Rooted, Raised… and Ready to Die for Christ

This blog began with a simple but serious question:
What does it mean to truly follow Jesus—according to His Word, not the traditions of men?

My journey started with prayer, conviction, and the Sermon on the Mount—Jesus’ Kingdom Constitution in Matthew 5–7. These weren’t suggestions. They were commands—radical, countercultural, Spirit-empowered commands. And I realized I wasn’t living them.

When I looked around modern Christianity, I saw a reflection of myself: well-meaning, but comfortable, distracted, and far from the sacrificial love and obedience Jesus described. We were not the kind of people our enemies could point to and say, “Look how they love one another.” We were not ready to lose our lives for Christ—or even our comforts. But in going back through church history, I found a people who were. The Ante-Nicene Christians—those who lived from AD 33 to 325—were no strangers to trials. And though they had faults, their lives were radically different from ours. They faced betrayal, injustice, persecution, poverty, and death… and still lived boldly, faithfully, and visibly for Christ. Their doctrine was Scripture. Their teacher was the Holy Spirit. Their gatherings were house to house, and their love for one another—legendary. Even their enemies took notice.

“See how they love one another… and how they are ready to die for each other.”
— Tertullian, Apology 39.7 (quoting pagan observers)

That kind of Christianity is not extinct. It’s just been buried. Buried under comfort. Under compromise. Under culture. And I knew I had to dig it up again—for myself, my family, and anyone else who would listen.

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This Is My “Why”

I’m not looking to go backward for nostalgia. I’m looking to move forward in truth. I need the fellowship of believers who are willing to lose everything to follow Jesus. I need iron to sharpen iron.

Because what Jesus said still stands:

“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
— Luke 14:27 (NASB 1995)

These are not words to decorate a coffee cup. They’re words that pierce, and they should. They call us to surrender family, land, comfort, and even our lives for Christ and His Kingdom.

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My Hope for You

This journey isn’t for the casual Christian. It’s for the remnant. Those who want to walk the narrow path. Those who don’t want to just read about faith—they want to live it, even when it costs.

I won’t pretend it’s easy. But in the power of the Holy Spirit, with the armor of God in place, and eyes fixed on Christ, I press on—whether to persecution or glory, so long as He is with me. Because I only have one life to live—and I want to get it right.

If this resonates with you, welcome. Let’s walk this road together—rooted in Scripture, raised in Christ.