THE MEANING OF TAKING UP YOUR CROSS, DENYING SELF, AND MOVING THROUGH SUFFERING AND PAIN TO COMPLETELY OVERCOME AND SEE VICTORY !

Have YOU given your life to Christ ? Have you truly contemplated WHAT THAT MEANS ? WHY did you give your life to Christ ? Perhaps most importantly, HOW IS YOUR LIFE GOING TO CHANGE ? IT MUST CHANGE IF YOU ARE TRULY ABIDING IN CHRIST AND HE IS ABIDING IN YOU ! Giving your Heart to Jesus goes well beyond Salvation. Salvation is the Incredible Gift Jesus has given to those who have died to self, given their sin to Him, and have been REBORN into a new creation ! A new person. A child of God the Father. One must believe that Jesus died, was buried, and on the third day was resurrected. He ascended to Heaven, and is sitting at the right hand of God the Father. So simple to say, but can you imagine what He went through ? I truly weep when I try to imagine His Suffering, both physically and emotionally. Jesus came to earth as a man, but He was also God ! Many people struggle to see that as possible, but fear not nor doubt. All Things are possible for God:) So, where does the Cross come into our discussion ? In Mark 8:34 Jesus makes a profound statement that We must hear and understand. Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “ If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the Gospel will save it. For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life ? “ Remember that in those times, the “cross” was a well defined item. Rome used it to kill all those who failed to adhere to their laws, decrees, and belief system. The “Cross” was DEATH. PERIOD. And a death unlike no other in pain and suffering….and Jesus was asking them to deny themselves, take up a cross and follow Him ? I imagine to most people of the time, that was not only Crazy, it was Unthinkable. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT JESUS THAT MOVED THEIR HEARTS BEYOND COMMON UNDERSTANDING TO FOLLOW HIM AND GIVE THEIR LIVES TO HIM ?

AND HE SAID TO ALL, “ IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY AND FOLLOW ME. Luke 9:23

I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST. IT IS NO LONGER I WHO LIVE, BUT CHRIST WHO LIVES IN ME. AND THE LIFE I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME. Galatians 2:20

AND THOSE WHO BELONG TO CHRIST JESUS HAVE CRUCIFIED THE FLESH WITH ITS PASSIONS AND DESIRES. Galatians 5:24

THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS. FOR THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE HAS SET YOU FREE IN CHRIST JESUS FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. FOR GOD HAS DONE WHAT THE LAW, WEAKENED BY THE FLESH, COULD NOT DO. BY SENDING HIS OWN SON IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL FLESH AND FOR SIN, HE CONDEMNED SIN IN THE FLESH, IN ORDER THAT THE RIGHTEOUS REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW MIGHT BE FULFILLED IN US, WHO WALK NOT ACCORDING TO THE FLESH BUT ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT. FOR THOSE WHO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH SET THEIR MINDS ON THE THINGS OF THE FLESH, BUT THOSE WHO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT SET THEIR MINDS ON THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT… Romans 8": 1-39

When I was 17 years old, Jesus knocked on the door of my heart. I had grown up going to church, but at 14 years old, my Mom and Dad gave ME THE CHOICE to continue going, or to QUIT. I told them I would not be going. Church was boring, full of rules, all about money, and had nothing a young man growing up would need. How I laugh now as I look back. Even when I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord, I still wanted to sit on my own Throne. I still wanted to engage in ALL the world had to offer in the flesh. It took some years of maturing to realize there was a lot more to Abiding in Jesus than going to church on Sundays again. A great many pastors today focus on how God will always prosper you. Just open your heart and let the blessings flow. The truth is God Promises to prosper us and Bless us…IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES ! But, ….do we really know what GOD ACTUALLY WANTS TO BLESS US WITH ? Is it money and riches ? Is it careers that give us great pride and recognition ? Is it living a life that is easy and void of problems, challenges, and perhaps tragedy ? PICKING UP A CROSS sounds like hard toil, suffering, and at times exhausting. THEN WHY DID I MAKE THE DECISION TO DO JUST THAT ! What could I possibly gain from giving up all the fleshly pleasures and not controlling everything, just to surrender my life to Jesus. WHAT COULD HE POSSIBLY GIVE ME THAT I COULDN”T GET MYSELF ?

“ I AM THE TRUE VINE, AND MY FATHER IS THE VINEDRESSER. EVERY BRANCH IN ME THAT DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT HE TAKES AWAY, AND EVERY BRANCH THAT DOES BEAR FRUIT HE PRUNES, THAT IT MAY BEAR MORE FRUIT. ALREADY YOU ARE CLEAN BECAUSE OF THE WORD THAT I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU. ABIDE IN ME, AND I IN YOU. AS THE BRANCH CANNOT BEAR FRUIT BY ITSELF, UNLESS IT ABIDES IN THE VINE, NEITHER CAN YOU, UNLESS YOU ABIDE IN ME. I AM THE VINE; YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. WHOEVER ABIDES IN ME AND I IN HIM, HE IT IS THAT BEARS MUCH FRUIT, FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING…John 15: 1-27

I KNOW HOW TO BE BROUGHT LOW, AND I KNOW HOW TO ABOUND. IN ANY AND EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE. I HAVE LEARNED THE SECRET OF FACING PLENTY AND HUNGER, ABUNDANCE AND NEED. Philippians 4:12

TRULY, TRULY I SAY TO YOU, WHOEVER HEARS MY WORD AND BELIEVES HIM WHO SENT ME HAS ETERNAL LIFE. HE DOES NOT COME INTO JUDGEMENT, BUT HAS PASSED FROM DEATH TO LIFE. John 5:24

SO THAT, AS SIN REIGNED IN DEATH, GRACE ALSO MIGHT REIGN THROUGH RIGHTEOUSNESS LEADING TO ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. Romans 5:21

Jesus has given me ETERNAL LIFE. Jesus is MATURING ME. He has given me His Holy Spirit. The Spirit Of God ! Wisdom, Understanding Counsel, Power, Knowledge, and Fear Of The Lord. Taking up YOUR CROSS is the moment you dedicate your life to Christ, no matter what comes. It Is ULTIMATE TRUST AND FAITH. It Is OBEDIENCE AND HUMILITY. IT IS LOVING GOD FIRST AND FOREMOST AND LOVING OTHERS BEFORE YOURSELF ! A Thirst for holiness and righteousness in the face everything that comes against you. Embracing Forgiveness, Mercy, and Hope, while seeking Peace and Completeness in Christ. Freedom. Joy. Challenges, Battles….all in the understanding that when Jesus died for you, YOU ARE CLEANSED COMPLETELY ! FOREVER ! HALLELUJAH AND PRAISE TO GOD ! It is never too soon to take a look at your heart and see where you are. Taking up your cross doesn’t make you perfect. You will fall down, and it does hurt…but, if you are TRULY COMMITTED TO JESUS, you will get back up, right yourself and move forward….and Jesus will be right beside you making sure that you can :) YOUR CROSS AWAITS/JAA

COME TO ME, ALL WHO LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. TAKE MY YOKE UON YOU, AND LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND LOWLY IN HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS, FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT. Matthew 11: 28-30