HONORABLE DISGRACE
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Verse for Today
Hebrews 13:13 - Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore.
Unconditional allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ involves the willingness to go through the experiences He has gone through for us here on earth. But even when we are willing, we may not be able go through all the ill-treatment and mockery that He underwent for us. At the same time, we can show our loyalty and allegiance by bearing the disgrace that He bore for us to the extent possible. When we see Him thirsting on the cross, we could be willing to be in positions and situations where we would not have any water or at least clean water for some time. When he opened His hands and allowed it to be nailed, we can also show our loyalty by depriving ourselves of all that we have in our hands in this world including our possessions, positions, power and prestige. When He was willing to be made like a fool for us by the soldiers, we can also be willing to be fools and unintelligent people for the sake of our Lord. When He went a few steps ahead in the garden of Gethsemane for us, can we also not go a few steps forward to suffer and work for Him? When He was willing to have no place to lay His head when foxes had their holes and birds of the air had their nests, can we also be willing not to have any permanent places of rest for us while living for Him in this world? When He was willing to be disrobed by the soldiers, can we be satisfied with minimum clothes for Him in this world? When He offered His body and His blood for us, and established the Lord's Supper as a memorial of these, can we offer Him our bodies and blood to suffer at least some hardships for Him? When He had to go outside the Jewish camp to suffer for us, can we be willing to go out of our comfort zones to suffer some hardship, disgrace, shortages, discomfort and shame for Him? When we are willing to take such a life style, the world around us will call us fools for the sake of our beloved Lord.
Dear friend, are you truly loyal to the Lord Jesus who showed His absolute loyalty to you by dying a shameful death on your behalf? He was friendless and lonely for you on the cross. No one stood with Him in His hours of darkness. Will you be wiling to go through such experiences of loneliness and friendlessness or Him? Remember, your way to show loyalty to Him is to go to Him outside the camp, without any embarrassment and shame and tell Him how much you love Him. He is not at all impressed by people who say, "Lord, Lord", but wants people like you to give evidence to His lordship over you and your loyalty and allegiance to Him which are evidenced by your willingness to suffer for Him. He has called us to be His true followers and not superfluous talkers. He wants us to live a life that is contrary to the values of this wicked world and prove to Him that we mean business with Him and will do everything possible to suffer disgrace for Him without hesitation or retreat. The Lord is not interested in making you somebody great or famous in this world. He is not trying to make you the richest and most popular person in your community or country. He is only interested to see if your world would see your Christ-likeness and exchange you for wicked people like Barabbas. If you are concerned about high standard of living, quality of life, self esteem, status and recognition in this world, please remember that the Lord has promised you nothing of this sort. He is not even offering you a sleeping mat and pillow, but hardship, sufferings, persecution, loss, failure, character assassination, hunger, thirst and total discomfort as His follower and wants you to prove to Him your total allegiance. Let us today be less concerned about our comfort zones, but on how to prove our allegiance to the Lord Jesus.
Galatians 6:14 - May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Thought for Today
We carry the cross and follow Jesus to suffer and be executed by the world which is the ultimate way to prove our loyalty to the Lord Jesus.
Verse for Today
Hebrews 13:13 - Let us, then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore.
Unconditional allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ involves the willingness to go through the experiences He has gone through for us here on earth. But even when we are willing, we may not be able go through all the ill-treatment and mockery that He underwent for us. At the same time, we can show our loyalty and allegiance by bearing the disgrace that He bore for us to the extent possible. When we see Him thirsting on the cross, we could be willing to be in positions and situations where we would not have any water or at least clean water for some time. When he opened His hands and allowed it to be nailed, we can also show our loyalty by depriving ourselves of all that we have in our hands in this world including our possessions, positions, power and prestige. When He was willing to be made like a fool for us by the soldiers, we can also be willing to be fools and unintelligent people for the sake of our Lord. When He went a few steps ahead in the garden of Gethsemane for us, can we also not go a few steps forward to suffer and work for Him? When He was willing to have no place to lay His head when foxes had their holes and birds of the air had their nests, can we also be willing not to have any permanent places of rest for us while living for Him in this world? When He was willing to be disrobed by the soldiers, can we be satisfied with minimum clothes for Him in this world? When He offered His body and His blood for us, and established the Lord's Supper as a memorial of these, can we offer Him our bodies and blood to suffer at least some hardships for Him? When He had to go outside the Jewish camp to suffer for us, can we be willing to go out of our comfort zones to suffer some hardship, disgrace, shortages, discomfort and shame for Him? When we are willing to take such a life style, the world around us will call us fools for the sake of our beloved Lord.
Dear friend, are you truly loyal to the Lord Jesus who showed His absolute loyalty to you by dying a shameful death on your behalf? He was friendless and lonely for you on the cross. No one stood with Him in His hours of darkness. Will you be wiling to go through such experiences of loneliness and friendlessness or Him? Remember, your way to show loyalty to Him is to go to Him outside the camp, without any embarrassment and shame and tell Him how much you love Him. He is not at all impressed by people who say, "Lord, Lord", but wants people like you to give evidence to His lordship over you and your loyalty and allegiance to Him which are evidenced by your willingness to suffer for Him. He has called us to be His true followers and not superfluous talkers. He wants us to live a life that is contrary to the values of this wicked world and prove to Him that we mean business with Him and will do everything possible to suffer disgrace for Him without hesitation or retreat. The Lord is not interested in making you somebody great or famous in this world. He is not trying to make you the richest and most popular person in your community or country. He is only interested to see if your world would see your Christ-likeness and exchange you for wicked people like Barabbas. If you are concerned about high standard of living, quality of life, self esteem, status and recognition in this world, please remember that the Lord has promised you nothing of this sort. He is not even offering you a sleeping mat and pillow, but hardship, sufferings, persecution, loss, failure, character assassination, hunger, thirst and total discomfort as His follower and wants you to prove to Him your total allegiance. Let us today be less concerned about our comfort zones, but on how to prove our allegiance to the Lord Jesus.
Galatians 6:14 - May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Thought for Today
We carry the cross and follow Jesus to suffer and be executed by the world which is the ultimate way to prove our loyalty to the Lord Jesus.
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