DENY + TAKE + FOLLOW

a few few few post ago... i posted something... a comment then came on what is it to "Deny Yourself, take up your cross & follow Jesus"... it actually need a very very long reply... so here it is... a longgggggg reply! :) Even though long... it still cannot properly explain the statement... so if you wanna find out more... talk lah!! very hard to write lah!! hehahae!

So here goes.... don't fall a sleep reading it ya!! :)

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Jesus heals the deaf/mute man... He then feeds the four/five thousand... [and He’s performed so much more miracles]

The Pharisees & Sadducees came to Jesus & tested Him by asking His to show them a sign from heaven... [as if the miraculous signs are not good enough] & how He tells them that a wicked & adulterous GENERATION looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given except the sign of Jonah (buy ps.chew's message on the sign of Jonah & discover more on what the sign of Jonah is)

Jesus then warns them against the yeast of the Pharisee [mat16:5, mark8:14]

Jesus then ask "WHO DOES THE CROWD SAY I AM?"... "WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?"

Then…

JESUS PREDICTS HIS OWN DEATH {Mat 16:24-28, Mark 8:34-38, Luke 9:23}
Smack in middle of Him saying He's gonna DIE... before the cross ever happened... He talks to His disciples on their own cross...
[let me take the Mark8 passage]
"IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME, HE MUST DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME.
For whoever wants to save His life will lose it, but whoever loses His life for me & for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? (in LUKE it says "yet lose or forfeit his very self?") Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of Me and My Words in this adulterous & sinful GENERATION, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels."

DENY YOURSELF, TAKE UP YOUR CROSS & FOLLOW JESUS.
[let’s break it down]

Deny Yourself –
Katherine Kuhlman’s famous phrase… “I die a thousand deaths” is a really good description of ‘denying’ oneself. When we allow our pride that must be held strong to die… when we allow our need to be ‘right’ to subside… when we deny ourselves of the fleshly desires (not fleshly needs… we still need to eat to live & all) & submit ourselves to God.

Take Up Your Cross –
Jesus said in Mat10:38 ~ and anyone who does not take his CROSS and follow me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
The crowd said Jesus in Mat27:40b ~ “Come down from the CROSS, if you are the Son of God!”
John19:17 ~ Carrying His own CROSS, He went out to the place of the Skull, Golgotha.
Heb12:2 ~ Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the CROSS, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that YOU will not grow weary & lose heart.

Follow Jesus –
What would make anyone wanna follow anyone else??
1. LOVE – love compels us to go the extra mile, express
2. LEADER – a leader that is respected & honoured is always person worth following.
3. DIRECTION – if I’m lost & someone give me direction to be “un-lost”… I’ll go. Of course we can be deceived as well.. but that’s another story all together.
4. HELPLESS – if I’m helpless & I’m dependant on another person to survive… I’d have to follow.
5. think yourself lah for other points!! Hehahe!
A common denominator for the above elements… is that it is a person you KNOW… or at least know of. If it’s someone you have don’t know… people will naturally not wanna follow.

After I finished form 5… there were a number of my friends from my youth group that went overseas to study… some fell out of church & others just disappeared. My journey of faith was challenged because it felt like there’s no one else around to journey on together. It felt like I was the only one (among my peers) that actually goes to church. On the other hand, some of my other friends kept asking me to join them party… & try out other things!

The song that kept ringing in my head then was…
“I have decided to follow Jesus… no turning back, no turning back. Though none go with me, still I will follow… no turning back, no turning back!

Though none go with me, will we still follow??? It’s been a crazy journey of battling sooooo many battles when it comes to this whole issue of ‘denying myself, taking up my cross… & follow Jesus.

DENY YOURSELF, TAKE UP YOUR CROSS, & FOLLOW JESUS
It’s a tall order. And so many times I failed. I failed to live that live where I’m so passionate for Jesus… where I stand up to other people that was making God look bad… to really be that bold & courageous disciple. And there are times where it’s been tiring running the race alone. But God never fails… tho I fail. There are battles that I need to fight alone, and there are battles that God has brought other amazing people to run together. At the end of the day… it comes back to the desire of your heart. The desire to keep trying to deny myself, take up the cross, and follow Jesus.

Though none go with me, still I will follow… no turning back, no turning back!


littlelite