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NASB | Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. |
Subject: sacrifice of leaders con't |
Bible Note: sacrifice of leaders con't... Pastor Francis Frangipane's Weekly Message August 30, 2002 TOMORROW'S LEADERS, TODAY'S SACRIFICE The oak tree grows out of the grave of the acorn. Return to the Cross Those who will be tomorrow's leaders will pay God's price today. Other How does a disciple actually suffer with Christ? At the core of our existence, we choose to let the way of Christ guide us rather than the way of man. The cross is the cost we pay so Christ's redemption will succeed. Our cross puts to death our self-preservation instincts, as well as our fleshly ideas and ambitions. Before Jesus will truly manifest in power in our lives, He requires an end to striving with our flesh. Self must die for Christ to manifest in power. If we will become those to whom God entrusts His kingdom, we must envision ourselves crucified. We must purpose to see Christ revealed and living within us. And we must see the time of extended preparation, however long it takes, as fundamental to our future success. Consider: Jesus lived thirty years of surrendered obscurity. Yet His life was not hidden from God; His life was hidden in God. Without outward signs or works of power, inwardly Jesus carried a cross. Daily, He chose to die to the voice of self-interest; without interruption, He lived in the warmth of His Father's pleasure. As a blue collar worker, in the mundane tasks of human existence, Jesus' life increased the bliss of God. How did He, not as a miracle worker but as a wood worker, attract the Father's unswerving focus? Jesus never silenced the voice of love nor separated His heart from its trust in God. We, too, must not assume that because men do not acknowledge us that God Himself is indifferent. If we are truly living for God, He will notice. If we are genuinely living in pursuit of Him, He will certainly measure our progress and, in time, reward our hunger with His substance. It is Needful that We Die to Self It is easy to be false, but only with difficulty do we become true followers of Jesus Christ. If we would have the Spirit of God become real to us, we must first become real with Him. Our superficiality must die and our outer man buried. Yes, we are sheltered in the Father's love, but His love does not protect us from growing up. His sheltering presence keeps us from evil, but it does not keep us from having to change. Thus, part of God's provision, even in the midst of our blessedness, is the crucifixion of our old nature. Indeed, to facilitate this death process, Christ accommodates the adversarial conflicts which come against us and uses them to perfect us. We cry, "God, protect me." But the Almighty seeks not so much to protect us, but to perfect us. Our perfection, our maturity, our conformity to Christ's faith, love and character is the protection offered by the Father. You see, there are enemies in our lives from whom God has no intention of delivering us until we have changed. They are specifically and divinely allowed, for they attack and destroy that element of our nature that lives outside of our conformity to Christ. In other words, you will always have people slandering you until you are un-manipulated by the words of man. You will frequently have people who curse you until you learn to bless them, and not react. |