Some preachers perform a disservice when they depict Christianity as one of warmth, song and warm fuzzies.
The opposite of that: Jesus really asks for warriors: for people to give us their lives in order to serve Him. The life-style Jesus asks is one that involves forfeiture and sacrifice and at times, the cost of our lives?
And for those who point their fingers at the ‘hypocrites’ of Christians—those who are accused of being nothing more than armchair Christians—it is because they were approached with membership with ‘lukewarm’ appeals.
Let’s face it: as Christians most of us SUCK. Most of us fail over and over again and at best can be described as a wannabe. Yep, that’s what we are.
We could ask the most fundamental questions and fail:
Did we give up all our wealth and income? Nope
Did we deny our mother and father? Nope
Do we wash each other’s feet? Nope
How about giving all our stuff to the poor? Nope
Are we willing to deny ourselves and be killed for our belief? Probably not
How about the idea of depending on God day to day, not worrying about what we shall eat or drink or sleep? Nope
So you see—we fail the most basic of Christian requirements right from the get go and so—I ask—exactly what is it that you are willing to give up in order to serve Jesus?
And then I’ll also ask for you to compare not my standards, but the standards of Jesus. Do we really fit the criteria?
Truthfully I say that you are going to fail. And don’t think I’m up here on the blog all high and mighty for I fail as well. I am right there with you in failure.
Jesus replies in our failure that ‘All things are possible with God’. However, we shouldn’t let this permit us to sleep in our duties. Jesus asks for disciples—a few good…..well, disciples. And where you and I fail, it seems to me that in our faith we should commit ourselves to serve God through Jesus in all our efforts to the best of our ability. In that capacity, at least we should do that. And when we commit our very best with all our heart, mind and soul, we can then say we are no longer failures. To that degree, with our Lord Jesus we become winners—all in the Kingdom of God.
Hard Times Ministries 
I converted (over the internet) an Afghan man in 2011. We are still in touch often over a secure website. He has had to run for his life on more than one occasion. He took his family and fled to India one time. After a month he returned and went back and forth in disguise for a long time. Last summer he wrote and said he had “preached” to over 50 other Afghans. Then he got a phone call: “They” were after him to kill him. He wrote to me, “Tomorrow I will be with Jesus.” He went into hiding again and sent his family away. The phone calls continued. Then one day he – get this – he hung up on them. He refused to talk to them anymore and got a different phone. He stayed in hiding in the mountains a little longer, then returned home. Eventually, he sent for his family (children being kidnapped is common). Now he is back to “preaching.” He said, “I will not stop until they kill me.” He has talked to me about where his family should go after he is killed and we exchange ideas. I do not tell him to not talk like that. I know I am talking to a giant of a man. Would I go over there and die with him if it was possible and needed? I have decided I would.
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He is really the type of Christian Jesus spoke about that he wanted for his disciple.
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Jesus has very tough standards. His new contract with us requires that we give up everything on our side and he sacrifice everything for us on his side. Love this: “To that degree, with our Lord Jesus we become winners—all in the Kingdom of God.”
Keep up the good word.
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I think this is what Jesus meant when he said that many are called but few are chosen.
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Yes, that is it for sure. I have always been struck how there was the 5,000, the 500, the 72, the 12, the 3, and the 1 (whom Jesus loved). The circle kept getting smaller and smaller.
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Nice blog 🙏🏻🙏🏻
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