Truth for the week this week's topic
following Jesus Christ Bible verse Mark
chapter 8 verse 34. whoever desires to
come after me let him deny himself and
take up his cross and follow me this
week's message
we know that when we follow Jesus Christ
we are in the way to heaven because
Jesus has said that I am the way John
Chapter 14 verse 6 we read it now to
follow Jesus Christ he has set three
conditions firstly we have to deny
ourselves now to deny ourselves doesn't
mean that we have to hate our creation
hate our talents and our Beauty in fact
we have to thank God for our creation
for our life because we are fearfully
and wonderfully made by God
but to hate ourselves or deny ourselves
means that we have got lot of Desires in
this world we have desires to earn money
to earn wealth property to earn
positions Fame in this Society we have
desires of our flesh which want to have
pleasures of this world we have desires
of our flesh which are evil a lot of
things like this now these things
obstruct us from understanding the
desire which God has for us or to
understand the will and greater purpose
which God has for us so only if we are
able to set these things aside and allow
God more than all these things in fact
love got more than our parents more than
our children only then we will be able
to understand the will of God for our
life the purpose which God expects out
of our life Matthew chapter 19 was 21
and 22 and Matthew chapter 10 verse 37
we read about these things that only
when we set aside our desire we will be
unable to understand God's Great will
and follow God Philippians chapter 3
verse 4 to 8 we read about Saint Paul
the greatest Apostle he writes that he
had lot of recognizations he had a lot
of degrees he had greater fames and
citizenships but still he considered all
those things as waste so that he can
gain Christ we may have lot of Fame in
this world but only when we are able to
set aside and deny ourselves we will be
able to follow Jesus Christ secondly we
have to cheerfully take up the cross
that is given to us when we are ready to
deny ourselves we will be able to see
the cross which Jesus is giving for us
now the cross is was considered as a
symbol of curse when Jesus Christ took
up the cross when he shed his Precious
Blood on the cross the cross which was a
symbol of curse was turned into a symbol
of blessing
now we read this in Galatians chapter 3
and verse 13.
so if we have to take up this cross
first of all we have to desire the cross
which Jesus is giving to us and then we
should also give up our burdens upon the
cross of Jesus Christ we have lot of
burdens we have burdens coming out of
our sins burdens that are coming out of
our personal problems the sickness the
peacelessness the depressions we go
through we should lay our burdens upon
Jesus Christ because Jesus is bearing
our burdens every day he bore all our
burdens our sin our sickness and burdens
on the his cross and he crucified them
and if we are able to lay our burdens on
to Jesus Christ then we will be able to
take up the Yoke the cross which Jesus
give to us Matthew chapter 11 verse 28
to 30 Psalms chapter 68 verse 19 says
this and also when Jesus gives up the
cross take it up joyfully there may be
struggles in this world we suffer for
the name of the Lord there may be
challenges we go through difficult paths
we travel but then if it is because of
the Cross which Jesus has given us take
it up joyfully and cheerfully because
this is for a blessing there won't be
any guilt in it but rather there will be
joy in it because God's name will be
glorified and moreover God's purpose is
getting fulfilled
so Colossians chapter 1 verse 24 to 29
Psalms chapter 116 verse 12 and 13 we
read that we should never give up the
cross which Jesus is giving us but
rather take up the Yoke which God is
giving us in a cheerful way
finally we have to follow Jesus Christ
and that's the third condition which
Jesus kept
to follow a person means to look closely
upon the person to see the actions
performed by that person to see the
directions taken by that person now to
follow Jesus Christ we have to look
closely upon the life of Jesus Christ
look closely upon the teachings of God
and his ways and instructions and the
Bible says that the scriptures are the
testimony for life of Jesus Christ John
chapter 5 verse 39 we read it the Holy
Bible is the truth and it has got the
instructions and ways we have to follow
so if we are paying careful attention to
look upon it to carefully read it and
Obey in our lives we will be able to
follow Jesus Christ may God bless us
through these words let's pray dear Lord
help us to deny ourselves take up
cheerfully the cross you are giving us
and follow you all the days of our life
continue to speak with us in Jesus name
amen
