My choice: To take up the cross and follow

There has been a though on my mind for a while now, the thought that I need to give my life to God. I thought about the numerous altar calls I have seen and even the ones I have taken part in; and looking back then and thinking of now, I wonder; when the word was said "you need to give your life to christ", How many people (and I mean the guy at the altar and everyone else responding) actually think about the implications of the call? It is so easy to go on my knees and ask for forgiveness from God, when everything seems fine and rosy, so easy to come out in front of crowds and have a man (any man of God) lay his hands on me and pray for me, I shed all the contrite tears I can muster and then I go right back to the way I lived initially, before I fell into the mess. Sound familiar?? I have said so many times before that I would try not to make the same mistakes I made before, do the same things I did but not let it get "too far"... But so often, so many times even when we find ourselves not falling into that same mess, we find ourselves falling into another one and then another one... And almost all the time we find ourselves at that same place on our knees looking for just another fix; a fix to the problems around us at that time.
At the end we have a people very much like you and I, very much like the children of Israel of old. Always wanting to do their will, not understanding what it means to be a chosen people, a chosen generation. Not understanding what it means to "give your life to Christ". We hear it, some of us have heard it so many times that it has become meaningless to us, some of us have spoken it so many times that it has lost its meaning as well...
Taking it literally saying the words, Lord I give my life to you should have a deep meaning. Saying Lord my life as I know it is yours, all I am, my thoughts, my words, my deeds. A lot of times this is not the case (atleast for me) mainly because I struggle to take up the life I have laid down for His will. I have thought about this for a while like I have said and the one thing that has been in my head since is this... "You need to give your life to Christ" I re-read Psalm 27 and after a very strange week where I had some really low times and some quite happy ones I looked at Psalm 27 v 4 and I understood why David was a man after God's heart...

It says

One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

The whole Psalm says what he expects as a result of the only thing He did seek after. As a man, I have laid my life down and picked it up so many times to do as I pleased when I willed and the one man that had a right to do that (Jesus Christ) didn't. So what right do I have?? The bible says He was obedient even unto death. Obedient unto death... And because of that He has been placed above every other. Obedience that can only come from giving your life to God.
God sees, He knows and He is a merciful and understanding God, He sent a Son who gave a command; leave all and take up your cross and follow me.

A word that has been in my mind and in my heart. Give your life to God; a God fully capable of taking care of you.

Leave all the drama behind, all the things worrying you aside just for a moment and focus on this; focus on Him. What it costs doesn't matter because He is more than able to handle it.

A song for all to listen to...

My choice is to give my life to Him,
not just in times of need,
not just in times of rejoicing but always.
Every single day, for better or worse
In trials and tribulations,
Through my fears and tears...
Till death brings us together again
Even closer than this walk through life

Stay blessed..

My choice: What would it cost me??

It is a question that every now and then crosses the minds of believers; both old and new. It is a question that has crossed mine very often, and while I may want to admit that each time i thought of it I said "Here I am , send me", truth be told is that the thought used to freak me out. I have read about leaving family, all that you know; the job, the comfort of life. I have read about carrying your cross to follow; and truly cross does not mean anything good... I came across a reminder most recently; and an answer to the question and I thought it would be a good thing to write out my changed view on the cost of service.

At a time when we are being thought about being prosperous as a christian, about being the head and not the tail, and the many other things being thrown at us these days I can only help but wonder, what am I supposed to hold on to?? On one hand I have constant reminders that the road is not an easy one, on the other I have that all I have to do is follow some steps and all will be well. Confusing right? Well yes it was till I remembered different people in the bible...

• A 75 year old man, called away from al he knew, to a place he did not know at all, a land God said He would show him. Several years later that same man older but not any wiser, chose the wilderness as a home over a plush green land (now how many of us would do that?? Slim, very slim chance I would)
• A young boy, favourite of his father, hated by his brother, sold into slavery, slandered and if that was not enough, forgotten as well in prison.
• A young lady, chosen for her beauty, stood in the face of death in support for her people.
• A young boy anointed to be king, lived as a fugitive because he refused to take a stand for what could be seen as rightfully his.
• Another young man, refusing long life and prosperity and opting instead for the wisdom to rule a nation.
• A man, refusing to give up his beliefs; standing for what he believed even at the threat of death, at a time when a whole country was obedient to the law.

Am talking of Abraham, Joseph, Esther, David, Solomon and Daniel. Just some examples in the bible. People that were willing to give up family, an established life, comfort, a well paying job, things that where rightfully theirs and even their life. Am talking about a group of 12 men (later reduced to 11) who left all they knew, all they had at the call of our Savior to follow and serve Him. And I am like wow!!! Wow! Wow! Wow! That is huge, can I do that?? If it cost them all that then what would it cost me? What has it cost you??

I read this passage a while ago and I just think this could be a very good time to share it..

Luke 14:25-end

²⁵Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

²⁸"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? ²⁹For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, ³⁰saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

³¹"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³²If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

³⁴"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? ³⁵It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
"He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Before you make the choice to serve, it is a good thing to realize the price and the cost of your choice; and that cost is everything, not the riches, the comfort or the family but you yourself, all you are. Make the choice to willingly follow, willing obey, and finally with much prayer and all your trust; stay in the Lord.

The one thing I failed to realize while freaking it out is this;

"The choice to serve could cost me everything,
But it can never cost more than my Lord and Savior can handle."

All the examples given above where not of people who thought of the cost of whatever decisions they made but people who realized the cost of not making that decision, people who realized that the God that brought them so far was more than able to keep and sustain them. That is enough for me and that should be enough for you.

Not the promises of blessings nor the fear of persecution but the knowledge that His grace is sufficient for you, and that truly He will never put on you more than you can bear.

"Thy will be done Lord, on earth as it is in Heaven. Daily"

The will of God!!!

Well chosen title, not just for the words but for the meaning behind the words, we all know the Lord's prayer; "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". i when we do say those lines do we really think about it, or deep down do we see it as us eventually doing the will of God when we get to heaven?
Its a new month, a time where I take some things into consideration, things coming between my will and God's will. I and the father are one Jesus said, one in all things, thoughts, words and deeds. I am not quite there yet, in fact am so far from there at the moment that it is amazing. Today am going back to John 17, I shared it yesterday but there is so much in it that points to the title that was lived in the life of our Savior that I can't just leave it right now, and probably never ever.
That whole chapter ( I don't know if y'all read it, but it did show me total conformity to the will of God; and I mean total) talked about two things, God's will and purpose in sending His Son than to earth; to die for our sins? Yes no doubt, but there is some more. ..

- Given power to give eternal life to as many as were given Him(i.e Jesus) vs 2-3. Eternal life is the knowledge of God and the one He sent to us, His Son. I checked out what the word knowledge means and it means, to get to know and understand.
- Manifesting God's name to the men given to HIm from the world vs (6, 7 & 8) knowing they are God's and them knowing that all things from tge Son are truly of God (Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven).
- Praying for the ones given to Him, not praying for the world vs 9 (now I have wondered what this could mean and I am still wondering, I am not quite lost yet) because they are the Father's.
- Verse 11-21, talks about a lot of things, Jesus praying for his disciples and then for us, all the ones that believed in God through them, and yes even through us, and with all the prayer for deliverance from evil and all, the one thing that did strike me ws the prayer for unity. Vs 22 says that they may be one as the Son and the Father are one, in perfect unity (reminds me the church being one body with different members making up the different parts and Christ being the head). The reason for being one is in vs 23, that with us being perfect in one, the world may know that Jesus was truly sent by God and that God does love us. Look around today at the world, cos I do a lot of times and I do not see unity and am not even talking about the church as a whole am talking about individual churches.

Now looking through all this, like I said shows the will of God not just for Jesus while here on earth but for us, followers of Christ, Christians. To share the gospel, and share eternal life with the world, to shine out as a light, to pray for the ones given us, and the ones given us will be the world, cos the last commandment given to the apostles and from the apostles to us was simple, go into the world and preach the gospel, manifesting the glory of God through love everywhere we go. Everything is aptly summarized in vs 25-26

25 "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

And will continue to make you known He said, does that stop at His leaving us in the world?? No because He said He would send His comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be indwelling in us even till this day, so no the prayer is still in effect till this day.

I cannot leave here without something in direct reference to the title now and it is something I borrowed from todays devotional, a very direct quote that speaks for itself...



"Oh, the bravery of God in trusting us! Do you say, "But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing good in me and I have no value"? That is exactly why He chose you. As long as you think that you are of value to Him He cannot choose you, because you have purposes of your own to serve. But if you will allow Him to take you to the end of your own self-sufficiency, then He can choose you to go with Him "to Jerusalem" ( Luke 18:31 ). And that will mean the fulfillment of purposes which He does not discuss with you."


It is a new month I said and it is a time when I do check myself, and the knowledge that things are not quite finished between me and God is at the very least humbling. I am a W.I.P. and truthfully as I learn everyday it is the process that counts.

As the potter works with clay, the blacksmith works with iron, so God works with us. If so much care and thoughtfulness were not put into the craftsmanship we would not end up with the Father.
The thing now is to remember that you are the clay and not the potter, you are the piece of iron and not the blacksmith.

Finally as food for thought, I will share this thought with you, we all say we are children of God, heirs of Abraham and all but then if you read John 3:16 (no need to quote it), He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes... His only begotten Son to die for our sins. As a child of God, what does that make you?? Take up your cross and follow me Jesus said, your cross, not your blessings, not the favor and all. I will stop here for now, like I said it is food for thought, story for another day.