“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” – Matthew 12:30

There’s no pleasantly neutral position on the sidelines of the most important decision each person must make! Once a person has heard the Gospel, he or she must decide for themself whether they follow Jesus or oppose Him. There’s no in between. There’s no “third way”. To refuse to actively follow Jesus is to remain in rebellion against God’s design, will, and authority. Holding a “neutral”, “agnostic”, or uncommitted position toward Jesus is to remain dead in one’s sins, actively at war with God.

Hopefully, you’ve already embraced Jesus as your Lord. If you haven’t, what’s stopping you??? If you have, the pressing question becomes who in your life is still against Jesus? Many in our culture are against Jesus without even realizing it. They may think good thoughts and vibes about Jesus. They might not think about Him at all. They probably believe they’re good and decent which they consider to be good enough. They may consider themself to be a good citizen, good neighbor, good person. Self-satisfied, contented, non-following of Jesus is opposition to Jesus. A person is either truly with Jesus or they are opposed to Him.

Regardless of their personal, economic, or moral status from a human perspective, if they haven’t embraced Jesus, they’re still at war with Him. They are against Him. The outcome of that will be horrifying for them for all eternity if they die in that state. And they may well have no idea or the terrible danger they’re in. You are probably God’s appointed agent of reconciliation to them. Begin to pray for them daily, by name, to repent and believe the Gospel. Commit to talk to them about Jesus and pray for God’s wisdom on how to intentionally turn an ordinary conversation with them into a Gospel conversation. Pray that God will let you be present for the harvest when they choose to #FollowJesus

“A bruised reed he will not break,       
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;”
– Matthew 12:20

As Jesus fulfills the ancient promise of Isaiah 42, it’s vitally important to see the way in which Jesus accomplishes His purpose. Jesus doesn’t use violence or force. The prophet declares that Jesus will proclaim and ultimately achieve justice in gentleness. In fact, Isaiah says that Jesus is so gentle in His nature that even an already damaged reed growing by the water won’t be broken by His actions. Even a candle that’s already sputtering and struggling to stay lit won’t be snuffed out by Him. That’s how gentle our Lord and Savior is!!!

Our culture, like that of the ancient Greco-Roman world, generally doesn’t appreciate or celebrate gentleness. That’s unfortunate. We celebrate the use of force, crushing our enemies, and taking our goals by any means. Nonetheless, our Savior declares Himself to be gentle (Matthew 11:28-30). He invites us to learn gentleness from Him and to be refreshed by a life of gentleness. To be clear, you can certainly be strong while being gentle. Indeed, it takes more strength to be gentle, as Jesus demonstrated throughout His suffering and death.

The question is, how will you use your strength? To force others to your will or to stay gentle in a hostile world? We’re saved and our sins forgiven because Jesus submitted to death on the cross with gentleness rather than calling down armies of angels to slaughter His persecutors. Take time today, on a day that commemorates strong, non-violent efforts to accomplish justice, to meditate on Jesus. Seek to have both His strength AND His gentleness through the power of the Holy Spirit. #FollowJesus

“It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.” – Matthew 10:25

If you’re a follower of Jesus, buckle up for a bumpy ride! You might remember that Jesus was treated pretty badly by His countrymen, religious leaders, teachers, and local authorities. He was accused of vile and blasphemous things. He was hated and rejected. He was betrayed, tortured, and murdered. Guess what??? Jesus made it very clear that His followers should expect the same things and worse!!!

Don’t imagine that following Jesus will suddenly make everything smooth in your life. Quite the opposite! Expect that if you’re serious about following Jesus, you’ll experience some of the same things He did. Prepare yourself to be disliked, mocked, rejected, and opposed. And know that it’s worth it!!!

Following Jesus is the greatest blessing and adventure there is! When you follow Jesus, you walk with the Lord of the Universe. When you follow Jesus, you’re forgiven, freed, cleansed, adopted, and loved. When you follow Jesus, you gain eternal life and fellowship with God. All this comes for free through God’s grace, love, and mercy when you believe in Jesus.

However, the path of a follower and disciple is the path of our Master. We will experience challenges in life and in our relationships because we serve and follow King Jesus. It’s logical. Jesus told us to expect it. So expect it and be prepared, not surprised! Find your identity and joy in Jesus, not the applause of those around you. Ground your hope in God’s unchanging love for you rather than your ever-changing popularity. #FollowJesus

“And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David.’” – Matthew 9:27

These two men may not have been able to see their surroundings but they clearly saw what most others didn’t. They saw a crucial aspect of Who Jesus is. Though they couldn’t see His face, they could see that Jesus was the “Son of David.” By that, they meant He was the righteous descendant of King David, the anointed Messiah of God, and the true King of Israel. At the time, most everyone else couldn’t or wouldn’t see these truths about Jesus.

Because they saw the truth about Who Jesus is, they followed Him with determination, begging for Jesus to bless them. Because of their strong faith in Him, Jesus healed them. In an instant, Jesus made it so their physical vision matched their already excellent spiritual vision. It’s an extraordinary story that prompts us to think about how clearly we see Jesus.

How well do you see Jesus? Do you see Him with the clarity, eagerness, determination, and faith of those blind men? In your need, do you cry out to the Son of David for mercy or do you hold back to protect your distance, dignity, or sense of independence? See Jesus and rush toward His mercy toward you! #FollowJesus

“And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?’” – Matthew 8:27

This is a crucial question everyone should wrestle with about Jesus. The Gospel accounts are meticulously written eyewitness accounts of what Jesus said and did. A key reason for their existence and preservation across the centuries is to help us arrive at the correct answer to this question. To convince us of what sort of man He through story and testimony rather than in bullet-point format.

Jesus commands natural forces of wind and waves with a word because He’s the ruler and sustainer of nature. Jesus commands supernatural beings because He’s the Lord of the supernatural. Jesus heals diseases, disabilities, and even death because He’s the source of life, healing, and wholeness. He’s fully a person, like us, but He’s also fully God come to earth in a human body to rescue us from sin and death.

Each person who hears these stories must decide whether he or she will refuse to believe eyewitness accounts, refuse to believe what the clear conclusion they point to, or embrace the truth that Jesus is Who the accounts demonstrate He is. What about you? What sort of man do you believe Jesus is? What sort of man controls the weather, the demons, the diseases of the body, and understands the thoughts of the mind? Think carefully and BELIEVE. #FollowJesus