Take Up Your Cross - Part 2

Jesus said in, Luke 9:22-23 “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” Take Up the Cross and Follow Him Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

Continuing Michael’s message, he writes that the weakest things of God are stronger than the greatest strength of men. To overcome the evil ones power of darkness is to walk in the light as He (Jesus) is in the light. Our identity with Christ is the Cross of Christ. For I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me.  And the life that I now live I live by faith in the one who loved me and gave himself for me – Galatians 2:20. We identify with Christ in our actions, not in our intentions. Love is an action verb. We were called to love our Lord by our actions for we are His living epistles (letters and dispatch). Anything we do that is acceptable unto God begins with our denying ourselves.  Anything done for our own self-fulfillment will come to naught. Pride is the first enemy needing to be defeated. We must crucify our sinful flesh desires in order to live for the Lord.

King Uzziah built up his military and became mighty according to the world's standards. In his strength, he was lifted up with pride and thought that he could approach God on his own terms instead of God's terms. According to 2 Chronicles 26:19-21: “Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the Lord had struck him. King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord. Then Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.”

According to Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” 

By his prideful disobedience King Uzziah did not accept God's warning. He suffered the consequences of his disobedience. The greatest test in life is not your success but your failures. When we fail according to the godless world's standards, then God can intervene. James said, rejoice in tribulation. For when we are weak in our flesh, then we are strong in the power of His might.  As John the Baptist said, "Less of me and more of thee ... I must decrease that he may increase."

As Martin Luther wrote in his great hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God: "Did we in our own strength confide, our battle would be losing, we're not the right hand on our side, the man of God's own choosing. Doth ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is he.  And he must win the battle.

May God richly bless you! Happy Good Friday!

Your brother in Christ, Michael