Today's Passage - John 12:25-26

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english John 12:25-26   "Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."   The Lord says here, "...where I am, my servant also will be." Jesus had been on the cross. May I ask you if in your life you had been on the cross? I don't mean that I want you to be nailed on the cross. But Jesus had been on the cross for us by denying himself in obedience to God. Have you and I in our lives also denied ourselves to obey God? Have we been willing to live solely for God's pleasure? Have we been willing to commit ourselves to obey God's will? Have you and I been willing to no longer love ourselves, but to love the Lord more? The way of the Lord is the way of the cross. The question that the Lord asked Peter is the same question that he is asking us, "Do you love me more than these?" What are your "these"? Are they your perfectionistic ideals or your career? Many times, it is not because we don't want to serve God, but we are hindered by our perfectionistic ideals and desires. What are your "these"? Are they your family or children? Especially for young families, the children can become our hindrance when our whole focus is on them, and our hearts start to grow cold and distant from God. What are your "these"? For many people they are the past hurts and wounds of the heart. They may even be hurts and wounds experienced from church. Are you willing for the Lord's sake to lay down the right to be sad and to justify yourself? Are you willing to lay down the right to direct your own life?    The Lord had denied himself on the cross. Are we willing to deny ourselves in the same way as well? Many people who serve the Lord never had the experience of the cross. That's why their lives are so filled with bitterness and complaints. However, for the people who are willing to deny themselves for the Lord, they will surely be filled with the presence of God and from their lives will surely flow out the love and forgiveness of the Lord. Think how pleasant it would be if your spouse is this kind of a person? Unfortunately, many times we only ask the Lord to change our spouse, yet we are never willing to first walk the way of the cross!    Maybe you will say, "Why am I so unfortunate? Why do I always have to learn the lessons first?" In the end, it doesn't matter who is the unfortunate one. You need to reflect on the Lord's example. It is he who is willing to first deny himself for us. He never complained, "Woe is me! How unfortunate am I to die for these people!" The Lord had been on the cross. Have your life been on the cross as well?                                                      Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, please forgive me. From this day forth I want to start to learn the way of the cross. Help me to understand what it means to deny myself and to love the people around me. May the Lord be my strength and my help! I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!