Follow me?

1 Cor. 11:1 is a very familiar verse that I would like to take a short stroll with. It says:

''Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.''

The apostle Paul was living his life in such a way that he could tell the Christian people of Corinth to do as I do, watch me, learn from me. He is not saying, ''do as I say'', but do as I do as I follow Christ. How many Christians are there now who can proclaim that? I guess there will be a lot of different answers to that question all depending on what your definition of a Christian is. If you refer to anyone and everyone who claims to believe in God as a Christian then your answer will be much different from that of someone who holds to the much tighter definition of Lordship Salvation.

Though not a fan of the title ''Lordship Salvation'' I do sit in this camp, that being said my answer to the above question is that there should be many Christians that can and do proclaim as Paul did. Follow me as I follow Christ. Those Christians who cannot should be on the road to that proclamation.

Can I make this bold statement? Am I living in such a way that I can tell others to live as I live as I follow Christ? Being a father I make that proclamation every day to my son weather I am aware of it or not. He looks up to me, wants to be like me. What am I saying to my son without even meaning to? If there is anyone on this planet that I should be able to say this to it is my son. There are times that I do not live up to this. I look back and all I can do is pray to God that that will not rub off on my boy. It is so much easier to say, ''Do as I say!''

We as Christians are being watched very much like my son watches me. What are you telling those who are watching you? Follow me as I follow Christ? Maybe it is something all together different? Maybe it's follow me as I follow my sin nature? I think as we proclaim follow me as I follow Christ those who are chosen will be attracted to how it is that we live much more then the words we speak. Our words will only carry weight if our actions are speaking more loudly then our mouths. Be doers!

Friend of sinners

And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

The previous verses come from the book of Jude verses 22 and 23. It calls us as Christians to have mercy on those who do not know the Lord. It calls us to hate their sin but to love them. We have a horrible reputation of being hate mongers and judgmental. We are told again and again in scripture love others, love your neighbor, love those that persecute you, indeed scripture has much to say about love.

I find it easy to avoid those who are living in sin. I want to be surrounded by those who are like me. I have a hard time sometimes differentiating between the sin and the sinner. I don't think that I am alone here either! I think many of us struggle with this issue! Jesus surrounded himself with sinners! Who is it that we are trying to model our lives after? JESUS! He was a friend of tax collectors and whores, liars and thieves! What a difference we could make if we were only more like Jesus, the friend of sinners! I praise God that Jesus chose to befriend me...a sinner...saved by grace. Father give me the strength to be a friend of sinners, to love the unsaved, and give you my King glory.

Technological Time Suck

I was talking to a friend of mine not to long ago who referred to his wife as a ''fun vacuum''. I will not mention any names here in the interest of protecting my friend from the almost certain scorn of his loving bride! Thou a funny statement that made me laugh it is only an intro to what I would like to talk about. The God vacuum is my topic for today. We all have in our lives to differing degrees at different times something or someone that is more important to us then our God. I want to talk about how and why these worldly things tend to ''suck'' God to the back burner of our lives. I know that for me this tends to be technology. My computer. Facebook. TV. I get so easily drawn into such meaningless things! The book of Ecclesiastes speaks much of this! Vanity, vanity all is vanity! This can also be translated to be Meaningless. There is so much worldly and meaningless stuff that we tent to chase after. Why? It is all for nothing! Oh, the flesh is strong and selfish! The only things worth doing here on this temporal earth are the things done for the eternal glory of it's Creator! Let us not sugarcoat this worldly vacuum and call it what it is, idolatry. Anything and everything we have in our lives that does not bring glory to God is meaningless. It is idolatry. I am not saying that because as Christians we are not allowed to have fun, I am saying that the focus of the fun we have should bring God glory. As of late I have been spending way to much time doing what I want and not nearly enough time doing what God wants.

Technology has become a God vacuum for me. I am making it a point to spend the time that I previously spent following meaningless pursuits following my Savior. Less time glorying me and more time glorifying my God who saved me! I would love it if you my faithful readers (all 2 of you) would help hold me accountable to this decision. I need to spend that time taking up my cross and following Him, for ''I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.'' Gal. 2:20. This is who I want to be. This is who God wants me to be. This is who I want you to help me be.

Man in the Mirror

Have you ever looked in the mirror and had a tough time looking back at yourself. Have you ever had the feeling that your reflection was judging you for all of the shortcomings in your life? Happens to me, and I don't like that guy to much. The book of James talks about that man in the mirror. James 1:22-25 says:


22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

We all need to be doers of the word, we need to persevere. 2 Peter 1:3 says:

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.


We are given all that we need to live our lives as doers of Gods word. The next time you look at your reflection in the mirror remember that. Remember also that when our Father God looks at that same reflection he does not see a filthy pile of sin but the face of his precious Son, Jesus. Praise you Jesus!

Undeniable truth

I have made it a habit that whenever I come across certain phrases or themes in scripture to underline them. One of those themes is that we as Christians are chosen by God. We are His elect. Prior to his choosing we are in fact totally deprived, unwilling and unable to seek God. The more time I spend in scripture the more I am sure of this biblical fact. The fact we are chosen is a theme in scripture that is undeniable. This morning I was reading in 1 Peter and I just wanted to share it.

1 Peter 1:1-9
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

I have some friends who tend to lean towards Armenian theology. I love them dearly! I do however have a terrible time understanding how they can read scripture such as the above and come away thinking they have anything to do with their salvation or the keeping of it! Like Israel in the old testament was chosen by God to be his people so we are chosen. We are chosen to an inheritance that is eternal, imperishable!

Today is the day that we historically remember our most spectacular sin. The murder of the innocent son of God. It is our sin that put Christ on the Cross. I praise God that He loves us that much. I praise God that I serve a risen Savior! A Savior who was slain so that we as Christians can live! Let us live for Him!

Growing In Grace

My son asked me the other day if I would read Milton Vincents ''The Gospel Primer'' with him again! It was a blessing the first time and I expect the same this time too! Ps. 127:3 says ''Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. '' Ty is such a blessing. His heart is so tender. His prayers so sweet. Our children are a heritage from the Lord. What values are we impressing on them? When Ty was a bit younger he wanted to be just like his daddy. I think that he still does only now its mannerisms that he is picking up on. To me they tend to be a little exaggerated. I often hear or watch Ty do something and think to myself ''where in the world did he get that from?!'' Only to realize later on that that ''who in the world'' is yours truly! Children do make great accountability partners! Proverbs 22:6 says, ''Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.'' I often get very convicted when I read scriptures such as these. I sometimes tell myself that I am doing the best that I can to train up my child. Often that is not true. I tend to get in the way. As I write this my shortcomings as a father are glaring at me. There us so much I can do better. Father help to to train up Ty in the way he should go. Help me to be the father that I need to be. I pray that my shortcomings with not be his.

Many of you reading this are parents too. I am praying that this little post will encourage you to be strong and courageous for your children. Train them up so that they will go and spread the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. May they be as arrows in the hand of a warrior. (Ps. 127:4)

Walk softly carry big stick

Jesus or Lord is often described as being meek. If this is true then I believe that we have a terrible misunderstanding of what exactly this small word really does mean in regards to our Lord. I think when most people think of meek they think of a lamb, submissive, weak, compliant, lacking courage, cowed, gentile, mild, soft, you get the point. If I were to refer to someone as meek in today's culture it is easy to picture a slight little man who is quiet and afraid. In regard to Christ meek can mean lion just as much as it means lamb. When Christ says in Matt 11:28, ''Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'' How about when Christ is beaten and scourged and led to Calvary to be crucified? I see the meekness of the Lamb. How about when Christ is overturning the money changers tables? How about when Christ returns? How about the judgement that all who do not know Christ will face? I believe that if we are to refer to Christ as meek we need to find our definition in Christ rather then in a dictionary.

I think it is important for us as Christians to ''walk softly'' as Christ walked. 1 Peter 3:15 says, ''but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,''. The word gentleness here is often translated meekness. It is also important for us to carry a ''big stick'' as Jesus did. 2 Tim 4:2 says, ''preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.''

The next time you hear the word meek I pray that you will be reminded of Jesus our precious savior and lord!