Am I crucified with Christ?

Death by crucifixion was surely one of the cruelest and most painful forms of execution ever devised.

Crucifixion is not an instantaneous death, but a very slow and painful death. Just so, the death of a Christian believer to sin does not take place in a moment of special blessing, but - as in physical crucifixion - is painful and slow. Nevertheless, it is basic in the truly effective Christian life.

In the Book of Galatians, we are told three times by the apostle Paul that the Christian believer should be following Christ in His crucifixion

- in crucifixion to self, to the flesh, and to the world.

First we are to be crucified to the love of self. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal 2:20)

Secondly, we are to be crucified to the flesh, for "they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts"

Thirdly, we should be crucified to the lure of this world. "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal 6:14)

Are you crucified with Christ?

Socialism & Logic

Read and absorb this story - it says a lot and it tells you about our future in this country if we stay on this same path....

An economics professor at Texas Tech said he had never failed a single student before but had, once, failed an entire class. The class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism.

All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. But, as the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too; so they studied little.. The second Test average was a D! No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around the average was an F.

The scores never increased as bickering, blame, name calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for anyone else. All failed to their great surprise and the professor told them that socialism would ultimately fail because the harder to succeed the greater the reward but when a government takes all the reward away; no one will try or succeed.

Help Free Gao Zhisheng!

DAY 57 of Captivity for Gao Zhisheng -- Chinese Government Responds with Deafening Silence

The
silence from the highest levels of the Chinese government regarding Gao
Zhisheng's kidnapping is deafening. Christian human rights attorney Gao
Zhisheng has now been missing 57 days. When one brave reporter asked
the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson about Gao, "the official
paled and was visibly shaken," according to a Western journalist who
was an eyewitness.

Gao
Zhisheng was last seen being hauled away from his home in Shaanxi
province by more than a dozen police officers on February 4. According
to ChinaAid sources, Gao is being severely tortured. Because Gao
fearlessly cried out to the free world, revealing the abuses of the
Chinese government against house church Christians and others
persecuted in China, Chinese authorities want to silence his voice.
Now, you can speak out on his behalf.

Gao
Zhisheng's wife and children, who have also been abused and tormented
by Chinese authorities, escaped to the U.S. three weeks ago. They are
grateful for the more than 36,000 who are speaking out by signing the
petition and sending e-mails, but more help is needed. Will you partner
with us to obtain 100,000 signatures and continue to bombard Chinese
government, businesses and media with e-mails calling for Gao's
release? Please forward this e-mail to friends and family and encourage
them to sign the petition.

Lend your voice to sustain the outcry for Gao Zhisheng's release. Go to www.FreeGao.com
to: continue to send e-mails to officials - new e-mails are posted
regularly. Make a contribution online. Help us continue to press for
Gao's release -- by sustaining this cry for justice.

» Go to www.FreeGao.com now.