Followby Stan Peterson
Ft. Benning, GA. Training grounds for the U.S. Army infantry. I attended basic, and 90% of all my training at this one post. Upon first coming onto the post you will undoubtedly run into Iron Mike. Iron Mike is a huge statue of a soldier, with a M-16 rifle in his left hand. He stands looking over his shoulder and with his right arm signaling advance to those who are behind. He is an icon and symbolizes the infantry motto “Follow Me”.
As I read the words of Jesus in Luke 9.23 “if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me”.
It brings me back to Basic Training for a moment, but more importantly it reminds me of the basic tenet of Christianity. The cross and Jesus’s words to “follow me” .
The desire of my heart is to follow hard after God! This means WAR!
We are in a battle daily! The lusts of the flesh and the world come hurling at us at 65,000 images taken in on an average day. This war is like no other war, it is one of spiritual nature and not of the physical. The enemies are different, the weapons I am used to are no longer effective, and the strategies are upside down. But OHHHHH how our God has given us Himself (Romans 8.9), His weapons that are mighty for pulling down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10.4), and His mind (1 Corinthians 2.16).
We see the strategy of God in Luke’ s writing, calling us back to the basics. The War can get complicated and we must simplify it.
Simplification comes by stripping down to a warfare mentality by Denying oneself (rights/ entitlements), taking up our cross (remembering Jesus’s death and our unification in that) and obeying Jesus by following Him. This is for our good and God’s glory. Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus our Lord.
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