Sunday, April 16, 2017

"Sacrifice is Necessary"

Reflections4Life April 16, 2017
“Sacrifice is Necessary”
Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?” Matthew 16:24-26
Scripture Contemplation: Matthew 22; 27; Mark 12; Luke 12; John 11; Acts 1; 1 Corinthians 15

Happy Resurrection Sunday! I declare that this week’s Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart, mind, and soul. Walk in the promises of God, receiving all that He has ordained for your life. Walk in the resurrection power of Christ, the revelation of knowledge and the power of His wisdom for your life and His love. We stand each day granted the opportunity to walk in the goodness of God with an open heart, receiving answers to our prayers. Those answers sometimes require sacrifice. The answer for our redemption came with the ultimate sacrifice of love—God sending His only begotten Son, and Jesus becoming the final sacrifice for the propitiation of our sins.
It always awes me what our Heavenly Father has done for us. To love us so much to sacrifice His only begotten Son to be the one and final sacrifice for our sins that would ensure us eternal life with Him in Heaven. Our Father in Heaven loves us so much that though it is our choice to sin and to reject Him, choosing to live our lives, as we will, He still has made a way for us. He still has extended to us His grace and mercy and has prepared a place for us in Heaven alongside Him, confident in those He knows will receive His precious gift of life, redeeming ourselves.
When I think of the sacrifice that Christ made for us. What He endured to assure us the keys of life—abundant life—, power, and authority over the enemy, overwhelms and humbles me at the same time, especially so when I think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Mark 14:32-36 (LTB) 32 And now they came to an olive grove called the Garden of Gethsemane, and he instructed his disciples, “Sit here, while I go and pray.” 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him and began to be filled with horror and deepest distress. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is crushed by sorrow to the point of death; stay here and watch with me.” 35 He went on a little farther and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the awful hour awaiting him might never come. 36 “Father, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take away this cup from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.”
As I study the Mark chapter 14, it becomes apparent to me how many characteristics are represented throughout that day. How many of us can see ourselves in that passage of scripture? I saw myself and quite a few people that I know and do not know. The enemy was already plotting His demise, and the acts of His betrayal were already in motion. There Christ sat with His followers, celebrating Passover, knowing that He was to become the spotless Lamb whose Blood was placed above the door posts, as represented in the book of Exodus, saving the lives of all those who believed and received. He sat amongst His closest disciples and boldly proclaimed the truth of His betrayal, and not just by Judas, but also by those who never thought they would never leave His side or deny having walked with Him and known Him. Yet, He spoke in love and understanding, knowing that this was all a part of the sacrifice that He would make to save theirs and the lives of humanity; ensuring them access to eternal life with Him and the Father.
He sat around that table, knowing what was coming in a few hours, yet took His time to tell them, prepare them, and assure them. Then He went to the Garden where the battle of his flesh and spirit warred. It warred over the unwillingness of the flesh to become the propitiation for our sins, for those that rejected Him and would reject Him, for those who did not and would not believe. Yet, His spirit knew and understood the reason He came here; the reason He was born of a woman to become the final sacrifice for humanity, reconciling us to the Father. His spirit understood that this was the only acceptable sacrifice to make the will of His Father to happen. He understood the pain that was to come, the sense of abandonment and rejection, the turning away of His father when He bore on Him all the sins of the world. He willingly made this difficult sacrifice for what He truly wanted: for us to be reconciled to God and receive Eternal Life.
Beloveds, there are things that we want in this life; accomplishments that we want to make, a certain life we want to live, and the will of God to happen for us. This takes sacrifice. We have to be willing to make some sacrifices in our lives for what we desire. We cannot expect to live a life of what we want; of joy and merriment and there not be some sacrifices made. Sacrifices are necessary to receive what God has ordained for us. We cannot continue to live just any kind of way with the thought that God will continue to extend His mercy and grace while we give up nothing and willingly sin and transgress. Not happening. I like to look at as a person preparing for competition. If you want to win, then you must put in the time and effort to place yourself in the best position to win. There will be sacrifices made if you are serious. You give up certain things, people, and places, and you become aware of what is necessary to succeed. If you cannot make some sacrifices in your life, then what you say you want, you really don’t.
My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity finds permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. To live your life to the fullest and to receive what God has ordained for you, there will need to be some sacrifices made along the way. It is a guarantee that your flesh will always rise up against your spirit and what is best for you. Yet, when you make the necessary sacrifices and become intimate with God; spending time in His presence, seeking His will, and following His plans—you will never miss what was sacrificed because the joy of the promises fulfilled and manifested will fill every part of your life with abundant joy and happiness. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!

©2017. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.

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