Disciple Na Ako! (DNA ng tunay na Kristyano)

1. What It Means to Truly Follow Jesus

We are called to follow Jesus. Whether Kristyano ka na o hindi, God called you personally to follow the Messiah.

Following Jesus is a personal and daily choice that we make. Hindi mo pwedeng sundan ang yapak ni Lord kasi napilitan ka lang o nahatak ka lang ng ibang Kristyano. Salvation is a short process. You just have to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior. Period. Dot. The end. But discipleship? It costs you everything, and when I say everything, EVERYTHING!

So what does it take to be the Lord's follower? What did Jesus mean when He said "come follow Me"  in Matthew 4:19? How do we even follow Him?

1. Deny Yourself

Being a disciple is not comfortable and convenient. You have to put aside your own dreams and personal ambitions. It is an issue of SURRENDER. When we say surrender, hindi ikaw ang may "say" sa mga bagay kundi si Lord. Hindi ikaw ang magde-decide sa sarili mo kundi si Lord. Kung pangarap mong maging Doctor pero tinawag ka ni Lord para maging Pastor, then you must be willing to obey Him. Kung pangarap mong maging rakista pero tinawag ka ni Lord para maging Worship leader, then you must be willing to obey Him. Kung tinawag ka ni Lord para mag-set ng example sa mga kabataan by living a righteous life, then you must surrender your old ways. Kung dati kang masungit, palamura, mainitin ang ulo, walang pasensya, reklamador, o puno ng excuses sa katawan, magbago ka na.

Mahirap ba? Oo. Madali ba? Oo rin.

Mahirap kapag hindi ka pa handang ibigay ang buong puso mo kay Jesus. Mahirap kapag mas mahal mo pa ang mundo at ang sarili mo kaysa sa Kaniya.

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? -Mark 8:35-37 NLT

Madali kapag kahit mahirap sa'yo, willing kang i-offer ang sarili mo sa Kaniya. Madali kapag Siya ang first love mo bago ang iba.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."  -Matthew 16:24 NIV

2. Die to Yourself

The same way Jesus said "Come follow Me" to His disciples is the same way God tells each one of us. This is a personal calling. So, assess yourself kung talagang handa kang ibigay ang buong pagkatao mo kay Lord. Seryosong usapan ang discipleship. Hindi ito basta pagpa-follow lang sa Twitter o makabilang sa isang fandom. Because if you truly want to be a disciple of Jesus, then you must die to yourself EVERYDAY!

I die every day! I swear that it's true! That's something you take pride in, brothers and sisters, as I do in Jesus the Anointed, our Lord.  -1 Corinthians 15:31 VOICE

Dying to yourself means you carry your own cross. The cross is a symbol of suffering for the sake of Christ. In this life, we have to accept the fact na hindi madaling maging Kristyano. Nandyan na 'yung mga persecutions at condemnations sa'yo ng mga tao. Ang mas masakit, minsan mismong pamilya mo pa o kaibigan ang nagpe-persecute sa'yo dahil lang sa faith mo. But you have to endure everything if you really love God. We must carry our own cross until the end. Until His second coming. The moment you accept Jesus, your sinful life has died and a new life has begun. Kaya dalhin mo 'yung pangako mo sa Kaniya hanggang dulo. Na Siya ang pipiliin mo over your sinful desires.

Kung dati babad ka sa social media, then you must die to yourself and soak in the presence of God instead. Iyong mga dati mong gawi na sa tingin mo, hindi mo mao-honor si Lord, alisin mo na. Kalimutan mo na 'yung past mo kasi wala na 'yang power sa'yo. Si Lord na ang may control sa buhay mo.

And when you die to yourself, Jesus lives in you.

You are no longer ruled by your desires, but by God's Spirit, who lives in you. People who don't have the Spirit of Christ in them don't belong to him. But Christ lives in you. So you are alive because God has accepted you, even though your bodies must die because of your sins.  -Romans 8:9-10 CEV

3. Do What Christ Wants You to Do

Our Christian walk is a continuous process of obedience. It's saying YES to God and saying NO to the world. An obedient follower of the Lord is called a disciple. Anything you do against the will of God is called REBELLION. Jesus died for you. Now, what are you doing for Him? Do you live your life aligned to His plans or na wrong turn ka na?

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." -Matthew 26:39 NIV

Solid food 'tong topic because I believe, God does not want us to take discipleship lightly. Hindi lang kasi ito basta marathon o alay-lakad. This is a LIFE WALK--your walk with Christ throughout your life here on earth until eternity. These are the costs that we should be willing to take if we truly want to be God's disciples.

But don't be disheartened when you see yourself stumbling, when you experience failures dahil parte ito ng journey mo with Christ. Kaya nga natin Siya pina-follow kasi hindi natin kaya ang buhay ng mag-isa. We're Christians, yes. But we're always bound to fail at some point. Yet Jesus--in all His grace, will cleanse us again and again with His precious blood. For He deemed us worthy of forgiveness and unlimited chances.

Being God's disciple is not easy but I promise you this--everything you do for Him is worth it. Hindi mo man makita sa ngayon, pero pagdating mo ng langit, walang kapalit lahat ng pinaghirapan mo. Hindi magpapatalo si Lord.

Kung alam mo sa sarili mo na hindi mo pa natatanggap si Jesus, then speak this prayer right now.

Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. But from this day onwards, I decide with all my heart to follow You. I now abandon my sinful life and I'm ready to live a new life with You. I accept You as my Lord and personal Savior. Thank you for Your grace, Lord. Thank you for Your love. I declare that I am saved and I belong to Heaven. In Jesus mighty name I pray, Amen...

Let me know in the comments if you just accepted Jesus. You are an answered prayer and the Heaven is rejoicing over one soul who repents. All the love 💖