Death – Page 5 – Cross Culture Church

July 2017 Article: “Freedom Is A Choice”

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19

Although we are free to make choices, we are not free to determine the outcome or consequences of the choices that we make. Somewhere down the road we will meet the fruit of past decisions that will remind us of what we once thought and whether we were right or wrong. One writer mentioned that “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” but we also know that the trail of tears left behind is moistened with regrets. If it were possible to hit the rewind button of life, how many mistakes would we delete? Even though we are the product of past choices, the road of possibility lies ahead to choose to live a better life.

Freedom in choosing ought to be preceded by a careful examination of the facts. Wisdom must be applied because facts alone can be deceiving. How those facts align themselves to absolute truth will determine the outcome of the decision. When words like absolute are used, it suggests that there is an established standard, and if there is an established standard, that standard must be unalterable with an existence that preceded the presentation of facts. Now what or who could this standard be? God alone is that standard and His Word has established it.

Freedoms without boundaries collide and degenerate into chaos. If two are more people are free to do as they please, their pleasures would impose upon the freedoms of other free thinking people. It would require a world consisting of only one inhabitant if people were free to express whatever came to their mind. Trace history and you will see a parallel between what is happening today with the history of ancient Rome. They sought after freedom that was void of an established standard, which is similar to what we see in America today.

“Rome tolerated every abominable practice, embraced every foul idea in the name of freedom and the rights of the common man. Citizens no longer carried on deviant behavior in private, but pridefully displayed it in public. It was those with moral values who could no longer freely walk in a public park without having to witness a revolting display. What happened to the public censors who protected the majority of citizenry from moral decadence? Did freedom have to mean abolishing common decency? Did freedom mean anyone could do anything they wanted anytime they wanted, without consequences?” ― Francine Rivers, A Voice in the Wind

Our daily choices contribute to our final destiny. There are many opportunities ahead of each individual, and God will not completely constrain anyone from doing whatever comes to his or her mind. Yet His Word reminds us that there is a way that appears to be right but the consequences lead to death. To put it simply, life is contained within right decisions and death is contained within wrong decisions. The time will come when the nature of the choices made will completely manifest. And the destiny of the decision maker will be forever sealed! Choose life…choose God!

16 Mar 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: March 16

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open; the earth is shaken exceedingly.” Isaiah 24:17

The earth is violently disturbed as the result of the violent offenses measured against its Creator. It awaits the rule of the sons of God whose aim is to reflect the glory of Jesus Christ. Until then, it is held captive, not willingly but anticipating a liberty that will only come as the rule of the righteous. Some will grow bitter towards God because of the calamities that many inhabitants on the earth are now suffering. They will think of God as being cruel and unfair. But His judgments will ultimately bring an end to sins that often appear to be benign, but are the root cause of wars and all earthly calamities. The mark established by God is not the aim of many leaders who now lead many astray, thus sin runs its full course. He created the earth to be a habitation of rest and peace, but sin has left its mark and produced death. Pray that righteous rulers will arise in order for the people to rejoice because the Prince of Peace is ruling over them.

23 Jan 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: January 23

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” (9) Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.1 Peter 4:8-9

Love does not ignore or deny the sin, but love loves in spite of the sin. There are some deeds that could make it difficult to love the one who has offended you. That is the true test of love when you are able to look beyond the offense and see the soul that is in a desperate place drifting in a direction away from God. Stephen understood this when he was being stoned to death. He cried out to God in the midst of their throwing stones at him “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” He wanted what was best for them even while they were venting their hatred against him. If this had not been the case, Saul the Pharisee who became Paul the Apostle would have never been saved and used in such a mighty way. God’s will is to use your enemies if they ever come to know Jesus Christ for who He is. But your release of them may pave the way for them to receive what they would otherwise have no knowledge of. Love your enemies. Do good to those who despitefully use you. Your life may be sufficient in mirroring Christ to those who would otherwise perish without your witness.

05 Jan 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: January 5

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down!” Isaiah 64:1

There are many things about God that are hard to explain and at best, difficult to make others to see. Dimensions of His love present among us when it feels like He is not there, and how definite the course is that we are to fully follow. We do our best in attempting to point people in the right direction, but very often our instructions are taken as an opinion equal to any other opinion. Things will continue as they have always been unless there is an infusion of life in this culture of death. If we are left to ourselves, there would be no resolving of the riddle or answer to deep question that one lack the ability to ask.

God revealed Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. Now Christ must be seen through His Body, the Church. We need the Spirit of God to come down and descend upon His people in revival! Then we will feel the need to be on one accord under the same governance and rule. God’s power will then function among us as it did on the Day of Pentecost. We cannot afford to lose this battle by default while many are merely concerned about their own personal affairs. We need to be about our Father’s business. “Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down!”

25 Nov 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: November 25

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? Psalm 116:12

The Lord provides benefits, many times unexpected and often before we are even aware of our need for them. As He looks far down the road of our lives, if we maintain a steadfast faith in Him, He takes our offering of life and leads us on a course directed towards His standard of righteousness. None can imagine the how many benefits we receive along the way as we journey on that path. It is not just arriving at the destination, but being on course with what really matters in life that is fulfilling. The emptiness of vanity is gone and we are left with a pursuit to know the One who loves us most. Love received demands a response. How can we respond to the overwhelming love demonstrated through our Lord, Jesus Christ? All we can possibly do is take advantage of the purpose for which He came to die such a cruel death on the cross for us. We can take Him up on His offer. By receiving His gift we bring the greatest joy to the heart of the Father.

20 Nov 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: November 20

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

There is a position in Christ where His love and the benefits of His love are made known. The greatest of these is for what is of Him to be given expression through us without any fleshly interference. The competition between the flesh and the spirit remains while we live our lives daily upon the earth. There are so many things vying for our attention. It requires a steady diet of the Word of God to purge us of the thoughts and passions that would otherwise mislead us. If we were raised with Christ is the prerequisite of the soul’s condition. Only those who are born again are enabled to see that there is a Sovereign to rule the soul who has positioned them in a different place. They are above and seek those things which are above because they have obtained wisdom from there. The heavenly places to which we have been placed provide for us wisdom and a discipline to pursue righteousness rather than selfish endeavors. Only those who are delivered from self are able to understand this. Our lives are hidden since our wisdom is hidden from those who think themselves to be wise and prudent. Yet Christ will provide the evidence of true wisdom, and enduring treasures in the end.

09 Nov 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: November 9

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.” Proverbs 28:26

A change of heart must take place before the heart can be fully trusted. It is too easily influenced by external forces. It can be manipulated by infatuations, deceived by insinuations, and deeply distressed by insecurities and fears. Wisdom is made available but it rests beyond the limits of what may currently dwell within. God must give us a new heart that beats with the rhythm of His own. Only the heart in sync with His can be trusted. He guides it to the path of righteousness, a wise course leading to life. The light of His love delivers us from certain death. When we surrender our stouthearted souls to His warm and tender care, we can be guided in a new direction of peace leading to eternal life.

05 Nov 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: November 5

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“I, God, will begin by restoring the common households of Judah so that the glory of David’s family and the leaders in Jerusalem won’t overshadow the ordinary people in Judah.” Zechariah 12:7 (MSG)

God will raise the common people who trust in Him to a degree of prominence alongside of royalty. God’s love will know no boundaries when He is exalted above all. It will be a day of triumph where all will celebrate the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The restoration of dignity will occur among the least which are often abandoned and forsaken. Efforts of protest will not be sufficient because many important factors may not be given proper consideration. When Jesus said, the poor you will have with you always,” He was not ignoring the responsibility we must have in the area of benevolence to them. But rather, He made it known that the opportunity to bless them will always be available to us. At that time there was something more important than benevolence because the sacrifice was being prepared for death and burial. When the Lord is honored, He will restore the order that must be established among all of humanity. Even David in all of his prominence would not remain exclusive; Solomon in all of his glory for a greater than Solomon is now here. In our pursuits for a place in this world where our lives will count for something, it will gain its greatest degree of significance when we glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

04 Nov 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: November 4

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

This was not the initial phase of Paul’s life after meeting Jesus. After having been introduced, he was left with an indelible impression upon his soul. His whole life was spent in an attempt to fully embrace what he both saw and experienced in meeting such a man. He was intrigued by the phenomena of God in the flesh; a glimpse of the glory state of his own soul trusting that the time would come when the Christ that he saw from a distance would totally possess him. It is Christ in us that give us the hope of glory. All other expressions of life would be so futile in their pursuits after such an encounter because they become mere shadows since the realness of Christ has become so real to us. This is the place the Lord intends to deliver each of us to. Once we are there, a passion to shed all that would compete with the life in the Spirit is willingly abandoned. No longer is it the pangs of death, but rather the pleasures of willful obedience that is anticipated. A new life springs forth in the place of where the old life once occupied. Only when the old has passed will the new be realized. It is faith in the Son of God, our having that quality of faith in Him and what He has done because He of loves us that keeps us connected. Then we can glorify the Lord in our flesh through the new life now lived.

01 Nov 0Comments 0Likes

November 2016 Article: “Your Call and Your Election”

Posted by wwalker Categories: Articles

The collective choices of a generation clearly reflect its sentiments. The way that people think at any given time is expressed through their voice by vote. If there are pockets of resistance or individuals who disagree with society’s direction, it serves only as an indication to the level of desperation that influences our need for change. The loss and lack of influence by those who possess the right position create a vacuum to be filled by opposing views that challenge their stance and contradict their position. When personal preferences are not questioned in the light of spiritual authority and absolute truth, every position taken can be justified in one’s own eyes. The spin on the argument in defense of the decision to go the wrong way, even though it may be convincing, only widens the gap away from civility and points towards barbarism. When intellectualism is added to the mix, the result is a sophisticated way of saying nothing well and becoming so broadminded that life itself has lost its meaning.

Thank God for the availability of choices. We are forced to make choices every day, and each momentary choice leads to our final destiny. The question is, where are we headed? How do we expect to get there? Who can tell us if we are on the right track? Throughout the Scriptures, we read of individuals and people groups choosing between two or more options. The consequences of their decisions are clearly revealed as an example and warning to this generation. Yet so many treat life as if historical facts are meaningless and the only thing that matters is how they presently feel. Choices either lead to an open door of opportunities or a closed prison door of slavery.

You have been given the privilege to choose because you were chosen for a purpose and a cause that extends beyond what you currently see. The initial call is Jesus Christ calling you to Himself. Then, out of your entering into right relationship with Him, you are enabled to see and understand life from an altogether different perspective. His everlasting Kingdom becomes your priority, and in time, every decision is measured from the basis of its eternal worth.

“Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; (11) for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10-11

You have been called to elect or choose what God has chosen for you. He has placed before you the options of life and death. It is not death immediate but rather the paths that either lead to life or lead to death. Your children and preceding generations will follow the path that you pave for them. The trends and values of our day will eventually become legalized and institutionalized so that our children will grow up in an environment based upon the pace that you have set. You are voting for more than a president, a congressman, or a senator. You are voting, even before you visit the polling place, by the decisions you are making right now. Who are you voting for with your life? Things can turn around and be different but it requires individuals who will first listen to the call of God. To elect is to choose or to make a choice. Neutrality is also a choice—more specifically, it is a choice not to choose. Then it leaves choices to others to make for us. Your destiny is then guided by chance and not choice. Today, ask God to reveal to you the things that He has chosen for your life, and allow His choice for you to become your choice for yourself.

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