Are You a Disciple of Jesus Christ?

In Mark 8 the Lord Jesus Christ teaches that there are three marks of a disciple of His:

- self-denial

- taking up the cross

- following Him

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* Who do I think about the most?
* What am I suffering because I follow Jesus?
* Am I willing?
* Is my life a pattern of surrender to His will?
* What evidence is there that I am a fully-devoted follower of the Lord Jesus Christ?
* Do I hunger and thirst after righteousness?
* Am I a living sacrifice?
* Is my mind being transformed away from the ways and thinking of this world?

Get Out

I am still processing what a guy told me at church this morning. I had made a comment in the sermon about looking at the lives of those in Foxe's Book of Martyrs, and then listen to ourselves complain about it being too hot and uncomfortable in the Sanctuary.

After church this guy said to me -- what you ought to do is one morning turn the air up to about 90 degrees, then tell everyone at 11:00, "you know, it is too hot in here for church today. Let us go outside, door-to-door, to our neighbors right up and down this road and share the message of Jesus with them."

I wonder how many excuses we would hear?

I wonder why I wouldn't do that to begin with?

"Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Isn't this what He said?

Preach It John

"The evangelical movement itself must take some of the blame for devaluing the truth by catering to people's itching ears (2 Timothy 4:1-4). Does anyone really imagine that many of the entertainment-hungry churchgoers whop pack today's megachurches would be willing to give their lives for the truth? As a matter of fact, many of them are unwilling to take a bold stand for the truth even among other Christians in an environment where there is no serious threat against them and the worst effect of such a stand might be that someone's feelings might get hurt.
"Much of the visible church nowadays seems to think Christians are supposed to be at play rather than at war.
"But Christians, of all people, ought to be most willing to live and die for the truth. Remember, we know the truth, and the truth has set us free (John 8:32). We should not be ashamed to say so boldly (Psalm 107:2)."

-- John MacArthur The Truth War

The 2nd Day of July

"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty." -- John Adams, written from Philadelphia on 3 July 1776

It is obvious that most Americans are not that concerned with liberty and freedom and independence anymore. (Followed the news for the last 20 or so years? Seen the growth and intrusion of the government in our lives?)

And obviously the day of our independence from the shackles of an oppressive British government are NOT marked by "solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty." Far from it -- "hey, as long as I get Thursday as my Friday and be chillin' by a grill full of meat, preferably by a body of water . . . . who cares about anything else?"

And we wonder why there might be some problems in the foreseeable future?

But I am thankful to Almighty God that I was born and live in the United States. I am thankful to Him for the freedom that I enjoy as a citizen. Am thankful to Him for the blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice that many, many people have laid down to make it so.

Most of all I am thankful for the freedom that Almighty God has granted to me in and through the finished work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I rejoice in Him that I am free from the bondage of sin and and its penalty - death. Indeed, this is the truth that sets men free.

Thank You, heavenly Father. You are indeed worthy of our worship, praise and adoration.