Are you a fan or a follower of Christ?

Welcome to my blog! I pray that this portion will strengthen, edify, and encourage you!

I want to come to you all this week with a simple but yet powerful question: and that question is,  Are you a fan, or a follower of Christ?  In this blog, I will provide biblical references to help you analyze your life. Remember, if after reading this blog you are convicted even to the slightest bit, take the time to ask God to come into your heart and to strengthen and finish the work that He has started in you. Now, if after reading this blog, you are well comfortable with your state and are indeed convinced that you are a true follower, Glory be to God! As Apostle Paul said, Continue on the good fight and finish the race!

 Scripture of Focus: Luke 9:23
"Then He said to them all; whoever wants to be my disciple, must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me!" 

It is sad to say that today, there is vague line between the world and the church. The Church contrary to popular beliefs is not just a building with people in it. Revelation 19 gives a clear description of the Church; which are those that are "bright and pure". For description purposes,  I will use a lower case "c" for what this generation considers as the 'church' and will use upper case "C" when speaking about the Bride of Christ."Fans" have simply watered down the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have even caused many to fall astray. To add on to this, churches have just become another place of gathering to binge on emotions and feelings-not to mention the regular out-spurs of adrenaline.

Please be aware that God is not a God that can be mocked (Galatians 6:7). In Luke 9: 23, we see a command that has been given. It is not a recommendation, but rather an obligation to those who yearn to be part of the Church (Bride of Christ). As a true follower of Christ, we must learn how to deny ourselves-not just on a weekly and monthly basis-not just when we are at church, not even just when we are alone- but on a daily basis. In 1 Samuel 15:22, we read that "obedience is better than sacrifice"  but it is empirical that CHRIST-ians understand that without obedience there is no sacrifice. In choosing to honor God through obedience, there needs to be a transformation outwardly but most importantly, inwardly. Jesus made it clear that the flesh is always at war with the Spirit. Therefore we must be quick to discern the desires of the flesh versus the Spirit. In the case of a "fan" they want to live as much as they can in the flesh but still be able to connect with God in the Spirit. You cannot be partly light and partly darkness-for darkness cannot stand in light!

You cannot be a follower of Christ and to continually find yourself playing the hockey pokey with the Gospel of Christ- you are only fooling yourself! A lot of people have taken Romans 3:23 to mean that they can continually live in sin by just confessing. My friend, you are only fooling yourself. The word says that the gate to Heaven is narrow and broad and wide is the way to destruction. Whoever has told you that being a TRUE follower would be a piece of cake lied to you. In this road, you will be tempted, you will get persecuted (matter of fact, if you are truly serving God, you WILL get persecuted 2 Timothy 3:12-). You sometimes will be ostracized, criticized and called out of your name all for the Gospel's sake! You will be pushed and stomped on by many that claim to be "spiritual" (but please keep in mind that the spirit realm is more real than the natural and that apart from the Holy Spirit, people can also be filled with all sorts of spirits)-you will face what I would like to call the Elijah trauma (please read the book of Elijah for more explanation). . but the marvelous things is about those circumstances, if you are a true follower, all those things will be as vapor- because you will know greater is what awaits you in Glory than anything this world has to offer. If you are a true Follower, you will seek to preach the NON-COMPROMISING Gospel of Christ Jesus- no matter what the cost! You will not seek to get praise from any for you will know that it is by Him and through Him alone that you have your being. To be a follower does not mean glitz and glamour and gold- but rather to follow means to SERVE. As a servant, going to Sunday morning services will no longer fulfill your "duty" as a CHRIST-ian but instead you will be eager to set out on a mission to accomplish the Great Commission (*See Matthew 28:16-20).

So Are you a fan or a follower? Don't let the bumper sticker on your car, or the mug on your office desk- or the "I'm a good Christian facade" scream out you're a Christian. Instead, although we acknowledge that we have all fallen short of God's Glory, WE DON'T HAVE TO STAY FALLEN!! Don't become one of those life alert messages that screams out "I've fallen but I can't get up!" At the Pearl gate, Jesus will spit out the fans and will  welcome the true followers. So get up and pick up His cross and Follow Him! Live for the one that died for you and I promise you, your life will never be the same.