Meditations – Cross Culture Church

Meditation: April 26

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…” (Philippians 3:10).

There are continuing aspects of Jesus Christ made available to us. Our spiritual hunger to fully identify with Him qualifies us to know what was unknown. We have come to know that He is our Savior and Lord through His Word. We believe in Him and apply faith in all of His promises. Yet the more we know of Him, a fire is ignited within our hearts to experience Him. To share with Him in His experience of life is the grandest endeavor one could ever attain. The evidence that we have is that we recognize that there is much more to be known than what we have come to know. The height and depth of His love is to be explored throughout our lifetime. Oh the joy of knowing that it is Christ working in us and the sufficiency is not of us! We have been raised in newness of life. Now each experience whether it be painful or pleasurable, is ordered by our Master for a purpose far greater than any at this moment are able to see. “None of me, all of Thee; None of me, all unto Thee!” As portions of my self-life dies, I am attaining to the resurrection of the dead.

25 Apr 0Comments 1Like

Meditation: April 25

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberius, and in this way He showed Himself.” (John 21:1-2).

He makes Himself known in ways that are familiar to each person. He once came in human flesh and fully identified with the human experience, yet honoring the Father by not yielding to the temptation of sin. After He was raised from the dead, He continued to show Himself again to His disciples. In His resurrected state, He is still in touch with all things pertaining to us. They were fishermen before their encounter with Jesus. Now that He had been crucified, they returned to their former professions. Their lack of success was challenged by His question, “Children, have you any food?” They had toiled all night to no avail. Jesus then gave them instructions that they could either follow or ignore. But when they cast their nets on the other side of the boat, they could not contain all that was in their nets. The resurrected Christ makes His presence known again among His disciples. He is the same Jesus but now raised in newness of life as the first-born of many brethren. It is His Spirit speaking that brings us to change our mode of operation. Our obedience to His Word will produce what we strain at doing alone.

24 Apr 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: April 24

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:6).

He is absent from the place to which He had been carried. His lifeless body lay in a tomb without the strength to either participate or resist. There He was carried and placed by others. But on Resurrection Sunday, the grave was robbed of its victory. The empty tomb served as a witness that He was no longer there. His was not the result of being carried away, for many are absent because they have been carried away by something or someone. “He is risen, as He said.” His Word was confirmed by action. His promise was fulfilled thus giving even greater validity to all that He ever said. The evidence was presented, thus allowing every skeptic and naysayer to see with their own eyes His power to defy death, hell, and the grave. The angel invited them to come inside and see the very place that He once laid. Where a body once laid, and empty tomb reminds us of our own destinies. As we are in Christ Jesus, we too shall be made alive by the same Spirit and power that raised Him from the dead. He is not where men placed Him. For He is risen from the dead!

23 Apr 0Comments 1Like

Meditation: April 23

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ’It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John 19:30).

Jesus came into the world for this very moment. He was on a mission to die for the sins of humanity. It required a sinless life and now the moment had arrived. The sufferings would come to an end. At least the bodily sufferings, but there awaited Him a degree of suffering of the soul that only one who loves deeply are able to experience. The purchase price for our redemption was completely paid. But there would be many who He loves who will yet reject all that He came into the world to provide. “He came into the world and the world rejected Him.” Those who did not understand rejected Him then, but now that it is finished, will there remain those who refuse to believe that what He gave was sufficient for them? His Spirit returned to the Father and the Holy Spirit has now been sent forth to give life to all who would receive Him. From the fall of Adam, the promise was made for man’s reconciliation to God. The prophets spoke of this day, and now it had arrived. It is finished, but for us life had just begun!

22 Apr 0Comments 2Likes

Meditation: April 22

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1Corinthians 1:18).

The question is how can something be foolish to some but so necessary to others? There are some who believe more in their abilities and strength rather than the strength that is ours through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. We were once without strength, dead in trespasses and sins, but Christ died for us. Now as we believe on Him and in His Name, the power of God works within us to the saving of our souls. Both categories have to do with one’s future state of being. On one hand, there are those who are perishing, and on the other hand, there are those who are being saved. The seed of destruction is imbedded in the hearts of those who do not believe as it was in us all. Jesus died for sinners before they recognized their need for redemption. Those who reject His offer are perishing. But those who are being saved are in the process of living. The body of sin will perish, but just as He rose from the dead, we too shall be raised in newness of life. Jesus died on the cross that we might live. But there had to be a cross to bear leading to ultimate victory over death, hell, and the grave. Without the cross there can be no crown.

21 Apr 0Comments 1Like

Meditation: April 21

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1Corinthians 11:26).

A message is proclaimed at the Communion Table. Jesus invites us to His table in order for those who have been called as His followers to dine with Him. What other disciples had rejected when offered, they were now afforded the opportunity to participate. The criteria for having a part with Him was eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Their passion was for His life to become their very own. Theirs would be that of witnesses. They would ultimately be willing to follow Him to the grave. But now, they must take the cup thus symbolically identifying with His death. Symbolisms are meaningless if the life is not ingested. To feed on Jesus is to allow His flesh to become our body and His blood to be our life-blood. We need to be reminded often, thus we come again to the table of the Lord that we should never forget. He gave His life that we may live. Now the life that we live as His witnesses is to proclaim His death as being sufficient for the sins of the world. We died with Him that we may live with Him.

The act of eating and drinking together speaks of a unified family. Yet this communion elevated the meaning beyond family.

20 Apr 0Comments 1Like

Meditation: April 20

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, ’Assuredly I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me” (Mark 14:18).

Before Jesus was crucified, He was identified through betrayal by one who sat at His table and ate with Him. One who loved so deeply would be exposed by a friend to His enemies. Jesus knew when it would happen and who it was who would be so used as a spy among them. Yet He did not make Him known among the brethren. There are times when sin must run its course. Any intervention on our part to defend ourselves or expose the adversary would be counterproductive. God will allow many to dwell among us who do not carry our heart or vision. Nevertheless, God uses all things for the fulfillment of His purpose. Jesus loved, provided for, and even dined with His betrayer. These events led to the cross, the inevitable end that marked a new beginning for all who would believe on Him. His will transcended the pain suffered by dishonest companions and even the pain of suffering and death on the cross. The glory that shall be revealed in us was worth all that He sacrificed. He was betrayed by a friend. He called Judas, “friend”. He is speaking of the beginning of their journey together. Jesus was yet focused upon what ought to have remained. He did not change His mind or position, but Judas shifted from where he once stood. We are His friends if we remain faithful to the end.

19 Apr 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: April 19

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1Timothy 1:15).

What Christ did on the cross by dying in order that men may live is amplified through our witness. His voice is raised through the lives of us who understand that we brought nothing that would qualify us to do what is now being done. The worst of sinners now stand with a testimony of victory because the Lord alone has graced us to live on the other side of our prior sins. We should never forget from which we came. We can then appreciate the distance God’s mercy and grace needed to reach down and arrest our violent attempts at self-destruction. For it to be said that we were at our worst when we thought of ourselves as being at our best is an understatement. He shows us the worst in us that He might bring forth the best in us. Sinners at their worst may find in Jesus Christ a House of Refuge. If we, being in the state we were once in could be saved, then He is able to save all who will to be saved.

18 Apr 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: April 18

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Matthew 16:13).

What men say cannot change the nature of a person or a thing. It has to do with recognizing and agreeing with the truth. Those who know Him merely by reputation can only repeat what they have heard and never share their truest knowledge of Him. Those who see Him from afar and can only see His silhouette may describe it with accuracy without ever knowing those special features that give expression to His passion. Only those who have answered the call to come to Him; to come close enough to see His face will be able to share with others the intimate things that would ignite a fire within the hearts of others to know what they may otherwise would have never known. What they say is not as important as what you say. Jesus Christ came to be known, but not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The resurrected Christ invites us to come closer and see the nail wounds in His hands that His love may be known through the price He paid for our redemption. He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. God is alive and His Spirit makes alive those who receive Him into their hearts.

17 Apr 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: April 17

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“He shall die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray” (Proverbs 5:23 NKJV).

“Death is the reward of an undisciplined life; your foolish decisions trap you in a dead end” (Proverbs 5:23 MSG).

A warning to the wise is the anecdote to his falling away and divorcing himself from his wisdom. Disciples are to exercise disciplines in order to safeguard areas that would otherwise be vulnerable to the enemy. He is seeking to influence those who have taken pride in their stance as being invincible thus allowing their guards to be down. Death is the price paid for our redemption. Since we are alive to Christ and dead to the world, Satan’s ploy is to attempt to resurrect things that once dominated and controlled our lives. Daily decisions have far-reaching and severe consequences. Nothing is done in isolation from a path leading to a destination. And nothing is done that does not follow a pattern of living modeled by a master. Our death in Jesus Christ produced life with a purpose. We are being led to triumph over all the works of darkness. Our thoughts must be directed towards the eternal unless we become entrapped by temporal pleasures requiring more than we have come to understand. We must allow wisdom to teach and guide us in a straight path.