Fresh Manna 20 August
MEDITATION SCRIPTURE: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but for whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” (Lk. 9:24)
READ: LK.9:22-26
22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? 26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
The life of Christ as we see it from New Testament was a life of self-denial. The incarnation process as a whole was founded on self-denial. He abandoned His throne, His glory and His position as the second person of the Trinity to take place of a mortal man on earth. Even the method of coming into the world was another great demonstration of self-denial. He chose the womb of a humble peasant maid. He was born on a manger and had a very humble upbringing. Apostle Paul painted the picture of humility and self-denial so perfectly in the second chapter of Philippians. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men (Phil.2.5-7).
The bloodless and selfish Christianity we see today in our churches and in the community is a sign of loss of focus and godlessness. Pride and arrogance have no place in God’s kingdom. Selfishness in all its forms and definitions is a messenger of Satan from the very pit of hell. Jesus died, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for the glory of Him who love them and gave his life for them (2cor.5:15). The foundation of our faith was built on self-denial, therefore those who live for themselves make policies and planned programs for self-aggrandizement have denied the faith. Jesus chose to die on the cross, His destiny, even when He had the option of calling for the thousand angels to defend Him that is self-denial.
TURNING POINT: Jesus chose to die on the cross, His destiny, even when he had the option of calling for the thousand angels to defend Him that is self-denial.
PRAYER POINT: Dear Lord, I receive the grace to die to self every day in Jesus Name. Amen.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: PS.105,106; ROM.15:1-20
Thank you for studying today’s Fresh Manna (The Christian Pentecostal Mission International Daily Devotional) – Self-Denial – written by REV. DR. O. EZEKIEL & REV. DR. M. EZEKIEL
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Fresh Manna 20 August 2021
