A Disciple of Jesus Christ

What does it really mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?  A disciple is a disciplined follower.  A follower is not one who's "just looking."  Not one who's looking for an escape clause and keeping his options open.  You don't need to sell anything to a true follower.  It's not about sales it's about understanding value... The true disciple understands the value of following Christ... that he must decrease that Christ may increase.

The reality is that we're sinners and must acknowledge that we need to be rescued from the power of sin. 

Ezek 13 is about false prophets.  To be faithful in the ministry, ministers must first allow God to minister to their own hearts.  Ministers are so focused on ministering to others that they often forget to allow God to minister to them.  There's a big difference between cultural Christianity and the true standard of the Word whose emphasis is not on the culture but rather on the character of Christ.

Selfishness used to be a vice, but the culture of existentialism says that worshiping self is the true religion.  The "what's in it for me" Culture of this world defines political correctness.  The political correctness of this world is the political in-correctness of our heavenly citizenship.

The culture of relativism says that there are no rules.  This is the religion of the false prophets of Ezekiel 13.  Beware the prophet whose heart is not connected (reconciled) to God's heart.  This is the characteristic of the false prophet.  God said that in vain do they worship me... they draw nigh unto me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

They have seen empty prophecies and speak "false divinations" (witchcraft) claiming that they are the spokesmen of the true God.  They say peace, peace when there is no peace.  There is no peace with out reconciliation.  The reconciliation is only in Jesus Christ.  He is the only one that can reconcile God to man.  Peace is a result of reconciliation.  The reconciliation is the connection with God.  To be reconciled to God, we must die to Self so that Christ can live in us.  He must increase and I must decrease. 

Is your identity in the things of this world...  your credentials, your accomplishments, your worldly trophies, accolades, power, prestige, wealth, and praise of men?  What is it that you value?  Where is your glory and  In what do you glory?  Glory means weight.  What weighs the most in your life? 

My identity is not in the things of the flesh and of this world.  I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I mow live in the flesh I live in the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.  It's not about me, it's about him.  In him we live and move and have our being.

Jesus Christ set us free by leading captivity captive.  The ultimate freedom is captivity to Christ.  The ultimate victory is total surrender to him. 

Make me a captive Lord and then I shall be free,
force me to render up my sword, and I shall conquerer be. 
I sink in life's alarms, my strength is sinking sand. 
Imprison me with thy strong arms and free shall be my stand.

Your brother in Christ,

Michael