All tagged jesus
How often do we commit a sin, confess it, and ask for forgiveness only to find purification before retreating once again into that selfsame sin? How many battles must we fight with an adversary before they are at last declared defeated? Do we ask God to heal the wounds of our sin, but neglect to ask that He fight and claim victory for us?
Do we have a plan for our life? Have we set everything before ourselves and determined what pieces of the puzzle go where, and started the process of fitting them perfectly together? If so, there is probably a nice spot for God, another for Jesus, and oh yes, let’s not forget the Holy Spirit, but is that really how our life is formed, and our faith is shaped?
Are You Facing trials in your life right now? Does it feel like God has abandoned you and let the world have its way with you? Well praise Him for where you are right now because in your misery God is expanding the breadth of your faith. It is in such times that our faith isn’t tested... it is stretched as we reach desperately for His hand. Remember when the disciples of Jesus had just failed... when they had been unable to cast a devil out of a child? They were feeling sorry for themselves and with their faces drooping, they asked Jesus why they hadn’t succeeded, and He said...
Are we someone who prides ourselves on common sense and morality? Do we believe it to be a substitute for faith in God? Throughout our lives we have most certainly heard people say, “that man is a good person and he does good things.” about someone who is of good character and is morally sound. But is being a good and moral person enough to satisfy God? Is it enough to earn us eternal life?
Are we in search of the “things” of our lives; you know, the thrill of our life, the job of our life, the experience of our life, and if we are so fortunate, the love of our life? These are all examples of the “things” that we seek after every day. These are the “things” that we believe will make us happy, and let’s be honest with ourselves... we all do this to some degree, and once we think we have found them are we ever completely happy? Have we found the true and full joy of our lives in them? No, I’m afraid not… our only hope for true joy and life is in Jesus Christ.
We all have touchstones in our lives by which we measure ourselves and the quality of our lives; those people, places, and events that we consider as representative of our ideal. Is Jesus the touchstone of all touchstones in our life? Do we measure all else, even our other touchstones based on Him?
What are the works and miracles we do in the name of Jesus? Are they greater than those He was able to do, or by lacking are we a disappointment to ourselves, and God? To get to the root of this particular scripture we must explore our belief, understanding, and ability to pray effectively. And we must also look deeper into the wording of this passage of scripture… does it imply we will be more able than Christ was, or simply that we will carry on those things He was doing in His life to a new height?
Where do we hide when we are frightened, and why? Are we afraid of failure, of displeasing God, of our sin, or the everyday pain of living? Why do we feel inclined to seek out a hiding place at all? Perhaps we are fearful by nature and simply shelter ourselves from the difficult things in our lives? But even if we don’t hide we may know people who do; those who attempt to hide themselves from the world and quite possibly from God.
Here are a couple of questions for us to ponder today... do we hear Jesus calling us, and if so, are we prepared to come to Him when He beckons? As disciples we should be listening to His voice and always ready to go to Him... he gives us much more than something to do… He gives us rest.
Who is Jesus in relation to God? Is He a servant, a slave, a son, a prophet, a high priest, a tool, or all 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? Well, 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...
Jesus is without sin, and perfect, but is there any hope for us to become as perfect as He is? Is perfection something that we are even capable of? The glorious surprise of faith is that we are transformed not into men and women seeking to behave as God, but into God flowing from man.
Have you prepared yourself for the challenges 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... be ready to join the Father in the race of your life.
Do we wake up in the morning to a life of freedom, or have we given control of ourselves to something or someone else? Are we independently ruling our lives, or have we given ourselves over to a grand idea or something else such as our family, job, perhaps drugs, or some other thing… how about God? Is being free really a choice we can make, or are we owned, and just being rebellious by considering ourselves free? Let's explore our freedom as it relates to God, Jesus Christ, and faith.
Has Jesus given you a joy like His, or do you anticipate that one day you will have a joy like that of Jesus? Well, I am going to burst your bubble and then give you a new hope regarding joy. Our anticipation should never be to have a joy like Jesus because we won't have one like His! I apologize for having done this, but I have toyed with you a bit. You are truly not going to have a joy "like" Jesus... no you are going to have “the joy” of Jesus. Not similar, not an imitation, not even an exact replica, but the actual joy that fills Jesus Christ; "my joy may be in you."
How is your life in Christ? Before you answer this question I would like you to answer another... "How often do I pray?" If we think that our life with Christ is robust because of the things we do, and yet we have not humbled ourselves before Him in prayer; then our relationship with the Lord isn’t robust at all… it is starving.