ONGOING DISCUSSION: What do we do to obey Jesus' command to pick up our cross daily?!

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Today at 4:18pm Edit Note Delete

Hi Phil,

Thanks for your response. First, let's look at your comments along side of Jesus' command:

Phil: "I FEEL LIKE THE FOCAL POINT OF MY CHRISTIAN WALK MUST BE THE CROSS OF CHRIST, NOT PHIL TAKING UP PHIL’S CROSS DAILY."

Jesus: Luke 9:23 And He was saying to {them} all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up (HIS) cross daily and follow Me."

Luke 14:27 "Whoever does not carry (HIS) own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

Phil, we are to keep our eyes on Jesus. We can pick up our own cross and reckon ourselves as dead to the power of sin BECAUSE of the work Jesus completed when He hung on the cross and was resurrected! Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith: Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

"I CAN ONLY YIELD MY BODY (SEE ROMANS 12:1-2) AND LET GOD DO THE REST."

Phil, I suggest that Paul is teaching Jesus' command of Luke 9:23 in Rom 12:1. Paul URGES his brothers in Christ to PRESENT "their bodies a ...SACRIFICE..." THAT IS PICKING UP YOUR CROSS! We follow Jesus from the cross, to the grave, to resurrection, to LIVING in the Holy Spirit. Glory!

Rom 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your spiritual service of worship.

So, we have to take action every morning or we walk out of the house in the flesh instead of in the Spirit. The action we take is what Jesus told us to do: denying self, and then picking up our cross...present ourselves as a living sacrifice...reckon our self as dead... AND THEN asking our Heavenly Father to give us His Spirit so that rivers of living water flow out of our innermost beings.

Luke 11:13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will {your} heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

John 7:38-39 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who be lieved in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet {given,} because Jesus was not yet glorified.

James 4:2 You lust and do not have; {so} you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; {so} you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.

"You have not because you ask not." Phil and John and Tom, let's make sure we are asking every day!

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.

Blessings!

Tom