The Seed Blog: Walking Like Jesus: Forget the Water, Try Dirt

We’ve had much teaching on persecution and how it is quickly worsening, how discerning the clear urgency of the times is paramount. That makes today's message absolutely necessary for Christians, or we will become completely useless like salt that has lost its saltiness.

We have heard many bible stories of how Jesus walked on the water and all the lessons we can learn from those events, but before we can discuss walking on water like Jesus, we must learn to walk like Jesus did……on dirt!
We can learn how to exemplify His love, His purpose, and His actions in our daily walk if we look at the glaring dominate characteristics Jesus displayed as He walked this earth.
1 JOHN 2:6
Scripture give a very clear command, which few take to heart in our lives today. If we love and trust His ways, if we want what He wants, shouldn’t it be natural to live our lives just as He lived His?
Jesus walked in a world which many completely rejected Him and all He stood for, many who didn’t want Him, but wanted blessings and protections His Name gives them without having to love or commit to Him.
Many were far from His word, deemed sinful, were rejected, saw as dirty, and neglected by the religious ones who were supposed to be waiting for His arrival. Sounds a lot like society today. That is exactly why as His Beloved, we should be walking just like Him, because the heart of man never changes. When we walk in the world that has every bit of the same sins, failures, and needs He walked among when He was physically here!
The biggest thing that we must see about Jesus’ walk on this earth that even though He was God in the flesh He did not do one thing in scripture that was solely for Himself alone!
MATTHEW 20:28
PHILLIPIANS 2:5-7
JOHN 14:31
JOHN 4:34
He did not live with a focus on Himself, He was too focused on others to think about showing Himself off. His attention and focus always oriented towards others. He was never offended if He didn’t get enough praise or compliments, being disliked or criticized didn’t dissuade Him, He didn’t quit when He didn’t get the recognition or respect for His many talents.
He was always acutely aware of the people around Him at all times, seeing their hurts, doubts, fears and pain; seeing their sins and needs because His heart genuinely cared for them….more than He cared for Self or Image. Race, gender, social position and moral level didn’t matter. He made the lowest of society (women, children, lepers, etc.) feel completely accepted and loved. He spoke to the enemies of the Jews as kindly as a friend, He addressed the powerful in confident love, not intimidation. He reached out in warmth and acceptance to those who were completely hated and ostracized because of their morality by other religious people.
MARK 2:15-17
Today that would include the cussing pierced angry anarchists, pro-abortionists, drug dealers, homosexuals, transvestites, adulterers, rapists, meth heads, avid atheists, devout Muslims, Republicans, Democrats, Socialists, the annoying, misbehaving teens. Jesus never used their sins as a reason to avoid or reject them, He only saw broken and misled people who needed God. People who were fallen, living in private hells, hell bound without hope. He had the key to their Salvation, He didn’t see sub-humans in need of pity, or enemies that needed defeated. He knew Satan was the real enemy!
He loved in action everywhere He went, meeting the needs He saw with real passion for them. He genuinely was moved by other peoples needs over His own.
MARK 2:1-4
MATTHEW 14:13-14
MATTHEW 20:32
MARK 10:50-51
JOHN 5:5-6
JOHN 4:7-9
When was the last time we made the feelings and well being of others a priority over our own lives, our own wants, and our own praise? Not just family and friends but also those we work with, those we randomly meet, those around us right now. How in-tuned and concerned are you for the very people around you at this moment? Do we have a true focus on them to minister, or do we focus on how we look as we minister? Do you take sacrificial action to meet the needs of others, even if it’s just a word of advice or listening ear, meet a material need, a lending hand, do you put yourself out for the cause of others?
Jesus saw everything He had as an expendable tool to meet the needs of others, meeting the needs of others for God’s Glory!!
Jesus  never gave up or wrote off those who failed Him, concern for the souls of those who hurt or betrayed Him outweighed hurt pride in being done wrong or belittled because His focus was on their loss, their well being, not on His own pain of being done wrong.
MARK 16:7
MATTHEW 7:12
LUKE 23:34
Where does pride and stubbornness originate from, focus on self over others, so is pride ever a reason to abandon a relationship or apathetic towards others…NEVER!!!
Stand solid on the word, in all mercy, love, and selflessness that Jesus can teach us about.
There was also another side of Jesus that most of us lack desperately, a side which stemmed from love, just as rooted as in helping and healing, but in many ways harder to do today being planted in His Word. Jesus was firmly planted in the Word and Will of His Father, whether it brought praise, ridicule, hatred, rejection, loss or abuse.
He never sought attention or numbers, He never said what was popular, He would’ve cared less about likes and followings on Facebook, He would never had been concerned if a church was bigger than another, He knew the Father’s Truth in His Heart and studied it passionately!!
LIKE 2:52
That means we know His Word better than sports statistics, popular TV shows, the latest gossip or Facebook or twitter rant. He would not have been swayed by those claiming religious truth but not living it or teaching it. To those that were entrusted with the Truth but purposely manipulate or abuse it for profit or popularity Jesus would merciless and unswerving stand against them!!!
MARK 23:27-28
JOHN 8:44
Why would such a merciful Person be so harsh towards this group? Especially to a religious group that spent time in His Word? Because He knew the Truth, He knew God’s Heart and that Truth did not change their hearts but instead made a mockery of God, using Him to excuse their own horrid behavior, using it to mislead other people into sin, misery, and wrecked lives, totally misrepresenting the love of Christ, twisting His love to make it appear evil.
To change or water down a Truth that will help, heal, and set free just to be liked or popular or to avoid personal trouble who do you truly love self or others?
GALATIANS 1:9-10
You have to chose to stand firm on God’s Wisdom and Love or why stand at all! If it’s not worth believing, defending, and living no matter the cost it’s not worth following to begin with! Standing unapologetic is not harsh it is mercy and love”
“Real men and women of Christ don’t dance to the world’s malevolent tune….They themselves play something precious and righteous, so others may change their dance step!”
How can we possibly do what Jesus did? After all He was God on earth. You’re right “WE” can’t, and Jesus as man on this earth did not do it on His own either but by example showed us how to do it! Through the power, knowledge, and will of the Father working in us by His Spirit!!
If you or I have any hope of seeing the worth of one soul of desiring to sacrifice self of behave of God’s work and others, of knowing God’s heart, God’s passion, God’s will we have to do as Jesus did…draw from the same source, Jesus spent much time drawing close to God in private time with Him..ALONE!!!
LUKE 5:16
LUKE6:12
Jesus spent time communing with the Father, learning His Heart, giving time for the father to bring to mind, re-focus, teach, encourage, inform, receive strength-power-and love. Getting God’s plan and perspective rather than making your own. When Jesus arose from prayer He continually walked in constant communion with the Spirit!
LUKE 4:14
JOHN 5:19
Jesus listened for His guidance, His love for others, feeling His displeasure when necessary, drawing strength from His Father, resisting temptation through the strength of the Spirit, choosing to follow what He was told, even when His own will was literally opposed to what He was told, all in love and trust in the Father.
This is how Jesus walked and how we are commanded to walk, see the worth of everyone around us, not based on our idea of worthiness, performance, looks, or how they’ve treated you but worth in God’s eyes! Humbling ourselves to realize all we have been given is for the cause of loving and serving others…Therefore living in sacrificial love!
Standing on the Truth no matter the cost, planting ourselves in opposition to those who would use His Truth to hurt others and ridicule God’s love rather than use that Truth to heal. Drawing power and strength and the very desire to love and act from time alone in communion with God and from moment to moment awareness and surrender to His Spirit!
Jesus was the most selfless, gentle, kind, and sacrificing Man to walk the earth, and yet He was the most relentless, unyielding opposition one could have if His Truth was purposefully twisted to hurt!
Both require perseverance and commitment that will cost dearly!! This is our calling as well!!
We have reached a point of choice today, acceptance and comfort of the world at the expense of losing God and watching people self-destruct or acceptance and comfort from Christ at the expense of our own lives!!!
MATTHEW 10:38-39
DID YOU HEAR THAT SERIOUS COMMAND IN THAT TO FAMILIAR VERSE?
PICK UP YOUR CROSS…OR LOSE YOUR LIFE!
NOT BECAUSE HE DOESN’T LOVE YOU…BUT DO YOU LOVE HIM?!