Sunday, December 15, 2013

Humility: God's Grace Revealed in Your Heart


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When a man is completely humbled by the Lord’s sacrifice, he comes to understand the gravity of a God being born in flesh to die for people who hate Him just so we can all have a relationship with Him! There is freedom in not wanting anything but Christ. Christ not only forgives us, and neither are we merely forgiven sinners as the Old Testament sacrifices made people, but instead we are cleansed utterly and regenerated. We are not sinners forgiven, but our sins are so utterly wiped clean that we are justified by Christ's blood as God's people. Animals were sacrificed by those who had faith in God's promise that the blood of animals would allow God the Father to forgive them of their sins, yet how much more awesome is the blood fo Christ who not only forgives but washes away those sins as if they never occurred. This is the relationship Jesus died for. We are not sinners anymore but we are disciples of Christ who live righteously because of the Holy Spirit and God's Spirit that lives through us through the cleansing of blood of the Lamb.

And when we are humbled by God's love that He would go to such extremes as to kill Himself to not merely cover our sins but wash them away, then we begin to live for Him, to love Him, and to adore Him here and now and forever. This recognition of God's love changes us, and being at peace is the most obvious thing that comes to mind. A man who needs nothing to be happy never has any logical reason to be unhappy, as I always say!, and having Christ is all we need. When our hearts are emptied by the humility we feel with the knowledge of God's grace on the Cross so we can love Him and be loved by Him fully here on earth, we allow Christ to work through us completely without resistance. Flesh resists Christ always so part of the Christian life is recognition of God's grace and a giving of our own life (hearts) to Him, as we are called in Galatians 5:24 to put to death all flesh, wants, lusts and desires. In effect, we treat Christ like a spouse and place Him first in our hearts just as He did for us while we were hating, killing, stealing, and doing awful sexual things. How much more so we should give our hearts since He even loved us as wretches yet we love Him as a perfect God.

To summarize what I'm leading up to, it is obvious that the focus of people's hearts in their lives is all wrong. People focus completely on things and life and bills and marriage (etc) when they should concentrate on what God wants because He calls us His bride to be. Christ looks at us like a spouse as a whole, and we should look at Him like a King, worthy of admiration, loyalty, and devoted love. A King merits all of these by right, but how much more so for Christ who lived like one of us; A God who set down His crown to be among the common folk, and at Calvary He laid down His life for His kingdom as all kings ought to (but don't!). But Christ did.

Grace! Such amazing grace to have from God, where we are not merely forgiven but cleansed. The memory of our sin in God's mind is blotted out utterly by Christ's blood and our life of repentance and service to Him. But imagine this, and I want you to think of it this way: Paul the Apostle, a great man of God whose love for God was intense like fire, God said to Him, “My grace is sufficient for you.” This should be a highlight of your life in Christ because we should all know exactly how undeserving we are of Christ's grace which cost Him the life He had through His shed blood for us. Imagine it like this, if you want to marry someone would you die? No, we cannot even accomplish the two. But if you loved someone, would you then die for that person? Yes! There is something we can do, and that is the humility we ought to feel in the glow of God's grace, for He not only died for us but He lived for us and then died just to have us at all. Therefore be adorned in God's grace and know you are weak and evil without Him. Become dependent on His grace in your own weakness and inability to be righteous without Him. After all, that was why He came! So no shame falls upon your weakness but only righteousness comes from it since you are cleansed and humbled as God wants you to be! In fact, a great man is a weak man made strong in his dependence on God's strength, joy, and mercy! And so we must all become like little children as Christ says. To become weak-kneed in the humility of God's grace,

And knowing well that we cannot earn grace or be righteous or save ourselves without Christ, grace offers us the ability to become righteous through following Christ, so the gift goes far beyond forgiveness as it actually enables us to live hand-in-hand with God while we learn to obey Him and allows us to put the entire world to death in our hearts. This is the Freedom of the Spirit God grants us through Christ's salvation. Indeed, God’s grace is all we need in life because in the end it is only because of God’s grace that we can go to heaven at all. In fact, God is heaven, for what is heaven without God? And since we are so spoiled by God's grace, how could we ever be content again with mere forgiveness? No, grace is what we need now in these dark days, for we would not have life with Christ at all without it, and we’d all being living awaiting hell without forgiveness. WHAT A GIFT! We are free to live with Christ and when we die we await heaven. So be thankful for God’s sacrifice of His Son, and nothing else but God will matter in your life. Without Christ we’d all be doomed, so be thankful.

But Christ's grace is not a free pass to sin as many false preachers would lead us all to believe. Neither can we get to heaven without Christ because Christ is heaven! How ridiculous to think of heaven as a place instead of it as being God! Without God, heaven would be as hellish as the earth. Where ever God is that is where heaven is. Heaven is a who, not a where. Yet the true issue right now for all Christians is the continual recognition of God’s **love** for us in a way that promotes positive change through Christ known as repentance (turning away from sin). It's not so much about not sinning as it is not wanting to sin anymore because of the love you have for God, which actually causes sin to stop anyway. Furthermore, this repentance is enhanced when we see that our own love for Him is so small that we should be humbled to be loved by God at all. Recognition of this fact in its purest form in your heart should evoke a desire in your heart to return your love for God by emptying your heart of your life to make room for His wants. Here is a funny analogy that surprisingly makes sense: Think of God as a super-model... Oh man, you’d do anything for her and to have her is bliss! Well, loving Christ is sort of like that. It's desperate and passionate. We know we are unworthy, so we will do anything to keep Him like a humble man tries to keep a beautiful woman. Not many Christians feel this way toward God. Instead they are selfish and want their lives to be bettered or blessed in ways they want. Christians give so little consideration for God and His grace...and that ultimately we are fortunate to have awful lives that at least someday end in heaven instead of hell. God is righteous, and He could easily hold us up to His perfect standard. There is nothing wrong with that! But we'd all die, so God's grace is more awesome than most of us realize!
 
In 1 John 5:1-5, John says that loving God is expressed by obeying all of His commands and 2 Peter 1:1-10 states that we should all be content with the knowledge of Christ and His grace and pursue righteousness in growing abundance. Learn not to want your life or anything in it and empty your heart for Him so you can help His kingdom form on earth and save everyone who can be saved. Not wanting anything in our lives gives God full control of our lives and allows God to leads us to pure purpose, selflessness, generosity, and righteousness. God can do as He wishes for us and with us and by us. We are messengers of Christ’s grace to all those who are around us.

Here is something I want you to consider: If one day you can say in your prayers “Lord, your will be done no matter what is costs me in life” and feel joy and eager expectation when you say that to God, I promise things will change in your life. This is surrender of your life and the acceptance of Christ in full. That one sentence summarizes how I feel in a nutshell every day. My eagerness to serve God is surpassed only by my desire to be united with Him in the clouds! Imagine the adventures that await you when you can say this! The people you will meet, the joy you will spread, the lives you will help change! You offer people heaven through Christ! What a gift! How could you not give up your life for such a gift to share with others? There is a strange joy in suffering and sacrifice for Christ. You must learn it.

#10 below is the most important. You should minister to all your friends and everyone you meet, especially the atheist and gays of the world because no one in the world is more trapped in the flesh than they are. They need your help through Christ! In fact, Christ says that preaching the gospel to a person who becomes saved on account of your testimony about Christ will cover up a multitude of sins for you and stores up treasure in heaven for you as well. And it doesn’t matter if they reject Christ. Ministering is as much about helping people to choose Christ as it is holding them accountable when they deny Christ (as it says at the very end of the article).
 
So…read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, 1 and 2 John, Romans, 1 and 2 Peter to get started. Commit them to memory so you can minister to others.

 
1. Treat others as you would have them treat you
Treat other people in the way that you want them to treat you. This is a hallmark of Christianity. Be kind to people, even when they are unkind to you. That way, you set an example for them, and you become a representative of the Christian faith.

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you"
- Jesus, as quoted in Matthew 7:12a, NIV translation.

2. Help people
In Matthew 25:34-40, Jesus tells us that we are to give food to those who are hungry, give clothes to people who need them, provide shelter for people who have none, visit people who are sick, and give comfort to people who are in prison.

3. Don't worry
Do your best to deal with life's problems but leave your life in God’s hands with openness of heart. Allow Him to work with your life so you can be of use to Him. Do not worry about anything ever. Instead, do what needs to be done and have faith in Jesus that all things will work out in the way they need to work out.
Now this is hard for most other people because they have treasure on earth. Learn to love Christ with all your heart and not to value anything you own. Give everything to Christ and nothing will matter but Christ’s will. Either way, Christ is going to do with your life as He sees fit, so worrying and trying to hold on will not do a thing for a Christian. Put all wants to death in your heart, and when the time comes to abandon them to be of use to God you will not even think about those things, but rejoice that God has chosen you to serve!

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
- Jesus, as quoted in Matthew 6:27, NIV translation.

4. Read the Bible
If you read the Bible for about 20 minutes a day, you can finish the four Gospels - the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - in one month. The four Gospels describe the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

5. Give thanks and be joyful
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV translation.

6. Pray
"This, then, is how you should pray:

" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.' "


- Jesus, explaining how people should pray, as quoted in Matthew 6:9-13 NIV.

7. Forgive your enemies
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
- Jesus, as quoted in Matthew 6:14-15, NIV translation.

8. Be careful with what you say
"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
- Jesus, as quoted in Matthew 12:36-37, NIV translation.

9. Learn the Word of God
If you read the four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you will see many examples of how Christians should act.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
- Jesus, as quoted in Matthew 7:24, NIV.

10. Tell others about Jesus
Tell others about Jesus, that he died for our sins, and that all who believe in him are saved and are given the gift of eternal life in heaven. Talk to people, write a letter, or create a Web site. Encourage family members, friends, and others to attend church with you.


"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
- Jesus, as quoted in Matthew 28:19-20, NIV.


God bless,
Kyle
Mark 15-16 & 19
15[Jesus] said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” 19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.”

Christ is GOD: Why Allah Is A Liar


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Christ is GOD
Why Allah Is A Liar
 
It just occurred to me that some Muslims may be feeling spiritually dry or isolated since being a Christian calls us to die for Jesus and the reward may seem underwhelming at first glance. It never came to my thoughts that some people become Muslims simply to “get” their life at all. Think of it this way, when a man follows Allah, he does so because he is promised some earthly things that are considered good which are to be earned in Allah's heaven in great abundance when they kill infidels. These rewards are sex, food and nice houses. But there is no genuine love because Allah is a murderer. This Allah is not much on forgiveness, and we all see it plain as day. So Allah uses these "things" to tempt those who are wanting because they are lacking in this life. But Allah cannot give anything substantial as Christ has for us in the next life because Allah cannot love. Allah is a demon and Islam is Satanically founded, and as we all know demons do not love but they lead us astray to sin by promises of freedom which cause us slavery in actuality. Demons are slaves to their sins because they had forsaken Christ, so they can only promise sin and death to all of us here on earth. They offer nothing substantial. Who here on earth lives for sex, houses, or things? And who would say that a "good" heaven is one filled with such things? NO! Think about it...heaven is supposed to be heavenly, not earthly, but demons who tempt us with the flesh cause us to crave things which are earthly to keep us from the heavenly Christ. It all makes sense when you think about it outside of the box...so what is Allah really offering? Slavery.
 
But remember, on earth a man who tries to keep his life because of these things lives in vanity and futility, for all men die eventually. Therefore, what good is it to live for these things now? And in this context it makes even less sense to live for them after you die! They offer nothing substantial or life changing or joyous to us now, so how in the world can they bring a person complete joy and happiness forever and ever and ever in heaven? Obviously, they cannot. Not only that, but a man cannot die for the love of sex because when he is dead the reward dies with his body and his soul is lost. A man cannot die for "things" like his career or his possessions because when he dies for the love of those "things" he simply dies and his love dies with them, and all he had in life is gone as well. His every possession is left to those who are still living to divide up or sell because they were useless to begin with. As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure, but in this instance it is all trash.
 
This is why Christ says these two things below:
 
24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
 
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
 
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it. This is what I said above in the first two paragraphs in a less direct way. A man who lives for things lives in futility, for when he dies he is simply dead and his every wanton desire, his every comfort, his every possession does not go with him but stays on earth and the man dies alone. A man who lives for Christ lives for His love and to love others and to be loved by Christ and others in return and the reward is both as immediate as it is substantial. Love gives peace and sets people free from all sorts of harmful emotions, destructive desires, and slavery. But even more importantly is that the man who dies for Christ gains Christ. Christ is love and He Himself is heaven. Those of us who adore Christ know that heaven is nothing without Christ because He is what makes heaven worth going to. To want heaven is to want Jesus Christ, but to want the flesh is to want earth, slavery and ultimately leads only to hell because it is the tool used by demons to lead us all astray.
 
Indeed, what would it profit a man to save his life when he is fated to die regardless? Protecting your own life is futile for all are appointed to die at some point in life. So why is there any importance placed on these things which we all lust for, work for, and crave for? Because when a man is lost he cannot live for Christ, so he must instead live for those things. Therefore, if a man is saved by Christ then he is emptied of those desires and instead is filled with Christ’s love and the pursuit of Christ. His whole life is transformed, and his reward when he dies is Christ, so long as he simply loves Jesus Christ. Loving Christ means giving over your life to Him. Learning to love Christ for some people is a process that takes some practice because it involves learning not to think about yourself and your life and your desires, but rather to think about Christ, His kingdom on earth and the well being of other people. Though this life may be uncomfortable, you can walk through it with joy in the Lord and ultimate purpose, and die knowing that the shackles of death cannot hold you nor intimidate you anymore. No wants, needs, or fears will ever hold you again.
 
Allah and Muhammad are murderers. Muhammad spent his life destroying his own kin, enslaving women for sex, stealing and pillaging, murdering homosexuals in unique and inventive ways, and slaughtering entire cities simply because they would not believe in Allah. And no wonder, who in their right minds can believe in something with a sword at their throat? It wasn't about genuine love, for love cannot be forced. Islam is a lie founded on the temptation of demons to weak humans, and in the end Muhammad died of a fever!! Such a great man he must have been to have died not gloriously in battle, but of a simple fever. Yet Christ loved the world so much, that even when we hated him, he died so we could be saved and have a relationship with Him. This is because Christianity is founded on genuine love, friendship, and freedom! So do not seek freedom from your fear of death by hoping for sex, food and things in the afterlife: Hope for Christ!
 
Matthew11:2828 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
 
All who go to Christ live for Christ because their flesh, their desires, their so called hopes and dreams come to a sudden end in the triumphant freedom of Christ’s death and resurrection. This is Christ's promise: Heaven on earth because Christ IS heaven, and when He enters your heart you will know why life exists at all. Life exists for His divine love, friendship, and fellowship! Glory to the Living Christ! There is no sex in heaven, no burdens, no sleeplessness, no tears, no sadness, no loneliness, no hard work, no college careers etc…there is Christ in heaven! So place your hopes and your dreams and your heart on Christ in the pursuit of true and lasting earthly freedom that does not cause you torment or tiredness, but doing so will restore your body and spirit for Christ’s joy will be your strength!
 
And if you want to take that step today with Jesus Christ, pray with me below:
 
Heavenly Father,
 
Lord, I am a sinner. I am here praying because I believe in your Holy Son Jesus Christ, whom you sent to die for my many sins on that cross so I could have a relationship with you. Without Christ's shed blood for my sins you could not enter into a relationship with me in the way that I need, and I see that. Oh Lord, I am so thankful for your Son. Now I ask you Jesus, please forgive me for my sins. Bathe me in the blood of your cross and wash me clean in your blessed forgiveness. I give you power to empty my heart of all flesh and earthly desires, and I ask that you fill all of my heart with your Holy Spirit to set me free from my life, from the fear of death, from wants of all kinds. Let me live for your love! In Christ's name I pray, AMEN!
 
And if you did pray that, you can start watching some ministry on Christ, Christ's love and His second coming through Jack Van Impe Ministries here, but if that link is a little frustrating, you can watch him on YouTube also here. I prefer the YouTube link, it has virtually every episode this decade. Jack Van Impe has been ministering on TV for 66 years.
 
 
CHRIST BLESS YOU!

Christ Died For You, But Will You Die For Him?

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Christ Died For You
But Will You Die For Him?

Friend,

I fear that time is running out for us all. People who have a heart for Christ usually show it immediately. Grab your heart by its reigns and pray for your heart to find a stronghold in Christ completely. Christ demands that we surrender all our wants, needs, desires, and lusts to Him completely. There is no half-baking this my dear friend. You either give your life and all your wants to Christ or you may be risking facing death without His salvation. Regardless of the potential degrees there may be in salvation for people, Christ does say one thing perfectly that should make you fear God and tremble.

37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Christ is demanding all of your love. He demands you love him more than your own parents, wives, children, or friends, and He demands your whole body and spirit and heart to surrender to Him. And again, it is written below:

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,[a] and follow Me.  24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.

And again in the very beginning of:
"1 The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not want..."

Find your heart for Christ my friend; Find it in His will and realize in your heart that nothing matters but Jesus, and thus end the battle of good and evil in your heart forever. The rest of the battle will be in your mind, where demons tempt you with your desires, but through prayer, study, and abandonment of all desires to Christ you will find refuge from sorrow and dangers of all kinds. More importantly, you will be able to gain the joy of the Lord which will be your strength! Amen! You can renew your strength in Christ's endless joy for those who love Him!

One way you can let go of your wants is by realizing how short this life is, that, and how Christ's second coming may only be months or a few years away. Everyone seems to be saying it now that the Apostasy has just started to really begin its march toward Tribulation. So many of the preachers and ministers in America are echoing a similar chorus of worry and joy: Christ is coming very soon! No matter how you think about it, you need to realize that your hopes and dreams are not possible anymore since you will not have the time to pursue them. Let them go if not for Christ but for logic's sake. If there is not enough time to enjoy the evils people (and you) pursue, then why would you bother and lose out on the preciousness of the relationship in Christ Jesus? Christ is best to pursue whether you live a year or ten thousand years of life left to live. Christ will always be your answer.

43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.  45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart[a] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?  47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.[b]  49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.[c] And the ruin of that house was great.”

Anyone who love Christ truly will bear good fruit, which is simply an analogy for when their words and actions walk in step with each other. For example, Christ says He loves even all people of the earth which includes all sinners (especially the sinners!), so the Christian who does not love one another cannot be filled with Christ. Again, a man who has faith in Christ will actively love others, which falls in line with James 2:14-26. You know you are saved by Christ because of below your faith will reflect positive action and you will emulate Christ, in essence, Christ will become your sole focus in life, no longer your wants and needs but Christ!:
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not **practice** the truth.  7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

This also lines up perfectly with the verses from Luke 6:43-49 above about being a good fruit and actually following Christ’s ways. Even Christ gave up His life to the Father, so how can anyone say that this is not what Jesus was intending?

My words are reflected in 1 Peter 2:21-25 as well (my words are merely an echo!)
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,[a] leaving us[b] an example, that you should follow His steps..."

The amount of references to following Christ without anything else in your heart are staggering so much so that it is amazing people can delude themselves into thinking they are Christians at all. There is only one way to interpret what Christ says, and it is reflected by Christ's own actions, for just as Jesus died for us according to the Father's will so must we surrender all our lives and wants to Christ's will! So if you are in Christ and are actually SAVED, then you will walk in the light and your actions will reflect your salvation through Christ Jesus being your sole objective in life!

My friend, I pray that you will get a grip on your heart and let Christ lead you. Forsake your desires. Let them go. They will destroy you. They will lead you away from Jesus. If you want anything in life that is not Christ Himself then you are not following Christ in the way He wants you to. None of your desires are worth pursuing, only Christ is. Read your Bible and know that I speak the truth. I hope the verses below will inspire you, my friend. I always cry when I read this below!!

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell[a] in the house of the Lord Forever.

Warmest regards,
Kyle

Mark 15:16 & 19
15[Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.”

Giving Up Your Life for Christ Is Mandatory

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Giving Up Your Life for Christ
Is Mandatory
It was laid upon my heart to write copy/paste these verses for everyone who may be reading my walk with Christ, because the Bible is clear that no man can be saved if he holds to his life. Christ came to free us from death, from fear, from slavery to sin and disobedience to God by sending His own Son to die for us on the Cross and enable us to have a one-on-one relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. This article follows the one above it called Christ Died For You, But Will You Die For Him?
 
Christ gave His life for us all in the Father's name-- He did not merely believe the Father, but Christ acted in faith and set the example for us all to follow. In the same way where Christ's faith would have been insufficient to save us all from sin if He chose not to act on it by dying on the Cross according to the Father's will, so also our own faith is insufficient unless we also set aside our own lives for Christ's will for us. There must be action that goes with your faith.
 
When you want something, you act on it. When you need something, you go get it. You must do what is necessary to survive, yet so many people are starving spiritually and do nothing about it. They pursue things that matter nothing in the end. What is life without Christ? What is marriage even when the bonds of matrimony are dissolved when we die and either go to heaven or hell? But Christ persists in us now and after we die. And when you pursue comforts and fun and that nice house and a life of ease, later in life you will still die and when you look back on your life, what did all those days of ease and comfort and fun mean now that you are dead without Christ? And if you had Christ but pursued Him without vigor, what then do those comforts and that life of fun and ease add up to? In the end it is a stumbling block. This is why Christ demands that we empty our hearts of all earthly wants and flesh, because the life of a man and his wants will always be at odds with Christ's wants for you life. Nothing matters but Christ in the end, which means nothing can compare to Him now or at the beginning of your life, and this is the attitude that you must wield! This is the fear of God and the love of God at work in you now. To pursue Christ is to pursue freedom from desires This is Christ in your heart. 
 
And the same principles apply with following Christ, for the man whose life has been saved by Christ will respond to the Shepherd's voice and not stand there idly thinking, "Yes, I believe that is my Shepherd's voice..." No, a true lamb in Christ will both hear Him and then follow. 
Matthew 10:37-39, Luke 9:23-26, Psalm 23:1, Luke 6:43-49, 1 Peter 2:21-25
15[Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.”

24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

            1 Peter 2:21-25
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,[a] leaving us[b] an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; [c]
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer[d] of your souls.

            John 13:4-15
[Jesus] rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”...
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

            1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body[a] and in your spirit, which are God’s.

            Luke 9:23-26
23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,[a] and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my[b] works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?[c] 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”[d] And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
 
            Matthew 10:27-32
Jesus Teaches the Fear of God
27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Confess Christ Before Men
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
 
Those who think and think about following Christ often get no where fast because the battle of the mind cannot be won without the heart belonging to Christ. Our minds are a battlefield for Satan, but our hearts belong to God, so live by your heart and you will be saved. For if you do this by your heart then your every doubt will add up to nothing and fail to make you stumble when you stop to consider Christ's love and sacrifice for you just to live. Then when the time of testing comes your heart will be strong enough to guide you when you feel the whisper of the Holy Spirit pushing you in the directions of righteousness, and your worries and doubts will not hinder you to achieving communion with Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Father.


This link is very helpful to explain many things about abandonment for Christ. I liked it. I also LOVE Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest" and John Eldredge's "Waking the Dead."
 
Peace and God bless!