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A Daily Devotional
About making self-denial:
Luke 9:23 Then he said to
them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up
his cross daily and follow me. (NIV)
Do you think
Christ would ask you to do something you cannot do? Many people read this verse
and within the reader the voice of darkness comes whispering, "You can't
do that so why try? Why bother?"
All of us have a need to hear the soft, warm, caring, tender, and love-filled part of the gospel. However, another part of the gospel calls us to live a tough, resilient, sacrificial life. This verse belongs in the latter category. We cannot live a productive Christian or even a non-Christian life if we continually try to get as much as we can for ourselves by doing as little as possible. To live a productive life we have to give out and put out. To sit back and wait for God to pour out His blessings upon us without any risk-taking on our part holds back the work of God on earth. By sitting back and wanting the blessings of God without any sacrifice on our part, makes us part of the problem rather than part of the solution. Christ clearly asks each of us to make daily sacrifices because we can, because we need to, and because making sacrifices is the only way we can win the world over for Him.
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Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the HOLY
BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION�. NIV�. Copyright � 1973, 1978, 1984 by
International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, Revised
Standard Version of the Bible, Copyright � 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Entire contents copyright � by Rev.
Patrick Kelly, All rights reserved.
All content is presented on behalf of Shepherd's Care Ministries. Shepherd's
Care Ministries reserves no right or claim upon content.
Shepherd's
Care Ministries author and webmaster, Rev. Patrick Kelly, is affiliated through
ministerial ordination with Church of God Ministries, Anderson IN 46018