DON'T  BE AN AVERAGE CHRISTIAN!

 

The average American calling themselves Christian today is a "joke that is not funny"!

Their heart is "more focused" on the pleasures of the world and the love of money!

 

The sad fact is those who are Christian only in name!

Bring a reproach on "GOD'S CHURCH" and should be "ashamed"!

 

If you claim to be a Christian and you don't keep Gods commands you are a liar!

You rank with the athiest's because you are both heading for Eternal Fire!

 

Many claiming to be Christian would flunk a test on the "basics" of Christianity!

They never pray, never study the Bible, seldom attend Church and love using profanity!

 

Polls show 75-85% of Americans "claim" to be Christian believers!

Those who know the Bible know many are just pretenders and deceivers!

 

"If your reading this rhyme and "really" have a heart yearning for God!"

Start searching high and low on that path you trod!

 

"Search until you find a Church where Gods Holy Ghost/Spirit reigns!"

"Make it your home Church and you will never be the same!"

 

The "average" Christian is "not" walking that Straight and Narrow Way!

The "average" Christian loves the world and it's carnal ways!

 

God never intended for any Christian to be "average" which is at best "LUKE WARM"!

Because an "average" Christian does the Kingdom of God great harm!

 

The "average" Christian is a "poor" representative of Jesus Christ!

The "average" Christian has forgotten that he/she was bought with a price!

 

The "average" Christian is like unto the five foolish virgins who let their lamps go out!

They went to buy oil for their lamps and returned to find they were forever locked out!

 

The parable of the Ten Virgins indicates that 50% of all Christians will be eternally lost!

They are the average/foolish Christians who "fail to honor Jesus and take up their Cross"!

 

 

Lewis E. Thomas

As given by God on 8/02/2017

 

 

Question: "What did Jesus mean when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23)?"

Answer: Let’s begin with what Jesus didn’t mean. Many people interpret “cross” as some burden they must carry in their lives: a strained relationship, a thankless job, a physical illness. With self-pitying pride, they say, “That’s my cross I have to carry.” Such an interpretation is not what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

When Jesus carried His cross up Golgotha to be crucified, no one was thinking of the cross as symbolic of a burden to carry. To a person in the first-century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by the most painful and humiliating means human beings could develop.

Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus’ day, the cross represented nothing but torturous death. Because the Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion, bearing a cross meant carrying their own execution device while facing ridicule along the way to death.

Therefore, “Take up your cross and follow Me” means being willing to die in order to follow Jesus. This is called “dying to self.” It’s a call to absolute surrender. After each time Jesus commanded cross bearing, He said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:24-25). Although the call is tough, the reward is matchless.

Wherever Jesus went, He drew crowds. Although these multitudes often followed Him as Messiah, their view of who the Messiah really was—and what He would do—was distorted. They thought the Christ would usher in the restored kingdom. They believed He would free them from the oppressive rule of their Roman occupiers. Even Christ’s own inner circle of disciples thought the kingdom was coming soon (Luke 19:11). When Jesus began teaching that He was going to die at the hands of the Jewish leaders and their Gentile overlords (Luke 9:22), His popularity sank. Many of the shocked followers rejected Him. Truly, they were not able to put to death their own ideas, plans, and desires, and exchange them for His.

Following Jesus is easy when life runs smoothly; our true commitment to Him is revealed during trials. Jesus assured us that trials will come to His followers (John 16:33). Discipleship demands sacrifice, and Jesus never hid that cost.

In Luke 9:57-62, three people seemed willing to follow Jesus. When Jesus questioned them further, their commitment was half-hearted at best. They failed to count the cost of following Him. None was willing to take up his cross and crucify upon it his own interests.

Therefore, Jesus appeared to dissuade them. How different from the typical Gospel presentation! How many people would respond to an altar call that went, “Come follow Jesus, and you may face the loss of friends, family, reputation, career, and possibly even your life”? The number of false converts would likely decrease! Such a call is what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

If you wonder if you are ready to take up your cross, consider these questions:
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing some of your closest friends?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means alienation from your family?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means the loss of your reputation?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your job?
• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your life?

In some places of the world, these consequences are reality. But notice the questions are phrased, “Are you willing?” Following Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean all these things will happen to you, but are you willing to take up your cross? If there comes a point in your life where you are faced with a choice—Jesus or the comforts of this life—which will you choose?

Commitment to Christ means taking up your cross daily, giving up your hopes, dreams, possessions, even your very life if need be for the cause of Christ. Only if you willingly take up your cross may you be called His disciple (Luke 14:27). The reward is worth the price. Jesus followed His call of death to self (“Take up your cross and follow Me”) with the gift of life in Christ: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25-26).

 

Ref:

 

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

 

 

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

 

 

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

 

24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

 

30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

Matthew 25 all

 

 

3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

 

 

18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

 

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

 

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

 

8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 

 

Mathew 22:36-40

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.