May 26, 2020
Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
(Luke 9:23 (NIV))
Do you think of yourself as a disciple of Jesus?
Everyone who professes a faith in Jesus likes to think that they are a disciple, but are we, are you, ready to truly take up our cross?
Each one of us will face a different path as we walk out our lives in faith. It is possible that no two individuals will carry the exact same burden when they carry their cross, but we do know that all of us carry something through life. We either choose to carry our cross or we carry the weight of the sin that we refuse to let go of. It is a choice that each of us must make.
Do you want to be a disciple of Jesus?
If the answer is yes, then that requires repenting of your sins and picking up the weight of your cross as you follow Jesus. Following Jesus is not an easy thing to do. You have changed, but the world around you has not. You have changed, but your friends will still try to get you to fall back into the very same sins that you want to leave behind. Following Jesus may mean that you lose friends. It may mean that you become alienated from family. It may mean a job loss, but it will mean so much more!
Believing in and following Jesus is the only way to the Father and all of the blessings that are promised.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
(John 3:16 (NIV))
Each of us have a decision to make. What are we willing to lose when we take up our cross and follow Jesus?
Will you take up your cross if it means your life?
Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Posted by dailylivingministries
June 26, 2019
Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation– if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
(Colossians 1:21-23 (NIV))
It had to be a powerful gospel in Paul’s life. He started off persecuting the church. Yet, something happened in his life that made him give up all that he had earned for himself in the physical world.
Who in their right mind would give up worldly position and wealth for something the world considered of no importance?
Paul saw the power of the Gospel firsthand and was empowered by the Holy Spirit to spread that Gospel. He knew that Jesus is the Messiah and that He is the only way to enter heaven. Paul gave up worldly position for something that he knew was of far greater value than anything the world had to offer.
What are you willing to give up to be reconciled?
Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Leave a Comment » | alienated from God, God's love, God's love and mercy, God's love for us, God's love is great, God's love restores, reconciled, reconciled to God, reconciliation, Uncategorized | Tagged: accusation, alienated, Be still, behavior, blemish, body, Christ, continue, creature, death, Enemies, established, every, evil, faith, firm, free, give, God, gospel, heaven, held, holy, hope, once, Paul, physical, present, proclaimed, reconciled, servant, sight, willing, without | Permalink
Posted by dailylivingministries
Daily Living Ministries 