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"And it's not just the original disciples who are Jesus's followers."

A thought by Steven Furtick from his book, Seven-Mile Miracle: Journey into the Presence of God Through the Last Words of Jesus (p. 8). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

There are a lot of different terms used for those who identify with Jesus.

Steven says, “It seems that following was the basic condition for being one of Jesus’s people. And it’s not just the original disciples who are Jesus’s followers.

“When Jesus gave his Great Commission with the word go, he turned us all into people who are to navigate the surface of the planet in obedience to his calling. We’re never alone in doing this. He’s right there by our side. We’ve got Jesus with us ‘to the very end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:19-20)”

Steven goes on, “So we’re not just to be believers—people who have put our faith in Jesus. We’re not just to be disciples—pupils who learn from him. We’re not just to be Christians—those who are known by his name. We’re also to be followers.

“Jesus said, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’ (Matthew 16:24) ‘Like sheep who hear the voice of a shepherd we know and trust, we follow him.’ (John 10:4, 27)

“Our spiritual journey is not one we take by striking out on our own. We’re following in the footsteps of someone else—Jesus. He’s our trailblazer. He has gone ahead of us in life as a human being, and he has gone ahead to heaven to prepare a place for us there. (John 14:2)

“But Jesus is not just our trailblazer; he’s also the trail itself! When Jesus announced he was going away (to heaven), Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ (John 14:5)

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way.’ (John 14:6) He’s a path, a road, a way. To elaborate, he said, ‘No one comes to the Father except through me.’ A journey with Jesus, it turns out, is the only way to truly have more of God.

And that is what I want.  What about you?


Yes, yes!

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