The Cost of Following Jesus—Devotional Reading and Podcast
“And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, ‘Lord, are there few who are saved?’ And He said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.'” Luke 13:22-24
Most of us agree that Jesus’ sacrificial offering of dying on the cross at Calvary is a priceless gift and His love for humanity is incomparable which raises the question, “What am I willing to do for Christ?” For a relationship to be reciprocal, both individuals are required to do their part. Love, faith, trust, and going above and beyond for each other are the expectation for growth and stability.
Yet there appears to be a conflict in our relationship with Christ. We desire His love, grace, mercies, protection, peace, joy, and material blessings. Yes, we love to receive. When facing unresolvable challenges, we ask God for His Divine Intervention, yet we do not have the desire to reciprocate. We expect much from our Heavenly Father but give very little.
“…that if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
Acknowledgment of Jesus’ deity and confession of our sins, allow us to receive righteousness by [our] faith which is imputed by Jesus through grace. Salvation is accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior and believing wholeheartedly that God raised His Son from the dead and we are saved from our sins. There are no complexities in the Plan of Salvation. Accepting Jesus is so simple that little children can understand. Thank You, Holy Spirit!
If salvation is simple, then why do so many Christians fall short of God’s expectations? Because staying on the Path of Righteousness requires daily entrance through the “Narrow Gate.” We are required to take up our cross and follow Christ. Surrendering our will every day to Christ is taking up our cross. Faith and obedience are two-character traits that God requires for everyone who proclaims, I am a Christian.
We struggle with righteousness because our hearts are not fully dedicated to Christ. Although we would never renounce our belief in God, we cannot enter the narrow gate because of one sin, Disobedience. Under the giant umbrella of disobedience are the personal sins of each person which grow from the desires of their hearts.
We are accustomed to abiding by governmental laws, city ordinances, and employer policies which only give room for the smallest margin of error, yet most breaches include a reprimand or disciplinary action. Sadly, we place a higher priority on laws and policies than on God’s forgiveness, grace, and mercy.
The assumption of God freely giving us the benefits that are reserved for the righteous propels us to continue to live according to our desires. Our prevailing thought, God will forgive is true. Yes, He forgives us but true repentance is possessing the sorrow for our sins along with the commitment to cease sinning. Intentional and wilful sins create the sin of pride which is another detour from living righteously—now we have the sin of presumption to add to our growing list of sins.
Because God is loving and fair, “…He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).
Disobedience changes our spiritual status from righteous to unrighteous. The one sin that causes disobedience also compromises our morals, values, and loyalty to God. When we no longer feel guilt [having conflict in our minds] regarding our sins then we have grieved the Holy Spirit. Our free will of choice is a gift that God will never take away even if it leads to us being lost.
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;…” (Romans 1:28-31)
We are living in a modern Sodom and Gomorrah where every imaginable sin is at the highest level. No one is exempt from the internal war of carnal desires that rages within us.
We can’t live righteously without Divine Intervention. The only way for us to escape the penalty of sin and enter the narrow gate is to take up our cross and follow Jesus. With careful consideration, we can agree the cost of following Christ is cheap compared to the debt of sin which is the second and final death.
Surrender, confession, and repentance flows from the heart who is full of love for God. We need the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit to enter the narrow gate. The cost of following Christ is to give up our natural desires of the heart. Our relationship with Jesus is one of a vine and branch. We are the branches who can do nothing unless we receive our spiritual nourishment from Jesus Christ, the Vine.
Prayer: God, we ask for forgiveness for our disobedience against You. We thank you for the greatest gift of Your Son, Jesus. We desire to enter the narrow gate every day and surrender and commit our hearts, minds, and souls to You. Jesus, we love You and ask this prayer in Your Holy Name, Amen.
How Did the Focus Change from Jesus to Us? Devotional Reading and Podcast
Satan has invented a counterfeit for everything God has blessed as holy and righteous. Within the past five years, the focus of salvation has changed from Jesus to our emotions. Sermons on how to live a happy life with financial prosperity have replaced sermons on how to live a righteous, faithful, and obedient life.
“I Surrender All” has been replaced with songs entitled “Bless Me” along with one to two hours of singing-only worship services. How did we digress from Jesus to ourselves? Watching motivational videos has replaced daily worship, prayer, and studying the Bible.
We are distracted and too busy to have a meaningful relationship with Christ. We have readily embraced the false teachings of pursuing happiness because of the worldview of destroying boundaries to live your best life. Yes, we are victims of the ideology of self-worship.
Recently, one of the long-standing Pastors in Dallas, Texas stated in his interview that the subsequent generations who are in the church now do not understand the in-depth meaning of the Scriptures, so he had to change his style of preaching. There is a prevailing disinterest in all that is holy because of our desires and lifestyles.
Studying the Bible is no longer encouraged in the churches that promote happiness. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot discern the Truth which is God-breathed nor will we have a deeper understanding of who God is. The solution is to present one or two verses that will promote mental and emotional well-being. Truth is an area of debate that has led to various ideas. The erroneous ideas have caused many to commit sins that originate from presumption.
Presumption: an idea that is taken to be true, and often used as the basis for other ideas, although it is not known for certain.
An example of misinterpretation is the verse when Jesus tells us to ask anything in His name and He will do it. “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)
It is our preference to hear the verse found in John chapter 14 as opposed to the verse in 1st John chapter 5. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).
Because the spiritual meaning does not coincide with our desires, we misrepresent the Scriptures. Even so, Jesus will never give us everything we desire from a financial perspective. Although our prayers are not always financial, we cannot take for granted that we will be healed which is also an expectation of many Christians. We do not have the privilege of demanding anything from our Heavenly Father.
Satan has influenced the leaders whose messages contain a mixture of partial truth and worldviews. Churches whose focus is to keep their members happy will preach verse #1 from the pulpit. “All you have to do is pray and God will fulfill the desires of your heart, but you must first take action by pursuing the marriage partner, starting the business, and purchasing the house.”
The Bible Explains Itself by giving us examples of prayers that represent the things we should ask God for.
“At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask! What shall I give you?'” (1 Kings 3:5)
“…Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” (1 King 3:8-9)
“The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.” (1 Kings 3:10, 12)
King Solomon not only pleased God with His request for wisdom, but God also gave him the honor of being the wisest man who ever lived. Because of Solomon’s humility, God also blessed him with excessive wealth.
When Jesus was speaking to His disciples about Him going away, they were filled with sorrow. Jesus’ concern for His disciples, “Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete” (John 16:24).
Sadly, like the disciples, we have an agenda of pleasing ourselves. We do not pray and ask Jesus for anything crucial to our spiritual growth. Instead of praying for the anointing of the Holy Spirit or for our characters to be transformed into Jesus’ likeness [Galatians 5:22-23] and the spiritual power to resist temptation, we are asking God to “Bless Me” with tangible things, relationships, and marriages that are not in alignment with God’s plans for our lives.
Creeping Compromise
There is danger in taking our eyes off Jesus and placing them on our heart’s desires. Worshipping God according to how we feel results in a compromised relationship with Christ. The earthly things we must have and pursue without God’s blessings will determine our destiny.
Whether we commit the sins of presumption because we fail to study and lack knowledge of spiritual things, from self-interpretation of the Scriptures, being misled by church leaders, or wilful disobedience, we are still held accountable for our sins of presumption.
Jesus Defines His Divinity and His Righteous Position: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me'” (John 14:6). Jesus has provided us with the guidance we need to live righteously.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
“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. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37-38).
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).
Jesus not only identifies the requisites for His followers, but He also reminds us of His Divine Authority, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (Revelation 22:13). “…I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16).
Our earthly agendas determine our destiny–eternal life or the second and final death. We are rapidly moving forward from living in the last days to the end of time. Jesus says that we must choose whom we will serve. Choosing Jesus requires us to redirect our focus off of self. Invite the Holy Spirit into your life to learn the accurate meaning of the Scriptures.
Love for Christ keeps us grounded in a world where spiritual warfare includes self-worship. Our desires must align with God’s plans and purpose if our goal is to live eternally with our Lord and Savior. Give up the blended ideologies that are designed to make us lose our heavenly reward.
“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40).
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we pray for forgiveness for placing the focus on ourselves and our selfish desires. We surrender our hearts, minds, and souls to You. We ask for the anointing of the Holy Spirit, wisdom, and discernment. We need Your guidance and strength to continue to walk this spiritual journey. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Your Holy Name, Amen.
Throughout the Holy Scriptures, God has given us many commands and 10 Commandments including the Creation Seventh-Day Sabbath which is Saturday. We have no evidence that God changed the Day that He blessed and made Holy. Pray for discernment from the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of Satan’s deception. Hint: Emperor Constantine.
These hymns speak of the love and relationship we can have with Christ. They are excellent for worshiping and inviting the presence of the Holy Spirit. Be blessed!
Restoring Our Relationship with Christ Sabbath Devotional Reading and Podcast
All relationships begin with a foundation of faith, trust, and love. At the beginning of the human relationship, we place our faith and trust in each other and as time passes, we begin to love. But in our relationship with Jesus, we act on the innate love that is in our hearts by responding to His invitation.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
Reflect on the moment that you decided to accept Jesus as your personal Savior. Whether you were in church, watching a religious program, listening to a podcast, or in mental, emotional, or physical distress and called on God for help that was your moment of acknowledgment and surrender to a higher power outside of yourself.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me” (John 15:26).
We did not accept Jesus because of a decision based on our efforts alone, the Holy Spirit touched our hearts, and we responded to the invitation from Jesus by saying yes. Why do we make an immediate decision to accept Christ or call out to God even though we have never acknowledged Him before? We can thank Jesus for His promise of sending us a Helper the Holy Spirit.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). From Jesus’ love, He created us with the innate ability to love God and others. “We love him, because he first loved us (1 John 4:19).
If we were born with the ability to love God, then why do so many reject Jesus Christ? We were created with the free will choice to accept or reject the only way that we can come to God, and that is through His Son, Jesus. In the New Testament, the two apostles and two disciples who wrote the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) documented the longstanding history of those who chose to openly reject Jesus.
Throughout the New Testament, we become aware that most of the Jewish people rejected Christ as the Son of God. In Nazareth, Jesus was reading from Isaiah, and the people listening accused Him of blasphemy. “On hearing this, all the people in the synagogue were enraged. They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him over the cliff. But Jesus passed through the crowd and went on His way.…” (Luke 4:28-30).
Even so, their rejection led to Jesus’ crucifixion which was necessary for the Plan of Salvation to be brought to fruition. When Jesus uttered the words, “It is finished!” He was referring to His sacrifice for the Redemption of humanity. Sadly, all who reject Christ will result in dying the second and final death as described in Malachi chapter 1.
The Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit
At Pentecost, when Peter used the writings of the prophet Joel and King David to explain they crucified Jesus, who was the prophesied Son of God, the multitude was filled with fear. “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men, and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37).
“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent and let every one of you is baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call’ ” Acts 2:37-38).
Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we face a continuous struggle of staying in our relationship with Him. Jesus was aware that we would face many obstacles of spiritual warfare that would disrupt our commitment to becoming a follower of Christ.
We are pressured to accept worldviews that represent the decline of morals and values. Many proclaim the truth is what they believe it to be, and most Christians no longer separate themselves from unbelievers [which include those who acknowledge God, but do not have a relationship with Christ based on surrender and obedience].
Yet, the greatest obstacles are the constant busyness and overwhelming noise that have us distracted from our goal of loving God. We have acclimated to the constant noise of screen time, video games, digital programs, artificial intelligence, endless texting, and relying on our cellular devices as if they are a lifeline.
“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)
Our spiritual relationship with Christ is broken because we are mesmerized by the distractions that Satan has intentionally placed in our lives. Most Christians are detached from God, barely having time to spend with Him in prayer and a meaningful study of the Bible. Our time is wasted on self-seeking activities that enhance our knowledge and skills but do nothing for building our relationship with Christ.
We are living in the last days! The time is now for us to renew our commitment to Christ through surrender and repentance. Daily worship in this earthly life is preparing us to worship God eternally. Without loving God and putting Him first, we cannot do our part in the plan of Salvation.
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—” Revelation 3:14-17
Spiritual transformation requires daily surrender, obedience, faith, trust, and hearing God’s Voice through prayer and Bible study. But most importantly, it’s about our love for God. The warning to the Laodecian church is for today’s 21st-century Christians which includes you and me. We are not upholding the standard of righteousness that God requires.
“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)
Christ was our role model on this earth. If he pursued solitude to pray for Divine guidance then we certainly need to separate ourselves from the noise of distractions to hear God’s Voice. We require Divine Intervention for direction to withstand temptations and to receive the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Silent Life—When that inner voice is not heard when a man cannot attain the Spiritual Peace that comes from being perfectly at one with His true self, his life is miserable and exhausting for he cannot go on happily for long unless he is in contact with the Spiritual Source of Life. Thomas Merton
We are pursuing the wrong sources to provide us with peace and contentment. Once we have accepted Christ and let our relationship falter, we recognize the change in our inner selves and lifestyles. Our thoughts, decisions, behaviors, and the people we socialize with fail to represent a Christ-like character.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me, you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Without Christ, we no longer have the Holy Spirit to lead, direct, and give us clarity [discernment] over any dilemma we face. Either we will make a change and renew our covenant with Christ or we will continue in our present state of disregarding the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)
“The sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit does not lie in any sudden word or deed; it is the firm, determined resistance of truth and evidence.” Ellen G. White
If you accepted Christ as your personal Savior, have gone astray, and do not feel any conviction or remorse with your current mindset and lifestyle then the Holy Spirit is no longer giving you promptings to repent.
The Apostle Paul tells us of the Perils of Not Progressing in our relationship with Christ.
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. (Hebrews 6:4-6, NKJV)
A modern translation reads: “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come—and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6, NLT)
Restoration of our relationship with Christ is a personal decision that relies on each individual. God always requires the human effort of love, faith, surrender to His will, and obedience in the relationship with His Son. Without those intentional character traits, we lose our spiritual connection with God.
It is difficult to believe that one would reject Christ and suffer the consequences of the wages of sin. We may perceive ourselves as living acceptable to God because we do not engage in the worst worldly sins, yet, disobedience is a sin. Our Heavenly Father is doing all He can to give us a better life. His help is only a prayer away.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
As long as we have breath in our bodies and sound minds, we can decide to restore our relationship with Christ. Repentance—asking God for forgiveness requires humility and a contrite heart full of sorrow for our sins. And the prayer of forgiveness receives an immediate yes from God!
Staying on the Path of Righteousness requires the human effort of following Christ no matter the cost. When we do our part by remaining steadfast, we automatically receive the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit to give us strength and power. The walk with Christ requires the loss of relationships and surrendering our will to God’s will and plan for our lives.
Jesus is ready at any time to receive us when we desire to give up everything for Him. To be a disciple means to forsake all others and travel a life-long journey that includes suffering trials and sorrows. The reward: Living forever in a perfect, sinless, and majestic New Heaven and New Earth with Jesus, the King of Kings. Amen!
Prayer: Lord, we pray for those who have lost their love for You. We know that we are living in the last days and are easily distracted by the busyness and noise of this world. We pray this intercessory prayer for those who have rejected You that they will return. We ask this prayer in Your Worthy Name, Amen.
Develop a posture of worship by praying and thanking Jesus for being our Keeper. Despite the vicissitudes of life, we are safe in the arms of our Heavenly Father. Thank You, Jesus.
Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions 
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