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(Luke 9:23) "And He [Jesus] was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God].
We once had a visiting speaker who was discussing self-sacrifice.
After an hour of speaking, I guess he could see that the congregation wasn't too enamoured with the principle, so he concluded by saying, "Just imagine that your need is great, and you've gone up to the Temple to offer your sacrifice. You've chosen the very best sacrifice you can, but when you get there, the Lord tells you that he doesn't want an animal - He wants YOU! He wants YOUR life!"
"You now have a choice. You can either pretend (to yourself) that it never happened, and walk away...
... or, you can climb up onto the altar, lie yourself down, and trust in Him enough to honour Him ..."
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Let's pray, "Heavenly Father, I desire to be a true disciple. Help me to understand what it means to deny myself and take up my cross daily. Grant me the strength and courage to follow you, even when it is difficult. May my life be a reflection of your love and grace, and may I always choose to follow your will." Amen!
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