Taking up the cross.

Our team each hammered in a nail on Good Friday as we did Stations to the Cross.

 We have a church team from Northern Minnesota here for ten days. This past Sunday they got to participate in worship with our family from the Far East at their house church. The message was on carrying our crosses as we follow after Jesus. The speaker gave such a different perspective that I cannot stop thinking about and being challenged by. He said he use to pray for joy when going through the hard times, of "Taking up his cross". But he realized that Jesus did not ask for joy or even have it as he went to be crucified. In fact, when Jesus was praying to Father God at the Mount of Olives He asked if it was possible to take the cup from Him. Jesus endured betrayal, a crown of thorns, being whipped and beaten and finally death.

The speaker gave a story about Christians carrying long heavy crosses on their journey. One kept praying that God might cut off a part of his cross in order to lighten the load. God did that for him. Eventually on their journey they came to a wide and deep valley where everyone was able to use their crosses as a bridge to get across, except the one who had the shorter-lighter one. The heavy cross has great purpose when being carried, we should not try take a short cut.

Of all the people I have met, my family from the Far East surely know the risk it is to come together to worship God. They have counted the cost and chosen He is worthy of it all. So when I hear them talking about desiring the strength to persevere and be ready to carry up our crosses, the reality of how serious this is cuts deep into my heart.

In the end he challenged us to agree to help one another be crucified for Christ because we can hammer in one nail into our hand all on our own but after that we can do no more. We need help of someone else to drive in the nail into the other hand and then the feet. Obviously not literally but the spiritual walk we take everyday we declare when we serve the Lord. People will hate us. It is a hard and heavy load to carry. Is it possible to keep on going despite the pain? Can we keep our eyes looking to Him and not complain? Can I  say and mean, not my will but Yours be done? 

The guys kneeling as the read scriptures about Jesus in the Mount of Olives.

We counted out 30 coins and read about Judas.

Maybe we have never said these same words as Peter but in our silence or actions we all have denied Him at some point.