Tag: Count the Cost

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, Lent, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Faith’s Demands

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, Lent: A Season of Drawing Closer to God!

Scripture: Matthew 6:16-18; Mark 8:31-38 / SOAP: Mark 8:34-35

Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and because of the gospel will save it.

Mark 8:34-35 NET

Following Christ is a choice, however, the choice comes with three distinct demands that we must be aware of. Jesus makes the demands known, not only to His present disciples but to the crowd of people who had gathered. Jesus opens His circle of disciples by extending an invitation to the crowd, saying: “If anyone wants to be my followers, he must …” Whether we are new followers of Christ or seasoned disciples, Jesus wants us to understand that our choice to follow Him comes with costs. Mark records three in chapter eight

  • Deny himself (refuse rights and privileges that get in the way of God’s kingdom)
    • The commentary, gotquestions.org explains the demand of “denying oneself” like this: “Jesus spoke repeatedly to His disciples about taking up their cross (an instrument of death) and following Him. He made it clear that if any would follow Him, they must deny themselves, which means giving up their lives—spiritually, symbolically, and even physically, if necessary. This was a prerequisite for being a follower of Christ, who proclaimed that trying to save our earthly lives would result in our losing our lives in the kingdom. But those who would give up their lives for His sake would find eternal life (Matthew 16:24–25; Mark 8:34–35). Indeed, Jesus even went so far as to say that those who are unwilling to sacrifice their lives for Him cannot be His disciples (Luke 14:27).”
  • Take up his cross: (or ‘bearing one’s cross’ – meant one was about to die, and that one would face ridicule and disgrace along the way [gotquestions.org])
    • “When a person carried a cross in Jesus’ day, no one thought of it as a persistent annoyance or symbolic burden. To a person in the first century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by crucifixion. To carry a cross was to face the most painful and humiliating means of death human beings could develop.
    • Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus’ day the cross represented a torturous death. The Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion (see John 19:17). Bearing a cross meant one was about to die, and that one would face ridicule and disgrace along the way.
    • Therefore, Jesus’ command to “take up your cross and follow Me” is a call to self-abasement and self-sacrifice. One must be willing to die in order to follow Jesus. Dying to self is an absolute surrender to God.”
  • Follow Jesus: (walk, live, love like Him)
    • To truly follow Christ means He has become everything to us. Everyone follows something: friends, popular culture, family, selfish desires, or God. We can only follow one thing at a time (Matthew 6:24). God states we are to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7; Mark 12:30). To truly follow Christ means we do not follow anything else. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” There is no such thing as a “halfway disciple.” As the disciples demonstrated, no one can follow Christ by the strength of his own willpower. The Pharisees were good examples of those who were trying to obey God in their own strength. Their self-effort led only to arrogance and distortion of the whole purpose of God’s Law (Luke 11:39; Matthew 23:24).
    • Jesus gave His disciples the secret to faithfully following Him, but they did not recognize it at the time. He said, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing” (John 6:63). And “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them” (verse 65). The disciples had walked with Jesus for three years, learning, observing, and participating in His miracles. Yet, even they could not follow Him faithfully in their own strength. They needed a Helper.

 Jesus’ command to “take up your cross and follow Me” is a call to self-abasement and self-sacrifice. One must be willing to die in order to follow Jesus. Dying to self is an absolute surrender to God.

gotquestions.org

And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Luke 14:27-28

The cost is great but so was the cost that the Father and Son paid. The cost is great but the alternative, saving our life1, is even greater. The cost is great but the benefits, the grace and mercies of God and His promise of eternal life are far greater. The costs is great – the choice is yours. 🦋

As for me, the words to this age old hymn came to mind and filled my heart and poured forth as my prayerful answer – If you agree with the prayer- comment ‘amen’ or if you would like to know how to be a follower of Christ – follow this link https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/ and leave me a comment there – I would love to share a gift with you.

Father: “Take my life and let it be
Consecrated Lord to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Let them flow in ceaseless praise

“I AM YOURS”
I am Yours set apart for You
I am Yours hungry for Your truth
Take my life You are all I live for
I am Yours 🦋

A new and beautiful version – https://youtu.be/xXPn8FiHuHA?feature=shared

The More We Know

1To Save or to Lose One’s Life ?

For more insight check out today’s LGG Blog Post

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, He Sees He Knows He Cares, He Sees He Knows He Cares, He Sees He Knows He Cares, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Because of My Name

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Scripture Reading: Luke 19:45-21:38; SOAP / Luke 21:17-19

17 You will be hated by everyone because of my name. 18 Yet not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Luke 21:17-19 NET

Jesus is speaking to His disciples in this passage, both then and now. He is preparing them for what is to come – yet again making the point that –

  • following Him comes at a cost
  • following Him will be challenging
  • following Him may cost us our life (such as Jim Elliott and others) but can not rob us of eternal life – that which really matters
  • enduring trials and testings, hatred, ridicule, and even danger will bring us to a place where, as James wrote, “we are perfect and complete not needing anything.”

In other words, as Luke writes here, as we endure the troubles and hardships of this life we will “gain our lives – that is eternal life, which explains the statement “not a hair of our head will perish. This basically means that while we may perish at the hand of evil doers – but ultimately giving up our life for His sake – we will save it — for we are eternally secure in Christ.

The Reality of His Words

As I sat wondering how in the world to apply Christ’ statement and the reality that we, as His disciples/followers, are going to be hated because of His Name these four thoughts came to mind:

  • “Be prepared” [1 Peter 5:8 – Be self-controlled and alert, your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.]
    • Peter wrote his first letter to God’s chosen people who were living as foreigners in the five Roman provinces of Asia Minor- an area currently found in northern Turkey
    • This is quite applicable to believers today as we too find ourselves much like those Peter wrote to, “aliens and strangers in a foreign culture.”
  • “Forewarned is forearmed” [Ephesians 6:10-18 – …  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. …Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.]
    • Apparently, this 3-word phrase, “forewarned is forearmed”, is a saying that must have been in the recesses of my mind because as I started to think of all the implications of Jesus’ statement to the disciples, it was one of the four thoughts I had. Looking it up I found it, not only out their in cyber world, but defined as though it were written as a commentary on this verse – check it out:
      • “prior knowledge of possible dangers or problems that gives one a tactical advantage” – surely this is what Christ intended as He spoke with the disciples about what they would face in the coming days.
  • “Be Still” [Psalm 46:10-11 – Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.]
    • I don’t know about you, but if I am going to have to know someone hates me and that my life is in jeopardy – I need to remember that God, The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is with me. This alone, will help me to ‘be still’.
  • “Trust in the Lord” [Proverbs 3:5 –Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.]
    • No one wants to be hated or disliked. When we are It’s so tempting to do what we know will please others in order to get them to like us – but we must above all else stay the course of following Jesus and not lean toward what we know or think will make us blend in or be more liked by ‘the world’ but instead – we must see the Lord in all we do and allow Him to guide our choices and path.

Though Peter’s Christian readers may have been scattered, in part, by religious persecution, his use of the word “exile” points to one of the main ideas of this letter: that believers no longer call this time and place home. Our citizenship is in heaven; we represent our true king and country while living as aliens and strangers in a foreign culture.

Bibleref.com
Response to the Word
Prayer

Father, there are so many applications I could have written down but as I began to write, Your Spirit – reminded me of your Words and of a “saying” I didn’t even know was a saying – but it’s meaning so applicable to today’s lesson from Your Word. Thank You for all of the ways Jesus prepared us for what is ahead of his disciples. Help us to follow on – not turning away when others hate or mock or accuse us because of your name. help us to remember that if we try to hang on to our life we will lose it but if we give up our life for Your sake we will find it. Help us to daily put on the Your armor and to have the attitude of Jesus – who laid down his life for ours, so that we might live! This is my prayer – in Jesus’ name – Amen and Amen!