​As a review for this topic, Jesus gave His followers a list of things they were commanded to do to qualify as Christians to obey the author and finisher of their faith (Hebrews 12:2).  The ninth basic training principle is to not be offended.  Jesus describes His followers as blessed when they are not offended because of Him (Matthew 11:1-6).  In such a world of offense, Christians can fall into this slippery slope causing themselves to disobey Jesus Christ and the Word of God.  Offense is the act of displeasing by character, words, or conduct.  When offense rises it reflects the stubbornness within that person to either forgive a wrong or be unwilling to adapt to the truth that has been presented.  Either scenario leaves the offended person dealing with the situation when the world teaches the one who offended should be dealt with severely.  “Great peace have they which love the Word of God and nothing will offend them” (Psalm 119:165).  When Christians get offended this reflects they do not have the love for the Word of God they declare they have.  Offense is pride being confronted.  The Bible describes God as a resister of those who are in pride (James 4:6).  Jesus told His disciples to not be offended (John 16:1-4).  The tenth basic training principle is to love God with everything they have.  Jesus tells everyone listening that God gave the commandment to love Him with all of the heart, with all of the soul, with all of the mind, and with all of the strength that each person possesses (Mark 12:30).  This leaves nothing out for Christians to wonder how much to love God.  When He is loved this much nothing else should be hindering a relationship with Him.  Nothing is worth putting in front of God in the order of importance in one’s life.  When the world is still a desire something has been left off of loving God in every area listed by Jesus.  By comparison, a Christian’s love for God should make their love for everyone else look like hate (Luke 14:26).  Christians are not to hate anyone.  Still, just the idea of having such a love for God that the love they have for everyone else looks like hate is a concept not many people grasp.  The eleventh basic training principle is to go to church in person.  Jesus displayed the routine of worshiping God in person at the house of God (Luke 4:16).  In modern society, streaming and online church services have risen to high popularity.  This is a blessing for those who are sick, shut-in, or have legitimate reasons for not being able to get out.  Online church has replaced the in-person anointing leaving Christians weaker and less impacted by being in the presence of God.  The Bible warns of such activity for people to not do away with gathering within the assembly of believers, also known as the church (Hebrews 10:23-25).  How can a person rejoice by getting online to worship God?  The Bible says, “I was glad when they said unto me let us go INTO the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1).  Nothing can replace going to the house of God faithfully when services are happening (Acts 2:42-47).  A person cannot maintain a marriage covenant by only being online for an hour each week with their spouse.  So, why do so many Christians think being online for an hour each Sunday constitutes maintaining a covenant with a holy God?  May Christians be faithful to God’s house.  For more information about Abundant Grace Church visit agcsparta.org. 

​As a review for this topic, Jesus Christ gave His followers a list of things they were commanded to do to qualify as Christians.  Jesus gave commands not made suggestions to the people listening to Him preach.  Christians must do these things, according to Jesus Christ, or they are not obeying the author and finisher of their faith (Hebrews 12:2).  The list presented through these articles can be referenced as Christian Basic Training, much like the military has basic training or boot camp.  People expect the military to have such training to equip all recruits to be good soldiers at the foundational level.  To have strong Christian soldiers they must be taught the basic training principles to excel in their roles and duties as soldiers for God.  Continuing with the sixth basic training principle, have self-discipline.  Christians should be self-disciplined enough to not focus on storing up treasures here on the earth but have a true focus on the eternal kingdom of God (Matthew 6:19-21).  This would also include not being distracted by earthly things to lose focus of their eternal citizenship.  Each Christian must determine what is within them as the driving force for their life.  If it is of God there is a light reflecting the inner man has the discipline and relationship with God as opposed to trying to balance between the eternal and the temporal (Matthew 6:22-24).  Having self-discipline is also an indication that a Christian is bearing the fruit of the Spirit.  Self-discipline, also known as self-control, is described by the word temperance within various translations of the Bible (Galatians 5:22-23).  When Christians lack this fruit it represents they are not bearing the lifestyle or character God says is necessary as a Christian.  The seventh basic training principle is to know Who Jesus is.  Jesus asks His disciples who other people say He is and they answer with various speculations from the people (Matthew 16:13-14).  Then Jesus asks the hard question of Who do they say He is with Peter being able to answer correctly of His connection to God and as the Messiah (Matthew 16:15-17).  Without a true relationship with Jesus Christ Christians will not know Who Jesus is.  People may learn about Him or the things that are written to describe Him but a relationship allows a personal connection that can only come through intimacy.  Without a personal relationship with Jesus, a person cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:23).  The eighth basic training principle is to sacrifice the desires of the heart to obey God and His Word.  Jesus describes those who attempt to preserve or protect a temporal life on earth will destroy it but those who are willing to sacrifice everything for His name and the Gospel will preserve their life (Mark 8:35-38).  Christians must be willing to sacrifice anything for God by laying their lives on the altar of God (Romans 12:1-2).  With so much of culture today breeding the exact opposite within the hearts and minds of the people, Christians can have this basic training principle left out of their lifestyle.  Nothing is more important than God or the things within His kingdom.  It is those who obey God and His Word that enter into the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:21-23).  Religiosity will have the form but a relationship with Jesus will have the heart proven with action by faith (James 2:14-18).  May Christians seek to live more by the commands of Jesus rather than the culture of the world.  For more information about Abundant Grace Church visit agcsparta.org. 

​As a review for this topic, many churches use services to gather people together, perform the newest songs on Christian radio, and allow the popular speaker to share a motivational speech all around an hour timeframe.  Jesus Christ gave His followers a list of things they were commanded to do to qualify as Christians.  Christians must do these things, according to Jesus Christ, or they are not obeying the author and finisher of their faith (Hebrews 12:2).  The list presented through these articles can be referenced as Christian Basic Training, much like the military has basic training or boot camp. People expect the military to have such training to equip all recruits to be good soldiers at the foundational level.  To have strong Christian soldiers they must be taught the basic training principles to excel in their roles and duties as soldiers for God.  The third basic training principle is to deny oneself (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).  Deny oneself is defined as abstaining, disowning, losing sight of oneself and own interests, affirming no connection with.  Jesus tells His disciples that if a person is going to be a follower or Christian they must first put away their sinfulness and who they used to be.  Christians who submit to Jesus’ teachings will crucify their sinful desires and live in Him (Galatians 2:20).  This is denying oneself to be the new creation God has made them to be.  Another part of denying self is to not be consumed by the world or the culture of the world.  If those who declare love for God are consumed by the world they do not love God (1 John 2:15; James 4:4).  God’s people must be consumed by a passion and love for Him because He is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).  Sin displays a desire for self and a desire for self reflects God is not the focus of one’s life (John 14:15; Romans 1:26-27; Proverbs 11:2).  The fourth basic training principle is to carry their cross (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).  The King James version states to “take up his cross” which is defined as to lift, to raise, to bear, or to carry.  Jesus further states that whoever does not carry their cross and follow Him cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:27).  Each person having a cross is not a wooden object that must be carried throughout town, but the name or mark of being a Christian.  Those who do not carry the mark of Jesus are not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:38).  Carrying a cross is the emphasis of Jesus being the Lord and Master of one’s life not just their Savior from Hell.  The fifth basic training principle is to follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).  Follow is defined as being in the same way with, to accompany as a disciple.  With two words some denied themselves and followed Jesus (Luke 5:27-28; Matthew 4:19; John 1:43; Mark 2:14; Matthew 9:9).  For many in today’s time, they will not follow Jesus but follow their sinful desires or motives into a future that grows darker and darker due to the amount of God they shut out of their life.  Jesus did not come to bring death but life and life more abundantly (John 10:10).  Only those who follow Him will have this benefit of Jesus Christ.  All Christians must live by these principles according to the Word of God.  John the Baptist gave words to live by, Jesus must increase and self must decrease (John 3:30).  For more information about Abundant Grace Church visit agcsparta.org.  

​For many churches, services are to gather the people together, perform the newest songs on Christian radio, and allow the popular speaker to share a motivational speech all around an hour timeframe.  Jesus Christ gave His followers a list of things they were commanded to do to qualify as Christians.  Jesus gave commands not made suggestions to the people listening to Him preach.  Christians must do these things, according to Jesus Christ, or they are not obeying the author and finisher of their faith (Hebrews 12:2).  The list presented through these articles can be referenced as Christian Basic Training, much like the military has basic training or boot camp.  People expect the military to have such training to equip all recruits to be good soldiers at the foundational level.  To have strong Christian soldiers they must be taught the basic training principles to excel in their roles and duties as soldiers for God.  The first basic training principle is to confess Jesus before men (Matthew 10:32-33; Luke 12:8-12).  Jesus tells His disciples that anyone who confesses Him before men, He will confess before the Father in Heaven (Matthew 10:32).  To confess means to make a covenant with and to acknowledge Jesus’ position in one’s life.  Part of this confession is not only with the mouth but by a lifestyle that honors Jesus, the Word of God, and reflects a true relationship with God (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 4:1).  Jesus also says that anyone who denies Him before men He will deny before the Father (Matthew 10:33).  To deny means to contradict, reject, disavow, refuse to acknowledge.  When people contradict or refuse to acknowledge Jesus within their lives, even when they label themselves as Christians, they deny Jesus as the Lord and Master of their lives.  When Christians take upon the name of being a follower of the Anointed One or the Messiah (the definition of Christian) they should represent Him in His doctrine and standard of living as opposed to how they desire to live (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Part of this confession of Jesus before men is to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-18).  Christians should make disciples by sharing the Gospel and living out the Word of God for others to see and follow.  The second basic training principle is enduring to the end (Matthew 10:16-22).  Jesus knows that the spiritual enemies of God’s people will desire to bring quit, discouragement, and a lack of faith into the lives of Christians.  Christians must endure to the end to be saved (Matthew 10:22).  Endure means to remain faithful or not flee.  Victory belongs to God’s people unless they quit or allow discouragement to overtake them.  Even when everything around Christians is getting harder to stand and lawlessness is everywhere, they still must stand for the truth and God’s Word to endure unto salvation (Matthew 24:3-13).  This may sound easy when reading a text but it is harder when lived out in real time.  Christians must remember all things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26).  The remnant that endures to the end is who Jesus will gather in the last days as obedient servants to their master (Luke 12:41-48).  Christians must endure and not allow the deception of the enemy to keep them from the promises God has for His people or keep them from having a testimony of God’s faithfulness (2 Timothy 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 3:3).  May God’s people go back to the basics of the Christian faith and be stronger in what Jesus commands them to do.  For more information about Abundant Grace Church visit agcsparta.org.