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The Cross & Easter with Tony Evans

Day 4 of 7:

“Carrying Your Cross Daily”

Why is it that so many believers are struggling to live victorious lives? Because they are leaving the cross at the benediction. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) He didn’t say that you are to pick up your cross and then set it back down.

This is an ongoing identification as Paul pointed out in 1 Corinthians 15:31 where he said, “I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” The cross represents the connection to and identification with Jesus Christ and the purpose of His life, death, burial and resurrection. It is acknowledgment of total dependency on Christ and recognition of our sin.

Jesus wants to be more important to you than your own comforts. He says in Matthew 16:24, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” You must carry your cross, not Jesus’ cross.

Have you ever gone swimming in a lake or in the ocean? If you chose to swim several hundred feet down in the depths of the water, you wouldn’t survive without the proper equipment because your body was not made for that environment. The cross is your equipment in this world.

It is your GPS, your identity, your oxygen and your point of reference.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, like Paul – I die daily. I choose to set down my own personal will, desires, ambitions, goals and needs. Only You know what is truly a need in my life. I choose to trust You by picking up my cross daily in identifying with the surrender of Jesus Christ to Your rule and authority as King. In Christ’s name, amen.

Seek Him, Serve Others

It’s easy to do something nice for a friend, or a loved one. I want to encourage you to do something nice for someone you are not particularly drawn to, or know. When Jesus died on the cross – it was for those of us who were dead in our sins. Make an attempt today to do a gesture of goodness to someone you may not normally consider being kind to.

Matthew 16:24 King James Version

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

1 Corinthians 15:31 King James Version

31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Luke 14:27 King James Version

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Philippians 1:21-22 King James Version

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

Going throughthe Bible a chapter a day

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%204&version=KJV

Chapter 38 of Exodus: Is continuing with the building the tabernacle as God commanded Moses who told the people how it would be built as God commanded.

Chapter 39 of Exodus: The Holy Garments for Aaronand his sons.

Chapter 40 of Exodus the final chapter: The Tabernacle Set Up is completed amd the glory of God descends upon it. Moses is assigned by God with anointing Aaron and his sons for the offical priesthood of Israel. Moses offers incense, burnt and meal offerings and they wash their hands and feet. Cloud covered the tent and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. When the cloud was taken up the children of Israel went onward on their journey but if not taken up they didn’t move it the cloud was taken up.

Introduction into Leviticus
Maybe you have been wondering why so many rules to follow so sharing this with you.

Leviticus chapter 1: The Burnt Offering is voluntary and personal offering. The purpose is to make attonement for the sin of the offerer and to gain God’s acceptance. Verses 14-17 God gives some options for animal sacrifices. This is because the poor could not afford a bull, sheep, or goat. God did not keep people from coming into His presence because they could not afford to sacrifice.

Leviticus chapter 2: The meat offering (grain offering): The chapter continues the ordinance of the offering and sacrifice and began with the meat offering to God. The priest burned it and offered the sweet savor to God, but what was left went to Aaron and his sons. An oblation of the meat offering was baked unleavened cakes made with fine flour, mingled with oil. It could also be unleavened wafers anointed with oil. Under no circumstances were any meat offerings made to God made with leaven or honey. The oblation, unleavened cakes or wafers, was the firstfruits when offered to God. The meat offering needed to be seasoned with salt for the Israelites to remember the salt of the covenant of God. (Note the above was taken from biblestudyministry.com for a summary of chapter 2). They had the simplest explanation of chapter 2.

Chapter 3: The Peace Offering: continues the ordinance of the offering and sacrifice, this one begins the peace offering. The offerer is to bring it before the priest, before the Lord and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation by Aaron’s sons the priests. Aaron’s sons will burn it on the altar used to administer the burnt sacrifice. All the fat of the beast that is offered belongs to the Lord, and the peace offering is a perpetual statute for all generations in all dwellings, that no fat or blood is consumed when eating meat offered to the Lord (especially the peace offering)! (Note: the above is a summary taken from biblestudyministry.com).

In case you wondered the same question here is the answer.

Leviticus chapter 4: The Sin Offering: In chapter 4 we see repeated sequence: there is sin, resulting in guilt; there is a blood sacrifice, resulting in atonement and forgiveness. This explains why only the blood and the fat of the sin offering are used and the rest is thrown away. God is demonstrating in a dramatic way that only blood can atone for Israel’s sin.

Does the inncoent blood of the animal sound familiar with it being Easter Sunday? It is the same as Jesus He was inncoent and yet nailed to a cross because of our sins. His blood washes away are sins for those who believe in Him. His sacrifice was pathed a way for us to get into heaven and be saved from sin and eternal separation from God. He came to give life and save that which is lost.

John 3:16-17 King James Version

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God bless you and your loved ones. See you next Sunday for a review of this coming week’s chapters.

The Cross & Easter with Tony Evans

Day 3 of 7:

“Set Free for Freedom”

One of the assignments that I had to do at seminary involved writing a research paper. I remember this particular paper because I was very proud of my work when I turned it in. I had controlled the material, analyzed all of the possible idiosyncratic elements of the vicissitudes in the arguments.

However, when I got my paper back from my professor, there was a big, fat, red zero at the top, along with a smaller note at the bottom, “Tony, great work. Great preparation. Wrong assignment.”

It wasn’t that I hadn’t done great work; it was that I had done the wrong assignment. As a result, I didn’t get credit for what I had done. Christianity is no different. It’s not that there aren’t a lot of people doing a lot of excellent things like attending church, helping the hurting, or saying all the correct spiritual platitudes. It’s just that they’ve missed the cross. They’ve missed Jesus Christ – and wonder why they aren’t experiencing any victory, power, hope and authority.

This is because the rules of religion can get in the way of a relationship. These religious rules are called “legalism.” It measures your spirituality by your activity. You must always do more, be better, pray longer and work harder. The legalism list never ends because there is always something else to add.

Paul wrote stern words to those contemplating following the Judaizers religion in Galatians chapter five when he said, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free ….”

Prayer:

Lord, I choose to live in light of the freedom Christ died to provide. Thank You for setting me free from the rules of religion so I can serve You out of a heart of gratitude. In Christ’s name, amen.

Seek Him, Serve Others

The next time you are in a conversation with someone who seems to be struggling with a list of man-made rules, use the opportunity to share with them the truth of Christ’s redemption.

Look today for a way you can serve someone in your home or at work through a special gift. Use your freedom to impact someone else for good from a pure love for God and not obligation.

Galatians 5 King James Version

5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.