What does ‘take up your cross’ mean?

What was crucified on the cross?

The body; the flesh. Sin, the old nature. “He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Therefore:

  • Through the Holy Spirit, continually put to death the flesh & its sinful desires & replace them with Christ Jesus & His righteousness
  • “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,” Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬, ‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
  • “For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The King is Coming

You still have a choice, but your time is coming to an end. You have no control over your moment of death, your last breath on Earth…

The LORD God Almighty reigns in Heaven, and His only Begotten Son, Christ Jesus the Lord is coming to reign on the Earth.

He will fulfill what Adam failed to do. He is the second & Last Adam, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Prophet. Great High Priest. King.

You are either a citizen in His coming Kingdom through being second born into it (by the Holy Spirit) through faith & obedience to Him, or you are already condemned in your trespasses, sins, and iniquities against His Holiness and your future will be in outer darkness, the lake of fire, where the smoke of your torment will rise forever & ever along with Satan & the unholy angels, and the righteous will remember you no more forever.

Betrayal

It just occurred to me that the betrayer in Psalm 55 is not just Saul, and Judas, but from the beginning is Lucifer.

What a heartbreaking lament.

God the Father knows the pain of betrayal. Jesus Christ knows the pain of betrayal.

LORD help us to remain steadfast & faithful not to betray You or others, and comfort us in the searing pain of betrayal by those closest to us, and not be bitter but allow Your love to flow through us even more.

The Worst Sin

‬‬““You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The worst sin that few ever preach or teach on…

Covetousness

– Satan coveted God’s position, prestige, & power.

– When tempted, Adam & Eve coveted forbidden knowledge.

– Covetousness leads to theft, lying, jealousy, hatred, murder, sexual immorality, and idolatry.

Unthankfulness & discontentment with God’s authority, character, & provision is the root of covetousness.

Humility, thankfulness, & contentment with God the Father & Christ Jesus is the only solution.

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”
‭‭I Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Preparing for Great Tribulation

I was just asked: “What top 3 or 4 ways have you prepared for the great tribulation?”

Here is my response: Continual prayer for wisdom, discernment, & the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth & to help us discern what IS truth from what is ALMOST truth.

Continual prayer for mercy & to continually put to death the things of the flesh by the Holy Spirit to be a set apart vessel for the LORD’s service.

Continual reading & re-reading of the Bible (listening also) and asking the LORD to bring a change of mind (metanoya – repentance) when any doctrines of man that I have learned conflict with the doctrines of the Word. (Removing the planks from my own eyes before I can help others remove the specks).

“Embracing the suck” (military term) of my infirmities & disabilities that the LORD has kept as the thorn in my flesh so that I will not be puffed up in pride and instead rely more and more on His grace to strengthen me in the inner man while the outer one perishes.