What God Has Been Teaching Me Lately XL (40)…
Greetings My Friends~
As a simple pilgrim following Jesus through the rainforests and deserts of this earthly life, I would like to humbly share some of what God has been bubbling up in my mind/heart lately.
I pray that these thoughts are cushions in your shoes, balm to your burns, umbrellas for the rain, and shade to the scorching heat as you too follow the Lord Jesus each day.
(please click on the Bible books/chapters/verses below to read the actual Scripture passages)
(August 2015)
Priorities
Thank the Holy Spirit for continuing to humble & mature me:
I used to want to be a great man,
then a great man of God
& now a man of The Great God.
Pastors
Pastors should be guinea pigs
as we allow the Holy Spirit to do radical work in us
so we can encourage & invite others
to let Him do so in them.
Self
Without realizing it, I’ve often wanted God to do great things through me,
not so I can fall more in love with Him, but with myself…
Forgive & purify me, Lord Jesus!
Focusing On Jesus
TRACTION is to have a sure grip/footing to go where Jesus leads;
Ephesians 6:15 talks about this regarding the sandals of the gospel of peace.
DIS-traction, then, is to not have a sure grip—
revving our engines loudly but spinning our wheels & going NOWHERE
(high rpm/low miles, which burns off more tread & leaves LESS traction!).
This is exactly what happens when we lose our focus off Jesus and put it on anything/anyone else!
Thus, Holy Spirit please help us not to be distracted from Jesus—
His presence with us,
His promises to us,
His work on the Cross for us
& His mission for us!
Faith In Jesus
A. Faith in Jesus thru the Bible & the Holy Spirit fuels our understanding—
But many want our understanding/experience to fuel our faith
(Hebrews 11:3—“By faith we understand…”).
.
B. Faith in Jesus puts
-the Cross before the flag,
-Christ before culture,
-the Savior’s Truth before society’s tweets & tantrums…
.
C. Faith in Jesus sacrifices,
pours itself out for God & others,
empties itself,
just as Jesus did the same for us on the Cross
.
D. Faith in Jesus is NOT easy/painless—
not the pain-free cutting of an infants umbilical cord
but the daily amputation of self by the Holy Spirit & the Bible;
faith in Jesus HURTS…but with a glorious & eternal purpose!
In This Order, Step-by-Step
The 1st Christians
-received orders from Jesus,
-waited for power from God the Father,
-prayed,
-were shaken by the Holy Spirit,
-were filled with the Holy Spirit &
-THEN spoke God’s Word boldly
Worry
Not worrying about something doesn’t mean you don’t care…
it means you’re learning to trust that God cares the most & has it in His control.
Don’t Quit!
Lord Jesus, though we often want You to take us off life’s high-wire tightrope,
teach us to keep our eyes on You
& hold the Cross to keep our balance.
Slow & Steady Wins The Race
Following Jesus isnt being the fastest sprinter but the longest runner.
Distance over speed.
Thus, the Bible says that perseverance—not pace!—makes us complete!
Giving Back To God What Is Already His
Jesus looks not at the size of the sum
but at the sincerity of the sacrifice
(Luke 21:1-4; 2 Samuel 24:21-24).
Friendship Between Christians
What would it look like for Christians in a local church
to not be devoted to Facebook
but to knowing The Book
& loving each other face to face?
Our Mission
Jesus has not given us the Great Checkbook to get everything we want
But He has given us the Great Commission to give all others everything they need—Jesus Himself!