I leave with you these words straight from the Bible and straight from my heart.
For the sake of the body, which is the church, I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to YOU the Word of God in its fullness-the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles (all people groups), the glorious riches of this mystery, which is CHRIST IN YOU, the Hope of Glory.” (Col. 1:24-27)

I have felt compelled by God for over 25 years to share this message with the world. It is simply: Jesus Christ living in you is your only hope of a blessed life and that throughout eternity. Paul gave us the key and the foundation for this book.

“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20)

If and when and only when, we die to our very selfish and worldly life, can God through His Son, Jesus Christ enter our lives by His indwelling Holy Spirit. We must let Jesus live His life through us, His faithful followers. We are called to be His witnesses and let His Light shine into the darkness around us. We must be Jesus to the world. It’s time! So now that you have followed Jesus all the way: from the garden of decision; through the valley of self-denial; enduring the judgment and criticism of others; down the road of ridicule; carrying the cross of humility, servanthood, and submission; dying to self-will;rising in a new life of righteousness; and living a holy life lead by the Spirit of God, then there is just one thing left to do. “There’s more?” you might ask. Yes, what you must do now is start all over and do it again. That’s right, every day we must start anew the process of following Jesus. We have the same decision that faces us when our feet touch the ground each morning. Just because we followed Jesus yesterday, does not mean that we don’t have to make that same choice today. As we have seen emphasized in God’s word, we must “daily” carry our cross and “daily” be crucified with Christ (Luke 9:23 and I Cor. 15:31). We serve a living God and we are His daily living sacrifices (Rom.12:1). Our pay-off is a life of genuine love, real joy, and lasting peace. And, by the way, we also get eternal life in Heaven with Jesus. Your choice, every day! It may take days, weeks, months, or years to go through this process the first time. I hope and pray that you’ll take the short-cut, unlike the Israelites, and take a few days not 40 years to get to your promise land. God has promised you a glorious life if you will follow His Son, Jesus. After you have learned to be completely surrendered to God, the Father, Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit then it will be easier to know how to do that every day. Here’s something that might help you with this daily process. This book can be summarized in this 7-step prayer of renewed commitment to God. Pray a prayer like this every morning:

1. Lord, I surrender my own will and submit to Your will and Your plans for my life.
2. Help me to deny fleshly desires and say, “no” to every temptation.
3. Allow me to show Your love to others, even those who oppose You.
4. I bury my pride and selfishness so I can live the godly life that You have given me.
5. It’s my desire to be sensitive to the leading of Your Spirit in my life, and be obedient.
6. May I, today, be a blessing to others by sharing Your love and Your truth with them.
7. I will live today in the light of eternity and in the hope of seeing You someday soon.

Get started on the right foot every day and enjoy the journey of a lifetime! You won’t ever regret it. Thank and praise God everyday for His goodness, His mercy, and the blessings that He has given to you. And someday we will all join in one mighty chorus to sing His praise forevermore. Remember it is a walk of faith, faith that comes from God. Trust Him and He will lead you every step of the way!

You can know about Jesus. You can believe in Jesus. You can even love Jesus. But if you are not passionately in love with Him, then you have not even kept the first and greatest commandment, “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart” (Matt. 22:37, 38). If you really love Him, you will keep His commandments (John 14:15). The commandment to all who want to follow Jesus and become a true Christian is found in Matt. 16:24 where Jesus says, “If any man would come after me (be a follower of mine), he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” In order for us to do that, it is imperative that we understand what that statement really means and exactly how we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross. Jesus did it, He is our example. This book will walk you through the process of following in Jesus footsteps. It is a step by step approach to experiencing the “new life” that is available to all those who truly desire to follow Jesus.

Ted Tenney of Tallahassee, Florida has served the church for over 35 years. During his years of ministry he served as an ordained pastor of two small churches, served as a youth pastor for many years and also spent some time on the evangelistic field. He has also been very involved in Christian athletics and church dramas. Ted was an Athletic Director for about 10 years at several different Christian schools. He was born in Milwaukee, raised in Connecticut and received a Bachelor’s Degree from Southeastern University. He has ministered up and down the east coast of the United States, particularly in New England, Ohio, North Carolina, and Florida. He has been married for over 25 years and has three children.

Ted was inspired to share this particular message some 30 years ago. After being raised in the church and spending a few years in ministry work, he realized that there was a great need in the church for people to fully understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus and the steps to accomplish that on a daily basis. In the last few years he felt strongly compelled to finish the project in obedience to the stirring in his heart by God. Ted feels if there was but one message to share with the world, and particularly the church, this is it! In order to have a genuine relationship with God, assurance of salvation, and the hope of eternal life, there must be, The Death of a Man.