Okay, so you are saved. Is Jesus Lord? Is He Lord of YOUR life? Do you hide from his discipline? If you do not receive discipline, the Bible calls you a BASTARD.
He has called you to a higher purpose. It's called Discipleship. Everyone is called to be a disciple but not all follow. There are 9 qualifications to be a true disciple, that I know of:Hebrews 12:5-8 "...'My son do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives.' It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are bastards and not sons."
Does anyone have hold on your life, that interferes with God's will in your life? Is there anyone you won't give up for God? Is there someone you love more than God? If so you can't be a true disciple. He does not mean for you to be unkind, this speaks of preference. He also does not speak of abandonment, although in a rare situation, He might, if you are in an abusive situation or something similar(in such case seek more help).1. Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters,... he cannot be My disciple."
Remember there is balance in all things. But let God be 1st in your life.Luke 12:51-53 "Do you suppose I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five in one household will be divided, three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
1 Tim 5:8 " But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever."
To be a disciple, you must walk in the Spirit, and therefore your selfish desires must be put to rest. To be a true disciple one must be WILLING to deny his personality, taste, likes, and his will. Don't become a monk, denying everything and live in legalism, but be willing to deny if the Lord should ask, and He will.2. Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate... yes, and even his own soul, he cannot be My disciple."
God will bless you with all your needs and with peace, but you must seek 1st the Kingdom of God:Rom 14:15-17 "For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for who Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit."
1 Cor 10:32-33 "Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the Church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, NOT SEEKING MY OWN PROFIT, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."
The cross that each of us must carry must be like Jesus's. It isn't sickness or disease. It is not self inflicted. These were not Christ's cross. It is a denial of self or life, ordained by God. It is choosing to loose, and let it be broken (Math 21:44). It is of God's design, not man's or self's, though God may use man or your own self, emotions, or other to bring it about.Math 6:25-33
Phip 4:19
Math 11:29-30
2 Tim 1:7
Ps 37:25
Jn 14:27
Jn 16:33
3. Luke 14:27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross...cannot be My disciple."
4. Luke 14:27 "Whoever does not...follow Me cannot be My disciple."He is Lord after all, and we must follow. Follow His example, follow His commands, follow His Word, follow Him. We must go, where He goes. We must walk where He walks. This also is walking in the Spirit. Pray for guidance, in choice of job, city, church, spouse, and so on. I don't have to pray to know to be kind, nor to read the Bible. These are things we KNOW to do.
5. Luke 14:28-30 "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to mock him, saying 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'"The Lord requires us to count the cost of our discipleship. He wants us to see what it will take.
6. Luke 14:33 "...any of you who does not forsake all he has, cannot be my disciple."Jesus doesn't necessarily want you to get rid of all you own, though He might. He doesn't want things to have power on you. He is to be Lord. There will be certain things He will require of you. That's between Him and you, each of us is different. Read about the rich young ruler who wanted to follow Jesus but couldn't forsake his wealth in Luke 18:18-30. Also read Luke 14:31-32, and see the King who didn't want to give all his forces. God is not interested in a proper amount, but wants us to see if we are willing to pay ALL. It doesn't matter how poor or rich your being is(talents, gifts, education, social status), God wants all of you.
7. John 8:31 "If you abide in My Word - hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them - you are truly My disciples."We must know and live the Word of God. We must know Christ's teachings and follow them. This starts by reading the Bible, but it will get you nowhere if you don't have His Spirit with you revealing, explaining, and leading you in God's Word (1 Cor 2:14 "But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."). You also need to be in a church (Heb 10:25 "not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another...). In a church, we will be raised up and strengthened by the ministers and fellow believers.
We must put God's Word as final authority in our lives. God Himself has placed His Word above His own name (Psalms 138:2).Eph 4:11-16 "And He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we ALL attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to the mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. That we be no more children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all things into Him, who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the builing up of itself in love."
If you have a problem accepting God's Word as final authority or if you just want to learn more about it then click on the link below:
8. John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples,if you have love for one another."You need to love your fellow Christians, even if you don't see eye to eye. Learn to differ without disagreement. But don't deny Christ for a Christian either. Love, don't condemn, instruct with patience and meekness.
This fruit can only be mainfested in our lives, if we walk in the Spirit of God.2 Tim 2:24-25 "And the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth"
9. John 15:8 "By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples."
Gal 5:16,22-26 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another."
Click on a link of choice below:
Click here to learn about the Bible - God's Word
Click here to learn about Jesus(who He is, what He did...)
Click here to go to the Equilibrant Page (my Home Page)
Click here to learn about salvation, eternal life, & going to heaven
Click here to view links to Web sites I found that are useful or good (teachings, computer and web stuff...)
