“Our Daily Bread” http://odb.org/
The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie
http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht
“Homily Grits Devotional” http://www.homilygrits.com/
Luke 9:23… Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him denyhimself, and take up his crossdaily, and follow Me. (NKJV)
Yesterday, I wrote about the “narrow gate”…versus the “broad way, leading to destruction”… Jesus uses these 2 gates to describe either those few, that become Christians in God’s eyes…or the many, who go the way of the world, by taking the broad way which will lead to eternal separation from God, and destruction…Matthew 7:13-14… You can go to www.Godsmanforever.wordpress.com if you want to read previous blogs…
I got my inspiration for writing from an audio sermon by Dr. Charles Stanley, which can be found at the following link… http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/audio-archives I absolutely urge you to bookmark this link, and go to it as often as possible, to be blessed time and again by Dr. Stanley’s daily 20 minute audio sermons…
Dr. Stanley gave a 2 part sermon, which he titled… “The Choices We Make”…and I am here to tell you that this second part of his sermon on April 19th, was something that I believe every Christian would be blessed by if they spent the time to listen…
The Christian has already found the “narrow gate” leading to everlasting life, as a child of God… But the way Dr. Stanley explains how the Spirit filled Christian must continue to walk in the “narrow way”, instead of the “broad way” that they used to walk in before they were saved…really explains what walking in the Spirit as a Christian means, in terms that all Christians should easily be able to understand…
Walking in the “narrow way” is the way Jesus would like to see all Christians walk… But the reality of life will verify that there are few Christians that are walking in the Spirit (Spirit filled)…in sweet fellowship with the Lord…
Galatians 5:16-18… I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you donot do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (NKJV)
The Christian has the choice to walk with the Lord…or to walk opposite of the way God would like to see His children walk…by following their carnal fleshly desires, instead of the leading of the Holy Spirit, that God has given to all of His children as a lifelong Helper to combat sin…John 14:26…
The Christian must decide to live for the Lord, and be blessed…or to go back to living for themselves, by satisfying their own carnal fleshly desires… But when Christians decide to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, they are being deceived by Satan… And not only are they destroying their testimony as a Christian…they will loose the fullness of the love of Christ, which passes our mortal knowledge… Ephesians 3:19-20…the fullness of joy found when the Christian is walking in the Spirit… John 15:11…&…Jude 1:24…and the supernatural peace, that goes beyond our mortal understanding…Philippians 4:6-7…that they would have, if they walking in the Spirit…
This fullness of the Holy Spirit gives the Christian the right perspectives in life, by being able to view things the way God sees them…and thereby truly understanding of how to please our Father in heaven… When the Christian grieves the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), by fulfilling their carnal fleshly desires through sinning…they loose the capacity to love everyone around them (even their enemies)…and the ability to discern what is truth from the illusions that Satan and the world will use, to lure them back into the bonds of sin and shame…
The Spirit filled Christian sets their minds on things above (Colossians 3:2), as they allow the Holy Spirit to renew their mind every day…Romans 12:1-2… Just like the opening scripture reveals…Jesus wants His children to “deny” themselves and their personal desires…and to be prepared to die to self daily…to follow Jesus… I believe this is what Jesus meant by taking up one’s cross daily, and follow Him…
When someone has died to self…they no longer live as they used to live…but are now living for Christ… We see this in these words by Jesus, in…Matthew 16:25-26… “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (NKJV)
The Spirit filled Christian (Ephesians 5:18-20), if they want to remain walking with the Lord…must live in a continuous state of surrendering to the leading of the Holy Spirit… Any sins must be confessed and repented of, through reverent prayer similar to what the Apostle John pens, in…1 John 1:9… Once the Lord has blessed the Christian with the rewards that He promises to provide to His children that are diligently walking in the Spirit (Hebrews 11:6)…it should be almost impossible to remain living in sin… I know I wouldn’t want to loose my God given peace, and the absolute joy that walking with the Lord brings into my life, for anything, or anyone…
This fullness of the Lord will satisfy the human heart with a secure, loving feeling, which those who lack this fullness of Christ, won’t experience… God wants the best for His children, because He loves us… We just have to get out of our own way, and let God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, take charge of our lives…Proverbs 3:5-6…
Heavenly Father, I sit here in absolute awe of the power that the Holy Spirit has brought into my life… I pray Lord, that everyone reading these words, would submit their lives to You…and be able to experience the fullness of Your love that only You can provide…Ephesians 3:19-20… I pray for this God given peace, and a joy beyond belief for all of us…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…
Blessings in Christ, bruce r mills
P.S. Here is an excellent link on what it means to take up your cross and follow Christ…
God's group 