We are living in a time when this admonishment must be given again. If we think for a moment that we are not foreigners in this land and that we are not surrounded by other gods; if we say with our mouths that we serve YHVH while in truth we live by our own thoughts and for our own pleasures, we make liars of ourselves. The time of making a pretense of what we say we believe is over. The time of decision making is before one enters into the heat of the battle.
Memorial Day was last observed in America seven days ago. The day got me to thinking about a bit of correspondence that I had a few weeks back with a couple of sisters. One of them eluded to how Peter was offended by the thought of Messiah having to die as seen in Matthew 16. In verse 15 we read that Messiah asks His disciples, "But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." It was after they recognized Him for who He was, that He began to reveal to them more of His heart for the Father and His mission on earth. Beginning in verse 21, we read, "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee." It was at this point that Messiah responded to him, "Get thee behind me, Satan thou art an offence unto me: for thou savorourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."
The context of what is taking place here is that once they had confessed that He had come from the Father, He began to reveal to them His coming suffering and death, and that it was indeed His Father's will. In addition to their love for Him, they were faced with the reality that following the Father in obedience didn't promise them a life of position and ease, but the knowledge that if the Messiah, who walked in complete righteousness and was/is the embodiment of the Torah, and yet had to suffer and die, then who were they to expect anything more?
Knowing these things I am forced to ask myself, "Am I offended by Messiah's sacrifice because of what it might mean for me? Am I truly willing to follow Him ...no matter what the cost?"
As most of you know or are finding out, the prosperity gospel is a lie. Those who would believe, are handed a false bill of goods when that lie is peddled as a means of "evangelism", when in fact all it has done has given people who once prayed a prayer, a false sense of (even eternal) security; thinking that their desires would be met and they would become better, richer, more attractive versions of themselves. That is NOT the gospel! It is a lie that breeds selfish carnality and reeks of the flesh and hell! When did Yeshua, even one time, suggest that following Him in obedience to the Father would mean accepting a life of ease, position and popularity?
Messiah told the truth. He warned us that the cost of discipleship could cause even those closest to us, to hate and betray us - even unto death. He told us that we would be persecuted, imprisoned and martyred. He instructed us to count the cost because those who place anything or anyone above Him are not worthy of Him. His teaching was clear and honest when He told us that if we truly love Him, we would obey His Father's commands. He forewarned His listeners that the time would come when people would think that killing us would glorify His Father, and still He asked those who wanted to come after Him to pick up their cross and follow Him - knowing better than anyone that there is so much at stake, and that the alternatives of spiritual darkness and eternal death are far worse!
So knowing these things, begs us to ask, What does it really mean to follow Him?
In looking at Matthew 16:24 and Luke 9:23, we find that the definition of the word follow is Greek #190 - akoloutheo. In Thayer's Greek Lexicon we see that it means: walking the same road. To follow one who precedes, to join as an attendant, to accompany and join as a disciple. To cleave steadfastly to one, conforming wholly to his example, in living and if need be in dying also.
It is very interesting to note as well, that the word disciple is a Hebrew word, talmid Chatham, and it means: wise student. "An honorific title was given to one well-versed in Jewish law, in effect, a Torah scholar." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmid_Chacham This caused me to consider anew what our Jewish Rabbi Messiah truly meant when He told His apostles to go and make disciples of all nations. Pause and think on that.
As I mentioned, this post began with my thoughts during Memorial Day of the correspondence I had a few weeks back with two sisters in Messiah. What follows is an e-mail that I sent to both of them.
Hello, Dear Women!
I think the admonishment of our Savior to pick up our cross and follow Him is even harder for Americans to grasp. We are accustomed to having someone else fight for our freedoms/rights and to die in our place. When ___ mentioned here that Messiah saw Peter's statement that He mustn't die as an offense, it made me think of something. That is how many (perhaps most) Christians in America view having to suffer persecution for Him. We are under the impression that because He took our place on Calvary, that nothing is expected from us other than to ask for forgiveness, (even without true repentance) and to confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts. Having done a short study from both the Hebrew and Greek about what the words confess and believe really mean, showed me that there is more to their meaning than what we know about them. So yes, picking up our cross and following Him means so much more than we like to think about. Nevertheless, it is truth.
A few Sunday's ago, even our pastor said that when things get bad, most of his listeners will take the path of least resistance.
We are a nation of relative thinkers. Billy Graham had this right, "Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone - except God." As a result, we don't know what it is to suffer hard persecution for our beliefs. Even one publication of The Voice of the Martyrs proves it. As a people, we are accustomed to, and comfortable with, all of our freedoms and conveniences. We are unconcerned with everything except what is in our own backyards. We are like Laodiceans. And Laodicea will be shaken to the core when it all comes to town and ends up in our own backyards and at our front doors.
Yes, we've reached the crossroads. May we pick up our crosses and truly follow Him!
Scriptural definitions and references:
"9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10
Confess is Strong's Greek #3670 - homollogeo: It means more than to agree or to declare as truth. It means to concede, assent, not to refuse, to promise, admit guilt, profess. It means to voluntarily yield, to change one's conviction in order to follow.
"36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36
Believeth not in John 3:36 is Greek #544 - apeitheo, and it means: not believing, disobedient, obey not, unbelieving. It is clear by the biblical meaning of the words that disobedience reveals our unbelief. To truly believe in the Messiah means not disobeying Him.
We see another witness to this truth in Psalm 78. Read the entire chapter. Verse 22 tells the reason that they complained against YHVH and disobeyed Him repeatedly. "22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in His salvation." It wasn't until He brought judgment and calamity upon them that they turned to Him again in verses 34 and 35. They turned to Him but did not abandon their sin. When you read you will see that He was tender to them but they didn't deserve His compassion. Verse 72 says, "So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands."
"15 If you love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15
"1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me."
John 16:1-3
"6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house." Micah 7:6
"34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."
Matthew 10:34-39
"2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12:2
"20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
21 For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
Philippians 1:20-21
"11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death."
Revelation 12:11
"36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
Mark 8:36
"20 And Jesus said unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath nowhere to lay his head."
Matthew 8:20
"14 Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Joshua 24:14-15
http://persecution.com/ Link to Voice of the Martyrs
