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“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.“ Mark 8:34

What does Jesus really mean when He says this? Jesus is telling us that to be His disciples we must perfect mastery over self. The person who can deny themselves is master over their own emotions and desires. The person who cannot is out of control. Such a person is easy pickings for the devil and cannot be an effective disciple of Christ.

For the believer, it means literally denying our selfish desires and taking up our cross.

Prayer: Lord, give me the grace /strength to discipline/ to overpower those carnal desires within myself that distract me from you and lead me into sin. Amen

Devotion For July 1st 2020 By Homer Slack

When we first give our lives to the Lord, we know very little but after a while, praying, studying, reading His word as well as learning through more experienced Christians, meeting together etc we begin to see that we are part of a large body who need to work together (1 Cor 12).

In Ephesians 4:11-13 it tells us that God has ordained various roles within the body of Christ for the benefit of the entire church. All members of the ‘Body of Christ’ have been given ministries for the ‘equipping of saints’. We are set aside for works of service, not just the ministers, pastors, elders or leaders of a church but all of us who love Christ and wish to serve Him.

Extraordinary Gentlemen

While in high school there were some young men I looked up to. In this, all-boys school were some outstanding young men that I greatly admired. A few for their academic prowess and a few others for their outstanding achievements in sports. This particular young man was in my year (year three) but far younger than the average age for year three. He was so outstanding that they took him straight out of primary and into year two, but that year group wasn’t enough of a challenge for him so within weeks they moved him up again to year 3, my year.

I became a believer in Jesus soon after leaving school and discovered that I too was now part of an extraordinary group. A group that was extraordinary not based on athletic or academic excellence but the fact that they were God's special people. "...you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people..." 1 Peter 2:9

Burning to Forgive as He Forgave

Joseph’s life story continues in the subsequent chapters and tells of his rise from slave to leader over the land and people of Egypt. During that period, God was with him. We can grasp from Joseph’s story that he never allowed the deadly seed of unforgiveness towards his brothers to take root in his heart. He chose to reunite with them and welcome them into his home in Egypt.