Are you desperate? Should we be desperate?
Right now I feel desperate for Jesus. I need him to fulfill my every need. So many times I'm looking everywhere else...instead of looking unto The ONE who knows what I need and wants to fulfill it. There are so many trials and worries. Life can be so busy, yet seem so meaningless. That's why we must be desperate for Jesus.
I also need change. Wow...that's sure been a buzzword lately. You know so much of the time I feel that I put band-aids on my problems and then the band-aid looses its stickiness and it falls off, allowing the problem to resurface. Isn't this a common problem? But I need real change. The kind of change that fills me with Jesus and turns the focus onto Him and away from me. How can this really happen though? Remember I don't want another band-aid moment. I want the problems to be rooted out of my life and to be replaced with more of Jesus.
Well, I can't do this. I just can't. I can't change myself and you can't change yourself. This can be frustrating right? We focus on our problems and before we know it we are filled with anger, bitterness, jealousy and all sorts of evil. I think that a big part of the issue here is that the focus is on ourselves instead of on God. If we are constantly thinking about ourselves then we are robbing ourselves of time that could be used to serve God and serve others, to love God and to love others. So lets get the right perspective. Let's stop going for the box of band-aids and lets go to the Surgeon's table and let Him do the operating. Prov. 3:5-6 talks about trusting in the Lord with all your heart and not leaning on your own understanding. So the next time you lean make sure your leaning on the right One and make sure your leaning completely on him.
That's all for now. May God work in our lives today to change us for His glory and may others see Jesus in us. And may we pray that we don't waste our lives, but rather that we live our lives leaning on God and trusting in Him with ALL our hearts.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Faith
A.W. Tozer in his book The Pursuit of God said this concerning faith: "It would be like God to make the most vital thing easy and place it within the range of possibility for the weakest and poorest of us."
Faith has been made available to everyone. So let's talk about faith for a moment. Man is it ever tough to have faith. It's so very tough. With trials and heartaches, there, most of the time, seems little room for great faith.
I actually don't even feel that I should be writing about this subject because I need so much more faith. But ya know I don't have the answers. The point is I don't need to have all the answers and I will never have all the answers. The point is I need Jesus. He is the answer. He is the author and finisher of our faith.
So instead of looking at the world around me...I must look unto Jesus. He's in control of everything. This is great news. I can't do it! I can't live the Christian life...so I must look unto Jesus! Wow! How great is that!
This is good news amidst such a difficult journey...the journey of life. So many times we are engulfed with so much of the things going on around us. But we must draw back and look unto Jesus. He is our only hope. Life is difficult, lonely, disappointing but Jesus is not! He wants to spend time with you! He wants to have a cup of coffee with you as you meditate upon Him! He wants to listen to what you have to say. And we must listen to what He is saying to us today. After all it is a relationship. And without communication, without spending time with someone we know that a relationship suffers greatly.
So be encouraged today! And look unto Jesus!
Faith has been made available to everyone. So let's talk about faith for a moment. Man is it ever tough to have faith. It's so very tough. With trials and heartaches, there, most of the time, seems little room for great faith.
I actually don't even feel that I should be writing about this subject because I need so much more faith. But ya know I don't have the answers. The point is I don't need to have all the answers and I will never have all the answers. The point is I need Jesus. He is the answer. He is the author and finisher of our faith.
So instead of looking at the world around me...I must look unto Jesus. He's in control of everything. This is great news. I can't do it! I can't live the Christian life...so I must look unto Jesus! Wow! How great is that!
This is good news amidst such a difficult journey...the journey of life. So many times we are engulfed with so much of the things going on around us. But we must draw back and look unto Jesus. He is our only hope. Life is difficult, lonely, disappointing but Jesus is not! He wants to spend time with you! He wants to have a cup of coffee with you as you meditate upon Him! He wants to listen to what you have to say. And we must listen to what He is saying to us today. After all it is a relationship. And without communication, without spending time with someone we know that a relationship suffers greatly.
So be encouraged today! And look unto Jesus!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Children of God
Well...another day has past. I've been here in Asia for over 6 months (this time around). But I'm thinking right now of the idea of being busy and its connection to being spiritual. Are we busy for Christ? But are we spiritual? And by spiritual...I mean close to God.
Sometimes we can get caught up in the idea that if we do more then we must be spiritual and we may also think that if we're not doing much then were not very spiritual. But why?
Is this the way that we should really think? I mean sure...yes...we should be working for Christ. But it's about so much more than what we're doing for Christ. It's about who we are in Christ. We are children of God. So it's more about who we are than what we do. It's about our relationship with Christ. That's where most of our focus needs to be...on that relationship. Because if all we're concerned about is the 'doing' then we're missing out on what it really means to be a child of God.
You see...children have relationships with their parents. So we must have a relationship with Christ..first of all...and then we need to make that relationship a priority in our lives.
So think about what you are doing today. Are you more concerned about what your doing than who your doing it for? Another words are you more concerned about working than who you are...a child of God?
We must think about our relationship with God. As we focus on Christ...the work will come out of the overflow! So search like crazy for Christ...find Him....let Him fulfill you...follow Him...and out of this relationship will come work unto our Father.
Be blessed today...know that you are a child of God...if you have put your faith in the shed blood of Jesus and in His resurrection as salvation from your sins.
Trust Him! Prov. 3:5-6
Sometimes we can get caught up in the idea that if we do more then we must be spiritual and we may also think that if we're not doing much then were not very spiritual. But why?
Is this the way that we should really think? I mean sure...yes...we should be working for Christ. But it's about so much more than what we're doing for Christ. It's about who we are in Christ. We are children of God. So it's more about who we are than what we do. It's about our relationship with Christ. That's where most of our focus needs to be...on that relationship. Because if all we're concerned about is the 'doing' then we're missing out on what it really means to be a child of God.
You see...children have relationships with their parents. So we must have a relationship with Christ..first of all...and then we need to make that relationship a priority in our lives.
So think about what you are doing today. Are you more concerned about what your doing than who your doing it for? Another words are you more concerned about working than who you are...a child of God?
We must think about our relationship with God. As we focus on Christ...the work will come out of the overflow! So search like crazy for Christ...find Him....let Him fulfill you...follow Him...and out of this relationship will come work unto our Father.
Be blessed today...know that you are a child of God...if you have put your faith in the shed blood of Jesus and in His resurrection as salvation from your sins.
Trust Him! Prov. 3:5-6
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
How bright is your light?
Matthew 5:13 says that we are the light of the world. It compares us to a city on a hill and says that a city that is locted on a hill is not hidden.
But how much our we shining? We are in a dark world, but can people see the light in us. Can people see Jesus in us? This is so convicting to me because I'm realizing that I'm in the midst of a darkened world. People need the light, they need Jesus Christ. But what am I doing to show them the way? We are the light. Jesus tells us this in Matthew 5:13. This is an amazing thought. But when I look at myself, do I see light or do I see sin? Well, the sin is so easy to see, but I have to dig around to look for light. But if we are on a hill...everyone should be able to see our light. They shouldn't have to dig around for the light. We must be like Jesus. We must be bright, shining lights.
How can we be like Christ? We must live lives that honor Christ. We can't just sit around doing little. If we stay in our houses all the time, how can people see the light? If we only go around Christians all the time, how can people see the light? If we ignore a lost world of billions of people, then how will they see the light?
God help us to be the light, pointing people to Him. Afterall, that's one of the reasons we are here, to go and tell the good news that Jesus Saves. He is the answer. We are not. Life is not about us -(Although, this is so hard to really put into practice.). So let us ask God to help us be a bright, shining light for Him.
But how much our we shining? We are in a dark world, but can people see the light in us. Can people see Jesus in us? This is so convicting to me because I'm realizing that I'm in the midst of a darkened world. People need the light, they need Jesus Christ. But what am I doing to show them the way? We are the light. Jesus tells us this in Matthew 5:13. This is an amazing thought. But when I look at myself, do I see light or do I see sin? Well, the sin is so easy to see, but I have to dig around to look for light. But if we are on a hill...everyone should be able to see our light. They shouldn't have to dig around for the light. We must be like Jesus. We must be bright, shining lights.
How can we be like Christ? We must live lives that honor Christ. We can't just sit around doing little. If we stay in our houses all the time, how can people see the light? If we only go around Christians all the time, how can people see the light? If we ignore a lost world of billions of people, then how will they see the light?
God help us to be the light, pointing people to Him. Afterall, that's one of the reasons we are here, to go and tell the good news that Jesus Saves. He is the answer. We are not. Life is not about us -(Although, this is so hard to really put into practice.). So let us ask God to help us be a bright, shining light for Him.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Being in the Middle
Many today are in the middle. We are lukewarm. We are trying to please ourselves with things and we are living for ourselves. But what we need to be is sold out. We are not here to live and die and be done. We are here for so much more. God has put us here on His earth to glorify Him, to serve Him. We can't do that if we are always looking out for our interests. Now, I'm talking to myself here. Because I know that I am selfish. I know that I struggle so much with being sold out. I mean there's so many distractions. But it doesn't matter we are here for the sake of Christ. It is by His mercy and grace that we even know Him.
Paul says in Galatians 6:17 that he bears on his body the marks of Jesus. What an amazing thing to bear the marks of Jesus. But are people really seeing Jesus in us. I look around today and it's hard to see Jesus in people. Much of the time I see what people are interested in...and that involves pleasures of the world most of the time. And again I include myself in this group of people. I see people who are extremely busy and maybe their (we) are doing good things but I still fail to really see Jesus. I see glimpses of it at times but it doesn't seem to be the overriding theme of most Christians' lives. This is indeed sad. We are a called out people. We are called to live for Christ and yet we don't do it enough. We'd rather enjoy the pleasures of this world. But there are billions ...yes billions of people without Christ. People are dying everyday. The middle ground is no place to be. As a matter of fact it's quite distracting and very confusing for others. When people look at those on middle ground (lukewarm Christians) they see people who are living in the pleasures of this world yet claim Christ as their Savior. So confusing and very misleading.
We must be sold-out believers. We can't give up the fight. We must get back to what were here for...to glorify God...to make Him known to the nations. Difficult...yes. But with Christ it can be done...and only with Him. May we have the marks of Jesus on us. May people look at us and see Jesus Christ. May we live lives that honor and glorify God, that draw people to Christ. Wow! May we get off the fence and out of the lukewarm water and may our hearts be warmed by the Spirit of God to live for Him.
Paul says in Galatians 6:17 that he bears on his body the marks of Jesus. What an amazing thing to bear the marks of Jesus. But are people really seeing Jesus in us. I look around today and it's hard to see Jesus in people. Much of the time I see what people are interested in...and that involves pleasures of the world most of the time. And again I include myself in this group of people. I see people who are extremely busy and maybe their (we) are doing good things but I still fail to really see Jesus. I see glimpses of it at times but it doesn't seem to be the overriding theme of most Christians' lives. This is indeed sad. We are a called out people. We are called to live for Christ and yet we don't do it enough. We'd rather enjoy the pleasures of this world. But there are billions ...yes billions of people without Christ. People are dying everyday. The middle ground is no place to be. As a matter of fact it's quite distracting and very confusing for others. When people look at those on middle ground (lukewarm Christians) they see people who are living in the pleasures of this world yet claim Christ as their Savior. So confusing and very misleading.
We must be sold-out believers. We can't give up the fight. We must get back to what were here for...to glorify God...to make Him known to the nations. Difficult...yes. But with Christ it can be done...and only with Him. May we have the marks of Jesus on us. May people look at us and see Jesus Christ. May we live lives that honor and glorify God, that draw people to Christ. Wow! May we get off the fence and out of the lukewarm water and may our hearts be warmed by the Spirit of God to live for Him.
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