SELF DENIAL-PART TWO

SELF DENIAL

PART TWO

“Bearing the Cross”

Section 1-2

WE ARE TO TAKE UP OUR CROSS AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST

LUKE 9:23-26

 Jesus says, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must DENY HIMSELF and TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY and FOLLOW ME. For whoever wishes to SAVE HIS LIFE will LOSE IT, but whoever LOSES HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE, he is the one who will SAVE IT. For what is a man profited if he gains the Whole World, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My Words, the Son of Man will be Ashamed of him when He comes in His Glory, and the Glory of the Father and of the Holy Angels."

As I have read these passages the word “take up his cross” & “Loses his life for My sake” was the first thing that registers to my mind. It has a very great impact on me. God has thought me about carrying my cross if I want to follow Him in all His ways. Taking up my cross means being ready for the sufferings and unexpected things that might come on my way while serving him. He reminds me that my life here on earth is a preparation for what He has prepared for me in His Kingdom in heaven. I have to endure all trials that I might have encountered while travelling here on earth, reminding me that His graciousness is enough for me to survive in this world. God has thought me through this text and His word that as a pilgrim in this world I will be tested a lot of times, I’ll be having difficulties and troubles, Trials that I need to overcome all of it not alone but with Him. All this thing will be given to me to test how long will I stand for my faith, how long will I endure all this trials and difficulties for Him. That all this difficulties while in His service is a test if I deserve to become part of His family, for even God has suffered while He was here on earth to honour the Father I therefore needed to consider that following Him & being Christian means enduring all trials and tribulation that will come on my way to be able to stay in His presence.

I have realized that whatever God wanted for my life I need to obey for what He has said (John 14:15) that loving Him means being obedient and God again followed this verse (1 John 5:3). God keeps on reminding me that DENYING MY SELF is equal to OBEDIENCE. GOD REQUIRES AN OBEDIENT SONS & DAUGHTERS obedient enough to TAKE HIS/HER SELF FORGRANTED so that God will be known and glorified in the entire world.  “As I have read it I have realized how invaluable my life would be and I may still be wasting this entrusted life if God hasn’t found me...”

Section 3-6

THIS IS NEEDFUL TO TEACH US PATIENCE AND OBEDIENCE

Patience is one of my struggles in my personal life. I have a very short temper. I don’t want to wait. It is one of the things that make me feel bad or disappointed. But being patient is one of the first thing that I know God wanted me to learned for He has put me into TEACHING, Being troubled and having different students requires a teacher to have a patience long enough to cross rivers and mountains for if not, I might quit My profession. For having 90 kids in the classroom with different traits and behaviour I might end up walking out of class everyday for many were hard headed than those of the obedient one. As I have thought of it, seems like the same as most of Christians’, church is like a classroom full of students the difference is GOD is the TEACHER and I am one of His student.

While taking the cross God wants me to continue experiencing His faithfulness for even when I am bearing it God is still there watching every steps I take and when I feel like falling He come to me and give off help even if most of the time I never ask for it... and what I have learned that God wants me to realize how I cannot manage carrying my cross without Him.  How glorious He is that even if I don’t deserve it He reminds me that I could not pass on this if He doesn’t have me. I realize that God knows how impatient I am so He gave me something to learn how to neither wait nor be patient. That handling the kids would have been very difficult that on my first month of teaching I cried hard enough and said I’ll be quitting for I was handling 6 worst 2^nd yr and 3^rd yr classes but that’s not what God wanted. He showed me that “I can do all things through CHRIST who STRENGHTENS me” (Philippians 4:13). He made me realize that in all the things that I’m doing I need to remember that it’s not to satisfy my want but rather bring glory to His name. He also made me realize that my weakness is where He’s name is lifted just like what Apostle Paul said (2 Corinthian 12:9-10).

I have also found out that God doesn’t want me to become impatient and disobedient so I could  not boast it to others but rather God told me that there’s NOTHING I CAN DO UNLESS HE ALLOWS me to. I have learned that God continuously allowing me to experience a lot of trials so I would be tested if I am worthy of the Life he has prepared for me. He wants me to continue being a pilgrim in this world so that when Gods perfect time has come He could see if I am ready. So I need to endure all of it, learn to patiently and happily wait for Him while obeying all His commandments and not compromising it. Like how Abraham waited, as He’s waiting is over- it’s WORTH it. Being a teacher isn’t bad after all. It is a God given opportunity to learn how to WAIT PATIENTLY and at the same time OBEYING HIS COMMANDMENTS through inducing the GLORIOUS GOD to all of my students. I have then learned that God put me into to teaching to teach my student the GOSPEL while waiting for Him. Truly God is a GOD of ORDER he has put me in a perfect place NOT according to MY PLAN but according to HIS PLAN. Surely HE PALANS MY LIFE better that how I have planned for it.  

God has cured my impatience and disobedience by putting me in a place where I never expected to be neither I wanted to be. He has given me hard times where I would learn best. I am truly grateful for God has allowed me to walk in His path (Psalm 119:35). This has happened for I know God wanted me to become upright according to His ways for He wants all his Children to become clean and pure.

Section 7-8

BEARING THE CROSS IN PERSECUTION AND OTHER CALAMITIES

MATHEW 5:10-12

“God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and Lied about because you are my Followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a Great Reward awaits you in Heaven. And remember, the ancient Prophets were Persecuted, too.”

Travelling outside the country is part of how I have planned my life. I wanted to work and see different places at the same time. I plan to resign on my current job last year to work abroad but like what I have said God has planned my Life better than how I have planned for it. Since there are a lot of things that has to be done first I erased “travelling/working abroad” out of my lists of priorities. But who would have thought that my plan is still in an “ongoing” process. I may have stopped planning but God continuously pursuing for it. Sooner or later I’ll be out of the country by Gods grace still for “work” but I’m not hired by this world but by Him rather. I’ll be practicing my patience and obedience through this journey He has prepared for us whom he was called “to GO and Preach the Gospel”.

The first emotion I have felt when I found out about it “I’m Afraid of....”. It seems like “I love to go” but at the same time “I’m also afraid of going”. Right after I have heard of it I felt fear but God doesn’t want me to -feel it that way. He wanted me to look at it into something beautiful He showed me His words and plans-He showed me this (MATHEW 5:10-12)“God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and Lied about because you are my Followers. BE HAPPY ABOUT IT! BE GLAD!  For a Great Reward awaits you in Heaven. And remember, the ancient Prophets were Persecuted, too.” God then thought me that its part of me carrying my cross and following him. He then insisted to me the word “IF YOU LOVE ME OBEY MY COMMANDMENTS” and again another one followed (1 John 4:18) that there’s “NO FEAR IN LOVE, but PERFECT LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR…” He then reminds me that neither PERSECUTION nor DEATH can take us away from GOD if we are firmly rooted in our foundation-JESUS CHRIST (1 Corinthian 3:11). He even made me realized that whatever God has given He was the prfect one who could also take it away from me (Job 1:21). God has made me realized that many may despised us for we are in His service surely there is better place waiting for those who willingly obey His commandments. God has shown me that “I really needed to pray more” so I could withstand my flesh and all things it value and prioritize. God made me realized that fear in doing what He has asked us to do is unacceptable instead God needs a cheerful heart while serving Him.

Section 9-11

CHRISTIANS MEETS SUFFERING AS SENT BY GOD BUT WITH NO STOIC SENSIBILITY

When I was young I never wanted to cry nor show others that I am crying cause I’ve got this belief that crying is equal to weak. I never wanted people to look at me as a weak person so I never show anybody that I am crying. I actually hide every time that I am about to cry later on I learned to control tears. Whether I am in deep pain or troubled I don’t shed tears. But when I became a Christian I end up being a “cry baby” no matter how I tried to control my tears I end up busting more tears.  It was then the time when I have realized that God doesn’t want me to have immunity to pain unless he wanted me to feel one so I would realize that He is the only one who can take it off me. Like what these passages said, “Whatever be the kind of cross to which we are subjected, we shall be in the greatest straits firmly maintain our patience"… God then let me realize that denying myself means accepting that I am weak and knowing that there is a strong God that could hold me so I will be still through the end of my journey like what Apostle Paul had said (2 Corinthian 4:8-9). So when I have read the meaning of STOIC (adj. - patient and uncomplaining: showing admirable patience and endurance in the face of adversity without complaining or getting upset.) PATIENT & UNCOMPLAINING- are the two words caught my attention; It made me realize that God allows me to become weak to the extent that I weep so I would be able to learn how to endure ALL things while waiting for Him.

Total submission to Gods power and authority is necessary; necessary means it is our NECESSITY and NOT WANTS. God taught me to his passages that I need to understand that there’s not enough adversity that must hinder our services for Him. Both Good things and Bad ones can happen to us for HE WILLLED IT (Job 1:12). So we must learn to accept both positive and negative things that might have happened on our ways            (Job 2:10). “Obey because it is unlawful to resist, bear patiently, because IMPATIENCE IS REBELLION against the justice of God.”