Follow Who?

Listen to this article

Well, today is my turn to lead devotion at work... my article is about imitating Christ, hahaha and how apt did this come just at a time I am stressing myself to emulate my former cell leader.

Anyway, today's devotion also reminds me about the importance of following the right leader... And I think it is also a good reminder to constantly ask ourselves if we are following a leader or following Christ... when leaders bring the focus off God and onto themselves, it is just so wrong... because when we place our faith and trust in the wrong leader, we are indeed practising idolatry and can get ourselves into trouble; we open ourselves to be manipulated by them. No wonder people find faith so dangerous...

1 John 4:1
1.Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 Peter 2:1-3
1. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

Mark 13: 5-6, 22-23:
5. Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 6. Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many.
22. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible. 23. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

Matthew 7:15-16:
15. "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16. By their fruit you will recognize them.

Matthew 24:11, 24:
11. and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
24. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. 25. See, I have told you ahead of time.

Our Daily Bread
June 12, 2007
Imitate Me
Source: http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-06-12-07.shtml

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. —1 Corinthians 11:1

Andrew Marton recalls the first time he met his future brother-in-law Peter Jennings, who was a top foreign news correspondent in 1977. He said he was so nervous that he acted like “a jittery fan in the presence of a journalistic hero whose personal wattage could light up Manhattan.”

Andrew looked up to Peter and tried to emulate him. He became a journalist too and approached his assignments the way Peter did—“he dove in and worked harder than everybody else.” Andrew tried to walk like Peter, to dress like him, and to have the same “aura.”

We all tend to follow the patterns of others. The Corinthians did too. But they shifted their focus away from Christ and onto individual leaders. Rather than emulating the Christlike qualities of these leaders, they let their allegiances lead to various divisions and contentions in the church (1 Cor. 1:10-13). The apostle Paul recognized their error, so he sent Timothy to remind them of his teachings and the importance of walking in obedience to the Lord (4:16-17).

We are to imitate Christ (1 Peter 1:15-16). It can also be helpful to have mentors who imitate Him. Those who walk in step with Christ provide a model for us to emulate. But our ultimate example is Jesus Himself. —Anne Cetas

To follow in the steps of those

Whose eyes are on the Lord

Will help to keep us strong and true,

And faithful to His Word. —D. De Haan

Imitate those who imitate Christ.

This article reminds me about another article on following Christ:

Our Daily Bread

March 5, 2003
Follow Me

Source: http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-03-05-03.shtml

Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow Me. —Mark 8:34

During World War II, B-17 bombers made long flights from the US mainland to the Pacific island of Saipan. When they landed there, the planes were met by a jeep bearing the sign: "Follow Me!" That little vehicle guided the giant planes to their assigned places in the parking area.

One pilot, who by his own admission was not a religious man, made an insightful comment: "That little jeep with its quaint sign always reminds me of Jesus. He was [a lowly] peasant, but the giant men and women of our time would be lost without His direction."

Centuries after our Savior walked the streets and hills of Israel, the world with all its advances still needs His example and instruction. When His ways aren't followed, numerous problems and evils arise in our world—including immorality, crime, and greed.

How do we follow Jesus' ways? First of all, we turn from our sin and entrust our lives to Him as our Savior and Lord. Then, we seek His will in His Word each day and put it into practice by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. We learn to deny our selfish desires and give ourselves completely to following Jesus (Mark 8:34-35).

If you want to get in line with the purposes of God, respond to
Jesus' invitation: "Follow Me!" —Vernon C Grounds

To find your way
through life, follow Jesus.