Either we are or we aren't...

Been having some conversations with Facebook Friends in light of the recent Killing of Osama. 

If we are followers of Jesus, then we must take seriously all that he says... we can't just take one verse and cut it out of context and hang it out there.  We must look at the verse in context of where it is shared and in light of the larger context of Jesus' life and ministry.   It is clear to me that Jesus meets us where we are, but he doesn't want us to stay there.  He is constantly prodding us toward that person God created us to be... toward the transformed follower that we can be.

And the reality is... Either we are a follower of Jesus or we aren't.

And further... we don't set the agenda and invite Jesus along.  He sets the agenda and invites us along.  It is his purposes that we are to live out not ours.  We are to follow Jesus not try our best to get him to follow us.   He asks us to deny ourselves... to pick up his cross... to love God and love our neighbors, including our enemies.  It's not an easy journey to follow Jesus, but the cool thing is ... he provides us the Holy Spirit to guide us and to work in and through us and that makes following him easier if we will just get out of the way!