The Best Life Possible: Discipleship

Jesus said a lot of things…obviously. Some things he said were quite shocking and still, today, radical. In Luke 14:26 Jesus stated, "If anyone comes to Me without hating his father and mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and sisters, indeed his very self, he cannot be My follower." Who could do that? Is that even obtainable or an achievable goal? Yes! Discipleship is radical, but obtainable. If it wasn’t possible, Jesus would never challenge us with pursuing discipleship.

To be a disciple of Jesus is the most radical of all commitments. The relationship of Jesus' disciples with Him is in a class by itself. In comparison with our love for Jesus, all other loves seem as hatred. It isn’t that we are to “literally” hate people like our parents and children, but in comparison to Jesus, we are loving them less than we love Jesus. Our relationship with Jesus is to be supreme. It is more important than our very lives.

When we are truly disciples of Jesus, we will gladly carry our crosses every day (Luke 14:27) to be faithful as His disciples. As Jesus' disciples, we are privileged to renounce Satan and all his works, to lose our lives (Luke 9:24), and to renounce our hold on all our possessions (Luke 14:33).

Think of it this way: one day as Jesus' disciple is better than a thousand days elsewhere (Psalm 84:10). It is better to suffer as Jesus' disciple and to stand in the face of persecution and ridicule than to hear the resounding applause of the world or to have all the pleasures money can buy (Acts 5:41).

Jesus is God. "For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him." (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus is the Lord of lords and the King of kings "Who dwells in unapproachable light" (1 Timothy 6:15-16).

He is Love Himself (1 John 4:8). It should never cease to amaze us that Jesus would even consider calling anyone to be His disciple. Yet what is even more amazing is to know that He continues to seek us out and has chosen us (John 15:16).

Let us rejoice in our invitation to discipleship and to accept it, embrace it, grow in it and live it out faithfully until death. Discipleship is truly the best life possible. Live for Jesus!

"Live for Jesus" by Evie: One of my favorite songs! Listen here: Live for Jesus - Evie

Tetelestai!

Just before Jesus gives up His spirit on the cross, He utters a very powerful word. The word that He cries out is “ tetelestai” (tih-tellis-tie). When literally translated, this word means, “It is finished.” It can also refer to something completed or accomplished. The word occurs in John 19:28 and 19:30 and these are the only two places in all of the New Testament where it is found. In the John19:28 passage, it is translated, “After this, when Jesus knew that all things were now completed , in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, he said, ‘I thirst.’” Two verses later, he utters the word himself: “Then when he received the sour wine Jesus said, ‘ It is finished ,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” Did you know that the word tetelestai was also written on business documents or receipts in New Testament times to show indicating that a bill had been paid in full? The Greek-English lexicon (by Moulton and Milligan) sa...

The 50-Days of Easter

Jesus rose from the dead. Period! He is alive. We are “easter people” and live daily as proof that He is risen from the dead. He did walk out of the grave. He conquered death. Jesus not only came back to life, but He stayed on earth to be seen by many witness. 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 , “ He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him.” After the resurrection, Jesus spent forty days on earth before He ascended back to His rightful place (1 Peter 3:22), and then there were ten more days after that before the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47). Jesus accomplished many things in this time between His resurrection and return to Heaven. One of the most important was actually a command to us. We refer to this impor...

Not Rejected

I think we could spend hours, if not days, in just the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel. If there is one thing that is made clear in this writing is that God is passionately pursuing us and bidding us to have a relationship with Him that is restored by His Son, Jesus. There is one verse, in particular, that stands out to me. John 6:37 , “However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.” Those that come to Jesus will never be rejected. If you come to Jesus, just as you are now, he will not turn you away. He gladly welcomes you to come to him. It is not God’s design or plan that we live separated from Him. He makes the way for that relationship to happen. He initiated the plan. He paid the price. He gives freely. He gives us free-will to choose or reject that offer of reconciliation through Jesus, His Son. God makes His intent clear: Ezekiel 33:11 , “As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the ...

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