EMPOWERED TO LIVE ABUNDANTLY III

The things that people celebrate today are the things that disqualify them. His first prescription is self denial. The second is, take up the cross daily not only during Easter but every day.

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Luke 9:23, KJV

Why do you have to take up the cross? The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is one symbol that encapsulates every Christian virtue. It is only at the cross that you can crucify the old man. The cross of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is –

• the greatest display of the wisdom and power of God;
• the greatest manifestation and demonstration of the love of God;
• the meeting place between humanity and divinity;
• the first place where the will of God crossed with the will of man and man’s will for the first time, submitted. So, it is the greatest display of surrender and submission;
• the greatest symbol of worship – worth-ship;
• the greatest manifestation of obedience;
• the greatest display of the grace of God. It was at the cross that mercy and truth kissed each other.
• the greatest symbol of success. A lot of people forget this and that is why they wake up eagle and lions which are unclean animals because they don’t discern the word of God properly.

The more you stray from the cross, the emptier and the more Christless you become. The greatest prescription, the divine prescription for everyman’s malady is the cross.

Having established that, take a look at Luke 24:1-7,

“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

Luke 24:1-7, KJV

TO BE CONTINUED.