Understanding Spiritual Math

Following is a lesson in divine mathematics. A one and a zero can equal one. One what? It depends on the relationship of the zero to the digit one. Consider Christ is the one. Aligned with Christ, we become something. Our alignment with the  one digit makes a difference. If the one is placed before the one is diminished to .01 or one one-hundredth. It isn’t much, but it is something. Put two zeros before one and you have .001, or one one-thousandth. The more zeros added before the one, the less the value of the one. The more zeros before Him the more He is reduced.

Reverse the figures: instead of putting the zeros before Christ, the divine one, place them after the one. Nothing, zero, has now become 10, and ten-fold increase. Add another zero after the one and you have another multiple, one hundred. The more zeros placed after the one, the greater the increase. 

“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30) said John the Baptist.

We decide on which side of the one we live.

“We are laborers together with God.” That is, “We are God’s fellow workers.” We should be so busy recommending Jesus to others we don’t have time to split hairs.

Together with Jesus we can achieve more than if alone.

When we are properly placed to the right of the one we have:

A better understanding of God’s Word, the Bible.

We make better judgments following Him.

We have godly sorrow over sin.

We not only condemn the bad, we commend the good.

We have a more joyous lifestyle.

We have strength to do with Him that which we can’t do alone.

For example, if there were a cube of pure gold measuring 13″ X 13″ offered to you would you accept it? If you were told that for it to be yours all you would have to do is come pick it up personally and take it with you, would you do it? A thirteen inch cube of pure gold!  Would you like it? It is yours if you simply take it. Most people would love to have such a quantity of gold.  Regardless of how badly you would like it, you could not meet the requirement for obtaining it. You could not pick it up for it would literally weigh one ton. You couldn’t meet the standard of picking it up.

God has made it possible for you to pick up the gift of salvation, more valuable than gold, by providing it for “whosoever.” (John 3:16) All that is necessary is faith in Christ.

Jesus invites you to share your load with Him. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

To obtain this rest spend time alone with the Lord and pour out all the burdens in your spirit by prayer until all of them have left.

Talk about your blessings more than you talk about your burdens.

We are reminded, “The Lord deserves praise! Day after day he carries our burden, the God who delivers us. Our God is a God who delivers; the Lord, the sovereign Lord, can rescue from death.” (Psalm 68:19-20)

Three Fountains of Love

“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (I John 4:16)

God being love, He is the source of love for the fountains of love. This fountain with God’s love as its source has three heads identified as the heart, the conscience, and faith.

The meaning of the word “love” needs to be established before considering its source. Agape is the Greek word translated love. It speaks of full loyalty to God and boundless good will to people. The Greeks had various words for love. Phileo  was used for brotherly love. The Greek word eros spoke of physical or sensual love.

At the time of the New Testament there was no Greek word adequate to express the love of God. They took a little used word that appears only four times in classical Greek writings and gave it a new meaning, Agape. It is the selfless self-giving love of God. There is nothing physical or sensual about it. Love as used in this regard means to desire and devise the best for others.

“We love Him because He first loved us” (I John 4:19).

Once we love Him and know how He loves us, we are well on our way to knowing how to love one another. He loves us with all of our faults, frailties, and failures. How are we to love others? As He loved us.

* Fountain head number one to flow with love is a pure heart. In the Hebrew language used in the Old Testament there is not a word for mind or brain. To understand a word in Hebrew, it is proper to define it in association with words with which it is linked.

Pure comes from the word katharos, meaning clean as opposed to dirty. A “pure heart” belongs only to the person made right by the right relationship with Christ.

“Out of the heart are the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23)

Pure means not double minded. It was a word used to describe purging an army of all potential traitors.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Literally, He said happy are the pure in heart. You will never find happiness apart from having an undivided mind, that is, God controlled thoughts. Only a pure heart produces love for Christ.

* The second fountain head is a good conscience. The Greek word used in our text and translated “conscience” is suneidesis. It literally means “a knowing within.”  What is programmed within is the critical issue. To have a good conscience it must be programmed by God’s value standard, the Bible.

Our English word conscience comes from the Latin con-scienta, meaning joint knowledge or co-knowledge, knowing together with. A conscience is a poor guide unless it knows the Word of God.

* The third fountain head is genuine faith. Genuine means without hypocrisy. Are you living on a pretend faith? Faith produces works. Faith is consistently expressive. Is your faith a mirage?

The test of your faith, is does it prompt obedient action? If what you call faith doesn’t, it isn’t faith it’s froth.  It is a fake religious front.

Make certain your three fountains flow freely with love. Therein is joy.

What It Means to Wholly Follow God

There are many who are truly Jesus’, but not wholly His. Jesus is truly their Savior, but not indisputably their Sovereign. He is present in their lives, but not president of their lives.

An example of a person wholly committed to the Lord is the Old Testament character Caleb. The thing best known about him is he was one of the two members of the group of twelve sent to spy out the Land of Promise who came back and gave a good report. He was an unlikely member of this cast of characters.

Consider his background. He was not even a Jew, yet entrusted with such a responsibility. He is described as being the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Kennizzites in general were not part of the Hebrew nation. They evidently were not the loving parents in that they named the son Caleb meaning “dog.” What loving parent would do that? He likely became a slave, sold by his parents, and was cast with the Jews in Egyptian slavery.

He was folded into the family of God as a member of the tribe of Judah. This made him a member of the Jewish aristocracy because from the tribe of Judah came the kings, the great spiritual, political, and military leaders.

Ten members of the reconnaissance party sent to spy out the land gave a discouraging negative report. As a result of Caleb joining Joshua with their positive report, the people wanted to “stone them with stones.” (Numbers 14:10a)

Another thing that seniors today should find encouraging was he was 85 when he undertook his task.

When offered a section of the Promised Land, he had done a little mountain shopping on his spying mission. He asked for a mountain with fortified cities, principally Hebron, occupied by what were considered giants saying, “…the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.” As a result, Joshua gave Hebron to Caleb and he drove out the giants.

How is it known he was whole heartily committed to the Lord? The traits are admirable characteristics each of us would be wise to aspire to as our traits.

He confidently said and showed what he professed. “I wholly followed the Lord my God.” (Joshua 14:8)

Moses said of him, “… you have wholly followed the Lord.” (14:9)

God said of him, “…he has a different spirit in him and has followed me fully…” (Numbers 14:24)

He earned these accolades as a result of having a constant sense of God’s presence.

He had discernment that came from having a controlled spirit.

He aspired to a place of difficulty as a place of honor.

Can such be said of you? If not resolve that from this time on it can be said.

Pentecost: Obedience at Any Cost 6/4/00

Acts 2:1-8

JESUS CHRIST established heaven’s beachhead on the shores of time and space when He was born in Bethlehem. Forty days after His resurrection, as the feast of Pentecost was being celebrated, a new beachhead was established. On that day the Holy Spirt Holy secured His beachhead. After His resurrection Jesus went to Heaven. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came from heaven as Christ’s vice regent.

The Holy Spirit filled life is one of the least understood aspects of being a Christian. It summarily means being controlled by Christ’s Spirit.

Our misconception of ourselves adds to this confusion. We think of ourselves as human beings having a spiritual experience. In reality we are spirit beings having a human experience.

The Jews of the era celebrated the first of their three great holidays, Passover, to commemorate the deliverance of their ancestors from slavery in Egypt. The second holiday commemorated the end of the harvest. It was celebrated each year 50 days after Passover and was called Pentecost. PENTE meaning 50 days.

Over a period of 40 days after Christ’s resurrection He made a number of appearances to His followers. It had now been 10 days since an appearance and 120 of His anxious followers assembled. They were united in their belief and spirit, HOMOTHUADON,”one accord.”

As they were praying a once in all history happening occurred. “CLOVEN TONGUES OF FIRE,” means tongues of flames accompanied by a mighty rushing wind settled over them (Vs. 3). Our concept of such flames is like candle lights. Instead of going up, individual flames came down over 120 heads. There was one fire and 120 extensions. The one large flame first let down individual extensions above the head of each believer.

WIND was the audible evidence of the Spirit.

FIRE was the visual evidence.

“FILLED WITH,” is third person plural, passive voice. Thus, it is revealed “they”, the 120, were being acted upon. A force from outside themselves was invading.

That great philosopher\theologian, Winnie-the Pooh, speaking of “poetry and hums” made a comment that is applicable. Pooh said, “Poetry and hums aren’t things which you get, they are things which get you. And all you do is go where they find you.”

The active force was the HOLY SPIRIT, He is the Spirit of Christ (II Cor. 3:17). “The Lord is the Spirit.”

Jesus said He would send the Comforter. He referred to Him as “another”, meaning One of the same kind.

THEY BEGAN TO SPEAK WITH OTHER TONGUES.
There has been much confusion among Christians about this experience for years. That confusion has led to certain Christian groups going to extremes and others ignoring this happening all together. Neither is right.

We have a tendency to misread or to read in more than we should. We are like the child whose mother saw him opening a pack of animal crackers, pour them out, and start sorting through them. She inquired what he was doing. He replied, “I am looking for the seal.” “Why?” she asked. “Because it says right on the box ‘Do not eat if the seal is broken.’”

The expression “Other Tongues” translates the Greek HETERAIS GLOSSAIS meaning dialects or languages other than their own. Thus, these untutored and unsophisticated Galileans miraculously spoke languages they had never studied. Acts 2: 9 – 11 even lists the languages.

There were 17 nationalities noted as being present (Vss. 9-11). The Jewish community scattered by Alexander the Great had returned to celebrate Pentecost. They had learned the language of the countries of their exile.

What the foreigners heard amazed them and they said, “are not these that speak Galileans?” (Vs. 7). If we confuse the issue by thinking the gift of speaking in unlearned languages was the event of the day, we miss the meaning of all this. The gift that made them charismatic was not tongues but the Spirit Himself. To think otherwise is to miss the importance of the event.

“UTTERANCE” comes from a verb meaning to speak or proclaim. They began to share the good news of Christ’s resurrection to all nationalities present.

WHY THIS PHENOMENON? I Cor. 14:22 explains, “…for a sign…to them that believe not.”

The early church was just getting started. The 120 were all Jews from the region. For the gospel to be spread it had to be communicated in different languages. For this reason the gift.

The Holy Spirit can only fill empty places and people. Christ’s execution had excavated an empty place in their lives. For 40 days after Christ’s resurrection He had made appearances to His followers. Now 10 days had passed since His ascension. It is a terrible thing to have a passion without power. They qualified.

Four words express the emptiness of Christ’s followers prior to Pentecost:

A. Discouraged. Ten days is a long time to wait when the frail thread of hope is about to break. Discouragement causes emptiness. Are you discouraged? I had the joy of sharing with our school children recently. Using a visual I wrote the word “courage” on the board. Then using a different color marker I added the prefix “dis” making it discourage. Explaining God has a big eraser I removed the prefix “dis” and added a new one “en,” changing the word to “encourage.” That is what God did in their lives and what He wants to do in ours. Be encouraged by His Holy Spirit being available to you right now to help.

B. Dejected. Life was limp. They had form without force. Too many Christians are thus described. They live between Passover and Pentecost. A realization of Christ’s Spirit with us projects us to do our duty with delight.

C. Disability. A vision without vitality reveals and ridicules our disability. They had a challenge but no capacity. The Holy Spirit bridges that enormous gap between what we can do and what the Lord wants to do through us.

D. Depression. This grew out of a desperate feeling that they could not be what they were called to be.

We become Christians when we trust Christ as Savior. We become Christ-like Christians when out of a sense of our own inability, brokenness, and failure we realize our emptiness. Then we realize the truth in Christ’s words, “Without me you can do nothing.” It is at this point one becomes ready to say, “Christ, I surrender, I want you to live your life through me. I am your empty vessel to be filled as you will.”

When a believer reaches this point and it may occur many times in life then certain things happen.
The Holy Spirit:

1. PURIFIES. What happens to each believer is described by Matthew: “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12)

This passage not only describes what happens to non-believers, but what happens IN believers. The gathering of the wheat is a depiction of salvation. The burning out of the chaff is a description of getting out the impurities. He burns out the chaff in our lives. Spiritual chaff is any ungodly thing. It is things such as false loyalty, habits that make slaves of us, memories of past failures, and principally self-centeredness.

2. GALVANIZES – The word means to shock into action. The filling of Christ’s Spirit shocks us into an attitude of praise.

We have come to think of praise principally as singing and shouting, even bopping around. That may or may not be praise. Praise is a seasoning that isn’t an end in itself but a flavoring for all things in life. It gives savoriness to all of life like salt does to all food.

Praise is the antidote for pride. It causes us to focus on someone other than our self, Christ.

Praise unlocks further power. If we praise God for His blessings, the Spirit heightens our joy.

Praise is surrender. The Holy Spirit can’t be contained. He will always break out in praise.

We overlook much for which we should praise Him. A husband and wife were getting ready to go to a memorial service for the son of a friend killed in the war. The parents of the deceased had given $50,000 for a stained glass to memorialize their son. As they dressed the wife said to her husband, “What are we going to give?” Astonished the husband said, “Give, what do you mean? We don’t need to give anything our son came home alive.” “That’s what I mean,” she said. “They lost a son, and they gave a gift of thanks, a memorial to his life. We got our son back, and we don’t give anything.”

We have received so much we often forget to praise the Lord.

3. EVANGELIZES – Joel prophesied 400 years before this that God would “…pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.” This was to happen “in the last days.” The result was to be “they shall prophesy.” They did. The word translated prophecy does not mean to foretell future events. It means to foretell, that is, clearly proclaim truth, to witness.

Having been instructed by our Lord to be fishers of men we have instead become keepers of the aquarium adapt at swapping fish.

70% of Southern Baptist churches have plateaued or are declining. Of all churches the percent is even higher: 81%.

Christianity is now in one of its most critical times in history. It is a time of both hostility and harvest. We are good about telling of overcoming some personal emotional crisis, but fail to tell people where there is still water, green pastures, and the path of righteousness.

Have we quit praying for spiritual awakening in America or even a great movement of the Spirit in our life and this church.

In 1930 folks around Charlotte, North Carolina wanted to have an area revival but the pastors weren’t interested. Vernon Patterson got a group of 30 men to commit to gather and pray. He asked his friend Franklin if they could meet at his farm and pray. They gathered in his hay field and prayed for God to send forth a man who would speak to the nation and world for Christ.

In 1934 they invited evangelist Mordecai Fowler Hamm to preach a revival. During that meeting the son of Franklin Graham, Billy Graham, was called by God in answer to that prayer. Let’s not quit praying. That is what was happening in the upper room when the 120 were visited by the Holy Spirit.

When He fills us we bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). This second chapter of Acts ends triumphantly. As a result of sharing in the resurrection victory it is recorded:

“And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

They so loved and shared the love of Christ that by the time the Book of Romans was written Paul sent greetings to those in the household of Caesar. They had put out the altar fires in the temples of Diana and lit the gospel torch in the palace of Caesar.

The same is needed in America today. Many individuals and our culture in general needs saving today. Political proficiency can’t save us or Rome would not have fallen.

Commerce can’t save us or ancient Tyre would not have fallen.

Military might can’t save us or Germany would not have fallen.

Treachery can’t save us or Japan would not have fallen.

Religious ceremony can’t save us or ancient Israel would not have fallen.

Our Lord offers us our only hope and it is quite sufficient.

They had to be empty before they could be filled. The same is true of us. Reflect on their condition that left them empty. They were: DISCOURAGED, DEJECTED, DISABLED, AND DEPRESSED. Is that the emptying process now going on in your life?

A SPIRIT-FILLED BELIEVER IS A WITNESS

We human beings have a mind, will, emotions, and a physical body. To be filled means for the Holy Spirit to take control of every facet, function, and facility of our being. The Spirit’s entry was through their conscious self. When that happened the tissues of their brains were empowered, which made possible the proper emotional response, and energized their entire bodies, producing a physical radiance and energetic action.

They were infused with the power of God.

Jesus said the purpose of the Spirit’s coming was to bear witness of Him:

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning” (John 15: 26, 27).

Follow the Leader 4/16/00

Luke 19:28-38

Jesus Christ relates to real people. People like those who comprised His entourage in the last days of His life on earth. People like us. Let’s be very personal —- people like you. Not just like you, but you. He wants to lead us.

Let’s mentally slip into the band of followers around Christ who were in Jericho days before His execution. Let’s join the crowd. They have dozens of unanswered questions. Their future was uncertain. Rumors were Jesus was soon to leave them.

It was the time of festival in Jerusalem and they were to go there, but hearsay persisted that the religious leaders had conspired against Christ and desired Him dead. What were they to do?

As the guest in the home of Zacchaeus in Jericho, Jesus taught a parable regarding obedient servanthood. It is profound. Scholars still dissect and analyze the teaching. However, God is so good. Right in the middle of this profound passage God inspired the writer to include a simple bite size statement even I can digest. Notice it in Luke 19:28: “He went on ahead…”

What are we to do Jesus? Which way are we to go? Shall we retreat to our comfort zone in Galilee or the isolation of the Wilderness of Judea? The choice is not ours, it’s His.

FOLLOW THE LEADER!

There embedded like a jewel in a most unlikely setting is the answer. “He went on ahead.”

Follow the leader. He always goes on ahead. He who foresees the future won’t forsake you in the present.

We can say as it was said of the Good Shepherd “He leads me.”

Ingrained in hymnals for years are these words:

“He leadeth me, he leadeth me, By His own hand
He leadeth me:
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.”

Count on it.

Adults did you ever play “follow the leader?” Children do you play it? It involves doing what ever the leader does. The object is to be and do like the leader. If the leader walks backwards you walk backwards. If the leader hops on one foot you hop on one foot.

A version of this game is played under the title “Peer Pressure.” It too involves being and doing like the leader.

In the Christian arena it involves choosing Jesus as your Leader and asking Him to help you be and do as He. It soon becomes a lifestyle.

As they left Jericho on their way to Jerusalem and the awaiting cross, Mark in his gospel tells us of the trip: “…they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid” (Mark 10:32).

Jesus walked alone that we like they might never have to walk alone.

The eastern sky gave a hint of the coming new day on that morning that will forever be known as Palm Sunday.Jesus having gone before His followers awakes in Bethany on the back side of the Mount of Olives no more than five miles from Jerusalem. Having arranged to borrow a donkey and her colt Jesus leads His entourage to the summit of the Mount of Olives.

Jesus had a full view of the walled city of Jerusalem in all of its splendor. Historian Josephus wrote of Jerusalem:

“The outward face of the temple in its front wanted nothing that was likely to surprise either men’s minds or their eyes; for it was covered all over with plates of gold of great weight, and, at the first rising of the sun, reflected back a very fiery splendor, and made those who forced themselves to look upon it to turn away their eyes, just as they would have done at its own rays.”

The Mount of Olives was second only to the Sea of Galilee as a favorite retreat spot for Jesus and His disciples. Compassionately He had viewed the Golden City of Jerusalem from here and wept. His gaze focused on the 1,000 square foot temple plateau on the summit of Mt. Zion. Some stones used to construct the temple were 20 by 40. feet and weighed 100 tons. Pillars supporting Solomon’s Porch were 37 feet high and of such circumference that three men could not reach around them. An ornate bridge from the lower city to the upper spanned the Tyropoeon Valley. This is what He saw but what He beheld was the need of the people.

No modern rock star has ever entered a stage to greater acclaim. At this moment He was a celebrated celebrity. Mystics and militants, the local populace and loyal pilgrims wanted Him to assert His leadership. Only the hard core pious religious leaders were fearful of Him. Here on the Mount of Olives Jesus was among His people.

When pilgrims came to the various festivals in Jerusalem those from different regions always camped in the same area. The southern end of the Mount was where those from Galilee always camped. Going from Bethany to Jerusalem the route crossed the southern end where the Galileans were camped. Galilee was His home territory. He had grown up there, performed miracles there, and taught there. They knew Him.

From these rural friends arose shouts of “Hosanna” and other praises.

Across the Kedron Valley inside the walls of Jerusalem the people heard the shouts and many came outside to see what was happening on the Mount of Olives. These were the wealthy who had learned to accommodate and appease the conquering Romans in order to prosper. They were comfortable and confident.

As Jesus began to ascent from the Mount of Olives on His way into Jerusalem a drama prophesied long before was playing out.

Behind Him were His sermons; ahead, His suffering.

Behind Him were His parables; ahead, His passion.

Behind Him were His suppers of fellowship; ahead, His last supper of betrayal.

Behind Him were the delights of Galilee; ahead, dark Gethsemane.

Prophecy was now to become practice.

Let’s set the stage and walk the Palm Sunday road with Him.

That grand day was a fulfillment of prophecy. Daniel had stated the time (Daniel 9: 24 – 26). A careful calculation reveals it was to be 173,880 days after being foretold. Passover was always celebrated on the 15th of Nisan, mid April. Jesus came to Bethany six days before Passover and entered Jerusalem the next day, April 6, 32 A.D. That was precisely 173,880 days after the prophecy of Daniel. Thus, the Father had further validated the Son as Messiah.

In retrospect it was written of Him: “Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God Lo, I come to do thy will, O God” (Hebrews 10: 7 & 9).

Not only was the Old Testament His Bible it was His biography written in advance. For Him to accomplish His mission His life must be the lake of fulfillment into which ALL the rivers of prophecy flow. At any moment He could have disobeyed the authority of God’s Word. He had come to do the will of the Father.

What does that say about the one who goes on ahead? He knows where and when He is going long before the time arrives. He is worthy to be followed.

Get this and you have a good perspective of life.
All that the Son was to the Father
We are to be to the Son.
All that the Father was to the Son
The Son will be to us.
It should be our purpose to do His will.

As Jesus nears and enters Jerusalem He leaves behind His legion of loyalists and is enveloped in a throng of hostile antagonists. Soon the “Hosannas” fade and the cry begins to reverberate through the old city: “Crucify Him.”

There is a strategic oversight by most modern readers of Scripture. We equate those who shouted hosanna with the crowd that cried “Crucify Him.” They were not. Those from Galilee camped on the Mount of Olives, His proponents, shouted His praise. Those within Jerusalem, alienated from Him by formal, creedal religious bigotry cried for His execution.

In which crowd would you have postured yourself? Please don’t give an answer you know would be acceptable in this setting. Don’t even try to pretend your allegiance if there is no lifestyle of loyalty. If you are going to Talk the Talk then Walk the Walk. Follow the Leader.

A moment of decision charts our course. Standing on the beautiful Bernina Pass in Switzerland, the enchanting Engadine is on one side and on the other the vast expanse of Italy. Nearby are two small lakes separated by only a narrow watershed. Though close in their points of origin, the water from one flows into the Adriatic Sea and that from the other into the Black Sea. Every person has his own Bernina Pass, a time when the flow of the course of life is determined. A choice to obey is a choice favoring a fulfilled life.

Flashback a moment to Jericho and the home of Zacchaeus where Jesus was teaching about obedience. He told the story of three persons being given a sum of money and how each used it. Two of the three were good stewards and used their portion wisely. The unfaithful one tried to excuse himself and explain away his dereliction. Jesus exposed it instead.

Three characteristics of this fraud were made evident by Christ.

• The unfaithful man was presumptuous. He thought he could deceive his master who would not be back for a long time. Delayed accountability gave energy to disobedience.
• He was peremptory. Acting coercively he abused others. Arrogance caused him haughtily to impose on others. His dominant will was sadistically imposed.
• He was profligate. He indulged himself. Dissipation typifies disobedience.

The issue in following the leader is the authority of the one leading and the obedience of those following.

Once I was called into the Oval Office of the President of the United States and given an assignment by the President. As I left he did not go with me. My execution of that responsibility was no less diligent than if he had been my companion in performing it. I was under his authority, inspired by his confidence, ennobled by the nature of the task. Being on mission for the president was my motivation. My preoccupation was not with his ability, but his authority. I knew he stood behind what I did because he considered it a worthy task. That made me esteem it all the more worthy of my best. I was at his service even in his absence. So our Leader should inspire us to obedience. His authority deserves compliance with His will.

With that understanding lets engage in a practical activity. Check yourself regarding obedience to our Lord’s Word in these areas:

Have you presented your body to the Lord as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), or are you continuing to walk according to the flesh (Romans 8: 5 – 7) as if you still do not belong to your Lord?

Do you think of yourself more highly than you ought (Romans 12: 3) and allow fits of hypocrisy to pervert the love you profess (Romans 12: 9)?

Is your loyalty divided between God and mammon (Matthew 6:24)?

Are you neglecting your prayer life (Luke 18: 1, 2) and Bible study (II Timothy 2: 15)?

Are you living in a state of anxiety or discontent (Philippians 4: 6, 11)?

Do you by exercising malice and envy stir up strife (Romans 13: 13)?

Are you fulfilling your role as an ambassador (II Corinthians 5: 19, 20) and witness (Matthew 28: 19, 20)?

Are you seeking first the kingdom, the rule of God, in your life (Matthew 6: 33)?

In fulfillment of the authoritative command to “seek first” the kingdom do you:
Give God the first part of the first hour of the day?
Give Him the first day of the week for public worship?
Give Him a tithe as the first fruit of your labor?
Give Him first place in decision making?
Give Him the position of Lord in your home and work?

Put a mental book mark in your thoughts there on the Mount of Olives and jump ahead a few days in the story with me. After the resurrection the angel appealed to the women and this was his message:
“He goes before you…”

What a wonderful comfortable zone in which to live …. and die.

Strut as we might the time comes. Death takes even the strongest and proudest. I hope it is years before regent death looks you in the eyes, points his boney finger and say, “Your turn.”

How will we do? You who follow Jesus will do just fine. Remember, He goes before you —- and He has. Like Him, we too will do just fine. Follow the leader. Follow the leader today in preparation for that day.

Times get tough. Circumstances get troublesome. Money gets tight and here comes the Easter Angel to tell it like it is: “He goes before you.”

Follow the Leader.