Christ Follower or Devil Dodger?

John 6 gives us an example of "followers of Christ" (christian yes little C today's church goers should need to proof their commitment before claiming the Big C but that is another story), they were interested in being fed and seeing miracles. It seems the only thing they were interested in was to see what Christ would give them or do next. Christ hid from the crowd. He realized what was going on and tried to explain to them that miracles and wonders that you do will not get you into heaven. Seeing miracles and wonders for being in the same place when they happen do not make a religious experience. The people he was talking to do the law. They knew the word. At the time they used it against him to try to get him to make more food do more tricks to them. He was like a dancing monkey in the circus.

Devil, Dodgers are another type of follower. This type go to church and revival meetings, pray for the sick, care for the orphans and widows. They may even preach on the sidewalk and save countless others in Christ name but these are all works. Their commitment is to do good until they are saved and in Heaven. Their works are good and sound, they do miracles and have an understanding for Scripture but their goal to do good is backwards.

Good works do benefit the body of Christ those that are doing good works benefit the body of Christ. Only if their goal is to be more Holy, and to be Holy is to be more like Christ. The works of going to church caring for orphans, widows, and the sick our rituals much like reciting liturgy, or prayers in church it is something that makes a person feel like they're missing something if they do not do them. It is when these rituals and works stop being a duty and become a privilege to help others to benefit others, not yourself.

The disciples of Christ when they saw something Christ was doing anything from praying to raising the dead, but ask why do you do that or teach us to do that. They knew that one day there discipleship would be over and they would become the teachers of his disciples when Jesus healed the man, the disciples asked why was this man born this way did his parents sent him Jesus said no but he was here that the glory of God would be made known when they asked Jesus teach us to pray. He pointed to a person and said don't pray like that guy. 

You see the difference between a Follower of Christ a Devil Dodger a Christian or Disciple is the goal that the person has. Followers like to see tricks and dancing monkeys they feel warm and fuzzy inside the Devil Dodger is only doing what he thinks is necessary and needful for him and him alone to get into heaven. The Christian goal is to be more like Christ, not to do the tricks that he did because he did them, but like Christ the miracles and signs, wonders where done to prove God's glory, honor and strength, His mercy for his children his righteousness for all man. Miracles and wonders do happen today they did not end with the apostles. It is the Christians moral obligation to show the world who Christ is not who he was or who he will be but who he is, we are to reflect the image of God through Christ to others.

We Forgot Our Master

Christ said that he did not come to the healthy he came for the sick. He did not say that he was not with the healthy Luke 5:31-32. Is.57:15 Christ is with us on our highest joys and triumphs He is with us also when we are broken and abased. Now if Christ is our Master and we his disciple should not we go to our neighbor and do the same. We like Peter, James and John want to build the tent and celebrate for eternity the joys Christ gives us. We forgot our master was not sent to celebrate life but to save it. God when the time was right sent Christ to the world, Christ when the time was fulfilled sent his disciples into the world.

When Christ was teaching his disciples, he set them aside and told them that they had power over demons sickness and famine. Then he sent them out with only the shirts on their back and the shoes on their feet. Luke. 9:3-5 The reason was he did not want them to set up their tent and hang a sign over it saying “Find Christ Here” he told them to knock on the first house that open it’s door and go in. Christ sent us to go into the world and teach make disciples not to set up a tent and beg people to come but to stand outside their house and ask to come in just as Christ knocks on the door that he that hears him and opens the door he will come in to him. RE.3:20

The Cutting From The Reaper

At some time, we may ask that God would take me and give me rest and then I remember those whom I love and see the lives that Christ has called me to, then too remember parable of the beggar and the rich man, one to paradise the other to perdition. What a selfish request that I ask;  rather to be by Jesus’ side than doing His work on earth. What life can I bring to Christ’s redemption before this time of life with them ends?

Paul had contemplated this in Phil.1:20-24 he realized that he would leave this world when Christ calls him and until that time, he would continue to live out the life that Christ has given him.

To live is Christ and to His glory, we reflect Christ’s love and live his life of redemption to our brothers and sisters of man that they may know through us His love and salvation is for them.

To live as Christ and to His glory, we reflect Christ love and the power of his resurrection to the brothers and sisters in Christ, that they may know that the trials and pain that is endured are but a passing in time that leads to eternal life in Christ.

When Christ championed Death, the cutting of the Reaper to the redeemed is life in Christ there is no sting. The slow cutting of the Reaper from this world for those unredeemed is mercy that they may call to the Champion and live.

Heart and Mind

The mind of Christ or the heart of Christ, Christians prayed and want to have or possess both of these. My question is can to minds exist in one body or can two hearts exist in one body? If the person is truly a Christian, his first desire is to let his mind his heart die with the old man. That way the new heart and mind of Christ can thrive and survive without being subdued or suppressed by the old man. Sounds like a simple statement. But before this can happen, the follower must become a disciple. The differences between these are simple;

The follower of Christ was one of the 5000 that he fed with loaves and fish.

A follower of Christ is simply someone who likes to see tricks and magic shows (miracles and wonders). The disciple of Christ is one that has surrendered everything left his family, burned his fields and house to walk, live, think, and possess the thoughts and deeds of Christ, his master. 

Content in Christ

To know that your desires are only on Christ and that love burns within you so brightly that others see  you are love sick to the point that all you want is to know more about him.

Perfectly content in what you have; salvation, grace and with the desire to be more, Christ like.

Being content is having your heart and mind so passionate that you glow with the love and as you pass people, your shadow reflects Christ's love on them.

A Christian is a perfectly self-controlled

We have all heard the expression he has a lot of self-control. It usually boils down to an insult or physical assault that the
person has resisted response to. What about the phrase having a good bead and things or getting your ducks in a row these are all phrases that meant something to people to demonstrate I'm not look on life or how to live. 

What is self-control? 

You might say self-control is the ability to resist or to think about a problem to have the right answer the first time. That sounds right but it is also training yourself to come to the conclusion that one thing is right and everything else is wrong to set that in your mind and to keep that for us like a sounding board. 

What is the Christian sounding board or what is the Christians control? 

The word of God. Self-control is not adjusting your temper or outbursts of emotion those would be controlling yourself adjusting your physical demeanor to suit more culturally approved practices. Self-control is what you really think who you really are between you and the fence post you can control what comes out of your mouth or what you hear or see you may choose to respond or not respond but that is controlling yourself what you were thinking at the time is self-control. Setting your minds. Realizing one thing is right and everything else is wrong to test everything against that one thing and that is the word of God. True self-control comes when wrong happens your response is in accordance to God's word and Christ's heart. That is how you become perfectly self-controlled. 1Peter 1:13-14

A Christian is a perfectly shameless testimony of God's salvation

The Christian walk or life is not one of solitude and loneliness, as the Christian goes about his normal day he is reminded of brothers and sisters in Christ and prays for them. He is reminded of the lost and prays for them, shares with them the joy of his salvation. Though through life the Christian may perceive himself as alone, he must realize that as he prays for fellow believers, they too are praying for him to strengthen him in spirit, as he strengthens them in his prayers.

As the Christian's walk strengthens his witness and testimony becomes known to others and they share with their friends the witness of community. Many days or hundreds of miles may separate Christians from their brothers, but Christ spirit binds us together and together one man's testimony is strengthened through prayer of the brethren. With the prayers of brothers and sisters around the world, lifting fellow believers up, what is there to be ashamed of? ---Philippians 1:18-26