FOLLOW ME

i have been thinking on these words lately. Follow me. How many times have we said them? As kids on a great adventure, "follow me!" Into an sneaky situation maybe, jumping off a rock into the water far below, into a dark place, possibly a cave, a drainhole, a room. i imagine some of us are followers and some leaders.

But as Christians, we are all both. We follow Jesus and we are examples to follow. Take these scriptures for example:

"And He saith unto them, "Follow me, and i will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

" But Jesus said unto him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead." Matthew 8:22

"And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom and he saith unto him, "Follow me," and he arose and followed Him." Matthew 9:9

"Then Jesus said unto His disciples. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24

and

"When He was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him." Matthew 8:1

"And when He was entered into a ship, his disciples followed Him." Matthew 8:23

"And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us." Matthew 9:27

All these had the advantage of having Jesus with them. We on the other hand are blessed that believe and have not seen. We have His word and the Holy Spirit with us to guide us and make us Ambassadors of Christ. Taking His Gospel message to all the nations. Teaching, preaching and witnessing to all who will listen and by the grace of God, who's hearts are made open to hear.

But who do we follow and what kind of slippery slope is that? Yes we follow Jesus, but we do not do it alone, in a vacuum. We all learn and grow somehow, in fellowship with believers as we stay in the Word of God and prayer daily. Who do we follow?

"Be ye followers of me, even as i also am of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1

For your consideration, Paul was in Corinth here, speaking to a church with factions, immorality, and differences of opinions about worship and morals, doubts about the resurrection, and about spiritual gifts. Sound in any way like today?

So, Paul was saying that as i am following Christ, so must you also. Follow my example and search out what i say is God's truth. Search it out daily. Follow Jesus. Who points us to Christ today? Who points us to Our saviour and all He has done for us and what He would have us do today? Who points us to prayer and reading daily the word of God?

Is there a Pastor in our life who has given up all to follow Him? Who would give his last dollar to us out of his own need so we could fulfill our need? When the collection is taken in your church is it divided among those in the most need? Is our Pastor walking the walk of Jesus or just talking it? Is he putting shoe leather to the pavement each day, or just showing up on Sunday? Is the once a year mission trip the life he chooses or is he out every day walking among the people that so desperately need him? Is our pastor encouraging us to go and bring back the lost to disciple and send out, or encouraging us to come sit in the cushy chairs every Sunday and that is enough? Convincing us that it is enough to serve coffee, usher, teach the children, set up, tear down, that our gifts are limited?

Our God is bigger than any church or any pastor and anything he has to say. God has given us all the ability to GO and make disciples, to teach and preach and witness. To search out all things that anyone says in the word daily. To be sure it is God's truth. Some are stronger in a discipline than others, but we can all go. Do not be fooled into following a wolf in sheep's clothing. They may look the part, they seem benevolent enough, but they are leading so many straight to Hell.

"Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils, ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and of the table of devils." 1 Corinthians 10:21

About the Bareans Luke said:

"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
Acts 17:11

i cannot stress enough the necessity of prayer and being in the Word of God daily, of searching out the scriptures each day for yourself. There are not enough days or hours in your lifetime to find all the treasure within. Not enough time in the universe to partake of all the wonders of our awesome, mighty and wonderful God. If you are not in the word daily, you are missing out. Your life will never be as full as it could be in Him. Each day He provides the answers for that day. Each day takes care of itself, and if this be your last day, then you have lived it with and for Him. What else is there? Who else would you rather live for? Your own bad self? Because there is nothing good in us but for His saving grace.

Don't follow man, follow Jesus, and search out in the word anything man has to say to you.