Luke 14:33 “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
Some think this verse means that if you want to be a disciple of Jesus you must give away all your earthly possessions and follow Jesus, just as Jesus told the rich young ruler. Matthew 19:21 “if you want to be perfect go sell your possessions and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.” If Jesus asked you to do this you must then obey and do it. Has Jesus asked you to do this ?
In his encounter with the rich young ruler Jesus was making a point that being rich is a hindrance to the hope of salvation. Matthew 19:23 “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” The lesson to be learned is that we must never have anything in our lives that is more important than Jesus. Jesus is not asking us to not love others or give up our earthly responsibility to our family but to place him first above all these things. This is the same honor the FATHER has the right to demand of us. “Love the Lord Your GOD”, we have no other God. John 5:23 “that all may honor the son just as they honor the FATHER.” We can live our lives with our families and friends to love and serve them but our highest love and service belongs to GOD and Christ. In fact it is GOD and Christ who have made it possible for us to love and serve others. The two greatest of all commandments, the FIRST is love toward GOD, the second is toward others. If we love GOD and Jesus first then we are empowered by GOD with HIS love to love our friends, family and neighbors. A major part in this love is to provide for our family and our neighbors the physical needs of this life within the limits of our ability. I don’t think the FATHER or Jesus would ask us to do something that would go against the second of the two commandments but if GOD or Christ had some great reason or purpose for us to do I believe that somehow our families would still be taken care of in our absence. When Jesus went into full time ministry I believe he made sure his mother was going to be cared for just as he did while dying on the cross by telling John, John 19:25-27 “behold your mother” Even while serving his GOD and loving his GOD above all else Jesus still loved and cared for his mother. I believe his FATHER was pleased with that.
So then, does Jesus ask you to become a pauper or to abandon your family and friends in order to serve and obey him ? If Jesus did I believe your loved ones would yet have no lack. There have been prophets and Apostles that Jesus and the FATHER did ask to give their all for GODS great will and purpose. The prophets before Jesus were killed by their own people as were many of the Apostles. These all had a very special role in GODS will in human salvation. The members of GODS church were not called and chosen to suffer wrath but to obtain salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 Romans 5:9 1 Peter 1:3-5 “shielded by GODS power for salvation revealed in the last time” shielded; to protect from harm and danger.
There were certain men who were called into the church to serve in leadership as Apostles and to do this had to have a greater anointing of the Holy Spirit. To whom much is given more is expected from them. All but 1 of the 14 Apostles were as far as we know murdered, John being the only exception. The prophets of old fell under the same category. Today we have No Apostles, the gospel has been preached, it’s in the scriptures for all to read but requires the teaching of GODS spirit through Jesus to understand it. The church today is not trying to fulfill the great commission but rather is in the process of having restored what was lost due to the great deception that began after Apostle John died. The Elijah to come that Jesus said would RESTORE ALL THINGS, is at work in the 12 tribes scattered abroad and the saints are now learning the restored truths. Matthew 17:11 Those saints are all called and chosen at different times and at different stages of spiritual growth. This process has been ongoing since the close of the first century AD.
The process will end just before the great tribulation begins with the sealing of all 144,000 of the elect saints. The living and the dead saints all being sealed together but all not alive together. There will only be a small remnant of the elect still alive and remaining when Jesus returns and only then will all the elect receive the promises. There will be another group called the Laodiceans who must be martyred during the tribulation who will also be in the first resurrection but are not part of the 144000 elect.
So then, during the tribulation there will be an innumerable multitude that GOD and Christ will indeed require to give their lives, love not their lives unto death, because of their lack of total commitment to GOD and Christ prior to the tribulation.
There have been certain people over all of time that have been required to give ALL for GOD and Christ but these are a minority compared to the total number that will be in the first resurrection.
None of the saints today are Apostles or an ancient prophet although we all are new covenant prophets and prophetesses who are subject to the ancient prophets and the Apostles who were subject to GOD and Christ. We have great respect and admiration for all these who gave their ALL for GOD and Christ but we have not been called and chosen for those offices but do greatly benefit from them. We live to become like Christ, but we are not the messiah. We are willing to obey GODS will in all things we have been chosen to do and that is love GOD and neighbor, work out our own salvation in fear and trembling, live in this world as shining lights to those in darkness and in patience wait for the kingdom to come.
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