November 1, 2023 … I Surrender All …

November 1, 2023 … I Surrender All  …   

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Carrie Underwood singing … I Surrender All …  Poignantly and powerfully singing of how those of use who claim to be Christians must be willing to surrender our ALL to follow Jesus. 

Are we willing to carry His cross daily? ... 

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Highlight Passage: … Luke 25:33 [NLT] … 

3 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. 

…  Are we willing to cover the cost of being Christ’s disciple?              

              

Highlight Passage (Context): … Luke 14:25-33 [NLT] …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus lays out - got hid followers - the cost of following Him and being His disciple. 

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Reference Passage: … Matthew 10:37  [NLT] … 

37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 

… Matthew quotes Jesus’ demand that only those who’r willing to love and follow Him can be His disciples.      

Reference Passage: … Luke 9:23  [NLT] … 

23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 

… Luke also reports on Jesus’ call to be His disciples requiring His follower’s willingness to surrendering EVERYTHING to follow Him.        

      

Reference Passage: …Mark 8:35  [NLT] … 

34 Then, calling the crowd to join His disciples, He said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me..

… Mark also conveys Jesus’  demand to be willing to give up anything and everything to be a disciple of Christ.  Are we?          

Reference Passage : …Romans 12:1-2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul teaches fellow Christians that we must be willing to become living sacrifices, giving our all to follow Him all our lives. Are we?         

Reference Passage: … Philippians 3:7-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

…  Paul also teaches his followers that everything we see and pursue in this life is meaningless and purposeless compared to knowing and following Christ.     

                                                                              

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Tim Gustafson … AT THIS LINK …   tells of a young woman in a religious, but non-, family who began reading the Bible intently and came to the realization that she would have to be willing to confront and deal with her father’s anger at his daughter’s decision to follow the Jesus of the Bible rather than his religious dogma.      

And today’s ODB and the absolutely true Scriptures above, reinforce Jesus’ demands for His followers to be willing to give up EVERYTHING to follow Jesus as His disciple.  And it all comes down to a simple question, ARE WE?   And if my readers, as I do, feel that they (we) can call themselves (ourselves) disciples of Christ, I pray that we are doing all we can to give up ourselves and our worldly idols to follow our Lord.  So, … my fellow “Christian,” … ask yourself, … AM I really willing to give up my all to follow Jesus and carry His cross every day?!  

   

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for showing me the way to follow You, Lord, thru Your word.                                                

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to give up ourselves, Lord, to be Your disciples. … Amen 

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Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.