Saying And Doing.........

John 13:38"Jesus answered him, wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, Verily, I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice"

I ask the question; will you deny the Lord? It is easy while in the comforts of the church house to say I'll lay down my life for the Lord, but when the enemy begins his attack on you, will you still be willing to lay down your life to follow Christ.

On the night when Jesus was preparing to lay down his life to save mankind, Peter claimed to be willing to lay down his life for Jesus. Now don't get me wrong, it is better to die with Jesus than to live without him, but Peter didn't fully understand what it meant to lay down his life to follow Jesus. Many today don't take the time to count up the cost when it comes to following Christ. See it's one thing to leave the fishing boats to follow Christ, and something totally different to lay down ones life to follow. It's one thing to make a sacrifice a couple of hours on Sunday to follow Christ, but can you sacrifice a lifetime to follow him. We must realize there is a wilderness between the red sea and the promise land. There is a great suffering that comes before the promised rest. You can't enjoy the risen savior without suffering with the crucified Lord. The truth is some of us will be scared away by the sufferings that lies ahead; many of us will abandon him when the persecution comes. He will be sold out in times of uncertainties, and he will be denied at a time when a witness is needed. How can we say we will do with such ease, something that the Lord himself struggled with in the garden. Will you take up a cross for those who talk about you, spitefully use you, falsely accuse you. Will you love your enemy, will you humble yourself as a little child, and submit to the will of God. When it's all on the line, will you deny the lord.

We all know that Judas sold Jesus out while Peter denied him, and the other disciples abandoned him. But are you aware that some of us have also sold him out, abandoned him and denied him, by the way we sometimes live our life. Will you lay down your life for the Lord?