In answer to your three questions; Jesus told us "You are my friends IF you do what I command you." Being a new creation in Christ Jesus, holy spirit filled indwelt and led. Living in His resurrection power picking up our cross and following Jesus as the lamb in our daily existence upon this realm, there becomes a distinct separation from the attitudes understandings, philosophies, reasonings, influences & ways of this world. We walk with a renewed mind with the mind heart and character of Christ.
Following our teacher, Leader, Master Lord & Shepherd Jesus is not for the faint hearted. His words are not mere suggestions he tells us to abide in him and in his word. He is our entire way of life he being THE way, only way, The truth (of life) and his life itself in us. We are told to count the cost in what it means to actually follow him genuinely authentically. And those not truly born again cannot even begin to enter into his kingdom.
We are encouraged to not deceive ourselves nor allow ourselves to become deceived by the wisdom of this world as it is foolishness with God, that the thoughts of the wise are futile.
Many people inclusive of the broad majority of Christians look to the organisations of satans system of 'Babylon' 'Egypt' as their answers, panacea and solutions to all that ills them. Also going as far as incorporating it within their institutions and in their very own lives and thinking. Yet Jesus as our Saviour came to set us free from being held into captivity to this world, to our carnal flesh, to sins, and leads us out of the enemies kingdom of darkness into his marvellous light,into his kingdom of righteousness which is not of this world but as It were an invisible realm above the rulerships and establishments upon this earth our Creator God being the ultimate Sovereign and his sovereignty prevails over and in our lives, minds thoughts hearts and actions through inward principles established through him. Erratic lives and dangers were when we were lost in our sins and trespasses and ways of the worldly before we were drawn to Christ & had our life changing transforming real encounter and rebirth with Jesus Christ. Then consistently growing and maturing in the knowledge and grace of him.
God's authority and rulership is always higher than his delegated offices. Some mistaken teachers insist that we are always and everywhere required to obey those in authority over us. This simplistic view would have people excuse themselves from atrocious crimes by appealing to the fact that their superiors commanded them. We may not disobey authorities because we disagree with them or because their mandates inconvenience or even oppress us. The biblical principle is to render obedience wherever we can UNLESS OUR DOING SO CONFLICTS WITH OUR OBEYING GOD.
We saw only recently what happened with the COVID debacle how many fell to the pressures of the majority. Wether that was something as small as mask wearing then to being willing experimental participants via nanotech potions of pharmakia into their bodies. The one who is faithful in little will be faithful in much. Of course those that have repented will be forgiven. It just makes you wonder though how many will succumb to the next testings and trials?
Many contemporary western Christians have never actually ever lived by faith nor make a stand for our Heavenly father and the just are to live by faith. During the pandemic we were tested and tried and many failed because of fear, not having a daily interpersonal lifeblood of regular unceasing interpersonal holy communication through the listening and in the obeying relationship with God, many were not prepared spiritually at all, nor did they receive warnings from him & became overcome by the situation instead of overcomers by the blood of the lamb and by the word of our testimony, not loving our lives even unto death .
Every day we have a living testimony and witness to our Heavenly father in how we live, everyday we either deny Jesus or come into agreement with our Heavenly father by how we live. Many have only ever gone through and entered the door of a church and engage in religious baseless activity never having gone through THE real door Jesus Christ. "If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture." In John 10 Jesus goes on to say that everyone who came and comes before him are all only thieves and robbers that come to only kill steal and destroy and his true sheep don't listen to them. As these only shut the kingdom of the heavens before men, they not being able to enter and prevent all those trying to go in & enter. They cross land air and sea to make one convert and then when they become one they make them twice a child of hell than themselves.
Everything in this world that can fail, will fail. We are in the world but not of it. We are to always obey God over others. And it is only by God's grace and his faithfulness to us that can make us stand in the face of adversity, testings and trials and suffering for our faith to never deny Jesus unto death. It is understanding it is not the great and the powerful but the weak in the hands of our Almighty all Powerful Great Mighty God that makes us victorious and more than conquerors.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. It is the ones that are not wise according to worldly standards. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
We must make this crystal clear that there is a huge difference between knowing God intimately then knowing lots about God. Those who truly know him will do great & mighty exploits and will remain steadfast, faithful in the knowing of their one true God. And in him as a faithful father that will never abandon or forsake his sons and daughters for he does not leave us as orphans. That nothing can separate us from his love but only ourselves through being rebellious, disobedient or hardening our hearts against him.
It is the herd mentality of the majority that are upon the Broadway that leads only to destruction. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Jesus explicitly tells us “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” we are to Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, will seek to enter and will not be able. We are to
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is HARD that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matt 7:13-14
So those truly in a committed devoted blood covenant relationship to Jesus Christ do NOT compromise nor conform to converge the lines of 'right' and 'wrong' to placate ourselves, our community, not our loved ones,or society in general.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Rom 12:2
Yes and it's an incredibly lonely road because when you truly live for Jesus Christ you may very well lose friends, family & loved ones, that's why Jesus said following him would not be easy. That anyone loving their mother, father, husband, wife, son or daughter or friends more than him are not worthy of him. (Matt 10:37-39)
Truly honouring him in our daily lives can sometimes even mean losing our job, our home, loss of finances etc. So many who have given themselves the label of Christian are merely taking Gods name in vain as they have never fully grasped or live in the fullness of what it means to be Jesus' learner and follower. They are unwilling to make a stand or any sort of sacrifice in putting or seeking him and his kingdom first, but those who do are few and far between merely a remnant.
Like our Lord Jesus experienced you will come to your own and they will not receive you. He also said "I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him." And that's exactly what we see is happening.
Many of the contemporary churches continue to be drawn ever deeper into compromise with the powers of this world. All too often inclined to dodge the higher calling of true genuine authentic faith. They are alot like the proverbial frog in the heated water bath, their spiritual condition is becoming more and more tenuous. They are about to be cooked! And yet in the compromised western church that has been exported out to the whole world are quite unaware of the perilous situation they are now in. This harlot woman is brought down to just a " contract for services rendered."
The early disciples, the Christians of former times would be hard pressed to Identify what we see prevalent among us today as the true Christian faith as taught by Jesus Christ Himself. That's why we must continue to make a solid bold and courageous stand earnestly contending for the faith delivered unto the saints amidst such contamination amongst a wicked crooked perverse generation amongst the sons of disobedience, not in our own strength might or power but by and through his spirit.
That's why i refuse to be leavened by mystery Babylon and the apostate harlot. As do those who are truly following and loving Jesus with their whole heart, mind soul spirit and strength and loving their neighbours as themselves though sharing the true gospel!
Most have made Jesus Christ after their own image and likeness not who He says he actually is and they have decided to worship Him in the way they want to and not as he says. They refuse the power that can make them Godly and from these we are told to turn away.
The true church of called out ones is to preserve itself distinct from the world, and is neither to mingle itself with the world, nor to suffer the world to mingle itself with it. For if the church and the world be mingled together in one society, the same common laws will no more agree to them who are of such different natures, principles, and ends, than the same common laws will agree to light and darkness, life and death, sin and righteousness, flesh and Spirit. Wherefore, it is not the way of peace to mingle the church and the world, but to separate them, and to keep them distinct.
And this way of peace God Himself teaches us by Paul (2 Cor 6:17), saying, Come out from among them, my people, and be you separate. For to separate the church from the world, in its communion of Saints, is the only way to preserve peace, in both; seeing the church will best agree with itself, and the world with itself.
The true church Ekklesia the invited and called out of self and the world being thus distinct from the world is to be contented with its own power for its own affairs, and is not to introduce or entertain any power in it that is not of it. Wherefore the true church, being such a kingdom as is not of this world, stands in need of no worldly power, and being a spiritual and heavenly kingdom, is only to have and exercise a spiritual and heavenly power, seeing this power alone, and by itself, is able to accomplish the whole good pleasure of God in and amongst His servants and to work all the works in them that God has and wants to do.
The power of the true church or rather of Gods kingdom, which is Christ's power, only reaches so far as Christ's kingdom; that is, the people that are born of God and his Spirit. True church-government reaches as far as Christ's and the Spirit's effectual influence and operation, but no further; that is to all that are willing, but to none that are unwilling.
ANY CHRISTIAN WHO READS THEIR BIBLE KNOWS THE UNIFYING FORCES SERVING GLOBALIZATION ARE NOT FORMING TO BUILD THE KINGDOM OF GOD. INSTEAD THESE FORCES SEEK “PEACE” THROUGH GLOBAL CONTROLS OF ECONOMY, WORLD HEALTH, AND HUMAN EXISTENCE. “CHRISTIAN LEADERS ” SEEM ALL TOO EAGER TO JOIN THEM.
Christians are NOT CALLED to save society, promote global pandemic protocols, to order Global Justice or establish Social Change but don't try and persuade self identified "Christian "leaders like Rick Warren, Walter Kim, Tim Keller, Russell Moore, David Platt, Francis Collins, or Ed Stetzer of this. Since joining forces with globalist at the World Economic Forum, Council on Foreign Relations, The United Nations through evangelical organizations like Lausanne Movement -subscribing to Climate Change, Covid Protocols and Vaccines, and Global Goals - many top tier Christian leaders and self appointed spokesmen have fully subscribed to the heretical movement recruiting the church into "global transformation" and seducing Christians into the rapidly develop- ing and doomed kingdom seeking to rebuild the Tower of Babel".
These are the tares and apostate infiltration that has a wide integration amongst not only the catholic, orthodox but the protestant evangelical churches. The global initiative is to bring about the uniting of the churches as one body of corporate entities, headed under the false prophet.
We are told by Jesus to share the gospel that is the TRUE gospel as set out by Jesus in His word & to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. To make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And to live out faithfully our lives in Jesus Christ.
The real cost of going all the way with Jesus is certainly living dangerously it is the best way to be rejected & lose friends. Called a fanatic and seen as a weirdo. Cast out from your family, friends, churches and getting stones be thrown at you. To be rejected, hated, excluded, slandered, misunderstood, criticised when you go deep with God & start turning all your heart to abba, father. Just like Jesus you will experience being excluded, looked down upon & cast out ignored censored and hated for his names sake. Even killed. When you are being possessed & obsessed by absolutely everything Jesus. Getting very serious in spiritual matters & your relationship & walk of faith with Him. You forsake all and totally give up on the things of this world, and change to total dependency upon Him. I found the lukewarm Christians gave up on me! They couldn't handle or stand the heat! Terrified somehow they would get singed. When you give up on the material things and desires of this world that are only all passing away and take your eyes off all the material realm, instead choosing to be utterly consumed by Jesus. Setting your mind on the things above. Being heavenly minded. His truths utterly reproves and convicts and rejects the things of this world. He keeps developing in us an utter broken heart and contrite humbled spirit. And gives us a broken heart and burden for the state of the church and those within it, inculcating such a love for them wanting to help them to turn their hearts back to Heavenly father. There is so much more that could be said but we either are truly running loving and living after our Lord and father in heaven entwined abiding in Jesus as the vine forsaking the world and the things in it for all the pursuit and things of him and his kingdom.
Do we say as our brother Paul that we count everything as loss because of the incomparable surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as our Lord. For his sake suffering the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that we may gain Christ.
I hope that answers your questions?
What you have described is the most difficult task for those immersed in our cultural lukewarmness. We all know where we should be, but getting there is another thing. I love your passion for Christ, there is nothing you would not do for your Yeshua. Keep standing for truth and being the light on the ill. There are too few of us.
"Those who truly know him will do great & mighty exploits and will remain steadfast, faithful in the knowing of their one true God." And so it is 🙏