A friend sent me a text about his thoughts on Matthew 16:24 last night. The verse reads, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me". His text was a great bonus devotional for me this morning. We chatted about it tonight at men's group but quickly moved on to many other things. However, it kept rolling around in my head. I knew the verse well but tonight God revealed it to me in a new light. So here I am at midnight capturing these thoughts because in the morning they will be gone, nowhere to be found.
Being a disciple means everything. Everything you are, everything you have. That's why some of the most miserable people I know are Christians who aren't willing to take it all the way. I would guess that a healthy, bible preaching church is uncomfortable for them because it keeps confronting them with their sins. Sin is uncomfortable for them because the Spirit has removed the guiltless fun out of it and replaced it with conviction. Relationships would be uncomfortable too because being a Christian in one place and a heathen in another would make life hard to keep up with and manage. The call of God would stir in their heart but the call of the world would be even louder and hard to escape. So having one foot in one world and your other foot in another world would be miserable. It would seem like they would know the worst of each world. Nothing but empty promises of sin and then the overwhelming nagging pain of a guilty conscience through the Spirit's conviction. Wow...and they think God's ways are hard. The road to the good life is narrow and pretty steep in some places but the view is awesome and the experiences are unforgettable! If you choose to walk it you will find everything your heart desires. Everything!
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