Is your house quiet this morning, and are all others asleep? Can you hear every little noise as the furnace ignites and the walls and floors pop and crack while settling into their new warmth? Can you hear your spirit whispering deep within you as it calls out..."Father, Father."? When we are still, and the world is hushed, the sounds of heaven become audible to us... this is the time for intimate conversation and spiritual embraces; this is the realm of eternal prayer.
Who is Jesus in relation to God? Is He a servant, a slave, a son, a prophet, a high priest, a tool, or all of these things? If you are having trouble answering this question then perhaps you can more easily answer the same question regarding yourself and your relationship to Jesus... No? Jesus is before all else the Son of God. We read the account of Mary and the birth of Jesus, but then at His baptism God Himself speaks and calls Him Son in proclamation to all in attendance...
Once we accept the fact that God is our creator and the God of our lives, and we have recognized Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, we receive by grace the gift of eternal life, but is that gift absolute? Is it a firm commitment on God's part? How about on ours as we receive it? The discussion of topics such as this can either divide us or bring us together.
Jesus is without sin, and perfect, but is there any hope for us to be perfect as He is? Is perfection something that we are even capable of? The glorious surprise of our faith is that we are not simply being transformed into righteous people seeking to behave as God does, but ultimately into perfect extensions of God Himself, as Jesus is. It is God’s desire to flow forth from us, His resurrected children, but do we aspire to this, the lofty will of God, or stop ourselves short of being eternally perfected and transformed by our Heavenly Father?
Are we being tempted with Jesus Christ even today? In that temptation do we continue on with Him, or do we turn away from Him and leave? This is a question Jesus asked His disciples at the last supper, and which is still valid today. Let’s ask ourselves one more question... when we give into our temptations are we saddling and shaming Jesus with sin again?
Are you sad today? I am referring to the sadness that occurs when we realize that Jesus is asking us to let something go that we believe we are unable to give up or that is impossible for us. Perhaps it is our wealth, but just maybe it has to do with our poverty.
When you pray the Lord's Prayer and say the words "lead us not into temptation", what do you think that means? Do you think you are asking God to keep you from experiencing temptation? Do you understand it to mean that you are asking God Himself not to tempt you? Do you think it literally means that God should not purposely lead you into tempting situations? Or, do you feel you are asking God to lead you away from your natural inclination to be tempted and sin?
Do you have questions about faith, or revelations about yourself that you need to communicate to God? Are there things so personal that you blush with embarrassment and shame at the mere thought of them? These are the most pressing things that you need to reveal to the Lord, and they require a secret place where you can be absolutely open and honest with Him.
Do we have hidden sins that are undoing us? They don't have to be huge or incredibly sleazy, but dishonest to God's law, and to the commandments of Jesus Christ all the same. Tolerating such minute changes in our behavior will surely undo the good work that has been done in us, and we will slowly, and certainly, become blind in our faith.
How do you know when you have been in fervent prayer? Is it when you end your sentence with Amen, or is it when you unfold your hands, open your eyes, or get up off your knees? Those can all be indications of having prayed, but the real give away regarding fervent prayer is your heart; when the fingers of your soul begrudgingly let go of the hand of God as you return to your body... and language serves you once more.
God never leads us by the ear into salvation. He never forces us to acknowledge Him against our will, or badgers us until we finally give in and begin our journey of faith. No, a tiny seed is planted within us and upon germination it becomes our responsibility to tend to it as God grows it. Or, we can simply let it lie unattended until it eventually withers away. What will our choice be?
Do you worry about the salvation of your family members? Are you one of the believers who doesn't trust that their households are saved? Well, take heart, your belief has more than likely saved them all. By your faith and your example you are bringing the Word of the Lord into your home, and by doing that you are influencing the rest of your family.
Are we prepared to do the Father's bidding? I am not talking about the things you consider to be the grand tasks of heaven, but rather the trivial and menial jobs. Those that lesser acts that occur every day as we live out our lives; the ones that humble us and define us in the world’s eyes as the least of all the servants.
Have you prepared yourself for the challenges of a life of faith ahead? Are you ready for the trials that lie before you, or are you totally out of spiritual shape? Be as Jesus was... ready for the moment of God's calling... to do our Father’s will, and to be prepared to join with the Holy Spirit as you run the race of your life.
Do you claim the glory of God for yourself? When doing great things that you have been called and gifted to do, do you puff out your chest and swagger as if they were about you? We are tempted as spiritual men and women to claim earthly rights over God's work when it moves through us into the physical world, but we must defeat that inclination lest we sin, and are humbled by God Himself.