CONTEMPLATING THE CROSS: A 40-DAY PILGRIMAGE OF PRAYER

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Clark Wade on April 12, 2009 at 3:04pm

EPILOGUE

Every year, more change is wrought in me with this journey. I feel I have gone deeper this year than the year before. And last year was deeper than the year before that. Each year uncovers new depths of His love and the power of His cross.

In reading the last chapter of “Contemplating the Cross” I was struck by these words:

“Why are you looking in a tomb for Someone who is alive? He is not here—He is risen!

One thing I can say about this journey is that an infusion of Christ’s life has taken place in me. It can rightly be called a “baptism into His life.” And I am sure that some of you who have journeyed in this pilgrimage can say the same thing as well. As we spend more and more time with our Lord Jesus Christ, as we come to know Him as the lover and seeker of our souls, in His crucified love for each one of us; as we come to love Him like a Mary Magdalene, covering His feet with our kisses and tears, loving Him unabashedly, scandalously, extravagantly, we become aware of something quite profound. We no longer want to seek Him in “tombs.” We seek Him where He is alive! Where His life is being expressed and experienced!

We desire Jesus Christ! We pursue His aliveness! We long for His presence! Jesus talked about the “white-washed sepulchers” that look so good on the outside, but are full of dead-men’s bones. In being with Him, I am finding myself extremely sensitive to things that may be done in His name but don’t contain His life.

The other thing I have recently discovered is connected to the first, and it is this: I need you to be with Him. I need you to experience His life. When I talk about a “baptism in His life,” much of that has been because of you. There is a real hunger that has risen in my heart to be with believers who so contain His life in them. I am beginning to understand the early Christian community in their love for each other and their desire to be with each other. It was simply because they needed Jesus Christ, in them. I’ll say it again: “I need you to be with Him.”

I’m just seeing this more and more. If we claim to love Him, we will love His body as well. I love you because of His life I see in you. I need you to be with Him.

O Lord Jesus. Thank you for my dearest brothers and sisters. Thank you for Your life that I see in them, that I hear in them. Thank You Lord for this family that You have created out of Your side that now exists under Your headship. You did not leave us as orphans. Each member of Your body is a carrier, is a vessel of Your divine life in them. O Lord, while the world cannot see You, it can see You in Your body on earth, Your ecclesia. Do that in us which we cannot do in ourselves. Be our Life. Be our Way. Be our Truth. Express Yourself through us without measure. May Your anointing in us teach us all that we need to know and may we discard anything and everything which is peripheral to knowing You. May we be done with looking for you in the tombs of religious traditions that no longer contain Your life. O divine Father! Ignite us! Baptize us! Infuse us! Enthuse us! Indwell us! Saturate us! Drench us! in the blessed life of Your Son, Jesus, the Christ until there is an explosion of His life on earth, as it is in Heaven!

In His Faithfulness,

Clark

Permalink Reply by Clark Wade on April 12, 2009 at 4:14pm

Ah brother, you saw that too. I'm not surprised. And so well said brother:

"What a glorious thing. I can turn inward into Him and fellowship with Him in the secret place... and I can turn to you, my brother, and fellowship with Him in You... in both places there is LIFE.. there is CHRIST, who is our Life."

Praise God! This "double-fellowship" of which you speak is our highest privilege as children of God. May this seeing, hearing, touching, and this fragrance of Christ continue to flourish in us and among us. And you cannot have one without the other. Our outward expressions to each other is the result of His life in us. And if His life is truly in us, we will also seek this outward expression as well in the community of the saints. What He gives us of Himself is just not for our own personal consumption. "What you hear in secret, shout on the rooftops."

"When Christ comes, He will come to be glorfied in His saints and to be marveled at in all those who have believed." II Thes. 1:10.

COME LORD JESUS AND LET THE "MARVELING" BEGIN!

Ron Kellington said:

Clark, in your EPILOGUE, you said...In reading the last chapter of “Contemplating the Cross” I was struck by these words:

“Why are you looking in a tomb for Someone who is alive? He is not here—He is risen!

I, too, when I read that paused for a moment because I was struck with the fact there were many times in my life where I was seeking Him where He wouldn't be found... Much of what happens in this world and comes out of this world is very temporary and will die. Everything that is of our Lord brings Life and is for eternity.

I don't want to look for Him in a tomb anymore... I see Him alive in my brothers and sisters.. in His Body is the FULLNESS of HIM who fills ALL and is in ALL.

What a glorious thing. I can turn inward into Him and fellowship with Him in the secret place... and I can turn to you, my brother, and fellowship with Him in You... in both places there is LIFE.. there is CHRIST, who is our Life.

Happy Resurrection Sunday!!! HE IS RISEN!

Permalink Reply by Clark Wade on February 18, 2010 at 3:38pm

Greetings everyone,

Lent began officially Feb. 17, which was yesterday. I was prompted by an email from sister Trisha who wrote this wonderful devotional. If you sign up to her blg www.soulatrest.com, she will send you the devotional day by day. So, I am intending on reading "Contemplating the Cross" again and going through these writings that all of you have contributed, so this is a reminder to all of you as well for anyone wo wants to join in. The schedule I listed from last year no longer applies so make whatever adjustments are necessary.

Your brother in Christ,

Clark,

Permalink Reply by Clark Wade on February 18, 2010 at 4:21pm

Here is the site where you can also read Contemplating the Cross, all 40 days: : http://www.soulatrest.com/pages/ContemplatingTable.html

Permalink Reply by Clark Wade on February 19, 2010 at 12:42am

DAY ONE: RESPONSE:

Today, reflect on your own need. Consider your personal sin and disobedience. Ask God to give you the gift of mourning before Him as you begin this journey. Know that even as you may grieve, you will receive afresh the love of Christ, who died for you.

My Lord, if I’m to follow You on this journey, then my first stop is Gethsemane—or “Place of Crushing.” Give me Jesus, my own place of crushing for my sins and disobedience. Let me feel the weight of my guilt even in the garden of complacency, comfort and ease. Cleanse my heart by godly grief and sorrow over who I am without You. But do not leave me in my sorrow I pray. For You are the healer and restorer of broken hearts. A broken and contrite heart You do not despise. My Lord, I would not trade a single tear wept in repentance for a thousands joys of this earth.

When God has spoken or moved you in some way, write a prayer of response. This might include words of praise, confession, petition, worship, or even questions you have. Be authentic as you open your heart.

Oh my Lord Jesus. This word “authentic” strums a chord in my heart. Sin is everything that is inauthentic in me. Sin is that which seeks a covering over my sins and failures. Sin demands of me that I appear better than I am. Put on the front and the Sunday-morning face in the crowd. But, there can be no authenticity without a corresponding “opening of the heart.” I open my heart to You Lord, for You are the Great Revealer and what You reveal, You also Heal.

There is so much about my life that seeks its own preservation. I hide from the pain of transparency because of fear. But with You Lord, nothing is hidden from Your gaze. My life is an open book before You. Every page, be it of light or of darkness, is known to You. Oh my Lord, grant to me an authentic life that walks exposed and transparent in Your light. Grant to me Lord a pure heart, an authentic heart, that is clear as crystal. Oh Lord, I open my heart to You. See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way of Christ. Lead me to Your cross and leave me in its shadow forever more. There I shall behold You and there I shall be both lost and found. My self life shall be lost under the overwhelming billows of Your suffering. And there also, I shall be found by the piercing love of Your sacrifice for my sins that I might belong wholly and only to You. Amen

Mitzi Cox North said:

Father...I thank You for giving us Your Son...Jesus Christ.
I love You and I love Your Son and I love Your Spirit. I pray for your guidance and support as we make this journey together. I know there will be times of sadness and grief as I see my Lord taking upon Himself the sin of this world, the rejection of Your people, the humility of the Cross, the separation of Your life, the consequences of sin, the absence of Your presence, Your total abandonment of Him, and the absolute lonliness He must endure. I ask for Your presence to go with me.

I ask for your mercy and grace as Your Spirit reveals my true character to me. I pray that You might lift me up from the darkness and sorrow of repentance and show me Your forgiveness and love. I have cried to know Your heart, to know Your thoughts, to know You....and to have Your light shine upon the thoughts and intents of my heart. I have asked to go to the cross with Christ and to experience His sufferings and to drink of the cup that You gave Him. I have asked to be broken for Your pleasure.....I have asked to have my love for You proven....I have asked for all things that pertain to death to be taken away....I have asked to know Christ in a fuller measure...

Father, I'm sure you'll know how much I can bear...thank you for Your Comforter during these times. My heart is ready for the journey.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next ›
• Page