Following Jesus... Half way, or All the way?

Blessed day dear cellmates,

I was just reflecting this day (It is Friday over here, which means Saturday afternoon for you all), have I followed Christ all the way or half way only? I will confess, it is only half way and I am still learning to follow Him all the way. Allow me to explain...

In Matthew 16:24, Jesus told the disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

When you read this verse in the Bible, may I humbly ask, what comes into your mind? For me, when I first read it, I ask myself, "Yes, I will deny myself, I will give up the pleasures of this world, and I will have self-denial, in which I will be broken before the Lord and I will just deny all the pleasures of this world."

That itself, I believe that many of us may have thought about it. That as Christians we must lead a life pleasing to God, to deny ourselves the worldly pleasures of this world. That is true, we must be a shining light for Jesus. BUT...

I am convinced that is not all Jesus is trying to say.

Being here in USA, I have seen the twisted moral values, I am come into contact and conversation that I have never joined in before when I was in Singapore. The morals and beliefs that they have is shocking, and there are many times where I know I have to stand firm in my beliefs and not be swayed. I thank God I manage to do so. That is good BUT...I started thinking a little more.

Yes, I have followed what He taught me, Yes I have followed the principles to lead a life pleasing to Him. BUT it is not my all. Pls read on...

When Jesus said to take up the cross and follow Me, to many, like me as well, I took it as to follow His life of self-denial, and i stop short at His life of power. To pick up the cross and walk with Him, for me, it was to crucify my sin nature on the cross and embrace a joyless brokenness as an evidence of the cross. Is that really what He is FULLY trying to say? Or is there more?

I believe there is more. And I am convicted inside me to share it with you all. We must follow Him, and what was written above is true. We must deny ourselves and confess our sins and embrace the cross. But we must FOLLOW HIM ALL THE WAY, and that includes a lifestyle that is empowered by the RESURRECTION!!

For me, I realized I have focused on the Cross, before the Resurrection and not after it!! I remembered pastor Bill Johnson, who shared something that says, "RELIGION IS UNABLE TO MIMIC THE LIFE OF RESURRECTION WITH ITS VICTORY OVER SIN AND HELL."

That is a powerful statement!! It is important to constantly reflect. It is good to "introspect" oneself. But if we are always filled with introspection and if we are constantly telling ourselves, "OH I am weak, I am not good", we are embracing an inferior cross!!

If i make a harsh statement, please forgive me. If we are always focusing on our weakness, then we will always be trapped in this counterfeit. You see, if the stupid devil knows we, as Christians will not be interested in anything that is EVIL, he is smart enough to then get us focus on our unworthiness and our weaknesses. Because if he successfully does that, we will become so introspective that we will keep looking at the weak points of us and totally forgot the very reason why Jesus is in our lives (His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses). Satan is not that dumb as I thought he is to be after all.

I learnt this while I was in Bethel Church and while I am here in UCSC, it just triggered me to think about my days back in Bethel Church. You know dear brothers and sisters, if we always focus on our weaknesses and our bad points, and think that it is a very humbling thing to do, we have completely deceived ourselves. I totally respect Pastor Bill Johnson and he has taught me that such an act, is the ultimate subtleness of PRIDE! Cause it is always about ME ME ME, about MY own weaknesses. Where is the ONE who has died for me and paid for everything? Somehow, He has disappeared from the picture and I became centre-stage.

I must reemphasize that I am not saying that denying the world and carrying the cross is bad. IT IS GOOD AND WE ALL HAVE TO DO THAT. I just wish to share a "second half" that I realized when Jesus said to Follow Him.

I guess it is pretty heavy yeah? But guess what, it is getting heavier.

Allow me to quote something that i have read. It completely made me rethink about what Matthew 16:24 said.

"By being SOLD on my own unrighteousness, the enemy has disengaged me from effective service. It is a PERVERSION of true holiness when introspection causes my spiritual self-esteem to increase, BUT my effectiveness in demonstrating the power of the gospel to decrease." - from the book, When Heaven Invades Earth

Following Christ includes being in this world but not OF it. But it also includes receiving the POWER that He has given to us. I believe each of us, our weaknesses, have been replaced by His strength. And we will focus on this strength of His to lead life that is truly for Him. And even in the midst of every situation we face, however tough, and however incapable we THINK we are, We will still be capable because He is working in us, for us, thru us.

May all of us proudly declare that we have been redeemed by Him and we will focus on the GOODness that He has given to us. And truly follow Him ALL THE WAY. I am glad you are all walking together as one family. Love you all.