Because I need to hear this – bluntly – as much as anyone else does.
Jesus, the Christ of God, did not promise we would be blessed when people compliment us, tell us we’re cute, and truthfully say all kinds of nice things about us.Matthew 5:11-12
He did not die on a cross so that we might have wealth, and have it more abundantly.John 10:10
He did not sacrifice Himself so that we might take up a collection and follow our hearts.Mark 8:34
And if you hear people or churches or preachers saying that He did, you can be sure that they’re following someone.
But it’s not the Son of God.
Blog In My Own Eye 
Great post! I would also add that his kingdom is still not of this world, and doesn’t depend on the outcome of the US presidential election.
I needed that, too.
I can only say Amen.
Well said!
Keith, question, I’ll bet you are surprised, that I have a question.Do you think, that Jesus teaching in parables, opened the door for so many different interpretations of what he said? Rich men hate the one about the camel and the needle, so they look for a different meaning, in order to keep their money and their seat. later Paul warned about fables and genealogy
Let’s be blunt!!
We need to hear this DAILY!!Thanks bro!DU
I don’t mean to be obtuse, laymond, but I’m not sure I understand the question. That’s because I don’t mean to be obtuse, it just comes naturally to me.I think < HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=13&version=31&context=chapter" REL="nofollow">Matthew 13<> might have part of the answer to it, and < HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=21&verse=45&version=31&context=verse" REL="nofollow">21:45<> and maybe < HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%209:40-10:6;&version=31;" REL="nofollow">John 9:40-10:6<>. I think Jesus spoke in parables because it would have been too dangerous too early in His ministry for people to fully understand what He was talking about. As long as his enemies couldn’t understand, they could discount Him as crazy, or not a threat and forget Him. I don’t think He meant for anyone to hijack His words and wrest them to fit their own agendas, no. (Someday soon I hope to blog on the importance of <>meditation<> on God’s Word. Right now … well, haven’t got time to meditate on it myself, sadly!)
Well Keith with all the things you said Jesus did not do, you seamed to insinuate that there are those who think he did. and I was asking if things had been spoken more clearly, would we have all this misunderstanding? That’s all no hidden agenda.
“Importance of meditation” Keith you said you didn’t have time right now.“WARNING WILL ROBINSON” If you feel it is that important,you better take time now, you are not guaranteed any more.
laymond asked, “…if things had been spoken more clearly, would we have all this misunderstanding?”I don’t know how much more clearly you can say something like “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”But there will always be folks who will see what they want to and not see what they don’t want to see – in anything that anyone says.That’s why it’s so important for us to meditate on these things, take self out of the interpretation, ask the Spirit’s guidance – and be willing for it to come, sometimes, through the words and actions of others who care about us!
Keith even the apostles ask “what does that mean” “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”Keith if this was the only commandment we would be completely lost, we need to know how.
True of any isolated verse, bro.