Crown of Life

Behold, I am coming quickly!  Hold fast to what you have, that no one take your crown.  Revelation 3:11

There is a ministry that ask the question, "are you a fan or a follower,"  Good question.

Competition plays a vital role in every culture or society.  Whether competition is positive or negative, it is important in human society to compete, whether it is sports, dance, singing or whatever, it is something everyone enjoys.  We compete  for a corruptible crown to the cheers and applause of fans who stand for hours to see who will win the event and receive their reward.  We cheer them on and shout out words to encourage them, then when they win the crowd goes crazy.  We love competition!  We are fans of the ones we love and we study their lives.  We boast that we are a fan of this one or that one. 

The fans rejoice when their team or person performs well, but are sorely disappointed when our fan doesn't perform well or is accused of wrong doing, whether real or imagined. The one the fans cheered is now  ostracized by the people who were members of their fan club. 

Jesus knew this all too well, how people  will turn their backs on you at the drop of one accusation or by what they don't understand.  Case in point Jesus proclaimed that He was the Bread of Life who came down from Heaven and invited them to eat His flesh and to drink His blood.  He told them that their Fathers ate the Manna and lived, but they must eat His Bread and live forever.  The people said, "this is a hard saying" as they listened to what He was proclaiming. 

He introduced the Communion, Lord's Supper or Eucharist and 3000 fans walked away from Him in one day.   The Jews rejected Him on this ordinance because they knew that eating His flesh and drinking His blood sounded like cannibalism and He was making some pretty bold statements about who He was. What is this strange thing that He is asking of us?  So they walked away from the man who brought salvation, healed their sicknesses, delivered them from demons and forgave their sins.  He was asking too much of them because His flesh and His blood made this thing too personal.  Didn't it say in the Torah not to drink blood?  They were His fans and not His followers.

Jesus looked at the few who remained;  His faithful few.  He asked them if they were leaving too and they responded with, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words to eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.  John: 6:68-69..  Those who remained were His followers.  They loved and trusted Him.

The people who left were fans of Jesus and not followers.  Jesus has tons fans in the churches today, but not many followers. In hard times the fans walk away.  The boss can demand that the fan work during their worship time and the fan will stop going to church and work instead of trusting God.  They are fans and not followers.  A woman's husband may decide to give up Church and she will too, because she's a fan.  A hard Pastor may offend a member and the member give up on fellowshipping in a church , because she's a fan.

Followers know that nothing can separate them from the love of Christ   Recently, four children in the Middle East were beheaded who refused to deny Christ as their personal Savior, even to the point of death...these children were followers.  They may not have had much on this side of life and had to face martyrdom, but their crowns were waiting on them, with their names inscribed by the Hand of God in Heaven..  These four babies were followers and when things got tough, they stood in faith because their Redeemer lives.

A follower is faithful to the point of death.  A follower will imitate the very nature and character of the one that they adore and will be just like them.  You become a chip off the old block or the apple that doesn't fall far from the tree.  If you follow Christ, you will begin to transform into His very nature.  Warning...this will cause persecution from every direction, but again, what or who can separate you from the love of Christ?  You will even  begin to love the unlovable.

But we know that when Christ appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  1 John 3:2

Now there is laid for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,  will give to me on that Day, and not only me but also to all who love His appearing.  2 Timothy 4:8

This will be an awesome year of transforming for those who are followers of Jesus Christ. Those places of struggle will become a breeze as you understand that you cannot be moved, for your feet are firmly planted on the Solid Rock, who Is Jesus.. Be exceedingly blessed