Hi all,
I'm
starting with a confession of sin, something I've had to deal with over
the years that only recently have I overcome, and that overcoming is
due to something the Father asked me.
Back
when Barb and I were high school age and were at a restaurant, she
would often ask if she could try a bite of what I had ordered, and of
course I didn't mind - she was my girlfriend after all. She would try to
return the favor by asking if I wanted to try some of hers, but I
would nearly always reply 'No thanks', which meant in man-terms, "If I
wanted what you ordered I would have ordered it."
Here it comes
Somewhere
through the years of marriage she stopped asking permission to sample
what I ordered and would just reach over with her fork and take a bite. I
came to resent that. At some point years ago I closed the smorgasbord
and made my plate off limits to her wandering appetite.
She
apologized saying she didn't realize how much it bothered me,
I explained that it did, and she learned to ask permission, which I have
always gladly given. We share appetizers and desserts, but there was
always something about the meal itself.
And
so it was this summer coming back from a ministry trip we found
ourselves at a regional restaurant called "Freddy's", which is known for
very thin hamburger patties grilled to where the edges are nicely
browned...and their ice cream...yum. Barb had ordered a bacon
cheeseburger and I had ordered their double patty "California burger",
which is a direct reference to the California based "In-N-Out Burger"
chain's burger with special sauce, and Freddy's version is very, very
close to theirs.
As
we were eating, Barb commented mine looked good and I replied it was
delicious. She was testing the waters I realize now, but at the time
I didn't know I was being set up. After an appropriate amount of silence
and after we'd each had another bite of our own sandwiches she asked,
"May I have a bite of yours?"
When she said that anger started rising in me, but in the split second my blood pressure started to rise the Father broke right through the moment asking me this:
"I know you'd take a bullet for her, laying down your life for her; So why is it hard for you to give her a bite of your cheeseburger?"
In
that moment my heart was opened for me to see it as the Father saw it,
and I was horrified. I judged myself as a lifetime of 'protecting my
territory eating' flashed by my eyes in between that 1st and 2nd second
after she asked. In that split second I replied to Barb: "Sure, have all
you want", and meant it. I had no idea protecting my food as mine, all
mine, through the years was a heart-issue.
Barb
has suggested I became territorial about my food because after my dad
left money was tight for mom with 4 kids to feed, and we each protected
what was on our plates because there may not have been any second
helpings. I don't know why, but I didn't like what I saw in my heart
that day.
Laying down your life, picking up the cross?
I
would guess that most Christians have wondered if someone burst through
the door with a gun, line everyone up, and ask if they were a
Christian, and then kill all Christians one by one, if they would have
the bravery to NOT deny the Lord in that moment.
That
kind of situation used to be hypothetical until in recent years that
exact thing has happened in various places around the world, from ISIS
controlled areas to a college campus in Oregon.
However,
laying down your life for someone doesn't begin and end at the point of
a gun. No, you lay down your life in little ways every day, from
sharing a bite of a cheeseburger to mowing the elderly neighbor's yard
even though you are very tired after a long day of work, to choosing
good thoughts about a person as you pray for them when you want to yell
good and hard at them.
How taking up your cross is laying down your life - and what it means
In Matthew 16:16
Peter exclaimed Jesus is the Son of God, and Jesus told him the Father
had shown that to him. After the revelation He is God's Son was made
known, Jesus goes on to tell them in v21 He would die at the hands of
the leaders and rise the third day. Peter took Him aside and rebuked the
Lord, saying "...it shall never happen to you!"
In v23-24 the Lord responded: "Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you do not mind the things of God, but you mind the things of man. If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.."
The cross He is talking about is Peter's ideas for Jesus' life versus the Father's ideas for Jesus' life.
How do you lay down your life?
Peter
didn't want Jesus to go to the cross, Jesus told him to crucify those
thoughts of man. Therefore taking up the cross means stripping yourself
of your own earth-based and flesh-based opinions about a person or
situation, and change your thoughts to God's thoughts about them.
The
fact Jesus used the cross as the example of switching from man's
thoughts to God's thoughts, tells us He knew that process can be
tortuous and painful to the flesh. Jesus went on to say if you want to
save your life - your human-based thoughts, you will lose your life. But
if you make that switch to God's way of thinking, you will find your
life.
Though my thoughts are wrong, they are known and comfortable! New thoughts make me afraid!
To
Peter the thought of Jesus going to the cross was opposite everything
he had believed of Messiah - but Jesus said lay those old thoughts down
because they are man's thoughts. Crucify them. Not harbor them in the
back recesses of your mind. Kill them.
How
hard was that for Peter to give up, kill, all thoughts he had been
trained all his life about how Messiah would kick out the Romans
and usher in another golden era for Israel? Jesus said to crucify those
thoughts Peter. Let them die a tortuous death if need be - sputter,
object, cry, yell, but in the end, let those thoughts die. Work through
them. The process is the journey.
Taking
up one's cross is not a sickness to carry through life, nor is it
caring for an aged relative in their last years, nor is it putting up
with a horrible neighbor next door. Taking up the cross is ending man's
thinking and taking up God's thinking. That is called 'renewing the
mind' from Romans 12:1-2
Cheeseburger remix
I
thought it was normal husband-wife squabbles. I've seen many other
couples and those wives did the exact same thing as my wife. (There must
be a female gene that compels them to sample their husband's food, :)
Man's
thoughts would be to justify protecting my plate due to my past - "When
dad left we each got a plateful of food and that's it." Man's thoughts
would be "You could have ordered what I ordered, so no, be happy with
what you ordered." Which is exactly (evidently) what had been in my
heart for years until I repented.
When
the Father said "I know you'd take a bullet for her..." He was
acknowledging my heart on the big picture, but He was wanting me to take
the 'bullet' of giving her a bite of my lunch - He was pointing out my
hypocrisy, that proof of my willingness to take that real bullet was
played out in taking a little bullet of letting her have my lunch.
That
opened up a lot of introspection asking myself where else do I not
treat her as Christ does the church, and giving Himself for her? How can
I further lay down my life for family, friends, neighbors, those I
serve in ministry? What other thoughts of man lurk in my heart that I
must crucify that I may think as the Father thinks?
And that's where we'll pick it up next week. Until then...oh, what you are eating looks good, can I try some?
Blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
New CD/MP3 Series
(2 cd/MP3, $12/set or MP3 $10)
In
part 2 we will look at a couple of types in the Old Testament of God’s
overall plan, and then share about Yom Kippur which will be literally
fulfilled at the return of Christ, and the Feast of Tabernacles, which
will be celebrated annually during Jesus’ 1,000 year reign from
Jerusalem. The 6 days of creation are a type of the rule of man, the day
of rest is a type of rest for the planet – which will be when Jesus
rules. But not all nations will like Him as King…this series lays out
the Days of Awe, between Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur, what is happening
on earth when the body of Christ is in heaven, and the conditions of
the millennial age!
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