“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.” Mark 8:34
The question isn’t, if you can or do you have the ability or do you have to? The question is WILL YOU?
“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.” Mark 8:34
You can’t make anyone else be willing, but you can have that power over your own self. Don’t let anyone else’s, I WON’T,” keep you from your, “I WILL.”
“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.” Mark 8:34
The word “will” means to determine. It doesn’t mean anything if you say to the Lord, “I WILL,” if your heart isn’t determined to follow through with it. I know this may look like I am oversimplifying what it takes to be a Christian, but it starts when a person says in their heart, I WILL, to God, and they mean it.
“And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church.” Ephesians 1:22
There are those in the Christian community who believe that the church does not need leaders, especially those of the five-fold ministry. They say that Christ is the head now, which I will not deny, but they say that since He is the head of the church there is no longer any need for ministers and leaders. It is very clear though that God gave to the church ministry gifts to perfect the church. The problem isn’t that we shouldn’t have leaders, the problem is that the leaders haven’t let Christ be head over them. Christ is the head over all things to the church, and He is to be head over His chosen leaders.
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,” Galatians 4:19
The heart of a real pastor is seen in this verse. A pastor is going in the wrong direction if he has any other purpose or agenda that supersedes the call to bear with the saints until Christ is formed in them.
“Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?” I Corinthians 15:12
There may not have been the theory of evolution in the days of the early church, but they did have a teaching that had the same conclusion as evolution. Some of the Corinthians believed what evolution teaches, that there is no resurrection from the dead. There is nothing new under the sun. The false doctrine of no resurrection is not new, they just changed the name and call it evolution.
“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? 30Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.” Jeremiah 23:29-30
The word is like a fire, but the fire needs to burn so hot that it comes out of a man. It needs to burn so hot that a man cannot contain it. It needs to burn so hot that the bones can no longer keep it shut up. It makes it so you can’t shut up.
“But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: Malachi 3:2
A fire goes out once the fuel is burnt up. The fuel for the refine’rs fire is our own sin and impurities. Once they are burned up, then there is no need for the fire that refines. I suppose that won’t happen until we get to heaven, but at least, the fire should dwindle in our life as we conform more to Christ.
“Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.” I Samuel 17:51
All the champions the devil ever had are dead. All the champions he has now will die. Our Champion lives and He will live forever.
“And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.” I Samuel 17:20
What are they shouting about? Did they forget that all the Philistines have to do is send their champion down and it will send them all running again. Talk is cheap. All kinds of shouting means nothing if you have no courage and confidence in the Lord. I’m not against a little shouting in the preaching and some enthusiasm in our singing, but let it be from those who have confidence in the Lord.
