Tag Archive | the cross

Take Up Your Cross and Follow

Mar8

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 10:38‭-‬39 NASB

What does it mean to “take your cross and follow”?
To deny self.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
Matthew 16:24, Mark  8:35, Luke 9:23 NASB

To “take your cross and follow” is to deny self and take up your cross. The cross which represents death to sin and the ways of the world. It is the freedom from the bondage of that sin enabling us to faithfully follow Jesus.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:27 NASB
So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
Luke 14:33 NASB
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:7,10-11 NASB

Basically we must lose our life to find it.
He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
John 12:25‭-‬26 NASB

🌹I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 
Galatians 2:20

Continually Seeking Him, 

Sharon 

Feet

Feb22

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” — Romans 10:14-15

Feet are definitely not my favorite part of the body. Anybody’s body. But here they are referred to as beautiful.

If I rewind into the past when this was written I see feet that are dirty, calloused, possibly with blisters depending on the length of travel, and bloody spots due to rocks or other debris they come across. Not so beautiful. The sacrifice to spread the good news is what makes those feet beautiful.

I look at Jesus as He went to the cross. Bloody. Scarred. Dirt embedded in every crevice. Possibly blisters. Not a pretty picture and yet a beautiful sacrifice because He brought good news!!! He brought reconciliation, salvation, eternity.

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News!!!

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon