Luke 9:23

Then Jesus said to them all:"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

A.W. Tozer in his book The Puruit of God makes this statement. "The cross is rough and it is deadly, but it is effective. It does not keep its victims hanging there forever. There comes a moment when its work is finished and the suffering victim dies."

Christ says in Luke 9:23, to take up the cross daily and follow Him. We must begin each day with a concious effort to place our lives on the cross and let ourselves die to this world. We must determine to feel the roughness of its wood dig into our backs as we shed the feelings and emotions that this world would have us hold onto. Maybe it is an unresolved issue with our spouse. I greivance against a co worker or boss. The wood of the cross must scower these things away from our souls.

We must be nailed into a position that we can not move a way from. The Cross is deadly and it is effective. Arms open and bodies hanging in anticipation of our death for this day. Awaiting the moment that we give ourselves fully over to the mercy of our Lord. How many are willing to nail themselves to it each morning. How many times have I run from this death, so I can remain in my own. Even if the death is quick we are still afraid to go through it.

In moments that we have no alternative but the cross, we glady step to it. When our lives are full of things that we can not escape from we look up and accept the trial, we beg for its death. In those times we see the light in the darkness that comes from above this momentary death. We reach out and ask the Lord to move quickly and bring us to Him.

Tozer follows the above with " There comes a moment when the suffering victim dies. After that is resurrection glory and power, and the pain is forgotten for the joy that the veil is taken and we entered in actual spiritual experience the presence of the living God"

We see the glory of God each time we endure this suffering. We are resurrected in Him in a new body a body freed from the turmoil and death of this world. Our Lord again states "Must take up his cross daily and follow me. Once is not a permenant solution for us. We can not stay in the presence of God with only a temporary death. We must perform this ritual daily.

Each day to endure the daeth of the cross. Each day feel the sting of the wood on our bare skin. The pressure on our open arms, wide open, waiting for our death to occur. We must not run but welcome this death daily or we will not be freed from the eternal pain of this life. We must be willing to feel the sweetness of His presence after we have endured the pain.

We have a choice each day, death of ourselves, death on the cross or misery within ourselves as we walk at the base of the cross. Which will you choose today.