Following Jesus Christ

colin@followingjesuschrist.co.uk

This site is about following the Lord Jesus the Christ.

However, it is mostly written by me, just another blind leader of blind. So this is a sort of health warning. What do I mean by a blind leader of the blind? Well, Jesus makes it plain that unless we have revelation that is from above, we are all blind to spiritual truth. In the passage about the revelation that Simon Peter had, that the man Jesus was in fact the son of God, the Christ, it is clearly demonstrated that the truth did not reside in the man, Simon Peter. If it did, then he would not have presumed to tell the Christ what He should or should not do. In his own, natural reasoning, Simon Peter was blind. Spiritual truth is only revealed by the Spirit.

Hence the warning to not put our trust in perceived human leaders, but rather to cling to Jesus, the One sent and who has himself sent the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth.

Even those of us privileged to be called to be now the sons of God will by our human nature look for a man or men to intervene between us and God. Someone to feed us with a word from God, or to pray on our behalf, just as the people of Israel who had been called out from Egypt that they might all worship God begged Moses to be their proxy.

Exo 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

In this Moses was a type of the coming Christ, who has Himself passed within the veil with His own blood, interceding for us.

A danger with putting things down in writing is that if perhaps some truth is written then the human author may be ascribed a ‘halo’, through which some may impute more than is merited.

So, this site is solely for the purpose of encouraging those who encounter it to look to Jesus, the beginner and completer of our faith. I don’t want any fame, or speaking invitations. I do want to be open about the fact that I am just a normal guy who knows very little, and the little I know should be regarded with suspicion.

However, by the grace of God I do know Someone who is the Truth, the Life, and the Way.

Some biographical details.

My name is Colin Thompson. I was born 1949 in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, in North East England. I went to Gateshead Grammar for Boys, interrupted by a spell at Stannington Children's Hospital.

I am a disciple/pupil of the Lord Jesus Christ, being converted in 1966. At that time I became a member of Bethshan Tabernacle, Newcastle upon Tyne - don't let the name put you off. From there we moved into Northumberland and joined with folks 'pioneering' in Blyth and later Morpeth.

My wife Jeanette, son Andrew and myself returned to live here in Gateshead in 1989. To earn a living I sell & hire Industrial Sewing & Pressing Machines worldwide. Manual hot knives and automatic hot and cold cutting machines are supplied also.

I would love to hear from any fellow saints in Gateshead or thereabouts. If you are a disciple of the Christ living in Gateshead I would very much like to be in touch with you as we are commanded to; 'Speak to one another.' Please send me an email with your phone number and we can talk. Please read my open letters to my fellow saints in Gateshead.

If you don't know the Lord Jesus in a real personal way (not just as an imaginary friend) then you may like to read my letter to someone wanting to know Jesus which I hope may help.

I have some writings which are principally aimed at disciples of the Lord Jesus.

I don't belong to any organisation or distinct group. I am not a church-goer. I don't go to church.

I am not free to do so. Neither do I level any criticism at those (the vast majority) of the saints who are currently members of any distinct organization or group. Take a look at ‘Why Go To Church?’- Click to download the

file. Alternatively right click here, select 'save as' to save the book in .pdf format.- Please check out the article which I hope may challenge us all to seek out the truth from Him who is the Truth.

My hope for all the saints in Gateshead is for us to receive one another for the gifts of Christ we are to each other, existing divisions to be dismantled, human organisation to be abandoned and unity to be a relational reality. Call me a cock-eyed optimist!

I started writing a book in 1993 called ‘Not By Might, Not By Power’ - Click to download the file, 240k, prints out to about 53 A4 pages. Alternatively right click here, select 'save as' to save the book in pdf format. A semi-autobiographical look at being a disciple/pupil of the Lord Jesus the Christ from the viewpoint of someone who has experienced modern western 'churchianity' and survived. Just.

· What does it mean to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ here & now?

· What is the basis for fellowship between the saints?

· Who is my leader, teacher and father?

· Do I have a function within the body of Christ?

· Does it really matter?