03/25/2023
Weekly Devotion
Ever Increasing Life
John Ogden Sr
March 21, 2023
“Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it’” (Luke 9:23-24, NKJV).
In the passages before this verse of scripture, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” (verse 18b). Peter answered Him and said, “The Christ of God” (verse 20b). In this conversation, He leads into His purpose, saying He would be crucified and raised again on the third day. In verse 23, He says, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Jesus spoke of two crosses; the cross at Calvary, where Jesus shed His blood so that we might have everlasting life and have it more abundantly. Also, He spoke of the cross of our fallen nature, where He says we must deny ourselves, take up His cross, and follow Him.
Salvation is free, but following Jesus will cost us everything. We come into the Christian experience as a child in Christ. Jesus’ plan is that we may grow and mature to become men and women full of faith, anointed, and called by God to allow Him to touch others through our example. He desires that life will be ever-increasing as we continue to allow Him to deal with our fleshly desires and grow in Him.
We hear much about the salvation experience yet little about a dedicated lifestyle. Our spiritual growth should progress in Christ just as a child learns to walk, talk, develop, and mature. We often make it easy to accept Christ, but acceptance of Christ is just the first baby step in our walk with Him. Christ said we would go through the fire, be tried, and come out as pure gold.
Jesus said He suffered, and we will also suffer for His namesake. Through the maturing process, we can become the men and women He has ordained us to be and carry out His purpose in our lives. The trying of our faith is not always pleasant, but it always moves us in the direction that He has called us. It requires us to deny our fleshly desires. As we bring our fleshly nature under control by the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can experience the depths of Christ working in our lives. For example, there are two things that my flesh loves; they are strawberry ice cream and lemon pie. If I allow my flesh to have all of the strawberry ice cream and lemon pie it desires, they will destroy my life. This a simple example, but you get the picture.
What area does your flesh crave things that you submit to, robbing you of a closer walk and destiny with Jesus? Take just a few seconds with your eyes closed and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal those things you need to make a part of your past. What guilt are you clinging to that Jesus has already forgiven?
As Christians, we have the right and authority to take control of our flesh and allow the Holy Spirit to work in areas we struggle to accept and change. Many of you strongly desire to see the power of God working through you because you love people and want to see their lives touched by Jesus. Do not allow your flesh to rob you of your destiny.
John and Becky Ogden,
John is the CMA CEO/Chairman of the Board of Directors.
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