FAITH CAPSULE: You can only follow who you believe.

Mark 8:31-34, Luke 4:31-37

So many came to Jesus, but very few followed Him. The price is too costly to follow because to follow Jesus is to forsake all. Christianity today is convenience, not commitment from the heart. The most glaring identity of Christians, the self-acclaimed born again today is: lying, manipulation and deception. Among the believers, the sign does not follow any more because their lifestyles do not reflect the one that is following the Master.Born again Christians are very use to the Word of God, but they no longer let the Word use them. Billy Graham once said that, if the Holy Spirit is taken out of the church, 95% of church activities would be going on without any noticeable change. God, however, in His infinite mercy, continues to be patient with His children. The Bible talked about Jesus in Luke 4:32, “And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.” Today, most of His acclaimed follower’s word is not backed with power. Sick come into church and they leave to go back home still sick. Do you wonder what is going on with the Word of God? The Word of God is still the same and it has not change, it is the world that is changing from the Word. If you do not work for the Word, the Word will not work for you. Jesus’ disciples once asked Him, John 6:28, “What shall we do, that we may work the work of God?” Have you ever figured out what has to be done to work the work? John 6:29, “Jesus answered and said to them, this is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.” When there is no trust, there will be no obedience to the Word. Without obedience, faith is absent and belief does not have a place to reside.
You can only follow who you believe.
Following
Following Jesus is self denial. If you can not deny yourself it is impossible to follow Him. Mark 8:34, “When He had called the people to Himself with His disciples also, He said to them ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let Him deny Himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’” Following Jesus is a daily activity, not only a Sunday activity.
In following Him
In your following there is no excuse; there is no distraction. When you follow Him, there have to be consistency. Consistency will build up to commitment, and then continuity will have its place. When you follow Him, you do not have to walk how others walk, you do not have to see like they see, and you do not have to hear what they hear. Keep focus on the leading Master. Some went to Him voluntarily and ended up with excuses. He called some, but they could not handle the weight of the cross.

Prayer for today: Ask for the grace to follow Him fully.