Living Sacrifices in an Age of Self

“Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1–2

We live in a time when the word “sacrifice” is cheapened. In our culture, to “sacrifice” often means to give up a little comfort to get a bigger prize for ourselves later. But in the Kingdom of God, sacrifice implies something altogether different. It means laying yourself—your body, your comfort, your possessions, your reputation—on the altar for the glory of the King, expecting nothing in return but His smile.

The Apostle Paul didn’t write Romans 12:1–2 to inspire a momentary burst of religious zeal. He wrote it to define the everyday Christian life. A living sacrifice isn’t someone who gives God an hour on Sunday and the leftovers of their schedule. It’s someone who climbs on the altar and stays there until their will, their ambitions, and their self-protection are burned away—leaving only Christ formed in them.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 16:24–25

And here is the hard truth: this altar life will cost you everything. Jesus didn’t call His disciples to manage their self-life; He commanded them to crucify it. The cross is not a decoration for your wall—it’s an execution stake for your flesh.

This is the message KINGDOM Empowered and Abundant Life Family Care (ALFC) has been given for the Great Basin Region. We are calling believers—not to a brand, not to a program, but to the very life Jesus described when He said:

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

You Have the Gall to Call Yourself an Apostle?

In an age of self-promotion, self-protection, and self-preservation, this message cuts against everything our culture celebrates. But it is the only way to truly follow Jesus.

“Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.” Revelation 2:5

And it is the only soil in which ALFC can grow—a network of Grace Homes built not on pride, ego, or titles, but on the backs of foot-washing servants willing to partake in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of the vulnerable.

Because make no mistake: serving the least of these will cost you. It will hurt. It will expose your weakness. But in that weakness, His grace will shine all the brighter. And that is exactly why we do it—not for applause, not for recognition, but so that “at the revelation of His glory [we] may rejoice with exultation.” 1 Peter 4:13

This blog post is a call to that life. It’s a call to confess, to repent, to lay everything down for the King, and to join a mission that glorifies Him in the only way that matters—through absolute surrender, radical love, and shared suffering.

“I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false.” Revelation 2:2

The Lord of lords knows your deeds and the name you claim, and He has not called you to bring glory to yourself. You say you are apostles, but you are not; you have tested false and found wanting. Jesus' true apostles bear His cross, not their own image. They are poured out for the sake of His Body, not stored up in comfort for themselves.

“They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the marketplaces, and being called Rabbi by men. But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:6–12

You seek honor from men, yet will not lift a finger to bind the wounds of the broken. You want the seats of honor, but you won't be able to use the towel and basin to wash feet. The greatest among you must be the servant of all, but you have chosen to serve only yourselves with your false titles. Repent, or I will remove your lampstand and your title will be nothing before Me, for only the one who lays down his life for My sake is truly Mine.

The Glory of God in the Sufferings of Christ

“But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.” 1 Peter 4:13

The sufferings of Christ are not an unfortunate byproduct of following Him—they are the pathway to glory. In the Kingdom, glory does not come through influence, titles, or applause. It comes through weakness embraced, obedience under fire, and a willingness to lose everything for His sake.

“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.” John 13:14–15

The original apostles understood this. Paul could write to the Corinthians, “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 1:5. The comfort did not come instead of suffering—it came through suffering. And when that comfort arrived, it was not for Paul alone; it overflowed to strengthen others.

This is one of the great disconnects in modern Christianity. Too many believe that avoiding pain is a sign of God’s favor, while the New Testament insists that sharing Christ’s sufferings is a sign of His fellowship. The cross is not a decorative logo for ministry—it is the lifestyle of those who truly belong to Him.

The Counterfeit Apostles and Prophets

Here is where we must speak plainly. The apostles and prophets of the New Testament bore no resemblance to many of those who claim those titles today. They did not live in luxury. They did not use their calling as a platform to sell themselves. They did not insulate themselves from hardship or use their influence to secure comfort.

Paul’s apostolic résumé is a litany of loss:

Beatings without number.

Shipwrecks.

Imprisonment.

Hunger and thirst.

Sleepless nights.

Betrayal from those he served.

Paul had no house to call his own, no portfolio of real estate holdings, no retreat to escape the cost of obedience. And he was content with that because his aim was not to build an empire but to glorify God in weakness.

Contrast that with many modern “apostles” and “prophets” in the West, who live like corporate CEOs, surrounded by comfort, preaching a gospel of influence and success while insulating themselves from the very sufferings that defined the first apostles. To claim the title without sharing the life is not just hypocrisy—it is deception.

If you have never risked your reputation, your resources, your safety, or your comfort for the sake of Christ’s name, then you have not yet touched the fellowship of His sufferings. And if you are unwilling to do so, you should not claim the title.

Why This Matters for ALFC

Abundant Life Family Care cannot be built on counterfeit apostleship. We are not looking for leaders who want titles; we are looking for servants who will wash feet. We are not interested in platforms; we are interested in altars.

To rescue children from trafficking and abuse, to restore broken families, to create Safe Zones where the vulnerable can encounter the love of Christ—this is not work for those chasing status. This is work for those willing to “know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” Philippians 3:10

It is hard work. It is painful work. It will cost you everything. But it is glorious work because it reflects the heart of the One who laid down His life for His friends—and for His enemies.

The Alpha Male Problem

“And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’” Luke 9:23

One of the most significant obstacles to authentic discipleship in the modern church is the myth of the self-made, self-reliant “alpha male.” We see him everywhere in American culture and, tragically, in the pews. He is strong in appearance, confident in his abilities, and proud of his accomplishments. He’s a doer, a fighter, a leader—in the eyes of the world. But spiritually, he’s a lightweight.

Why? Because he refuses to bow.

The Symptoms

He will work 80 hours a week to build a business but won’t spend 30 minutes in prayer.

He will fight for his own reputation but won’t humble himself to confess sin.

He will devour podcasts on leadership but won’t meditate on the Word of God.

He will protect his assets at all costs but won’t risk a dime for the Kingdom unless there’s a guaranteed return.

These men are allergic to weakness. They avoid stillness. They despise dependency—especially on God. They have learned to fight but not to love, to lead but not to serve.

Why This Matters

Alpha male Christianity is a contradiction in terms. Jesus—the strongest man who ever lived—did not protect Himself, promote Himself, or preserve His own life. He laid it down. He was not driven by ego but by obedience. How could anyone call themselves an Apostle until they are willing to live the life that the Apostle Paul suffered?

The life of Christ is not about maintaining an image of strength; it’s about embracing the reality of weakness so that His strength can be made perfect in you (2 Corinthians 12:9).

And here’s the truth, alpha male Christianity can’t handle: without the total internal transformation of grace, you cannot suffer for Christ. Your flesh will get in the way every time. Self-ambition, self-preservation, and self-protection will override obedience to the cross.

The Image of Christ vs. the Image of Babylon

The alpha male model looks more like Nebuchadnezzar building Babylon than Jesus building His Church. It values control, dominance, and legacy in this age. The image of Christ values humility, surrender, and treasures in Heaven.

We are not called to be warriors in the flesh; we are called to be living sacrifices in the Spirit. Our crowns are not for display—they are for laying down at His feet.

ALFC: A Direct Challenge to the Alpha Male Spirit

To join Abundant Life Family Care in its mission is to declare war on the alpha male spirit in yourself. You cannot rescue the vulnerable, stand with the broken, and serve the least if your life is built on protecting your own comfort and image.

ALFC is not looking for fighters who can win arguments; we are looking for disciples who can love their enemies. We are not recruiting men who want to be in charge; we are recruiting men who want to be like Christ.

Because the truth is, anyone can suffer when life is comfortable. But the true warriors of the Kingdom are those who, “in every circumstance… have learned to be content” (Philippians 4:11)—even in suffering, even in loss, even in weakness.

Suffering as the Mark of True Apostleship

“and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:17

The earliest apostles had no illusions about what their calling would cost. Jesus made it clear from the start: “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20, NASB 1995). To follow Him was to accept rejection, persecution, poverty, and, for most of them, violent death.

The Apostolic Reality

When we read the New Testament with open eyes, we see a very different picture from what’s often painted today:

Peter: crucified upside down.

James (son of Zebedee): executed by the sword.

John: exiled to Patmos after surviving an attempted execution.

Paul: imprisoned repeatedly, beaten without number, and eventually executed in Rome.

These men owned no property, held no bank accounts, and built no buildings. Their “platforms” were borrowed homes and open fields. Their “followers” were those they had discipled, often at great personal risk. Their legacy was not wealth or influence—it was faithfulness unto death. They all died thousands of miles from home, having spread the Gospel around Europe and Asia.

The Apostolic Contrast

Compare that with many self-proclaimed apostles today:

Multi-million-dollar homes.

Corporate salaries from their ministries.

Titles printed on glossy conference brochures.

Carefully curated public images to maintain influence.

This is not apostolic. This is branding.

True apostleship is not about being recognized; it’s about being poured out. Paul described it this way:  

“I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” Colossians 1:24

Apostolic authority comes from apostolic sacrifice, and apostolic sacrifice always looks like the cross.

Why This Matters for ALFC

Abundant Life Family Care is not a place for title-seekers or image-builders. It is a mission that will test your willingness to lose everything for the sake of the least. It will require you to lay down your personal ambitions for the good of those who can never repay you.

If you think apostolic leadership is about sitting at the head of the table, ALFC will not be for you. But if you understand that it means washing the feet of the tired, feeding the hungry, and standing between the vulnerable and those who prey on them—then you’re starting to see what we mean.

The Glory in Loss

The apostles did not see their suffering as failure; they saw it as participation in Christ’s victory. Paul could say, “If we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:12) because he understood that the cross always precedes the crown.

In the Kingdom, glory doesn’t come from what you gain; it comes from what you give up for the sake of love.

ALFC: Suffering as a Shared Mission

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:16

Suffering for the sake of Christ is not just a personal calling—it’s a shared mission. The early church understood this instinctively. When one member suffered, all felt the weight. When one was in need, all shared their resources. They lived out the reality of being one body under one Head, each member laying down what they had for the good of the whole.

That is exactly what Abundant Life Family Care (ALFC) is built to do.

The Nature of ALFC’s Mission

ALFC exists to build Grace Homes—safe, Christ-centered refuges for children, families, and individuals pulled out of trafficking, abuse, neglect, or crisis. But let’s be honest: this mission will demand more than money. It will require emotional resilience, spiritual warfare, and the willingness to be misunderstood, criticized, and even attacked.

When you open your home to the broken, you open your life to their pain. When you stand against traffickers, abusers, and the systems that enable them, you make yourself a target. This is not “safe” ministry—at least not by the world’s standards. But it is the way of the cross.

Suffering in Community

The beauty of ALFC is that no one carries this burden alone. Like the early believers in Acts 2, we are building a network of mutual sacrifice and mutual care. If one Grace Home is under pressure, others rally to support it. If one leader is in need, the rest of the body steps in.

This is suffering shared—and in shared suffering, the glory of God is revealed. As Paul wrote, “so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this.” 1 Thessalonians 3:3

Why Suffering Matters for the Mission

A ministry that refuses suffering will never endure. Programs can be replicated; Safe Zones must be borne—through prayer, perseverance, and costly love. The trafficked child, the abused mother, the abandoned teenager—they are not statistics. They are image-bearers of God who will require long-term, costly investment from those who claim to follow Christ.

When ALFC Ambassadors and Grace Home leaders embrace this suffering, they are not just “helping people.” They are proclaiming Christ with their lives. They are declaring to the world, “We will gladly be poured out so that others may live.”

The Joy Set Before Us

Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus, “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…” The joy before us is not ease or recognition—it is the sight of rescued lives transformed by the power of the Gospel. It is the knowledge that in our weakness, His grace shone brightly enough to bring someone else into the Kingdom.

The Call to Confess, Repent, and Surrender

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19

Before a believer can embrace the mission of Abundant Life Family Care, before they can suffer with joy, before they can pour themselves out for others—they must first lay down the heaviest burden of all: themselves.

Confession is not a one-time box to check. It is the continual posture of a disciple who knows their own depravity and their complete inability to save themselves. Paul said it plainly: “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh…” (Romans 7:18). The sooner we acknowledge this, the sooner God’s grace can work unhindered.

The Mask Must Go

Many in the church today—especially leaders—are exhausted from maintaining the mask of competence. They lead ministries while hiding secret sin. They serve people while avoiding the presence of God. They preach about grace but live in the bondage of self-effort.

This duplicity kills ministries and destroys trust. More importantly, it robs God of the glory He deserves when His children live openly dependent on Him.

If you want to join ALFC’s mission, the mask must go. We are not building this network on image management. We are building it on the raw, unvarnished truth of redeemed sinners who daily confess their weakness and cling to Christ.

Repentance Is More Than Apology

Repentance is not just feeling bad for what you’ve done—it’s turning fully from the old way of life and embracing God’s way. It’s renouncing self-protection and self-promotion in favor of absolute surrender to the Sovereignty of the Trinity.

In ALFC, this means:

Choosing humility over recognition.

Choosing service over comfort.

Choosing obedience over personal agenda.

It means living with the daily awareness that “you are not your own… you have been bought for a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

Surrender Without Conditions

True surrender is not giving God part of your life while keeping certain areas under your control. It’s signing a blank contract and letting Him fill in the details. For ALFC Ambassadors and Grace Home leaders, this may mean opening your home when it’s inconvenient, giving resources when it’s costly, or standing for truth when it’s unpopular.

It’s letting go of “my plans” and embracing His—even when His plans lead to the cross.

The Freedom on the Other Side

The paradox of the Kingdom is that surrender leads to freedom. When you give up control, you are no longer crushed by the pressure to maintain it. When you release your grip on your life, you find the life you were made for.

Confession frees you from the mask. Repentance turns you in the right direction. Surrender sets you on the narrow road where Christ walks with you, bearing the load.

ALFC as a Biblical Expression of Loving One Another

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:16

The call to love one another is not a suggestion from Jesus—it’s the very heartbeat of the Kingdom. But in our culture, love is often reduced to sentiment or words of encouragement. In the Kingdom, love is defined by the cross.

Jesus did not love the world from a distance. He entered our mess. He touched the unclean. He embraced the rejected. He absorbed the cost of our sin in His own body. And He commanded His disciples to love in the same way.

Love in the Early Church

The book of Acts gives us the blueprint:

They met needs immediately and personally (Acts 2:44–45).

They bore one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).

They showed hospitality without complaint (1 Peter 4:9).

They forgave freely, just as they had been forgiven (Colossians 3:13).

Their love was not measured by how they felt—it was measured by what they were willing to give up for one another.

How ALFC Lives This Out

Abundant Life Family Care exists to put this biblical love into action on a regional scale.

Grace Homes: Christian families who open their homes to vulnerable children, not for profit or recognition, but because Christ loved them first.

Grace Spaces: Local hubs where those in crisis can find shelter, resources, prayer, and discipleship.

Grace Network: A community of believers committed to mutual support, shared sacrifice, and Kingdom-first priorities.

Every Grace Home is a living sermon on 1 John 3:16. Every meal served, every prayer prayed, every bed offered is a declaration: “You are not alone. You are loved in Jesus’ name.”

Love That Costs Something

The love Jesus commands always costs something. Time, resources, privacy, comfort—it will stretch you beyond what you think you can handle. But in that stretching, you experience the reality of His promise: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

At ALFC, we don’t believe in safe, comfortable love. We believe in the love that leaves Heaven for a stable, that washes feet, that lays down its life. Anything less is just words.

Why This Matters Now

The Great Basin Region is in desperate need of this kind of love. Human trafficking, abuse, addiction, and family collapse are not just headlines—they are happening here, now. If the Church does not step in with the love of Christ, who will?

The time to love one another in word and deed is now. And ALFC is a ready-made way for the Body of Christ to obey Jesus’ command together.

The Eternal Perspective: Suffering, Serving, and the Harpazo

“Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22

The mission of Abundant Life Family Care cannot be understood only in terms of the here and now. Yes, we rescue children. Yes, we restore families. Yes, we create Safe Zones that meet urgent needs. But all of this is done in light of eternity — with the soon return of Jesus Christ as our ultimate horizon.

We are not just building a social service network. We are preparing the Bride of Christ to be found faithful when the Bridegroom comes.

Before the Harpazo

Before the Rapture, our calling is to love, serve, and suffer for the sake of the Gospel. That means we move with urgency to establish Grace Homes, equip Ambassadors, and form networks of radical generosity. We understand the time is short, so we labor as those who know the Master could arrive at any moment.

Jesus warned of the five wise and five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1–13). The wise were prepared; the foolish were distracted. ALFC is one way to keep your lamp filled with oil — actively obeying Jesus’ commands to care for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40) while there is still time.

If the Harpazo Happens Mid-Build

If the Rapture occurs before the work is finished, the Safe Zones we build will remain as places of refuge during the Great Tribulation. Stocked with supplies, Scripture, and instructions for survival and discipleship, these locations will become critical outposts for those left behind — guiding them to salvation in Christ even during persecution.

It is sobering to imagine, but the reality is this: much of the fruit from our present labors may not be seen until after we are gone. That is why we build with eternity in mind.

The Joy on the Other Side

For those in Christ, suffering now is not the end — it is the seed. Paul wrote, “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). The children rescued, the lives transformed, the disciples made — these are treasures stored in Heaven, imperishable and secure.

When the trumpet sounds, it will not matter how much you earned, how many people knew your name, or how comfortable your life was. It will matter how you loved, how you served, and whether you were faithful in the little you were given.

Living for That Day

ALFC is not a retirement plan. It is not an “extra” ministry for when life slows down. It is a Kingdom assignment for right now, in these final moments before history’s most significant turning point. The Harpazo is coming. The question is not if — it’s when.

And when it comes, will you be found as one who buried your talent in the ground, or as one who invested everything you had into the Master’s business?

The Final Call: Will You Join Us in Suffering and Glory?

“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.” 1 Peter 2:21

This is the point of decision.

You’ve read the Scriptures. You’ve heard the testimonies. You’ve seen the gap between the comfort-driven Christianity of our age and the cross-bearing discipleship Jesus commands. Now you must decide — will you stay where you are, or will you step onto the narrow road with us?

This Is Not a Call for the Comfortable

ALFC is not asking for donors to ease their conscience or volunteers to pad their résumé. We are calling for living sacrifices — men and women who will lay down their lives, reputations, resources, and comfort to serve the least of these in the Great Basin Region.

This is not about joining a movement for the sake of belonging. This is about joining Christ in His sufferings so that you may also share in His glory (Romans 8:17). It is about entering into the fellowship of His afflictions (Philippians 3:10) with joy, because you know the King you serve and the Kingdom you are advancing.

The Time Is Short

The Harpazo could happen before your next paycheck clears. The needs of the vulnerable are here now. The trafficking victims, the abused children, the broken families — they cannot wait for the Church to get organized or for believers to get serious.

If you are waiting for a safer time to obey, it will never come. The cross is not safe. The mission is not safe. But it is good, and it is worth it.

The Invitation

We are seeking Ambassadors who will:

Confess and repent of self-reliance and self-promotion.

Embrace weakness as the stage for God’s power.

Love in ways that cost them something.

Stand in the gap for those who cannot defend themselves.

Build Safe Zones that will outlast this age.

We are seeking Grace Home leaders who will open their lives and their homes to the wounded and the weary, knowing that in doing so, they are opening their hearts to Christ Himself (Matthew 25:40).

The Question

When you stand before Jesus — whether at the Rapture or at the end of your earthly life — what will you present to Him? Will you hand Him a life carefully guarded from suffering, or will you pour out a life spent for His glory and the good of His people?

The King is calling. The Spirit is urging. The need is here.

Will you join us in suffering and in glory?