What I been thinking on Week of 4-1-12

“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.” – Matthew 16:24

Well….it’s Easter and CHURCHES love Easter.  What Christmas is to a department store, Easter is to a Church.  Folks flock to churches on Easter morning.  They buy new garments, just for Easter Sunday.  If you ever have a chance to get people out to church, Easter morning will be that chance. 

                This Easter I have been thinking about the difference between the testimony about the cross and the testimony of the cross.  Whether mainstream Christianity likes it or not; there is a difference.  Let me first offer this example before I write further.  Have you ever met a Vietnam vet?  Somebody who was there, on the front lines, fought in the battle and saw real bloodshed?  Now, compare this man’s testimony about Vietnam to a man who read about it in a book, or perhaps watched a hour long special about it on the History channel.  Odds are good the History channel guy will have a different story, a different level of conviction and one man’s testimony will ring a little truer than the others. 

                This is the difference in a testimony about the cross and a testimony of the cross.  To many: pastors, preachers, teachers, and citizens of this country have testimony about the cross (and many more with no testimony at all).  They can tell you when Jesus died, what he died for, who was there.  They can tell you the time period it was in, the height of the cross, the size of the nails, why some may even be able to recite to you his last words in Latin.  They can tell you everything you want to know about the cross and sound good doing it, but I wonder, have they ever experienced the cross themselves?  Now consider the testimony of the Cross.  Like the Vietnam Vet, this is a man that has seen the front line.  Fought in the battles.  He has bleed for his country and sacrificed so that “others may live.”  He has a testimony of war.  I submit to you that if you want to go to heaven you must have a testimony of the Cross.  You must have crucified your hopes, wishes, dreams, capabilities, knowledge, all things YOU thought YOU could do or wanted to do.  Furthermore, you must crucify all relationships: mother, father, sister, brother, girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband.  In short You are dead and NOW living in Christ.  This means that everything that he wants for you now is your main desire.  This is the testimony of the Cross, you have been to a alter and died to sin, raised unto a life of holiness and godliness and ever willing to live for him.  Like the solider, this choice brings, pain, battles, suffering, reproach, persecution and sorrow.  However, it also brings, joy, peace, contentment, satisfaction……it brings every positive human emotion, both throughout the course of life, and sometimes ALL at one time.  You can be so overwhelmed with blessings from God that words fail to descried your feelings, because you are using earthly terminology to descried a heavenly experience; it just doesn’t do it justice.

                Now I ask you, do you have a testimony of the Cross or about the Cross.  Does your preacher have a testimony of or about?  What do you think the world needs?  Of or About?  That’s what I have been thinking on this Easter week, what have you been thinking on? I would like to know.

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