Where He leads me I will follow, Where He leads me I will follow, Where He leads me I will follow, I’ll go with Him, with Him, all the way!
Hopefully you know the tune to this chorus from a wonderful old hymn. It states clearly the right heart of a follower of Christ Jesus—a heart to go with Him all the way, regardless of the pain, confusion, or heartbreak we may encounter along the way…
The hymn reminds us and calls us to obediently go with Jesus through the waters (of trouble) … the Garden (of gethsemane’s suffering) … Calvary’s cross (of death) … knowing He stands with us through the Judgment, all the while giving us grace and glory…
Reading Ezekiel and Revelation this week should give us a clue how difficult that obedience can be in the real world. Both Ezekiel and the Apostle John saw things in the Spiritual realm that they were to express to their hearers—often difficult things their hearers didn’t want to hear! Ezekiel was called to do much of his sharing through enacted parables and prophecies. John was called to write all he saw and present it to churches that didn’t necessarily like what the Lord was saying to them through John…
Following Jesus from the beginning of our walk (run!) to the end is not optional—and there WILL be some unexpected twists and turns along the way! Still, we are called to throw off the sin that ensnares us, listen to the witness of those who have gone before us, and run with endurance the race of Life with Jesus clearly and resolutely as the focus and finish line of our lives (Hebrews 12:1-2)!
I leave for Mexico and the Kaleo Leadership School with all this in mind. I am almost 59, fighting chronic illness and sliding into retirement…NOT! While it may seem to be a time for me to slow down and relax, God is leading me to something that is neither slow nor relaxing in the flesh—but is exciting beyond words in the Spirit. The question is, will I follow? I go to Mexico following, so I can come back to lead!... as a Follower.
God has called us as a church to a place of Antioch-like, Gateway-like leadership in the Appalachia awakening and harvest. HE IS LEADING—will we follow? It’s not always easy—will we follow? It calls us to courageous decisions about the future and deep unity along the way—will we follow?!
I have HUGE confidence in you and this congregation—WE WILL FOLLOW! There have been and will be waters…and gethsemane-like decisions… and daily crosses… and the certainty that we will stand before the Judgement Seat and give account for our obedience… or lack thereof…
We go toward that Judgment Seat with the incredible grace and glory of knowing that Jesus will stand with us and literally cover our failures with His victories…! Still, we want to hear the Lord say, “Well done good and faithful servant” loud and clear, don’t we…?!
Join me in singing this great hymn. More importantly, LIVE IT! Father, through Jesus and by His Spirit is leading us into the great unknown of His Grace and Glory, bidding us to Follow… Follow… Follow…!
I can hear my Savior calling… can you?!