follow Jesus – Page 2

1 Corinthians 4:14-21 – Who Do You Imitate?

outline of Jesus in bright orange circle of light

Did you like to play dress up when you were a kid? I always figured out a way to get my brother involved in the make-believe, and we made all sorts of great memories. Who did you pretend to be? I was usually a teacher or a mother.

As grown-ups, we often look to other people who we admire and want to be like them. Amy Grant is one of those people I dreamed of being. What a beautiful voice she has! Some people idolize athletes and movie stars. Often, the underlying character of those celebrities is flawed. If we could only see the “real” person we might not be so enamored.

Epiphany of our Lord 👑 We Three Kings of Orient Are

3 wise men silhouettes with a star in the sky

January 6 is traditionally the day Christians celebrate Epiphany. Its significance is to celebrate when the wise men visited our Lord Jesus as a young child. We’ve experienced Epiphany in new ways since moving to Mexico in 2016. Having a king’s cake with hidden figurines from the nativity has been a special treat for us! Read Matthew 2:1-12 for a Biblical account.

You’ll probably note that the text doesn’t say these men were kings, nor does it say there were three of them. Details like that should not keep us from seeing the beauty and wisdom of what is happening here. There is much to celebrate. These men saw a star. They were wise enough to know that it meant something significant had happened, and they were curious.

Deuteronomy 13:1-18 – Don’t Be Led Astray

Read Deuteronomy 13:1-18

There are so many distractions that can keep us from God. There are also false prophets, feel good spirituality, and non-believers that do what they can to entice us away from our faith. It’s been going on like this for a long time. Moses had to warn his people to be careful not to go astray. God would not be pleased. I was also surprised to see that Moses told them, “the Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul.” I certainly don’t want to fail the test. Do you?

We do need to be careful. I, for one, don’t want to displease God. Yet, there isn’t a moment that goes by that I’m not falling short in some way, shape, or form. What is helpful, is to realize I’m not alone. Many people over the ages have struggled with temptations. You know the old saying, “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” Have you ever had that sense?

Holy Week 2020 – Saturday

Read Luke 23:50-56

Jesus had died. There was an emptiness to the world that was hard to describe. A loneliness that seemed to have no end. How could life go on as usual? Imagine the despair that was coupled with fear. I imagine the disciples thought they might be next because of their associations with Jesus. Did any of Jesus’ friends remember his words that he would rise on the third day? For today, let’s also put that knowledge aside. Like Jesus’ followers then, let us be lost in our grief.

Then there was Joseph. A secret follower of Jesus. He had a position on the high council of all things. What would the others think of him now? He boldly came forward and asked for Jesus’ body. He took great care to place Jesus in a fresh tomb. His respect was evident. He had put his reputation on the line here. What would the fallout for that be? Joseph didn’t care. He had been waiting for the Kingdom of God. He had found Jesus, the King himself.

Matthew 4:18-22 – Follow Me

Read Matthew 4:18-22

Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” What if he said that to you? Have you ever fished for people? You may recall another translation, becoming “fishers of men.” Still, the notion of fishing for people seems out of the ordinary. What was happening here is Jesus was offering these fishermen an invitation to follow him.

What was their response? “Not today, I’m too busy.” “I can’t follow you right now, I can’t leave my father.” No! They dropped everything and followed Jesus. That may seem a little crazy to us. For me, I would want to tie up some loose ends or at least know where I was going. But these men did not hesitate.