Seated around the
table as our meal came to an end, we engaged in the usual ‘Hi-point, Low-point’
experience sharing session (Must Read: Devi
Levine’s ‘The Table Experience’. Thanks Devi). As it came to the
turn of one of the little children we had over for dinner, she said her high
point was when they had the Easter tale re-enacted in school. I asked her to
share the story with the rest of us from her perspective. Her response had us
doubled over in fits of laughter as she stated that Easter represented the day
Jesus was ‘sucrified’! Barely able to contain his laughter, my son said
to her that she didn’t pronounce the word right. Before he could correct her,
she bounced on her seat excitedly and cried ‘I know, I know. Easter was when
Jesus was ‘cruxtified’. Now we all literally fell off the table. I
laughed so hard that my sides hurt. And don’t you just love children, she
laughed merrily along with the rest of us. Eventually, we got her to pronounce
the word aright, but several times over the next hour, one of us would repeat
the word ‘sucrified’ and gales of laughter would once again ensue. That
was certainly my high point of the day; those laughs did me a world of good I
assure you!
table as our meal came to an end, we engaged in the usual ‘Hi-point, Low-point’
experience sharing session (Must Read: Devi
Levine’s ‘The Table Experience’. Thanks Devi). As it came to the
turn of one of the little children we had over for dinner, she said her high
point was when they had the Easter tale re-enacted in school. I asked her to
share the story with the rest of us from her perspective. Her response had us
doubled over in fits of laughter as she stated that Easter represented the day
Jesus was ‘sucrified’! Barely able to contain his laughter, my son said
to her that she didn’t pronounce the word right. Before he could correct her,
she bounced on her seat excitedly and cried ‘I know, I know. Easter was when
Jesus was ‘cruxtified’. Now we all literally fell off the table. I
laughed so hard that my sides hurt. And don’t you just love children, she
laughed merrily along with the rest of us. Eventually, we got her to pronounce
the word aright, but several times over the next hour, one of us would repeat
the word ‘sucrified’ and gales of laughter would once again ensue. That
was certainly my high point of the day; those laughs did me a world of good I
assure you!
In my more quiet moments since then, I have found myself
reflecting on the word crucifixion; really trying to get a sense of what this
word should mean to me in the daily realities of my walk with God. The Scripture that kept coming
to me was ‘I am crucified with Christ, yet I live. Yet not I, but Christ Who
lives in me. And the life I now have I live through the Son of God, Who loved
me and Who gave His life for me’.
reflecting on the word crucifixion; really trying to get a sense of what this
word should mean to me in the daily realities of my walk with God. The Scripture that kept coming
to me was ‘I am crucified with Christ, yet I live. Yet not I, but Christ Who
lives in me. And the life I now have I live through the Son of God, Who loved
me and Who gave His life for me’.
I continue to be amazed at how the same piece of Scripture can
speak different things to you that are ‘beautiful for every situation’. So in
this case, I thought about how by confessing and truly believing that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God; that He came to earth, went to the cross for my sake
and rose on the 3rd day;
then I am truly crucified with Him. It was me that He took to the cross. It was
my sin-nature that He needed to have nailed to that cross. It was on my past
that He needed to nail the coffin lid shut. It was my future and eternal
salvation that He needed to secure by His Blood. Jesus took me with Him to the
cross……so, yet I live! I live because it is Him who lives in me…… Do you get this sis? I
mean, do you really and truly get this? He gave His life…. for you and I.
Wow! Thank you Lord!
speak different things to you that are ‘beautiful for every situation’. So in
this case, I thought about how by confessing and truly believing that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God; that He came to earth, went to the cross for my sake
and rose on the 3rd day;
then I am truly crucified with Him. It was me that He took to the cross. It was
my sin-nature that He needed to have nailed to that cross. It was on my past
that He needed to nail the coffin lid shut. It was my future and eternal
salvation that He needed to secure by His Blood. Jesus took me with Him to the
cross……so, yet I live! I live because it is Him who lives in me…… Do you get this sis? I
mean, do you really and truly get this? He gave His life…. for you and I.
Wow! Thank you Lord!
The Easter festivities are gone now and we are back to theday-to-day grind of living. This is the space where our view of Jesus and what
His crucifixion on the cross of Calvary really means, beyond the pages of the
Bible and beyond our memorizations of Scripture. So, I live….. Yet I still
have to contend with my flesh, with my will, with my emotions. I live, yet I
still have to deal with storms, with mountains, with thoughts and feelings that
continually strive to try and make the crucifixion of non-effect in my life. I
live, yet I still struggle daily to deal with rather complex life issues – family
relationships, business, health, finances, even my sense of
identity…….. Why would this be? Why, when Christ
lives in me?
One of the tenets we hold fast to within Woman Act Now (www.womanactnow.com) is that for us to
succeed in life and to achieve the dreams and purpose that God has lain in our
hearts; we must learn to be fully-yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit,
fully surrendered to Him in every area of our lives. At a meeting yesterday
something spoken by my sisters hit home hard. First, one said how she had come
to realise even more clearly that she had a choice in every situation to either
swim with the tide (surrender to what is acceptable to the world) which is the
easier option; or to stand firm and swim against the tide (in accordance to the
leaning of the Holy Spirit). In essence for her, her responses in the face of
her challenges are one of her markers for how surrendered she is to the Holy
Spirit. Deep!
succeed in life and to achieve the dreams and purpose that God has lain in our
hearts; we must learn to be fully-yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit,
fully surrendered to Him in every area of our lives. At a meeting yesterday
something spoken by my sisters hit home hard. First, one said how she had come
to realise even more clearly that she had a choice in every situation to either
swim with the tide (surrender to what is acceptable to the world) which is the
easier option; or to stand firm and swim against the tide (in accordance to the
leaning of the Holy Spirit). In essence for her, her responses in the face of
her challenges are one of her markers for how surrendered she is to the Holy
Spirit. Deep!
Yes, it strikes me that challenges bring with them opportunities
for us to once again choose to crucify our flesh, our wills, our emotions, our
intelligences, our pride, our self-confidence, our abilities, etc and once
again allow the Christ that lives in us to shine through. It strikes me that we
need to maintain a constant mental frame, backed by a commitment to our
spiritual growth; that reminds us of the crucifixion all the time and not just
at Easter. Christ went to the cross and shed His Blood for us once and for all.
We, on the other hand need to daily crucify our fleshly selves, so as to make
room for the Spirit within us to truly live, grow, guide and direct us into our
divine destinies.
for us to once again choose to crucify our flesh, our wills, our emotions, our
intelligences, our pride, our self-confidence, our abilities, etc and once
again allow the Christ that lives in us to shine through. It strikes me that we
need to maintain a constant mental frame, backed by a commitment to our
spiritual growth; that reminds us of the crucifixion all the time and not just
at Easter. Christ went to the cross and shed His Blood for us once and for all.
We, on the other hand need to daily crucify our fleshly selves, so as to make
room for the Spirit within us to truly live, grow, guide and direct us into our
divine destinies.
In today’s high pressure, intense distraction world, the realities
of our being in the constant place of crucifixion of our flesh can appear quite
daunting. With the best of intentions, we keep failing and falling. Have you
noticed how you react first (ignoring the check in your spirit) and then regret
later? Have you noticed how you decide and take action first, and only come
back to the place of prayer when the outcome is not as expected? Have you
noticed how you mentally reserve ‘going to God in prayer’ for major decision
points in your life, yet don’t consider asking Him what to get your spouse for
his birthday or what to wear to that all-important interview tomorrow? Hmmm!
This Christina walk isn’t easy is it? But oh, how so worth it at the very end!
of our being in the constant place of crucifixion of our flesh can appear quite
daunting. With the best of intentions, we keep failing and falling. Have you
noticed how you react first (ignoring the check in your spirit) and then regret
later? Have you noticed how you decide and take action first, and only come
back to the place of prayer when the outcome is not as expected? Have you
noticed how you mentally reserve ‘going to God in prayer’ for major decision
points in your life, yet don’t consider asking Him what to get your spouse for
his birthday or what to wear to that all-important interview tomorrow? Hmmm!
This Christina walk isn’t easy is it? But oh, how so worth it at the very end!
Nothing we can ever go through will compare with the trauma Jesus went
through, just knowing what lay ahead of Him; so much so, that He sweated drops
of Blood. Yet His Word also says to us that we have not yet strived unto death
for anything in our lives (Thank You Lord!). Indeed, He does not even want us
to have to strive. What He wants is for us to be fully present, fully yielded,
fully obedient. In this place, He wants us to consciously crucify everything –
thought, word, or deed; that does not align with His plans and purpose for our
lives. In this place, resurrection power is able to flow through from the Most
High and into our situations, challenges, dead or dying dreams and aspirations.
In this place, He is able to resurrect the fullness of the glory that He
imparted unto us once we made Him Lord and Saviour. Sounds like a glorious
place to be to me!
through, just knowing what lay ahead of Him; so much so, that He sweated drops
of Blood. Yet His Word also says to us that we have not yet strived unto death
for anything in our lives (Thank You Lord!). Indeed, He does not even want us
to have to strive. What He wants is for us to be fully present, fully yielded,
fully obedient. In this place, He wants us to consciously crucify everything –
thought, word, or deed; that does not align with His plans and purpose for our
lives. In this place, resurrection power is able to flow through from the Most
High and into our situations, challenges, dead or dying dreams and aspirations.
In this place, He is able to resurrect the fullness of the glory that He
imparted unto us once we made Him Lord and Saviour. Sounds like a glorious
place to be to me!
So sis, as you get back into the grind of life/work/family/et al
today, I pray that these words minister to you. I pray that the Holy Spirit
will impart a fresh anointing to do upon you. I pray that His presence will
enshroud you. I pray that all your days, He will give you the ability to
crucify anything that does not glorify Him, and that you will be a living
testimony of the true meaning of resurrection power, IJMN.
today, I pray that these words minister to you. I pray that the Holy Spirit
will impart a fresh anointing to do upon you. I pray that His presence will
enshroud you. I pray that all your days, He will give you the ability to
crucify anything that does not glorify Him, and that you will be a living
testimony of the true meaning of resurrection power, IJMN.
Be blessed ….. for you surely are.
