Following Jesus
Hi Friends,
I hope all is well. God is faithful. He is answering prayers. I have a testimony to share—A friend of mine was told that cancer returned to his ear and that the external part of his ear would have to be removed. Three different doctors gave their diagnoses and they all agreed, that he had cancer and that the ear would have to be removed. But my prayer group prayed for him and the biopsy came back clean! No cancer! Hallelujah! God is good! He works miracles when we simply pray and trust him! Thank you Jesus!
Today I am sharing a few visions that reveal a bit about ourselves as disciples, followers of Christ. Jesus invited many people to follow him. Some gladly came dropping everything to follow the Lord and others turned and walked away. What is our level of commitment to him? Where are we today, and where would we like to be in terms of real commitment?
The Visions
The Reluctant Clown
I saw a man dressed as a clown, with a very large bow tie, mustache and fuzzy hair. He reminded me of Mr. Noodle, on the Sesame Street show. He was walking with his feet and hips far forward of his upper body, almost like walking under a limbo stick. I believe that this vision depicts the idea of reluctance. He was moving forward, but showing that he was quite apprehensive. Like a child that pulls back from a spoonful of something he considers disgusting.
The man in the vision, moves forward, but with much caution, and apprehension. He is dressed as a clown because that is what he fears. He does not want to look like a fool in the eyes of others. The over-sized bow tie that he wears shows his great need to feel respected or admired.
He continues to move forward in spite of his fears, because he is driven to perform his duties, his tasks and the things that others expect of him. Underlying all this, is his fear of failure, so he keeps moving forward.
The man in the vision is bound up by what we call “the fear of man.” He is not free to express himself, or to undertake a new adventure or to do something, just for the mere experience. He is bound up by what others may think of him. He is never living for himself, and he is not really free to live for God. Every decision is calculated, because the end goal of the decision is to please everyone else.
Many years ago, (about twenty), God spoke to me saying, “As long as you are fearful of man, I cannot use you--for you are already being used.”
Because of my fear of man, I lived to please others: my clients, those at church, my family, my extended family, and anyone who I had a desire to please. I had to maintain my reputation. I had to live up to, or exceed their expectations. This is bondage. Sometimes we cannot see the forest for the trees. But now that I am more free, I can see that the Lord was right. I was so concerned about how others viewed me, and whether or not I was living up to their expectations, that I was not fully available to God.
God is not about keeping us comfortable and worry free. He is about setting us free and helping us to bring him glory. He may push us into uncomfortable situations so that we grow. He may put us in difficult places so that we have to choose to follow him or conform to the will of others. We all will be tested. We will all have to go through “growing pains,” if we are to do anything for the Lord.
Jesus did not promise us a life full of sunshine and happy moments. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
We will confront many situations in our lives that will test our ability to stand for God. We will find ourselves in direct opposition to everything and everyone who stands against him. But we also know that the Lord is able to make us stand. “To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.” Romans 14:4
Years ago, God gave me many dreams of myself going against the flow. I was always walking in the opposite direction of a huge crowd. I had to walk between and around people, bobbing in and out of the crowd that kept moving against me. There was no doubt in my mind, that the Lord was showing me that to follow him was to go against the grain. I could not be a people-pleaser and please God. I could not allow myself to get caught up with the things of this world or be swept away with the crowd. I had to keep my eyes on him.
God is good; he is faithful. He overcame the world, and death. He wants us to follow him, and to overcome our flesh and the enemy of our souls. Knowing that we have to fight an uphill battle, the Lord wants us to take a stand for him and against the devil:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:10-18
I know I have told this story before, but I thought I would share it again.
When I came to NJ, during the renewal, the presence of God was so powerful in worship that I would shout, sing, and dance with all my heart. I often pulled people out of their pews to dance with me all over the sanctuary. The feeling of freedom and the presence of God was ecstatic. But then Monday would come, and I would feel the devil’s condemnation: “Who told you to be the cheerleader? Boy, Didn’t you look stupid, running all over the church! I bet everyone thought you were just making a scene.”
Somehow, I would buy into the devil’s condemnation, and with many tears, and feeling remorse over making a scene in the Lord’s sanctuary, I would plead for the Lord’s forgiveness. Then feeling the love I had for him, I would say, “Lord, I love you, and I would rather be a fool for you, than to worry about what everyone else is thinking.”
I would love to say that the condemnation stopped. But it didn’t. Every Sunday, in the presence of God, I would shout, sing and dance, and every Monday, I hear the condemning words of the devil. But we have a faithful God who loves us as we are. And now, I know that my worship pleases him. I can now allow myself to be a fool in the eyes of others, knowing that this is just me expressing my love for him.
Our praise honors God. High praise exalts the Lord and brings down his enemies. No wonder the devil tried with his condemnation to shut me up!
“Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” Psalm 8:2
We can see how important praise is to the Lord, when he tells the Pharisees that if the crowd were to be silent, the rocks would cry out.
“As he was drawing near--already on the way down the Mount of Olives--the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’”
“But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’”
“And answering He said, ‘I say to you that if these will be silent, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:37-40
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord for he is good!
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” Psalm 100:1-2
The Man within the Fence
I saw a man in the center of a small fenced area. The scene was in a city. The plot of ground was enclosed by a waist-high wrought iron fence. There was a single tall mature tree; the grass was overgrown. The man, standing in the grass, was wearing a khaki-colored fishing hat and vest. He had a mustache and stood with his right arm raised and his index finger pointing up. It was if he were saying, “Wait for me! I’m coming too!”
I believe that this man is also a disciple of the Lord. The fisherman’s hat that he wears tells me that he has been called by the Lord to evangelize. Just as Jesus told his disciples: “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19
The man seems eager to come and follow the Lord, but there seems to be something that is restraining him. There is a fence. What is it that holds him back? What does the fence represent?
Jesus invited many people to come and follow him. Some were ready and others were not. “To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’” Luke 9:59-60
It really doesn’t matter what excuse someone may give. If there is a feeling of discomfort, of apprehension, or just not “all in” about a matter, nothing is going to happen. The man in the vision was standing in tall grass. He had been there for quite some time. The tree was not a sapling, it was a mature tree. This man seemed ready, even showing some excitement, saying, “Hold on! Wait a minute, I am coming!” But was he really?
This man in the vision is about making excuses. He is too busy with his own life, doing his own thing. He knows that he should be about the Lord’s work, but he just can’t seem to bring himself to do it. He is only giving lip service, not his heart. His intentions may be good, but his life has become unfruitful. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Luke 11:23
We cannot afford to be making excuses with the Lord. The Lord gives another example of this in the parable of the Two Sons. “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?” “The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness,and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.” Matthew 2128-33
You can see that Jesus demands obedience to his word, and faithfulness to our calling. When we make excuses, or say that we will do something and then fail, we are unreliable. We deceive ourselves. And we become unfruitful for the kingdom of God.
The Sloth
I saw a sloth walking on all fours going forward a few paces. He stopped, turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
A sloth found walking on the ground is really something. The pictures I have seen of sloths show them hanging upside down from trees. They are not known for walking, but they are known for very slow movement. They can sleep 15-18 hours a day. They represent laziness, for the very word “slothfulness” means lazy.
In the vision, the sloth that was walking on the ground, took only a few steps and then turned around, to go the other direction. I believe that this vision shows us that some who choose to follow the Lord will begin to walk with him, and because of some difficulty, will stop and return to their old way of life. It takes effort to continue with the Lord, especially when a disciple comes to realize that the Christian walk is not easy.
To be a disciple of Christ takes commitment, and perseverance. A slothful person is lazy and does not commit to anything except what pleases himself. To commit to changing sinful ways, or following the Lord in a new way of living, may be more than a lazy person wants to undertake. A slothful person does not readily become, or remain a disciple for long, for they are not willing to put in the effort. We are instructed to: “be all the more diligent, to confirm your calling and election.” 2 Peter 1:10
“You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24
A slothful person is an undisciplined person. Throughout the word of God, we are encouraged to not be unproductive. “Yet we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives and accomplishing nothing but being busybodies.” 2 Thessalonians 3:11
In the parable of the talents, the Lord tells of a servant who was given a single talent to invest, or steward until his master returned. Because he was lazy, he hid the talent (money) in the ground, and upon the master’s return, he retrieved the talent and brought it to him. The master was highly displeased with the servant for not investing the money. This is what the master said to the lazy servant: “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that ‘I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter’; Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:25-30
So what are we to discover from the vision and from the above passage of scripture? Laziness is not rewarded by God. We are not to be Christians that sit around and collect dust. If we are lazy in our commitment to the Lord, then we are of no real value to him. If the Lord shed his blood for us, then we should be grateful. If he gives us: hope, mercy, love, salvation, provision, healing etc. then shouldn’t we also share with others what we have received? When we fail to share our faith, and give glory to the one who has given us so much, then aren’t we being poor stewards?
The Lord wants us to share the light we have been given, we are not to place it under a basket or hide it. If we do not share our faith and the Lord’s salvation with others, then according to several scriptures, we will lose our reward: we will be cast out into utter darkness.
"We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." Hebrews 6:12
“He who does not gather with me scatters.” Luke 11:23
Very rarely will you hear a message like this from the pulpits of America. Some may say, “You can’t lose your salvation by not doing works!”
I am not saying that anyone must “earning his salvation,” for salvation is a free gift from God. This is not a message of salvation coming from good works. We can not work for our salvation, for many false religions believe that you earn your way to heaven by accomplishing certain tasks. That is a man-made concept--based on man’s ways. That idea does not come from God.
But our faith is based on love. The Father loves us so much, that he does not want us to spend eternity in hell. He wants us to spend eternity with him. But there is a problem called sin. We are all sinners. We fall into sin because we are human and imperfect. But the Lord has made a way for us to become the very holiness of God. When we repent of our sins, and give ourselves to the Lord, acknowledging his sacrificial death on the cross, then the blood he shed, takes away our sin. And we come into right standing with God. It is Jesus, who has done it all.
Now if we are truly born again, then the Holy Spirit dwells within us and leads us into all truth. If we yield ourselves to God, surrendering our will and our ownership of ourselves to him, then we can allow the Holy Spirit to direct our lives. Out of love and devotion to him, we begin to spend time with the Lord in prayer. Out of our relationship with him and our desire to know him more, we begin to study his Word. Then because our love grows each day for him, we begin to see things differently. We are given his very nature, and we will, to do his will.
But everything I have mentioned takes a heart of devotion, and diligence and perseverance. It is the one who overcomes his own flesh that receives his reward.
These are the words of Jesus in the Book of Revelation:
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who overcomes will be clothed in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” Revelation 3:1-6
We are to do as Jesus does. “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work.” John 9:4
So, as the Holy Spirit directs us, we do the work of the Lord. It is through these works that God receives glory, and we are tried and proven to be genuine followers of the Lord.
“But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” James 2:18
And “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved-- even though only as one escaping through the flames.” 1 Corinthians 3:12-16
In Summary
The fear of man will stop many disciples from living a life fully devoted to God. The fear of man causes many people to value more highly the opinions of friends, family, spouses, co-workers, and church members ahead of God and his priorities.
The devil is our enemy who uses the fear of man to hinder our walk with the Lord. We must learn to defend ourselves against the enemy’s schemes, knowing that we have spiritual power and authority as children of God.
The Lord wants us to be obedient to his calling. He wants us to share the gospel, for it is called The Great Commission. When we make excuses, we only deceive ourselves. All of us are called to share our faith with others.
We need to know that the way of the cross is difficult--It is not always peaches and cream. It takes diligence and perseverance to overcome our own flesh and its temptations.
The Lord will help us in our walk with him. He knows our weaknesses, and he is more than willing to give us what we lack. He wants us to overcome, so when we trust him, he will see us through.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
Hallelujah! God bless you all!
