As an adult who has lived my life as a Pastor I have always been moved and challenged by these words of Jesus: “Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters” Luke 11:23. What I love about these words is that these Words of Jesus apply to all of us.
We have to be with the Lord, not against Him! To be with the Lord, for me, means I actively begin each day in His Word and pray each day. It means I must be humble, and by humble I mean that I must be dependent on and obedient to the Lord each day. If I do these two things, depend on Him and do whatever He tells me to do, then my ego, my personality, my style of living are not the the focus of my life. No, only the Lord is! That approach to living means that I am humble! I also must follow Christ every day and in every choice I make. And when I sin, I stand up, repent of my sin and ask for the Lord’s forgiveness and grace. I desire to be on the path the Lord has laid out for me once again. I wish to follow Christ!
To do otherwise is to be against the Lord!
I also wish to gather with the Lord, not scatter. This tells me that I live not for myself alone but for others. So I must try to gather all the people the Lord brings into my life and continuously introduce them to Christ! I must gently and deliberately encourage everyone to follow Christ! I must walk with others, support and help others, love others, not judge others, and walk away from every kind of prejudice.
I pray that the Lord will use me each day to bring others to follow Christ.
This is the only reason why I write this blog. Please follow Christ and please help everyone the Lord brings into your life today to hear His voice and feel His loving presence. For this is what it means to me to gather, not scatter! So would you join me in turning to Christ and help gather everyone you meet to Christ?
The best way I know to do this is to be one who lives as one who has been gathered by a host of friends - and follow Christ.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them”
Matthew 18:20.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” Hebrews 10:24-25.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” Colossians 3:16.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” Acts 2:42.
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