Following Christ , continued

The problem that we have today with us christians, particularly in the United States of America, is that we are practicing christianity without discipleship! We have gotten so caught up with our church programs, that first of all we forgot what the church is! We are the body of Jesus Christ; a living organism, not an instituion. We must simply be the church. Our Lord Jesus Christ say's in Matthew 16:24,25, "If anyone wishes to come after me,let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me, 25, For whoever wishes to save his life shall loose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. NAS version. Ladies and gentlemen we are not following an organization we are suppose to be following ardently a living person. The person is none other than GOD who came in the person of our savior Jesus Christ, who for our sin, and sinfully wicked ways, was beaten, and that severely, then nailed to a cross, head lascerated with a crown of thorns, then pierced in His side with a Roman spear. Because of His everlasting love, Jesus suffered humiliation, the horrendous death by crucifixion, all for us, for anyone who would believe on His name. Then because He was the Son of GOD, death could not hold Him. The Apostle Peter quotes the psalmist David, in his address to diasporic jews who were at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, verses 26,and 27. " therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; Moreover my flesh also will abide in hope; Because 'Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades (Hell), Nor allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay." NAS. This Jesus whom we serve was brought back to life. This is the One who was, and is, and is to come, The Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the begining and the end!!! Praise GOD !!! He alone is the One we are suppose to be following. Note that to follow Jesus is to be a disciple. What is a disciple you ask? Why, a disciple is one who with discipline follows, learns, and imitates his master (teacher), and in this case his Lord. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says 3 things one must do if he is going to be a disciple : 1. deny himself, 2. take up his cross, 3. follow Me. It's all about Jesus Christ, not us. What we must do is to deny ourselves of our selfwill or as I like to say, our selfish will; what we want, what we think, and what we feel is not the issue here. Like John the Baptist said " we must decrease and He (Jesus) must increase. We must willfully take up our cross, until we take it up we cannot truly follow Christ. In order for us to receive grace we must experience the cross, and the only way that grace can be appropriated is through the cross. And without this, As singer and songwriter Matthew West says "we are just going through the motions". Notice it's not someone else's cross. What is our cross? It's where our will and GOD's will cross. There you will find your cross! After finding out what your cross is, then you must follow Jesus Christ; and that is daily, then and only then my beloved, are you a true disciple. Following Christ part 2