Just

Matthew 16:24-26

Disciples’ Literal New Testament

Deny Yourself, Take Up Your Cross, And Follow Me. Some Here Will See Me In My Kingdom

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny[a] himself, and take up his cross[b], and be following Me. 25 For whoever wants to save[c] his life[d] will lose it. But whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will a person be profited if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his life[e]? Or what will a person give in-exchange-for his life?

Footnotes

a) Matthew 16:24 That is, disown and refuse to follow the impulses of self.

b) Matthew 16:24 That is, the instrument of his or her death to self.

c) Matthew 16:25 That is, by avoiding his cross, and refusing to deny himself.

d) Matthew 16:25 That is, life in an earthly sense.

e) Matthew 16:26 That is, life in an eternal sense.

Greek for Deny:

ånapvéopat, aparněómai, ap-ar-neh'-om-ahee:

  to deny utterly, i.e. disown, abstain:-deny.

ESOTERIC

esəˈterik adj.,

1) Confined to a select circle; confidential. 2) Designed for or understood by an initiated and enlightened few; abstruse (difficult to comprehend), profound.

MYSTIC

mys-tic (mis tik) adj. 

1 Of or pertaining to mystics or mysticism. 

2 Of or designating an occult or esoteric rite, practice, belief, etc. 3 Mysterious; enigmatic. --n. One who practices mysticism or has mystical experiences. [< Gk. mystikos pertaining to secret rites]

MYSTERY

mys-ter-y (mis'ter-ē) n. pl. ter-les 

1 Something that can not be explained or comprehended. 

2 Any action, affair, or event so obscure or concealed as to arouse suspense, curiosity, or fear. 

3 A story, play, film, etc., dealing with such actions or affairs. 

4 Secrecy or obscurity: an event wrapped in mystery. 

5 Theol. A truth known only through faith or revelation and incomprehensible to human reason. 

6 Eccl. A sacrament, esp. the Eucharist. 

7 Usu. pl. Secret rites or practices. 

8 MYSTERY PLAY. [< Gk. mysterion secret worship, secret thing]

MYSTICAL

mys-ti-cal (mis'ti-kel) adj. 

1 Characteristic of, relating only to, or involving mysticism or mystics. 2 Believing in or practicing mysticism.

MYSTICISM

ys-ti-cism (mis'te-siz'em) n. 

1 Any of various disciplines, usu. involving meditation and asceticism, by which one can supposedly attain intuitive knowledge of or direct union with God or some ultimate reality. 2 The experience of such knowledge or union. 3 Any theory or belief which states that it is possible to have immediate, intuitive experience of realities beyond man's senses or rational faculties. 4 Vague or obscure thinking.

MEDITATION

med-i tate (med'a-tät) v. tat-ed, -tat-ing v.i. 

1 To engage in contemplative thought. -v.t. 

2 To think about; consider. 

3 To think about doing; intend: to meditate mischief. [<L meditari muse, ponder] -med'i-ta'tive adj. -med'i ta'tive. ing ly adu. --med'i-ta'tor n. 

Syn. 1 contemplate, muse, reflect. v.i. med-i-ta-tion (med'e-tā'shən) n. The act of meditating; deep, deliberate thought; contemplation.

ASCETIC

as-cet-ic (ə-set'ik) noun. 

1 A religious hermit or recluse.

2 One who leads a very austere and self-denying life.-adj. 

Given to or involving severe self-denial and austerity: also as-cet'l-cal. [<Gk. askētēs one who exercises (self-denial), a monk] -

as-cet'l-cal.ly, adu. as-cet-i-cism (ə-set'e-siz'əm) n. Ascetic practices and conduct, esp. as a way to greater spirituality.

ENIGMA

en- e-nig.ma (i-nig'me) n. 

1 An obscure or ambiguous saying; a riddle. 

2 A baffling or inexplicable circumstance, person, act etc. [<Gk. ainissesthai speak in riddles]

ENIGMATIC

en-ig-matic (en'ig-matik, e'nig-) adj. Of or like an enigma; ambiguous; puzzling. Also en'ig-mat'i-cal. -en'ig. mat'l-cally adv.

trying to help it make more sense to everybody.

I love how it says, "Any of various disciplines, usu. involving meditation and asceticism, by which one can supposedly attain intuitive knowledge of or direct union with God or some ultimate reality.

OMGoodness please somebody come talk to me about "supposedly" :-).

I don't really think this is a course you can just decide to follow for years on end and then hidden realities suddenly reveal themselves to you. My thinking is "an unseen force worthy of reverence" will take you down this path if it so desires, it's just not something you can set out to do on your own, just not the way it works. Not in my case anyway.

So there's a lil bit of an explanation what's going on (and it's spreading in a particular geographic vicinity BTW :-). Just because you don't believe it or have never heard about it, doesn't mean it hasn't been a part of the Christian tradition for centuries now. Like literally 2000+ years old.

There is a reason I came across this book at the same time I came across that Mendenhall Reference Bible.

Just like there is a reason for all the study on Astronomy (the branch of science which deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole) and quantum mechanics, (science dealing with the behavior of matter and light on the atomic and subatomic scale) ect.

The uncreated creator was showing me that he had designed the world in such a manner for his miracles to take place and that it's nothing to get "spooked" about.

It's one thing to believe in miracles. It's quite another to see them right in front of your eyes and not just go completely stark-raving mad. By educating me about the former, he prevented me from the later.

Matthew henry Commentary on Joel 2

"The pouring out of the Spirit will be very comfortable to the righteous; but let the unrighteous hear this, and tremble. There is a great and terrible day of the Lord coming, which shall be ushered in with wonders in heaven and earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke, the turning of the sun into darkness and the moon into blood. This is to have its full accomplishment (as the learned Dr. Pocock thinks) in the day of judgment, at the end of time, before which these signs will be performed in the letter of them,"

"The judgments of God upon a sinful world, and the frequent destruction of wicked kingdoms by fire and sword, are prefaces to and presages of the judgment of the world in the last day. Those on whom the Spirit is poured out shall foresee and foretell that great and terrible day of the Lord, and expound the wonders in heaven and earth that go before it; for, as to his first coming, so to his second, all the prophets did and do bear witness, Rev. 10:7 (But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.) 

"It is the day of the Lord, the day of his judgment, who knows how to separate between the precious and the vile."

"They are called a remnant, because they are but a few in comparison with the multitudes that are left to perish; a little remnant but a chosen one, a remnant according to the election of grace. And here we are told who they are that shall be delivered in the great day. (1.) Those that sincerely call upon God: Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, whether Jew or Gentile...shall be delivered. This calling on God supposes knowledge of him, faith in him, desire towards him, dependence on him, and, as an evidence of the sincerity of all this, a conscientious obedience to him; for, without that, crying Lord, Lord, will not stand us in any stead.

Matthew 7:21-23

True and False Disciples 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

I love you honey, y'all crackin me up but I love ya  :-).

ps Definitions, pronunciations etc all taken from my 46 year old Doubleday Dictionary for home school or office :-). It's like my Mendenhall Refernce Bible of dictionaries :-). Just goes a lil more in depth than what you can find online a lot of times.

Plus I've had it for 46 years :-). So it's like an old friend :-).