In His Footsteps By Jeffrey D. Dean Sr.

Sep 28, 2011

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND (Spiritually Discerned Version)
You all might have heard the old "footprints in the sand" story where the person sees two footprints in the sand, one being "The Lord's" footsteps and the other being a man's footprints as he "walks with Christ." The man is startled at what he sees and points out to Jesus that during his rockiest and hardest parts of his life he sees only one set of footprints (that apparently look like his own) and he demands an explanation saying "didn't you say that you would never leave me nor forsake me?" Jesus responds, "during those times where there were only one set of footprints, those were the times I carried you." There are two major flaws in this "parable" that truly reveal the failing mindset. First, the man sees TWO sets of footprints at all! If we are to "follow Christ" (not just walk WITH HIM) it stands to reason that because we are WALKING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS should we look out upon the sands of our lives we would only SEE one set of footprints (ours being obscured by walking in the Lord's footprints). The second flaw is that Christ "carries" us through the hard parts. You cannot find ONE single scripture that actually states that we will be CARRIED through life and DO NOT HAVE TO WALK IN OUR MASTER'S footsteps. It sounds nice and soothing and comforting to think that we don't have to stand on our own two feet and face the trials and tribulations of life and that Jesus will pick us up and carry us through, but the reality is, that is NOT how God or HIS SON works! It would NOT do us ANY GOOD to be carried through life when things get rough. It's the rough times that make us GROW TO BE MEN and WOMEN of Christ! If you carry your child (or your little brother or sister) through the "hard times" of life and shield them from them you do NOT make them strong you make them WEAK! Here, then is the DISCERNED VERSION of FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND: Footprints in the Sand Jeffrey D. Dean SR. Presented

There was a man who, upon reaching the end of his lifetime of following Christ, stops and looks back at his life, which is like a vast desert with a single set of footprints, dotted here and there with a SEPARATE set of footprints that here and there diverged from the main set. The man also notices that at those points when the trail of prints becomes two rather than ONE, his peace of mind suffered and he had been in torment (even though it seemed the way was easier where the second set of prints had broken off by themselves). He asks the Son of God, "Lord, why is it that you left me alone here and there and during those times my life got EASIER but my piece of mind suffered." The Lord replies, "don't you see my brother, I did not leave you alone when there is only one set of footprints you were following in my footsteps perfectly. This improved your life INWARDLY even though the world was pushing destruction your way and your life got sometimes harder (because you were following me). Brothers and Sisters, you must see that my little example teaches a very important message. It's the message of the hour. That is this: "Following Christ" and "Being Like Christ" are ONE IN THE SAME THING. When the non believers say "you can never be like Christ in this life" what they are actually saying is "you can never follow Christ in this life." This is because living in perfect, holy obedience to the Father IS being like Christ and you cannot be like Christ, without being perfect, and holy, and obedient! When they state that "perfection" is beyond them in this life they fail to understand that at the END OF THE ROAD of following Christ lies PERFECTION and being "conformed to his image." If they say "it won't happen in this lifetime," they are openly stating "I will not follow Christ in this life." If you refuse to follow Christ you are NONE Of HIS! Those who follow Christ in this life, make their lives like HIS life. In him was sinless perfection and HIS life was perfect obedience to the Father. Those who truly FOLLOW Y'SHUA MESSIAH (Jesus Christ some say), will go where he goes and will walk as he walked, and will have his "Mind" and think like him. If you say you shall never do this "in this life" you are REFUSING to be a follower of Christ "in this life." In which case, you shall have NO PART WITH HIM IN THE NEXT LIFE! Those who say "the law is dead" and "we are not under the law," attempt to divert you from following your Lord and Savior who submitted himself PERFECTLY to the LAW OF GOD and was not ashamed before the Father. There are many of you preaching "God said it, I believed it, that settled it!" You are RIGHT, yet your words do not match your actions (nor do they match your

other words) for you in the same breath say "you cannot be perfect" when Christ himself said "be you therefore perfect even as the Father in heaven is perfect." My son pointed out that it's like "simon says." God "says" "be you perfect as the Father in Heaven is perfect (God said this through his Son of course). When they hear this they stand around confused saying one to another "wait, we can't be perfect." Until finally they hear the voice of the caller and he says "You did not follow Christ and you were told "God Says" you're out of the game. (Just like when the caller says "simon says put your hands on your hips" and all the players put their hands on their hips and whoever doesn't put their hands on their hips is out of the game). Anyone who says "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it," in todays world they are talking about "new cars," and "new furniture," and "good jobs," and "good health for you and your family." That's what they are saying and believing God for and they are settling it with the almighty dollar! Yet, when you stand up and ask them "wait a minute, you remember that little sin problem thing, did you see that God said you shall be free and overcome it,, did you believe it, did that settle it?" They will jump up and yell "LEGALISM!" The world teaches that WANTING TO BE LIKE CHRIST and BEING LIKE CHRIST are two different things entirely. They teach that while the Christian WANTS to be like Christ (follow Christ) he CANNOT BE LIKE CHRIST for he is a fleshly being. (Not in this life they say)! Thus, following Christ to the modern Christian means "wanting to follow Christ but never succeeding." That is NOT the Biblical nor Scriptural definition of following Christ. In scripture following Christ doesn't just mean "wanting to" (the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak). No! Following Christ means you follow him and live as he LIVED! Anyone who says they will "never be perfect in this life," they are right for they have already DENIED it and it CANNOT happen. They are right, there is a vast gulf between WANTING TO BE LIKE CHRIST and actually SUCCEEDING but what they don't understand is that the HOLY SPIRIT OF LOVE is trying to bring us across that gulf if they would but FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS! He has shown us the way. Yet the world says that God doesn't want us to be like Jesus because then he'd have to listen to us boast in his presence! This is the most TWISTED of all truths. The scripture does not say "God wants us to remain in sin so that no one can boast in his presence." What the scripture says is "not by works of righteousness (WHICH WE HAVE DONE) are we saved, it is through faith, and that not of itself it is a gift of God (and I say this in case you somehow would feel like boasting).

We who attain to Christlike perfection will KNOW it was all because of HIM and there will be no boasting IN US (the Spirit does not boast). Therefore, there is NO DANGER of those who are made Christlike to boast in God's presence for the only way to be made in Christlike perfection is through the Holy Spirit of Love and (LOVE DOES NOT BOAST). Paul is saying here that if you meet a man who is BOASTING about his righteousness, it is NOT REAL, and those who have REAL CHRISTLIKE RIGHTEOUSNESS would NEVER BOAST. They have twisted this meaning so that it appears that we, as God's children, come to God and ask him to be like Christ (living in perfect obedience to God the Father) and God says "NO WAY I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU BRAGGING!" That is EXACTLY what they teach on the subject. It's as if a starving child comes to his Father, who has found and prepared food and asks his Father for some of the food and the Father yells "NO I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET A BIG HEAD!" Only an INSANE father would say such a thing, yet that is what they have God saying in response to our prayers to "be like Christ." They teach flatly that it is NOT God's will for us to be like Jesus because then we would BOAST and act like we did it ourselves! The real truth is close to what they teach in that NO ONE can boast and if anyone is boasting their "righteousness" is phoney! In reality they are teaching that man can not be LIKE CHRIST because he would then be GOD INCARNATE (being that Christ was perfect and obedient and holy because he WAS God). Therefore, man can NEVER attain to Christlikeness, being man would then be as powerful as God and imagine he has done it himself! In short, man can't truly FOLLOW CHRIST because CHRIST IS GOD and WAS WHO HE WAS BECAUSE HE WAS GOD! How is man going to follow that? In conclusion they teach a "following Christ," that far pales by comparison to what the Apostles taught "following Christ meant." They speak of a vague "desire" to do something that NEVER REALLY HAPPENS IN THEIR LIFETIME and call that "following Christ," while the Apostles said "immitate me for I immitate Christ," and Christ himself turned to the multitudes and asked "Why do you call me Lord, Lord but you DON'T DO WHAT I SAY?" Think about it! Shalom

Jeffrey D. Dean Sr.