Persistent Overcomers

There is a man from Israel who shared about struggling to settle in that war torn land. He said that he had to replace his windshield seven times in the last three years. He was wounded in his leg by a bullet and hit in the face with a rock. Yet he said, "Everyday for each person killed we bring two new children into the world. For every field burned we plant two more. This is exciting. This is part of the challenge of life."

He is helping to build the nation of Israel. What about us Christians? We are helping to build the Kingdom of our Father. Are we willing to endure the struggle of sharing and living out our faith? 2 Tim 2:3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. NIV

In fact we can do more than just endure, we can really thrive because of our faith and trust in Jesus. Through Him we are overcomers! 1 John 5:4-5 This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. NIV

Our Journey to the Cross

Those of us who follow the Man from Galilee understand that it is a journey. A journey that begins with Jesus seeking us where we are to following Him down the roads of our lives. Somehow we think that following him should be easy, simple and effortless. But it isn’t. This journey of following Jesus is a day by day, moment by moment and step by step progression of walking with him to and through the cross.

For the Christian life is always a journey toward the Cross. Each step toward the Cross of Jesus is a step away from self-centeredness, a step away from being self-focused to a life of freedom, peace and fruitfulness. Each step becomes a deliberate choice to stop seeking what I want, to stop focusing on my feelings and to center my walk and feelings on the One who hung on the Cross.

We discover in the death and resurrection of Jesus our own dying and rebirth to the life God has called us to. It is the Cross that frees us from the power of the world, the flesh and the devil and raises us to life in the Way and the Truth and Life of Jesus. Life is now a journey of becoming – becoming fully alive to God, life and ourselves. It is the life we were created to enjoy. It is the life that delivers us from evil and takes us into the joy, peace, love and power of the One who gave his life that we might find it.

It is what Easter is all about!