Note Those Who So Walk

Paul – Be Followers of Me

In 1Corinthians 11:1, Paul declared, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (KJV). The New King James translation uses the word ‘imitate.’ The word ‘follow’ or ‘imitate’ comes from the Greek word ‘imitos.’ Thus, it is understandable why those who compiled the New King James Version would use the word ‘imitate.’ In more recent times, imitate has come to mean to mimic or act like which could imply the actions are not genuine. Such is certainly not what Paul had in mind. 1Corinthians 11:1 is not the only time Paul instructed people to be like he was. 1Corinthians 4:16 says, “Therefore I urge you, imitate me.” In Galatians 4:12, Paul said, “Brethren, I urge you to become like me….”

1Corintians 11:1 however, sets a standard and the standard is not Paul. The idea is that Christians are to follow after Paul as long as Paul is following after Christ. The implication is that if and when Paul stops following after Christ, Christians are to stop following after him. The standard is Christ. Paul was so confident in his behavior, he exhorted other Christians to follow (imitate) him in his walk with God. To the Philippians, Paul exhorted, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). The emphasis of the exhortation to follow after Paul was not his physical travels (Acts 13-14, 15:36-18:22, 18:23-21:17) but rather his character. Paul allowed Christ to be seen in him (Philippians 1:20) and Christians, then and now, must do the same. Christians need to follow Paul.

From Sincere to Sanctified

The first way Christians need to follow after Paul is the journey of salvation. One of the notable things about Paul’s former life was that he was a sincere person. Beginning in the last verse of Acts 22, Paul stand before the chief priests and council and declares “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1). He was sincere in his former life of persecuting Christians and attempting to put an end to the Way. He was sincere but wrong. It is even possible to be sincere and religious and still be wrong. In Acts 27:22-34, Paul addresses the people of Athens and comments on their sincerity of religious practice. Yet, he points out they were wrong. The journey Paul made to salvation was not from sincere to religious but rather one from sincere to sanctified.

In order to be sanctified, Paul obeyed the gospel plan of salvation. Such events are recorded in Acts 9, 22, and 26. Today, in order to be saved, people must do the very same things. In order to be converted, one must hear the word of God (Romans 10:17), believe it to be true (Hebrews 11:6), repent of their sins (Acts 17:30), confess Jesus to be the Son of God (Acts 8:37), be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), and live faithfully the rest of their days (Acts 14:22). Paul exhorts the readers to follow after him from sincere to sanctified.

From the Past to the Present

Another way Christians can follow after Paul is from the past to the present. It is sad many people will allow their former life to prevent them from doing what they know to be right. If people allow the guilt of yesterday to be a part of their lives today, it will take the spiritual life away from them. Life is not about what Christians were but rather about what they can become. It simply does not work and is not productive to live in the past.
Paul never forgot his former life. He told the Jerusalem mob that he “…persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women….” Yet, he later told Timothy: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life” (1Timothy 1:15-16).

While Paul never forgot his former life, he did not let his former life interfere with his desire to do right. He pressed “toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). Christians must follow Paul from the past to the present.

From Taught to Teacher

The first several verses of Acts 9 record the conversion of Paul. Acts 9:19 says after his baptism, he spent “some days with the disciples at Damascus.” Interestingly, the very next verse says “Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” Paul did not waste any time in trying to teach others about the gospel. If people know enough to be converted, they know enough to teach someone else. In fact, Paul admonished people to grow in the faith during his mission journeys (Acts 14:22). 1Corinthians 3:2 says, “I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able.” The exhortation is to grow in the faith.

Many today want to shirk this responsibility saying it belongs to the preacher or the elders. In fact, some will notice 1Timothy 3:2 where it shows one of the qualifications of elders is that they be “able to teach.” 2Timothy 2:24 says servants of the Lord must be “able to teach.” At some point, the journey of faithfulness must take the Christian from one who is taught to one who will teach. Following after Paul is, in part, from taught to teacher.

From Here to Heaven

History says that Paul was escorted out of Rome on the Ostian Way and it was there that the ax came down on his neck and he was forced to depart this life for the next one. In the end, he was willing and did die for his Lord. Inspiration says he was prepared to die: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2Timothy 4:7-8).

The previous three journeys bring Paul to this journey. He walked this earth and was even persecuted for the cause of Christ. In the end, he made the journey and Christians must follow him from here to Heaven.

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1Corinthians 11:1 KJV).

-J

Note Those Who So Walk

Jeremiah — Tears for God’s People
Lamentations 2:11

Throughout the book of Jeremiah, the prophet tells of the impending doom to come upon Jerusalem if they will not repent and make themselves right with God. Unfortunately, they did not heed the warning of the prophet and were conquered by the Chaldeans. The book of Lamentations records the fulfillment of what is predicted in Jeremiah. The book tells of the falls of Jerusalem and the move Israel made into Egyptian bondage.

Often times, Christianity is described by some as a system in which there is no emotion. While it is true that biblical faith is a faith of reason (Hebrews 11:1), it is certainly not fair to say that no emotion is involved in the practice of Christianity. Worship is more than just sincere feelings, but feelings are certainly to be a part (John 4:24). Jesus set an example weeping regarding the death of Lazarus (John 11:35). Peter showed sincere emotion when he cried over his denial of Christ (Luke 22:62). Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet probably because of the book of Lamentations, a collection of five poetic laments over the nation of Israel. While Christianity is a faith of reason, it certainly includes emotion. The book of Lamentations is a good example of such.

Lamentations one depicts Jerusalem as a widow. Loneliness, mourning, and being ignored by people who come by are all themes found within the chapter. Neighboring nations showed no sympathy for the deplorable condition. Several times, the writer implies (and outright says) the destruction that has come upon Jerusalem is from God (1:12, 15). Yet, it was not God’s desire that such would happen for Jerusalem. In a masterful poetic way, Jeremiah tells of how Jerusalem rebelled against the Lord and the Lord punished her for the wickedness. Jeremiah prophesied about such things and now they have come to pass. Now, he is an eye-witness to the things happening.

Chapter two gives the clear indication the destruction which has come upon Jerusalem is from God. Verses nine and ten show the totality of the destruction and the mourning of the people. God dehorned the nation (2:3), removed political power (2:5), and tore down the religious authorities (2:7). Verses 11-16 give the first indication of the emotional turmoil in which Jeremiah found himself. In verse 20, he begins a plea to God: “See, O Lord, and consider! To whom have You done this? Should the women eat their offspring, The children they have cuddled? Should the priest and prophet be slain In the sanctuary of the Lord?”

God was showing His mercy to Jerusalem in that they deserved death. Jeremiah encourages the people to accept their punishment and show forth fruits of repentance (3:25-27). He makes a pointed appeal to the people to examine themselves, repent of their sins, and cease to do evil (3:40-42). Jeremiah’s compassion is seen in Lamentations 3:46-48 where it is recorded he wept continually for the people and their state.

More comments are made concerning the deplorable state of Jerusalem in chapter four. The city was once great, but now is suffering. The state of affairs is so bad children are suffering from malnutrition (4:4). People who were once great are now begging (4:5). Some are so desperate they are resorting to cannibalism (4:10). Chapter four ends with a ray of hope—the time is coming when the people will be taken from captivity (4:22).

Chapter five summarizes the calamity of the condition and ends with a final plea to God. No one was exempt from this punishment from God. There was no reason to have joy (5:15). They have cried so much they cannot cry about it anymore (5:17). The punishment given to them has accomplished its purpose. They plead to be restored to God (5:20). God wanted them, as He wants people today, to be restored to Him (5:22). Today, through providence, God will allow things to happen in people’s lives which will encourage them to seek after Him. Such happened to Jerusalem and it can continue to happen today.

Some of the more obvious lessons which can be learned from the book of Lamentations concern the longsuffering but ultimate justice of God. God, through Jeremiah, was patient, pleading with the people to repent. Yet ultimately, He was just and since the people would not repent, He sent His fierce anger on them. Today, He is longsuffering (2Peter 3:9). Yet ultimately, He will have justice (2Thessaloniand 1:9). As Lamentations concluded with a ray of hope, so will the lives of Christians.

Another perhaps not so obvious lesson which can be learned from the book of Lamentations is the emotional involvement needed when the child of God considers the horrors of Hell. It is perhaps human and certainly vengeful to have a poor attitude toward those who do not do right and openly declare no desire to seek righteousness. Such was the attitudes of many of the Israelites. Yet, the vengeful attitude was not the attitude of Jeremiah or of God. In fact, Jeremiah cried over their pathetic attitude and encouraged others to lament as well (Jeremiah 34:5, Lamentations 2:8). Christians today need to consider the similar state of those in the world and be concerned about their fate. More than that, Christians need to rise up and spread the message of salvation so that people know they do not have to be lost.

-J

Here We Go Again!

Spring break is coming up and I'm so excited because my Dad is taking me to the beach!

-K

Note Those Who So Walk

Gideon – Against All Odds

Many people enjoy watching sports programs. Sometimes, in various sporting events, the person who most people would never have thought would do anything significant is the one responsible for the winning play. Sometimes, the team who is considered very weak in comparison is the team that comes back and wins the game. Sports commentators and enthusiasts alike make comments when the underdog makes a comeback. It is simply enjoyable to watch and perhaps part of the reason watching sports is such a popular pastime.

Judges 6-8 records the account of an underdog. It was a sad time for Israel. God allowed the Midianites to oppress Israel because of their sin (6:1). Because of their poverty, Israel cried out to God wanting Him to deliver them (6:7). God warned them through a prophet that they had not obeyed Him and were thus under the oppression of the Midianites and the Amorites (6:10). Because of their sin, they were forced to submit to foreign powers.

In Judges 6:11-18, an angel of the Lord appears and tells him of the special use God has for him – Gideon is going to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites. When Gideon hears this, he is surprised. He expresses his weak condition in verse 15: “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” In the subsequent verses, the angel assures Gideon the Lord has chosen him to deliver Israel but Gideon requests a sign (6:18). While at this point Gideon requested one sign, he received several signs over the course of three chapters.

Gideon prepared some meat, broth, and some unleavened bread and brought them to the angel of the Lord (6:19). The angel told Gideon to put the meat and bread on a rock and to pour the broth on top of them (6:20). Then, the angel miraculously created a fire which consumed it all (6:21). Gideon was convinced this was an angel sent from God (6:22). In verse 23, God Himself speaks to Gideon telling him he has nothing to fear. God commanded Gideon to tear down the altar built to Baal and build an altar for Jehovah (6:25-26). Gideon and his ten men did so (6:27).

Judges 6:28-35 records how the people, once they saw the altar to Baal and the image beside it torn down, were very upset and even wanted to kill Gideon (6:30). Joash, Gideon’s father, defended Gideon and said, “If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!” (6:31). Gideon gathered people together in order to fight the Midianites and the Amalekites. This is another sign God had given to Gideon to show he was the man to accomplish God’s purpose.

Judges 6:36-40 records two more signs given to Gideon which shows he was the man whom God had chosen. Gideon prayed an interesting prayer in Judges 6:37, “…look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” The beginning of the next verse says, “And it was so.” Then Gideon prayed the opposite – that the dew would be on the ground and not on the fleece. The first part of verse 40 says, “And God did it so that night.” There was no doubt God called Gideon to the word of delivering Israel.

Judges 7 records how 300 men were selected to go with Gideon and overthrow the Midianites and the Amalekites. Judges 7:12 says of these people, they were, “…numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude.” The chapter goes on to record how the 300 men conquered these people with trumpets, pitchers, and torches. Judges 8 records how Gideon overthrew and conquered the kings of Midian. Interestingly, once Gideon overthrew Midian and her kings, he made an ephod (object associated with worship) and Israel worshipped it instead of Jehovah (8:27). The latter part of Judges 8 records Gideon’s death (8:32). There are many lessons to be learned about how God will use the underdog to accomplish His will.

Often times, God calls the underdog to accomplish His will. Mankind likes to call superman, some great individual who has done great things. Or man might decide to call a huge army to accomplish great things like overthrowing people that number as the sands of the seashore. Man is often tempted to use the socially elite (the rich or people who have rich connections). God does not call such people. Most Christians today cannot even relate to such people. God called the underdog in Gideon and his 300 men. He often calls the underdog even today in order to accomplish His will.

While Gideon was an underdog in many respects, there are certain qualities about him which God knew. God knew the kind of leader Gideon would be. Gideon was a man who made sure of things, not boisterous or one to jump into things blindly (6:21, 36-40). Gideon was a man who worshipped Jehovah (7:15). Gideon was a man to obey God regardless of the circumstances (7:3, 5, 6). The humanity of Gideon is also seen in that he was afraid (7:10), concerned (6:13), and alone in his worship to God (8:27). Yet, he did what was right regardless of the concerns he may have had. Today, the church needs Christians who will do right even when it looks like it will do nothing but bring destruction and havoc.

The way that God accomplishes His will is through His power, not the power of man. Gideon was not great on his own accord or merits. It was not his 300 men that made him great or able to overthrow Midian. God made Gideon great. In fact, it was so that people would know it was the work of God that God downsized the army to 300 men: Judges 7:2, “And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’” The power of God is also seen in that fact that He sent Gideon and his men with a torch, a pitcher, and a trumpet. God controlled the battle. It was God who made Gideon do great things and Jehovah can make His own people today do great things.

Against All Odds Gideon was able to accomplish great things. Today, Christians can do the same thing when they will take upon themselves the qualities Gideon possessed. Are God’s people today willing to be the underdog who comes back? Are Christians today willing to accept the call of God? Are Christians willing to allow God to succeed through them? Are the children of God willing to obey God regardless of the consequences? May God’s people everywhere determine to obey God and succeed Against All Odds.

-J

Note Those Who So Walk

Moses — Faith in Working God’s Plan
Hebrews 11:23-28

The writer of Hebrews provides a description of faith in Hebrews 11:1 when he writes, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” He then provides several examples of faith in the people written about in the remainder of the chapter. He encourages the readers to continue in the faith because of the examples of the godly men and women described in chapter eleven. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” Among the people discussed in chapter 11 is Moses. Hebrews 11:23-38 says, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.”

The faith of Moses is seen in the actions of his parents and the actions of Moses, himself. Several things about godly faith can be learned by these people of old.

The faith of Moses begins in seeing that faith of Amram and Jochebed. They hid Moses because of the decree of an Egyptian king. The Egyptians were afraid of the Israelites. They were specifically afraid they would become too strong and overthrow them one day. Pharaoh commanded that all Israelite sons be cast into the river. Exodus 1:22 says, “So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, ‘Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.’” Amram and Jochebed faced a decision that everyone faces. They had to decide to obey God over obeying men (Acts 5:29). They hid him because they saw that he was a beautiful (‘proper’ - KJV) child. They saw Moses was special and they protected him for it. Finally, notice they were not afraid of the kings command. They knew the eternal benefits of obeying God. Today, Christians need to spend more time focusing on what God knows and not on what man decrees.

Moses, like his parents, made a choice. He chose a life of slavery (being an Egyptian) over a life of luxury or living in the palace of the king. He chose suffering with God’s people over being the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. The writer of Hebrews says this choice was a choice of faith. Hebrews 13:13 says, “Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” Christians today must choose the reproach of Christ over the pleasures of the world. Moses chose to be numbered with the slaves who were God’s people over the Egyptians who were not. Christians today have the same choice. This is vividly seen in the other three ‘by faith’ statements the writer of Hebrews makes in reference to Moses.

He says that Moses forsook Egypt by faith. He left Egypt fearing Pharaoh but eventually returned to Egypt fearing God. Today, Christians need to focus on the commission God has given and not on the commands of men. There are times when danger will come upon the children of God. Yet, the child of God must focus and push on. When Moses learned of God and His will, he returned to Egypt, not fearing Pharaoh but doing the will of God.

Next, Moses kept the Passover by faith. This vividly shows faith is manifested by obedience. Moses obeyed God by keeping the Passover. God declared that He would kill the firstborn of every house but then stated that where blood was sprinkled on the door posts then He would pass over that house sparing the first born. This led to an annual ‘feast of unleavened bread,’ which the nation of Israel observed (Exodus 12:14). This Passover which God observed showed the eventual sacrifice of Jesus. Paul declared, “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” Moses observed the Passover both initially and the feast that came because of it. He obeyed God and did so by faith.

Finally, it was through Moses that God parted the Red Sea so that the Israelites could pass through on dry land. When the Egyptians began to pass through, the waters began to flow again causing their demise. In fact, the writer of Hebrews says they drowned (Hebrews 11:29). All of this took place by faith. The Israelites believed in God, obeyed God, and passed through the Red Sea by faith. Again, faith is obedience.

Today, we learn some lessons about the faith of Moses. Moses had faith and this faith led him to obey God regardless of the consequences. Moses had eternal consequences of God in mind rather than the temporal consequences of man (see Matthew 10:28). Moses also led the Israelites to obey God in observing the Passover. Today, Christians need to personally obey God and attempt to lead others to do the same.

-J