COUNTING UP THE COST TO FOLLOW CHRIST:

 COUNTING UP THE TOTAL COST TO FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST:

Our Identity and Purpose: Jesus Christ Royal Believers Way Saints Global Fellowship Ministries

We are not a religion or a denomination, nor do we support the construction of physical church buildings. Instead, our mission is to build up the body of our Lord God, Jesus Christ, through love, grace, and mercy. We are dedicated to aiding, helping, and supporting the members of the Jesus Royal Believers Way Saints Global Fellowship as they carry out ministries that serve the body of Christ and His Kingdom.

We believe that being in the Church is more than simply attending services or holding membership. We are His living temples, and He manifests His works through us as we seek to meet the needs of the Saints first and, subsequently, all others, in accordance with His divine will. This is the heart and mission of the Jesus Christ Royal Believers Way Saints Global Fellowship Ministries.

We don't go, attend, join, become a member of, or have a church. We are His living temples and Church, and He manifests His works through us in meeting the needs of His body, the Saints first and then all others according to His will. This is what we are as Jesus Christ Royal Believers Way Saints Global Fellowship Ministries.

We are the Lord Jesus Christ's total body, every member working together in love and unity and guided by the Holy Spirit and God's new and better way. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus says, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Of course, it is not technically our light that should shine before others. It is the light of Christ, entrusted to believers as light-bearers ( John 1:8). In other words, we do not produce the light within us. God does. And through our good works, people may glorify the One who gives that light.

“If anyone comes to Him, the Lord God Jesus Christ said, 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 His disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Him cannot be His disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be His disciple" (Luke 14:26-33).

Jesus Christ said a lot in those simple illustrations. He quickly put an end to the idea that He offered some kind of welfare program. Although the gift of eternal life is free to anyone who asks (John 3:16), the asking requires a transfer of ownership (Luke 9:23; Galatians 5:24). “Counting the cost” means recognizing and agreeing to some terms first. In following Christ, we cannot simply follow our own inclinations. We cannot follow Him and the world’s way at the same time (Matthew 7:13-14). Following Him may mean we lose relationships, dreams, material things, or even our lives.

Jesus Christ ended His description of the cost of discipleship with a breathtaking statement: "Anyone of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be His disciple" (Luke 14:33). “Renouncing” may mean we give up something physically, but more often it means we let go emotionally so that what we possess no longer possesses us. When we become one of His, we cannot continue to belong to this religion, Idle buildings, worship, dominations, and this wicked and evil world (1 John 2:15-17). We must make a choice, for we cannot serve both God and Mammon ( Money ) (Matthew 6:24). The rich young ruler, when confronted with that choice, turned his back on Jesus (Luke 18:18-25).

We cannot earn salvation by lifestyle change or any other good deed (Ephesians 2:8-9). But when we choose to follow Christ, we are releasing control of our lives. When Jesus Christ is in control, pure living results (1 John 3:4-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17). In Jesus’ parable of the sower, it was only the soil that allowed the seed to put down roots and bear fruit that was called “good.” If we are going to be disciples of Christ, we must first count the cost of following Him.

In Luke 14, Jesus Christ outlines the true nature of discipleship, addressing the crowds who were captivated by His miracles and benevolence rather than the life He called them to live. Recognizing that their hearts were drawn to the benefits of His ministry rather than to Him personally, He provided a sobering reality check on what it truly means to follow Him. He explained that discipleship requires a complete transfer of ownership, challenging His listeners to count the cost before committing to a life that demands total surrender.





Those who are following Jesus simply for what they can get won’t stick around when the going gets tough. When God’s way conflicts with our way, we will feel betrayed by the shallow, me-first faith we have bought into. If we have not counted the cost of being His child, we will turn away at the threat of sacrifice and find something else to gratify our selfish desires ( Mark 4:5, 16-17). In Jesus’ earthly ministry, there came a time when the free food stopped, and public opinion turned ugly. The cheering crowds became jeering crowds. And Jesus knew ahead of time that would happen.



Suppose you learned that you had been given an all-expense-paid condo on a beach in Tahiti, complete with airfare, a car, food, and a maid. You could brag about your new Christian lifestyle, plan for it, and dream about it. But until you pack up and leave your current home, the new Christian life is never really yours. You cannot live in Tahiti and your current hometown at the same time. Many believers approach Christianity the same way. They love the idea of eternal life, escaping hell, and having Jesus at their beck and call. But they are not willing to leave the life they now live. Their desires, lifestyle, and sinful habits are too precious to them. Their lives may exhibit a token change—starting to attend religious church services and buildings or giving up a major sin—but they want to retain ownership of everything else. Jesus Christ is speaking in Luke 14 to those with that mindset. Amen.

We don't go, attend, join, become a member of, or have Church. We are His living temples and Church, and He manifests His works through us in meeting the needs of His body, the Saints first and then all others according to His will. This is what we are as Jesus Christ Royal Believers Way Saints Global Fellowship Ministries.

We are the Lord Jesus Christ's total body, every member working together in love and unity and guided by the Holy Spirit and God's new and better way. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus says, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Of course, it is not technically our light that should shine before others. It is the light of Christ, entrusted to believers as light-bearers ( John 1:8). In other words, we do not produce the light within us. God does. And through our good works, people may glorify the One who gives that light.

One way to let our light shine before others is to show compassion. Jesus expressed deep compassion for all people, regardless of their ethnic background, social status, gender, or personal beliefs (Matthew 9:36; 15:32; Mark 6:34). As the Royal Believers Way Saints Global Fellowship Ministries, we should follow His example by showing compassion and kindness to everyone.

To help you get settled, here are two quick ways to get plugged in:

Join our global social media ministries and groups:

Read & Study all the totally free messages we share daily: We would love to see you grow spiritually, biblically, healthily, and financially!

If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at apostlejrwinfree@gmail.com or apostle.winfree@yahoo.com. We are here to support you every step of the way as we together be a blessing to each other.

Thank you again for bringing your heart and gifts to our ministry. We pray this season is one of deep spiritual growth and joyful connection for you.

Blessings,

Senior Apostle, Messenger & Ministries Visionary/ Founder, The Lord Jesus Christ/ Co-Founder Senior Apostle James Winfree Sr.
Senior Apostle James & Betty R Winfree Global Social Media Ministries.