Crucifixion DayIn Jesus, Ken Page

Today was the day that they killed Jesus. God did the most incredible thing by becoming a man to fully reveal Himself and they killed Him. He was the only human to have the capacity to actually and fully love others and they killed Him. He gave and He gave and He gave and they killed Him. Out of a pure heart He spoke the truth to others- the truth they desperately needed to hear and they killed Him. They would not tolerate this "free- wheeling" guy who refused to play their human game and "respect" the system designed to ensure their "strokes".

These killers were not the secular corporate power brokers. They were not the elite who conspired towards a one-world government. No- the real killers were the religious leaders. These were the guys supposedly pointing the way to God!? How could something "for" God run so amuck? The Apostle Paul himself was formerly one of these religious guys. At the zenith of his religious fervor he was killing the very people whom God had chosen. He shares this former "killing testimony" in the 3rd chapter of Philippians. What is at the heart of this bizarre religious living?

The heart of this killing behavior is the pursuit of identity and value. We are either seeking our own "earned" value, or we receive the value that is given to us through Christ. The religious leaders of Jesus day had created a system in which they had spent a whole lifetime creating an identity for themselves. They had worked very hard to get to the top of their known world. They were not about to tolerate this Jesus who seemed to have His own system and value- which was diametrically opposed to their's. They knew that the two systems could not live in harmony. They killed Him.

This self-pursuit of identify is alive and well in church organizations today. Instead of teaching the denial of our own identity and self-value the church is often helping to strengthen it. Even our pursuit of the scriptures is full of this pursuit to be wise and right in our own right. The Christian church today knows very little of life in Him. Most of our "Christian" value comes from our buildings, programs and our pastor (if we think we have a good one).

We can not be creating our own self-worth and live as a Christian. Those two systems are opposed to each other. You may think you can live for God, but you will in fact be opposing Him.

Let us enter into the crucifixion of Christ today. Let us lay down our dreams, our agendas and our expectations. Let us cease this insatiable drive to prove to ourselves and others that we are important and valuable. Let's rise to a new life of gratitude for the GIFT of love, acceptance, value and purpose that is already our's in Christ. Let's quit running the show and learn to listen and to rest in the only source of life- JESUS.

Have you entered into the truth of Galatians 2:20 " I have been crucified with Christ (my self- made life is dead) and it is no longer I who live (are you still trying to live?) but Christ lives in me (really!); and the life which I now live, I live by faith (not hard core gutting it out!) in the Son of God (why should I trust Him to live my life for me?) who loved me and delivered Himself up for me (that's why!)

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