Taking Up Your Cross
I am afraid that most Christians don't really comprehend the meaning of "taking up their cross." The cross is an instrument of death. To take it up is to die. Spiritually, it means to die to self, so that we can totally follow Jesus and His will for our lives. That is the will of God for every believer. It is only a small percentage of believers who really die to self for the sake of God's kingdom work.
I say this because I want to ask you to pray especially for Jeff and Lori Loomis, my daughter and son-in-law. They have truly taken up their cross and followed Jesus to the mission field. In order to begin serving they have had to spend 40 hours a week for 4 years studying one of the most difficult languages in the world. There have been no sermons preached, or Bible studies taught, yet. There has only been a limited ability to witness to this point. They have made friends and shared the Gospel in simple ways trying to let Jesus show through them. However, there have been many late nights studying. There have been many hours of class and in practice in speaking and writing. All of this while having a young son and recently a new daughter. It almost sounds like torture to most of us, I am sure.
It was not what they would have chosen to do, if they had followed their flesh. They would have taken the easy road. They would have stayed in the USA. They would have been around the familiar things, instead of in a strange culture. God had a different plan. He told them to go to Japan. He laid a burden on their hearts for the people. They said. "yes", so they had to take up the cross and follow Him. Now, they are nearing the end of the language process. On Friday in Japan, Thursday evening here, they will undergo their evaluations for level 5. This what they have been seeking to achieve for these 4 years. Now, it is in sight. I praise God that they have been faithful to the Lord and faithful to the task. Now, I am praying for the Lord to bless them in the evaluations and to speak through them to their Japanese teachers. The very ones who have equipped them to share the Word, need to hear the Word. Will you join me in praying for them? Will you, also, seriously ask God to show you how to take up your cross, whatever it might be, so you can serve Him completely, too? Just think of the joy that lies ahead, if we will.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Kings 8-9 and Luke 21:1-19.
I say this because I want to ask you to pray especially for Jeff and Lori Loomis, my daughter and son-in-law. They have truly taken up their cross and followed Jesus to the mission field. In order to begin serving they have had to spend 40 hours a week for 4 years studying one of the most difficult languages in the world. There have been no sermons preached, or Bible studies taught, yet. There has only been a limited ability to witness to this point. They have made friends and shared the Gospel in simple ways trying to let Jesus show through them. However, there have been many late nights studying. There have been many hours of class and in practice in speaking and writing. All of this while having a young son and recently a new daughter. It almost sounds like torture to most of us, I am sure.
It was not what they would have chosen to do, if they had followed their flesh. They would have taken the easy road. They would have stayed in the USA. They would have been around the familiar things, instead of in a strange culture. God had a different plan. He told them to go to Japan. He laid a burden on their hearts for the people. They said. "yes", so they had to take up the cross and follow Him. Now, they are nearing the end of the language process. On Friday in Japan, Thursday evening here, they will undergo their evaluations for level 5. This what they have been seeking to achieve for these 4 years. Now, it is in sight. I praise God that they have been faithful to the Lord and faithful to the task. Now, I am praying for the Lord to bless them in the evaluations and to speak through them to their Japanese teachers. The very ones who have equipped them to share the Word, need to hear the Word. Will you join me in praying for them? Will you, also, seriously ask God to show you how to take up your cross, whatever it might be, so you can serve Him completely, too? Just think of the joy that lies ahead, if we will.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Kings 8-9 and Luke 21:1-19.