The Path To Discipleship

This post is tied to my January 28th post. If you have not read it click on the link. 2022 - The Year of Faith (Why This Should Be Our Focus) (unapologeticdisciple.com)

Living in these current times can make the weak fearful. For those whose strength comes from the Lord it's a joyous time. It's a time to be excited, because we know that God is coming back soon to gather His people. While we are currently living with a never-ending health crisis, inflation, economic collapse, wicked governments, wars and demonic spirits that run rampant in generations, our focus still remains on God. Nothing should come before Him. He is the end all be all. He has the final say and if you know your Bible and what the Word says then you know that in the end He wins. He will reign over the world for 1000 years. So put faith over fear because the time is near.

I attended a funeral this week and I guess I'm just a little different. I know we all mourn in our own ways. It's guaranteed that one day we will all have to leave our physical bodies, but that doesn't mean that our soul dies along with the body. The soul has to go somewhere. That's why it's important that you get yourself in right standing with God while you are still here. It is not true that everyone goes to heaven. Everyone loves to say rest in heaven or rest in peace when someone dies, knowing very well that the lifestyle they lived on earth didn't reflect it. I'm not saying this in judgment. I'm just saying that some will get their rest and their peace in heaven, but there are some people whose soul will burn and be tormented in hell for eternity. It's one thing to lose a friend, a child or a family member unexpectedly. That justifies shock, emotional upset, long term mourning, or whatever emotions you may have that comes with that. However, when you watch someone go through a spiritual battle for years upon years, and you witness God at work in a person's life it hits different when they transition. When you can see peace on an individual that surpasses all understanding you don't cry tears of pain if you cry tears at all, because you know in your heart that they are in a better place. Why shed tears for someone that is in heaven while we are still here in hell? Don't mistake it we are currently living in hell. It's just not the eternal hell that many will face. I don't say that claiming it in any way because my faith doesn't let my surroundings dictate my circumstances. For me, there's only one way to go and that is up, up and up. I just wanted to bring that up because sometimes death is not a time to mourn. Sometimes it's a time to celebrate because someone has earned their wings and is resting with the Most High God. That is something we should all strive for.

How do you get to a point in your life where you are confident you are going to Heaven when your soul leaves this earth? I honestly can't answer that question for myself or for anybody else. Phillipians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. We will face God by ourselves. I can't go with my husband or my kids on judgment day. I will have to answer for everything that I did, not what someone else done. If you haven't started to build that relationship NOW is the time. The last thing you want to hear on judgment day is "depart from me for I never knew you". Building that relationship is a process. It's not just an overnight thing. God has been working on me since November 2020 and I still have a ways to go. The first thing you have to do is realize when God is calling on you. I missed it the first time. I didn't recognize what it was until it happened again, and I couldn't ignore it. Since then, I have been doing my best to listen, pray, study the Bible, fast and change what He is changing in me. Notice I say what He is changing because you also have to realize that you can't do it on your own. We are human. Our flesh gets weak. The Holy Spirit is the only thing that helps us to obey God. I make mistakes still, but what I've learned is that it's ok to make mistakes. We're not perfect. That's where repentance comes in. We have to repent DAILY. We don't know all the things that we do on a daily basis that has offended God. In this season, repentance is key. Without repentance of our sins, you are rejecting God. Rejecting God is not a smart move in any season.

2022 is The Year of Faith and it's also the Sabbath year. On the Sabbath day it's a day of resting with the Lord, so the Sabbath year is just that. It's a year where we are to rest with the Lord. Give all of our problems and cares to Him. Pray and meditate daily in His Word. Speak from the mouth what you want to see God do in this season. I had started reading the bible a while back from the beginning. I took 30 minutes a day and read. I did good for a while then I got distracted. Now I have started that back up, but this time I am following a reading plan. I'm reading the New Testament in 90 days. It breaks it down to 3 chapters a day for 90 days. I have a checklist that I mark off each day that I read. I know that God is calling me for something bigger and it has to do with discipleship, and I have to be diligent and intentional in doing the works necessary in order to fulfill His will. I have watched my prayers get answered. I receive prophetic dreams and visions. I know that He's just giving me a taste of the power that He wants me to have. I have to want it as well.

Matthew 11: 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The path to discipleship is not an easy one. If it was everyone would do it. You have to sacrifice a lot. Before you can be of benefit to someone else, God has to fix you first. I compare it to the steps in a drug or alcohol treatment program. It is a process and depending on the work you put into it, it can be lengthy. For me anyway, it has been a step by step process. Once I completed step one I thought He was done. I actually was upset. I questioned Him and ask if that was all He wanted me to do? Was that it? Then He hit me again with something else. I said Oh, ok you're not done with me yet. That sacrifice comes in the form of relationships, friendships, jobs, personal desires, and putting yourself at risk of appearing crazy at times. I liked to be able to control everything around me especially when it came to my children. That was one of the ways God was working on me. I had to let go and let God as they say. By me trying to control everything I wasn't allowing Him to do what He needed to do. Once he fixed my heart I could see that. The problem that most of us have is that our hearts have been damaged by unpleasant childhoods, life and circumstances. Hardened hearts are not receptive to God. I have to sacrifice the time I spend with people. Especially people that are not quite where I am. They don't understand what you are going through and trying to explain it just turns into a debate. Sometimes God will do the separating for you. Remember He is the reason it's happening anyway. He looks at the heart and what the heart desires. If you're heart desires a relationship with Him, a way will be made for that to happen.

Repentance is a must. We have to ask God to forgive us for our sins. He died for all the sins we would ever commit. You need to acknowledge that and let God know that you have changed your mind. That's all repentance is. It's not a one-time occurrence. It has done daily. Some people may tell you different. But as humans we will never be perfect and we will always make mistakes, or do something that is not pleasing to God. He just wants to know in our hearts we have changed our minds and we have repented. Our flesh gets weak, and our flesh must die daily. Ask the Lord for forgiveness. One of the ways to repent is through fasting. Fasting promotes discipline. In the bible it doesn't say if you fast, but when. So fasting is actually a requirement or responsibility.

I shouldn't have to say this, but it should be known that you need to pray daily. If led sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. In spiritual warfare sometimes you need to pray more than usual. Don't just say no weak prayers either. Pray like your livelihood depends on it, because it just may. Be specific in your prayers, call out names, spirits, strongholds and whatever else you need answered. Part of being a disciple is praying for others as well. It's not just about you. We want everyone to know the goodness of God and how He changes lives. We have to pray for covering over not only ourselves but our families as well. The enemy doesn't like when anyone turns to the Lord, but he really doesn't like it when he can't touch you. So what does he do? He tries to touch anything and everyone that you love. That's why you have to cover your kids, and cover your husband or your wife. I pray with my children every morning on the way to school. It has become so common that my 6 year old reminds me if I forget. I am teaching them how to pray as well. They will be the next generation of disciples in what we hope is the new world where God reigns. Why do you think the enemy is so intent on destroying our children at such a young age now? Raise your children to know God and love Him. Teach them what the true meaning of the rainbow is because the devil is a liar and a duplicator.

Another point I want to make about discipleship is don't be apologetic for the actions you take or the way you feel about things in this world. Especially when your views line up with God's view. Especially when it comes to your children. Most people that know me don't have to ask me how I feel about a certain topic because I have made it very clear and very plain. I don't apologize for how I feel about it either. We all have our own personal demons to deal with and what I will not do is deal with mine and yours, unless I'm casting it out of you. So, if I don't let my children watch certain things on TV and its not a lot they watch because the TV is full of demonic activity, that's my responsibility as a parent. I have to raise them to the best of my ability, which includes guidance from God, not to be tricked into thinking what they see in this world is good. I try to limit what they are exposed to because their minds can be tainted. It's not for anyone to question why I do what I do. Like I said we all have to answer to God for our own actions. I'm simply a vessel trying to spread the truth in a world full of lies.

We need disciples now more than we ever have. This world is becoming more and more wicked. The bible says a wicked generation that won't repent will be worse off than they were in the beginning because they will reject God. As disciples, we are the ones who have the power to cast out unclean spirits, and to heal sickness and disease. You have that same power within you. It just has to be activated by your obedience, faith and the holy spirit. Our role here on Earth is to do God's will not our will. God's will is to have all His person return to Him before He comes back to destroy the world with fire.

Are you ready for discipleship? Start in the home with your family. Sometimes that requires a rebuilding. Tearing down and starting over is not a sign of failure. It's a sign of resilience. It shows that you don't give up that easily. You work hard for the things you want to transpire in your life and your family's life. Remember your why. Discipleship is not for you. It's for someone else. Whether you realize it or not God was preparing you for the role from the time you entered your mother's womb and probably before. He knows all the plans He has for you. Once you realize the plans He has for you, you move different. Don't expect to get it all right in the beginning. At some point you will be ready to completely surrender. Don't rush the process. Make sure you trust God with your all because once you choose this life, the enemy will come at you from every angle through everyone and everything, especially what and who you love. He will remind you of what you used to do, what you used to say, who you used to be with and what you used to have. He has no power. You still stand firm on what God says.

I pray that this post has touched someone so much that they are ready to build that relationship or rebuild that relationship with our Lord and Savior. If you didn't read the original post about the year 2022 go back and read it. Take baby steps or go all in, but do it. You won't regret it, and not only do you benefit, so does your family. You pass those blessings down to generations that are coming after you. Read about the disciples in the bible and what they had to endure. Expect to go through the same thing. They did it to Jesus. They will do it to you. May you be blessed. May your family be blessed. Be unapologetic in this season about your faith and your love for the Lord. Speak up, speak out, be bold and unwavering.

The Unapologetic Disciple