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| Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ |
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1 Corinthians 1:18; For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
You don’t hear much preaching about the cross nowadays. It used to be that preaching about the cross would bring people to repentance, so what happened? You don’t hear a lot of preaching about hell or the devil or about sin and repentance anymore, if at all. You are more likely to be entertained for an hour and get about 15 minutes of funny stories or a wishy-washy word. It used to be that sinners would walk into a church and be healed and delivered, repent of their sins and never look back. Nowadays people walk into a church and leave the same way they walked in if not worse. They get some goose bumps and chills up their spine while indulging the flesh in song and in dance and mistake an emotional response with the Holy Spirit. Then as soon as they step out of church they light up a smoke while talking about what a good service it was yet no one got saved. Then they go right back to their sin as if church is just a momentary respite from perpetual boredom.
A lot of preachers will make references to the cross metaphorically but they are careful to avoid approaching the message of the cross directly for fear of frightening or offending people. We live in a society where the churches now want to be politically correct; adopting a doctrine of tolerance and mutual acceptance where the rights of the individual supersede the pure and Holy Word of God resulting in a powerless church where pastors are glorified and the brethren are just as lost as the people in the world.
1 Peter 2:6-8; Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
People stumble at the Word and are easily offended because they choose to be disobedient. It is so much easier to appease the flesh than to walk in the Spirit. People do what they do by nature because it feels good. This is the same type of thinking that the people of the world adhere to.
Jeremiah 13:23; Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
People are apt to do what comes naturally so where sin is not being corrected it will abound. We need to preach the message of the cross; not a new message, but the same message that was preached in the beginning. Some preachers are giving a massage instead of a message. The congregations are being lulled into a deep sleep with a watered down word that doesn’t have the power to penetrate the hard hearts or break up the fallow ground so that the seed can take root and germinate.
What is the message of the cross? DENY YOURSELF! Did I make that clear enough? This is the reason that the gospel is not producing a change in a hard heart. The problem starts at the ALTAR. OUCH!!! If preachers would begin to deny themselves by setting aside their own petty agendas and stop worrying about whether or not people will leave the church because of offenses then maybe things will go back to the way they were when church was church and not a social club or a hangout. There is nothing wrong with music and dancing in the church but the whole service should not be about entertainment. You can stay home in a virtual coma in front of the hell-e-vision and be entertained for 10-12 hours in the day. You don't need to go to church to be entertained. The church needs to cut the programs short so the word can be preached with power and authority.
Matthew 8:22; But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. If people want to stop coming to church, have church anyway. Those old corpses aren’t doing anything but taking up space anyway. You may as well have tombstones on the pews. If the real brethren would stop praying for God to bring people in and go out to where the sinners are then maybe the church can grow. One sinner a month that repents is not growth. At that rate you can fill the church in 3 years.
Matthew 16:24; Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
I don’t know, maybe this is too complicated. What part of this verse don’t you understand? Is it denying yourself or is it taking up your cross? Perhaps you have a problem with following Christ but whatever the case may be you are just making it hard on yourself. Stop trying to figure it out and stop trying to read between the lines, just accept it the way it is. Deny yourself, set aside your petty differences and your hurts and hang-ups as well as your insecurities. Take up your cross; be willing to pay the price, endure suffering, and resist the urge to indulge the flesh. Follow Christ; Let him lead as you follow, keep pace with him and don’t let him get too far ahead and don’t lag too far behind. This is a simple formula for personal growth. It will work if you apply it and put it into practice. If everyone in a church would do this then there will be explosive growth because you will do things as the word is telling you to do them and you will not fail. God bless you and Shalom.
Father in the name of Jesus, increase the desire in the brethren to seek you with a whole heart. Strengthen them and help them to give up those things that are obstructing and help them to understand that everything that they need to live perfect before you was already done more than 2,000 years ago on the cross. Lord help them also to see that the words that they speak must be followed by actions that will produce results. Thank you Lord and continue to use me to speak on your behalf. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen |
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| To add a comment to "Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ" |
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| October 10, 2009 |
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 [star!] |
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| October 10, 2009 |
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| [star!] |
WOW! Strong MEAT here Prophet Jay, but like a good steak in my mouth...
Thanks for straight shooting and reminding us of what it is really all about...
Let us get back to basics and quit all this nonsense that has been happening in the church world these past few years with their flimsy messages with no substance in them... Amen!
Blessings In Him... :o)
Herman |
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| October 10, 2009 |
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| [star!] |
It's pretty sad when the church feels the need to "water down" the Plan of God, as if we know what will reach people better than He does--what arrogance! Thanks for speaking truth straight up. |
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| October 10, 2009 |
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| My preacher was only preaching on hell on wensday he is not afraid to tell peaple how it will be if you go wrong |
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| October 10, 2009 |
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| Thanx for the star Penny! |
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| October 10, 2009 |
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| Amen Evangelist, you said a mouthful! |
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| October 10, 2009 |
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| Your welcome Beverly |
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| October 10, 2009 |
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| Then that's my kind of preacher Sharon! |
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| October 10, 2009 |
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| [star!] |
Hey Prophet Jay... this messages just "kills" me... you know what I'm saying... Great Word my friend! Love ya. |
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| October 10, 2009 |
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| [star!] |
Matthew 16:24; Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
I don’t know, maybe this is too complicated. What part of this verse don’t you understand? Is it denying yourself or is it taking up your cross? Perhaps you have a problem with following Christ but whatever the case may be you are just making it hard on yourself. Stop trying to figure it out and stop trying to read between the lines, just accept it the way it is. Deny yourself, set aside your petty differences and your hurts and hang-ups as well as your insecurities. Take up your cross; be willing to pay the price, endure suffering, and resist the urge to indulge the flesh. Follow Christ; Let him lead as you follow, keep pace with him and don’t let him get too far ahead and don’t lag too far behind. This is a simple formula for personal growth. It will work if you apply it and put it into practice. If everyone in a church would do this then there will be explosive growth because you will do things as the word is telling you to do them and you will not fail. God bless you and Shalom.
All of this is good, but this is what really stands out. Amen. |
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| October 10, 2009 |
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| [star!] |
Amen PJ. My prayer is Holy is Your Name God of Jacob, Thy will be done Most High God who dwells in the sides of the North in the beauty of Holiness, let I pray this teaching be heard by Your Body, and let the scales fall from our eyes that we may all preach the only true Gospel, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. let us be doers of the Word, walking in the demonstration Of Your Holy Spirit and Power, walking in true holiness without which we will not see YOU Father, and hear this prayer for your body for the sake of the finished work of Thy Son who is blessed forever. |
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| October 11, 2009 |
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| [star!] |
Blow the Trumpet in Zion!!!!! |
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| October 11, 2009 |
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| Thanx Preston. A lot of people will read this and scoff or be critical, but I'm not trying to tickle anyone's ear. The Holy Ghost is getting fed up and it's just a matter of time when the fury of God's wrath is unleashed on the earth. |
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| October 11, 2009 |
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| Sis Cece, people act like they don't understand, and the reason for that is the flesh. A person in the flesh can't understand Spiritual things but a lot of the word is just basic common sense. Of course if a person chooses to continue in sin they are going to pretend that they don't understand to try to justify themselves. |
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| October 11, 2009 |
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| Amen JT! |
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| October 11, 2009 |
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| Yes Marg, it won't be long before we hear the sound of the trump! |
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| October 11, 2009 |
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| Really Really good. I totally agree. there are alot of struggling christians (if they are true christians at all) because there was no real transformation in their life. they need the gospel raw and uncut. |
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| October 12, 2009 |
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| Amen Ralph |
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| October 13, 2009 |
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| [star!] |
PJ, Thank you for this message my brother in Christ. Many will resent this type of message, but their blood will not be on your hands.
Let me tell you, the Holy Spirit in me has been grieving the moment G-d opened my Spiritual eyes and ears as I look and hear what is going on in the Churches and on (Christian TV). I know my Jesus is hurting over and over as He sees and hears what is going on. If He got so angry back in the days when He was down here, could you just imagine what He feels now after dying for humanity? That is why I always tell everyone I meet, we have NO excuse to continue living in sin. G-d provided everything He could for us to live a righteous life. I could only pray that He is pleased with me.
I love you my brother in Christ do not stop preaching truth. |
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| October 21, 2009 |
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| This one should be told over and over. |
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