Monday, January 6, 2014

Imitating Jesus


Lee McDowell Christian Ministries                         LMCM
Nacogdoches, Texas                                                             Gal. 2:20 KJV

 
Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in Sidetracked In The Wilderness - # 1


Michael’s book is available through: 

Abiding Life Ministries International
Littleton, Colorado
(303) 972-0859       almi@abidinglife.com

 
This writing begins a new entry into the world of Michael Wells, whom I consider one of the greatest Christian disciplers of all time.  Sidetracked In The Wilderness has provided phenomenal help to thousands of “defeated Christians” worldwide, answers that have helped them “find the way back to a victorious, abundant life” in Christ.  Join me as we travel through the book, and expound on what I see as some of the most meaningful points that I have used in discipling the Saints God has given me opportunity to know.


IMITATING JESUS
excerpt from pages 11-12 of SIW (used with permission from ALMI):

“…I had never pondered the question, but to my surprise an answer came out:  ‘God is calling me to minister to defeated Christians.’  I knew in that moment this was exactly God’s plan for my life.  I did not spend much time questioning this except to wonder at the very thought of there being defeated Christians.  I have often thought that if I had known what such a calling meant, I would have argued with the Lord and asked for a different job description.  For at that moment I did not know that in order to minister to defeated Christians, I must become defeated myself.

My fall to the life of defeat that I lived for the next nine years took a relatively short time.  Soon prayer had become a struggle, Scripture had lost its attraction, unconquerable sins appeared on all sides, and the emotional awareness of God had disappeared!

I coped with my defeats and failures in a variety of ways.  I read self-help and how-to books which all promised to give me one-time relief.  Those how-to books eloquently described my condition but sent me away powerless to escape.  The more I read, the more frustrated, angry, and depressed I became.  They told me of the great example of Jesus, how He prayed, fasted, helped others, worshipped, was devout, fed the hungry, and loved – and then they told me to imitate Him!  Didn’t they realize that I wanted to be like Jesus and I wanted to please God, but I simply couldn’t?  Didn’t they realize that if I could imitate Jesus, He would not have had to come?
 

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

 
Michael mentions God’s PLAN for his life…not God’s WILL for his life.  Big difference.  God’s WILL is God’s heart.  God’s PLAN is His divine directive in our lives.  We make choices seeking God’s heart in a matter.  Too many Christians get defeated by worrying about whether they are “in the will of God, or not”…thinking about some “perfect” plan God has for their life.  Sad.  What a tragedy…to miss God by not even thinking as God is thinking.  Especially when every Christian has the mind of Christ.  God has already told us…see Prov. 3:5-6.  Michael walked with God.  He knew God’s plan for his life, as well as God’s heart in the matter.

Why would Jesus come just to be an example?  What a horrible death for God to experience for only coming in the flesh JUST to live a life that we might have an EXAMPLE of how we are supposed to live our life.  Wow…how could man ever think that?  (oh, that’s what LOST people think…oops, and some SAVED).  Well, thank God, He has spoken to that…John 15:1-5 and Galatians 2:20 in the KJV.

We could imitate from the writings of Scripture…but, then His life would have not been necessary.  So, what do you do with all the “do’s” and “don’ts” in Scripture.  A hint:  Jesus spoke to that in Matthew, ch. 13…search it out.

And also, if a person could “earn” their way to Heaven, Jesus died on the Cross for no reason at all.  That’s a startling fact to soak on too, isn’t it? 

Well, no one likes defeat.  So we will find all sorts of great truths that “set the captives free” and bring what we all love to sing about: “Oh, Victory in Jesus!”  Come…enjoy the trip through the land of grace in the coming weeks.  For those of us who knew Michael, we can picture him speaking and sharing these great truths.  May God really get ahold of you and you sense His presence.  And if you get anything from it, let someone else know how to climb aboard!

Give ‘em Jesus!

 
If you have any desire to interact with me on something Michael has written, and/or any of my thoughts, please note the email address just below my name at the bottom of this.

To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Getting Out of the Wilderness by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com   Look to the top right hand side of the page, enter your email address in the box under “Follow,” then click on SUBMIT.  You will receive a “confirmation email,” and when you click on the link and “confirm,” you will receive all new posts via email.

 

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
1737 CR 2051    Nacogdoches, Tx 75965                                                 936-559-5696

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