“I call all of you, My children, to embrace the cross of Jesus Christ. Then I ask you to take up your cross and follow Me. Most of you misunderstand what I mean. I plant some crosses for those of you in the desert. Others I plant when you are on a high fertile hill. Some crosses are in humble surroundings. Others are in mansions. The cross that you are supposed to embrace is in your place of full surrender over a specific area of your life. It is where the death of your ownership of that area takes place. It is one step on the way to the place of full surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ over your entire existence.

"No two crosses are the same. All, however, produce a death that brings forth abundant life in you. All produce rich fruit that is fragrant to Me and nourishment to everyone you touch. Find where your particular cross is planted for every specific work I desire to accomplish in you. Most likely it is somewhere near where you are right now. Pick it up and walk the path that Jesus did. Others will need who you will become.”

Proverbs 20:24 AMP

Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord….

Matthew 11:12 NIV

“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”

Matthew 16:24-25 AMP

24) Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].

25) For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].

Rev. 3:19 AMP

Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude].

The cross of Jesus Christ is the central point of all eternity. Eternities past looked forward to the cross. All of eternities future will look back to the cross. It will have produced the reigning priests and kings. Without the cross, there is no salvation. Because of the cross of Jesus Christ, eternity continues.

Throughout our lives, the Lord uses the completed work of Calvary, but also provides individual crosses for each of us to carry. Each of them is tailor-made to put to death specific areas of our nature that are not like the nature of Jesus. All of them bring forth His fragrant life after the required death that they produce. Some of them produce the spiritual richness needed for our specific calling in life.

The wise follower of Jesus embraces each work that the Lord desires to accomplish through His initial work on the cross and upon the death sentence to his carnal nature. He takes up his cross. The foolish person fights each work being done in him, resists the cross, and remains a spiritual infant - uninterested and unable to flow in the plans that the Lord has for his life.

 Make me willing to embrace what You are doing in me, Lord,

Jim Corbett