Seeking and pursuing the things of God most often leads Christians away from their comfort zones. Right from the moment of repentance, regeneration to daily cross bearing and dying to self, the Christian journey is mostly associated with pains and struggle as long as we are still in this ephemeral world. That’s because the promise of God is not a better life in this world but life in a better world. We cannot prize comfort more than getting right with God. For most Christians today, comfort is their idol – a false god they worship with constant pursuit and attention. Some only want a comfortable life, not a godly life. The symbol for some Christians seems to be an easy chair, not a cross. Sometimes when we get right with God and return to our first love for Him, it doesn’t mean life becomes easy and comfortable. There are constant challenges for us to trust God and oftentimes God uses these challenges to build up our faith in Him. Golgotha isn't a suburb of Jerusalem; frustration, disappointment, sickness, stress, conflict are all normal to the Christian life, but the mindset that moves away from these move away from reality and from Christ. Being a Christian should mean that our trajectory is toward need, regardless of danger and discomfort and stress. In other words, Christians characteristically will make life choices that involve putting themselves and their families at temporal risk while enjoying eternal security. No one desires the pains of self-denial associated with Christ, but the battle is good for us. The symbol of Christianity is a cross, not a feather bed.

If you're a well to do and comfortable Christian, God hasn't blessed you so you can sit back into your life of ease and flaunt your wealth in order to “display” His glorious richness but to use what He has blessed you with and reach out to perishing souls in the darkness of this world. In Mark 10:29-30, Jesus Himself told us that following Him would require that we give up the things we love most, so the life of Christian faith and obedience is mostly not a comfortable life as against the gospel of wealth and comfort being sold by most contemporary “men of God”. But it is a rich and vibrant life that is saturated with the power, presence, and provision of God in a turbulence world. What is He calling you to do today? Is He calling you to embrace the social discomfort of fleeing worldly friendships, going into an intimate relationship with Him or joining a local church? Is He calling you to deny your self-desires, your personal ambitions/pleasures, stop watching porn, stop having premarital and extramarital sex or to stop alcoholism and clubbing? Is He calling you to pick up your Bible and seek him daily? Is He calling you to open your wallet or even your home to a brother or sister in need? Is He calling you to move across the world for the sake of the gospel — or even across the train tracks to the "rough" side of town? No matter which way He is tugging you, try to direct your eyes away from the cost and set your focus on the prize: more of God, more Christlikeness, more joy. Whatever it is, it's worth the cost.

UceeGod:
Seeking and pursuing the things of God most often leads Christians away from their comfort zones. Right from the moment of repentance, regeneration to daily cross bearing and dying to self, the Christian journey is mostly associated with pains and struggle as long as we are still in this ephemeral world. That’s because the promise of God is not a better life in this world but life in a better world. We cannot prize comfort more than getting right with God. For most Christians today, comfort is their idol – a false god they worship with constant pursuit and attention. Some only want a comfortable life, not a godly life. The symbol for some Christians seems to be an easy chair, not a cross. Sometimes when we get right with God and return to our first love for Him, it doesn’t mean life becomes easy and comfortable. There are constant challenges for us to trust God and oftentimes God uses these challenges to build up our faith in Him. Golgotha isn't a suburb of Jerusalem; frustration, disappointment, sickness, stress, conflict are all normal to the Christian life, but the mindset that moves away from these move away from reality and from Christ. Being a Christian should mean that our trajectory is toward need, regardless of danger and discomfort and stress. In other words, Christians characteristically will make life choices that involve putting themselves and their families at temporal risk while enjoying eternal security. No one desires the pains of self-denial associated with Christ, but the battle is good for us. The symbol of Christianity is a cross, not a feather bed.

If you're a well to do and comfortable Christian, God hasn't blessed you so you can sit back into your life of ease and flaunt your wealth in order to “display” His glorious richness but to use what He has blessed you with and reach out to perishing souls in the darkness of this world. In Mark 10:29-30, Jesus Himself told us that following Him would require that we give up the things we love most, so the life of Christian faith and obedience is mostly not a comfortable life as against the gospel of wealth and comfort being sold by most contemporary “men of God”. But it is a rich and vibrant life that is saturated with the power, presence, and provision of God in a turbulence world. What is He calling you to do today? Is He calling you to embrace the social discomfort of fleeing worldly friendships, going into an intimate relationship with Him or joining a local church? Is He calling you to deny your self-desires, your personal ambitions/pleasures, stop watching porn, stop having premarital and extramarital sex or to stop alcoholism and clubbing? Is He calling you to pick up your Bible and seek him daily? Is He calling you to open your wallet or even your home to a brother or sister in need? Is He calling you to move across the world for the sake of the gospel — or even across the train tracks to the "rough" side of town? No matter which way He is tugging you, try to direct your eyes away from the cost and set your focus on the prize: more of God, more Christlikeness, more joy. Whatever it is, it's worth the cost.

What's the cost of remaining in the comfort zone for a believer? Will God reject a believer because he refuses to carry his cross and follow Christ?

Bodydialect57:
What's the cost of remaining in the comfort zone for a believer? Will God reject a believer because he refuses to carry his cross and follow Christ?

The cost is you reap what you sow, he/she who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. We all are capable of different measures of grace and levels of power, though there isnt a limit or rationong of either, some find the comfort zone that that requires littlest effort possible and yields only barest acceptable results as good enough for them.

It is an oxymoron, to say a believer refuses to carry his/her cross and follow Christ

The bolded is apparently saying a believer is known by the cross he/she carries, right? If this is the case, what happens to those who profess to be believers but yet will not lift a finger to identify with the cross, talk more of carrying it?


[quote author=MuttleyLaff post=87173377]The cost is you reap what you sow, he/she who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. We all are capable of different measures of grace and levels of power, though there isnt a limit or rationong of either, some find the comfort zone that that requires littlest effort possible and yields only barest acceptable results as good enough for them.

It is an oxymoron, to say a believer refuses to carry his/her cross and follow Christ[/quote]

Bodydialect57:
The bolded is apparently saying a believer is known by the cross he/she carries, right? If this is the case, what happens to those who profess to be believers but yet will not lift a finger to identify with the cross, talk more of carrying it?

It is an oxymoron, to call anyone a believer, when person such isnt keen to, isnt eager to and/or will not lift a finger to identify with the cross, talkless carry it. Is the Pope called Muslim?

What then happens to the "just believe" mantra?

Matthew 7:13-14 tells of the narrow way walkers and the broad way walkers. Are the both believers?

MuttleyLaff:
It is an oxymoron, to call anyone a believer, when person such isnt keen to, isnt eager to and/or will not lift a finger to identify with the cross, talkless carry it. Is the Pope called Muslim?

The picture attached is not what Jesus meant!

The torture stake (Mistranslated Cross) is not to carry a literal plank and start going God knows where, it means living just as Christ does!

Truthfully speaking it's the most comfortable life ever, but the problem Christians have is "Satan", this mighty spirit being is blowing a powerful spell in the atmosphere and billions are spiritually affected. They're behaving irrationally yet they believe what they're doing is normal. John 14:30; 2Corinthians 4:4; 1John 5:19

For instance, imagine a human depriving millions of his fellow humans their means of livelihood {Matthew 19:16-22;Luke 19:8} only to gather all what he stole for yet other humans in the name of

My wife
My son
My daughter
My mother
My father or any other blood relative!

Then he will now hire some of those he deprived, buy weapons for them and pay them peanuts as salary to protect him and his so called family. Is that not preposterous?
Why not deal with everyone as neighbours and treat those who have the same mindset as you do as brothers and sisters?
Remember, you're not safe in the hands of anyone unless they're well fed and catered for equally as you do!
Well that's what being a Christian means, but Satan is making it difficult for any one to live a selfless none greedy lifestyle due to the system he is using to rule the earth.
That's why Jesus admonished his own true followers to make their lives as simple as possible {Matthew 6:22-25} so that they'll be free from anxieties of life {Matthew 6:26-32} Jesus concluded by telling Christians not to anticipate good things of life for now because evil is fully awaiting everyone living now {Matthew 6:34} so we should earnestly keep praying for God's Kingdom to come because that's when our relief is assured! Matthew 6:10 compare to Luke 21:28

Now all these are not palatable to any normal human, because everyone wants the best even when others are suffering, we just want our own to be different. Jesus never wanted such for himself, he desired everyone to enjoy life to the fullest.
Anyone having this type of mindset will be treated with contempt, vilified and intimidated by prideful people who just want to oppress others anyway, it's like having thorns in ones flesh ever poking our smooth skin!
That's what the torture stake (cross) truthfully mean for followers of Christ!

Bodydialect57:
What then happens to the "just believe" mantra?

Matthew 7:13-14 tells of the narrow way walkers and the broad way walkers. Are the both believers?

What happens is such person gets a no frills entry in to the Kingdom. Would have no diadems on his/her crown(s) if at all such qualifies for a crown(s)

Broad way walkers, is talking of those toeing the broad way of the world while narrow way walkers, are those treading on paths hardly walked doing right things, at right times and remaining on the right and good side of God when doing them.

MuttleyLaff:
What happens is such person gets a no frills entry in to the Kingdom. Would have no diadems on his/her crown(s) if at all such qualifies for a crown(s)

Broad way walkers, is talking of those toeing the broad way of the world while narrow way walkers, are those treading on paths hardly walked doing right things, at right times and remaining on the right and good side of God when doing them.

The BWW are obviously pretence believers who think the broad way will lead them to heaven regardless of what they do. The broad way accommodates anything anyway. I guess that's why Jesus Christ will deny knowing them despite their intimidating credentials. Matthew 7:21-14

Bodydialect57:
The BWW are obviously pretence believers who think the broad way will lead them to heaven regardless of what they do. The broad way accommodates anything anyway. I guess that's why Jesus Christ will deny knowing them despite their intimidating credentials. Matthew 7:12-14

"Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
(i.e. But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate)"
- Matthew 7:14

With their audio or pseudo "intimidating credentials" they actually never found the narrow gate, talkless ever at all have the chance to enter in through it, and then after, for them to be entitled to any consideration from our Lord and Saviour of the world Jesus Christ

Bodydialect57:

The BWW are obviously pretence believers who think the broad way will lead them to heaven regardless of what they do. The broad way accommodates anything anyway. I guess that's why Jesus Christ will deny knowing them despite their intimidating credentials. Matthew 7:21-14

Did you deactivate?I stopped seeing you for a while.


Kindly tell jesusjnr to come back that here is boring without him

No, l didn't. I've been around all the while.

Michellekabod2:

Did you deactivate?I stopped seeing you for a while.


Kindly tell jesusjnr to come back that here is boring without him