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So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:33

Jesus paints a very narrow door for those that would be His disciples. If we do not renounce all that we have and all that we are, we cannot be His disciples. All selfishness must go if we are to walk in the footsteps of Christ. We must seek the Lord concerning the things in our lives. The Spirit of God is great at pointing out things that must be forsaken. We need to be sensitive to the Lord’s voice. He gives commands, but in a still, soft voice. If we are distracted by the world and its noise, we might miss something. Spend much time alone with Christ so that you will recognize His gentle, meek voice.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Matthew 13:44

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Matthew 13:45-46

We must sell out ALL THAT WE HAVE in order to have the hidden treasure of Christ. Dying to self is painful, but with the Lord’s help we can do it with joy, just like Christ died for the joy set before Him. We have no rights to anything but Christ. That’s the life of a true Christian. That’s how you can know that you are on the right path: did it COST EVERYTHING YOU USED TO BE? The self life, the old man of the flesh, must be crucified with Christ in order to have eternal life!

And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Luke 13:20-21

The kingdom of God starts working in us slowly at first. Then, as it gains momentum it removes from our lives everything we formerly lived for. Fortunately for us, God doesn’t chop off the branches all at once. He lovingly prunes the branches of our lives until they conform to the image of Jesus Christ. We are a work in progress. Christ will show us how to walk in self abandonment if we are willing and zealous for HIM. Step by step, inch by inch He reveals things that don’t please Him. At no point do we lose our freewill. We must surrender it to God in loving obedience. Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments. We are constantly counting the cost of a life of service to Christ and others. Just because we obeyed yesterday doesn’t mean we will today. We are continually being tried by the fire of God’s Spirit.

Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

Luke 6:47-48

In order to be on the Rock of Christ, that solid foundation, we must DIG DEEP. Dig deep within ourselves to muster up all the courage we can. We are told to be strong and very courageous, so that we may do all that is commanded of us. Are we digging deep each day? Do we neglect time in prayer or time in the Word? Do we love God and others at EVERY POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY? If not, we still have some dying to do. The best advice I can give is to surrender all to Christ all at once. It will save Him having to point out things that don’t please Him. Things of the world have to go. They have no place in the life of a true Christian. We must do away with casual Christianity. In true Christianity, YOU ARE NAILED TO A CROSS, just like Christ! It is a bloody affair. The life of the flesh is in the blood and Christ will cost you your whole life. In return, Christ will give you eternal life. The genuine life that flows from His throne through His Spirit and His Word.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Philippians 3:7-11

Doing things for our own pleasure is contrary to a life of Christ. Christ pleased not Himself. His joy was in serving His Father. Likewise, our joy is in serving Christ. We must conform unto His death, which is the death of the cross. Christ says if we don’t pick up our cross daily and follow Him, we are not worthy of Him. We should be in the habit of denying ourselves, so that we may rejoice the heart of God in all things. We should be willing to give up anything and everything, if God so requires. This is the price of eternal life, which is knowing the Father and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

Earlier this year the Lord put on my heart to get rid of my TV and my large DVD collection. It was an idol in my life, stealing away much time that could have been used for eternal things in Christ. So, I gladly gave it up. Since then, the time I used to spend watching TV and movies has been absorbed by seeking the Lord in prayer and Bible reading. Like Paul, I count the loss of those things as dung, that I may have Christ instead. We can have the world or we can have Christ, but not both at the same time. Choose you this day who you will serve, Jesus or yourself!

Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

John 12:1-8

In this passage we see a natural anointing of Jesus in preparation for His natural death He was to suffer. There are some spiritual parallels we can see and draw some illumination from.

First, Jesus was only anointed after He had made the commitment to die physically. Only dead people get the anointing. Christ had already been anointed spiritually at the start of His earthly ministry. When He came out of the water, He was anointed by the Holy Spirit for service to God and others. The spiritual anointing of God, the Holy Spirit, is only for dead people. People that are crucified with Christ and buried with Him by baptism into death. People that no longer trust in themselves, but entrust all things to the Father through faith in Jesus Christ.

Second, the physical anointing was very costly. In the natural, it was worth a year’s wages. It was a great sacrifice for Mary to anoint Jesus this way. Likewise, the spiritual anointing of the Holy Spirit came at great price. It took the death and resurrection of Christ before Christ could send the promised comforter back to earth on the day of Pentecost. The anointing will cost you everything that you are. One must die to self and follow the will of the Father in order to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Third, the thief, the devil, will try to steal the anointing from you. Satan will attempt to get you to go back to trusting in yourself and living for yourself. He wants you to grieve the Holy Spirit within you by living an unholy life. He will attempt to flatter you into becoming prideful. Beware of his influence, for the anointing is for the humble in spirit only. You can lose the sweet smell of the ointment when you spiritually roll around in the trash and filth of the world, which is Satan’s doing.

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Acts 10:38

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Luke 4:18-19

The anointing of God comes with great power and great responsibility. The power of God is at your fingertips, yet one must carry himself in a holy manner at all times, for the anointing is the Holy Spirit. Notice that the anointing is for service to others. The anointing is for the revelation of Christ to the hearers. The Spirit of the Lord came to glorify Jesus Christ and to speak of Him. There is no need to speak of yourself, for you are dead and buried in Christ. A servant speaks of his master, which is Christ.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

Isaiah 10:27

The anointing is meant to be a spirit of liberty, a spirit of freedom. It breaks the yoke of the oppressor and delivers the hearers into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. One must be careful to preach the freedom that is in Christ and stay far away from strange doctrines that bring people into bondage. Remember, the anointing is costly but has already been paid for with the blood of Jesus. When you carry this anointing out into the world, be sure to freely give away the things God has taught you. Freely you have received, freely give.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

John 12:24

When we were dead in our sins we lived a very selfish life, which was of no benefit to God or others. Christ wants you to die the death of fruitfulness. Your life is the seed that falls into the ground of your heart. If you will die to self, then God can use you to bring forth much good fruit by the Spirit of God. If you want the anointing, if you want to be a pleasing fragrance to God and others, then pay the price of such a costly anointing. Die to self and be filled with the Spirit of Christ. Then you will be equipped to do the work of the ministry, as Christ directs your steps into His perfect will for you. The same Spirit that anointed Jesus is the same Spirit we walk in today, for God changes not. I wish you many fruitful years of service to God in the power of His Christ. Amen.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23

God expects an energetic effort from each of us towards the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is our life! If we aren’t going to be passionate about this glorious gospel, then what will we ever be passionate about? This is something to be excited about and to exercise ourselves towards with all of our heart. Lord, let us have a diligent heart in the things you have commanded us to do!

Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

2 Corinthians 8:7

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8

Diligence is one of many virtues listed in these verses. It is vital, it is essential. Without diligence we will not succeed in our calling in Christ Jesus. Yet, we must be on the right path before diligence will prosper us. Paul was diligent back when he was called Saul. He persecuted the church with all diligence, yet he was on the wrong path that leads to destruction. Once he met Jesus and became Paul the apostle, his diligence became profitable to God and to mankind. Diligence in the way of righteousness profits much. When you don’t know what to do, diligence becomes impossible. But after God reveals His perfect plan for your life, run the way of His commandments! Do it with diligence, do it with all your heart! We must be diligent in Bible study, in prayer, in Bible memorizing, in love, in fasting, in holiness, in giving and in every other good thing that is named in Jesus Christ. We only get one life to live on this earth. Give all diligence so that you won’t be ashamed before Christ at His 2nd coming! Christ hates slothful servants.

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

2 Peter 1:10

Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

2 Peter 3:13-14

Without diligence, our salvation is most definitely in question! Make your calling and election in Christ sure. Steadfast. Unmoveable and unshakable. Prioritize your relationship with Christ over the things of this world. Eat and drink the Word of God, sitting at the feet of Jesus like Mary did. Seeing how this present earth is soon to pass away in a great flame of fire, shouldn’t we give all diligence in the things God has commanded us to do? Diligence in Christ needs to become habitual, in that we do it all of the time. When we are just getting started in Christ, our diligence may not always be there. Don’t fear, you are a work in progress and Christ will see to it that you become a mature man or woman of God in ALL THINGS. He makes all things new, including your diligence. Remember, we are only following the example of Jesus Christ, who went about doing good all of the time, serving His Father with all diligence.

God expects YOU to rule your spirit well. He will exhort and He will chastise, but it is up to YOU to give all diligence. Remember, faith IS diligence. It is active, it is moving. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him in faith. Don’t miss out on the glorious rewards God has prepared for you. Seek Him with a pure heart, diligently, all the time, with all zeal and joy. God be with you as you give Him everything you are. Amen.