Take up your cross

 

The cross did not originate with Christianity. It was in existence long before Christ was crucified. It is one of the oldest symbols known to humanity which the Romans chose to use as a form of execution.

In ancient times, the cross represented the four seasons, the four cardinal directions, the intersection of time and space, the balance of opposing forces and placed within a circle, it became a map of the year by dividing the course of the sun into quarters – this was known as the solstices and equinoxes.

In that far-gone era, this symbolized life, motion and renewal not death. Then, the cross was not a religious symbol as we think of it now, it was used in a framework that determined time as in when to plant and when to reap, when animals migrated and the weather patterns.

This was the reason for the cross ages before it became associated with myth and rituals and death and theology but for Christians, it is the symbol of the freedom bought for us by Jesus Christ who shed His blood on the cross.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” – Matthew 16:24 (ESV)

What a familiar verse this has become – take up your cross, people woefully say all the time, meaning that a person must carry their burden, their pain, their suffering, their handicap, anything that bears a negative connotation is applicable. However, is that what Jesus was telling His disciples and by extension us, to do? Was Jesus exhorting His followers to bear a heavy burden?

After all, Jesus also said that anyone who’s heavily burdened must come to Him and exchange his heavy burden for His light burden and as an added benefit, he’ll find rest for his soul; that’s no ordinary 8-hour sleep. Not my words, His, read it for yourself in Matthew 11:28-30.

A similar verse is found in Luke’s gospel, but with the addition of one word,

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” – Luke 9:23 (ESV)

Now, if you really think about it, Jesus who implores us to exchange our heavy loads for His light load, could never be telling us that we need to lug around our burdens daily. So then, what are these two verses saying?

We’ve grown accustomed to fragmenting God’s Word and it’s no different in this instance where we have extracted four words from an entire sentence and made them into a whole parable.

Jesus gave us three instructions,

Deny yourself

Take up your cross daily

Follow Him

To the church in Galatia, Apostle Paul wrote,

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. – Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

As Christians, we have all been crucified with Christ and that has resulted in us being re-born or born anew or born again. To be born again is to acquire a new nature, a new self in that everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. (Ephesians 4:22-24 MSG).

This is what Jesus said must be done even before you take up your cross; denying yourself isn’t a one-time thing, it is a process that does not happen overnight but every day you must crucifying your own natural inclinations, including religious legalism and pride and your lack lustre attitude to fully apprehend the amazing power of the cross (see 2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

To deny yourself is the symbolic dying to sin and self, the old man is buried, and your walk with God begins, the new man lives (ref. Romans 8:13) – it’s your reborn spirit in harmony with God as a living sacrifice (ref. Romans 12:1).

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. – Galatians 5:24 (NLT)

Denying yourself, Jesus’ first instruction, is the key to the second, as it works in tandem with taking up your cross because your old self is being put to death on the cross that you’re taking up every day.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. – 2 Corinthians 4:16 (ESV)

Yes, by denying yourself and taking up your cross daily, your inner self, your born from above self is being renewed day by day so, you cannot afford to skip any of the steps, they must be performed in the order they appear, even though they all work together at once. However, you don’t experience complete renewal until you truly understand that your old self has been crucified through the atoning work of Jesus.

For in baptism you see how your old, evil nature died with him and was buried with him; and then you came up out of death with him into a new life because you trusted the Word of the mighty God who raised Christ from the dead. – Colossians 2:12 (TLB)

Turn to God now while there is still time (ref. Joel 2:12).

Being born again you are no longer in the realm of earth but seated with Christ in the heavenly realms, though the fullness of this experience is not yet realized (see Ephesians 2:4-7).

Beloved, if you see this verse as carrying your troubles, and being weighed down by your sufferings, then you will be carrying them weighed down forever. The time has come for you to rid yourself of that erroneous belief, set it down, so that something higher in you can rise.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

Now, take a moment to think of your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, standing tall with your arms open wide, outstretched in complete surrender to God. What do you see?

A body laid open wide in surrender is a cross; a walking crucifix. You are the cross that you have to take up daily.

Jesus said,

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. (John 12:32 ESV)

Jesus was lifted up on the cross in complete surrender to the will of the Father and to take up your cross is a lifting up that draws you up to Him. To take up your cross is not burdensome, it’s freedom to live the life Jesus died for you to live (see John 10:10; Romans 6:6-7; 1 John 4:9).

To take up your cross is to lift what is higher – Jesus Christ – to honour Him with your body by drawing all things up with you.

Jesus in essence is saying, I have raised you above all things of the flesh, now walk in it daily; to take up your cross is to deny yourself and follow Jesus in the finished work of the cross which you can only walk in when you accept, in complete surrender, that it is finished (John 19:30).

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Take up your cross” © 2026 July 3, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lord is your support

Saul, the very first king of Israel, received the Lord’s anointing as king to satisfy the clamour of His people but he was not the Lord’s choice (1 Samuel 9:16). Saul turned out to be a reluctant leader who never truly held on to the Lord’s heart.

The Lord’s choice as king was David, a young man of whom He described as being a man after his own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). Before stepping into his divine anointing, David suffered years of struggle in the wilderness; he was hunted, abandoned, shot at, forced to hide in caves yet, through it all, he walked closely with the Lord who walked alongside David, giving him His support every step of the journey.

And though floods of destruction swept over him, David never stopped proclaiming the Lord’s greatness. He continued to write and sing the Lord’s praises and the Lord delighted in him.

One such song of praise is Psalm 18, penned by David after the Lord delivered him out of the hands of his enemies and from the hand of Saul, who had become more fixated on holding on to his position as king than his obedience to the Lord. As a result, the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him (1 Samuel 16:14 NASB 1995), making him obsessed with killing David.

But David took refuge in the Lord; the Lord was David’s support, and he said of the Lord,

 He reached down from on high; he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place; he delivered me because he delighted in me.

– Psalm 18:16-19 (NRSVUE)

Beloved, you may be struggling at this time, facing challenges you never bargained for, you might feel as though you’re sinking and being confronted by “haters” day after day, like David, praise the Lord through it all, keep holding onto Him, cling to His heart with gratitude in all circumstances according to 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

And it won’t be long before the Lord reaches down from on high to take you, to pull you up, to deliver you and bring you out into a broad place of refuge because the Lord is your support.

In difficult times it’s easy to think that the Lord is far away but He isn’t distant; He is in everything and He’s everywhere; He is not an abstract refuge but can be seen in what He has created (Romans 1:20). The Lord rustles in the treetops like marching troops (2 Samuel 5:24) when He hears your cries, moving heaven and earth to get to you. He meets you wherever you are, even in the most ordinary of places. He comes into the chaos of your life, pulls you out and sets you free.

The Lord is speaking but only when your heart is quiet enough to listen, will you hear His whisper. So, be still and surrender to Him, all that is.

There’s no need for you to be strong enough in the day of [your] calamity, for the Lord is your support. He reaches into the depths of your distress and uses it to make you a resilient person, prepared for entry into a broad place which isn’t a destination but a state of being where you discover the enormous capacity of God’s love for you.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “The Lord is your support” © 2026 July 2, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

Time to Surrender

 

You ever read Scripture one day and the next time you read it, a totally different light is shed upon it and it speaks to you in a totally different way?

Okay, so, we should all be familiar with the story of Jacob and the rivalry between him and his twin brother Esau that had its beginnings in the womb…

Then at last she became pregnant. And it seemed as though children were fighting each other inside her! (Genesis 25:21, 22 TLB)

Upon their birth, Esau, emerged first with Jacob following closely and clinging to his brother’s heel (v 26). This is the reason for him being named Jacob which means, supplanter or tripper.

A supplanter is a person who purposely takes over or takes the place of someone else that was there first by means of trickery or deceit; it’s derived from the Latin word supplantare, meaning to trip up or overthrow.

So that was who Jacob was born as and he lived up to his name; Jacob cunningly induced Esau into trading his birthright to him for red stew (v 29-34) then, together with their mother, Rebekah, took advantage of the blindness of his father Isaac and deceived his father into imparting to him the paternal blessing meant for Esau, the first-born son (Genesis 27).

And with that, the rivalry between the two brothers became ominous, with Esau, upon hearing of his twin brother’s treachery, vowed to kill him. Aware of this threat, Rebekah persuaded Isaac to send Jacob away to his grandfather’s hometown where he chose a wife, which is a whole other sordid tale (Genesis 29:46-30:34).

So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother’s brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean. (Genesis 28:5 NLT)

Many years had passed and God tells Jacob to return to his homeland, after outsmarting his equally as conniving father-in-law Laban (he just couldn’t help himself) he, along with his entire household pack up and leave, this too is a whole other mess of a story with Laban pursuing Jacob and so on and so on (Genesis 31).

Jacob’s route back to his homeland would take him through Edom, where Esau lived so he sent messengers to his brother (Genesis 32:3-5).

After delivering the message, the messengers returned to Jacob and reported, “We met your brother, Esau, and he is already on his way to meet you—with an army of 400 men!” (v 6 NLT)

So, Jacob learns that Esau is coming to meet him, he is near and he is accompanied by a formidable force. Jacob was not just scared; he was terrified at the news (v 7) so he did what came naturally to him, he devises a scheme to win his brother over by sending gifts (v 13-21).

Jacob thought, “I will try to appease him by sending gifts ahead of me. When I see him in person, perhaps he will be friendly to me.” (v 20)

Jacob sent everyone and everything away that night. He’s completely alone at night in the wilderness, yet a man appears out of nowhere and they begin to wrestle. And they wrestle, not for half an hour, not for 2 or 3 or even 4 hours; Jacob and this stranger wrestle until the breaking of the day (v 24).

Throughout his life Jacob had wrestled with everyone, but this was different.

As dawn approached, the stranger touched Jacob’s hip socket and instantly cripples him and still Jacob clung to the stranger more tightly, refusing to let go of him until he blessed him and the man blessed Jacob but not before asking Jacob his name and not until Jacob told him his name.

Jacob eventually realizes that it was God with whom he had wrestled.

So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” (v 30 ESV)

This all seems unusual but it’s all very significant.

First, why would God wrestle with Jacob?

You see, we’ve always looked at this account as Jacob wrestling with God and we often use it to justify the things we hear and repeat like “We have to wrestle with God’s Word” and “You must wrestle with God when faced with problems” and “Wrestle with God in prayer” but it is not about Jacob’s or our wrestling, this lesson is about God wrestling with Jacob.

Yes, we have it the wrong way round, Jacob didn’t wrestle God, God wrestled Jacob.

And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him (Genesis 32:24 ESV)

Also, the story isn’t really about the wrestling; it goes deeper than that.

Beloved, God had already promised that Jacob would be blessed before he and Esau were even born (see Genesis 27) but Jacob spent years trying to obtain God’s blessings by manipulating circumstances and depending entirely on his wits and his clever deception to get through life.

Also, the blessing was never the issue, the issue was Jacob’s inability to trust God.

Can you relate?

Throughout his life, Jacob keeps attempting to accomplish God’s purposes by his own efforts. He knew of God’s promise, however, Jacob went about his whole adult life trying to make it happen; he lived life trying to fulfil the promise himself.

It reminds me of a televangelist I came across once, who was asking people to send money so that the Russian Jews could go to Israel to hasten the second coming of Jesus.

Trusting in himself, Jacob tried to control every possible outcome. He trusted in his own abilities, determined to accomplish through flesh what God had already promised through grace.

Second, why didn’t God just zap Jacob into submission?

Yes, God could have defeated Jacob instantly and easily, but the issue was neither God’s strength nor His ability to wipe the floor with Jacob, the issue was Jacob’s surrender.

Jacob had believed God’s promises but he had never surrendered anything to God – not himself, not his circumstances, not his life, nothing at all. It was time to surrender.

Can you relate?

As you know, God has unlimited power and had that power the entire time that He wrestled with Jacob, but He persisted with Jacob for a reason.

In Hosea chapter 12 we read,

In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he strove with God. (v 3-4a ERV)

God allowed the wrestling to continue in order to bring Jacob to the end of himself; to break Jacob’s self-reliance, to greatly diminish his self-confidence and so that he would lose his self-sufficiency.

Jacob had to understand that he could no longer depend on his way of living, he had to trust in and depend on God’s way. It was time to surrender.

Third, why did God ask Jacob his name, seeing that He already knew who Jacob was?

And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” (Genesis 32:27 ESV)

Jacob – deceiver, supplanter, trickster, schemer, liar, thief, tripper, heel grabber.

Jacob, the man who characterized all the meanings of his name, by confessing and acknowledging who he is, was forced to finally come to terms with the truth about who he is and what he has been.

It was necessary for Jacob to make a declaration of his identity out loud. Then God changes his name to Israel (v 28). God gave Jacob a new identity and Jacob was re-born.

But one question remains unanswered.

Why did Jacob cling and refuse to let go?

Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (v 26 ESV)

This was the moment that Jacob realized that the only source of blessing is God, and then and only then did he fully understand that the time to surrender had come and he let go. He had become Israel and God established a new relationship with the new man.

Beloved, isn’t it time to surrender?

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Time to Surrender” © 2026 July 1, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What about Dorcas?

 

There is very little said about Dorcas in the bible. We are introduced to her in Acts 9:36-43, a brief but powerful account of a wonderful Christian woman.

Already short story, shorter…

From what we read in these 7 verses, it can be concluded that Dorcas was held in high esteem for her outstanding service to others. She was well-known for her acts of charity and kindness, sewing for widows and others in need of clothing despite her limited resources, an indication that Dorcas lived an exemplary life of love and surrender.

Verse 36 lets us know that she was continually abounding with deeds of kindness and charity

When Dorcas, whose Aramaic name was Tabitha, became ill and died, her fellow disciples did not hesitate to send for Apostle Peter who, at that time, was in Lydda, not too far from Dorcas’ hometown of Joppa.

Peter prayed and she was raised from the dead; as a result, many people believed in the Lord (v 42).

Beloved, Dorcas’ story should inspire you to embrace a life of surrender – yourself, your resources, your skills, your time, your talent – to the benefit of others.

You must recognize that this Christian life is about living for others and not just yourself; Jesus taught us in John 13:1-17 that it’s about service.

There’s much to be learnt from Dorcas which you can implement in your own life so, read her story.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “What about Dorcas?” © 2026 June 30, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Letter to Philemon

 

Apostle Paul wrote lots of letters; letters to entire congregations and letters to individuals. One of the latter, was a letter to Philemon, his friend and brother in Christ.

When the apostle was in prison, he met a runaway slave named Onesimus, who became a follower of Jesus Christ. As it turned out, Onesimus had been owned by Philemon, and he wanted to return to his former master to make amends.

So, Paul intervenes by writing a letter to Philemon on Onesimus’ behalf, asking him to accept and welcome Onesimus, not as a slave but as a Christian brother.

In his leadership role, Apostle Paul would not have been out of place in commanding Philemon to welcome Onesimus back as a brother in Christ, however, even though he gave his friend several reasons why he should, he really wanted Philemon to freely act on Christian principles rather than being forced to comply.

but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. (v 14 NASB 1995)

It is a warm personal letter from one friend to another based on Christian fellowship. Paul writes with tact and in love, starting the letter with gratitude to God, then in praise of Philemon before persuading his friend to forgive and receive his former slave. Paul continues this brief letter with a further appeal for Onesimus’ freedom.

Paul’s letter to Philemon is a lesson in grace and reconciliation and challenges everything we think we know about forgiveness and lovingkindness.

How is Philemon, a wealthy Christian master, supposed to welcome back, with open arms, his runaway slave, as a brother in Christ?

How do we welcome and accept those who want to return to the fold after having “runaway” from church via behaviour that is considered unacceptable?

How do we receive former congregants who have literally runaway from church for years and want to return as bona fide members of the congregation?

This short and exquisitely written letter forces us to confront difficult questions about the equality that is supposed to be found in the family of God; it sheds light directly on how we ought to deal with divisions, disappointment, distrust and hurt we face in our various churches.

Beloved, Apostle Paul wrote a letter to Philemon between 61to 63 AD that applies to all of us today. He was persuading Philemon then and us now, to release the chains of resentment, find freedom in forgiveness, embrace true reconciliation no matter the offense and see others as Christ sees them, regardless of social status or past behaviour.

I encourage you to read the 25 verses of Philemon for yourself and I pray that the wisdom contained therein will resonate with you.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “A Letter to Philemon” © 2026 June 29, 2026

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Helpers

 

It was late at night when my phone rang. I knew it was my son, as I assigned a special ringtone to his number. I stirred from sleep and immediately my heart skipped several beats. I answered.

“Mommy,” his voice trembled, “I just got into an accident”

In a steady matter-of-fact tone I asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes, I’m okay…shaken but okay. I’m not hurt.”

Relieved, I silently thanked God, then I thanked Him aloud.

My son continued, “Someone hit me from behind but didn’t stop.” He paused for a moment then said, “Mom, I heard the impact, I felt the impact but…”

He paused again as if searching for words. I did not speak; I waited for him to formulate whatever it was he wanted to say.

“But then I felt as if the car was lifted and gently placed on the shoulder of the road. Mom, I didn’t pull aside, I did not drive the car off the highway and onto the shoulder and then I noticed a couple other drivers, running towards me asking if I was okay.”

Was he crying? I could almost hear tears in his voice. I did not speak, just listened.

“Mom, they told me that they’d witnessed the accident, that they heard the loud sound of the crash and were convinced that I was terribly hurt and that the car was badly damaged but there’s not even a scratch on the car mommy. Not one scratch.”

Tears rolled down my face as I thanked God for sending His heavenly helpers.

You have made the Lord your defender, the Most High your protector, and so no disaster will strike you, no violence will come near your home. God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones. – Psalm 91:9-12 (GNT)

The bible records several instances when angels appeared to people in both the Old and New Testaments.

Hagar, when she had fled to the wilderness with Ishmael recorded in Genesis chapter 16.

When the Lord visited Abraham in Genesis chapter 18, He was accompanied by two angels.

Two angels were almost accosted by the men of Sodom when they went to warn Lot of impending disaster in Genesis chapter 19.

In Daniel 6:22, Daniel, still inside the lion’s den said to the king,

My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. 

Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in Luke chapter 1.

Angels were sent to minister to Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew chapter 4 and again in the Garden of Gethsemane in Luke chapter 22.

And in the Book of Acts, the disciples, the Apostles, Philip, Cornelius, Peter and Paul all had encounters with angels.

David, in Psalm 34:7, gives the assurance that,

The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe] and each of them He delivers. (AMPC)

Even though angels are usually invisible they are never inactive. Psalm 91 lets us know that God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go when you make Him your defender and your protector. And when you revere and worship Him, the Angel of the Lord sets up an encampment around you.

An encampment speaks of army troops.

There was a very good reason why Jesus cautioned His disciples saying,

Be careful. Don’t think these little children are not important. I tell you that these children have angels in heaven. And those angels are always with my Father in heaven. – Matthew 18:10 (ERV)

Each one of us is assigned a host of angels, heavenly helpers who are spirit-messengers sent out to help and care for those who are to receive his salvation (see Hebrews 1:14 TLB).

Beloved, you may not have ever seen angels but that does not mean they aren’t real, my son can attest to that and furthermore there is biblical proof of their existence.

Heavenly helpers certainly protected my son that night and they are constantly protecting you and me, for God sends an angel before you to guard you on the way (Exodus 3:20).

Thank God for the unseen bodyguards He has sent to keep you safe.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Heavenly Helpers” © 2026 June 28, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cyrene

We are introduced to Cyrene in the New Testament, when it first appears in the Gospel of Mark. This was a Libyan city in North Africa separated from Egypt by a section of the Libyan Desert.

photo Shutterstock

Originally a Greek colony, Cyrene, a veritable oasis in the desert, was a haven for weary travellers as its climate was delightful additionally it was a fertile and productive city.

This city gained its place of importance when one of its citizens was chosen to carry the cross of Jesus.

There was a man from Cyrene named Simon walking into the city from the fields. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. The soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. (Mark 15:21 ERV)

Though Simon had been impressed by the Roman soldiers into carrying the cross, this act, by its connection to Jesus’ journey to Golgotha, was not by happenstance but was the result of divine design and orchestration.

The soldiers led Jesus away. At that same time there was a man from Cyrene named Simon coming into the city from the fields. The soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross and walk behind him. (Luke 23:26 ERV)

You see, God can and will use anyone to accomplish His purposes here on earth.

Simon of Cyrene was minding his own business when he was placed in direct contact with Jesus. But isn’t that like God? It is when we are about our own business that God seizes us and puts us in position to have a divine encounter. He takes us from the desert to the cross of Jesus.

That’s exactly what happened to Saul, Jesus’ most avid persecutor. While on his way to Damascus to arrest any followers of Jesus he may have found there (see Acts 9:3-20), and still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord (v 1), God had His way with Saul and, after this divine encounter, this one-time persecutor became Paul of whom God said was an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel (v 15 NRSVUE).

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 16:9 NLT)

When Simon left Cyrene, he could never have imagined that he would be deliberately chosen to be of use to the Lord; God may have used the soldiers’ grasp, but it was definitely God’s hand at play.

Beloved, I hope you understand that God can use you too, even if you believe that you are unusable (see 1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

Mark and Luke’s similar accounts are all we know about Simon of Cyrene but that is no indication that his story ended after he carried the cross. No one’s story comes to an end after encountering the cross, for that is where your real story begins.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Cyrene” © 2026 June 27, 2026