Take Up The Cross

Matthew‬ 16:24-26‬ (ESV)‬‬‬‬ ‬‬

Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?’

‬‬Here is a story edited from the charity 'Open Doors':‬

Nokseng, along with his wife, and two children became Christians. Nokseng’s faith was contagious, and other villagers began to accept Jesus too. The village chief demanded they renounce their faith in public, or face execution. Moved by the Holy Spirit, Nokseng bravely said:

‘I have decided to follow Jesus.’

Enraged at Nokseng’s refusal to deny Christ, the chief ordered his archers to shoot the two children. As both boys lay dying on the floor, the chief asked again: ‘Will you deny your faith? You have lost both your children. You will lose your wife too.’

But Nokseng bravely replied:

‘Though no one joins me, still I will follow.’

The chief was furious and ordered the wife to be arrowed down. She joined her two children in death. Now he asked for the last time, ‘I will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.’ Facing death, Nokseng said the final memorable lines:

‘The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back.’

He was shot dead like the rest of his family. But with their deaths, the chief who had ordered the killings was so moved by the faith of the Nokseng and his family that he began to question his own beliefs. He later declared ‘I too belong to Jesus Christ!’ When the crowd heard this from the mouth of their chief, the whole village was overwhelmed and ultimately they all gave their lives to Jesus.

Here is a story of taking up the cross and following Jesus. Today I am challenged, will I take up my cross and follow Jesus with all I am? For us it might not look quite like this story, but today we still need to deny ourselves to follow Jesus. 

Prayer — Lord, today I deny myself and follow you.

Open Doors story: https://opendoorsyouth.org/article/i-have-decided-to-follow-jesus/