Anchor Your Life

Together We Can Make a Difference

Following Jesus

Plowing Through Life

By

But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (NAS) Luke 9:62

Have you done any good plowing lately? Well let’s put our hands down on the plow handles for a moment and visualize plowing up a field, preparing the soil for seed that will be sown and produce (hopefully) a huge harvest! But, what happens when you look back? The plow goes crooked! No neat rows, but a hodgepodge of lines dug up in the field.

How do you look back? Do you look back longing for an old way of life? Do you look back with regrets over past sins? Do you look back trying to relive past accomplishments? How are you looking back?

Other times we may not be looking back into our pasts, but instead looking side to side at what’s around us? Again the plow will go crooked if we’re not looking straight ahead. What distracts you from looking straight ahead, focusing your attention on Christ? Is it relationships? The pursuit of becoming comfortable? The attractiveness of what society has to offer? Ambition? Self-indulgence? Competition? Desiring what your friends and neighbors have? What’s turning your focus away from purpose ahead of you?

Jesus didn’t allow distractions in His life. He put His hands down on the plow with a fixed purpose and completed His task. Jesus doesn’t want followers who are half-hearted or lukewarm. . . He doesn’t want followers with a distracted or divided focus! How’s your plowing? What needs to change so you can plow straight ahead and follow Jesus?

Share

Light and Darkness

By

John proclaims what he had seen and heard about Christ. He begins with contrasting God’s light versus the world’s darkness. God’s perfection is seen in the phrase “in him there is no darkenss at all.”  John wrote extensively about light and darkness in his gospel. . .

  • In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. John 1:4, 9
  • This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” John 3:19-21
  • When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12
  • While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  John 9:5
  • Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.  John 12:35-36
  • I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.  John 12:46

Jesus is the Light of the world. All who believe in Him live in the light. Where are you living? in the light? or in the darkness? If you’re in the light, you have life. . . eternal life. If you’re in the darkness, by believing in Jesus Christ, you too, can experience light and life.

Share

Wholehearted Decision

By

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” . . .Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (NIV) Luke 5:8, 10-11

The Scene:
Peter is overcome with his encounter with the Divine Jesus. . . so much so that he acknowledges his own sinfulness (Luke 5:8). Jesus tells him not to be afraid and that “from now on you will catch men” (Luke 5:10). Peter’s response: he left everything and followed Jesus. Peter encountered the Divine, acknowledged his sinfulness, and then was reassured that he could be a disciple (a follower) of Jesus. His reaction was one of commitment.

When did Jesus call you to be a follower of His? What has been your response? At first, did you wholeheartedly seek to follow Him? And now has that commitment worn off a bit? What do you need to do today to renew your passion in following Christ?

Share

Jesus Users

By

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. . . . Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. (NIV) John 6:1-2, 26

That crowd of Jews would have followed Christ at that moment because He was giving them what they wanted [bread], and they wished to use Him for their plans and dreams and purposes. That attitude to Christ still lingers in men’s minds.  We would like Christ’s gifts without Christ’s Cross; we would like to use Christ instead of allowing Him to use us.
… William Barclay (1907-1978), The Gospel of John (Vol. 1)

Are you a half-hearted follower of Jesus? When have you followed Him because it’s convenient? Because you think you will have a life of ease? Because you think you will receive what you want? How do you “use” Jesus for your own advancement or purposes? Would God say you are more eager to use Him than to be used by Him? We all have trouble dying to ourselves, why not ask Jesus to answer the following prayer: “Lord, may you become greater in my life. . . and may I become less.” (John 3:31)

Written by Marji “Mike” Kruger

Share

Cross Carrying

By

Living for an audience of oneThen he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (NIV) Luke 9:23

Looking back at the cross we see. . .pain, agony, ridicule. . . the pain, the embarrassment, the ridicule that it caused those that Jesus loved – His mother, His best friends. No on understood. To think that God allowed them to beat His Son to a pulp, allowed them to hammer spikes into His body. Jesus could have gotten down, but He didn’t. He didn’t deserve what He received – He was innocent.

Living my life with the cross ever before me…

  • I would not be afraid of looking like a fool for You, when You were willing to hang naked before the world.
  • I would not think twice about the sacrifices You ask me to make, because You were willing to give Your life for me.
  • I would not spend needless time, on my own selfish desires, because there is a world all around me that is perishing–the world that You gave Your life for.
  • I would not waste time on the temporal, the unimportant. Rather, I would invest in people, my family, my friends, and those who are hungry to know You.
  • I would not worry about speaking the Truth, for You died for the Truth.
  • I would not demand my own agenda, for You left the confines of Heaven and gave up all to follow Your Father’s agenda.
  • I would do what You did, preach the Good News, heal the sick, comfort the brokenhearted, proclaim the Good News, not pass judgment.
  • I would mingle with the “sinners,” for that is who You mingled with.
  • I would never again look at anyone, as anything but lost and loved by You.
  • I would never think negatively of myself, because I am loved by the King.
  • I would not question Your will, but submit to it as You did.
  • I would follow You no matter the costs.
  • I would live for a audience of one, You!

A Prayer to Pray:
Father, forgive me for taking the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the cross, for granted. Forgive me for blatantly sinning, not comprehending that that is what put You there. Oh Lord, forgive me for not living my life with the cost before me. If I did, my life would be so different. Show me clearly what it cost You, so that I will never consider anything You ask me to do as too costly!

Share

Follow Me

By

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. (NIV) Luke 5:27-28

So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (NIV) Luke 5:11

In both accounts from Luke 5 as Jesus called His disciples, we read that they left everything and followed Him. Nothing should compete for your allegiance to Jesus!

Nothing should compete for your allegiance to Jesus. . .not work or business. . .
19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:19-20)

Nothing should compete for your allegiance to Jesus. . .not the comforts of home. . .
Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:19)

Nothing should compete for your allegiance to Jesus. . .not your family. . .
21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. (Matthew 8:21-22)

Nothing should compete for your allegiance to Jesus. . .not money or possessions. . .
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)

Nothing should compete for your allegiance to Jesus. . .not the timing of the call. . .
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him. (Mark 1:17-18)

Nothing should compete for your allegiance to Jesus. . .not the comforts of knowing where you’ll be living. . .
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Luke 9:57-58)

Nothing should compete for your allegiance to Jesus. . .not excuses. . .
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:59-60)

Nothing should compete for your allegiance to Jesus. . .not memories of the past, good or bad. . .
61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:61-62)

Nothing should compete for your allegiance to Jesus. . .not your own desires or the depth of the sacrifice. . .
Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

What is competing with your allegiance to Jesus Christ?

Share

Following Jesus

By

Will you follow Jesus?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (NIV) Matthew 11:28-30

When the Bible speaks of “following Jesus”, it is proclaiming a discipleship which will liberate mankind from all man-made dogma, from every burden and oppression, from every anxiety and torture which afflicts the conscience. If they follow Jesus, men escape from the hard yoke of their own laws, and submit to the kindly yoke of Jesus Christ. But does this mean that we can ignore the seriousness of His command? Far from it! We can only achieve perfect liberty and enjoy fellowship with Jesus when His command, His call to absolute discipleship, is appreciated in its entirety. Only the man who follows the command of Jesus without reserve, and submits unresistingly to His yoke, finds his burden easy, and under its gentle pressure receives the power to persevere in the right way. The command of Jesus is hard –unutterably hard — for those who try to resist it. (from The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Are you overwhelmed with commands? Are they man-made commands or of God? Do you seek to follow Jesus with all your heart? How have you experienced the sweet fellowship with God when you’re in sync with Him? Don’t you want that to be a moment by moment experience? Then open His Word, the Bible, read it and learn how much He delights in you. . .and see what He expects of you and from you. . . follow Him with reckless abandon. . . then and only then, will you find freedom and rest for your soul!

Share

© 1997-2024 Anchor Your Life All Rights Reserved