• Welcome
    • Purpose
    • Statement of Faith
    • Prayer Request
  • My Apology
  • TESTIMONY
    • English
    • Bulgarian-Translation
    • Chinese-Translation
    • Dutch-Translation
    • French-Translation
    • German-Translation
    • Hebrew-Translation
    • Italian-Translation
    • Portuguese-Translation
    • Russian-Translation
    • Spanish-Translation
    • Turkish-Translation
  • Are You Ready?
    • READY OR NOT...
    • The Rapture
    • The Good News!
    • For Our Muslim Friends
    • 22 Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled From the Tanakh
    • Take the Quiz: Tanakh or Brit Hachadasha
    • Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus
    • Jesus Is Not The Messiah
  • Interviews
    • MONSTER MIRROR Book
    • My Life Story Video - "In His Own Words"
    • Video Interviews
    • Written Interviews
  • Journal
    • 2025 >
      • January 2025
      • February 2025
      • March 2025
      • *April 2025
    • 2024 >
      • January 2024
      • February 2024
      • March 2024
      • April 2024
      • May 2024
      • June 2024
      • July 2024
      • August 2024
      • September 2024
      • October 2024
      • November 2024
      • December 2024
    • 2023 >
      • January 2023
      • February 2023
      • March 2023
      • April 2023
      • May 2023
      • June 2023
      • July 2023
      • August 2023
      • September 2023
      • October 2023
      • November 2023
      • December 2023
    • 2022 >
      • January 2022
      • February 2022
      • March 2022
      • April 2022
      • May 2022
      • June 2022
      • July 2022
      • August 2022
      • September 2022
      • October 2022
      • November 2022
      • December 2022
    • 2021 >
      • January 2021
      • February 2021
      • March 2021
      • April 2021
      • May 2021
      • June 2021
      • July 2021
      • August 2021
      • September 2021
      • October 2021
      • November 2021
      • December 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017-2005
    • 2004-2003
  • Updates
  • Where is David Berkowitz Now?
  • David Berkowitz's Life in Prison
  • Parole Hearing Transcript 2016
  • For Parents, Teens, and Students
    • General Advice for Parents
    • Advice For Troubled Teens
    • Stopping Teen Violence
    • School Projects
    • Jailhouse Interview
    • A Letter to David from Youth Minister Dan Bailey
    • Suicide is Everyone's Business
    • What is Prison All About?
  • Psychics, Mediums, & Yoga
  • For Satanists
    • A Letter to a Satanist
    • Satan's Bible
    • Famous Atheists' Last Words
    • Carl Sartor's Story
    • A Satanist Has a Vision
    • Co-founder of Satanic Church...
    • Jailhouse Interview
  • Just Released Ministries
  • A Letter to a Soldier
  • Insights and Miscellaneous
    • A Letter to North Shore Baptist Church
    • Jesus Christ, the True Treasure and Pearl of Great Price!
    • He Knows Your Name
  • Inspirational Testimonies
  • Son of Hope Gospel Tracts
  • Ministry Tools
  • Friends
  • Contact
  • Welcome
    • Purpose
    • Statement of Faith
    • Prayer Request
  • My Apology
  • TESTIMONY
    • English
    • Bulgarian-Translation
    • Chinese-Translation
    • Dutch-Translation
    • French-Translation
    • German-Translation
    • Hebrew-Translation
    • Italian-Translation
    • Portuguese-Translation
    • Russian-Translation
    • Spanish-Translation
    • Turkish-Translation
  • Are You Ready?
    • READY OR NOT...
    • The Rapture
    • The Good News!
    • For Our Muslim Friends
    • 22 Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled From the Tanakh
    • Take the Quiz: Tanakh or Brit Hachadasha
    • Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus
    • Jesus Is Not The Messiah
  • Interviews
    • MONSTER MIRROR Book
    • My Life Story Video - "In His Own Words"
    • Video Interviews
    • Written Interviews
  • Journal
    • 2025 >
      • January 2025
      • February 2025
      • March 2025
      • *April 2025
    • 2024 >
      • January 2024
      • February 2024
      • March 2024
      • April 2024
      • May 2024
      • June 2024
      • July 2024
      • August 2024
      • September 2024
      • October 2024
      • November 2024
      • December 2024
    • 2023 >
      • January 2023
      • February 2023
      • March 2023
      • April 2023
      • May 2023
      • June 2023
      • July 2023
      • August 2023
      • September 2023
      • October 2023
      • November 2023
      • December 2023
    • 2022 >
      • January 2022
      • February 2022
      • March 2022
      • April 2022
      • May 2022
      • June 2022
      • July 2022
      • August 2022
      • September 2022
      • October 2022
      • November 2022
      • December 2022
    • 2021 >
      • January 2021
      • February 2021
      • March 2021
      • April 2021
      • May 2021
      • June 2021
      • July 2021
      • August 2021
      • September 2021
      • October 2021
      • November 2021
      • December 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017-2005
    • 2004-2003
  • Updates
  • Where is David Berkowitz Now?
  • David Berkowitz's Life in Prison
  • Parole Hearing Transcript 2016
  • For Parents, Teens, and Students
    • General Advice for Parents
    • Advice For Troubled Teens
    • Stopping Teen Violence
    • School Projects
    • Jailhouse Interview
    • A Letter to David from Youth Minister Dan Bailey
    • Suicide is Everyone's Business
    • What is Prison All About?
  • Psychics, Mediums, & Yoga
  • For Satanists
    • A Letter to a Satanist
    • Satan's Bible
    • Famous Atheists' Last Words
    • Carl Sartor's Story
    • A Satanist Has a Vision
    • Co-founder of Satanic Church...
    • Jailhouse Interview
  • Just Released Ministries
  • A Letter to a Soldier
  • Insights and Miscellaneous
    • A Letter to North Shore Baptist Church
    • Jesus Christ, the True Treasure and Pearl of Great Price!
    • He Knows Your Name
  • Inspirational Testimonies
  • Son of Hope Gospel Tracts
  • Ministry Tools
  • Friends
  • Contact
AriseandShine.org

January 2005

The Hard Road

1/17/2005

 
And He (Jesus) said to them, if any man will come after me, let
​him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

Mark 8:34


Denying one’s self?  Picking up your cross?    
We can read all the Scriptures that deal with taking up our crosses and following Christ. It is easy to give mental assent to these passages as we sit on our comfortable sofas at home or in the cozy and familiar setting of the local church. But when it comes to the reality of it all, few want to voluntarily undergo such hardship. 
 
In the United States, for example, where wealth, pleasure seeking, and desire for many hours of personal leisure time abound, which of us will choose the path of suffering and self-denial?  If I were a Christian living in Afghanistan, maybe. But here in America?
 
Such things are nice spiritual ideals to read about. But to live them out in my daily life? I’m not quite sure if I’m ready to leave my comfort zones. After all, the Lord says that those who follow Him will be hated by the world. The Bible also tells us that if we suffer with Jesus, we will also reign with Him.  But do I actually want this?  The reigning part, yes. The suffering part, no way!
 
It’s much easier for me to read about the brutal beatings that were inflicted upon the apostle Paul than to take such blows upon my own body. Not that many modern day Christians would ever experience such a level of persecution, anyhow.  But most of us, I think, are not ready for the pain that total devotion to Christ may bring.
 
Yet, I need to be ready. I love the Lord and I want to give my life for service to the kingdom. To be used by Him as a living sacrifice, and for his divine purposes.
 
From the beginning, the Lord Jesus told His disciples that the road would be difficult. It would be inconvenient, too, for I will have to put the things of God and my concern for others above my own wants and needs.
 
Thus, may I therefore fully realize that the promise of His all-sufficient grace should be enough to inspire me to seek a deeper spiritual life.  To welcome self-denial, and to continue, by this grace, to put my own selfish desires to death.

 D.B.

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Author

    David Berkowitz
    Copyright © AriseandShine.org