All tagged jesus
Are we prepared to walk in the desert? Can we tolerate the loneliness that will test us there? When there is nothing left but ourselves and God will we find that we are prepared for death and to join Him? Will we accept sanctification in Christ just as His apostles did? These are questions to consider regarding our being alone and the sanctity that results from it.
Do we accept the teaching of a college professor who we don’t believe in? Would we allow a surgeon to operate on us if we didn’t believe in his ability to successfully perform the operation? What about applying this to our faith? Have we placed Jesus first and foremost in our lives as our teacher, and what is the danger in doing this? Why is it more important that we should put “Jesus the Redeemer” before “Jesus the Teacher” in our lives?
When I came to Jesus it was in full submission to Him, but have I served Him over all else in my life? Have I been the servant that God expects me to be, or has my commitment to Him become a convenience on my part? These are my thoughts this morning and as I seek the answers to them, I find that they often serve to convict me. I gauge my faith and belief against that of Jesus and find myself lacking. It is in moments like this that I cry out for mercy, grace, and to be covered in the blood of the perfect lamb, Jesus Christ. Will you join me in this quest for true faith, and a plea for mercy?
I am thinking back to the moment I professed Jesus to be my savior, and the events that brought me to that decision. I am considering the strength of the gospel that I heard and comparing it to all the preaching I have heard since then. What made the message strike home with me that day? What have I heard since?
Being true to the Word of God involves dealing gently with those who we come in contact with, especially as we spread the good news of Christ's love and sacrifice. This will be our concentration this morning; how we are to turn the heart of a fallen or failing soul without losing the patient in the process.
Are we placing our focus on the eternal, or concentrating our efforts on those things that are fleeting, and that will fall away? Is our pride in the possessions we have in this world, at the demise of our spiritual faith and soul which live forever? This is my thought today as I seek to redirect my attention more completely towards the most important treasure of my life… my belief and faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ. Will you join me?
Do I have the serenity in my life that Jesus had in His? Is my life spent settling into constant comfort and peace, and if not... why isn't it? Perhaps I am not truly abiding in Christ. These thoughts were provoked in me by my devotional reading this morning.
Coming to Jesus; this is my contemplation this morning. Do we come to Him in the physical act of circumcision, baptism, and communion, or something far deeper and more spiritual? What does He mean by these three simple words... "Come unto me."
Am I seeking the Lord as I should? Am I asking Jesus for the things that are right in the eyes of God? This morning, I am asking myself these questions among others and seeking to place Him foremost in my thought-life as I pray and walk this world. How can we pray right if we don’t think right, and how can we think right if we don’t focus right on God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit?
Are we running the race that God has laid out before us, or are we like the horse that never left the gate when the gun sounded? Is the call of the Lord fading into the distance, or are we following His call into an exciting adventure? These are the questions I would like us to ponder today.
Trusting solely in God is my contemplation this morning. There is none but Him who is true and always dependable. He is worthy of our trust and His Word never wavers. And yet, we have a tendency to place our trust in each other and in this we are disappointed over and over again. We are fallible, and in being such we have the propensity to let others down that have put their trust in us, but God never fails, and His Word is forever true. Even Jesus acknowledged the inability of man to be trusted:
We should want to live the resurrection life of Jesus. Our greatest desire should be to become one with Him and in Him with God. Is this our hearts desire now... not sometime in the distant future but right now? Are we living this unified life, and if not, are we striving for it every day, and with each breath we take? Does this blur the spiritual line too much for us? Well, let’s think about this today.
This morning, we are considering the decisions we make in our lives. Who makes our choices; are we making them based on our own logic and reasoning, or is God making them for us out of His perfect wisdom and understanding? Have we chosen to turn our lives over to the Lord, or are we still holding tight to the tiller of our lives and plotting our own course?
What did Jesus mean when He told us to "seek first the kingdom of God?" Some believe He meant to seek Him totally and that all else would miraculously be provided, while others feel He meant that we should seek God first and foremost, but then continue living our old lives guided lawfully by His commandments. Then there are those who believe that this means we should live our lives as we always have and to simply roll and squeeze God into the cracks of life like mortar or caulk. Which type of seeker are you? Do any of these ways describe how you search for Him? In what way do you seek to know our Heavenly Father?
We will all be resurrected into judgement one day, so are we maintaining a clear conscience as we go about living our lives of faith? This morning, I am concerned with allowing my own conscience to guide me as I follow God's commandments and prepare myself to stand in the judgement of Christ before Him. I listen intently to it so that on the day when I account for my sins I will be perceived as pure by the profession of my conscience which was formed and reformed by my righteous spiritual knowledge and understanding. Are our consciences clean, and have they been cleansed by the blood of Jesus as we have undergone our transformation in Him… made new in Jesus Christ?