Monday, February 22, 2021

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 22 February 2021

 

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. 

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