Skeptics Welcome—Part 12
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The Discipleship Challenge
Dear Friends,
The Discipleship Challenge is a big hurdle for many people. It could possibly be the greatest final and ultimate challenge.
Discipleship is where the rubber of faith, meets the road of hard knocks.
The Watergate 12 vs. the Apostles 12
Something Truly Mattered Here:
God never told you to …
They understood their Calling … to die as witnesses of God’s Resurrection.
True discipleship goes far beyond just thinking in your head, and believing in your heart.
True discipleship is not the religious game that many people in many popular churches and trendy denominations.
Religious games have been around since the beginning of time. Ever since the serpent entered into garden of Eden and turned the first two people created in the image of God and into servants of the serpent, and began to carry out his will.
True discipleship, as defined by Jesus, himself, is the most costly, most demanding, most rigorous, most life transforming commitment any man can make to another in this life.
Many people seem to believe, and preach a message about following Christ, that requires no obedience, requires no sacrifice, requires no works, and requires no transformation of any kind that will cost you something.
But the direct cheat teachings of Jesus, and the direct teachings of his apostles, and the life, example of Jesus, and the life examples of h fly in the face of believers theology. Which states just believe in your heart, and he shall be saved.
As the apostle James puts it if you believe it in your heart, He has a right to be able to see it in your life, with his own eyes. In other words, James says: “Faith without Works is Dead.” If you have Faith, then it will be proven by your Deeds, by the things that you do, and the things that you do not do.
James 2:19-26 (KJV) 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that Faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
What if Abraham, refused to offer Isaac on the altar? Do you think his name, and his story would be recorded in the book of Genesis?
What if rehab, the prostitute, refused to help the spies during the days of JOSHUA? Do you think her name would be in the Bible?
The answer to those questions should be obvious. No. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Hebrews 11:5-6 (KJV) 5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
How can you believe in something you cannot see?
Do angels and demons and the devil really exist? Or are they just mythical legends? Or figments of our imagination?
The highest IQ intellectuals have Doubts about Jesus
What is happening behind the scenes. What are the Temptations that need to be overcome?
Other religions have doubts about Jesus
More to come … soon.