CLINGING TO THE CROSS

1 Corinthians 1:18  "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."

I wonder sometimes why all do not accept the Lord as their Savior; how can it not be obvious to all that Jesus died to save them from all sin, and to give them life with the Father, eternal life through Jesus Christ.  So many are depressed, miserable, dying in their sin, and still they continue to run from the truth, from the love of Jesus.  They laugh at me.  There are times I pour out what the Lord gives me into these writings, knowing that there will be so many that scoff at what I have written, that won't begin to understand what is written here, what the Lord has shown me, but I write still, clinging to the Cross.

It breaks my heart when I feel my Father's heart grieving at the indifference of His children; yes, even the unsaved are His children.  But what grieves Him even more, are those that call themselves His children, but live like they know Him not.  They take the bread offered by our Lord, and eat, but share it not.  They take and drink, but look away at another's thirst.  They take the mercy given freely by the Lord, but give no mercy.  They are a barnacle on the cross of our Lord.  They take and close it unto themselves,  keeping all to themselves.

We are not meant to be a barnacle on the cross.  A barnacle lives in shallow water, just taking enough in to keep themselves going but not getting into the deep, the flow of the river of Life.  A barnacle is a feeder that keeps in it's hardened shell, impermeable, letting no one in.  They continually fight to gain higher ground at the price of the ones they climb over, that they push aside, hurting on their way up to impress our Lord.  But that barnacle is seen, from the beginning the Lord is watching the one who claims to be in His service, but is only promoting self, wanting his reputation to increase in favor of man.  Do they not know that in this corrosive state they will be brought down.  I believe the Lord will tolerate these barnacle types as long as His children are not hurt; but once this begins to happen and the one who is taking, helping themself to what is meant for all, they will be brought down, exposed.

Father, I keep taking these words away and you keep putting them back.  I am not understanding who this in intended for; I know my spirit is crying out for understanding, for knowledge of Your intentions.  Show me, Lord, please show me.  Let me worship You, Lord.  I worship you, I worship You.  All I know to do is worship You. Let my sacrifice to you be in total love, let me be a sweet fragrance to You Lord, let me follow Your will, let me do Your work.  I worship.  I worship.  I see, I see.  Thank You, Lord....

The only way to prevent corrosion, to prevent becoming a barnacle of life, in the service of the Lord, is to continually give worship to the Lord.  To continue to let the will of God become your desire.  The only way to prevent from being a hardened shell of a person, to prevent taking all for yourself from God and not letting it flow through you is to constantly let yourself be used by God.  Forget self.  Negate the thoughts that come from the enemy to take, and take, and take.  Listen to the Holy Spirit as He instructs you in the Name of Jesus, to give, to give, to give.  As you are filled with the love and grace of God, pour it into other's lifes.  Let that bread of Life that comes to feed you be shared with everyone around you.  It will not run out, there will be more tomorrow, and the day after.  Jump into the river of life with a force that drives you deep down into the flow from the throne of God.  Drink deeply of that sweet water and then let it pour out of you to show others that they too can be satisified with the water from the River of God, that water that will cease their thirst for anything but Him, for our Lord God.

Cling to the Cross.  Cling, for your life depends upon it.  But cling as a sponge, not a barnacle.  Cling as a sponge soaking up all that the Lord gives you, but then let Him squeeze you over others. Let Him use you, let your life be a witness to His mercy and goodness.  My Lord, I will cling to the cross, that cross where You died for me; that cross where I can go when I am losing my way.  The cross will always be there for us to remember Your sacrifice for us; it will always be there showing Your love, Your unconditional love for all.

Your peace, Lord, awaits all who will come to the cross and let you remove the barnacles from their eyes to let them see Your love.  Your Word waits there for all who will shed the barnacles from their ears and listen to those life giving words, the instruction You give us for a victorious life.  And Your joy, Lord, awaits all who will let the shed blood wash the barnacles off the hearts that have been hardened by life, and become a vessel, an instrument of praise and worship to You alone.  Your healing power will rescue those whose spirits have been dying from lack of the vital waters of life that only You can pour into us.

O, my Lord, how I love You.  I see, Lord, I see.  I understand now.  Life can cause barnacles to develop, but You, Lord, You alone can remove them and do so as often as we come to You, clinging to the cross that You overcame.  Life begins at the cross.  I will cling to the Old Rugged Cross, all the days of my life, until You, my Lord Jesus, come for me on that victorious day.  That glorious day.

02-15-12