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Friday, September 17, 2004
Simon told Andrew: We've found the Messiah. They stick around to see what happens.
Jesus challenges Philip: "Come, follow me."
Philip tells Nathanael: We've found the Messiah. The One our nation's been waiting for for at least 400 years. He's here."
Nathanael can't envision anyone or anything good coming from Nazareth...it ain't that great of a town. Philip says that he should go look and check it out for himself. He does.
I love the way The Message translates the next verse, when Jesus says to Nathanael, "There's a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body."
Can you imagine? Nathanael has never met Jesus that we know of. Christ knew him, though. And Nathanael knows Jesus knows him, too. "How do you know that?" Jesus tells him that He saw him under the fig tree.
Nathanael realizes that Philip is right and announces it, "You are the Son of God, the Messiah, the King."
Jesus tells him that it's really not so much to believe in me just because I knew about the fig tree. Nathanael, if you follow me, you'll see some of the most amazing things you've ever seen. You'll see heaven opened up. You'll see angels descend. You'll see the Son of Man ascend.
Are you following this? The abundant life involves "following." You don't get a road map. You don't have the end in mind. You don't get a business plan. Just follow.
Then adventure like you can't even imagine.
But you have to follow. Taking a page from yesterday...you leave everything and follow.
If you want it to go from head to heart, you have to leave everything and follow.
So, today's mind vitamin/journal prompt: Is there anything keeping you from leaving everything and following Him? What and why? What can you lose if you decide to? What can you gain?
Brent 4:01 AM
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