ROMANS: Taking Up My Cross

Mark 8:34 KJV And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Many years ago, I was in search of a Bible study that would meet the needs of people on different levels. I was working behind the “Iron curtain” at the time and had an extremely diverse group of ‘parishioners.’ Some were hard-core atheists, well trained in communist doctrine from birth, while others were true saints in every sense of the word. The saints had sacrificed career, esteem, and freedom to be recognized as Christians. Between these two groups were the types of people that one finds all over the world. There were true believers who knew that they were God’s children but had never experienced the power of God. There were those who thought they were Christians but had no idea why or how. And there were those insecure about their future and their relationship with God. From honest seekers to ignorantly willful and willfully ignorant, all were in my classes. I needed to meet their spiritual needs. Like many other missionaries before me when faced with an impossible task, I began to ask God for help. After deciding that just letting him help was not enough I learned to let him take over. The result of turning this need over to God is this discipleship study through the book of Romans. It is my sincere prayer that the Father will use this study to change your life as he has the life of so many others and my own.