He Separates

Dear Readers,

                I have had an enlightening experience.  Yesterday, I was in my car driving and our Christian radio station was interviewing a man named, Kyle Idleman.  Now, Kyle is a pastor of a church and an author of a new book.  The book is called Not a Fan.  He posed a question yesterday, which rocked me to my core.

                He was asking me, and everyone listening, Are you a fan of Jesus or are you a follower?  A fan comes to church.  They love Jesus.  But, when Jesus starts interfering in their lives they back off.  A follower of Jesus Christ will lay down everything they have and are, to do what he calls them to do.  I had to ask myself, Am I a fan or a follower?

                I love Jesus, I go to church faithfully, I have become very involved in our church, but am I a follower of Christ?  Would I lay down everything for Him?  Would I give up everything I have and everything I want, to do what He asks me to do?

                Oh Man, what a question.  Would I, Would you?  This intrigued me so much, that tonight I looked up what the Bible says a fan is.  In the Bible, a fan is an agricultural tool, a.k.a  a winnowing shovel.  A winnowing shovel was used to throw the grain up in the air so that it could be separated from the chaff.  Scripture uses the separation of the wheat and the chaff as an example of Christ separating the wicked from the righteous. I don’t know about you, but I am excited.

 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose FAN is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Matthew 3: 11,12

                This is so powerful.  Christ uses a fan to SEPARATE.  Go back to what I said in the beginning.  A fan of Christ is to love God but to not want his interference in their lives.  Low and behold, a follower of Christ will lay everything down.  They will surrender all to God and allow him to rule their lives.  Where He says, “Go” they go.  When he says “Do” they do.  I want to be a true follower of Christ.  I am tired of being just a fan.  I want to lay it all down on the altar and surrender myself.  I want to die to me and live for Him.  

                When Christ uses his fan to separate, I want to still be there standing firm in Him.  I don’t want to blow away in the wind.  I want to be at His right hand.  So, I ask you. . . Are you a fan of Christ or are you a follower?

Love in Christ,

Kristine