Guardians of Life

Go for a walk in the River. You won't ever be the same.

Month: June 2022

Will You Take it Up

June 22, 2022 /

In my last posting I talked about being worthy. A couple of things to add to that include the “Great Commandment.” To LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. And the second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself. For all the laws and prophets hang on these. You can find this in Matt 22:34-40 and Mark 12:28-31. Its about putting Jesus first. Another part is the second half of the “Great Commandment” where it tells us to love our neighbor. It is listed in this order for a reason. Without Loving God how can we expect to truly love someone else. So in loving God first we need to do more than just say it We need to really do it in order to be worthy. its not easy, but very rewarding.

Now lets talk about the other part of these verses in Matt 10:34-39. In verse 38 it tells us that “he who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.” This is another one of those verses we say yes to but don’t always follow through on. I wonder if it is because we don’t understand the whole cross and crucify thing. This was not a simple punishment thing. Where it happens and then you go home. This was meant for death. You were hung alive and came down dead. Even prior to this you were beaten, whipped and scorned among other things. Therefore the cross was the last part of your punishment. Remember that this was about death not something you were going to survive.

So what does this mean for us? A lot more than we may have first thought. Often times this thought of as being yelled at or made fun of. Maybe even being beaten up for. Yet remember this. The cross is about death. Are we/you/I ready for this? Today’s world is evil and getting worse all the more. We have brothers and sisters in the Middle East getting beheaded. In other parts of the world they are thrown in prison and given barely anything to survive on. Or they are chastised, tortured and removed from loved ones all for the sake of putting their love of God first. How do we compare to this? I don’t know if we do. We still have it pretty good here. Yes the times are getting uncomfortable and stretching us beyond what we have experienced before. It will get worse though. Can we say that we are ready to die for Jesus? This question may not be answered until the moment it is upon us. I can’t say that I am ready for it. I’d be lying if I said “yes I am.” What I do know is that the only answer is Jesus. So I push on getting closer to Him every day that I can. God is my /our strength, protector, security and all and everything we need.

Now to get back to the title of this post, my answer is YES. I will take up my cross and follow Him. There is no other path to follow. I want to hear “well done” when I stand before Him. To be in fear of the world is sin. For this means that I don’t trust or have faith in God. If I die then I will be in Heaven and everyone else can deal with this. Until then I will take up my cross and follow Jesus. Moving forward in Him. Will you do the same and follow Him? Will you take up your cross? Will you be obedient to what He is calling you to do? We can’t be afraid of any sort of the word “No.” A good salesman gets past it. How much more does a child of the living God get past the enemy of our souls. Moving forward in and with God’s love and light. Think about this and say “Yes.”

Be blessed, Ken

Are You Worthy

June 21, 2022 /

Well its been a little bit since I’ve posted. This is one subject I have been chewing on for some time. It is in Matt. 10:34-39 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. ‘

This can and is a hard section of scripture. Knowing and reading it is one thing. Applying it is another. What makes it so hard? At least for me is the obedience part. About 15 months or so ago I made the decision to be obedient to what He was calling me to do. In that time there have been friends and others who have wanted me to come back to where I was before. But I knew that when He told me that “if you go back to what you were before you have failed” I needed to go on.

During this time the Lord has given me encouragement about this path. It has come in the form of devotions, words of knowledge, prophecy and scripture. But when I found this one in Matt. I have had peace. What I have been chewing on is the part about being worthy. I don’t remember how many times I have said that Jesus is my first love or the He is the most important to me. To apply this has been something else. I have said that we need to be obedient to what God has called us to do many times in this blog. Know this, I have had to follow my own advise. At first it was hard to do. But as I have gone along it has gotten easier though not without some challenges.

Our world has gone the way of the evil one and is getting worse every day. And God has been aware of this all the more. So as we hear of His desire to make changes for the better we cheer. Then we think of how He wants to do it and where. He first starts with His children. The Church. Like anything else He wants to do He uses His people to get it done. That means we need to be obedient to what He asks of us. We can’t say “not my calling” or “this is for someone else” during this time. He needs you and me to do this. That is why I have been following this path. I want to be obedient. I want to be worthy. I so Love my wife and family, but Jesus is first.

So, I ask that you read over this section of scripture many times. Let it sink in. Then ask God what He wants of you. Where are you to go or what to do. And yes it may be hard to do. Yet, you will not be alone. He will be with you every step of the way. Equipping you and encouraging you as you move forward. Also remember that you are building up treasures in Heaven and blessings as you go. For myself, I have enjoyed watching God’s people move in their gifts of the Holy Spirit. Seeing lives changed for the better. Knowing God is the center of it all. So, To God goes all blessing, honor, glory and all the credit.

Thank you God for allowing me to be part of this. For encouraging me to step out in faith. To be obedient in all that you would have me do. For the times I haven’t done what you asked or was disobedient in any way I ask for your forgiveness. Thank you for forgiving me.

Be blessed, Ken

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