In the morning, early in the morning, in the morning, I will raise and praised the Lord. That is why You are called Jehovah, what You said You will do that is what you will do, that is why You are called Jehovah. Jehovah, You are the Most High God. Blessed be Thou Holy Name.
Come and see that the Lord is good, there is nothing He cannot do, come and see the Lord is good. Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down, I am to say that You are Good, altogether Worthy, altogether Mighty, altogether Wonderful to me.
Beloved, hope you are in a worship mood with me this day. Listen, whatever be it, just take out few minutes, if you can do an hour that will be wonderful, I want us to offer a sweet smelling sacrifices to the Lord this hour. You know what, God inhibits the praise of His people. He accepted that voices that ring out in appreciation of Whom He is.
Many might despise you, friends may avoid you but God will never abandon You, you can never be too irreverent to be ignored, just a shout of praise from you, comes a look from heaven in search of you. Praise the Lord somebody!
Are you ready to pray? Yesterday, I mentioned the carrying of our cross which depicts different meaning to different people. Sickness and problems can never be a cross to a child of God. Financial challenges and all its like is not a cross to bear. My people suffer for lack of knowledge. Unfortunately, I have been in a meeting where someone was preaching such a message. I immediately switch off my spirit man, so that it will not be contaminated before I leaving the meeting.
Thank God I knew the truth. It is only the truth you know that will set you free. But do you know that is why there are so much chaos in society at large. I don’t want to deviate from the subject at hand but please note that sicknesses, failures of any kind or degree can never and will never be a cross for any child of God.
You want a clearer picture of what taking up your cross means, please come with me as we consider the message below:
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”—Matthew 16:24
Your “cross” is God’s will for you, regardless of the cost. Taking up your cross is a choice; it is not beyond your control. You may have health problems or a rebellious child or financial pressures, but do not mistake these as your “cross to bear.” Neither circumstances you face nor consequences of your own actions are your cross. Your cross will be to voluntarily participate in Christ’s sufferings as He carries out His redemptive purposes (Phil. 3:10). Paul said he rejoiced in his sufferings because he knew that by them he was able to participate in the suffering required to bring others into Christian maturity (Col. 1:24).
We tend to want to go immediately from “denying ourselves” to “following Jesus.” But you can never follow Jesus unless you have first taken up your cross. There are aspects of God’s redemptive work that can be accomplished only through suffering. Just as Christ had to suffer in order to bring salvation, there will be hardships you may have to endure in order for God to bring salvation to those around you. Jesus did not talk with His disciples about the cross until they had come to know He was the Christ (Matt. 16:21). You will never be able to endure the suffering of the cross unless you have first been convinced that Jesus is the Christ. Once you have settled your relationship with Christ, He will introduce you to your cross.
There is no Christianity without a cross. If you are waiting for a relationship with God that never requires suffering or inconvenience, then you cannot use Christ as your model. God’s will for you involves a cross. First, take up your cross, then you can follow Him. Read below:
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”—Matthew 16:24
We can take God’s presence for granted. We can assume that because Jesus said He would be with us always, He will follow us wherever we go (Matt. 28:20). Jesus does not follow us; we are to follow Him. You do not invite God to join you in your activity. He invites you to become involved in His activity. Jesus said: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Following Jesus requires absolute obedience. He does not seek our counsel about which direction we think is suitable. God already knows what is best without ever having to consult with us.
Following Jesus will lead you into experiences you never dreamed of! You will be with Jesus as He weeps over those trapped in sin. You will feel the pain that Jesus feels. You will see those who were spiritually blind experience the joy of coming to see God for the first time. You will see lives that were broken, made whole. You will see marriages restored; those in bondage, released; and those who mourn, comforted. At times it will be easy to follow Jesus. At other times, you will be tempted to abandon Him. Following Jesus can mean going through a storm or standing on a mountaintop.
You may have stopped following Jesus, but now you want to follow again. When you stopped following Jesus, you did so on your terms. But the returning to Jesus is strictly under His conditions. He is God, and you are not. Are you willing to follow Jesus anywhere, at any time, under any condition? That is the only way you can follow Him.
Pray my dear beloved this day for the grace to walk with God unconditionally. You can not do it by your strength because your strength will be too small. Pray to God for a fresh release of power on you for a higher commitment.
God answers when you call Him in truth and Spirit, so call on Him with a sincere heart and you will be happy you did. No selfishness in God’s dealings. He, Who did not with hold His only son from you, will He not freely give you everything.
Remain blessed in the Lord.
