No Cross, No Christianity: DCLM Daily Manna 19 April

DCLM Daily Manna 19 April 2024 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi—No Cross, No Christianity

Topic: No Cross, No Christianity (DCLM Daily Manna, April 19, 2024)

Key Verse: “And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).

Text: Luke 14:25–35 (KJV)

25 And there went great multitudes with him, and he turned and said unto them,

26 If any man comes to me and hates not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first and counts the cost, whether he has sufficient to finish it?

29 Lest haply, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begins to mock him.

30 saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish.

31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sits not down first and consults whether he will be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends an ambassage and desires conditions of peace.

33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

34 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

35 It is neither fit for the land nor yet for the dunghill, but men cast it out. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

DCLM Daily Manna for Today:

On March 14, 1984, The Washington Post reported a war of crosses in Poland. The incident occurred before the collapse of communism. The government of Poland issued an order that all crucifixes be removed from classroom walls, just as they had been banned in factories, hospitals, and other public institutions. This precipitated a series of protests involving thousands of students who marched with crucifixes held high for morning prayer to support the protest. The priest who delivered the message to the weeping congregation that morning said, “There is no Poland without a cross.”

Also read: why are prayers not answered?

In the passage before us, Jesus told the multitudes of the importance of cross-bearing in Christianity. In a surprising sermon, He told the multitude that cross-bearing is required as part of the conditions for following Him. Also required is the need to ‘hate’ father, mother, wife, children, and brethren and their lives before they can effectively follow Him. He told his audience to count the cost before signing up as His disciples. It was a very steep requirement.

Christ was not teaching filial irresponsibility or rebellion against parental authority here. The emphasis is to set Him ahead of everything while we take up the cross and follow Him. The Jews knew what the cross represented. It was an obnoxious means of capital punishment for condemned people. They knew that bearing the cross meant death. And in the case of Christian disciples, dying to self and the world.

There is no Christianity without the cross. The cross represents sacrifice, pain, persecution, shame, and death. Take up your cross daily and follow Him. This is the essence of true Christianity.

Thoughts for the Day
The cross is not for decoration but a symbol of crucifixion.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Psalms 105-106

 

CLOSING PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept you as my Lord and personal savior. I believe in my heart that you died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank you, Lord, for saving me, in Jesus name, Amen.

 

Content Credit/ DCLM DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE.

Picture Credit/ https://towardthemark.org/TTM68/The-Cross-of-Christ