Text: Luke 9:23- 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.
Everyone that is actually ready to serve God, must be ready to carry the Cross. But most Christians of today are not ready for the cross but the crown. Our Lord Jesus Christ never told us that following him was going to be for bread and butter. But he said, take your cross and follow me. You must be ready to face challenges both spiritually and physically as a believer. You must be ready to make Jesus Christ and his will for your life the upmost priority no matter how painful it might be.

YOU FORSAKE THE CROWN WHEN YOU DROP THE CROSS 
Jesus Christ will never force any one to follow him. That is why it is a conditional statement "IF ANY MAN". You could decide to follow him or not as a free moral agent. But if you chooses to follow him, you must be ready to go by the rules and you must be ready to live your life in pleasing him as he (Jesus Christ ) lived his life while on earth pleasing his father. Jesus Christ bore his cross all through his earthly life and even died with it and resurrected in glory.

MANY ARE NOT READY FOR JESUS CHRIST 
Many Christians are not interested in Jesus Christ and his work. All they are looking for, is his blessings. That is why many believers today are more interested about miracles than they are, ythe true word of God. Many don't even care how the miracle comes, as long as they are happy for a season even if they go to hell after then. So many Christians have joyfully sold their souls to the devil in the name of seeking miracles. Many people seek miracles while they leave Christ the miracle working God behind. The miracle from God comes uthrough holiness and rightiousness in total obedient to his will, but is not so in today's Church. Now, the teaching is, come as you are, remain as you are and be blessed as you are, in sin. Mathew 7 : 6, Mathew 6:33.

DON'T GIVE UP YOUR CROWN FOR ANY REASON 
Beloved in Christ, nothing on earth is worth losing one's crown for. No pain is too much to bear for the sake of eternity in heaven. Are you going through humiliation for the sake of righteousness? are you being hated even by other believers because you have decided to come out of mixed multitude and follow the way of the cross? Maybe you are now called names just because you have decided to go through the narrow way? Don't give up, keep moving, keep preaching the message of the cross. Beloved, they that went before you through the same narrow way as you are going through now, are reaping their fruits of holiness in heaven. Your joy will know no bound when you get to your glorious destination. Those who are mocking you now will have their song to sing in hell fire if they die in their iniquities. 2 Corinthians 5 :10

PRAYER 
My heavenly Father, please have mercy on me in any way I have dropped my cross because of the things around me. Grant me the grace to go back to the first love I had for you when I first began the race. Give me the grace to never look back to the world, in Jesus mighty Name. Mark 8:36 -37

Your beloved brother in Christ Apostle Emmanuel Obazele Watch Man MSRPM.