The ones and the twos.

As I read the Bible, I want my life to look like what I read.

This isn’t just a “good story.”

It’s THE story.

This last year+ has been marked with standing for truth. If you wonder how my “on fire” meter is going. It’s the highest it’s ever been. I am more in love with Jesus than ever.

You know how I know that?

I can say I love the gospel. I can share the gospel. But I discovered, I had a Peter situation where I could have denied the gospel. I could have thought “that is too costly.” I could lose a lot if I kept standing. But there wasn’t an ounce of wavering in my bones.

He made me like that.

You know you have something when it gets tested in fire and comes out more beautiful. That’s why I can say I am the most on fire I have ever been. I just came off the altar where everything gets burned away and you find Jesus is enough. He is everything.

So back to how I gauge my walk with Jesus is I look at Him, the disciples and the men/women of faith that emerge in Scriptures.

As I notice how our world loves crowds, I wonder how much compromise happens to KEEP a crowd. Not that you can’t have crowds. Jesus had crowds at times. But when the teachings got hard…many bounced. (Jn 6:66) Then Jesus, being the Boss He is…confidently looks at His disciples like “ya’ll want out too?”

He wasn’t concerned with keeping “likes.”

He was concerned with the Father’s likes.

I wonder how many people, that stood for truth were admired in the actual time they lived? I look back to Jeremiah. Have you read the book of Jeremiah? Check out 7:27. A promise from God that they won’t listen. Can you imagine that he felt encouraged in his day for standing?

What about Ezekiel? Read Chap 3. Same thing. They won’t listen. He wasn’t filling stadiums.

Or Joseph in prison. Just being faithful in other people’s unfaithfulness.

Or Moses….with a million people wishing they were still in captivity.

Or Joshua and Caleb being THE ONLY ONES who wanted what God was giving, in faith, that if He lead them this far, He for sure would keep leading them.

Or Paul, who got saved and spent his latter years in prison.

Or Peter, who got the baptized in the Spirit (Acts 2) and went to prison by Acts 4.

Or Stephen, just telling the story of Jesus and stones flying left and right to his death.

Or Jesus….nailed to a cross. Imagine how modern commentators would tear that apart.

But these are my heroes. This is normal Christianity.

These are the ones and the twos.

I wonder what people compromise to keep a crowd. I wonder what they don’t choose to talk about or what they choose to emphasize. I wonder if it’s our fame we are chasing or the glory of the Lord. I wonder if His “well done” is truly all we are living for or is it the applause of man? What fear of losing jobs, money, relationships and status makes us cower?

I wonder how much of it is about “love” and “unity” when it’s really just our own fear of man on display. That we fall for everything because we stand for nothing.

We remember that last time we stood and there were consequences so we simma instead of soar. We stick to the safe topics and call that unity.

Jesus shows me a better love. A better unity.

Yes, all these heroes in the faith probs weren’t honored in their time. They weren’t looking for likes and pats on the back. Their honor came. But they coulda cared less once they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

But will you endure today?

The longer and longer I am a Christian, the more I want my life to look just like what I read. I hope you do too. I hope you found Your Treasure in Him. Because once you know what you have in Him, all other things fade away. You live for One.

Catch me placing my life next to the plumb-line of Scripture and asking “does that line up to what they faced?”

Then we on the right track whether a crowd or no one is with me….still I will follow.