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» Christian Message Boards   » Bible Studies   » Favorite Devotions   » The Disciple's Cross

   
Author Topic: The Disciple's Cross
Laura
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I believe that we all have trouble with the "deny yourselves" part. Am I right?
I know I like to live well. I know our church likes to have an abundant supply of goods to use. Would this be one in the same, or does Jesus encourage the church to profit?

Posts: 26 | From: east TN | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
knowHim
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The Disciple's Cross

A disciple of JESUS is one who makes JESUS the LORD of his life. Luke 9:23 says, " And HE said to all, If any person wills to come after ME, let him deny himself, (that is to forget and lose sight of himself and his own interests) and take up his cross daily and follow ME [cleave steadfastly to ME, conform wholly to MY example in living and , if need be, in dying also.] Notice HE said we are to do three things.

Deny ourselves
Take up our cross daily
Follow HIM (JESUS)

The first commitment of a disciple is to deny himself. That does not mean to reject your identity but to renounce the self-centered life. Let me paint a picture for you. In your mind or on paper draw a circle. That circle will represent you. Before we come to JESUS the circle is dark and stained with sin. JESUS comes into our life and washes us clean so that HE is the only thing in our lives. However, because we are not perfect we must keep ourselves clean by asking forgiveness for the sin that we commit. JESUS is also trying to clear out all of the old self the residue that is still there from our former life. Some people have the attitude that JESUS can share HIS space with other things that are of the world. If will try to do this we will not be effective at anything we do. If this circle represents your life, JESUS should fill up the entire circle. That means he is to have the priority in everything. The life of a Believer is simply JESUS living in you. Just as JESUS spoke in John 15:5 "I an the VINE; you are the branches, Whoever lives in ME and I in him bears much abundant fruit. However, apart from ME you can do nothing."

We can do nothing without JESUS being in control. I branch of a tree cannot bloom without being attached to the tree. If it is lying on the ground broken from the tree it will die. We are a part of JESUS and even though we have eternal life we are to be productive, to live our live through HIM.

GOD has provided a way for JESUS to be at the center of your life. This is the second commitment we talked about, "taking up your cross daily." To deny yourself is the negative side of becoming a disciple; to take up your cross daily is the positive side. I imagine you are wondering how this can be a positive right? Remember the circle well suppose we draw a cross around the circle so that the circle is in the center.

JESUS said that you are to bear your cross daily. But what is involved for you as a believer? You move beyond denying yourself to taking up a redemptive ministry. Bearing your cross and serving others requires discipleship

We must learn is living in the WORD. JESUS said in John 8:31-32 that, if we continue in the word that we would know the truth and that truth would set us free. The Word is our spiritual food and unless we regularly partake of it we cannot grow. We receive this Word in many forms, listening to someone preach it, reading it, studying it, memorizing it, meditating on it, and applying it to our own lives. Making JESUS LORD means that we will want to study and to mediate on the Word daily. As we continue in the Word means that we obey what it says and to abide in JESUS means to obey HIM.

We also must have a life of praying in faith. A vital part of living in JESUS is living in prayer. If we abide in JESUS and HIS Word abides in us then we can ask and GOD will hear and answer our prayer. That doesn't mean that GOD is going to give us everything we ask for but HE will answer every prayer. The reason we don't receive the answers to our prayers that we desire is because HIS ways are not our ways and our thoughts are not HIS thoughts. We must be in HIS will and asking in HIS will for the situation in order to receive the answer we want. Our relationship with JESUS is one in which we need to communicate with HIM. We will never know what HIS plans are for our lives unless we ask HIM to reveal them to us and we tell HIM the struggles and problems we are having here in this life.

Add to these fellowshipping with other believers, loving the brothers and sisters in the body. The Church is not a building but are the people that believe in JESUS and who HE is working in and through to carry out is mission and ministry in this world. This is done by witnessing to the world. Witnessing should be a natural by product of living for JESUS. However, today people who are in the church have the attitude that witnessing is someone else's responsibility. I am telling you what JESUS said. We are to be HIS ambassadors. We are to live a life that show that we belong to HIM and not to the world. We are too see opportunities that HE has provide for us to share the good news of the gospel and do just that. We may not always harvest a soul that comes to JESUS, but you will be planting seeds, cultivating a seed that someone else has already planted or perhaps you are to water and encourage that seed in the live of that particular person. Whatever the task assigned be ready and willing and available to the job at hand.

Continue to grow and JESUS will always provide you an increase.

Mary at Bearer Ministries

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Plow on, plow on...
David Campbell

Posts: 426 | From: Charlestown, IN | Registered: Jun 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator


 
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