The Father's Menu

The Father's Menu

Apostle Dr. Richard Udoh

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

THE BENEFIT OF DYING

Jesus exemplifies the ultimate principle that leads to the salvation of souls. He proclaimed, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified." However, this glory came through the covenant of death. Jesus explained, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain." Our Lord did not want to remain alone; He desired a complete body. In this metaphor, Jesus likened Himself to a seed. He, the seed, died to produce much fruit. You and I are that fruit, which is why we say, "We are the body of Christ."

To grow the Church of Jesus Christ, we must die to self. This means we must be ready to renounce the selfish desires of our hearts and be willing to finance the Kingdom of God. We must be dedicated to soul winning. Anyone who isn’t prepared to die to self has not yet reached maturity in the faith. When you try to save your life by clinging to personal desires and comforts, you shy away from evangelism. Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."

Jesus is calling us to a life of sacrifice. He is urging us to go into the hinterlands and byways to win the lost. The gospel is not only for the cities; it must be preached in the villages as well. We must be devoted to soul winning, committed to crusades, church planting and willing to finance the spread of the gospel. We must die to self and be prepared to step out of our comfort zones for the sake of God's work. Be ready to give everything, even to the point of death, for the cause of Christ.

Confession:

I declare that I embrace the truth that the hour has come for Jesus to be glorified through His sacrifice. I commit to living a life of self-denial, following Jesus wholeheartedly. I choose to let go of worldly attachments and prioritize eternal values. As I serve You, Lord, I know that I will be honored by the Father. I walk in the footsteps of Jesus, living a life that brings forth much fruit for Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Further Reading:

Matthew 16:24-25 "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.'"

Philippians 2:5-8 "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!"

Read through the bible in 1 year: 2 Chronicles 11:1-13:22 Romans 8:26-39 Psalm 18:37-50 Proverbs 19:27-29

Read through the bible in 2 years: 2 Kgs 1-2 & Ps 19