Thursday, January 21, 2010

"IT IS A POVERTY TO DECIDE THAT A CHILD MUST DIE SO THAT YOU MAY LIVE AS YOU WISH."
...---Mother Teresa

January is International Quality of Life month.
Talk to someone about the tragedy of abortion.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

ARE YOU HIS DISCIPLE? (Luke 14)

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." ..................................--Luke 14:25-35

There are many believers who have had a relationship with Jesus Christ for years, and yet have never grown up. They aren't feeding themselves or feeding others spiritually. Instead, they still need everything cut up and fed to them like an infant.

Scripture tells us that we need to grow in our faith, maturing from just being a believer to being a disciple. Jesus lays out the characteristics of a disciple in Luke 14:26-35.

PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES


1. A DISCIPLE MUST LOVE JESUS CHRIST MORE THAN ANYONE OR ANYTHING ELSE. The idea is that our love for Christ should be so strong that our love for our family members and loved ones would seem like hatred, in comparison. This also means not letting your relationships with others get in the way of our relationship with God.

2. A DISCIPLE MUST DENY HIMSELF, TAKE UP HIS CROSS, AND FOLLOW JESUS. The idea of denying yourself means surrendering your claim to your possessions, being willing to let them go for the sake of Christ. Taking up your cross means swallowing your pride and doing what God would have you do, rather than what you want to do.

3. A DISCIPLE MUST COUNT THE COST. Few people start a project without examining whether they have the resources or the fortitude to see it through to the end. In the same way, a follower of Christ needs to understand that the life of a believer is not easy. You will have to give up a lot, maybe everything, to be a Christian. That said, whatever you give up to follow Christ will be more than made up in the end.

4. A DISCIPLE WILL IMPACT THEIR CULTURE. We should live our lives in such a way that people can tell there is something different about us. We are to be salt in the lives of otehrs: valuable (salt is the root word for "salary"), making a difference (preserving and flavoring food), and stimulating a thirst for God (causing a desire to know more).

RELEVANT REMINDERS

Not only are Christians supposed to be salt, but we are supposed to be light too. Someone who is bring salt would be an individual who is living their faith, stimulating a thirst in others. Someone who is being a light would be someone who is proclaiming their faith. Don't just live out your faith, share it. Don't just share your faith, live it.

APPLICABLE ACTIONS
The question is, ARE YOU A DISCIPLE? Perhaps you have done one or two of the things listed above, but not all. Maybe you haven't done any of them. If you are ready to stop being a fair-weather follower, a spiritual baby, then why not take the opportunity to commit yourself to being a true disciple of Christ?
.....................................-----from Greg Laurie "Greg's Notes"