Taking up the Cross means dying to self, to live in Christ!

2) Take up your Cross – Nobody goes directly from denying themselves to following Jesus. First we go through crucifying experiences. Paul says: ‘I die daily’ 1Corinthians 15:31. Certain things in your life can be handled only one way – dying to them. Listen: ‘Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God’ Romans 6:11. Jesus did not even talk about the cross to His disciples, until He knew they understood this principle. Why? Because until you do, you will never see the cross as a plus.

3) Follow Him – Too often we take God’s presence for granted because He said He would never leave us. But He also said: ‘You did not choose me…I chose you’ John 15:16. It is not God’s job to follow you, it is your job to follow Him! When you do, it will cost you, change you, and challenge you. Sometimes you will go through valleys, other times you will stand with Him on the mountaintop. You must be willing to follow Him anywhere, any time, under any conditions; that is the deal! Still want to be a disciple of Jesus?

KEY VERSES:

Matthew 10:38
…and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 16:24
…Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Mark 8:34
…Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Luke 9:23
…Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Luke 14:27
…And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

(Posted by Admin- BL)

We all remember the story of Nicodemus,  the gentle Pharisee from John Chapter 3, who used to meet secretly with the Lord Jesus! Here was the number one Teacher of the Law (so named by Lord Jesus) who would have had more rank in the Eyes of God than the man the priests really held up – Rabbi Gamaliel (Paul’s mentor)!!

After the Lord Jesus was crucified, it was the rich man Joseph of Arimethea and the Jewish teacher of Israel, Nicodemus, who braved scorn and even their own persecution, to take down the King and bury Him!! Fast forward to 2006 and this over 108 year old Rabbi Yitzhak Kadori – the latest Head Teacher of modern day secular Israel, who was himself an Orthodox  Jewish Rabbi! He knew the Jewish books by memory and was a rebel like all other Orthodox rabbis who deny the Diety of Christ. But in his dying days, he recounted to his 80 year old son, also an orthodox rabbi, that he met the Messiah many times!

He wrote down the Name of the Messiah on a note not to be opened for one year after his death. Watch this video to see the rest of the story and then find the website which broke the story. While this happened in 2007, the Lord has brought it to my attention in November 2010, for us to think on these things and His Return one day in the near future.

The questions we must ask – Are we all ready to meet Him and are our loved ones and friends??!!!