Posted on 03/17/2025 6:03:04 AM PDT by metmom
“‘Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 5:10).
Our Lord made it clear from His earliest teaching that following Him was costly. Those who entered His kingdom would suffer for Him before they would reign with Him.
The cost of discipleship is billed to our account in many different ways. A believer today might be expected to hedge on the quality of his work to increase company profits. To follow one’s conscience in obedience to the Lord might cost him his job or at least a promotion. A Christian housewife who refuses to listen to gossip or to laugh at the crude jokes of her neighbors may find herself ostracized. Some costs will be great and some will be slight. But by the Lord’s and the apostles’ repeated promises, faithfulness always has a cost, which true Christians are willing to pay.
In the early days of the church, the price paid was often the ultimate. To choose Christ might mean choosing death by stoning. To choose Christ could mean torture by any number of excessively cruel and painful methods. That was the very thing Christ had in mind when He identified His followers as those willing to bear their crosses. That is His call to be ready to die, if need be, for the cause of the Lord (Matt. 10:35–39; 16:24–25).
Are you willing to pay that cost?
Ask Yourself
What are our usual reasons for not being willing to pay the cost of discipleship? Fear? Reputation? A stronger desire to be liked than to be lumped together with Christ’s followers? Ask yourself, “What makes me more strongly attached to these excuses than to bearing the name of my Lord?”
From Daily Readings from the Life of Christ, Vol. 1, John MacArthur. Copyright © 2008. Used by permission of Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL 60610, www.moodypublishers.com.
Studying God’s Word ping
Morning, MM.
Yesterday at church, our service was interrupted by a lady that apparently was dropped off at the church property. She resides at a mental health facility.
My former pastor had a daughter that suicided a couple of years ago. That act has profoundly affected him and his entire family.
This woman marched up to the lectern where the current pastor was delivering a sermon and she accused the former pastor of abusing his daughter.
This was horrific. My heart aches for him and them.
Wow...that is tragic. I will include your pastor and church (and that mentally ill woman) in my prayers.
Thank you. That means a lot!
And that is the enemy. It would more like demonic possession than mental illness, otherwise how would she know to accuse him of something that could cause the most amount of hurt?
A believer today might be expected to hedge on the quality of his work to increase company profits.
= = =
If the company wants lower quality work to increase profits, that is their business model.
If the employee was expected to rate the poor quality product as high quality, that is different.
Do we Prots really NEED a ‘caucus’ section?
I think we can defend our theology against any who would try to naysay it.
“‘Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 5:10).
The Word of God can take care of itself, and will do so if we preach it, and cease defending it.
See you that lion. They have caged him for his preservation; shut him up behind iron bars to secure him from his foes!
See how a band of armed men have gathered together to protect the lion. What a clatter they make with their swords and spears! These mighty men are intent upon defending a lion.
O fools, and slow of heart! Open that door! Let the lord of the forest come forth free. Who will dare to encounter him? What does he want with your guardian care?
Let the pure gospel go forth in all its lion-like majesty, and it will soon clear its own way and ease itself of its adversaries.
– Charles Spurgeon / “The Lover of God’s Law Filled with Peace” (January 1888)
They’re devotionals and meant solely for teaching and edification.
Most of the people on the ping list have expressed that they do not want debate on the threads. That is stopping nobody from reading them.
If someone wants to post these as open threads for the purpose of debate, they are certainly free to do so.
Thanks for the clarification.
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