Christian, are you following Jesus? This is, ostensibly, the meaning of the term “Christian” - one who follows Christ. This is what the Lord said His followers, His sheep, would do: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (Jn. 10:27).

What does this mean to you? What does it look like?

For one, it means you will be “fishers of men” (Mt. 4:19). We must preach the gospel in our work to spread God’s kingdom and draw in those who are His.

It also means we will deny ourselves and take up our crosses (Mt. 10:38; Mt. 16:24). It may even mean giving up our possessions (Mt. 19:21).

In many cases, it will mean suffering, often for nothing other than believing in Him. He “suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps” (1 Pet. 2:21). The world will hate us (Jn. 15:18-19), but we will be blessed when we are hated, insulted, ostracized, and scorned as evil for His sake (Lk. 16:22).

As the old song goes, no one promised you a rose garden. As a matter of fact, Jesus said to His follower that “in the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33). While we may have times of ease, our faith grows most, and character is most evident, in our trials (Jas. 1:2-4) and when we endure suffering for doing what is right (1 Pet. 2:20).

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Evening, September 18

"And they follow me." John 10:27

We should follow our Lord as unhesitatingly as sheep follow their shepherd, for He has a right to lead us wherever He pleases. We are not our own, we are bought with a price- let us recognize the rights of the redeeming blood. The soldier follows his captain, the servant obeys his master, much more must we follow our Redeemer, to whom we are a purchased possession. We are not true to our profession of being Christians, if we question the bidding of our Leader and Commander. Submission is our duty, cavilling is our folly. Often might our Lord say to us as to Peter, "What is that to thee? Follow thou Me." Wherever Jesus may lead us, He goes before us. If we know not where we go, we know with whom we go. With such a companion, who will dread the perils of the road? The journey may be long, but His everlasting arms will carry us to the end. The presence of Jesus is the assurance of eternal salvation, because He lives, we shall live also. We should follow Christ in simplicity and faith, because the paths in which He leads us all end in glory and immortality. It is true they may not be smooth paths- they may be covered with sharp flinty trials, but they lead to the "city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." "All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant." Let us put full trust in our Leader, since we know that, come prosperity or adversity, sickness or health, popularity or contempt, His purpose shall be worked out, and that purpose shall be pure, unmingled good to every heir of mercy. We shall find it sweet to go up the bleak side of the hill with Christ; and when rain and snow blow into our faces, His dear love will make us far more blest than those who sit at home and warm their hands at the world's fire. To the top of Amana, to the dens of lions, or to the hills of leopards, we will follow our Beloved. Precious Jesus, draw us, and we will run after Thee.

“The Ruse is Over,” a new anthem for the left
(to the tune of “The Song is Over,” by The Who)

The ruse is over
It’s all behind me
I should have known it
The truth would find me

The echo chamber
It is collapsing
I’ve been exposed now
There’s no relapsing

I'll scream my loss to the wide open spaces
I'll scream my hate out to the infinite sea
I'll scream my blindness to the sky high mountains
I'll scream my loss to just me, to just me…
I’ll scream my loss to the wide open spaces
I’ll scream my hate out to the infinite sea
I'll scream my blindness to the sky high mountains
I'll scream my loss to just me, to just me

When I doxxed you it was fun
Claimed that you were the evil one
I wanted you to be destroyed
But now I find myself unemployed

I sowed division
Signaled my virtue
But now you see it
I want to hurt you

I'll scream my loss to the wide open spaces
I'll scream my hate out to the infinite sea
I'll scream my blindness to the sky high mountains
I'll scream my loss to just me, to just me…
I’ll scream my loss to the wide open spaces
I’ll scream my hate out to the infinite sea
I'll scream my blindness to the sky high mountains
I'll scream my loss to just me, to just me

I called you fascists
Was just projection
My hate’s uncovered
I’ve no protection

The ruse is over
The ruse is over
I thought I had the moral high ground
But now you know it was all just a lie

Brethren, are you living your life according to the desires of your flesh? Are we not told to “walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16)?

You have been made a new creation; the old has passed away (2 Cor. 5:17). Why then would you return to living by the flesh? Jesus warned that “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mt. 26:41). Paul understood this and tells us that “the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please” (Gal. 5:17; Rom. 7:14-25).

Let us then turn to the one who strengthens us (Isa. 41:10; Phil. 4:13), and walk in the Spirit by Whom we are indwelt (1 Cor. 3:16), with whom God sealed us as a deposit, the seal of our salvation (Eph. 1:13-14), and in so doing, let the fruit He bears through us, “ove, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22) be made evident to all.

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Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions

Morning, September 18

"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:25

The two most important things in our holy religion are the life of faith and the walk of faith. He who shall rightly understand these is not far from being a master in experimental theology, for they are vital points to a Christian. You will never find true faith unattended by true godliness; on the other hand, you will never discover a truly holy life which has not for its root a living faith upon the righteousness of Christ. Woe unto those who seek after the one without the other! There are some who cultivate faith and forget holiness; these may be very high in orthodoxy, but they shall be very deep in condemnation, for they hold the truth in unrighteousness; and there are others who have strained after holiness of life, but have denied the faith, like the Pharisees of old, of whom the Master said, they were "whitewashed sepulchres." We must have faith, for this is the foundation; we must have holiness of life, for this is the superstructure. Of what service is the mere foundation of a building to a man in the day of tempest? Can he hide himself therein? He wants a house to cover him, as well as a foundation for that house. Even so we need the superstructure of spiritual life if we would have comfort in the day of doubt. But seek not a holy life without faith, for that would be to erect a house which can afford no permanent shelter, because it has no foundation on a rock. Let faith and life be put together, and, like the two abutments of an arch, they will make our piety enduring. Like light and heat streaming from the same sun, they are alike full of blessing. Like the two pillars of the temple, they are for glory and for beauty. They are two streams from the fountain of grace; two lamps lit with holy fire; two olive trees watered by heavenly care. O Lord, give us this day life within, and it will reveal itself without to Thy glory.