ARE YOU A DISCIPLE?

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. - Luke 14:33

Are you a disciple? Just because you are a Christian doesn't necessarily mean that you are a disciple.

Every disciple is a believer, but not every believer is a disciple. Jesus gave us the definition of a disciple in Luke 14.

Three times in this passage, He said that if we do not do these things, we cannot be His disciples.

First, Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple" (verse 26).

A statement like that is shocking, but let's understand what Jesus was saying. He obviously was not telling us to hate in the traditional sense.

Rather, Jesus was saying that your love for God should be so strong, so intense, that all other loves would pale in comparison.
Second, Jesus said, "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" (verse 27).

If you want to live life to its fullest, then you must deny yourself and put Christ first. You take your goals, desires, dreams, and aspirations, and you present them to God. And ultimately you will discover that God's plans for you are always the best.

Last, Jesus said, "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it? . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple" (verses 28, 33).

You must count the cost to follow Jesus. Yes, it costs to follow Jesus. But it costs more not to follow Him. Jesus called us to go and make disciples. But it takes one to make one.

Prayer: Lord, make me a true disciple.

Scriptural Reading: Luke 14:25-35

Happy New Month and Workers' Day

Happy new month of May, this month of may will bring to you and family favour and grace, the hand of God will be upon you.

Happy new month and workers' day

THROUGH THE FIRE

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. - Isaiah 43:2

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were three Jewish teenagers who walked with God in the midst of a godless society.

When King Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem and carried away captives to Babylon, he singled out Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for royal service.

The king was grooming them to be leaders in the kingdom of Babylon, and they were being schooled in all the ways of that twisted, idolatrous culture.

One day, Nebuchadnezzar set up a golden statue of himself and commanded everyone in his kingdom to bow down before it and worship.

The penalty for disregarding the king's order was death. So all of the people obediently fell before this image — except for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

The outraged king called them into his presence and gave them one more chance to bow down. But they told him, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty" (Daniel 3:17).

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tied up and thrown into the furnace, heated seven times hotter than usual, as ordered by King Nebuchadnezzar.

But as the king watched, he saw not three but four men in the furnace, free and walking around. King Nebuchadnezzar saw the Son of God walking with them through the fire. And Jesus will walk with you through your fire.

He will walk with you through your hardships. We are never alone in life. That is the message from Genesis to Revelation. He has said, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt 28:20).

Prayer: Thank You Lord, for Your assurance never to leave me nor forsake me.

Scriptural Reading: Isaiah 43:1-5

Way to nourish your body's vital gland

Living Foods. They're foods that are alive raw (not cooked) and filled with life. They're also called raw foods or live foods.

You can plant them, pick them, sprout them or simply eat them. In each case you get life! That's because life comes from life. These foods are your "true north," your path home to health in a jungle of dietary havoc, contaminated food and abounding confusion about what and how to eat.

Good health is the result of consuming whole, unprocessed, clean food with a large percentage of that being raw and alive. These foods are chock-full of nutrients, water and fiber that flush away toxins, waste and "sludge" from our cells and intercellular fluids.

They help us prevent disease. They alkalize our bodies and help us restore our pH balance. And they give our cells vital light rays of energy to help them communicate more effectively.

Since your thyroid is a key gland that's tied to every other system in your body, it needs to work flawlessly. When it's out of balance, you're out of balance. If you have a number of the symptoms of low thyroid, chances are that you could benefit by working on your thyroid health by eating more living foods.

Some foods boost thyroid function, which makes them perfect for treating hypothyroidism, while others suppress thyroid function, which can help people with hyperthyroidism. And there are certain foods that are best avoided by anyone who is concerned about having a healthy thyroid gland and overall good health.

The following raw foods are among the most helpful for restoring thyroid balance whether you have an underactive or overactive thyroid:

• Fresh raw vegetable juices
• Low-sugar fruit, especially lemons, limes, cranberries and other berries, and green apples
• Raw nuts and seeds
• Seaweed for its rich iodine content (for hypothyroid)
• Chlorophyll-rich green juices such as watercress, collards, chard, kale, kohlrabi

Leaves, beet greens and parsley (vary the cruciferous greens with other non-cruciferous greens, such as lettuce, beet greens, watercress and spinach, if you have hypothyroidism)

source: charismamag.com

BEWARE OF WRONG MOTIVES

But Peter replied, "May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God's gift can be bought! You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God." - Acts 8:20-21

In the book of Acts, we read about a man named Simon, who was a sorcerer, an occultist. He had a lot of people under his influence when the apostle Philip came along, preaching the gospel in Samaria.

As people were coming to faith and miracles were being performed, Simon realized that he had to change his racket.

So we read in Acts 8:13 that Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip everywhere and was astonished by the great miracles he saw.

When the apostles heard what was happening in Samaria, they sent Peter and John there. And so Simon approached the apostles and offered them money because he saw God's power working through them and wanted to buy it.

But Peter told him, "May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God's gift can be bought! You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God.

Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin" (Acts 8:20-23).

Simon showed by his actions that he never was a believer. Yes, he was baptized. (And if you are a Christian, you ought to be baptized.) But just because someone is baptized doesn't necessarily mean he or she is a Christian.

This shows us that people can be in a godly place, around godly people, and not have it affect them in the right way.

As it has been said, the same sun that softens the wax hardens the clay. The grace of Jesus Christ, if it does not convert a person, plunges him or her into deeper darkness.

The purpose of our Christian call is not for grabbing material possessions but service to the Kingdom of God. So check your motives!

Prayer: Lord, create in me a clean heart.

Scriptural Reading: Acts 8:20-9-25

Prayer for new week

Your name will no longer be on the waiting list for miracles. It is your turn to gain the attention of

The Almighty God. God will relief you of every burden you have been carrying since time immemorial. The person who will help you will not give up on you in Jesus Name!

Anything you lay your hands on shall prosper. Everyone you meet shall favor you, cos this is your week of divine favor and visitation. The Lord shall revive you and everything about your life. Joy, peace and good health shall be yours and every member of your family in Jesus name. 

Happy New Week from us ASB-World. 

AVAILABILITY

I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols. - Isaiah 42:8

What kind of person does God seek to use? What qualifications is He looking for in someone? Is it a towering intellect?

Is it natural leadership ability? Could God ever use someone who is a bit shy by nature? Does this person have to be very talented or handsome or beautiful?

The answer to all of these questions is clearly no. It seems as though God goes out of His way sometimes to choose the most unexpected people to use.

If I had to choose one passage of Scripture that I think best summarizes my life as a Christian, it would be 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, where the apostle Paul wrote, "Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.

Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.

And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world; things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God."

There is not a person who had less promise to achieve anything with his life than me. I was literally the last person picked for the team for whatever sport it was.

I never was academically strong. I always underwhelmed in most areas of my life. So when the Lord chose me to serve Him, it was very clear that it was His doing—not mine.

This is because God will not give His glory to another. As I have said before, God is not looking for ability as much as availability. Are you available to Him?

Prayer: Lord, here I am, use me.

Scriptural Reading: Isaiah 42:6-9