Hard Verses on Following

Hard Verses on Following

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." (Luke 9:57)
Will you really? I don’t even have a place to go. To where would you follow me? Birds have nests. Foxes dens. But I have no place. Are you going to follow me into the unknown?

Peter was willing to follow Jesus to the end. Peter said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.” (Matthew 26:35)
Peter was willing to go to the cross and to die with Jesus. Or was he?

“Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection.” (Hebrews 11:35) These people, whoever they were, followed Jesus to the end.

"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'
"'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.
"Which of the two did what his father wanted?" (Matthew 21:28-31)

I’m humbled by the man along the road. I’m thankful that there was grace for Peter. I’m challenged by those who followed to the end. I’m convicted by the reminder to follow and not just say I’ll follow.

Following our Leader

When I was a small child, my mother and I had a devotional time together every morning before school. Recently, as my father was preparing to move he gave me one of the books that my mother and I used to read together. We had written the date next to each passage as we had read through the book. 30 years later my mother is now in heaven and my daughters and I are enjoying writing the current date as we work through the same book.

Ironically, I didn’t realize that my childhood devotional book would speak to me so sweetly as an adult. God has moved me several times from reading this book. About a week ago I was praying about being a follower of Jesus when my girls were ready for their devotional time with me. We opened the book and the title read “Following our Leader”. The passage told about how as Christians our call is to follow our leader Jesus by loving. It was complete with the verse “Be followers of God, as His dear children” Ephesians 5:1. It is so incredible how God moves us and touches our lives in such intricate ways.

Learning how to walk with Him

Being a part of the Rio was an amazing period of my life. There is such life thriving in that environment- constant encouragement, and growth... It really stands up to it's name, "Rio"- the river that gives life.

God reciently reveiled to me a very weak spot in my heart/faith. It left me feeling displaced. I'm currently reading "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George, who uses the analogy of a root system and plants and such, and then elaborates on the verse from Jeremiah 17: (It tells us that the person who trusts in the Lord) "shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out it's roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but it's leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit." The way she lays it out is beautiful. I can understand more deeply why daily devotion is so crucial. Because we are planted by the river we will not crumble when the wind blows and the storms come, in fact, we will even continue to bare fruit.
E.G. writes, "Roots are for support... Without a strong network of roots, sooner or later we have to be staked up, tied up, propped up, straightened up- until the next wind comes along and we fall over again. But with firm, healty roots, no wind can blow us down."

Even while God revealed my heart and I have been displaced by that, I can still feel a trickle of water... If I fed myself MORE, how much stronger would my tree be!!

Even as I struggle, I can sense God's love and patience and mercy. Praise God for that! <3

By: KD (Katie Denny)

Available to God

I've been hearing lots of discussion amongst the moms around here about what following Jesus wholeheartedly means for our lives. I have often wrestled with thoughts about this. Jesus gives the Great Commission and doesn't make an exception for moms but there is such a desperate need (and command) for us to be home investing in our kids. What is the balance? Are we just to fulfill the Great Commission with our little lost kids or are we to be involved with reaching the rest of the world? Are we involved through prayer or out there sharing the gospel? One thing I've been thinking about is that I can't determine what I should be doing with each day without God's help because there are so many good options. I need His wisdom. I have to be dependent on Him. Tom and I love this teaching by Ian Thomas called 'Available to God' that talks about letting the spirit direct your life moment by moment with the expectation that he will do amazing things because it is Him living through you. It's 36 minutes long. http://www.path2prayer.com/article.php?id=615

Nothing Happened

Well, I had to go to the store real quick again today. Today, I just kept asking God to show me who had a need and was "ripe" to be touched by the Lord. (Jon Mohl had reminded me of the story about the woman reaching out and touching Jesus's clothes as he passed through a sea of people.) I told God, "I don't know these peoples' needs like You do. You're gonna have to show me." I looked into people's eyes - the lady in front of me, and I asked God, "What about her? Is she ripe? Do you have anything for me? Does she want YOU?" Nothing happened. I looked at the lady behind me in line, smiled politely, and had the same conversation with God. Nothing. I looked for an opportunity, and prayed, as the lady checked me out. Nothing. Just polite conversation. I headed to the crowded parking lot. "What about out here? You got anything, Lord? I'm available. Who needs you? What wants you? Show me their need. I can't see them." Nothing happened on the way to the van.
Okay, should I have done more? Was that what God's will for me was? Hmmm....I'm just not sure.

Coming Home Completely Frustrated

So, I had a small window of time to run and get a few groceries that I needed for a meal that we are having friends over to eat tonight. All that Steven has been talking about has been rattling through my brain...and soul... for a few days now.
As I am walking through Sam's Club, I am just getting more and more frustrated by the minute. You see, up until now, being polite has been my way of representing Christ to this lost world. Now it all sounds so foolish, but it seemed right until now!
And after what Steven shared Saturday night at church, all of the sudden that is so pathetically inadequate and benign! So what!! So, I am polite, I smile, I let the other person go first, I admire a beautiful child in a cart!! Is that really confronting people and stirring them as if they were literally walking past Jesus?! Is that really what Jesus would do if he was walking through Sam's this afternoon instead of me?! Uggghhh!
I probably literally passed 100 dead souls...faces of all ages...that I know are not going to heaven....and all I do is smile??!! And let them go first??!!
In complete frustration, I prayed through the whole store. "Well, God, what do you want me to do?! Stop everyone and share the gospel with each person?! Besides, I so need to get back home to the children!"
All of the sudden I felt so inadequate and helpless. If I really am Christ's light, His representative (He went to heaven and left me to do even greater things than He did!), I am so pathetically failing. And yet, I desperately want God to show me what to do!!
Well, I am back home now. Back to mothering and meeting needs. But that frustrating feeling is gnawing at my soul...almost to the point that it hurts!

Lukewarm and Loving It - Francis Chan

Francis Chan - More Than a Savior

Jesus Followers

Here are some Scriptures that talk about following Jesus. They have been on my mind a lot lately.  I don't believe we are called to put on our WWJD bracelets, but we are called to immitate Him, to do what He did, and to let his methods and ways influence every single thing we do. I am committed to growing in this...this process of becoming more like him.

1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. NIV

Ephesians 5:1-2  Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

1 Peter 2:21  To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps .

2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Luke 6:39-40 A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

Matthew 10:24-25 "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!

Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Matthew 10:38-39  and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Ephesians 5:30  for we are members of his body. NIV

Ephesians 1:22-23 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³which is his body , the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. NIV

1 John 4:17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. NIV