Posted: 05/29/2015 at 5:11pm | IP Logged

And Jesus Said – Follow Me

By Duane Stewart

Restoration time is upon a people, a time when the God of all creation is in the process of bringing a finishing, a completion to His pre-ordained purposes. In the fulfillment of such purposes, God in the process of time, through the course of gradual enlightenment given to His people, has brought us to this time and season of fullness. It is through His first-born Son Jesus Christ that God birthed forth the outward visible manifestation of the pattern of fulfillment, which was His reason and purpose for creation. For this cause, as the pattern walked upon the earth, Jesus left for us His command as stated in Matt 19:21, “Jesus said to him, if you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me”.

The pattern was Jesus, with His earthly appearance manifesting the nature of God expressed in the earth realm. Then, by becoming a seed planted into any receiving house of flesh, the seed, through the obedience of the receiving vessel, would grow to bring greater fulfillment to God’s ordained purpose. This purpose, from eternity past, is a many member man birthed in the likeness and the expressed image of God, with His nature living within His receiving creation.

As we are now living in the finishing of an age and the coming forth of another day or age in God, He declares this truth to us again, there is a coming forth of a first-fruits people. This people are those who have committed themselves to walk as Jesus walked that they might become, as He is, sons of God. How did Jesus walk? Scripture reveals that a certain mind-set, established within Him, shows us the nature of His walk. A nature, with a mind-set, that speaks on this wise. “I only do those things that I see my Father do and I only say those things that I hear my Father say. The works that I do are not my works but the works of the Father who sent me”.

Does this not speak loudly of a needed necessary nature change within man, a fallen soul replaced to become a “living soul” that this people might come forth in a full measure of God’s purpose? Is this not what scripture tells us in John 3:34, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure”. This is God’s purpose for today as the cry of the Lord Jesus Christ comes forth, sounding out the need to “follow Him”.

In considering the request from our Savior to the church to follow Him, just why and what is He asking of us? “Follow” is from a Greek word with the meaning of, “union, a road; to be in the same way with, to accompany”. Christ Jesus is then requesting of a people a removal from the places of life they dwell in, to become a people with the ability to follow Him according to the life He lived on earth and is now living at the right hand of the Father. Could man’s inability to follow Christ, according to man’s old life-style, be the reason it was spoken to Simon Peter concerning his being unable to follow Christ at that certain particular time?

John 13:36 states, “Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus answered him, where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow me afterward”. The context makes it clear that Jesus was speaking of a death that was necessary, one that is required of man in his following Christ Jesus.

John 13:37-38a, “Peter said to Him, Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake. Jesus answered him, Will you lay down your life for my sake? …” To the answer of this question, it is clear that Peter at that time, while in his present spiritual condition, was not able to follow Christ. John 13:38b, “… Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied me three times”.

We know that Jesus’ declared word concerning this event had its fulfillment in that Peter did in fact deny the Lord those three times. Peter likened to so many today that live under the canopy of Christianity are like he was at that time, they are not enabled or willing to allow the old man and it’s mind-set to die that they might follow the Christ unto the high places of God in which Jesus dwells.

The same question that Jesus asked of Peter on another day He asked of the Christian community today, “Do you love me?” Are there a people, in hearing this question, are they willing to submit to the maturing processes of God, that spiritually speaking, they might mature in Christ? When Jesus asked Peter later if he loved Him, his response was not another denial but a resounding, “Lord you know that I love you”. Peter’s response causes Jesus to make this announcement as written in John. John 21:18-19, “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger [spiritually immature], you girded yourself and walked where you wished [this same independence exist among most of the Christian community today]; but when you are old [spiritual mature], you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish. This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, follow me”.

Are we again living in a time and season when God’s call is coming forth? This call is not to begin another time likened unto the historical church age, but a call to “follow Him” where He is now. This time the call comes forth to establish God’s visible kingdom, liken unto the heavenlies, on this earth. As this call comes to humanity, are we finding a people like Peter who desiring to follow Him, but in fact, they are denying Him?

Friends, conditions exist in the world today that calls for judgment to come forth. For this cause, God is calling forth a people, who through the judgments that begin in God’s house; maturity in their lives is to bring judgment to a rebellious world. These conditions are the results that, spoken of many times in scripture and are expounded upon in Isaiah, are declared.

Isa. 65:12-16, “Therefore I will number you for the sword, and you shall bow down to the slaughter; because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not hear, but did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; Behold My servants drink, but you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed; Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for grief of spirit. You shall leave your name [nature] as a curse to My chosen; For the Lord God will slay you, and call His servants by another name [nature] – [So unto the faithful who obey Christ] So that he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from My eyes”.

Who are these who God is looking towards and who is it that He speaks unto, “Come and follow me”?

Isa. 66:2, “For all those things [creation] my hand has made, and all those things exist, says the Lord. But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My Word”.

These one’s are the people of God’s choosing, because they become a people who not only hear the word requesting us to “come”, but are those who are willing to “follow” Him. Is not God asking us to die to all things the carnal, fleshly mind has produced? Note, that God, to use this people to establish His kingdom, they must allow the Holy Spirit the right to slay carnality and remove every spot and wrinkle from them. God shall write His new covenant laws (His nature) upon their hearts, the soul of His new covenant people. This people are coming forth in a new nature because they are dying to self completely and can now complete God’s purpose in the earth.

Jeremiah 1:9-10, “Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant”.

Is there not a Jeremiah generation being raised up in this season? A generation like Jeremiah that, by coming to the end of themselves they shall root out, pull down and destroy that they, being totally of God, might build and plant. The words of Christ echo forth across the expanse of His created earth crying out, “Come, follow me, that where I am you may be also”. With Jesus the Christ, having died, He arose and ascended to the right hand of the Father, He now invites us to come. Follow Him in His death and burial that we might know Him in the power of His resurrection, to proclaim and manifest life to creation.

We, an obedient created people are to walk in the works that God purposed beforehand. The new creation work that is taking place in each believer is that God recreates a living Christ-like nature within to make His good works a living possibility. Eph. 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”.

With God being the master designer, the redeemed believer is His new creation (body, soul and spirit). The new creation brings this people into balance, symmetry and order. We are God’s workmanship. Therefore, are you willing to, “Come and follow Him”? Do you not hear the sounding trumpet speaking to the Christian community today? Unto him that overcomes, they shall inherit all things according to Rev. 21:7, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be my son”.

Jesus is saying, even now, to His remnant people, “Follow Me”.

Jeremiah 8:4-9 declares, “Moreover you shall say to them, thus says the Lord; will they fall and not rise? Will one turn away and not return? Why have this people slidden back, Jerusalem [the church], in a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit, they refuse to return. I listened and heard, but they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, saying, what have I done?

Everyone turned to his own course, as the horse rushes into the battle. Even the stork in the heavens knows her appointed times; and the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow observe the time of their coming. But my people do not know the judgment of the Lord. How can you say, we are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord; so what wisdom do they have?”

Could it be that the Christian community, in a large part, has become indifferent to God’s Word? The birds know and understand their divine destiny, but God’s people do not know theirs. God’s call is to “follow Jesus Christ” and likened unto Isaiah, a call comes forth for heaven and earth to witness God’s indictment against a spiritually bankrupt people because of their sin of rebellion and unbelief.

Again, declared by the Holy Spirit, “Come and follow Christ Jesus”. Isa. 1:2-3 speaks loudly, “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me; the ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib; but Israel [the church] does not know, my people do not consider or understand”.

Come, the call comes forth, come and follow Christ, your savior cries.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 speaks, “Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord”.

Duane Stewart
Voice of the Gathering Saints