Sunday, July 24, 2016

Crosstrek

Cross, noun, an upright post with a transverse bar, as used in antiquity for crucifixion

Trek, noun, a long arduous journey, especially one made on foot:


Arduous, adjective, involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring


The Lord just recently blessed my family with a new vehicle. Its a 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek. The reason we had to buy a new vehicle was because me and my wife were involved in an auto accident on June 17, 2016. We walked away from the wreck with just some soreness and a bit shook up. The other driver seemed okay as well. But both of our cars were totaled. It wasn't easy this whole situation. We only have one vehicle, I missed a day from work, and we didn't know where we would get the money to buy another vehicle. But God had a plan. Because of this accident, many people got the word, my testimony shared with them or they received a Gospel of John tract. I'm not boasting. This was all the Lords work. I am just glad to be a part of it. 2 weeks roll by and we finally went out and got a vehicle. My younger brother came all the way from San Diego, Ca to let me borrow his spare pick up so that we could get around. If it had not been for that, my story would be different. 

So what does this have to do with anything? Well, it has to do with picking up your cross and following Jesus. Its about denying yourself. Its about obeying the Lord. Its about trusting the Lord even when things don't seem like they will ever get right. Being without a way to get around for 2 weeks was hard. Having to spend money to pay for the LYFT rides that was meant for groceries was hard. Talking to strangers about the #1 most controversial man who ever walked the face of the earth was hard. My brother driving all the way out to Phoenix, AZ with a pick up that has no AC in the middle of summer was hard. Let alone, going to go buy a car and buy it was hard. God had a plan though and He gave us all the grace and strength to endure and overcome. These are examples of picking up your cross and following Jesus. A crosstrek! I had asked the Lord a day or two prior to the accident to show me that He loved me and He delivered in a way that I wasn't expecting. 


Here is what the Bible says about our crosstrek. 

Matthew 16:24 -25 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 

So how could these two verses possibly compliment one another? Jesus said is any person who wants to come after Him, be His disciple, that person must deny themselves. What exactly would this person deny? Legitimate comforts, luxuries and fleshly desires for the sake of living a righteous life and serving the Lord. In my case, being without a car for a couple of weeks so that about 10 people could get the word of God. Or how my brother heard the call from the Lord to let my family borrow his pick up. I can only imagine and speculate what may  have occurred if myself or my brother would have not obeyed or began to complain and not obey the calling of the Lord. Picking up our cross, enduring this long, arduous journey on foot we call life, is the burden of being a follower of Christ. 

What an honor to share in abundance of the sufferings of our Lord but also we share in the abundance of comfort through Christ like it says in 2 Corinthians 1:5. We take comfort that the work of the cross was sufficient to defeat sin and death. When Jesus gave His last breathe and said "It is finished!", that meant all that needed to be done to save us sinners was complete. By grace through faith we are saved. But faith without works is dead and works without faith is dead. How could we call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ if we don't preach the gospel, or heal the sick, or live a holy life? There has to be proof that there has been a transformation on the inside that is manifesting itself on the outside. 

Todd White gave a great analogy by saying that when you squeeze an orange you expect to get orange juice. But if you squeeze an orange and apple juice comes out, something isn't right. Then why should it be any different when a disciple of Jesus is "squeezed" through trial and tribulation, the Jesus in that disciple should come out? If anything else comes out like worry, complaining, anger, etc, something is very wrong. This is one the Lord blessed me with. If I were to say I am a dog, besides thinking I am a looney, wouldn't you begin to say, "Nick, you are not a dog. You don't bark, you don't walk on four legs, you don't have a waggy tail and you don't have fur covering your entire body." So, I cant say I am a dog because I dont have the tell-tale signs of a dog. So how could someone say they are a disciple of Jesus or Christian if there are no tell-tale signs? No preaching, no healings, no miracles, no faith, no prayer life, etc?

Me and my family got squeezed. It would have been really easy to give in to our flesh and whine and complain about our terrible situation. But instead, the Jesus in us came out. At the accident scene, we prayed with the other driver and I gave him a Gospel of John tract. I wasn't angry with him. I gave a tract to a police officer. I denied my legitimate right to get angry, hate the other driver and question God on why He let such a terrible thing happen to me. We live in an ABC world. Anything But Christ. BUt us believers know that its "All 'Bout Christ". Tell you what, the times in my life when things got hard or a big mountainous problem arises, I know that is a test of faith and I am closer to God than ever. Each time catastrophe strikes and we are squeezed, what should come out is the Jesus in us. Sanctification is a life long process. Its a strenuous trek with a cross on our back as we follow Jesus to eternal life. 
    "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live
    in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."(Galatians 2:20)






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