BREAKFAST WITH JESUS

BREAKFAST WITH JESUS

A daily devotional
Pastor Stanley
1st APRIL 2025

GIVE UP THINGS

Mark 8:34-35 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. (NIV)

If you are going to be fruitful and productive in the things of the Kingdom you will have to deliberately give up some things. There are things that could hinder you from advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And those things are mostly rooted in self, that's why the Lord Jesus said "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves..." 

Self is the greatest opposition to walking in the Spirit and doing the things of the Kingdom. You will have to deny yourself daily in order to be effective in the work of the Kingdom. Untill yourself is under your total control your destiny and assignment in the Kingdom is not under your total control. Anyone who loses control of self could lose control of his assignment. 

Deny yourself; give up things. Interestingly those things that hinders that you will have to give up may not be bad things. For example, playing golf with your friends every Saturday morning is not something bad, but if it is going to affect your commitment for the Gospel you have to give it up. Most of the things that cheat us out of God's best are good things, and giving your attention to them could be justifiable but if you look from Kingdom's perspective and priority you find them to be very unnecessary. 

Give up things, carry your cross (bear the daily cost of following Him) and follow Him daily. The Lord Jesus said in Mark 8:35 "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it."

The Lord Jesus doesn't implies whoever loses (dies) for me. No! It means whoever deny self-indulgence, self-gratification, self-pleasure and give up things in order to serve me and the course of the Gospel will save His life for eternity. 

Look at our theme scripture again, then look at your life for the things you need to give up in order to serve the Lord better and do more with the Gospel of Christ. 
Mark 8:34-35 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.

PRAYER

Precious Father I refuse to be enticed and drawn away from serving You with my whole heart. May your Spirit and the Word in me cause me to be more willing to live for You and give up the things which hinders in order that I might fulfill my part in the Gospel of Christ joyfully, in Jesus' Name. Amen!
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