God’s prescribed process will not bend; transformation comes as you follow Jesus His way. The invitation to follow includes denying self and taking up your cross—no shortcuts, no outsourcing, no merchants of cross‑carrying. The cross is not an ornament, not sickness, not self‑mutilation, and not merely persecution; it is God’s instrument to destroy sin and Satan and the sign that you are ready to follow at all costs. Fix your focus, and choose simple obedience in the next step in front of you. Grace will meet you as you walk with Him today [02:14].
Matthew 16:24
Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, they must say no to themselves, lift up their own cross, and keep in step with Me.”
Reflection: Where are you tempted to let someone else “carry your cross” for you, and what one small act of obedience will you personally take this week instead?
Many are hindered by veils—religion that hides Christ, deception spread over nations, and the flesh that keeps us outside. On God’s mountain He removes the covering, and in Jesus the curtain tore from top to bottom so we can come near. You don’t think your way through a veil; you are born anew and you walk in by faith through His blood. Boldness is your portion because Jesus opened a new and living way. Bring your questions into His light, and let Him lead you beyond the veil into life [04:36].
Hebrews 10:19–20
So then, family, we can step into the holiest place with confidence because the blood of Jesus has made a way. He opened a fresh, living road for us through the torn curtain—that is, through His own body.
Reflection: Which “veil” feels most present for you—religion, deception, or the flesh—and how will you bring it honestly to Jesus in prayer today?
Self, as Jesus names it, is the old way of thinking that sounds normal but resists God. Peter could echo the Father one moment and channel Satan the next because that self was still active. Denying self means telling the old you, “I don’t know you,” when it rises to defend, to envy, or to retaliate. In Christ you are not a mere human; you are a new creation and the motions of sin no longer have the final say. Ask for grace to notice the moment the old man knocks, and choose the mind of the Spirit [07:20].
Romans 8:7–8
The mindset shaped by the flesh stands hostile toward God; it won’t submit to Him and it can’t. Those who live from the flesh cannot please God.
Reflection: Name one specific old reaction that still shows up for you; what would denying it look like in the very moment it appears this week?
To carry the cross, you do not merely learn about Christ; you learn Christ as He unfolds His life within you. Sometimes He tests obedience in small, hidden ways—go here, wait there, keep quiet now—so His life, not your willpower, leads. This is not a program of rules; by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body and you live. As you submit, the message of the cross becomes the power of God in your words, choices, and rhythms. Yield your schedule, your reactions, and your tongue to the Holy Spirit today [09:05].
Romans 8:13
If you live by the impulses of the flesh, that road ends in death. But if, by the Spirit, you keep putting the body’s misdeeds to death, you will truly live.
Reflection: Where is the Spirit nudging you toward a simple act of obedience—perhaps silence, waiting, or a small apology—and how will you respond?
Knowing you have been crucified with Christ reshapes how you speak, forgive, and serve. Declare the truth—“Christ lives in me”—then act on it by putting off lying, rage, and corrupt talk, and putting on kindness, generosity, and forgiveness. Boast only in the cross; let the world’s system be dead to you and you to it. Practice it daily, die daily, and let loving accountability help you keep in step. The Lord is faithful to form Christ in you as you keep showing up with a yielded heart [12:18].
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, so the old “I” no longer runs my life. The life I now live in this body is a life of trust in God’s Son, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Reflection: Which one practice from Ephesians 4:25–32 will you intentionally do today (for example, replace a complaint with encouragement, give instead of grasping), and who could lovingly hold you accountable?
Last Sunday we began to trace God’s prescribed process for making men, and we saw that Jesus’ invitation, “Come, follow me, and I will transform you,” has conditions. Today I pressed deeper into those conditions by clarifying what the cross is not (not self-mutilation, not sickness, not an ornament, not a synonym for persecution) and what it truly is—God’s instrument for destroying sin and Satan’s works, and the symbol of our readiness to follow Christ at all cost. I warned that no one can carry your cross for you; the call is personal and non-transferable.
We then uncovered three veils that hinder sight and following. First, the veil of religion (the veil of Moses), which lifts when one turns to the Lord. Second, the veil of deception spread over the nations—fueled by false ministers, impressive signs, and human-centered philosophies that sound logical but are darkened in understanding. Third, the veil of the flesh, pictured by the two veils in the tabernacle: five pillars granting grace-access to the holy place, and four pillars signaling the new-creation access required for the most holy place. Only the torn flesh of Jesus tore the final veil; by His blood we have boldness to enter.
From there we got practical. Jesus gives us three imperatives with three objects: deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. “Self” is not your name or personality; it is the old man, the carnal mindset that cannot please God. We deny that self like Peter denied Jesus—decisively. We learn Christ (not merely learn about Him) until His life unfolds within us. We submit to the Spirit, because mortification is not by routines but by power. We know and declare the truth of our crucifixion with Christ, and we put it into action: put off the old, put on the new, guard our words, refuse bitterness, forgive, and walk in love. We practice this daily and we stay accountable to the people God assigns to us. The veil is torn; now walk through.
the veil will be there that veil are to be taken out you must have the new creation reality to be able to assess the things that are already purchased and made available to you what we lost in the garden what god has done there is to represent it in the tabernacle and by extension the temple in a way that we can understand our journey back to god [00:22:40] (33 seconds) #EmbraceNewCreation
if if you are the type that you still say things like that is the way i am you have not learned christ that's not the way you are that's your old man i will show you what you are what you are showing is who you were so put it properly i will show you who i was submit tothe holy spirit [00:44:07] (33 seconds) #YoureNotYourOldSelf
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