FOLLOWING JESUS

VISION ON FOLLOWING JESUS

The following is a vision I received on 2/6/26:

I saw Christians carrying their crosses, but about half way down the road they dropped their crosses and walked away. The knowledge imparted was that they had difficulty at some point in their journey and felt they couldn't carry their crosses anymore. Then I saw Jesus carrying His cross on the way to Golgotha or Calvary where He would hang on that very same cross. He had trouble carrying it since He was so beaten down and weak. Simon of Cyrene was compelled by Roman soldiers to help Jesus carry His cross.

After receiving this vision, I then asked Jesus, what was it like carrying your own cross? He responded to me with, "it was hard." I then saw Him going the whole way to the place of death in the most unimaginable way; death on a cross! My eyes were opened to Jesus as a 33 year old on the cross to suffer and die for the sins of the world. He didn't just take on our sins, but instead became sin for us so that we can become the righteousness of God. In that vision I saw a young man and felt profoundly sad. In that moment, I witnessed a glimpse of Jesus, fully God, but fully man with human feelings; suffering, courage, humility and obedience to the point of death fully demonstrated!

Why was I shown this awesome sight and why did I see Christians taking up their crosses and then dropping them about half way through their journey?

God spoke into this and "downloaded" one of the greatest teachings I have ever received:

In Matthew 16:21-26 Jesus begins to show His disciples how He will suffer and die. After Peter rebukes Jesus, Jesus responds to Satan speaking through Peter and then says you have not the things of God in mind, but the things of men. Then Jesus told His disciples, "if anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Jesus is very clear about how to follow Him. We are to pick up our individual crosses. When we pick up a cross we don't just stand there with it, we walk. But to where? There is only one place to walk with the cross and that is to the place of death. The journey gets difficult and many do not go the full way. Many want what the kingdom of God has to offer but they do not want to carry their crosses. Jesus as our example went the full way, and although He said it was hard, He did not consider turning back or stopping (as God, He could've stopped at any point). He persevered through torment and suffering. For us, the place of death is truly death to self, full surrender, and obedience, so that we can experience the resurrected life of Jesus in our mortal bodies. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. As Jesus Himself needed help in carrying His cross and Simon of Cyrene was provided, He will provide help for you as long as you are determined to go the full way. During that time period the Roman Empire was known for capital punishment by crucifixion. It was a common method to instill fear by publicly making a display of criminals and political or religious dissidents. Carrying one's cross, one's method of death, to the site of execution was also common. We are in fact religious dissidents! Taking up your cross to follow Him is often contrary to popular Christian talk of our day. Following Jesus by carrying your cross to the place of death is a daily walk, it's a decision, it's a giving up of one's own will to take on His. It's direct obedience, standing against the "Peters" of our day who would say, "no, God wants to bless you" or "no.... He took on our suffering so you don't have to." Oh, the responses sound so good. But God would say, whoever loses their own life for My sake will find it. God says this is not our home and it will not be an easy walk, but full surrender daily in obedience to God's will even when it hurts, even when it is hard, is in fact the way to follow Jesus.