Poster Archive : July 2013
Message:You don't have to be on Twitter to follow Jesus
Jesus began his ministry in Palestine nearly two thousand years ago. One of the first things He did was invite some fishermen to be his disciples. The astonishing thing is that they just left their nets and followed him immediately. These men were willing to follow Jesus wherever he went.
Right now Justin Bieber has more followers than anyone in the world. On Twitter that is! Following Justin is quite easy if you own a digital device. Just sign up for Twitter and read his 140 character tweets as they arrive. There are more than twenty two thousand of them.
Twitter is all about connecting with someone you care about or have an interest in. The problem is that your favourite person usually doesn't know you exist. And while you wonder about them it's a fair chance they're not wondering about you.
In some ways Jesus seems like Justin Bieber, a household name with his words on the lips of people all around the globe. But the comparisons are hard to sustain. It's shocking to say it but a time will come when Justin will fade.
But as every year passes Jesus becomes more popular around the world, and, unlike Justin Bieber, you don't have to be on Twitter to follow Him. You can also talk directly to Jesus anytime you like and read the words He spoke in the Bible. Thankfully, unlike Twitter, with it's clumsy word limit, there's a lot more meat on the bone.
However, in case you think following Jesus is as easy as following Justin, you should hear what Jesus has to say:
"... whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
Jesus is saying that following Him is actually very hard. When the Romans crucified people they made them carry their cross to the place of execution. Jesus uses this image to show us that we've got to be prepared to be humiliated and suffer if we're going to be his disciples. In fact, we've got to be prepared to give up our very lives - just as He did.
So, if you're willing to leave behind your old life and start following the one who died for you... He's waiting for you now.
Verse:And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matt 10:38-39
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, help me to follow you and live for you. Amen.
