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Post by Jesus Christ teachings on Aug 30, 2019 4:32:27 GMT -5
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
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Post by John on Aug 30, 2019 4:45:51 GMT -5
What is Jesus saying to us in this parable about the need to hate our family, and our own life if we want to be his disciple? He is saying that we have to put the Lord above everything that we hold dear. By comparison, our love and devotion to Christ must be so great, that we hate everything that would hinder us from giving our complete and total allegiance to Him. We have to be willing to forsake everything that would stand between us and our relationship to God to be His disciple.
He is also telling us that He isn't looking for people who simply are willing to give him half-hearted devotion or say they are Christians. He isn't looking for numbers. He wants us to carefully consider the cost before we choose to become a Christian. Are we really serious? Are we willing to do what is necessary to not only get in the race, but finish it? Like the man seeking to build the tower, do we have what it takes to finish what we started? If not, we may as well not even get in the Christian way, because it will do us not good.
Like a country looking to go to war, before the first battle begins, it is best to soberly evaluate if we have the ability to defeat our enemy. If not, it would be better to seek conditions of peace, lest we wind up being destroyed. All of this is about soberly looking inside ourselves to see if we are serious about really being a Christian. This is so different from the way most of the church today operates, where all they are concerned with is getting a large following who claims to be saved, but may not be.
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777
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Teacher
Posts: 1,189
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Post by 777 on Sept 10, 2019 23:03:46 GMT -5
I don't think I have ever heard an altar call given where the minister tells people to count the cost before accepting Jesus. They are begging and pleading with them to please just accept him, and making out like there is nothing more to salvation than saying a sinner's prayer. There is no cost to them. There is no cross to carry or anything.
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Post by John on Sept 14, 2019 21:07:00 GMT -5
I don't think I have ever heard an altar call given where the minister tells people to count the cost before accepting Jesus. They are begging and pleading with them to please just accept him, and making out like there is nothing more to salvation than saying a sinner's prayer. There is no cost to them. There is no cross to carry or anything. The thinking is that we get them to accept the Lord, and then teach them about His ways afterward, making disciples of them. This does raise an interesting question. Should we place more emphasis on encouraging people to think carefully before getting saved, or just figure that if they accept the Lord, God will do the rest?
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777
Senior Member
Teacher
Posts: 1,189
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Post by 777 on Sept 16, 2019 4:43:11 GMT -5
I don't think I have ever heard an altar call given where the minister tells people to count the cost before accepting Jesus. They are begging and pleading with them to please just accept him, and making out like there is nothing more to salvation than saying a sinner's prayer. There is no cost to them. There is no cross to carry or anything. The thinking is that we get them to accept the Lord, and then teach them about His ways afterward, making disciples of them. This does raise an interesting question. Should we place more emphasis on encouraging people to think carefully before getting saved, or just figure that if they accept the Lord, God will do the rest?
It seems like Jesus knew that many were following him for the wrong reasons, like those who followed him because he fed them, and he was weeding them out. He wanted them to know the if they were going to be his disciples, they had to be serious in their commitment.
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Post by solid on Sept 18, 2019 14:41:00 GMT -5
The thinking is that we get them to accept the Lord, and then teach them about His ways afterward, making disciples of them. This does raise an interesting question. Should we place more emphasis on encouraging people to think carefully before getting saved, or just figure that if they accept the Lord, God will do the rest?
It seems like Jesus knew that many were following him for the wrong reasons, like those who followed him because he fed them, and he was weeding them out. He wanted them to know the if they were going to be his disciples, they had to be serious in their commitment. Do you think we should ask people to count the cost before altar calls? How would you do it?
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Post by John on Sept 18, 2019 18:49:44 GMT -5
It seems like Jesus knew that many were following him for the wrong reasons, like those who followed him because he fed them, and he was weeding them out. He wanted them to know the if they were going to be his disciples, they had to be serious in their commitment. Do you think we should ask people to count the cost before altar calls? How would you do it? Given that this is a teaching of the Lord, it shouldn't be neglected. We could let the congregation know that simply praying a sinner's prayer is not some kind of magic. It is not enough to simply recite words, but we must be serious about what we are saying. We could make sure that they realize that only if they are serious about serving Jesus with their whole heart should they pray that prayer. There are a lot of people that will recite a prayer, but get up as sinful as they were when they knelt down at the altar. We are not helping people when we pronounce them saved.
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Post by frienduff on Sept 18, 2019 19:33:37 GMT -5
Do you think we should ask people to count the cost before altar calls? How would you do it? Given that this is a teaching of the Lord, it shouldn't be neglected. We could let the congregation know that simply praying a sinner's prayer is not some kind of magic. It is not enough to simply recite words, but we must be serious about what we are saying. We could make sure that they realize that only if they are serious about serving Jesus with their whole heart should they pray that prayer. There are a lot of people that will recite a prayer, but get up as sinful as they were when they knelt down at the altar. We are not helping people when we pronounce them saved.
Even after phillip told the eunach about JESUS using the prophet ISSIAH , Even the eunach said , SEE here is water , what does hinder me to be baptized . AND PHILLILP made sure and certain , HE said , IFYOU BELIEVE with THAT HEART .................YOU MAY . And one can see by discernment . We should simply preach THE RIGHT JESUS and let the cards fall . Preach as did they , ANd whoever comes will come and whoever rejects will reject . WE don't change one dot to dot of doctrine or etc to get folks to accept HIM . Either they will or they wont .But a people that panders in any way to the world to win the world , Catches naught but fish that will be tossed out and the END . And reap destruction unto themselves as well . I feel happy and excited . I See folks here who really in earnest desire to do all things right and to keep and learn that true pattern . We want a Body a church that PUTS JESUS ABOVE EVERYTHING and what pure joy this is .
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Post by frienduff on Sept 19, 2019 7:58:55 GMT -5
Truly some people misunderstand and have taken out of text what it means to be as the jew or gentile to win the jew or gentile . This don't mean a thing about preaching a different JESUS or changing the doctrine one bit . What It means is if I went to witness to jews who eat no meat , THEN I eat no meat , but I still preach the identical same gospel and give all the same warnings and promises . If I were to go to amish etc , it means that I simply could dress as they did , not to fight the dress code or etc , Because what are meats drinks and days . Yet I would preach the same gospel , same warnings and same promises . It has nothing to do with living as them in sin or being as them in anything that contradicts GOD in any way . We never do anything which would displease GOD to win souls . All paul was saying pertains to meats , drinks , day , things of an outward appearance . Never once to change any DOCTRINAL TRUTH or down play and doctrinal warning in order to win squat .
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Post by frienduff on Sept 19, 2019 8:39:22 GMT -5
Hands up solid . You been spotted . PRAISE the LORD .
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