“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’ ” (Matthew 16:24)
The great English preacher John Wesley once said, “Give me a hundred men who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I do not care if they be clergymen or laymen. Such men alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth.” I don't know if Wesley ever found such men. But I know that Jesus did.
Jesus called these men to be His disciples. In the Book of Acts, they were described as “these who have turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). When that statement was initially given, it was not meant as a compliment. In fact, it was more of a criticism. But in a sense, that statement was a supreme compliment, because it acknowledged the impact these men were making.
If there was ever a time in history when a world needed to be turned upside down or, should I say, right side up, the time is now. But if it is going to happen, then it will need to be through committed believers like the ones John Wesley was looking for: people who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God. No fair-weather followers need apply. God is looking for disciples.
So what does it mean to be a disciple? It simply means that you take your plans, your goals, and your aspirations and place them at the feet of Jesus. It simply means saying, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
Summary sentence: Let's commit ourselves to being true disciples of Jesus Christ. Not mere fair-weather followers, but disciples.
"Beginning is the most important part of the work" ....Let us watch well our beginnings, and the results will manage themselves.......
