Short and Sweet: Cross-walk by Mary Kane

Nourishment and refreshment for your soul.

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Mark 8:34

Come after Me. Jesus issues a call to all people to come to Him. The word come in the original Greek is erchomai, which means “to come from one place to another.” I have been a few places.

Come …

… walk out of darkness and into light.

… walk out of sin and into righteousness.

… walk out of condemnation and into grace.

… walk out of death and into everlasting life.

In Mark 8:34, Jesus invites whoever desires to come and follow Him. Desires means to will, to determine, to purpose, to find pleasure. The “cross-walk” (following Jesus) leads to a life of purpose, joy, and fulfillment.

Before we can cross-walk, we must first deny ourselves … self or cross. Self-walk or cross-walk. We can’t do both. If we decide to cross-walk, we will leave footprints of hope, struggle, peace, pain, joy, and life that will lead others to the foot of the cross.

Action Points:

Which way are you currently walking, self-walk or cross-walk?
Who else desperately needs to know how to cross-walk?
Is there an area of your life you haven’t laid down at the foot of the cross?
What do you need to do to lay it down?

Life is sweet!

1 Thessalonians Part 15, A Life of Faith: Operation Sanctification

Insightful … cute … smart … funny … quixotic!

Think of words you’d use to describe yourself. Would you ever consider describing yourself as a “most holy thing”? Me either, but God does. Because of the cross, we have been washed clean (sanctification) by the blood of Christ. The process of sanctification is not a quick fix. Sanctification continues as long as we continue to draw breath.

Thankfully, we are not responsible for our sanctification. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work together to wash away every sin and stain. Our sanctification is accomplished by His word, circumstances, prayer, and discipleship. Operation Sanctification … God’s going deep!

To do 1 Thessalonians A Life of Faith, Part 15: Operation Sanctification, please click on the link below.

A Life of Faith, Part 15: Operation Sanctification

Short & Sweet: Cross-eyed by Mary Kane

Nourishment and refreshment for your soul.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:1-2

While we are walking out our life on this earth, a great cloud of witnesses have their eyes on us. In order to walk correctly, we need lay aside any distraction and every sin,that clouds our vision and keep our eyes on Jesus. Their eyes are on us. Our eyes are on Jesus. Eyes on the cross. Cross-eyed.

Scientific research proves where the eyes go, the body follows (Research Article). Therefore, if we keep our eyes on the cross, we will follow Jesus.

Verse 2 uses the term looking unto Jesus, which transliterates into one Greek word, aphorao. Aphorao means “to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something, to turn ones mind.” Aphorao descends form another verb horao, which means “to see with the eyes and mind, to become acquainted with by experience, to perceive, to know. ”

Mind … body … eyes. All connected. All leading somewhere. Eyes on Jesus. Eyes on His word. Eyes on the cross.

Cross-eyed.

Action Points:

Are you cross-eyed?
What is getting in the way of seeing Jesus? Do you need to lay something aside?
What do you think about and meditate on? What do you fill your mind with?
Do you know Jesus? How can you get to know Him better?

Life is sweet!

Short & Sweet: Paths and Ways by Mary Kane

Nourishment and refreshment for your soul.

Thus says the LORD: “Stand in the ways and see,

And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it;

Then you will find rest for your souls.

But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Jeremiah 6:16

As Christians, we should not be threatened by other religions or world views. God calls us to stand in the ways and see. The word see, in the original Hebrew means, “to observe, to consider, to give attention to, to learn about. This does not mean we should try every “-ism and -ology” before accepting the truth of Christianity. We are to “take a stand” in face of all the other ways and ask for the old paths, where the way is good and walk in it. Be assured, God’s way will bear testing and scrutiny and be found to be absolute truth.

For greater comprehension, please study the following words from our verse in the original language.

Hebrew Words:

ask: in Hebrew sha’al, which means “to enquire carefully, to ask of God.” Our salvation comes from the Lord.

old: in Hebrew owlam, which is defined as “everlasting, evermore, perpetual eternity.” The old is always relevant.

walk: in Hebrew yalak, which translates “a manner of life, a way of living, to die.” Christianity is a spiritual birth to death commitment.

Remember, there are ways, and then there is the good way. Jesus is the Way; the good path. Let’s choose the Way that will last for eternity, with no unpleasant surprises in the end. When we choose His path, we’ll find rest for our souls.

Action Points:

Ask for the good way concerning your current challenge.
How can you walk more closely to Jesus?
If anyone followed the current path of your life, where would it lead?

To start your journey with Jesus, please click on the link below:

Following Jesus

Life is sweet!

Short and Sweet: Nothing but the Truth, by Mary Kane

Nourishment and refreshment for your soul.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:1-6

There comes a point in our life when we must make a decision about what we believe about God, heaven, life, and death. Who’s truth will we believe: the world’s, our own, or God’s.

Living by my own truth was a disastrous plan. The world of science did not have a remedy for my massive sin problem (Darwin could not cover my guilt and shame). Then I met Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. His truth became my truth. His way became my way. His life became my life.

Let’s dig a little deeper into our verse.

Way: In Greek hodos, which means properly, a traveled road, a journey, a course of conduct, thinking and living.

Truth: In Greek aletheia, which means “what is true in any matter under consideration, in reality, fact.

Life: in Greek zoe, which translates “life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed …” to be fresh, strong, and efficient. Life only found in Christ, to live as we were created to be.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.

Action Points:

Where do you want to end up?
Is the way you are walking going to get you there?
What is truth? Does truth depend on people or circumstances? What does truth depend on?
Did any of the above definitions impact your heart?

Jesus is the way the truth, and the life. If you know you do not have truth, please click on one of the links below.

Life is sweet.

Short & Sweet: Open Wide, by Mary Kane

Nourishment and refreshment for the soul.

I am the LORD your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

Psalm 81:10

God spoke these words to His people, to remind them of all He had done for them. Egypt was a land of slavery, bondage and suffering. Jehovah had delivered His people from Egypt so He could bless them and fill them with His goodness … if they would only open wide. Even though this verse was written to the Hebrew people many years ago, we can apply it to our lives today.

We too can be in bondage, not to Pharaoh, but to our own sinful desires. It’s not God’s will for us to live in bondage to any sin. He came so we can have life and have it abundantly. When we empty ourselves of sin, we make room to be filled by God. How are we to be filled? Open wide. Open wide our hearts, and our lives to be filled by God.

The Hebrew word for fill is male’ which means, to fulfill, to satisfy, to complete, to accomplish. Male’ is an imperfect tense verb which signifies a continuous action. A continual filling. Always more, always wider, always more God. When we are filled with God, we will be able to complete and accomplish many good works for His kingdom.

Open wide! For a little bite, for a little sip? No, for a feast! Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Open wide.

How much God do you want?
How can you open wide to make more room for God?
What is God longing to give you?

Life is sweet!