“Then Jesus said to them all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me'” (Luke 9:23).
This Bible verse is Luke's Gospelone of the three synoptic gospels.
According to the Christian website Overviewbible.com, Luke, also known as Luke the Evangelist, is widely regarded as the author of both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts.
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Luke wrote further new testament More than anyone else, even more than the Apostle Paul, the site says.
He lived in the first century and “likely also had direct access to the apostolic and other accounts of Jesus' life and ministry,” the site says.
“Following Jesus is the wisest, scariest, most thrilling and fulfilling path a person can take,” Pastor John Bell of Flower Mound, Texas, told Fox News Digital. (St. Petersburg)
“Following Jesus is the wisest, scariest, most thrilling and fulfilling path a person can take,” Pastor John Bell told Fox News Digital.
Bell is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel in Flower Mound, Texas.
Many of the disciples “immediately stopped what they were doing to follow Jesus,” Bell said.
“There must have been something in him that made him leave them all behind and follow.”
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Following Jesus was not just an “adventure” for the disciples, but also a way to find eternal life in Christ.
“They also realized that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. It wasn't easy, but it was amazing,” Bell said. “Following Jesus is a wonderful thing.”
“There must have been something in him that made him leave them behind and follow.”
As this passage shows, following Jesus means that people must deny themselves.
This means humans “cannot follow themselves, their own impulses, their own purposes, and follow Jesus at the same time,” Bell said.
The Rev. John Bell, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel in Flower Mound, Texas, told Fox News Digital that following Jesus was “not easy” for the disciples, “but it was beautiful.” (Pastor John Bell/iStock)
“Jesus is going in the opposite direction of the world,” Bell said. “It's an 'either-or' problem.”
Those who seek to follow Christ must ask themselves, “What am I living for, and how does it show in my actions?” Bell said.
“People think that attending church, praying, studying the Bible, and doing good deeds are enough, yet at the same time they think they are following Jesus when they are living for themselves and the world. “Some people are deceiving themselves,” he said.
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“The Bible says that God requires obedience more than sacrifice. Obedience is a good indicator that our faith is genuine… There are many things that non-believers and unsaved people can do. ,” Bell said.
“When Jesus is leading you, you are successful.”
When obedience is done out of love, it “shows great faith.”
“A good question to ask yourself is, 'Have I ever said no to something or to myself because I'm a follower of Christ?'” Bell says. said.
Pastor Bell said Jesus “is not going to lead us into evil, sin, selfishness and worldliness.” (St. Petersburg)
Bell told FOX News Digital that following Jesus would naturally lead to self-denial.
“Jesus is not going to lead us into evil, sin, selfishness and worldliness,” he said. “Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is not in eating and drinking, but in righteousness, peace, and the Holy Spirit.”
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Therefore, he said, humans either “live for themselves or live for God.”
“As the disciples learned, following Jesus not only changed their lives, but changed the lives of others. What is being asked of you is not to be in charge; It’s about following,” Bell said.
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“If you track it, you'll find that you're living life to the fullest,” Bell said.
“When Jesus is leading you, you are successful.”
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