He cannot be my disciple

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 28; 2 Peter 2; Micah 5; Luke 14

Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

There is a big difference between a church–goer and a disciple. Would you consider yourself to be a disciple of Jesus? A disciple is a learner. Jesus calls us to be his disciples and to follow him. When we do this, there are some requirements. In other words, we follow Jesus on his terms, not ours. Here Jesus tells us that in order to be his disciple we must forsake all that we have. This means that a disciple must realize that all possessions do not belong to them. They belong to Jesus. If those possessions belong to Jesus then we are stewards of our Lord’s property. He can do with it as he pleases.

The Bible constantly warns us that possessions can get in the way of worshipping God. In the Ten Commandments we are told not to covet. Not only that but the Bible tells us:

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Disciples must love Jesus, not money. To get rid of the love of money is a choice to follow Jesus. To trust Jesus means to know that he will provide for what we need. We don’t need to be greedy and covetous. We can forsake all we possess and trust Jesus to provide for us the things that we need. Instead of greed, we need prayer. That is what dependant people do – they pray to the Father.

Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

The Father knows that we have need, but he wants us to ask him. He provides for us. Is that the way you live? Discipleship involves surrender. We must surrender our will and ways to the Father and become receivers instead of achievers.

In Christ,

Rody

Add to your faith

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 26 & 27; 2 Peter 1; Micah 4; Luke 13

2 Peter 1:5-7 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

Peter here is telling us how to grow in grace. He says that we must add to our faith or allow our faith in Jesus to grow to its full potential. There are seven aspects of a faith-filled Christian life.

1. Virtue – this is a masculine term meaning manliness. It means that a Christian man should be a valiant man of courage and character. For a woman, it would be the Proverbs 31 woman of virtue. A believer’s faith is to grow and transform their character into a virtuous integrity that is evident.

2. Knowledge – A believer is to grow in knowledge. There is learning to do in the Christian life. This means teaching and doctrine should be a part of a believer’s life so they can gain knowledge.

3. Temperance – A believer is to be a person who is under self-control. As a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) this aspect of godly character means a person is not motivated by fleshly or sensual desires. The growing Christian is learning to control the desires of the flesh and overcome them by walking in the Spirit.

4. Patience – A mature Christian knows that waiting and watching are a big part of the Christian life. Growth and kingdom work are not overnight things that spring up quickly. We must wait upon the Lord like a farmer who plants a crop and patiently waits for the mature grain.

5. Godliness – This word means piety. This is learning to live a holy life. Spiritual growth produces qualities in the believer that are like those of the Lord Jesus Christ. Becoming more loving and faithful would be examples of godliness.

6. Brotherly kindness – A love for the brethren is very important as a Christian. We are a family in God’s household. We must love one another. Jesus has commanded us! (John 13:34-35).

7. Charity – This is the ultimate aim of growth in grace. Since God is love (1 John 4:8) we are growing more like our Heavenly Father. We are learning to be loving people.

Growing in grace means becoming more loving in the name of Jesus! Not only do we love God more but we love others more. We also love what God loves!

In Christ,

Rody

Seek ye the kingdom of God

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 24 & 25; 1 Peter 5; Micah 3; Luke 12

Luke 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Jesus is the king.

Revelation 17:14b …he[the Lamb] is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

All earthly lords and rulers are ultimately subordinate to him. Is he your king? If he is, then we must obey him above all else. And his kingdom is coming, but is not fully here yet. It is here in the hearts of his followers but his earthly kingdom is yet to come. So what does it mean to seek the kingdom of God?

1. Study the Word of God in order to better understand the king and his rule. We are to love our king and be completely loyal to him so we need to understand his kingdom and he has given us the Word to do just that!

2. It means to pray that the kingdom will advance and grow. Jesus taught us to pray:

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

3. Seeking his kingdom means forsaking all other allegiances. You can’t serve two kings.

Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

4. Trusting the king to provide rather than worrying about the necessities of life.

Luke 12:29-30 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

5. Seeking to increase the kingdom by being a faithful ambassador of the king who announces the good news that Jesus is Lord! Soul winning is kingdom work.

2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

6. Living each day to please the king.

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Jesus has instructed us to seek his kingdom and trust him for the rest. Which kingdom do you serve?

In Christ,

Rody

For this time is evil

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 23; 1 Peter 4; Micah 2; Luke 11

Micah 2:1-3 Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand. And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage. Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.

Why did God allow Assyria and Babylon to conquer Israel and Judah? The bottom line is that the people refused to honor God and obey his Word. They worshipped idols and prayed to false gods. They refused to let the land lie fallow and oppressed the poor. The people were led by unrighteous leaders who learned evil by observing the nations around them instead of learning good by obeying God’s Word.

Micah pronounced a woe upon those who dreamed up iniquity while they were lying on their beds and then practiced the evil during the day because they had the power to do so. The prophet was talking to the leaders of the day. They were in a position of power and they used their power for unrighteous ends. They were covetous and stole land from people. They used the military and police might to carry out their wishes.

I cannot read these words without thinking of the exploitation taking place in our country as those in power covet the lands of others and take them away by force. God has never approved of theft and covetousness and he never will. His Ten Commandments tell us we are not to do either of these. These apply to an individual who steals someone’s wallet as well as a government that steals by unfairly taxing its people.

For these things, God says he will bring an evil upon them that they will not be able to get away from. This was the exile. God said it and he did it! We must know that God will bring unrighteousness to judgment. He will not let the wicked to get away with their wickedness. It is time to repent and follow the Lord. It is time to cry out against the wrong and stand for the right!

Jesus is coming soon. Let him find us about his kingdom business!

In Christ,

Rody

If ye suffer for righteousness

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 22; 1 Peter 3; Micah 1; Luke 10

1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.

Suffering is not a happy time. We try to avoid times of suffering, but the Bible teaches us that as disciples of Jesus there will be times when we suffer. One of those times is when you live the Christ life in a culture that hates Christianity. Jesus told his disciples that a day would come when:

John 16:2-3 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

Can you imagine a person who kills a Christ follower thinking they are doing service for God? Our world is full of people just like that today. The Bible teaches us that when we encounter that kind of suffering, we can be happy because we know that we know Jesus Christ. We know that they hated him and they will hate his followers. We can have great assurance that for us to die is gain because we depart to be with Christ.

We are not to live in fear of people like this. We are not to be troubled; instead we are to be ready.

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.

When opposition and persecution come to us because of the gospel, we are to be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks the reason for the hope in us. We are to be like the martyrs of old who went to their deaths proclaiming the goodness of Jesus Christ and begging their persecutors to repent and trust in Jesus Christ. When we live a righteous life, the hope we have will be evident. Others will see that even in suffering a Christian is different.

In Christ,

Rody