyone want to be a Christian?

Well, the answer is simple! LOVE is the greatest motivator of any human being. For those of us who are Christians we are motivated by love—to love. God loves every human being so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life. In response to God’s great love, we are called to love others, no matter what the cost!

You know, I find that it is easy for me to love people sacrificially, when I remember that what I am able to see today, is not all that there is! There is a whole unseen spiritual world all around us more wonderful than we can even imagine; eternity awaits, my friends! It is beckoning, calling, and summoning us home!

As we love others, we hasten the coming of God’s Kingdom on Earth, as it is in Heaven! As we love and care for others, we become the hands, feet, mouth, and heart of Jesus in the world! Good deed, by good deed, we re-create the world anew in the image of Jesus, the Christ.

Dear ones, this is the highest calling a soul can aspire to! Can you believe that we get to be partners with God in this GOOD NEWS ministry to redeem the whole world to Christ?

It is the greatest honor of my life that I get to say—or do—anything that will help somebody to understand God’s great love and to midwife a soul into an eternal relationship with Jesus!

Although there will be days when we pray like the Psalmist, “My soul languishes…waiting on your promise…as I endure unjust persecution;” be of good cheer! We know how this story ends!

All stories that begin, “Once upon a time JESUS…” end, “and they lived happily ever after!”

Now, ain’ta that GOOD NEWS?!

Will you endure hardship, persecution, pain, and betrayal for the sake of the Cross?

If so, please pray with me:

Holy God, as I seek to follow you, my cross sometimes feels heavy. I hear the taunts and jeers of those who think that my life is a joke. I am persecuted by people who are confused; and who think that my faith is a crutch. Please help me to show forth Your love, joy, and peace in every situation. I know that ultimately I am already victorious because of Your shed blood upon the cross! As Your follower, I have been gifted with forgiveness of sin and eternal life with you. I desire that gift for all of Your children. Please help me to be faithful to the call to bring Your GOOD NEWS to all who need it; no matter what the cost! In Jesus Name, Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus today, please visit my blog entitled, “Putting All Your Hope In Jesus” located at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/putting-all-your-hope-in-jesus.html

If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.

EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right!

Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.

From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com