The Daniel Fast

The Rainbow Pen!

 

Carrying Your Cross

 

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27 NIV). Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:2-6 NIV). So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life... Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet. (James 4:7-10 MSG).

 

What does Jesus mean when He says that, to be His disciples, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and give our lives for Him? Becoming a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ requires these three steps. Jesus showed how His death proves we must not follow our own desires but God's. If we want to be Christ's disciple, we must follow all the steps. This is losing our life. First, denying self requires to give up anything that we would want or seek that would hinder our doing God's will. This doesn't mean that, if we want something, it is necessarily wrong. It means we must take our wants and desires down from the throne and place Christ and His will as the governing power in our lives. There is room in each life for only one master. If God is to rule in our lives, then our will must be made subservient to His. We must be willing to give up anything in life in order to please God. 

 

Second, taking up your cross and following Jesus means giving your whole life to God, as Jesus gave His life for us. This involves bearing burdens, but it is deeper than that. It is a total dedication of life. You're Carrying Your Cross when you consider our Lord Jesus Christ your Supply. We must rely on Him and trust Him to the last uttermost limit. We trust completely without being afraid. Endurance is faith tried almost to breaking point. We must wait, and trust, and hope, and joy in Christ. We must not depend on man but on Christ, your Strength, your Help, your Supply. This is the greatest test. Is Christ your supply or not? Every great work for Christ has had to have this great test-time. Possess your soul in patience and rejoice. You must wait until Christ shows the way. When Christ crowns you victor, after the waiting-test, you'll know more joy than Heaven itself contains. But Christ declares that no disciple of His can be victor, who doesn't wait until He gives the order to start. You cannot be anxious if you know that Christ is your supply. Thus learn to endure everything by having your faith tested, for maturity and effectiveness.

 

Third, following Him then requires us to live as He lived His life, saving people. Whatever He wants with my life is what must be done with it. What I want no longer matters, but I give myself for Him, just as He gave Himself for us despite the fact His human nature did not want to have to do it. The determination to give our lives to God's service is called repentance. In repenting we determine to turn away from our own will and live our lives to please God. We cannot be saved without this, and that is why repentance is so important in salvation. It also explains why so many people are not truly Jesus' disciples, because they're not willing to make this total sacrifice. If a person holds his life so dear to himself that he wants to use it to please himself, do his own will, and accomplish his own purposes, rather than denying self and serving God, that person will in the end lose his life eternally. But anyone who loses his life for Jesus' sake - gives it in service and sacrifice to God by denying himself, such a man will save his life by gaining eternal life. We must live lives of complete and total submission to the will of God. This is how our Master lived, so this is how His disciples must live.

 

Your works and efforts justify you, not just your faith. For faith without works is dead. Therefore your faith and obedience will remove mountains, mountains of evil, mountains of difficulty. But they must go hand in hand. In Carrying Your Cross, you go ahead and do the natural and the possible, and Christ will do the supernatural and the seemingly impossible. That is the partnership Christ has with you. You put hands and legs to your prayers and Christ will answer them. Listen to faith-building words regularly. That there is nothing impossible with God and that He has a will for your life. That each day, God has a will for your life, Christ has a word, and the Holy Spirit has a way for your life. And always believe that Christ can do what He says He can do; that He is what He says He is; and that He has what He says He has. Therefore, you decide to believe that you can do what Christ says you can do; that you have what Christ says you have; and that you are what Christ says you are. And work hard everyday to improve your faith by adding excellence and wisdom, love and kindness, discipline and reverence.

In Carrying Your Cross, learn to love discipline. Remember that we the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ are peculiar people, separated from among others. Different ways, different standards of living, different customs and values, actuated by different motives. Keep praying for love. Pray for Christ's Spirit of love to be showered on all you meet. Deal with yourself severely by learning to love discipline. Never yield one point that you've already won. Discipline, discipline. Love it and rejoice. Mountains of evil and difficulty can be removed by thought - by desire. Christ leads through all, and ever with the leadership goes the helping hand. But remember that contact with the Master is not gained by the sight or senses, but by Spirit-consciousness. Even when you've not seen Christ, you've a clear spiritual consciousness of Him. However, seeing Him doesn't mean of necessity that your spiritual perception is greater. Rather, for you Christ has to span the physical and spiritual with a spiritual vision clear to human eyes. His presence goes with every disciple!

 

You must turn to Christ before you're conscious of His nearness. Cultivate that turning to Christ in Carrying Your Cross in every circumstance. A glad turning of thankfulness, or a turning of weak appeal. It's so wonderful that naught is needed but that mute appeal. How wonderful to feel you can so simply claim help, and so lovingly and promptly it's there. Not only help but the comfort and joy of divine nearness and companionship. Draw near to Christ, and that nearness is all you need. His presence alone can transform conditions and lives: bring harmony and beauty, peace and love. Step into each day with a firm step of confidence in Christ. Take every duty and every interruption as His appointment. Serve Him simply, cheerfully and readily as you expect others to serve you. Learn to love extra work. Christ has unlimited supply but  we have blocked channels. He desires to give us gifts. We insult Him the Giver, if we're content with the poor, and the mean, and the sordid. Ask what you will and it shall be done unto you. How He can fulfill the promise is His work, not ours to consider. Just have a big faith, and expect big things, and you'll get big things. Our whole life is given to His service in anything He says. This will lead us to willingly deny self.