taking up the cross

Going back to yesterday's thoughts, have you ever really thought about what it means to "take up your cross daily"? Let's think about this together. Just look at the cross and what happened there. A man hung in horrific, unspeakable pain. He had just taken the worse beating anyone could ever take. They say most people died from the beating and never made it to the cross. Jesus' flesh was ripped off His back from the whip they used. So as He tried to raise up against the cross, made of rugged wood, His exposed bones and muscles would be rubbing against it. This went on for six hours. Not only was it the cross painful, it was a humiliating event. More than likely Jesus was not on a hill far away, but right outside the city gates. He was hung there to be a public display. "What do you think about your king now?" was the cry of the religious rulers. And as people walked in and out of the city there was Jesus for the people to see, to mock, to curse at, to spit on, to question Him. But although the cross is a place of pain and humiliation, it's also a place of hope, a place of victory. Jesus had to endure the pain and humiliation so He could be our sacrificial Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). He is our sacrifice that brings us into a relationship with the Father. "Thank you Jesus for enduring the cross for us." Through Jesus, we have hope. Anything and everything, no matter what we face in this life, cannot compare to the cross, therefore, we can look to the cross and find encouragement, healing, strength, and love. We can go to the cross and live in victory. We can go to our Savior, Jesus Christ, because He has experienced the problems we face and He will bring us through them, making us a stronger person. Are you taking up your cross daily? There are so many people who need this message, a message of hope, a message of victory. If we are not carrying our cross, then they are not getting the message. Christians, pick up your cross for all to see. If you have laid it aside, go back and get it. Together, lets give what people need...hope and encouragement. Randy