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

 Key stages in how Rees Howells “self-life” was dealt with by the cross.

 Here are the stages in the life of Rees Howells :Intercessor in which the cross was applied to his self-life. For a short biography of Rees Howells refer to the first part of this teaching

A) Surrender of personal ambition

Early in his life, Howells had:

business prospects

personal plans

God required him to abandon total control over his future.

Cross dynamic:

letting go of his self-determination.

accepting God’s direction but without any guarantees

B) The crisis of full surrender

A defining moment described in the book is when he yielded:

his will

his rights

his entire life to God’s control

This is often presented as a decisive “death to self” moment.

But importantly—it was not the end.

C) Repeated “tests” of obedience

After initial surrender, God continued to deal with deeper layers of self through specific, sometimes uncomfortable commands, such as:

giving away money when it felt unreasonable.

obeying promptings that risked his reputation.

accepting situations that exposed his pride or independence.

Pattern:

God would ask → resistance exposed → surrender required.

This aligns closely with progressive cross application.

D) Identification with others through intercession

One of the most distinctive aspects of his life:

He believed God called him to identify with people or situations in prayer.

This sometimes meant bearing burdens that were not naturally his own.

In his understanding: Intercession required a kind of “death to self-interest” so that God’s purposes could flow through him.

E) Breaking of self-reliance

Repeatedly, the book shows God dealing with:

independence

natural strength

personal reasoning

So that:

his reliance shifted fully onto God

This echoes Paul the Apostle’s principle:

'strength perfected in weakness'.

Other points

 The theological framework behind this progressive application of the cross.

The book strongly reflects a particular stream of teaching:

union with Christ in death and resurrection

the “crucified life” as experiential reality

obedience as the pathway to deeper spiritual authority

In simplified terms:

The more the self-life is yielded, the more God can act through the person.

 Important clarification (this matters)

While the book (Rees Howells;Intercessor by Norman Grubb) is powerful, but it should be read with discernment.

Strengths:

Seriousness about obedience

Real cost of discipleship

Consistency with “take up your cross daily.”

Potential risks if misapplied:

Over-subjectivising guidance (“God told me…”)

Confusing personal impressions with divine command

Placing all believers under identical patterns of experience.

Not every believer will be led in the same way or intensity.

How it connects to “taking up your cross” in Luke 9:23

In Howells’ life, cross-bearing looked like:

surrender of will → “deny yourself.”

obedience at cost → “take up your cross.”

ongoing responsiveness → “daily”

But crucially:

It was not a single event—it was a lifestyle of repeated surrender.

Final  Conclusions

The biography portrays the “self-life” being dealt with in two layers:

1. Decisive surrender

a clear yielding of the whole life to God

2. Progressive outworking

repeated situations exposing deeper self-will.

ongoing obedience shaping character.

Bottom line

According to Rees Howells: Intercessor:

God deals with the self-life not only through a one-time surrender, but through a lifelong process of testing, obedience, and deeper yielding—so that the believer becomes increasingly aligned with His will.

Remember how Jesus viewed the cross.

Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)“Looking unto Jesus... who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…”

Fix your eyes on Jesus and follow Him in cross-shaped living.

What cross is the Lord asking you to take up today?

Personal Prayer and waiting on the Lord

Amen