GLAD TIDINGS/GREAT JOY – The Cost Reward of Cooperation
Matthew 16 (TPT) 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely reject and disown your own life. And you must be willing to share my cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to my ways. 25 For if you choose self-sacrifice and lose your lives for my glory, you will continually discover true life. But if you choose to keep your lives for yourselves, you will forfeit what you try to keep. 26 For even if you were to gain all the wealth and power of this world—at the cost of your own life—what good would that be? And what could be more valuable to you than your own soul? 27 I, the Son of Man, will one day return with my messengers and in the splendor and majesty of my Father. And then I will reward each person according to what they have done.
Matthew 16:24-27
25 As massive crowds followed Jesus, he turned to them and said, 26 “When you follow me as my disciple, you must put aside your father, your mother, your wife, your sisters, your brothers; it will even seem as though you hate your own life. This is the price you’ll pay to be considered one of my followers. 27 Anyone who comes to me must be willing to share my cross and experience it as his own, or he cannot be considered to be my disciple. 28 So don’t follow me without considering what it will cost you. For who would construct a house before first sitting down to estimate the cost to complete it? 29 Otherwise he may lay the foundation and not be able to finish. The neighbors will ridicule him, saying, 30 ‘Look at him! He started to build but couldn’t complete it!’31 “Have you ever heard of a commander who goes out to war without first sitting down with strategic planning to determine the strength of his army to win the war against a stronger opponent? 32 If he knows he doesn’t stand a chance of winning the war, the wise commander will send out delegates to ask for the terms of peace. 33 Likewise, unless you surrender all to me, giving up all you possess, you cannot be one of my disciples.34 “Salt is good for seasoning. But if salt were to lose its flavor, how could it ever be restored? 35 It will never be useful again, not even fit for the soil or the manure pile! If you have ears opened by the Spirit, then hear the meaning of what I have said and apply it to yourselves.”
Luke 14:25-35 (TPT)
We live in a time when the church cannot survive apart from the miraculous.
Whoever follows Him must take up his cross and die daily.
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man came running up to him. Kneeling down in front of him, he cried out, “Good Teacher, what one thing am I required to do to gain eternal life?”18 Jesus responded, “Why do you call me good? Only God is truly good. 19 You already know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give a false testimony, do not cheat, and honor your father and mother.’ ”20 The man said to Jesus, “Teacher, I have carefully obeyed these laws since my youth.”21 Jesus fixed his gaze upon the man, with tender love, and said to him, “Yet there is still one thing in you lacking. Go, sell all that you have and give the money to the poor. Then all of your treasure will be in heaven. After you’ve done this, come back and walk with me.”22 Completely shocked by Jesus’ answer, he turned and walked away very sad, for he was extremely rich.23 Jesus looked at the faces of his disciples and said, “How hard it is for the wealthy to enter into God’s kingdom realm.”24 The disciples were startled when they heard this. But Jesus again said to them, “Children, it is next to impossible for those who trust in their riches to find their way into God’s kingdom. 25 It is easier to stuff a rope through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy person to enter into God’s kingdom.”26 But this left them all the more astonished, and they whispered to one another, “Then who could ever be saved?”27 Jesus looked at them and replied, “With people it is impossible, but not with God—God makes all things possible!”28 Then Peter spoke up and said, “Can’t you see that we’ve left everything we had to cling to you?”29 “Listen to my words,” Jesus said. “Anyone who leaves his home behind and chooses me over children, parents, family, and possessions, all for the sake of the gospel, 30 it will come back to him a hundred times as much in this lifetime—homes, family, mothers, brothers, sisters, children, possessions—along with persecutions. And in the age to come, he will inherit eternal life. 31 But many who are considered to be the most important now will be the least important then. And many who are viewed as the least important now will be considered the most important then.”
Mark 10:17-31 (TPT)
