Follow Me

Jesus commanded the word of God with authority, but He led by example. He didn’t ordered people to obey God; He said: “Follow me.” He asked no one to do anything He did not do Himself. When He sent the disciples out to preach the kingdom, He used His ministry as the pattern they were to follow. Peter said Jesus lived to leave us an example that we should follow in His steps. This was a radical departure from the leaders with which His hearers were familiar.  

“Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying, the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men…”

From the top on down we are a nation of people who “say and do not.” We say we are a nation of laws based on the Constitution. Not only do we not obey the law, we take pleasure in those who openly violate it. Having turned a blind eye to the rule of law, it is not surprising that we have forgotten what manner of nation we are. By his actions, our President has forsaken the Constitution. He encourages people to ignore the laws they don’t like and forbids law enforcement from intervention. But the blame is only partly his. We the people have allowed it. We have allowed owners to be deprived of their businesses because they do not, believe, speak or think as the government thinks they should. We have agreed to be punished for not making government mandated purchases. States tremble at the threat of losing federal funds and sell their people into bondage to Washington. Seniors panic at the possibility their government check will be reduced. This is not the legacy we inherited from our fathers.     

          “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

          If we feel unsafe and unhappy, we have only ourselves to blame; we have consented to it. It is time for people to stand up—alone if need be---and say, “Enough.” Until our elected leaders obey the law, there is no earthly reason for any man to obey. Christ compels us to go an extra mile; to be doers and not hearers. We are not to forget who we are. We are more than conquerors. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.