Cross Bearing

-- An Acrostic --

                                     Christ being your sole Headmaster,      
                                     Run with great love and passion, 
                                     Obeying His great and high call,
                                     Surrendering to Him your all,     
                                     Striving to please Him no matter what.

                                     Being all that He wants you to be,  
                                     Enduring all shame and reproach,
                                     Admitting that you’re so unworthy,
                                     Robed with humility as a cloak,
                                     Imitating Christ’s behavior, 
                                     Not moving your eyes from Jesus’ face,
                                     Going for that straight, narrow door. 

--Hope, girl, age 14

Scriptural basis:

“And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’” (Luk 9:23; cf., Mat 16:24; Mar 8:34)

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb 12:1-2)

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mat 7:13-14)

"Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." (Luk 13:24)

“Find out what pleases the Lord.” (Eph 5:10. NIV)

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."  (Gal 2:20)

"But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."  (Gal 6:14)

Related Poems:

The Cost

I'll Follow You

Reward of the Overcomer

Related blogs:

The Cost of Discipleship
The Straight and Narrow Path   
Costly Grace
Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?
Crucified with Christ
The Ways of Life

Related Quotes:
“Cross- loving men are needed.” -- Hudson Taylor

“Fruit-bearing involves cross-bearing.” -- Hudson Taylor

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.  The "At the Cross" illustration is by my seventeen-year old daughter, Charity Lacroix. You can find more of her lovely artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note:  The poems in this blog were written by my children, ages ten through seventeen. The "Why This Blog" post explains how the Lord inspired these poems in answer to a prayer during illness. I also recommend visiting my children's blog, A Brush with Life, where you will also find beautiful art they have drawn for the glory of God. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Beckoned

Jesus wants a hug
From little boys and girls.
Though busy at His work,
They’re so adorable.

He loves to hear their laughter;
It brings Him such delight.
Oh, can’t you hear the Master
As warmly, He invites:

“Let the little ones come to Me.
Don’t keep them from My side.
For such as these I came to live
And on the cross to die.
And such as these possess My Kingdom,
City of the Light.

“Don’t worry, little ones.
Come sit down on My knee.”
He turns His ear to them.
“What would you like to tell Me?

“I’m managing the universe,
From galaxies to beating hearts.
But I want you to know My love for you infinite,
To know it from the start.”

-- Charity, girl, age 17

Scriptural basis:

"Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." After laying His hands on them, He departed from there." (Mat 19:13-15)

Attribution notice: Scripture quotation taken from the NASB. The illustration, called "His Little Lambs", isby my seventeen-year old daughter, Charity Lacroix. You can find more of her artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note:  The poems in this blog were written by my children, ages ten through seventeen. The "Why This Blog" post explains how the Lord inspired these poems in answer to a prayer during illness. I also recommend visiting my children's blog, A Brush with Life, where you will also find beautiful art they have drawn for the glory of God. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

We Want to be Accepted

We want to be liked by the world,
Accepted as one of their own.
So that we don’t offend,
We fail to defend
The truth which in God’s Word is shown.

We want to be liked by the world,
Accepted in full recognition.
So the clothing we wear
Is no different than theirs.
Then how will they know we’re Christian?

We want to be liked by the world,
Which leads to a meaningless chat.
We lock up good words,
‘Cause they really prefer
That you not speak of Christ and all that.

We want to be liked by the world,
But we can’t befriend them and God both.
To be on their terms
For acceptance affirms
That we’ve cheated on our Betrothed.

-- Charity, girl, age 17

Scriptural basis:

"You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?” (Jas 4:4-5, NIV)

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." (1Jn 2:15-17, NASB)

"'If you belonged to the world, it would love you as His own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (Jn 15:19, NIV)

"“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.” (Php 3:17, NIV)

“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mk 8:36, NIV)

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Rom 12:2 NASB)

"Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness." (1Ti 2:9-10 NASB)

"In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." (1Pe 3:1-4 NASB)

Related blogs:

Tattoos and Body Piercing 

Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian 

Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing? 

Separation from the World 

The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness
Garments of Godliness

Related Poems:
Beauty Unfading

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.  The photo of the cross tattoos is in the public domain, courtesy of Wikipedia.

Author's note:  The poems in this blog were written by my children, ages ten through seventeen. The "Why This Blog" post explains how the Lord inspired these poems in answer to a prayer during illness. I also recommend visiting my children's blog, A Brush with Life, where you will also find beautiful art they have drawn for the glory of God. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.