Take up your cross daily and follow Jesus Part 1/3

cgreenps1
39 minutes ago
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How to crucify the self-life with examples from the life of Rees Howells :Intercessor

Luke 9:23 (NKJV)“Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’”

1. The Call to Discipleship

Luke 9:23 (NKJV)“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

Jesus calls for a reoriented life: deny self, take up the cross, and follow Him.

2. The Cost of the Cross

Matthew 10:37–38 (NKJV)“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me... and he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”

Following Christ may cost relationships, comfort, and possessions.

3. The Daily Nature of the Cross

Romans 12:1 (NKJV)“I beseech you therefore, brethren... present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.”

The cross is a daily surrender, not a one-time event.

4. The Inner Meaning of the Cross

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me...”

The self-life is replaced by Christ living within.

5. The Misunderstanding of the Cross

The cross is not inconvenience or random suffering—it is obedience to Christ at cost.

6. The Paradox of the Cross

Matthew 16:25 (NKJV)“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Losing your life for Christ leads to finding true life.

7. The Pattern of Christ

Philippians 2:8–9 (NKJV)“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Christ’s pattern: humility, obedience, death, then glory.

8. Practical Application — The Cross in Practice with examples from the life of Rees Howells

A short biography of Rees Howells

Based on : Grubb, Norman. Rees Howells: Intercessor. Lutterworth Press, 1952. ISBN 978-1-61958-228-6.

Free pdf download of book: https://www.thechoicedrivenlife.com/uploads/Rees%20Howells%20Intercessor.pdf

Rees Howells’ story continues to inspire believers to pray with boldness, perseverance, and expectation, believing that God still moves through intercessors today.

Rees Howells (1879–1950) was a Welsh coal miner turned missionary and intercessor whose life became a striking example of radical obedience to God. After a conversion experience and early exposure to faith missions, he sensed a call to total surrender, which led him into a series of costly acts of self-denial—giving away money, embracing dependence on God for provision, and yielding personal rights and ambitions. He served as a missionary in Africa, where he learned deeply practical lessons in faith and identification with others, before returning to Wales to help establish the Bible College of Wales. During the Second World War, he became especially known for a ministry of strategic intercession, believing that God led him and his community to pray through critical moments that affected the course of the war. His legacy lies not in public prominence but in demonstrating a life shaped by the cross marked by obedience, faith, and a sustained commitment to intercessory prayer.

The biblical basis for Taking Up Your Cross — The Path of True Discipleship