Follow: Greek-akoloutheo - it can mean “accompany” and “assist’ and “follow.” The word “acolyte” is derived from akoloutheo. An acolyte is an assistant or attendant.

This is such a simple word that has more meaning to it than just, “follow along.” Jesus wanted the people to be doers of what they heard and saw him do. He wanted them to learn to do the work of the gospel. He wanted them to “assist” and “accompany” him. His job in calling the disciples to “follow” HIM was so much more. He was training them to “assist’ and “accompany” him in learning and doing the work of the gospel. As He spoke what He heard His Father say, and did what His Father told him to do, He in turn taught his disciples to do the same thing. Jesus told them to “follow” Him.

This word follow carries the same meaning when Paul said to follow his example. 1Corinthians 11:1. You must follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. [Contemporary English Version]

In other words, we are to imitate Jesus. That is what Paul told the Christians. To follow his example as he fol-lowed the example of Christ.

So first of all we are to “follow” the examples of Christ; we are to learn of His ways. Then there are others that we are to “follow” as they follow Christ.

The body of Christ is what the world sees. They should be able to “follow” our examples, as we follow Jesus.

So, your life may not be in the lights of famous, but it is in the lights of Jesus. People will see righteousness and truth living through you. Because of that, it will help them to re-adjust their way of life that may be off track of God’s Word. They will “follow” your example.

Next time you are “following”, or “assisting”, or “attending “someone compare their life to The Word and make sure it lines up. If you are not for sure, ask Holy Spirit. He will tell you. He came to be our ‘helper, teacher, . . . anything we have need of. He is there to help us.

Compromise (noun or verb) (1) An agreement made between two people or groups in which each side gives up some of the things they want so that both sides are happy at the end. (2) A settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions

The following story came from a daily devotional that was sent to us. I do not know who the author of it is, but it is a great example of compromise.

A Russian parable tells of a hunter who once raised his rifle and took careful aim at a large bear. When the man was about to pull the trigger, the bear spoke in a soft, soothing voice. “Isn’t it better to talk than to shoot? What do you want? Let us negotiate the matter.” Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, “I want a fur coat.”

“Good,” said the bear. “That is a negotiable question. I only want a full stomach, so let’s negotiate a compromise.” They sat down to negotiate, and after a time, the bear walked away alone. The negotiations had been successful. The bear had his full stomach, and the hunter had his fur coat.

The moral of the parable is that compromise never satisfies both parties in equal measure.

Relating that to the Christian walk, we could say this: The Christian who compromises his or her Christian values always ends up on the losing end. James 4:4 says, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” When we compromise with the world, we set ourselves against God’s best guidance and end up getting swallowed by something foolish in the world.

Compromise short-circuits the believer. How do we avoid the pitfalls of compromise? Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Be wise, believer! Walk circumspectly, walk carefully, don’t compromise with those things in the world that can easily cause you as an individual to fall.

Hey… let us all consider the word compromise.

Care: CARE: Greek word melo (verb) - It can mean anxiety or earnest concern, depending on the context. Care: Greek word mevrimna (noun) - anxiety. Both are used in 1 Peter 5:7 - “Casting all your care upon Him for He careth for you.”

In the New Testament the word “care” can carry the undertone of positive or negative.

Let’s start with the positive. “… a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.” (Deuteronomy 11:12)

13 ‘And it shall be that if you diligently obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,

14 ‘then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. 15 ‘And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’

Did you get what He just said to us? He loves and cares for the land! Why? Because He cares for us! The land is what sustains us physically. That is why He cares for the land. He loves and makes sure His rain from heaven tends to the land/ground, which in turn gives us blessings. The ground/land meets our needs. What is your “ground/land” that needs tending, needs rain from heaven?

What is it that you need a change in that can only come from heaven’s rain? Trusting that God will let His rain from heaven fall on our situation is faith. It shows He cares for us. It shows He loves us. It shows He provides for us.

1 PETER 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon Him for He careth for you.” Maybe we could say, “Cast all your anxiety (merimna) on Him, because he cares (melo) for you.”

When there is anxiety/earnest concern in our hearts or head then there is fear of an outcome that we have no control over. Remember the damage that stress, anxiety and fear do to a body? Those things start attacking the body.

Think back to Jesus riding on the donkey and people flinging their clothes upon the donkey for Jesus to sit on? Remember the clothes and palm branches they flung upon the ground? All of that to honor the coming King Jesus. That is a principal of us throwing all of our burdens [cares] upon Jesus (our burden-bearer), and He takes them and keeps riding toward His destiny.

Can you see it? King Jesus rides off with our burdens! We no longer have them. We must not go after them. Trust that Jesus has your answer!

CASTING: Greek word epiripto. Epi means upon as on top of something, and the word ripto, means to hurl, to throw, to cast, or to violently throw or to fling some-thing with great force.

This word cast is used twice in the New Testament “Casting all your care upon Him for He careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) “And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast [epiripto] their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.” (Luke 19:15) Can you SEE the followers of Jesus flinging their garments upon the donkey? For HIM to set upon? Then can you see them throwing their cloaks and scarves upon the road? Can you see them placing the palm leaves upon the road? Why did they do that? There are many reasons this was done, but for this teaching, it’s a principal for all of us to learn. They did this so the chosen donkey would have a clean, pure path to carry the Messiah on, in preparation for the coming of their Savior.

The donkey is a burden bearer. Jesus is our burden bearer. Jesus prepared the way for you to “cast all your cares upon Him … BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU.

Now that you know He cares for you, what are you going to do with this piece of information? Will you just violently CAST it upon the ground and keep your burdens loaded upon yourself?

By faith we must learn, practice, and activate this principal in our Christian walk. Have we all fallen short of this princi-pal and sinned? Yes! But HE is faithful and just to forgive us as we repent. Is this an easy road for us to “cast all our cares upon Him, because He loves us?” For some it is easy, but for the majority it is not. It is a behavior for which He has supplied the answer.

Meditate on these scriptures:

“Casting all your care upon Him for He careth for you.”

Do you believe He cares for you?

Do you believe He loves you?

Give it a whirl and see what The Lord will do for you! :)