The cross is the symbol of our relationship with Jesus; it is a personal decision to follow Jesus without looking back, to die to self and be alive in Christ. It is a symbol of total submission to Jesus Christ´s authority. You can't follow Jesus without your cross, and you can't hold a cross in your hand and still have space for extra luggage.
Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
The sacrifice we made to cement our relationship with God is our ability to lay down our lives; if you cannot let go of that lifestyle that has become part of you but is not fit for the journey, you will not be able to follow Jesus. Picking up your cross means you have decided to let go of whatever you are holding tight, and then stretch forth your hand to Jesus for him to lead you. Jesus only leads those who have picked up their cross. Without a cross in your hand, you are not in a loving relationship with Christ. The cross in our hand is proof of our love for Jesus because we must have laid down our lives to lay hold of the cross.
A call to Christianity is an enrollment into a lifetime race, and to win a race, you cannot have extra luggage with you. The race requires focus because it is very easy to miss Jesus if your eyes are not single. This kingdom has zero tolerance for distraction. The major enemy of our race is distraction.
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Your reputation, your ambition, and everything that makes this world pleasurable do not matter to you. God and His Kingdom are now your newfound ambition. He has to be the centre of everything in your life. When Jesus said you should deny yourself, he did not say you don't need those things, but he said you have to leave them behind and look back no more. It is part of your sacrifice. Your sacrifice is not something you don't need; it is very important to you, but you chose to lay it down at the feet of Jesus for your cross.
Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
In this journey, you have to sell everything because there will be no space for them in the kingdom of God. You have to give them out. I love my braiding, and they actually fit me. I am still using my old picture, and you can testify to the fact that braids do look good on me. The Lord allows me to enjoy them, and I actually do ask Him for the kind of braid I would like to make at times; and the spirit of God will show me, Yes. Our God is not a human being, and He does not correct us drastically. He takes his time to prepare our minds for the journey. I had been asking God for a particular gift, and after my birthday last year. The Lord said to me, " Daughter, this thing you have been asking for, this attachment, is causing problems for you. I immediately removed them. When I was not ready, He did not instruct me. He waited until I was ready. I called my braider. I said, "Aunty Ronke, I am going on a low cut." To my surprise, she said she knew. " The last time she came to my house for home service, the Holy Spirit told her that that would be the last time I would braid my hair with attachment. That I will call her and say the Holy Spirit told me to stop using attachment; Please don't get me wrong; this is my own personal instruction from the Lord based on our covenant; yours may be different. When it comes to instruction from the Lord, I personalize them, because I knew many people who had the same gift I was asking Him for and still braided their hair with attachment, but that does not mean I have to be like them. Everyone's journey is different. At that stage of my journey, that particular baggage was becoming an obstruction and needed to go. 1 Corinthians 6:12 (All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any). That is Paul talking. He said some things may be good, but they may not be appropriate for him as far as the race of the kingdom is concerned; anything is sacrificeable. He was willing to let go of everything for the race, and then he obtained the crown of glory.
Friends, there is no friend like Jesus anywhere who will guarantee a hundredfold reward for your sacrifice. If you have not picked up your cross, here is another opportunity to say Yes to Jesus today by praying the salvation prayer below and be blessed, in Jesus name.
Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins and accept You as my Lord and Saviour. I believe you died for me so that I could become a new man/woman. Forgive me all my sins, wash me with your blood, and give me a new heart. Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul. Now I believe I am born again. And I am a child of God. Amen!
NENE ISAH,
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