Following in Your Footsteps: And the answer is...

I've been wanting to write this post for awhile, but for some reason, it seemed to continually be put on the backburner. You know what? I'm glad it did!

 Raise your hand if you know the answers for...
How do we gain world peace?
How do I love my sibling who annoys me?
How do I forgive?
How do I see eye to eye with someone who I disagree with?
 

I just started a new book and as I read the intro  I realized that it could be a huge tool in opening my eyes even wider to what the answer is in terms of being a better Christian.

 Each page turned in Red Letter Revolution, my eyes watered and my heart stretched.

It dawned on me that my attempt of being a Christian hasn't earned me a gold star or an A+. I have failed to really follow what Jesus has taught me. My eyes have skimmed over the red letters in the New Testament (the red letters being Jesus' words). Yes, I may have read His teachings but my reaction most likely resembled, "Wow, I wouldn't be able to do/say that" or "Aw, how nice...Jesus sure is an amazing guy!" Instead, I should have reacted in a way of, "That's the answer...that's how I reach my hurting sisters and brothers...thank you Jesus for showing me the way to their hearts...I can't wait to go out and serve them, just like You have served us."

 

The Gospel is all about love, service, and redemption. I believe that Jesus didn't serve those people just so we could read about it and adore Him. [Yes, we should definitely adore Him for who He is because He is amazing!] Instead, we should take one step farther and not only adore Him, but follow in His footsteps. He has shown us how to reach people. He wants to use us to represent the kingdom of God. Jeremiah 29:11 says that He has great plans for us and I believe that the number one plan He has is that we embody the kingdom of God.

You know those questions I asked in the beginning of the post?

Jesus has given us the answer.

Jesus is the answer.

 

When deciding what to do for the homeless & poor...Jesus is the answer.

When talking about war...Jesus is the answer.

When fighting with a friend...Jesus is the answer.

When in contact with someone different than us (whether it be color, orientation, religion)...Jesus is the answer.

 

Love, service & grace is who I see Jesus as. That's what He was and is about. So many times I have chosen the wrong answer. I have answered in a way that religion and legalism (not Gospel based) would have me answer or I have acted out of own self-interest, but guess what? Jesus would have never answered in that way. More times than not, I think we answer to situations based on our comfort level, pocket book, and traditions that have been passed down. We fail when we do that.
We aren't representing the kingdom of God when we find our answer apart from Jesus.

 

Now, the last thing I want to do is to make us feel like failures in our attempt to be Christ-like. I'm writing this as motivation, as a reminder of what our motives should be. We talk so much about what we should do and search for the answers, when all along the answer has been standing right in front of us...Jesus.
Thank God for His loving-kindness and forgiveness towards us. Now we can step forward and follow in Jesus' footsteps, rather than walking in the opposite direction.
 

1 John 4:7-12 says, "⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸ The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us."

 

 Friends, if we know that God is love and that when we love one another, God abides in us, that should give us the motivation and confidence to live our lives in the shadow of who Jesus is. He loved the down and out. He even loved the people who nailed Him to the cross.

Do we have enough faith to turn the other cheek?
Do we have enough faith to give the coat off our backs?
Do we have enough faith to love our enemies?

 Tony Campolo has asked himself and I think we can ask the same question...
"Do we have enough faith to live this radical lifestyle?"

I challenge you to read the red letters of the Bible (Jesus' words) not as a story, but as a lifestyle...as an answer to change the world.

 

 

 Will you join me in following in Jesus' footsteps?

Check out www.redletterchristians.org or read the book Red Letter Revolution by Shane Claiborne & Tony Campolo about the many controversial issues that the church faces today.

pursuing me

 

A lot of people have this preconceived idea that God is distant and we have to work to reach Him. That He is looking down, watching and waiting for us to serve Him, giving nothing in return.

If you feel this way, I hope that I can change your mind.

 

You see, God made us to be in relationship with us.

He didn't make us only so that we can serve Him so that He can do nothing.

It's not a one way relationship. It's a two way relationship.

First, God loved us. Because He loves us, we love Him.

Since He loves us, He provides for us so that His glory shall be revealed.

Because He provides for us, we in turn should serve Him.

 

Yesterday, I read Joshua 22-24. I'd like to share with you what stood out to me.

"Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and their judges and their officers; and they presented themselves before God. Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods.  Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac.  To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt by what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out.  I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea.  But when they cried out to the Lord, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness for a long time.  Then I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan, and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land when I destroyed them before you.  Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.  But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I delivered you from his hand. You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Thus I gave them into your hand. Then I sent the hornet before you and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not by your sword or your bow.  I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’“Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord." ~Joshua 24:1-14

 

Did you catch the theme of the passage?

God was basically saying to the people of Israel, "See what I've done for you?!"

Clearly, God pursues.

He is the ultimate pursuer. No one pursues like He does.

He is not a selfish God, but He is a selfless God.

He didn't have to do any of that. The people definitely didn't deserve it, but He did it anyway! His grace and mercy never ceases to amaze me.

 

Ladies, I'm sure you could agree with me that it's a nice feeling to be pursued. Knowing that a guy is willing to go out of his way to make you feel special is affirming.

 

Let me say it again, God pursues us.

It's not that we are pursuing God, but He pursued us first.

Isn't that amazing?!

The creator of the Universe is always pursuing you.

 

He proves this to us by...

1. Creating us

2. Providing for us

3. Most importantly, sending His son, Jesus, as a sacrifice to save us and, through that, offering us eternal life if we believe in Him.

 

If that isn't pursuing us, then I don't know what is!

In believing this truth, we feel special, loved and excited.  In response, we desire to return the love that He has proven us.

 

Any other religion would disagree with me.

They would say that God is far and distant, but I say...

He is near and pursuing us.

 

Look around you and see that God has pursued you.

He has pursued you through the rising of the sun.

He has pursued you through your newborn baby.

He has pursued you through the cross.

 

Thank Him for all that He has done for you, and let that be the motivation to give your life in service to God.

 

Check out this song, "He Knows My Name" by Paul Baloche.

 

 

Don't forget to pray for the unreached people group of the day!