GET TOGETHER- WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING
Mt 16:24 ¶ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
This morning as I was getting ready to get out of my truck to go into Bevill State Community College where I teach some courses. Something kept me in the truck and wouldn’t let me get out. Actually, it wasn’t a something it was a Person. The Person was the Holy Spirit. How did He keep me in the truck you might ask? Well there was a song that came on our local Christian radio station that I used to listen to a lot. The name of the song was Jesus Be the Centre. Yes, that is the way that it is spelled.
When I started to class this morning, my mind was on several things. The Holy Spirit has been telling me that it was fine to stay informed on current events, but that to read so many things that so many people may be hostile about was putting bitterness into my spirit. At one time, I had a lot of bitterness in my spirit and I don’t want to go back there.
When I signed up to follow Jesus twenty-seven years ago, I signed up to follow Him. I didn’t sign up to become a liberal, conservative, this party, or that party. I signed up to follow Him. So, this morning as I was doing a little self-examination on some things that song came on. And when it did the Holy Spirit told me to just sit in my truck and listen to it, before I went into class.
I did just what He told me to do. I have found something to be quite true in the twenty-seven years that I have been serving Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit never gives bad advice. Jesús Had this to say about the Holy Spirit which confirms what I just told you : Joh 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.(NKJV)
Our nation is more divided that at any other time since the Civil War. It is almost like we all feel like we must pick a side. I am not advocating abandoning our sincere beliefs. What I am advocating is for all of us to be sure that we are following Christ when we preach and teach those beliefs. I am reminded of a line in the song Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus “the arm of flesh will fail you”.
When we follow Him we make a commitment to take up our cross. Carrying a cross is not an easy thing. Sometimes when you carry a cross religious people won’t understand you. Some church people won’t even understand you.
In the song Jesus be My Centre some of the words are “Jesús be the fire of my heart.” Let me ask you today who or what is the fire of your heart? Is it conservatism, liberalism, this party, that party, this team, that team, this leader, that leader, or the King of Glory the Lord Jesus Christ? Let me ask you another question. Is there any philosophy, belief system, or person that you are following that puts you in conflict with following Him? You know what? I get to ask myself the same question. I pray for all of us as we read this that Jesús will be the Centre of our lives and the Fire within our hearts!
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus You and You alone are the One that we need to be following. Lord Jesús today help us to follow you and to keep You at the center of our hearts.
In Jesús Name
Amen
Check out my spelling and listen to the song on the link that I have provided
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston
