Friday, 24 August 2018

Deny yourselves & pick up your cross

 Saturday (Done)

What does it mean to deny yourselves? What does it mean to pick up your cross?. You follow the messiah being Jesus Christ otherwise born as "Yeshua." Christ said to deny yourselves. Pick up your cross and deny yourselves. There are various articles written about this concept if you have chosen to accept Christ into your life, and into your hearts than you must do these two things. Don't respond horrible when someone insults you. You can rebuke them with God's word. But remember to live holy and do it in a biblical fashion. Don't swear, don't spent money on junk food, or waste money/time on expensive cars, vacations, and following the world. Don't watch movies that are offensive to the body of Christ and get rid of music that defiles you or glorifies the sinful world. Stand for the gospel truth. Stand against false teachings. Be interested in the word of the living God. Keep God's written commandments. You have to come out of the world and now you don't insult people but raise them UP. However, this does not mean you will compromise with the world and give to dogs those things that are holy. Christ said if you are truly my disciple you will do as I instruct you. You will have a prayer life. You will not defile your temples as you are members of the body of Christ. You will praise God and glorify him in whatever ways are proper, righteous. In simple terms you will surrender and walk with him being your head Sheppard. When people curse you, you will bless them and forgive them. In spite of evil and being mocked, hated, rejected you will be righteous and maintain holiness. You will deny your WILL to do God's WILL.  You will come out of the wicked ways of the world and live for God's desires while giving up yours. This does not mean deny yourself medication that the  doctor may give you or a special need. But you will ponder on the written word of God and pray and ask God to guide you. In other words today so many are willing to be a bird of a feather but YOU will be separate from this thinking and stand with the true God of Israel. You will bless Israel and pray for those deceived.

1 Peter 2:11


Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

The gospel says to take up the whole armor of God so you can stand in the evil day. See that does not mean you don't forgive people but you still rebuke people. You will do what is necessary and not be a Hippocratic bug. You will Follow Christ.

You must lose your life so it can be saved for eternity. That is the general concept. That means live the ways set out by God. God will give you a new heart and a new vision.

Luke 9:23
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

 The cross must be picked up daily. What is dying to oneself? God not self must be at center of their life. The way of the cross is the way of self-denial. We are talking about a life that is surrendered to Christ. We surrender deliberately. We walk in obedience towards him. You have to obey him daily. In the day of circumstances to our life we responded according to his ways and his teachings. According to what is proper in God's eye.  We live each day for Christ. Daily discipleship. We surrender our WILL, our ways and our emotions. We don't live by the flesh but we live according to the spirit. Whatever is required of us. This is not always painful. If a person is just learning the Christian life it may seem somewhat difficult at first. You know the gospel says to lean on God's understanding but to lay your troubles on him. Pray and tell him what is bothering you. You must have faith. And you don't defile yourselves to impress your friends. What matters is what God says in scripture according to how you should live. The sermon on the mount is a key scripture for this.

If your heart is right it can be like learning to ride a bike. Eventually it will come easy. But then what is easy to the world is not at first with following Christ because we are accustomed to walking with the world instead of Christ.

Think what would Jesus Christ do in this circumstance? What does the bible tell me in this situation? Now in modern times no expensive vacations and 50,000 weddings, no expensive cars and no living in luxury as the rich do. Live a holy life. So many are unwilling to obey Christ. They want heaven without submission, they want The Kingdom of God without repentance and being saved. They want hands out, grace that rebounds. They want RELIGION that is not of the true GOD. They love tradition but not the things that be of GOD. This is not the gospel. 


When a person is born again God does a great work in you. A man must be born again spiritually as we learned from Christ himself. As many people think that their burdens are their cross. If something is done and you suffer for righteousness than God understands and will one day reward you. Your cross is living the light that men reject. The light that the world rejects. 

YOU TAKE GOD'S WILL OVER YOURS! YOU PICK UP THE CROSS THAT THE WORLD REJECTS.  GOD'S WAY GOES AGAINST OUR WAYS!

 

Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, That you not have it in excess and vomit it.

Give to the poor, pray for people, use your time to glory God. Remember Christ did NOT live  in a castle and he lived simple. He did not insult people but he proclaimed God's ways and Kingdom. He thought about others. Too serve. He said he came to serve. Christ did so many wonderful things for people that books could not hold all of them yet he was despised and rejected. He is the first and the last. Remember that!

Hebrews 11:25

Choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.



When Christ was insulted and hated did he start to drink and smoke and sin? NO! He walked with faith, courage and love. He said in this life you will have troubles but be of good cheer as he had overcome the world. Not only that he said one day all tears will be wiped away. Just do it. He said when people insult you and persecute you for his sake you are truly blessed and your reward will be great. Same when people reject you. Want to go to heaven and not hell than FOLLOW.

A man/woman could lose their soul. What does it profit a man. Many who don't care now will reap but pay later and hell is no vacation. Turn from sin.

PUT DOWN THE FLESH DAILY. AND DON'T DENY CHRIST! DENY YOUR WICKED/EVIL SELF.
WALK AFTER THE SHEPPARD.  

You have a cross. It's a personal thing.

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.


Mark 11:22-24

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Jeremiah 17:5 

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.



In conclusion picking up your cross may be your indifferent burdens that were either caused by you or because of other people’s wickedness, or because of generational curses. When you are younger that is when you should HEED the gospel and make your way stronger. Don’t wait until the last minute. But you can still pick it up at any age. When you are blind to gospel truth that is what darkness wants. Give thanks in bad times and in good times. Think of what is required to live a holy life.  What must I do.  It is true that some people are blessed even if they are not believers in some ways, but no one is free from the world of darkness as this world is unseen to us as the gospel tells us. This world has rights when you are lost in sins and your hedge of protection is taken away. You MUST walk the walk that is required. See you must not do anything that glorifies the sinful world and then adds oxygen to the flames. In other worlds you become part of the problem and not part of the solution. We just don’t love the truth.

Denying yourselves as written above is what people have a hard time doing as they are not only defiled by those things which the bible says is an abomination but the world is glued to the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. That word pride. That word will get many thrown into outer darkness as the gospel says God humbles the proud. He hates a proud look and a tongue that tells lies. Satin is the father of lies. Remember follow the gospel. In the end it is the good news because "Yeshua" the Christ. (Jesus) started off something that will eventually bring the end of evil and life as we know it. Get saved. 
Do things that are off God and not of men. Same as he told the rich man. Satin is smart as he was created above man. He knows how to snatch that seed away.

You see if the "focus" is with God all things are possible and he will make you whiter than snow than there would be no need for Christ to have come into the world. Since he DID we are WITHOUT excuse. So in retrospect as Christ said a man must be born again. That is man or woman. The depths of Satin and this world of darkness are very deep and VERY real. Wake up! The gospel tells us to draw close to God and he will draw close to us. Some people have an abundance and are wicked as hell. Very true. Others have brokenness and are kind spirited. If you look at man and his wars there were 110 millions deaths in total in world war two (2), and about 45-55 million in world war one (1). Abortions around the world are in the millions. And this is just a fraction of the truth. Man is far from GOOD. We have arrived in that time as it was in the days of Noah. Make your choice between life or death. Sin brings death and your tongue has the power to cast you into outer darkness. Shut the radio, the gadgets, the noise, the friends that gossip, the defiling friends, the sinful pleasures then focus on the bible and do GOD'S WILL.  YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP THE WORLDLY WAYS!

Don't you forget Exodus 34.7 as there are those who will tell you that grace covers you and God no more is at work in such a way as he used to be. The scriptures say nations who forget God are turned into hell. The bible says God does not change. Never! but he is merciful if you confess your sins to him in prayer. Repenting is Key. God is Real! Many are deceived.  You must walk in the light men reject. Sin brings forth spiritual death and cuts off your connection with God. Tell God you want to walk with him and do his will. You can do it. You don't need to be in fashion and spent money you don't have let alone live as the world does. Less is more. Christ never had a car, a van or anything modern. He never had a big mansion, million dollar house. He had Sand-ales and the heart of hearts.  He taught people the true walk and way that men reject. He told us there is not even one who is good.  What did he tell the prostitute? Go and sin no more. 

Now if anyone tells you hell does not exist and is not real they are deceived and liars. God cannot lie. When you leave this world you will find out it does exist if you are unsaved. If you read the stats of the world wars above which is just a fraction of the truth then you will understand why a loving God created hell. We just cannot accept that. Turn from sin repent and pickup your cross and follow him (Christ). Deny yourselves the gossip, the pride of life, the vile speech, the cursing tongue,  the rebellion, the hatred, the falsehood, the music of the world, the wants and vanities of the world, the uprising of the flesh, the movies and TV shows that glorify sin and especially the idols & things that God calls an abomination. This included sex before marriage, living in sin and such things. Filth as we know it. Follow HIM! as he said!


 EXODUS 34.7
Reading and word.




Christ never told the people that asked him for eternal life that he would make them whiter than snow. He did tell the religious leaders they would not escape damnation. That means ruins but hell as they were carrying on. Even though he knew he was to die on the cross/tree he still told them the truth as they had tradition over the things of God they overlooked. It is that easy for the heart to be defiled and wicked. That is the hard reality man can  not accept. That is why you must deny yourselves and pick up your cross and follow Christ! 

CROSS + DENY SELF 
(SERMON)


  PRAISE HIM EVERYDAY - AMEN

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