What does this mean?

[Sharky]

I'm having trouble trying to figure out what this verse means?

"The Jesus said to His deciples, If anyone desires to be MY diciple, let him deny himself and forget his own interests and take up his cross and follow Me."
MATT 16:24

What does that mean???

Does it mean that i should forget about all i do and live radically? I felt that God has a call for me in the film industry but this verse is telling me to stop what i'm doing and live like Jesus lived.

Don't get me wrong, i'm willing to forget all my dreams and all i own to do what He wants but i'm confused here. I felt a call to the movie industry, then all of a sudden that verse pops up and tells me otherwise. What does it mean?

Is it talking about diciples or something? HELP!

 

[JillLars]

Don't get me wrong, i'm willing to forget all my dreams and all i own to do what He wants but i'm confused here.

Hey Sharky, I think that the bold part of the quote above is the real point. Are you willing to give up everything for Jesus? If you are, then you have taken up your cross and you are a disciple of Jesus. Many people would not be willing to do so. Does that mean you should quit school, quit your job, and sell all your possessions? No, but if God calls you to do something other than what you have planned you should be willing to do so, and you should also be willing to "carry the cross" in all that you do in your life, if you go into the movie industry then show God's love to those you encounter. That's just my opinion, I hope it helps, I think that you are on the right track!

 

[Sharky]

thanks for the reply. I'm just afraid that i'm not doing what God wants. Things are just falling apart and it's hard to decern what's what anymore.

 

[JillLars]

I know how you feel sharky. Now would probably be the time to take a step back and worship like crazy. God will help you get through this time and set you on the right track. I'll pray for you

 

[Sharky]

Thanks. That means alot to me.

The big question now is what does God want me to do?

 

[JillLars]

I wish it were easier to tell...

 

[Rafael]

You choose but God dod directs your path. Knowing God has much benefit in that He is pleased with out faith in Him when it comes to being a vessel fit for His use. No matter where your gifts and callings lead you, God is there to direct your steps - there is much comfort in that. We make sure that we love mercy, do justly and walk humbly with our God through this life and He takes care of the rest. Be sure to walk in the good deeds and works we are called to do as we sojourn withthe Lord. God just wants us to not be like the world, but light that shines to it. Choose for yourself and be confident by doing the rest of the things God has told you to do in a life of worship, service, and the learning of Agape love.
Now if work with film is what your good at and is of your interest, that would be fine as long as it doesn't envolve or promote something sinful. The Lord will help and direct you.

Prov. 16:9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

Jeremiah 10:23 NIV I know, Lord, that a person's life is not his own. No one is able to plan his own course.

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Jesus Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jeremiah 22:16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.

2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

Philippians 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

 

[ElElohe]

Jesus also said that if a man can't hate his family he cannot be a servant of Christ. By this he meant that nothing can come before God in our lives.

Personally, I am learning about surrender now more than ever. But I'll tell you it's of the Spirit--it is something I have prayed to know more of in my life for years without seen fruit. God's timing often makes no sense to us, but we must have faith in His sovereignty. Are we willing to be a blank slate for God to write "our" life on for His glory?

If your life is increasingly crazy, God will learn you from it. But allow yourself to take all you can from this time of trial by surrending all you can. And spend as much time as you can in prayer.

Romans 12 also says something like: we should give him the sacrifice He deserves. What less does He deserve than everything? We have nothing without Him.

I'm having trouble trying to figure out what this verse means?

"The Jesus said to His deciples, If anyone desires to be MY diciple, let him deny himself and forget his own interests and take up his cross and follow Me."
MATT 16:24

What does that mean???

Does it mean that i should forget about all i do and live radically? I felt that God has a call for me in the film industry but this verse is telling me to stop what i'm doing and live like Jesus lived.

Don't get me wrong, i'm willing to forget all my dreams and all i own to do what He wants but i'm confused here. I felt a call to the movie industry, then all of a sudden that verse pops up and tells me otherwise. What does it mean?

Is it talking about diciples or something? HELP!

 

[Benedicta00]

I'm having trouble trying to figure out what this verse means?

"The Jesus said to His deciples, If anyone desires to be MY diciple, let him deny himself and forget his own interests and take up his cross and follow Me."
MATT 16:24

What does that mean???

Does it mean that i should forget about all i do and live radically? I felt that God has a call for me in the film industry but this verse is telling me to stop what i'm doing and live like Jesus lived.

Don't get me wrong, i'm willing to forget all my dreams and all i own to do what He wants but i'm confused here. I felt a call to the movie industry, then all of a sudden that verse pops up and tells me otherwise. What does it mean?

Is it talking about diciples or something? HELP!

Hi, Sharky,

I believe it means if we want to be his disciple which Christ in John’s gospel says people will know that we are by our love for another, is to die to all that the self hold’s worth while. Not to your dreams and desires.

He also says in Matthew that we must seek the kingdom of God first and all it’s rightness and then the other things will be added on to us. This means that we need to over come the seven deadly sins that we are all born with. Pride, anger, ect. Once we do that by allowing Christ to heal us of all our hurts through out our life, we can over come. We will always have these feelings but we need not give into them returning evil foe evil when we are healed by Christ from the thing that provokes in us our reactions to these feelings, such as insecurity, fear, ect.

So with all that said, we overcome and allow God to heal by denying our selves the pleasure of revenge, telling someone off, ect. God can not heal us if we do not deny ourselves and let Him in. Denying what the flesh screams for is a cross, and we have to pick it up and follow Christ by following His example and command to love as he love which is a evangelical love that saves. So when we deny our flesh, pick up our cross, and love as he commanded, we are his disciples.

Also as Matthew’s gospel said, if we seek this righteousness then we will not be a obstacle to our own self and we then can achieve our dreams in life and have success. That is as long as our dreams are in line with God’s will and His will is that we choose holy things that glorify Him to be successful in.

Does this help?

 

[SavedByGrace3]

I'm having trouble trying to figure out what this verse means?

"The Jesus said to His deciples, If anyone desires to be MY diciple, let him deny himself and forget his own interests and take up his cross and follow Me."
MATT 16:24

What does that mean???

Does it mean that i should forget about all i do and live radically? I felt that God has a call for me in the film industry but this verse is telling me to stop what i'm doing and live like Jesus lived.

Don't get me wrong, i'm willing to forget all my dreams and all i own to do what He wants but i'm confused here. I felt a call to the movie industry, then all of a sudden that verse pops up and tells me otherwise. What does it mean?

Is it talking about diciples or something? HELP!

You have to remember that many of the words of Jesus in the gospels were aimed at the Jewish believers who were still trying to be saved under the terms of the OT. Fact is, all of the gospels up to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus were actually still part of the OT. Keep this in mind when reading many of the teachings of Jesus that layed out requirements and especailly the ones that seemed to be hard if not impossible.
Let me illustrate from the sermon on the mount:

Mat 5:20-22
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

The words of Jesus here, and in fact almost all of the sermon on the mount were designed to push the law to the max. People thought they were in good with God because they had not killed anyone. Then Jesus spoke the words above. Uh oh! Who is not condemned by the words recorded in Matt 5 through 7? These words were designed to put to death any hope of ever being good enough,(or dedicated enough!) to make it into heaven. It cannot be done.

Mat 5:48
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Ouch! Any takers here?

So remember when you read what seem to be tought requirements of the gospels that they were in the OT, and what the purpose of the law was:

Rom 3:19-20
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.

The law was intended to show you your lost condition and the need to be saved by grace rather than your own efforts. Read the scripture you quoted in the light of these things:

"The Jesus said to His deciples, If anyone desires to be MY diciple, let him deny himself and forget his own interests and take up his cross and follow Me"

If you were going to try to be saved in that day, under the law like Jesus was, then you would have had to follow it to the degree that He did. Once He fulfilled the law in His own life and was crucified and died, that success is passed unto us who believe into His death, burial, and resurrection. He already did the thing that you are reading here. Now your calling is under grace, not the law.

IOWs, relax.

Part of faith in Him means that you throw yourself on His compassion and faithfulness. If He needs you to do something, He will get in touch. Until then, live your life free and easy. Follow the spirit, keep in prayer and fellowship. And let Him handle these things.

 

[Sharky]

THat's awesome guys. IT has helped alot.

But there is still a lingering thought on me. Before i went downhill, i was so determined that i knew through the Strength of Jesus that i can't be stopped. I'm still wondering what caused me to fall then.

The situation is this: my movie, i was auditioning for many actors who wanted to be in. However NONE arrived except one. I was really disappointed. I hoped for alot of people to come. But anyway thanks for the help guys. It's really refreshing

 

[Benedicta00]

God allows things that we do not understand so he can bring a greater good from it. You have to trust that he will.