"Blessed by the Best" - 2

 "And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better." (Hebrews 7:7 KJV)

  ""And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven." Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them." (Luke 24:49-50 NLT)

 With all that, 'without all contradiction,' let me try and show how we might fit into that character, which only can happen with a new heart! Yes, there is no other way that we have the ability to do any of those things Jesus spoke about in those parables; much like, "The Cost of Following Jesus," those who will walk away in order to serve Him, will most likely lose their way! 

 To put it in a different way: If and when we find Christ, it will be because we were led to Him by the Father! We could be in any sort of condition: looking or giving up or doing something that is totally wrong; you name it, there really is no certain condition for us to be in, but whatever it is, it is where you needed to be, and it is what God will use to cause you to listen!

 If you don't remember what or when, then I am sorry you can't recall when He changed your heart, which is something that happens rather instantly; we don't grow into a new heart on our own! That said, we can rather easily harden our hearts and even cause it to be calloused, which basically means that we grow spiritually dull. 

 Without getting too carried away, let me just come out and say it: The Holy Spirit is what gives us the power to give up all we have and surrender our lives to follow Jesus; it is by the Spirit that we have the ability to love as we ought to; something that is almost impossible for us to do, without failing, as must do as the Spirit leads us.

 In other words, it is not that we would sell all that we have, in order to gain Christ; Christ comes into our heart first, and then we are equip with the desire to follow Him! We don't work or buy our way to the cross of Christ, but we do have to pick up our cross and follow Him...

"As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go." But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head." He said to another person, "Come follow me." The man agreed, but he said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God." Another said, "Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say goodbye to my family." But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."" (Luke 9:57-62 NLT)