Walking in the Way of the Cross with the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

Luke 9:51-56

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.

• Walking towards the inevitable in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
• There is no support for Jesus in this world as He leads by the way of the Cross.
• We walk in the Gospel of peace to save lives.

Walking towards the inevitable in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem…” Luke 9:51 I like how the focus is on the resurrection of Jesus Christ when it is written, “to be received up,” when He knew it was time for Him to be crucified on the Cross. When my time comes to die, I hope my thoughts and feelings are on my home in Heaven. Even on this earth, the followers of Christ are faced with circumstances that we know will not end well, but we are compelled to face the drama. We may know the scheduled meeting at work is to reprimand and to terminate our employment, but we walk steadfastly to work. We may know the upcoming doctor appointment will be more inadequate treatment or lack of a remedy altogether, but we walk steadfastly to the appointment. We may know the upcoming family visit, or visit with “friends,” will be filled with affliction to the Spirit of Christ, but we walk steadfastly to the gathering. We walk confidently as we fasten ourselves to the Spirit of Christ when we know circumstances are designed against us.

There is no support for Jesus in this world as He leads by the way of the Cross. The social network of those who live for the mark of the beast are very unsupportive of those preparing the way for Jesus Christ. They know that to support Jesus is to destine themselves to ridicule, mockery, affliction, and even death. They are not willing to give up their physical comforts, money, and possessions in exchange for the cross, as written, “…and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.” Luke 9:52-53

The Way of the Cross Leads Home
“I must reach Heaven’s home by the way of the Cross
There is no other way but this
I will never have sight of the gates of light
If the way of the Cross I miss.”
(Church Hymn)

We walk in the Gospel of peace to save lives. In the Spirit of Jesus Christ, we feel indignant towards those who are not supportive of His purpose. We even feel that we should respond to them in some way to show our disapproval. We feel we owe it to Jesus to stand up for Him with aggressive verbal or physical aggression. John and James, the “Sons of Thunder,” felt exactly that way, “And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” Luke 9:54 Those types of thoughts and emotions draws a rebuke from Jesus because we are born of the Holy Spirit who brings Salvation and not destruction, “But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.” Luke 9:55-56 In the Spirit of Holiness, we walk away from those who are unsupportive of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of peace is what separates us from the rest of the world.

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:31-32

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11