July 7, 2016
MY FRIENDS, WHAT IS IT THAT WE JUST CAN’T LET GO OF?
As I watched the fourth of July come and go, I realize how much we are consumed with occurrences and special events in our life that have nothing to do with this journey God has placed us on. If we go to Matt. 19:28-29 (NKJV) which are the last two verses of that chapter. In (v,28) Christ tells His disciples; when the Son of man sits on the throne of His Glory if you have followed me you will also be seated there with me on twelve thrones.
And then in (v, 29) Christ speaks directly to you and I. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” So my friends, “for His namesake” we must “Forsake all others. And the message remains the same two thousand years later. Deny self, let go and take up our cross and follow [Christ wherever He leads].” Matt. 16:24 (NIV)
In today’s society “to forsake all others and follow Christ seems unimaginable because we just can’t let go. If we go through the entire Chapter of Matt 
19 Christ starts by talking about marriage and divorce then He teaches on celibacy, then He blesses the little Children, then He counsels the Rich Young Ruler, who keeps all the commandments, but then Christ ask Him in (v,21,22) “to go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”
In verses 23-26 the narrative continues when Christ says to His disciples “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” Who then my friends? And what must we let go of? And is it possible in the 21st century? Jesus answer is plain and simple “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
In other words, Deny self and “forsake all others,” carry your cross and follow me can only be accomplished through Christ. Because if Christ is not who we wake up and go to be with each day “our adversary the devil, [who goes about] as a roaring lion,…[will] devour” [everyone who claims to be a child of God] 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) We must understand Satan desires is to compete with Christ for our undivided attention as he attempts to monopolize our heart away from where Christ is leading and how far Christ hand is willing to reach to save us.
So now since its personal we must ask ourselves, what side of this great controversy between good and evil are we on. Because “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. We cannot serve God and [Satan].” Luke 16:13 (NKJV)
So if what Satan has to offer us in this world we can’t let go of, then the “gate is broad and there are many who will be on that same road which leads to destruction. But if our desire is to let go and “forsake all others” and carry our cross and be a disciple for Christ than, “narrow is the gate and difficult is this road and there are few who will find it. but those few who do, will receive life eternal.”
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