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Yesterday I was teaching from Luke 14 about the
high calling     
the cost of being a disciple of Jesus.   
Words like HATE   
and CROSS   
and GIVE UP EVERYTHING.... :P   
see Luke 14:25-35        

Oh my. :(    

A friend came to me afterwards
and said,
"Wow, this is so hard.... What is God asking me to die to...?
What do I have to give up!?" :(

I felt their turmoil and sense of impending loss.
It felt like the knife of sacrifice poised over their life...
What is God going to do? :(
Oh dear...

This morning I was reading from Colossians
Paul tells me to:
"Put to death things that belong to your earthly nature"
things like:
- Sexual immorality
- Impurity
- Lust
- Evil Desires
- Greed

and 'Put On':
- compassion
- kindness
- humility
- gentleness
- patience
- forgiveness
- love
Read about it in Colossians 3:1-17

I thought. Oh Yeah!
This is actually NOT a hardship
Giving up things that are death
and destruction
and mess with my life
might be
HARD
but not
HARDSHIP!

In fact
I want to give them up
I want to put them to death.

and Yet
somehow my fleshly nature wants to maintain
INDEPENDANCE
and
Stay in CONTROL....

Lord Jesus,
Here I am again
Looking at life from Your perspective
it seems so obvious that 'giving up'
miserable things
for
Treasure
is a 'no brainer'

and Yet....

Thank You for making it really obvious again
this morning
what You call me
FROM
and
TO.

Death to Life
Sorrow to Joy
Destruction to Construction.

So I do.
I choose You
and
I choose to put to death
....death.
On the cross.

Yes..
Thank You Lord

PJ