Luke 9:23 - Our Valentine to God.
Luke 9:23 (NLT) Then he said to the crowd,
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must
turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross
daily, and follow me.
INTRODUCTION
We know Jesus is our Valentine from God:
John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
What is our valentine to God? We find it in
God's word:
Luke 9:23 (NLT) Then he said to the crowd,
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must
turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross
daily, and follow me.
Mark 12:30 (NIV) Love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind and with all your strength.
COMMENTARY
God has given us the power of choice; it
is ours to exercise. We cannot change our
hearts, we cannot control our thoughts, our
impulses, our affections. We cannot make ourselves
pure, fit for Gods service. But we can choose
to serve God, we can give Him our will; then He
will work in us to will and to do according to
His good pleasure. Thus our whole nature will be
brought under the control of Christ.
Through the right exercise of the will,
an entire change may be made in the life. By
yielding up the will to Christ, we ally ourselves
with divine power. We receive strength from above
to hold us steadfast. A pure and noble life, a
life of victory over appetite and lust, is
possible to everyone who will unite his weak,
wavering human will to the omnipotent, unwavering
will of God. MH176, 177
You need to drink daily at the fountain of
truth, that you may understand the secret of
pleasure and joy in the Lord. But you must remember
that your will is the spring of all your actions.
This will, that forms so important a factor in
the character of man, was at the Fall given into
the control of Satan; and he has ever since been
working in man to will and to do of his own
pleasure, but to the utter ruin and misery of man. But
the infinite sacrifice of God in giving Jesus,
His beloved Son, to become a sacrifice for sin,
enables Him to say, without violating one principle
of His government: Yield yourself up to Me;
give Me that will; take it from the control of
Satan, and I will take possession of it; then I can
work in you to will and to do of My good
pleasure. When He gives you the mind of Christ, your
will becomes as His will, and your character is
transformed to be like Christs character. Is it your
purpose to do Gods will? Do you wish to obey the
Scriptures? If any man will come after Me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
Me. 5T515
The gospel of Jesus is simple, but that
doesn't mean it's easy. As Luke records, Jesus said
we must be willing to give up our lives daily
to follow Him. There's no other plan. No
step-by-step directions to follow, no self-help book, no
stairway to heaven. It's just the dying, the grave,
and the rising. Day after day after day.
Once when I was grousing about something
that annoyed me, my mentor Roy said, "It's just
another thing to die to." We laughed but then talked
seriously about how that's really the attitude faith
in Jesus requires. Once I started using Roy's
mantra, I found myself saying it several times a
day. Turns out there are plenty of opportunities.
Everywhere we look there's another thing to die to:
another hurt or frustration, another door in the
face, another bout of anger or pride, another pang
of jealousy. All things must be put to death in
me that Christ may live.
The beautiful irony is that it's in those
very deaths that life is found. It's where true
power lies - true joy. Because the same God who
brought Jesus out of the grave reaches down into the
tombs where I reside and delivers me from the
clutches of my own darkness and fear, my own bad
choices, my own laziness, prejudice, and pain. Each
time I am buried with Christ, He raises me to
walk in resurrected life. Old things have passed
away; He is doing something new! by Gwen Ford
Faulkenberry
Faith Step: When faced with moments in
which you must surrender your will today, say it
with me: Just another thing to die to." Then
wait for the rising. [Mornings With Jesus 2021
Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]
Like many other people, I enjoy social
media, television, reading, and talking on the
phone. Until recently, the first thing I did every
morning was look at social media and see what was
going on with my friends. I enjoyed sending
birthday and anniversary greetings. Afterward, I
would say my prayers. But I began to I realize, I
was spending more time posting on Facebook than
talking to Jesus or reading His Word.
The things I enjoy are not sinful. Work,
family, relationships, and hobbies are good things.
But sin comes creeping in when we make these
things a priority over Jesus. The first commandment
says for us to have no other gods before Him. I
had literally put my entertainment before Jesus.
Matthew 6:33 (ESV) instructs us, But seek first
the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and
all these things will be added to you.
When I evaluated my time, I realized that
all of my time was really His time. I rearranged
my priorities and put Him first.
Since I have reorganized my priorities, I
begin each day by praying and connecting with
Jesus. I read my Bible and devotions daily and
listen to Christian music while Im working or
driving. Throughout the day, I talk to Jesus. Since
Jesus has become first in my life, everything else
is falling into place. His peace is filling my
heart. I still enjoy Facebook and chatting with
friends, but I dont let them rule my life and
time. by Katie Minter Jones
Faith Step: Evaluate how much time you
spend doing other things and if Jesus is your
priority. [Mornings With Jesus 2020 Devotional by
Guideposts and Zondervan]
CLOSING THOUGHT
How do you get into a swimming pool? Some
people dip in their toes to test the water's
temperature. Others walk to the shallow end and slowly
ease themselves into the water. Then there are
those who leap off the side of the pool and do a
cannonball into the deep end.
In the early 1980s, cannonballs were more
than a way to jump into the water. They were a
source of competition at the World Belly-Flop and
Cannonball Diving Championships. Contestants dressed in
funny costumes and bright bathing suits, hoping to
make a big splash. Each competitor - some weighed
over 250 pounds - performed three jumps from a
one-meter diving board where they earned points based
on six criteria: height of splash, water
displaced from pool, degree of difficulty, artistry,
personality, and color of swimsuit. The winner received
an amazing array of prizes, including a green
bathroom, a trophy, a bowling bag, a set of wrenches,
and a bag of cash. Not to mention bragging
rights as the world's best cannonballer.
A silly contest might appear to have
little to do with our faith in Christ. But when it
comes to following Jesus, he wants us to dive in!
Dipping your toe into Christianity can be an okay
way to start, but until you take the plunge and
give your whole life to Christ, your faith can
leave you feeling cold.
During Jesus' time on earth, a teacher of
the law asked him which of the commandments was
the most important. Jesus answered, "Love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind and with all
your strength (Mark 12:30). Notice that Jesus
said all your heart, all your soul, all your
mind, and all your strength. We can't effectively
live for Christ when we just dip in our toes.
Doing a cannonball into a life with Jesus Christ
can seem scary. You might risk people thinking
you're a little weird. But in reality, diving into
your relationship with God isn't risky at all.
When you take the plunge and wholeheartedly
commit to Christ, you're guaranteed to never
belly-flop but always make a big splash. [Case For
Christ For Kids by Les Strobel]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
Luke 9:23 - FOLLOWING JESUS.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210410-0922.html
Mark 12:30 - The First and Great Commandment.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210510-0859.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Parable of the Sower - Open Heart Surgery by
Ralph Ringer: https://vimeo.com/666314378
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
