CROSSROAD

 CROSSROAD

Vaccination or No-Vaccination?

When you are at the crossroad, follow the cross.

Decisions are not easy most of the time.

Direction needs to be a clear sign.

The rationalization of the mind may be different to the way of the Spirit. Therefore after working things out with your mind, you have to yield to the Holy Spirit.

The cross is the way of the LORD JESUS. As His followers, we must follow the cross. That means denying my 'self' and laying down all that means 'life' to me.

This begins with my thinking. I have to be renewed in my mind.

My soul needs to be subject to the Spirit. Then I can willingly not only bow my head, knees and my body to the LORD in worship but also prostrate my body, yielding and surrendering my whole life towards unquestioning obedience to the LORD! This means speaking, working and walking in step with the Holy Spirit.

The LORD is interested in the motives of the mind and in the attitudes of the heart. He doesn't just see what we do, but why we do it and with what attitude we do it.

The commandment is, "Love one another as I have loved you."

How did JESUS love us?

He gave up His life for us on the cross.

checklist

Am I doing this to justify myself?

Am I doing this to protect myself?

Am I not doing this to justify myself?

Am I not doing this to protect myself?

Am I making this decision because of my love for the LORD?

Will the LORD'S name be glorified through this decision?

Will others benefit and be blessed through this decision?

 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. 

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 

Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, 

and then He will reward each according to his works.

Matthew 16:24-27

 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.

Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, 

and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 

Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. 

Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. 

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. 

Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 

He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; 

and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. 

He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; 

and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 

For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 

For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. 

Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, 

that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? 

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 

For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, 

And every tongue shall confess to God." 

So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 

Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, 

not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way. 

I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; 

but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 

Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. 

Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 

Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, 

but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 

For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace 

and the things by which one may edify another. 

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. 

All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 

It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles 

or is offended or is made weak. 

Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. 

Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, 

because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Romans 14:1-23

 Stand fast therefore in the liberty 

by which Christ has made us free, 

and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 

Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, 

Christ will profit you nothing. 

And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised 

that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 

You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; 

you have fallen from grace. 

For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, 

but faith working through love. 

You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 

This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 

A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 

I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; 

but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. 

And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. 

I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off! 

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; 

only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, 

but through love serve one another. 

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 

But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Galatians 5:1-15

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, 

but a new creation.

Galatians 6:15

In the spiritual realm, the only division is:

those who have JESUS and those who don't have JESUS 

in their lives!

Virus or no virus

vaccination or no - vaccination

is not the issue in the Kingdom of GOD!

 He who has the Son has life; 

he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:12

 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, 

and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
John 17:3

 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, 

and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. 

And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, 

"Are You for us or for our adversaries?" 

So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." 

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, 

"What does my Lord say to His servant?" 

Then the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, 

"Take your sandal off your foot, 

for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

Joshua 5:13-15