Guard Your Heart - - Follow The Pattern

 

1 Corinthians 11:1

Be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 3402

Followers: imitator, emulator

From the Greek word 'mimétés' (pronounced mim-ay-tace'): the root of the English word mimic. Properly, the positive imitation that arises by admiring the pattern set by someone worthy of emulation. Mimétés is always used positively in the NT (seven times) – of followers of Christ emulating a God-approved example. The supreme model is God Himself (see Eph 5:1). 

Ephesians 5:2 "Therefore, be followers of God, as dear children."

This word 'followers' is used only seven times in the New Testament. Though some translations use the word 'imitators' instead of 'followers', the meaning is the same. 

1. 1 Corinthians 4:16 - followers of Paul (his example)

2. 1 Corinthians 11:1 - followers of Paul even as he follows Christ

3. Ephesians 5:1 - followers of God

4. 1 Thessalonians 1:6 - followers of Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, and the Lord, with joy in the Holy Spirit

5. 1 Thessalonians 2:14 - followers of the churches of God in Christ Jesus who also suffer at the hands of their own nation

6. Hebrews 6:12 - followers of the faithful

7. 1 Peter 3:13 - followers of what is good

FOLLOW THE PATTERN

Philippians 3:17 

Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who walk according to the pattern we set for you.

Philippians 4:9

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. 

2 Timothy 1:13

Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

FOLLOW THE SHEPHERD

John 10:3, 4

3. The gatekeeper opens the gate for Him, and the sheep listen for His voice. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.

4. When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.

FOLLOW THE SPIRIT's LEADING

Romans 8:3, 4

3. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh,

4. so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

    We lead by example, whether we lead others in the way of death and destruction (Matthew 10:25) or in the Way of the Lord . The better way is God's Way. If we're going to be God's faithful leaders, then we need to be God's faithful followers. 

    A servant is not greater than his master. (Matthew 10:24; John 13:16; John 15:20). A faithful leader is a faithful servant. We follow Christ wherever He leads us, even to death. He is bringing us out of this world into His world, into our heavenly home. 

FOLLOWING JESUS CHRIST, OUR PATTERN

    Knowing that Christ suffered at the hands of his own countrymen, why are we expecting not to suffer at the hands of our own countrymen, our own nation, our own cities and towns? Jesus Christ told His disciples (and us) to take up our crosses and follow Him.

Matthew 16:24

Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

1 Peter 2:21-23

21. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

22. “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

23. When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

    Don't be surprised when the men and women you have called friends turn their backs on you when you profess Christ as your Lord and Savior; when your ways are not their ways. Don't be alarmed by family suddenly criticizing the change in you. Stand firm in your newfound faith in Christ. You are not alone.

    But continue to follow Christ faithfully. Read your Bible. Study your Bible. Highlight areas that make an impact on you. Underline verses that reach you. Date these things in your Bible, if you can. Use the flyleaf and the back blank pages. You should see my study Bibles. 

    Keep a journal or notebook with your Bible. There may be times when you need more space to write your thoughts and the insights you have gained in your studies. This will help you remember what you are learning.

     "​A faithful follower I would be​,"​ is what the hymnist wrote way back in 1862, when he penned the words to "He Leadeth Me." 

FOLLOW THE PATTERN MEDLEY

Guard Your Heart - - Watch Your Walk

 

Galatians 5:25

If we live in The Spirit, let us also walk in The Spirit.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 4748

Walk: to walk by rule

From the Greek word 'stoicheó' (pronounced stoy-kheh'-o); walk according to The Spirit, walk orderly, to walk in step with The Spirit.

We sing Where He Leads Me I Will Follow, and He Leadeth Me, sometimes without thinking about the HOW we are being led. If we walk in step with The Spirit, it is more than a following after His lead, it is keeping up with Him. Think of boot camp where the private is taught to keep in step with not only the drill sergeant but also the men and women walking with that soldier. One misstep and the whole order falls apart. 

    

    To walk in The Spirit is to 'walk according to His rule' (Galatians 6:16) wherein we walk out this new life in Christ in Truth and Liberty. For The Word tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:17,  "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where The Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 

     Liberty to walk unbound by the bondage of sin, which once held us captive, ready to deliver us to death and hell. But now, having been set free from our sinful nature, we walk "in the newness of life" ( given us when we believe that Jesus Christ Is Lord and Savior. 

    If you are not a born again Christian you CANNOT walk in the Spirit of The Lord, for you have no New Life in Christ. You are still walking in darkness, bumping into things you cannot see and are but dimly aware of, if there is any awareness at all. You need to see the Light: the Light of God's Love extended to us through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. We can only walk in The Spirit if we are living in The Light, for The Light shines on the path of the righteous, wherein The Spirit leads the faithful believer.  I pray you come to know the Love of God and His precious Holy Light. I pray for your salvation, the indwelling of The Holy Spirit within you and an eager joy birthed in you to serve the Lord your God with all faithfulness and urgency.​

   

Romans 6:3-5

3. Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 

4. We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.

5. For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.

    When we live by, live in The Spirit, we are walking by His lead, walking in His authority, under His rule, in Love. When we truly follow His leading, our lives will show the fruit of walking in The Spirit: Galatians 5:22, 23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Against such things there is no law."

•     LOVE: Agape Love, Divine Love
•     JOY: The awareness of God's Grace
•     PEACE: God's Gift of Wholeness
•     LONGSUFFERING: Divinely-regulated Patience produced by The LORD 
•     GENTLENESS: Divine Kindness which meets the need(s); Meeting real needs in God's way, God's timing.
• GOODNESS: The Goodness which comes from God and reveals itself as spiritual excellence, moral excellence; a virtuous life.
• FAITH: God's Divine Persuasion, which He inbirths within us through the power of His Holy Spirit and which He refills us with each time we trust in Him and in His Word.
• MEEKNESS: Strength in Gentleness; Uncompromising, but firm; Temperate (Levelheaded, Sober {minded}, Restrained.
• TEMPERANCE: Self-Control from within; Mastering our desires with the power of The Lord through His Holy Spirit. Constraint, self-discipline.

    Let us walk in The Spirit. Let us walk in The Love of God, exhibiting the kindness of God to everyone we interact with. Walk in the Joy of knowing we are saved by the Grace of God. Walk in Peace, God's gift of Wholeness, knowing that we are complete in Him. 

    Let us walk in Longsuffering, in divinely-regulated patience, a long-tempered way of speaking and thinking, instead of  a short-tempered, short-fused way. Let not words of unkindness bleed through our lips when we get frustrated or upset.

    Let us walk in Gentleness, waiting on God to nudge us in the direction we need to go and serve Him in. Sometimes a simple prayer prayed with someone concerning their needs is what we are to do. Other times God reveals the need to someone and they bring what is needed to the person who needs it. (There was a time when I had no money for food. The boys and I prayed. That same night friends showed up at our door with armfuls of groceries for us. I had no phone so I could not call anyone. But I had faith that God would meet our needs and He did).

    Let us walk in the Goodness of God, living morally upright lives which reflect His Word and His Light and His Love to everyone that they may see Christ in us. This is not a 'holier than thou' stance, nor is it  judgmental living. It is letting The Spirit teach the believer how to live according to The Word of God which lives within us.

    Let us walk in Faith, believing, trusting God for His wisdom in making our every day decisions. Let us seek out, pursue and know His will that we may live righteous, holy lives before God.

    Let us walk in Meekness, leading uncompromising lives which shine the Light of God's Love into the darkness of the world around us. We walk knowing we have the mind of Christ: levelheaded, intelligent, wise, sober-minded. But not backing down in the fight against us. Not surrendering any part of our relationship with Christ, but making a steadfast showing of His Love and His Mercy to the unloved and unlovely, to the merciless and the unforgiving, to the hateful and the embittered. 

    Let us walk in Temperance, in the self-control, the self-disciplines, of The Spirit. Let us embrace Wisdom and allow it to be applied to our hearts and our minds. Let us surrender what we want and how we want it to God through His Holy Spirit, who seeks only to perfect us in the righteousness of Christ. 

    Can we be saved and live unholy lives? No. To be saved is to be saved from the punishment for sin. If sin is still ruling in us, then we are not living a holy lifestyle. The two cannot be on the same throne, especially the throne of our hearts. Sin must go when Christ enters in. 

     So let us walk in the newness of Life in Christ. Let us allow The Holy Spirit to lead us through God's Word and walk in The Way of Holiness, the path which God has set for His people to walk in. Come, walk with me.     

    Romans 8:5

Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

HE LEADETH ME by Candi Pearson

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT by Hillsong Young & Free

 SPIRIT LEAD ME (Oceans) by Hillsong United

WISDOM IN THE SECRET HEART by Shane & Shane

MOVE THROUGH ME by Charity Gayle 

 

Arming The Spiritual Warrior -- How To Walk Like A Warrior

 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Abstain from all appearance of evil.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 568

Abstain: to hold back, keep off, to be away, be distant; to have one thing by separating from (letting go of) another

For a Christian to abstain from evil is to eschew evil in every form, whether by what we are seeing, what we are hearing, what we are saying or what we are doing. As has been said, the born again Christian may be the only Bible those around him or her see. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that we walk an upright life, which can only be accomplished if we obey God's Word daily. 

We must live a separated life, a sanctified life: our lifestyles must align with God's Word and we must choose to be obedient to Him. Every. Single. Day. It helps me to greet Him when I first begin to wake, even before my eyes are open. "Good Morning, Lord." "Welcome, Holy Spirit." Being aware of the fact that God is with us, with us at all times. My evening prayers usually end with me falling asleep before I say Amen. 

Walk Righteously

Isaiah 33:15

He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly; he that despises the gain of oppressions, that shakes his hands from holding of bribes, that stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil.

Psalm 15:2-5

He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness, who speaks the truth from his heart, who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend, who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath, who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

Ephesians 15:2

(Paul writing to the church in Ephesus)

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another. 

Walk The Way

Deuteronomy 5:33

You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.

Galatians 5:24, 25

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit. 

2 Corinthians 5:7

(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2 Corinthians 4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Follow God Faithfully 

Every army has a Commander-In-Chief, even a spiritual army.

John 7:16, 18

“My teaching is not My own,” Jesus replied. “It comes from Him who sent Me.  If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own. He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; in Him there is no falsehood."

Psalm 25:9, 10

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He shows sinners the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way. 

Psalm 27:11

Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path, because of my oppressors.

Isaiah 30:21

And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: "This is the way. Walk in it."

Where He Leads Me

Psalm 23:3

He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. 

Psalm 119:35

Direct me in the path of Your commandments, for there I find delight.

Psalm 61:2

From the ends of the earth I call out to You whenever my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalm 40:2

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

You know what that miry clay is? Sin. It attempts to cling to us even after God has delivered us from its clutches. It stains our garments and threatens to hold us back from what God is accomplishing in us. But God. 

He (God) brings us (they whom He has saved) up out of a horrible pit (death the result of sin) out of the miry clay (sin), and sets our feet upon a rock (the Chief Cornerstone), and establishes our goings (directs our path wherein we are to walk). 

Let us pray that you and I may continue to walk where God leads us. Let us listen for His voice that we may obey Him more faithfully. Let us walk, live the life that is pleasing to God, with respect to His Word and His Way, in joy and love. Let us choose to walk like warriors: heads up (with honor), looking forward (towards the unseen destinations), uprightly (with integrity and honor), shield in hand (by faith).