*Great Post... Here's why<G> Life is made up of the things we "see" taste-feel ect. We have only our "flesh" to gauge pain-joy-happiness by.. *But Peace, Mercy, Freedom, become our desire only after a time of weight, stress, loss or suffering... and we even forget that! Our minds understand the task of carrying on under a burden, and the world "escapes" that burden with drugs, drink and vices for a brief moment... and they begin to trust that release as reality when in fact it is a counterfeit for the freedom Christ bought paid and received at the cross.. Death brings a end to the flesh in all humans, but it also brings an end to our "free-will" to praise God in our lives under the bondage of the flesh. For the believer. *praise continues in a clear transition from this life into the arms of Jesus... along the "River of life" God wants us to choose him, when it is available for us to choose between temptation and life abundant. In the "Old Church" there was much focus on "Holiness" and being sure to avoid the temptation of the flesh, by modest dress and strict codes of conduct mixed with cultural overtones to explain away charges of narrow- mindedness and discrimination. It's easy to preach against the "world" when the definition of "Christian" is one that dresses, eats,talks, and shares the same values as you ascribe too. But living that way requires us to keep the law with our "fleshly mind" instead of a re-newed mind. The spirit of the Lord is life giving, death chasing, healing power... and in his light, no darkness can remain! Who can refuse an offer of Love? Who would turn away from a deep pool of Peace? *As we give-in to these promises of God, we set aside the ties to counterfeit love-peace to enter a life of relationship to our Heavenly Father. When we are full of his spirit, we can share that love and peace and let the burden go.... *We recieve a little bit of "Heaven here on earth" <G> -=A=- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Subj: the cross > Date: 7-18-2000 > From: Geoman1586 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > One day I was thinking about the cross I believed I had to carry. As we all > know that the Bible says to pick up are cross and follow Jesus. > Well as I thought of how heavy my cross was, and how it was so hard to > carry all around with me. The Lord began to speak to me. > " I only carried my cross to on place, and that is what I am asking you > to do. > Yes you must pick up your cross and follow me, but you must follow me > to where I took my cross. To calvary. My cross was for the forgiveness of > your sin, > your cross is for death to your sin." > Then I thought that a real cross is only for one thing, for some one to > die on. > Then the Lord said you only have to carry your cross until you lay down on > it and let your flesh be crucified, then the cross will carry you. > > _______ > To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > "Eat the hay & spit out the sticks! - A#1's mule" RTKB&G4JC! > http://rangernet.org Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- ��ࡱ� _______ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Eat the hay & spit out the sticks! - A#1's mule" RTKB&G4JC! http://rangernet.org Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
