Going Deeper... "Follow Me"

God has been stretching me lately by calling me to a life that will be willing to go deeper with him... and I have determined that I need to write more about these things. I need to remember what God is doing now so that when I look back over my life at a later point in time, I can thank him for all the things he has done. In my life I have always learned that my ways are pathetic in comparison to what God desires to do, and yet it is such a battle to keep my flesh under subjection (1Cor 9:27) and stay content in God's ways. To be honest, one of the things that keeps coming to my mind is fear when it comes to going deeper with God... but why?! God gave himself to redeem my soul, as well as to offer eternal redemption to all those that would believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:3; 9:12-15; 10:10-14; Jn. 3:16-17, 36; Acts 20:28; Gal. 3:13; 1Thess. 1:10; 1Pt. 1:18-19; 1Jn. 2:1-2). Therefore it should be a very small thing to give everything that I am back to him! This is where I cannot help but to think to myself...

Romans 7:24-25 - "24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."

This has been my conviction lately... I exist and am alive in this world for the sake of Jesus Christ and his gospel, therefore I must further the gospel in some way everyday. If I lay my head on my pillow at night and cannot be persuaded that I have furthered the gospel, then I am not living in the center of God's will. O Lord, help me! I cannot do this on my own strength, wisdom, or power. You, Jesus, must change me from the inside out in order for me to obey this conviction... and I know that there is nothing that you ask of me that you haven't given me the ability to do each day, so I need to believe you and obey you.

Matthew 4:19 - "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Matthew 16:24 - "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

Mark 8:34 - "And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

Luke 9:23 - "And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."

John 10:27 - "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"

John 12:26 - "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will [my] Father honour."

1 Corinthians 4:16 - "Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me."

1 Corinthians 11:1 - "Be ye followers of me, even as I also [am] of Christ."

Ephesians 5:1 - "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;"

Philippians 3:17 - "Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample."

1 Thessalonians 1:6 - "And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:"

Hebrews 6:12 - "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."