Are you dead yet? In these last days the Spirit would bring us to the Cross. "That I may know Him... becoming like him in his death." -Philippians 3:10 When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don't sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy being counted worthy to suffer for Christ, THAT IS DYING TO SELF. When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence, THAT IS DYING TO SELF. When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any impunctuality, or any annoyance, when you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility and endure it as Jesus endured it, THAT IS DYING TO SELF. When you are content with any food, any offering, any attire, any climate, any society,
He was alone from the beginning. His mother, a strong woman, lost her second husband because she regularly beat him up. She was divorced two times and now two months before the birth of her child her present husband dies of a heart attach. The boy was alone with no nurture or affection. She was too busy for him. The example of the perfect American family was living at the same time. That family nurtured and loved their children. They had time for them. It was evident upon the children's faces. These were two different families moving towards one cold November day. His childhood was spent in loneliness. He was forbidden to call his mother at work, so he lived his life in seclusion. Surrounded by people, yet disliked by all because he didn't like himself. Ridicule and shame would be his future and it would unfold. We watched the American family with pictures of love. It was evident they enjoyed being with each other. Dad appeared to love mom. Mom loved dad. They loved thei