The True Cross
Bearers
“And he said to them
all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross
daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
Today’s Morsel: Exactly what
did Jesus mean when He said, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come
after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27) What was the significance
of the cross? Why did the apostle Paul preach about the cross, and why
must we teach it? Why did Jesus select the cross as one of the methods in
making us His disciples? Were His words factual or prophetic? Was
He stating that we must literally die on a cross like Him, or we cannot be His
disciple, or was there a deeper meaning? I find that His words always
have more than surface meaning. In my book “The True Cross Bearers,"
I list five areas that I feel that as Christians we must do daily to carry our
cross. They are: Compassion, Resistance, Obedience, Submission, and Servanthood.
It has been stated that if we lose our compassion, we lose what it is to be
human. We must be willing to suffer with others and to go the extra
mile. The key to doing right is to resist wrong. In many ways,
resistance equals righteousness. We must resist the temptation to do
evil. We must resist all forms of bigotry, selfishness, disunity,
injustice, and inequality that hinder the truth of the gospel. Obedience
in human behavior is a form of social influence in which a person yields to
explicit instructions or orders from an authority figure. Obedience is shown by
self-discipline in one’s ability to obey and to carry out the things which are
asked of him. Submission is an outward observance of an inward condition
of the heart, indicating one’s humility. It should be one of the first
qualities of character that is developed in you. Servanthood exists when
the leader serves the people instead of the people serving the leader.
Jesus was a servant leader. He stated, “And whosoever will be chief among
you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew
20:27-28) We are called by Jesus as His servants, not lords or
masters. Therefore, if we are to fulfill the great commission, we must
take up our cross daily and follow the example that Christ has given us.
Sing: Take up your cross and follow
Jesus, take up your cross every day. Don’t be ashamed to say that you
know Him, count the cost, take up your cross and follow Him.
Thought For Today: The Old Rugged Cross
still makes a difference.
This has brought so much meaning to me.. thank you
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