We are talking about you as the true master of your own life. You decide every day how many masters you will have.

• • • • • • •

Matthew 16:24 "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

You are the master of your own life. Whether you realize it or not, each day you decide what you will do and who you will follow. If you follow Jesus, you willfully sacrifice your right to be your own master. Each day you will take up your own cross. The cross represents your willful choice to die to your self rule.

If Jesus is your master then there is no room for any more. If your husband or wife, parents, boss, teacher, pastor, priest or church try to force themselves over you as ruler, then you have a problem. If you have more than one master there will be conflict. It won’t work. You should not let anyone or anything rule over you other than Jesus. If Jesus tells you to serve, you serve because Jesus is your Master. Jesus will also direct you all along the way on how He wants you to serve others.

If someone “loves themselves” as master, then they will hate anyone else trying to be their master or ruler. Who is on the hate list? They will hate anyone who tries to direct their life. They will hate Jesus, parents, husbands, wives, teachers, coaches, officials, police, judges, pastors, priests, and churches. A narcissist is someone who loves themselves over everyone else. They will love themselves even if their selfish love causes others to be put down or damaged in some way.

If someone is devoted to themselves as master, eventually they will despise Jesus. They will despise anyone who tries to direct their life in a way that they don’t want. They will only listen and do what others say if they have already decided it’s what they want for themselves.

You cannot have Jesus as Master and serve money. Money represents all the things we value. How do you know when you are serving things of value over Jesus? The obvious example is actual money. If you lose your job, or your savings, do you turn away from Jesus? If you lose the game or lose your career as an athlete due to injury, do you stop following Jesus? What if your girlfriend or boyfriend abandons you? What if your parent dies, do you reject Jesus? Is your love and devotion to Jesus conditional based on the things you have or don’t have?

Story: Our dad is dying. Pray that he won’t die. A female student had heard about our prayer meetings. At our meetings many had seen healings, accepted Jesus, and many had given prophetic words to each another. Rumors began to circulate that I was prophetic and students began to call me a prophet. This was very problematic to say the least. A female student’s dad was dying with just a few days left to live, and the family was desperate. She brought her mother to our prayer meeting and wanted prayer for healing, but really they wanted a prophecy that the dad would not die.

I prayed because they asked me. I only asked for healing and didn’t give any prophetic word. In my heart I heard the Lord tell me the father was going to die, and I also knew I wasn’t to say anything. They were so desperate for healing that they took what I prayed as a prophetic word that her dad would not die. A week later he died. In grief her mother was so upset she verbalized a desire to walk away from Jesus. The student mentioned to the university that I had given a prophetic word that the dad would live, and yet the dad died. I was called in to explain to the campus administrators what had happened. Eventually, the family calmed down and re-evaluated. They admitted I had not given a prophetic word that the dad would live. I had just prayed like everyone else, asking Jesus to heal him. The love for a husband should not be of more value than Jesus. Jesus also knows our hearts when we verbalize something we don’t really mean. He is so merciful and patient. The female student’s mom loved her husband, but she loved Jesus more.

Prayer coaching: “Jesus, I wish to come follow You. I deny myself and my right to be my own master. I take up my cross and die to myself, to live for You each day.

Jesus help me not love myself more than anyone else or at the expense of others. Help me love You Jesus as You direct my life however You choose. Help me not hate or despise those who are just trying to help me follow You.

Jesus help me to not love anyone or anything more than You. I want to love You Jesus and follow You above all else.”