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. Matthew 16:24

Jesus made a conditional statement only for those who desire to follow Him. He said that they must deny themselves and take up their cross. What are we supposed to deny?

Definition of “deny” according to Strong’s dictionary:

1. to affirm that one has no acquaintance or connection with someone

2. to forget one’s self, lose sight of one’s self and one’s own interests

Do we see many people who have lost sight of their own interest these days!? The scripture warns us about three types of lust that can cause us to fall or remain ineffective in our walk with God. These lusts caused Adam and Eve to fall, and everyone of one of us is subject to those temptations.

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 1John2:16

The old nature is lustful in its desires and in its methods to achieve those desires. The old nature is driven by what is visible, flashy, fast, easy, and popular. It derives its significance from competition and feeling superior to others. The ego wants to rule and be in charge. The more we feed the ego, the stronger it becomes.

When we allow the old nature to continue to rule in our new life, we become carnal believers. This was the issue that Paul had to continually address in his letters to various churches.  Worldliness and the things that feed our pride must be denied by us. Therefore, the Lord calls us to starve pride in any form, otherwise we will not be able to follow Christ. Following Him requires great humility.

Some believers are very skilled in using the right vocabulary and defining their actions and/or attitudes as spiritual. I have experienced this a few times myself where individuals use the name of God to support their actions and/or their views. However, what they stated did not settle right in my spirit. It seemed as if they were hiding behind the Bible to do what they wanted to do and avoid the criticism of others. Their actions or statements had a form of godliness, but it wasn’t God. This is dangerous for the individual as well as for those who are watching and/or listening to them. 

Taking “godly” actions that do not really line up to the Word of God, have left me confused in quite a few occasions. I have even been disillusioned at times because some of these individuals were perceived as mature in their churches. For a younger believer, this may cause them to walk away from faith. I would like to encourage everyone to be very careful in how you use the name of God as a seal of approval for what you want to do. You may lead yourself and others on the path of error, and, at a certain point, you may not be open to be challenged in your views any longer.

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. Matthew 16:24

Jesus made a conditional statement. He was well aware that not everyone desires to follow Him.  Jesus set conditions only for those who desire to follow Him. If someone decides to follow Christ, then Jesus has terms of engagement. He stated that His followers must deny themselves and take up their cross. This is the process of Lordship where one is letting go of his/her own desires and dreams to follow Christ.

It is interesting that some Christians get upset with those who use this type of scripture to discuss Lordship and obedience. They consider them legalistic, harsh, and inflexible. Some don’t believe that believers need to be so intense and black and white about their faith. 

If we don’t deny ourselves and take up our cross, then we are not willing to live with the terms of agreement. We want the benefits of a relationship with Christ, but we don’t want to abide by the conditions set by Jesus. In worldly terms, such a contract would be void, because one of the parties is not willing to hold up their portion of the agreement.

If the goal of our faith is to look more like Jesus, how can we become more like Him if we hold on to our own desires and ideas?  Our faith and Christian walk is either based on what Jesus says, or it is based on our ideas. Anything carnal or man-made will not transform us into the image of Christ.  Is following Jesus developing the fruit of the Spirit in you? Is what you are doing making you look more like Christ? Are others noticing that you have changed? 

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

How do we get the approval of God? 

The approval of God is different from being in righteous standing. There is nothing we can do to become righteous apart from accepting the work of Jesus on the cross. However, there is a lifestyle that meets the approval of God, and then there are those lifestyles that God is not pleased with and do not represent Him well on the earth.

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

When we endure temptation and do not give in to it, God is pleased and approves of our lifestyle. The above scripture tells us that when we overcome temptation, we show that we love God. The world can see that our relationship with the Lord is more important than getting our way or surrendering ourselves to a temptation. God is pleased with us in refusing to succumb to temptation and deeming Him more important than anything else.

But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 1Thessalonians 2:4

God approves and entrusts His people to share the gospel. He expects us to speak truthfully to our fellow neighbor about their true condition and not worry about our popularity. We live in a world of “likes”, and it is easy to be conditioned to think that everyone will like us or will appreciate what we have to say. God tests our hearts to see if we are more concerned about being liked or being approved by God. We have been entrusted with something very valuable. If we diminish it or not tell the whole story, basically, we are showing God that we are not to be trusted with this powerful message. 

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2Timothy 2:15

God approves those who rightly divide the word. The people who are not manipulating the word or use it for their own selfish reasons are pleasing to God. They are not using their position to reinterpret what the scripture says in order to gain more congregants. God expects diligence and courage. The cowards will be ashamed someday. On the other hand, those who are diligent in presenting the  Word of God, are courageous and will have no reason to be ashamed.  They were faithful to God by choosing not to cave into the pressure of masses, and they diligently presented the gospel through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

We live in a world where it has standardized standards in almost every industry. This means that people, systems, and procedures must meet a certain standard of industry before they are approved to function and operate in the role they have. For example, a commercial airliner must meet the requirements for safety to continue flying. At the same time, the pilots who fly the airplanes, have to have licensing/certification to be approved to fly and to operate as a pilot for years to come. 

We also have a need to be approved by others to feel good about ourselves and our surroundings. The challenge is that that the standard of approval is not objective but fluid and ever-changing. In the early stages of life, we relish the approval of parents. Later on, our friends’ approval is very important to us. As we become adults, the approval of others is more varied and uncertain. It seems as if we need the approval of others for variety of roles, such as being a good spouse, parent, coworker, friend, Christian, and so on. 

In order to gain the approval of men, we strive to prove ourselves to others. If we get a pat on the back, it motivates us to do more, so we can get more approval. If this cycle continues to go on, it makes us dependent on others for our happiness and value.

You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 1 Corinthians 7:23

Jesus bought us with the price of His blood and broke the power of others’ opinion over us. If we depend on the approval of others, we have to put ourselves under the bondage of slavery to another person. We are no longer free to be who God has created us to be because we are fearful of losing approval of others. We learn the right actions and the perfect vocabulary, but after a while, we don’t know who we are anymore. We have become a person who has lost his/her identity in order to be approved by others. 

The one who has the power to establish a standard, has the ultimate power for seal of approval. In our case, the Lord establishes the standard. Many times, people’s standard is subjective, and it is based on their preferences. If we see the difference between God’s standard and someone’s preference, we no longer have to put ourselves under the bondage of someone else’s opinion and standard!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Matthew 4:18-20

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus called the disciples to be fishermen of men However, at the end of his ministry, He commissioned them differently. He added a new level of complexity to it by commanding them to disciple people. After Jesus spent 3 1/2 years with His disciples, they had grown to a point that they knew what it meant be discipled. Discipling people meant to teach them and show them to be disciplined followers of Christ. If the disciples had only concentrated on catching people as fishermen, the church would not have multiplied and survived the persecution that fell upon them.

Is the church discipling people? Is the church teaching people to become the salt and light of the earth? Is the church teaching people doctrinally and relationally that there is a balance between meeting personal needs and reaching out to others through sacrifice and service?

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:14

Obviously, in any church body, you will find baby believers and older believers, but the messages over time should be able to provide the right type of food for every believer. Solid food should be provided by every church to allow people to come to full age and to be able to exercise their mature understanding of the Word and discern good and evil in a complex and confusing world. Is the church getting people ready to use their spiritual senses and discern between good and evil? Is the church feeding people solid food or is it keeping people in baby phase where they can only handle the milk?

Some may be concerned that giving people meat can push people away because they cannot digest hard words. Life can have tough seasons and some of the scriptures that are tough to swallow are actually making people ready for real life situations. Just as parents’ responsibility is to help their children to face the responsibility of adulthood and teach them about the reality of life away from parents, similarly, the leaders’ responsibility is to train people to be strong and allow their light shine in the midst of adversity.

Let’s pray for the body of Christ to awaken to its God given commission and responsibility to reach the lost and to the disciple the nations!

I shared in the last devotional that some churches are lacking meat in their sermons, and they are a reminder of the below Wendy’s commercial from years ago. Is it time for us to ask our churches to provide more meat in their sermons!?

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Acts 2:42-43

The above scripture is a guideline for church health and growth. It was the apostles’ doctrine along with loving fellowships that won people to Christ. God in His mercy gave us instructions for success. Why do we think that we can do better than the early church? Obviously not every person who heard the message was saved. There were some who were offended enough to oppose them and accuse them of blasphemy.

We can conclude from scriptures in the book of Acts,  that there was a reaction and a response to the gospel message. People either were saved and were added to the body, or they opposed the message. How many churches expect a response at the end of their Sunday sermon? How many churches offer an altar call for those who are ready to respond to the message? Do we believe our sermons are potent enough to bring about a response/repentance towards God? What if only one person came to the altar? Is that going to be humiliating? On the other hand, can we handle the opposition if some don’t agree with the gospel message?

having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 2Timothy 3:5

Jesus specifically spoke about the Lukewarm church in the book of Revelations. Lukewarm food is generally not preferred. A lukewarm church has an appearance of nourishing people, but in actuality it is not giving them healthy food to grow and mature.

Paul told Timothy in the above scripture that those who have a form of godliness but deny the power of God should be avoided. Why is he making such a serious statement? Because this is an issue of life and death. If we make people think that they are doing well spiritually by attending church and not give them meat, we are robbing them of the power of the message of God. Over time, they will not be strong and equipped enough to withstand tough times, temptations, or persecutions.

Are we making people ready? Are people encouraged to live a repentant lifestyle that signifies transformation and change? Are they willing to take up their cross and follow Christ? Has their view of God become enlarged due to attending church?

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

Some of you may recall this commercial from years ago:

taken from Youtube.com

Where is the beef?  Nowadays. this is the condition of some churches when it comes to the word of God. I have been listening and speaking to many people who complain about the lack of meat in preaching that goes on in their churches. I’m not sure why the trend is moving in the direction of “feel good Christianity” and worldly strategies. It could be that some think this is how we remain relevant to our culture. Others may be afraid of losing members to more “exciting” churches. Some may think that this is how we are supposed to catch those who fled the churches decades ago due to church being boring and dogmatic. However, none of these were the concerns of the early church.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Acts 2:42-43

The above scripture describes the growth of the early church following Jesus’ Resurrection and the Day of Pentecost. The disciples preached to people who were Jewish, and they knew their message could have easily been offensive. However, Peter and others did not shy away from preaching the whole gospel and telling them about what Jesus did for them.

Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. Acts 2:23-24

In the same chapter, the scripture show us that Peter did not dilute the Word or water down the gospel to see individuals saved.  As a matter of fact, the scripture clearly shows that Peter accused them of killing Jesus but told them that God had a different plan which included them. Peter’s style of preaching might horrify some preachers these days, and it certainly would not make it into any books or workshops about church growth! The point is not to offend people with the gospel. The issue is that if we don’t tell people the whole Truth, we have taken away the power of the gospel to transform people’s lives.

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional. 

I shared in the last devotional that God’s glory is manifested through His creation, His power, and His still small voice. In addition, God shows His glory through His character. 

So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”  And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” Exodus 33: 17-19

When Moses asked the Lord to see His glory, God told him that He will allow His goodness to pass before Moses. I wonder if Moses needed encouragement when he asked to see God’s glory.  The Israelites had just recently made their golden calf in Moses’ absence. Aaron was blaming the people instead of taking responsibility for his passive leadership. It would have been discouraging and disheartening for any leader to see that kind of behavior and would have needed some encouragement. In Moses’ case, he desired to see God’s glory. God gave Moses the privilege of seeing His goodness to pass by him. This experience allowed Moses to persevere and continue to lead God’s people. The Lord was showing us that His goodness is powerful, and it is more than enough to see and experience His glory.

Everything about God is good, and He is the opposite of what the world offers. When we watch and listen to all the news around us, it can be very disheartening. We can’t tell who is real and who has ulterior motives anymore. People’s views are biased,  and it is hard to gather facts. While we are only getting partial truth, the voices are becoming louder and less credible. In the midst of all of this, God’s goodness can keep us comforted and calm. Recognizing that everything about Him is good is, causes stability for our souls. His holiness is tied to His goodness, and it takes away fear, anxiety, uncertainty. It gives us assurance in the midst of all the noise. His goodness is glorious!

What is God’s glory and how does He manifest Himself? The glory of God changes everything. It makes us be still and to be at awe of His magnificence. We all seek the glory of God and desire His presence in our midst. This is the subject of the next two devotionals.

God’s glory was manifested in different forms in the Old and the New Testament. 

The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters. Psalm 29:3

God’s nature is continually showing His glory! The majesty of mountains, the depths of canyons, and the constant rush of waterfalls all speak to the glory of the One who made them. We see the glory of God in the awesome sound of the oceans, the thunder of clouds, and the howling winds. 

And you said: ‘Surely the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man; yet he still lives. Deuteronomy 5:24

God showed His glory to the Israelites by leading them through the desert by fire at night, and it didn’t consume them. It only showed them the way. While fire is dangerous, it gives us heat and is useful for a whole host of other reasons. It is a reminder that God is a consuming fire, but in His grace, He manifests His glory through fire without consuming us. Faced with unknown circumstances, it was glorious for the Israelites to hear the voice of God in the midst of the fire.

And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.” 1 Samuel 4:22

The glory of God was present in the Ark of the Covenant, and when the ark was captured, the Israelites knew that God’s glory had departed from them. His glory was a reminder of God’s favor and His special relationship to His people, and they did not want to lose it. 

As the children of God, we have a special covenant with the Lord. He has deposited His Holy Spirit in us, and God manifests His glory through His still small voice. While His voice may not be noticed by others around us, we know God meets us. His voice is glorious!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2Chronicles 7:14

I shared last time that God gave the above instructions to Solomon in good times before the Israelites were in trouble. The Lord knew that Israelites will need healing for their nation at some point in time! According to above scripture, God asked people to do three things: humble themselves, pray, and turn from their wicked ways. The first two were the subject of the last devotional. The third part of the instruction is the subject of this devotional.

3. Turn from their wicked ways

With the presidential elections so close, there has been a new level of interest in prayer, and this scripture gets quoted as an encouragement to pray for our nation.  The scripture calls us to humble ourselves and pray, but we forget the portion that tells us to turn away from our wicked ways, in order for God to forgive us and heal our land.

Why does our nation need healing? Somewhere along the line, we have changed direction and have moved towards deliberate sin. This causes all sorts of ailments for society that leads to distrust and breakdown of relationships at every segment of society. If we want God to heal our land, then our part is to reflect at a personal, church, and national level and see if there is any wicked way in us. The posture of humility and prayer opens the door for the Lord to show us the areas that need repentance and change.

You may say,” I am a pretty good Christian, and I don’t have any wicked ways in me.” Then here are a couple questions that might help:  Are there areas in our society that you think the system is broken and needs improvement? If yes, have you been a contributor to the problem by your words, attitude, and activities? Is there anything you can do to help and/or bring about a change in that area? Sometimes wickedness is overt. At others times, it is due to passivity when we allow wickedness to go on.

The above scripture is about taking personal responsibility, repenting, and asking Him to heal our land. We cannot repent for other people. However, we can repent for our part and then intercede for our nation. 

In the Old Testament, there were many times that the nation of Israel fell into the cycle of sin. However, they would eventually repent and reset their focus back on God. As people of God, we reset our focus by humbling ourselves, praying and turning from our wicked ways, in order for God to intervene and show His mercy by healing our land.