Tuesday after Jubilate, 4/27/99

Acts 5:40--41
And after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them to
speak no more in the name of Jesus, and then released them.  So they went
on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had
been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.
        NASB

Imagine yourself in the school cafeteria.  The young gunman walks in and
asks, "Is anybody here a Christian?"  What would you do?  Would you stand
up and "be counted?"  It is easy for us to think about the martyrs of
long ago and believe that we would have been just as bold as them.  Would
we?

Imagine yourself in the classroom, at work, with your friends at dinner. 
Would you take a lower grade or miss a promotion and yet rejoice because
you were considered worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus?  At dinner
with your friends, are you willing to bow your head and pray in a
restaurant knowing that others are looking at you?  What if your friends
are unbelievers?

We are to make a joyful noise as we bear our cross.  First we must bear
our cross.  How can we make a joyful noise while we bear our cross? 
Where does the power come from?  The power comes from knowing that Christ
Jesus bore His cross for us.  He gave up the good life in heaven and
suffered on earth for us.  Because Jesus bore His cross--living a perfect
life for us--we stand before God as people who have perfectly kept God's
law by faith in Jesus.  Because Jesus bore His cross by dying for our
sins, our sin of not bearing our cross is forgiven.

The connection is faith which is created by the Holy Gospel.  By faith
Jesus' cross is our cross.  By faith we can rejoice because the worst
part of bearing the cross is over--sin has been paid for.  From that
knowledge comes not only joy, but also the power to bear our cross.  When
we understand that Jesus saved us from an eternity of pain and suffering,
we are able to gratefully suffer a little in this life.  May Jesus fill
you with His Holy Spirit so that you are able to bear your cross with
joy.  Amen.

Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, forgive us for not bearing our crosses.  By Your
Holy Spirit working through the Gospel, strengthen our faith so that we
are able to bear our crosses with joy.  We ask this in our Savior Jesus'
name, amen.