Transcript:
Intro – Here is Bill Shade with today’s “Moment from God’s Word”.
Message
Last week I was talking about the book Silence & Beauty by Makoto Fujimura. You may recall it is a book that tells of the beginnings of Christianity in Japan and the terrible persecution which followed.
We talked about the 26 men and three young boys who were first crucified on what is now called, Martyr’s Hill on the coastal shores of Nagasaki. After marching them beaten and bloody from Kyoto, the young boys, upon arriving at the hill and seeing the crosses laid out waiting for them asked, “where is my cross?” and then willing laid down upon it.
Perhaps we have forgotten that Jesus said, “If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” To “carry your cross” means to expect persecution, betrayals and exile from the world – yes and possibly even death. That is not just difficult, it is impossible and it makes it clear that the Christian life cannot be lived by self effort.
C. S. Lewis said that being a Christian is not an effort-based journey. “It is not like teaching a horse to jump better and higher but like turning a horse into a winged creature that can fly.” That is miraculous, and that is what the Christian life is – it is nothing less than Christ Himself living in me – anything else is not Christianity – it just theatre.
Closing – This is Kile Smith. You have been listening to Bible Teacher and author, Dr. Bill Shade, Director of Advanced Studies for Source of Light Ministries International. Our college-recognized, three-year, Bible Institute curriculum is now available online. We invite you to visit us on the Web at advancedbiblicalstudies.net – that’s advancedbiblicalstudies.net and begin a systematic study of God’s Word today.