Following Jesus: True Discipleship and Dependence

Following Jesus requires absolute trust and dependence, letting go of worldly possessions and desires.

### The True Meaning of Following Jesus: Sacrifice, Dependence, and Faith
* ✝ Many believers misunderstand Jesus' call to give up everything, often neglecting the **crucial command to "come, follow Me"** as stated in Luke 18:22.
* 🏠 Living in seclusion or renouncing worldly possessions does not inherently bring one closer to Jesus; rather, it is the **willingness to follow Him** that matters.
* 📖 Jesus emphasizes the need to **prioritize Him above all relationships and desires**, as seen in Luke 14:26, indicating that true discipleship requires **total submission to His will**.
* 👂 Faith and obedience stem from **hearing God's word**, and actions taken without divine guidance are based on **presumption rather than faith**.
* 💬 The author shares personal experiences of selling everything to follow Jesus, highlighting that **true dependence on Him leads to fulfillment of needs** without seeking external support.
* 💰 Material wealth can create a **false sense of security**, making it difficult for individuals to **trust in God**, as illustrated by Jesus' teaching on the **challenges for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven**.
* 🗣 Those who follow Jesus without the burden of worldly possessions experience **freedom from societal expectations** and are empowered to **speak and act according to His will**.
* 🌟 Despite the challenges of discipleship, the **joy of knowing and trusting Jesus** surpasses all worldly treasures, leading to **eternal life and true fulfillment**.

Most believers have a misconception about the words of Jesus when He said that we have to be willing to give up everything to follow Him. It is of no use to do as Jesus said to the rich young man: sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, if you do not also do the latter part of the command: and come, follow Me. Luke 18:22. Becoming homeless, being a hermit, living in seclusion, becoming a monk or a nun does not bring you closer to Jesus. You need to be willing to give up everything to follow Jesus. Jesus said: If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:26. You must be willing to reject the advice and demands of father, mother, wife, children, even your own desires to obey Jesus and submit to Him in all that He requires of you, but

you need to hear from Him in order to follow and obey Him. If you did not hear from Jesus, then you are acting on your own initiative. Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his son, when commanded to do so by God, but that was only AFTER God had told him to do so. Faith comes by the hearing of the word of God. We can only act in faith and obedience to Jesus AFTER we have heard from Him. If we act on our own initiative, we are not acting in faith, but rather in presumption. Those who are being led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. If you do not act because you have heard from Jesus, then you are not following Him. If you follow Jesus, He will provide in all your needs and those of your dependents. He will provide everything that you need to fulfill His will, BUT you have to be following Him, not your own mind or other people.

You have to hear from Jesus for yourself. Three times in my life, I sold everything, gave it away, both my wife and I. We got rid of everything that we owned, apart from some clothes and a few other items that could fit in a travel case, and we went where Jesus sent us. We are where Jesus wants us to be, and we are doing what He tells us to do, and He supplies in all our needs. We have no affiliations, belong to no organization, have no official sponsors, have no followers. We follow Jesus. We do not ask anybody for donations or support. Jesus has laid it on some of His followers to support us, but we have never asked for anything, and we have never come short of anything either. We have slept on the floor, and we have enjoyed luxury. Above all, our greatest joy is to know Jesus, to know His voice, to be in His will, and to be able to bring others to Jesus.

We would not trade that for a mansion and many riches because then we would not be dependent on Jesus as we now are. The more you have, the more independent and separated from Jesus you become. That is why a rich man will hardly enter the kingdom of heaven. A rich man buys everything that he needs and wants; he has no need of God. That is why Jesus said that we cannot be His disciples if we are not willing to give up all our treasures and securities so that we can learn to trust Him, to be totally dependent on Him. It is only when you are totally, desperately dependent on Jesus that you learn to trust Him and that you stop worrying about the things of the world. Those with many possessions have many worries. They worry about losing their possessions, their securities, their support. People worry about being rejected, losing their status, popularity, friends, sponsors, and following.

Paid preachers cannot afford to offend their church members and followers by speaking the truth. They are slaves to their employers. They are bound, captives, ensnared, by possessions and conventions that make them unfruitful and unsuitable for the kingdom of God. Those who have given up everything and who follow Jesus as disciples are free from the bondage of human acceptance and approval. They are free to speak the words of Jesus and to do His will. Their concern is to stay close to Jesus and to do what is pleasing to Him. They get to intimately know Him and trust Him through practice. To follow Jesus is never easy. Trials and tribulations are many. Often the road seems impossible, but they overcome because Jesus guides and upholds them. They know that without Jesus we can do nothing, and thus they do not trust in or hold on to worldly treasures and securities. They trust and follow Jesus. May Jesus bless you.

Jesus Christ is alive, and hell is real. I am here to introduce you to Jesus Christ so that you can know Him, follow Him, and have eternal life. Subscribe to my channel to learn more about Jesus. May Jesus bless you.

Does God want you to be homeless?

finalcall07

Many believers misunderstand Jesus' call to give up everything, focusing only on the act of selling possessions without following Him.

True discipleship requires rejecting familial and personal demands to obey Jesus, but this can only be done after hearing from Him.

Acting on one's own initiative is not true faith; genuine obedience comes from being led by the Spirit of God and hearing Jesus' guidance.

Living a Life of Total Dependence on Jesus

The speaker and their wife sold everything they owned to follow Jesus, living in complete dependency on Him for their needs.

They have never asked for donations or support, yet have never gone without.

The speaker emphasizes that true discipleship requires giving up worldly treasures and securities to learn to trust and depend on Jesus.

Paid preachers are constrained by their need for approval and possessions, making them unsuitable for God's kingdom.

In contrast, those who give up everything to follow Jesus are free to speak His words and do His will.

Despite the challenges and trials, they overcome with Jesus' guidance and support, trusting Him instead of worldly treasures.

The speaker aims to introduce Jesus to others for the purpose of knowing, following Him, and attaining eternal life.

They encourage subscriptions to their channel for more information about Jesus and offer blessings in His name.