A Call to Dedicated Discipleship

23 And He said to all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever will save his life shall lose it, but whoever will lose his life for My sake, he shall save it. 25 For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses himself, or is cast away?

Luke 9:23-25 (MKJV)

The major issue of complexity when it comes to Christianity has more to do with whether we will embrace the challenge to be like Christ or not. To be called Christian, a person has professed to be a follower of Christ and His teachings. As Christians, we are to spend more time being like Christ and less time being like our old personas.

Being a Christian is more than looking at the example Christ set for us as believers. Being a Christian is more about following the example set by Christ. We become His followers, His disciples. As His disciples, we become disciplined in the matters of life in accordance with His doctrine, His teachings.

Jesus Himself exposed a critical element of what it takes to truly be Christian. In the above passage, we hear the Lord and Master sharing a truly insightful formula for being called His disciple. Be careful to catch what He wants us to do with our current lives and how He wants us to embrace our new lives with Him.
************************************************************************************

Open my eyes so that I can see the wonderful truths in your law.-Psalm 119:18 (NIV)

The Spiritual Stamina System

This is a test

Of your spiritual stamina system.

If it were not a test,

You would have been notified

By the Holy Spirit

Which indwells every believer

To make preparations

For a spiritual disaster.

In the event

That there is such a spiritual disaster,

Watch, fight and pray,

While staying in tune

With your source of power.

Such activities will not guarantee

That hell will not come your way

Or Satan will not be busy in your life,

But keep in mind.

It is only a test.

You may now resume

Living with your spiritual stamina

Tested, tried and true.

Reflections of a Believer: Inspirational Poetry & Prayers (2nd Edition) (ID #2724220): http://www.lulu.com/content/2724220