Finding The Secret

More Than Conquerors
August 2005

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” —Matthew 10:37-39

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” —Matthew 6:24

Sometimes we think that the narrow path is easy and that following Christ doesn’t cost us anything. But though salvation is a free gift from God, Christ asks us to take up our cross and give Him everything we have. We often make the mistake of thinking that grace is cheap and we can hold on to everything our sinful nature desires and follow Christ at the same time, but we can never do both. We will either slide on to the wide path of destruction without realizing it, or we will whole-heartedly give up anything for the cause of Christ.

To Grasp the Cross

To grasp the cross means death to flesh:
It’s running when you want to rest,
It’s turning when desires have called,
And truly seeking for what’s best.

To grasp the cross brings many tears:
To leave what you had once held dear,
To turn your cheek to ridicule,
And walk a path that is unclear.

To grasp the cross means joy and peace:
When flesh is dead your heart will soar,
When you have given all to God
The trials break your heart no more.

To grasp the cross brings life its value:
You’ll find a freedom from your chains,
When fire has burned what can be shaken
You’ll find eternity in what remains.

Live for Jesus

Are you willing to live for Jesus,
the one who died for you on the cross
and gave you freedom from your sins,
that cleanses you from ways of dross?

Are willing to live for Jesus
the one who wants you as His heir,
and holds for you a home of beauty
where everlasting peace and love lives there?

For you must decide the way of your journey
to walk daily with Him as games in a tourney,
live each day as if its your last,
leave worldly cares and woes as past.

Are you willing to live for Jesus?
Are you willing to seek His face?
Then you must run hot not cold,
never coward, for Him be bold.

He knows, of course, we are all weak.
He forgives us if Him we seek.

What Will You Do?

The crowds are crying “crucify”!
To spit at Him is now the fad—
To scorn His pain and hide your own,
To kill the good and free the bad;

But He is calling you to follow,
To grasp the cross and bear the pain—
To cast your status to the wind,
From selfish pleasures to abstain;

The cost is high; the choice is hard,
And all the answers aren’t in view—
But still the question’s very simple:
What will you do?

Can’t Serve Two Masters

Trust not in riches,
God provides your needs,
If you ask in faith
so He’ll be exalted
and in Him you plant your seeds.

Always trusting in Him
not in men or
not your pocket book,
even when times are hard
always to Him you look.

Expensive Bargain

It’s free, so all I have to do
Is but extend my hand to take
The most expensive gift there is—
But everything is here at stake—

It costs me everything I own
To buy a gift that’s sold for free—
I cannot purchase it, I know,
But yet He’s calling out to me!

It costs me naught—I pay it all—
It’s free—my fortune is required—
I can’t be worthy through my deeds,
But I will be refined through fire.

Consume Me

You never could be quite content
With burning just the sacrifice—
The proving of Your power called
For so much greater of a price:

Consuming water, rock, and dirt
You burn up everything I own,
You prove Your sovereignty again,
And once more I am left alone.

It hurts to be Your witness here,
To see Your power, watch it burn
As everything I want comes true:
The people now to You return…

It hurts to be Your witness here,
And yet, there’s nothing I want more—
Consume me—to be used for You
Is all that I am begging for.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or
nakedness or danger or sword?… No, in all these things
we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
—Romans 8:35, 37

If you have any comments or questions, or if you have a poem to share, please send an e-mail to bgraber@neo.rr.com

Visit our web page at http://home.neo.rr.com/thegraberclan/Fts/morethanconquerors.htm to read past issues of “More Than Conquerors”.

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