Written by by Gary Sampson
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In ancient Roman circa 49 B.C., there flowed a small river that emptied into the
Adriatic Sea. It used to mark the boundary between the territory of barbaric
Gaul and ancient Italy, seat of the "glory of Rome." It was this river that
Julius Caesar crossed when he marched his armies, in defiance of the Senate,
against the armies of General Pompey. His strategy was one of "conquer or die."
Once he crossed the river, there was no turning back. So, the phrase "crossing
the Rubicon" has come to mean risking it all or making an irrevocable decision.
We have "crossed the Rubicon." Those of us who have decided to follow
Jesus, that is. While the journey and the battles are hard, there is now no
turning back. In Luke 9:62, Jesus said, "No one who puts his hand to the plow
and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." We must go on. There
are times we feel like the ancient Hebrews who cried to go back to Egypt, where
"we remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost--also the cucumbers, melons,
leeks, onions and garlic." The appeal of the world's temptations is strong and
living for God is not easy. Moving forward in our Christianity is a day-to-day
struggle. But go forward we must. There is nothing for us back beyond the
Rubicon but we know that Glory lies ahead.
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