FOLLOWING HIM
Continuing from the last post based on Colossians 2: 6-7 ("And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."). Today I want to look at..." you must continue to follow him".
That sounds very simple, but even some of His disciples turned back from following Him in John chapter 6 when some of them decided the challenges were getting a little too hard. It is no different in our day! I have seen people start out following the Lord until the Holy Spirit prompts some change in their lives that they are unwilling to make...and they turn back. To follow someone means to go after a person in the same manner they went; to watch steadily; to keep the mind or focus on what they are doing; to attend closely. Jesus said that anyone who wanted to follow Him had to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him.
Ouch! That self denial thing stops many in their tracks! To put Jesus and even others before ourselves is a tough thing. But that is what true love does. My cross is to take the talents God has given me and listening to the Holy Spirit, complete the work that Jesus began to the best of my ability. Each of us has different talents, so that doesn't mean we all do the same things. But we are still united in the cause of advancing the Kingdom, because we are completing His work!
What are some of the things that Jesus did?
He taught that the Kingdom of Heaven was near.
He healed the sick.
He cleansed the lepers.
He raised the dead.
He cast out demons.
He came to destroy the works of the devil.
He came to point us to the Father...and show us what the Father looked like.
He came to set an example of how to live in right relationship with the Father.
He never sinned.
He lived a human life empowered by the Holy Spirit.
He was filled with the Spirit, led by the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit.
He did only what the Father was doing and said only what the Father said.
He had compassion on people.
And I have just scratched the surface of all that He did while on the earth.
To follow Him means that I look at His life very closely and attempt to do the same things that He did. How about it? Are you willing to really follow him?
That sounds very simple, but even some of His disciples turned back from following Him in John chapter 6 when some of them decided the challenges were getting a little too hard. It is no different in our day! I have seen people start out following the Lord until the Holy Spirit prompts some change in their lives that they are unwilling to make...and they turn back. To follow someone means to go after a person in the same manner they went; to watch steadily; to keep the mind or focus on what they are doing; to attend closely. Jesus said that anyone who wanted to follow Him had to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him.
Ouch! That self denial thing stops many in their tracks! To put Jesus and even others before ourselves is a tough thing. But that is what true love does. My cross is to take the talents God has given me and listening to the Holy Spirit, complete the work that Jesus began to the best of my ability. Each of us has different talents, so that doesn't mean we all do the same things. But we are still united in the cause of advancing the Kingdom, because we are completing His work!
What are some of the things that Jesus did?
He taught that the Kingdom of Heaven was near.
He healed the sick.
He cleansed the lepers.
He raised the dead.
He cast out demons.
He came to destroy the works of the devil.
He came to point us to the Father...and show us what the Father looked like.
He came to set an example of how to live in right relationship with the Father.
He never sinned.
He lived a human life empowered by the Holy Spirit.
He was filled with the Spirit, led by the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit.
He did only what the Father was doing and said only what the Father said.
He had compassion on people.
And I have just scratched the surface of all that He did while on the earth.
To follow Him means that I look at His life very closely and attempt to do the same things that He did. How about it? Are you willing to really follow him?
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