MY FRIENDS HOW BAD DO YOU NEED THE CROSS AND SALVATION?
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Gal 2:20 (ESV)
My friends how bad do you need the CROSS and SALVATION? As you ponder the question today let me first tell you there is no either, or, you cannot have one without the other because seeking the CROSS of Christ and CARRYING it, is a prerequisite for SALVATION
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matt. 16:24 (NKJV) There’s a story about a proud young man who comes to a Prophet and asked “O great prophet, I come to you for “THE CROSS AND SALVATION.”
The Prophet recognized someone who did not have a clue what it meant to CARRY THE CROSS OF CHRIST so he led the young man to the sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, “What do you want?” “THE CROSS AND SALVATION O wise Prophet.”
The Prophet put his strong hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him under. Thirty seconds later the Prophet let 
him up. “What do you want?” he asked again. “SALVATION” the young man sputtered,” “The Prophet crunched him under again.
Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five. Forty. The Prophet let him up. The man was gasping. “What do you want, young man?” Between heavy, heaving breaths the fellow wheezed, “THE CROSS, O wise and wonderful Prophet.” The Prophet jammed him under again Forty seconds passed. Fifty. “What do you want?”
“Air!” the young man screeched. “I need air!” “When you want THE CROSS AND SALVATION as you have just wanted air, then you will have it.” My friends HOW BAD DO YOU SEEK THE CROSS AND SALVATION? Do you want it as bad as the air you breathe?
Well as a Child of God I have decided that is just how Bad I will seek it because if you live long enough, you have been pushed under water so deep and held for so long, at this point in time you are gasping for air “between heavy, heaving breaths of death all around, trials, Tribulation, heartache, pain, misery, and financial problems.
In addition the only place we are able to find SALVATION from drowning is in the loving arms of our Savior Jesus 
Christ. “The cells in our bodies require a continual supply of oxygen to survive. The air we breathe provides this oxygen to our lungs to replenish the oxygen our blood circulation needs to flow properly.
So it is with a Child of God who seeks SALVATION. We all need a continual supply of our Savior Jesus Christ for our Christian experience to function properly because with Christ comes LOVE, REPENTANCE, FORGIVENESS, GRACE, MERCY, HOPE, FAITH, HIS WORD, PATIENCE, HUMILITY ENDURANCE, and finally the SPIRIT OF GOD to maintain each of those attribute that gives us proper living conditions.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:17-19 (NKJV) So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Paul also tells us in Romans 5:3-5 (NKJV) More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that 
suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
“Friends we do serve a risen Savior because He Lives in our life today and we only live because He lives in each of us no matter what men may say and we know He lives inside of us , because we see His hand of mercy grace and love as we begin to truly LIVE, and feel God and His Word, while allowing our faith to grow in His grace daily” AS WE SEEK THE CROSS AND SALVATION.
So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY
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